The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-06
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

on metals, and could hence be safely
stored in tin or zinc receptacles, has
pronounced solvent action on ali of
the common metals except copper.
Pieces of the metals were placed in
bottles of alcohol and allowed to re-
main undisturbed for several months.
In the bottles containing tin, lead, zinc,
iron and galvanized iron a deposit
formed at the bottom of the bottle, and
upon the evaporation of the alcohol
in every case except that of the cop
per and tin bottles a considerable resi-
due was obtained AS absolute alcohol
Is very generally purchased in galvan-
lied iron cans, the necessity for it's re-
distillation, if chemical purity is de-
sired, is obvious.
The Kitson oil lamp, which seems
to be meeting with some favor in Lon
don cortland place is now lighted by
means of it,, uses petroleum stored in
cylinders, partly filled with air, under
forty or fifty pounds of pressure From
the cylinder narrow bore copper pipe
is carried to vaporizing tube over the
burners. When the cock is opened and
the burner lighted the oil and air which
Is forced by the pressure into the heat
ed Vaporizer is vaporized, and is then
burned. as gas, for heating an ordi-
nary incandescent mantle, like the
claim that the ,kitson lamp is, for
equal candle pwer. the cheapest form
of illumination known. They state that
light of 1000 candles can be obtained
from 1t for one hour at a cost of I6
cents and a consumption of oil of about
five-eighths of pint.
The air-ship or dirigible balloon. so
called, of M. Santos Dumont seems to
differ but little in type and principle
of propulsion from many Others which
have preceded it, some of them many
years ago. When the Fair of the
American Institute was held in Cas-
tie Garden some forty years ago, a
man named Robjohn exhibited small
cigar-shaped balloon about twenty
feet long, and possibly twenty inches
in diameter, which was driven by air
propellers moved by a small steam
engine, and the writer saw it circling
slowly around the garden. 1t was
nothing but a model, but it exhibited
as many-in fact. the same-possibili-
ties as the Santos Dumont machine,
which is far from solving the problem
of aerial flight" as has been asserted.
Even if machines of this type were
wholly manageable in even moderate
winds, the expense of imitation would
prevent their use, for NJ. Dumont says
that it costs him $500 for one ascent.
People who wish to go or are ordered
off the earth for little while, will not
be willing to pay the price.
The superstition in regard to the
number thirteen is widely spread In
Europe, and in this country there are
few people, if they would own up to
the fact, but what attach some bale
full, or sinister influence to it. Thirteen
clubs may be instituted to brave the
f6rTOrS M Of
ciphers, but the members form but a
small part of the community. In many
directions the influence of the super
stition. may be traced. Shipowners
carefully avoid a thirteenth cabin, and
that number of a bedroom at a hotel
is somewhat of a rarity. The whole
thing may be an absurdity, but the
people cling to it like a clam, and the
belief will no doubt linger as long as
the race lasts. But there is one way in
which this sinister number plays a
rather conspicuous part and thing
which the world-superstitio or not
cannot get sufficient of-the quarter
dollar. They very name quarter dol
| lar" has thirteen letters. The motto.
e Pluribus Unum," is "tarred with
the same brush" while the eagle has
thirteen feathers to his wing grasps
! thirteen arrow heads in one claw, and
branch of olive with the same num-
Der of leaves with the other. There
are thirteen lines on the shield he sup
ports, while above him twinkle thir-
teen stars. Surely with all these evil
dences of the baleful number it is a
wonder that anyone cares to handle
the coin, but everyone, superstitious or
not, is willing to take the risk.
Under the auspices of the Animals
Aid Society of London a meeting was
recently called to make a Scientific
investigation of the doping of race
horses" 1t was stated in the circular
that the verb ito dope" was an Ameri-
canism used to describe the application
of artificial means for affecting the go
ing power of race horses. About 100
persons attended the meeting, chiefly
veterinary surgeons, trainers and jock
eys. Prof. J. Atkinson, F. r. c. ". s.,
opened the discussion by gravely sta
ing that he had hoped to be able to
show specimen of the electric appli-
ance which was used in America by
jockeys, but the specimen had not ar
rived. The instrument consisted of an
electric battery carried by the jockey
in a belt, the wires passing down the
legs, and the poles being so placed
that by pressure of the heels the Jockey
could impart to the horse an electric
shock at any moment. He further said
that ''in America, too. such stimulants
as strychnine were given to horses in
the form of capsules, while opium was
administered to prevent horse from
doing its best" He finally called upon
any one present who knew anything
about doping to address the meeting
No response followed those present
who did not know anything about the
subject were requested to raise their
hands. No hands were raised, all of
the audience evidently having come to
find out about it. and as Prof. Atkin-
son had told all he knew the meeting
broke up amid much laughter.
DIR. Charles L. Dana contributes to
the Medical Record an article on Tn
ebriety," founded on extensive obser-
vations made as visiting physician to
Bellevue Hospital. and parts of it are
calculated to create some excitement
among the advocates of total abstein-
ance. While declaring that no one, per-
haps has seen more tragic examples of
the baleful effects of alcohol upon the
human system and the human family
than himself, DR.. Dana nevertheless re-
marks: II am not prepared TO say
that alcohol is absolutely and always a
pernicious agent, or has not been Of
use in promoting human progress. On
the contrary, l feel inclined to believe
that on the whole 1t has produced more
beneficial results than 1t has done in
jury, for IL must be remembered that