The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-30
ITEMS of INTEREST.

anthropologists Gabriel and Adrien de
Mortillet there was a junction between
Europe and America by way of the Brit
Ssh Isles. the Faroes, Iceland and Green
land ia what is known as the Cheliean
epoch. which is supposed TO have ended
a hundred and fifty or sixty thousand
years ago.
Our Consul at Frankfort reports a
new bronzing LIQUID which is made as
follows: Ten parts of aniline red and
five parts of aniline purple are dissolved
by means of a gentle heat in 100 parts of
alcohol. Five parts of benzoic are then
added. and the mixture is boiled from
ave to ten minutes. The bronze is said
to be especially adapted for bronzing
wood or Daper.
In the side of the rock of Gibraltar
four huge reservoirs have been cut, ca
pable of holding 100000 gallons of wa
ter. Each tank by means of gauze wire
can be made mosquito proof thus pre-
venting this pest, prevalent in hot wealth
err, from introducing any germs of disease
In the event of siege this water supply
would be invaluable. and for the present
the troops and the poor will be benefited
alike.
Liquid air cannot be probably used to
preserve meat, as it is in no way an anti
septic and will not kin microbes. More.
over, it is now five times dearer than ice
1t cannot be used for motor carriages
or submarine boats, because when heated
1t Is such powerful explosive that no
metal yet known could resist it's shocks.
The public needs to be warned against
schemes for preserving meat or propell-
ing motors by hquefed air.
During the nineteenth century 2S5 new
comets were discovered, as against 62 In
the eighteenth century. The nineteenth
century also beheld a greater number of
large and brilliant comets than did its
predecessor. the finest of these were the
comets of 1911, 1s43. 1885, 1881 and 1882 In
the year 1900 only one periodical comet
was known, Halley's; now many are
known, of which at least II have been
seen at more than one return to perihe-
lion.
One of the most widely used bi-prod-
ucts of petroleum is parafine, having a
very extensive sale in the commercial
world, says Kerr's Reports. 1t is an in
gredient of starch, used in candles, in
dispensable in soaps and perfumes. II
is the basis of nearly all of our chewing
gums. Grocers everywhere find a sale
for 1t for preserving canned fruits and
Jellies. Other uses OF paraff1ne may be
noted in it's application to glazing papers
and frescoes, oiling wood for preservation,
in matches to increase infiamma bility, In
butter tubs to render them air tight, and
in scores of different ways of waterproof
ing. 1t is one of the most intractable
products of mother natures chemistry,
the fiercest chemicals having but little
effect on 1t, yet il is instantly vanquished
by heat.
"A company manufactures a gas and
oil engine which is without valves, the
engine being so constructed that the pis-
ton acts in this capacity. 1t claims ex-
ceptional compactness durability and es-
pecially economy. On plants above 10
horsepower the engine is reported to con-
sumo in eight hours Is gallons of crude
petroleum at cost of III cents per gal
Ion, from which is obtained four gall
Ions of residue, which makes a very good
and successful lubricant, which can be
sold for cents a gallon; thus the fuel
account is reduced to minimum. For
three years the engine has been manu-
featured on a small scale and has been
in successful operation. At a test re-
Gently made a three-cylinder, 110-horse-
power engine successfully propelled a
Pullman car 40 miles an hour.
What sort of matter fills the interior
of this planet has long been a subject of
speculation. Lord Kelvin arrived at the
conclusion that the earths mass must
possess greater rigidity than glass, or
even steel. otherwise the moon would
raise a tide on its surface. Strange that
the messages received at Newport, Kew
Bidstone (near Liverpool and Edinburgh
obser vstoT..es &c earth tt-e...c-s-contirm
this theory! This finding does not mean
that the world is solid all through. Be
meath firm exterior some rs to 30 miles
in thickness. there lies probably a COM
pressible yielding zone of molten liquid
and gaseous elements-at a temperature
such that no weight above could compress
into liquid or solid-while all below is
dense, white-hot to the earth's center.
Even gases under the load of miles of
rock would have a marvellous elasticity.
Messages may come through the very
center Of the globe as well as around it,
says the London Telegraph. The earth is
never still. Tremors, pulsations, rises and
falls of level are always in progress At
ter prolonged investigation of these
phenomena in japan, Prof. John Milne
has established an observatory at New
pert in the Isle of Wight. The days of
violent movements are over for the pres
ent in that charming region, but the re-
cording instruments there show constant
tremblings. Four times on an average
every minute the earth "shivers." Deli
cate apparatus for feeling the earth's
pulse indicate the feeblest throb or beat
The first tidings of an earthquake shock
in Alaska, Mexico, Japan or Java has
reached Newport before the news came
by telegraph. A violent outburst or uuiv-
ering takes place, for instance in Java
Immediately waves of vibration run
through the world and round its surface,
and at large number Of stations where
IT, csc sensitive instruments are installed
the movement is felt. Other things equal
the rapidity of vibrations depends on the
rigidity of the medium through which
they are transmitted In sand a shock ira
veled $50 feet per second; in solid granite
l66o. Prof. Milne finds that tremors which
have come through the very center OF
the earth reach him with such velocity as
to prove that the earth's interior must be
more rigid than a globe of solid iron. So
distinct and trustworthy are the indica-
| items that @when a submarine cable has
| been broken the Professor has been abba
to say that the interruption was due To
seismic disturbance and point to the very
spot where it had happened.
Mexico does not seem to be afraid that
any serious consequences will follow an
immigration of Mormons-in fact. the sis.
ter republic is going out OF her way IN
welcome them. Recent advices from
| Chihuahua note that fuff har oonon..t...-