The Washington times., 1901-08-02
FOREIGN TOPICS.


a German statistician has figured that
the Christian era viii soon be 100. .00o. .eoo
minutes old. Soon. that is. comparative
ly speaking. 1t win seem to most pcople
perhaps. that since the Christian era the
clock ought TO have been round more
than 100000 times, but, as a matter Of
fact. we shall have TO wait nearly two
ard a half years before the first milliard
of minutes is completed
When the twentieth century dawned on
the world the number of minutes which
had elapsed Et1ce the b, ginning of the
year | y. ID. was 9.S, SO. .0)O and we shall
celebrate the thousand millionth minute
at the end of April 1892.
In ancient tires Norway was covered
with vast tracts of forests, OF which the
presence of extensive peat-bogs gives evil
denct, but in consequence of forest fires
and an irrational forestry the area has
been greatly reduced and the country i'm
poverishcd in proportion. Legislative
measures are now being taken to prevent
a destruction Of the forests, which are
still of great Importance. In 1899 Norway
exported timber and wood-puip. matches
etc. for upward of 61.Doo.o0 kroner. The
values of the expectation of fish products
the same year were B.6@,OeJ kroner
about 5.o0j.0Oo kroner Isl 800. .0oes. The total
value of all Norwegian exports in 1899
was ISL 100000 kroner $40, ,46S, ,eo0).
Twelve vessels on the European line OF
the Nippon Ysen Kaisha, the great Jap
anese steamship company. are COM
mnnded by foreigners. OF the six vessels
on the American Line five are commanded
by foreigners. The three vessels on the
Australian Line are commanded by for
eigners. and the three vessels of the Toyo
ISisen kaisha are commanded by foreign
ers- If all the foreigners serving In the
Japanese mercantile marine as masters,
mates and engineers were counted. the
total would not be far short of 800.
Two small diamonds have recently been
found in the blue layer of the district of
Gibeon. in German Southwest Africa. and
have been sent to the Government
A company for the exploitation OF the
Gibeon diamond and copper concession,
which was given to 0r. Goring and his
partners, is being formed. mining ex-
pert has left Berlin for the colony to
ascertain the space covered by the mines
in question.
The Germans are about to establish
station in New Pomerania. German New
Guinea, and several mining concessions
for the neighlsOring districts have been
granted to the Berlin Discount Company
Syndicate. which is about TO send an ex-
pedition to that colony. Four more cocoa
plantations have been laid out by Df-
Esser in the German Camercons.
Despite extraordinary efforts to decry
American locomotives. the. Paris. Lyons
and Marseiiles Railway has just received
at it's yards in Aries fiftyo Baldwin loco
motives The officials of the company
admit that the American locomotives are
the best made. despite contrary reports
from England and rival builders in
France.
Several months ago Mr.. PelIesier, the
engineer of the great system, went to the
United States in search Of engines that
would reduce the running time of the pas
senger trains betwe, : Paris and Mar
seilles from thirteen to ten hours. 1t is
admitted that neither France nor England
produces a locomotive that can do this
every day and stand the strain.
NJ Pellesier and other officials of the
road say they decided upon the American
because of their undoubted
fast travelling power. The trifing question
Of additional coal and repairs was brushed
aside to meet the demand for reduced
time.
"A most interesting discovery has been
made in the Fife coal pit, in Scotland,
During operations by the Wemyss Coal
at an old disused pit at the
Blair Burn, in order to prevent flooding,
the overmen this week discovered a large
number of miners tools, such as were
used some 800 years ago. The shoyels are
all made of wood, some of them being as
good as the day they We're made: the
picks and mells are iron, the p!ncheS are
wood with iron points. One of the gentle
men stated that there are huge blocks of
coal lying about all cut out with the pick.
SO large as to puzzle the present day col
lier how the old miners accomplished the
task of cutting them out; the pick han
dies are of great thickness. approaching
almost to the thickness of props used
for supporting the roof at the present
time. There is a tradition that the old
mine was flooded. causing the death of
many Of the miners. and the condition of
the mine and the fact of so many tools
lying about the seams point to the truth
of the story.
A curious circumstance in connection
with the abnormal number of cases of
typhoid fever with which the Irish city
Of Belfast has been scourged for so many
years is brought out in the annual report
Of DR.. Whitaker, the medical superintend-
ant. The disease does not chiefly flourish,
it seems, as might be expected, in the
oldest slums of the city, where the soil
Is most polluted and the sanitary arrange
ments most defective On the contrary,
1t is most prevalent in certain districts
where the houses have been erected in
recent years and are in good sanitary con-
iition, situated on good soil. and set out
IN wide, airy streets. Why this should be
so the medical superintendent does not
attempt to explain. The suggestion has
been made that the solution of the mys-
terry is to be found in the fact that the
newer houses have been built with mortar
made with sand from the shore OF the
ough which has been polluted with the
sewage of the city. The sanitary scien-
lists are inclined to disparage this theory
Dut thus far have not settled upon any
other. Meanwhile, typhoid continues
prevalent to an alarming degree, and the
health authorities are apparently quite
unable to cope with 1t.
Extraordinary precautions are to be
taken at the coming coronation of King
Edward VII against vandalism in historic
Westminster Abbey.
In accordance with precedent the
church will be for many previous weeks
handed over to the tender mercies of the
office of works. 1t is to be hoped that
the treatment which the venerable build
ng received at the hands of its temporary
at the time of Queen victoria's $
first jubilee will not be repeated.
On that occasion sufficient supervision
was not exercised to prevent damage to
he building and its priceless contents, and
an investigation of the subsequent state
Of the abbey revealed some unwelcome
facts.
One of the finest medieval monuments in
existence the tomb of Aveline. Countess
If Lancaster, was much damaged, the
irapery of its carved recumbent effigy be-
ng badly fractured. Various parts of
Henry HIS architectural work in the apse