The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-29
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

ences which may prove OF hygienic
value. He has found that finely pow
dered volcanic stones, treated by boil
ing water at q high temperature, yield
a liuuid identical in composition with
the ordinary sulphur water of mineral
springs, except that it is stronger than
the latter.
The new dead sea discovered by DR..
Sven Hedin in Tibet seems entitled to
rank among the geographical wonders
of the world. 1t Is described as enor-
nous in extent, but so shallow that TO
navigate one must wade half a mile TO
reach the boat and must drag the boat
a half mile before It can be hoated
with a load But the most remarkable
characteristic is the almost incredible
amount of salt contained. The Dottom
Is an unbroken crust of salt, ana the
boat and oars are as white as chalk;
even the dress of the rowers soon pc
comes whitened, while drops OF tne
water sprinkled upon a dry surface
leave slobules like candle drippings.
1T appears from study Of the seis-
mograph in connection with atmos-
pheric pressure, as recorded by an
aerograph, that the horizontal neeole
of the former instrument indicates an
apparent change or distortion IN the
earth's surface caused by the heavier
local air pressures. 1t has peen Iouhu
that when an extensive storm area Is
approa ching from the westward the
pendulum of the seismograph swings
steadily to the eastward, OFTEN 10 TO
"a hours before the local barometer be-
gins to fall, completely masking any
diurnal fluctuations that might nave
existed as the storm area approaches.
In the event of II being followed py an
important high area, the pendulum
will begin to swing toward the west
ward before it is possible to ascertain
this areas position on the current
weather charts.
The automobile is not a recent In
vention. The first one known was IN
vented by a French engineer, Cugnot.
In 1867, and was propelled by steam
Several other machines followed tnis,
but the first nearly practical modei
appeared at the Paris Exposition IN
1889, designed by the engineer Seapoi-
let. Steam was again the motive pow
er. In the following year the petro-
leum motor of Daimler was used. In
1894 the competitive trial of automo-
hiles from Paris to Rouen was made,
and the era of the automobile, whetner
propelled by steam, petroleum or elec-
tricity dates from that day. This IN
dustry has developed in an extraordin-
arv manner in France. In August,
1900 there were 10000 of these vehicles
in circulation in Paris and the envi-
rons. Those having petroleum or gaso-
line for the motive power are the
most widely used.
TO account for the transmissibility
of ancestral types Darwin in his work
on 'Paugenesis" promulgated a theory
that each cell threw off what he des-
ignated "gemmules," which formed the
nuclei of another series of cells, whose
sole destiny in the economy OF nature
was the propagation OF its species
These "gemmules" formed the blaste-
ma, in which was contained an exceed
ingly microscopical impression OF the
animal which might ultimately be call
cd into being. If this were the case,
we should be able to submit the min
iature image to our investigation by
means of the microscope. But strong
microscopes are wanted. The red cor
puscles of human blood have been
measured and the diameter is found TO
be about one -thousandth part or
an inch. The number of these red cor
puscles which would adhere to the
point of needle would not be less than
/ 900 600. Theory teaches that the maj
division of matter is the atom, and
the atom has been measured. 1t is cal
culated that in a cube Of water one
thirty thousandth part of an inch wide
there are 30,000,000,000 atoms.
Mrs. Isabel Savory tells in her
book, "A Sportswoman in India" this
story about a man she knew: He had
henhouse and hen that was sitting,
60 t,oka o.
tions a cobra got through a chink in
the henhouse. The cobra made a fine
meal of we'll warmed eggs, but when
1t essayed to retire by the same hole
through which 1t had entered it found
those eggs in the way. It was much
too large to get out, SO. It stuck In the
hole, half in the henhouse and half out
! sice. There II was discovered the next
morning in a surfeited condition. 1t
| paid for its greatness with its life,
and then it paid back the eggs 1t had
stolen; for when the body of the snake
was opened the eggs were all found un-
broken and warm. They were replaced
| under the hen, and in due time were
| Matched, none the worse for their pc
| culiar incubation. The strange fact
| that the cobra could swallow whole an
| egg much bigger than its own head is
accounted for by the peculiar construc-
ton of that head. The head and jaws
| of the cobra are loose, and can be enor-
mously stretched and distorted"
Rats are very susceptible to the
odor of certain drugs, and any ordi-
nary trap set in their haunts Is likely
| to be successful if dressed with these
scents, the attraction of which rat.
catchers affirm they cannot resist. Ar
example is: Powdered assafoetida {
| grains, oil of rhodium drachms, oil
of aniseed 1 drachnn, oil of lavender J.
| drachm. Shake together in a bottle
and use very small quantity to dress
the bait. To catch rats cover a COM
mon barrel with stiff, stout paper, ty.
| ing the edge round the barrel; place
a board so that the rats may have easy
access to the top; sprinkle cheese par
ings or other food for the rats on the
paper for several days, until they begir
to think that they have a right t.
their daily rations from this source
then place in the bottom of the barre
piece of rock about six or sever
inches high, filing with water unit
only enough of it projects above the
water for one rat to lodge upon. Now
replace the paper, first cutting a cross
in the middle. and the first rat that
comes on the barrel top goes through
into the water and climbs on the rock
| The paper comes back to its origina
position and the second rat follows tn,
first. Then begins fight for the pos
session of the dry place on the stone
the noise OF which attracts the others
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