The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-28
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

4
Wayne. 1t is built on the State Soldiers
Home grounds, near Erie, and is cared for
by the veterans of that institution. 1t Is
built of roughly-hewn logs, cut from the
same woods from which Commodore Per-
ry secured timber to build his fleet, in ex-
act imitation of the old block house which
stood on the same spot during the French
and Indian war. 1t was here that Mad
Anthony Wayne was first buried, but
his body has been removed and placed
among the bones Of his ancestors at
Waynesboro
The Swedish government has given
5000 kroner Cs1,340) to Mai. w. T. Unge
for the purpose of making further expert
ments with the air torpedo invented by
him. Maj. Unge's invention is patented
under the name of 1.-THE flying torpedo
is intended to convey through the air large
explosive charges for considerable dis
tances. and looks like an elongated can
non shell. 1t is propelled through the air
In the same manner as a rocket. In
separate compartment the torpedo con-
tainS some kind of slow burning chemical
composition, the propelling charge. which
generates gases in large quantities. In
the base of the shell is turbine through
which these gases escape, thus furnish
ing the motive power and causing the
shell to rotate around its axis.
DIR. H. F. Gray of Los Angeles, Cal,
is said to have purchased 100000 acres
of agricultural lands in Mexico, and to
have obtained a concession from the Mex
lean government for the establishment of
number of Mormon colonies thereon
These lands are divided into several large
tracts, which are situated in the states
of Durango, Tamaulipas. Coahuila and
Vera Cruz. He says that he will bring
5000 Mormons from Utah and other parts
of the United States to Mexico within the
next few months and locate them upon
the lands which he has purchased. The
Mormon colonies in the state of Chihua-
hua have had their population increased
by the arrival of over 1900 Mormons from
Utah during the last few months.
The number of species of fishes liv-
ing habitually in the salt waters of the
world can only be approximately est
mated, probably about ten thousand, says
the Field and Stream. Those classed as
Shore fishes" live, as rule, close to
the surface and near the land, and are
well known to the salt water angler IN
his outings as the weakfish, striped bass,
kingf1sh, etc. OF the shore fishes there
are about four thousand species. The
'pelagic fishes,'' or those which inhabit
the upper waters Of the seas, are rela-
lively few in number. The "deep-sea
fishes" which live in depths varying from
two hundred to twenty-five hundred faith
omS, cannot be even approximately estf-
mated, as new species are being constant
ly discovered.
"A Constantinople correspondent of the
Cleveland Plain Dealer writes: 1.-THE car
avian that goes to Mecca each year with
the sacred camel, the Sultans presents
and the new carpet for the Prophets tomb
had a rather bitter experience this year.
The annual payment to the Mecca au-
thorities of 10000 ($194, 600) was not forth.
coming, and the expedition was delayed.
This year the government was more inn
pecunious than usual, and the caravan
had to start with the promise that the
money would be forwarded to Beirut. But
when the pilgrims arrived there the
money without which they could not
proceed, as tribute must be paid to the
tribes on the road. had not been sent.
kilograms arrived here begging for
money and the government did all 1t
could to obtain it, without success. At
last, in the middle of the night, the d.
rector of the Anatolian Railway was
called up to the palace, and agreed to
make an advance of $4,000 ($220, 600, but
nobody knows on what terms
The manner in which animals may be
conveyed from one area or region to an
other by what may be called chance
agencies has always formed a subject of
much interest in the eyes of naturalists
says the London Chronicle. The same
opinion may be expressed of the dispersal
of plants. Darwin found over eighty seeds
in little clod of earth attached to the
leg of a migrating bird, and we can
readily imagine how such agencies serve
~
Lyell gives an instance of a pig-an ami
NAL popularity believed to be anything but
an adept at swimming-being found far
out at sea bravely making it's way to-
ward some haven of rest. Such animals
as tortoises may easily be conveyed on
driftwood over long tracts of ocean. A
recent report of the Indian Marine Sur
vey gives case in point. A female Loop
ard was brought down the Moulmein
river, and came aboard a cargo steamer.
Then she swan to land. and was there
after dispatched. Snakes were also found
on the floats of the paddlewheels of the
surveying steamer, having been carried
down by the flood. A lucky settlement in
a new territory thus implies the extended
distribution of a race. 1t is interesting
to note how greatly what we may call
chance may influence the extension of
life over the earth's surface.
The United States government makes
larger provision for scientific work than
any other nation, says the Popular Science
Monthly. Congress assigns to this pur-
pose perhaps 100000. This is by no
means small sum, yet it is only u cents
from each of us, and there is every rea-
son to advocate its increase as rapidly
as men can be found to whom the money
may be safely intrusted. The Department
of Agriculture and the Geological Survey
have earned the confidence of the country
and their appropriations will be increased.
Thus the House has approved an item
allotting an additional 100000 to the divis-
ion of forestry. 1t is probable that the
arts and manufactures would profit more
by the establishment Of a department cor
responding to the Department of Agricul-
ture than by the continuation of a pro-
tective tariff. step in this direction
will doubtless be made by this or the
next Congress in the authorization of a
national standardizing bureau. The bill
has been approved by committees of the
Senate and of the House, and only pres
sure of other business interferes with
it's immediate adoption. AS we have al
ready explained, the United States is In
this direction far behind nations with
smaller resources, and it is satisfactory to
know that this state of affairs will not