The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-30
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


Winchester, Va, is to hold a banquet in
celebration of Charles Broadway Rouss'
birthday anniversary on Feb. II next.
Mr.. Rouss has sent the organization
check for $1,000 to defray the expenses of
the affair. Upward of 300 guests will be
present, and Hon. A. ]. Montague, at
torney general of Virginia, will be the
principal speaker.
The great smoke-cloud of the North of
England is stated to have a notable in
iuence on plants. Albert Wilson, in
paper on the subject, read before the Brit
ssh Association, spoke of the extent Of
the great smoke-producing district of the
North of England and the miserable con-
dition of the vegetation in some parts of
the area. Among the various points dealt
with in the paper, says Nature, were
"the long distance reached by the smoke
Of large towns; the discoloratio of rain
water Cblack rainO the effect. of smoke
on MOSES and hepatics as compared with
that on higher plants. the influence of
smoke on sunshine and air-temperature
ia calm summer weather and in anticy-
clonic weather during autumn or winter.
The discovery of a large oil well in
Southeastern Texas on Jan. 10. is at
state. This region has been prospected
for a number of years, and there has
been considerable speculation in land, bas
ed on rumors of oil, but until recently
no large oil wells were encountered. The
oil wells in Texas have been for the
most part located in the Corscana dis
trict, and as Beaumont, where the recent
strike was made, is about 200 miles south
east of that city, it indicates that an
entirely new field has been opened. The
oil issuing forth is a superior grade of
Light oil. with a paraffln base, which
should yield a large proportion of high
grade Illuminating oil on refining. The
discovery is important from a CONNER
cial standpoint, as it is near tidewater,
and the oil can be readily shipped.
THE comparative. one might almost
say absolute. security of ocean travel
could not be better illustrated than in the
latest trips of the Atlantic liners" says
the Marine Review. "A storm ragged, the
fierceness of which passes all memory,
and yet every ship came in. They were
late, of course, all of them, but they came
in. Every one of them had been battered
with countless tons of water, hurled with
unreasonable force, and time and again
The mighty liners were tossed like corks
upon the waves. But they conquered tri-
umphantly. Fastenings were torn from
the decks and even propeller-blades were
lost, but they piowed steadily forward.
There was diminution of speed, but they
went on. That wonderful machine the
essence of power, known as the Atlantic
liner, is superior to the tempest. The
mind of man suDdues, If not directs, the
elements
1t is not generally known, says the
London Globe, that Mr.. Marconi, the
much of an Irishman as an Ita1an in all
but the matter of birth. He is 1t ap-
pears, first cousin to a leading WaXford
merchant and the son of an Enniscorthy
lady. Mr.. Marconi's maternal grand
father was Andrew Jameson of Daphne
Castle and Fairfield, Enniscorthy-a cous-
in of the John Jameson of whisky fame.
Andrew Jameson had a distillery near
Enniscorthy, at the place known even
now as 1.-THE Still" A. G. Davis, the
present occupant of Fairfield, married
one of Andrew Jamesons daughters, and
another, who was musical to a remark
able degree, went to the Conservatoire
at Bologna to finish her studies. Here
she met and married a Signor Marconi,
an Italian of considerable means. and be-
came the mother of the now famous in
ventor.
The Mayor Of Rome recently asked
the Duke of the Abruzzi to deliver a lee
ture in the Capitol on his attempt to
reach the North Pole, but out of mod
esty he declined. He will give it, how
ever in the College Romano. All the
foreign ambassadors In Rome and other
diplomatic representatives have received
invitations, and also the most eminent
Italian scientists, especially the geogra-
piers. and numerous officers of the Italian
army and navy. The Prince will give an
account of the journey, and will be fol-
lowed by Capt. Cagni. his compa Mon,
who will describe the latter part of the
expedition. The lecture will be ilustrat-
ed by more than a hundred pictures
In the package containing his will,
that Andree directed to be opened at the
end of 1900. was found a bundle of pa
pers inscribed. mot to be read, but burn
ed" Then came letters from scientific
men encouraging him, and one from NJ.
de Fouville dissuading him. On the lat
ter Audree had written in pencil, 1T is
possible that he is right, but it is now
too late. Have made al preparations,
and cannot now draw back" The will
itself Is very short. The Introduction
seems to show that Andree OWNED the
fate that aweited him. The text begins
as follows: This will I write to-day is
probably my last testament, and is.
therefore, legally valid ! write on the
eve OF journey full of dangers such as
history has yet never been able to show.
My presentiment tells me that this ter
rtble journey will signify death" The
of the will allots one-half Of
his fortune. amounting TO a few thousand
marks to his sister. the other half 10
ms brother, who also inherits his large
library, mostly consisting of sclentinc
works. on condition that he bequoath il
% q public library,