The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-03
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

An Englishman, Mr.. H. Houbon,
has invented a process for making
very pure I've hydrogen from acety-
lene. He condenses acetylene in
Caillet steel bomb up to five atmos-
pheres, and ignites it. by means of
electricity. Hydrogen and carbon are
formed; the latter precipitates in the
form of fine SCOT. The process is with
out danger and makes it possible to
generate hydrogen on a large scale very
cheaply. This invention may mean
much for balloon technics, as the pres
ent methods of making hydrogen are
expensive.
Some handsome American women
Of stately proportion as to altitude,
says Paris correspondent, have been
prominent here of late, and Parisiennes
have gazed upon them with envy. Now
comes forward French professor who
claims to have a process by which he
can supply the demand for increased
stature, even though the subject may
have reached maturity. He treats the
ankles, knees and spine electrically,
claiming that the osseous matter at
the joints is thereby expanded and the
growth of the bones stimulated. He
claims he can add two-fifths OF an inch
per month during six months treat
ment The professor has a large num-
Der of petites patients already.
The new dead sea discovered by
DR.. Sven Hedin. in Tibet, seems en-
titled to rank among the geographical
wonders of the world. 1t is described
as enormous in extent, but so shallow
that to navigate one must wade half
a mile to reach the boat, and must
drag the boat half a mile before 1t can
be fioated with a load. But the most
remarkable characteristic is the al
most incredible amount of salt con-
tanned. The bottom is an unbroken
crust of salt, and the boat and oars
are as white as chalk; even the dress
of the rowers soon becomes whitened,
while drops of the water sprinkled
upon dry surface leave globules like
candle drippings.
The Bishop of Grenoble has issued
a letter to his clergy announcing the
imminent departure from France of the
Carthusian monks-the makers of the
Chartreuse liquor. Some of the monks
are very likely to come to England,
where their old foundation, the Char
terhouse, is a familiar word. The
Carthusians of to-day are now the pos
SCISSORS of the largest monastery ex-
listing in England-St. Hugh's, Park
minister. In Sussex valley. the mon
astery or "Chartreuse" of st. Hugh
contains more than half a mile of clois-
tiers. The spire of its church is
landmark for miles about. Already its
subjects" are mostly French, and If
a new batch of their countrymen now
join them the ACCESSIBILITY of their
bringing with them their herbs and
stills and the magic GARNER seal may
not impossibly become a question.
There is no intrinsic reason why the
liquor should not be made in England.
Many visitors TO Paris are famil-
lar with the sparrow-tamer in the
Tuileries Gardens, says the Westmin-
ster Gazette. On most days, at some
hour or other, may be seen this devo-
tee of the gamins de Paris, as these
pert and much-petteo little creatures
are called, dozens of them fiuttering
around him, some perching on the rim
of his hat, others on his shoulder, 9TH
ers again on his finger tips. But the
amateur birdtamer has done more
than merely tame his sparrows. He has
accorded names to a few of the most
intelligent-in fact. baptized them.
Thus you may see Marie or Jeanne
hopping when called toward, their
friend and the pretty sight acclaimed
by onlookers; for no sooner does the
well-known figure take his stand than
a little crowd gathers round him. old
and young. gentle and simple. Sena-
tors and butchers boys equally de-
lighting in the gratuitous spectacle.
The Simplon tunnel is advancing
rapidly toward completion. The Mont
Cents tunnel is nearly eight miles long,
the Arlberg is six and third miles
long and the st. Gothard is nine and
&c fo
be 12A miles long, of which length TO-
100 yards have already been pierced.
The work is to be done in 1904. at an
estimated cost OF about $500 per yard
of single-line tunnel. At first a single
line tunnel will be made and another
will be made when needed at reduced
cost. The great merit of the Simplon
is its low grade. At its highest point S
is but so feet above the present rail-
way station in the Valley of the Rhone.
whereas the Mont Cents rises 4,24S feet
the Arlberg 1890 feet and the st. Got
hard 3,7Ss feet. Work was begun on the
Simplon in 1895. The temperature with
in the mountain is found to be SO de-
grees, so that special arrangements are
required to cool the air breathed by the
workmen.
1t is now about fifty-two years
since the first woman was admitted in
the medical profession of this country
Forty years later there were 1900 in
regular practice besides an army of
trained nurses, who in ordinary cases
were a fairly good substitute for the
regular practitioner. 1t is estimated
that the number has doubled since 1889
Women have not got along so we'll in
England as in the United States
There are only eighty-six lady physi-
clans in London and vicinity, but
there are 1896 in active service in the
United Kingdom and in India and Chit
ma. In 1894 the Sultan of Turkey sur.
prised Europe by opening the doors of
medical colleges to women. Four years
later he repented of this innovation.
but permitted foreign women to prac-
tice in his dominions. One Turkish lady
slipped through college while it's doors
were open and is permitted to practice
Germany and Austria are the least in
clined of all European countries to al
low women equal educational advan-
tages with men. This opposition is
due largely to the caste prejudice
which is naturally strong in countries
where the aristocracy traces its origin
back through centuries of time The
thoroughly educated woman. perhaps
of plebeian birth, plays havoc among
their preconceived notions.
There is probably no casualty more
appalling than snakebite. by reason of
the usually fatal result which follows
the injury when the snake is of
hlghIy venomous species, says the
London Chronicle. Even a minute
quantity of the virus injected into the
blood will prove death dealing within
81 %