The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-22
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


says the London Chronicle. in most
primitive state of society meals were
more irregular and the amount of food
tailed more with the efforts expended
in obtaining it. Now we eat because
it is meal time; too many of us eat
not by rule, but to repletion, while
probably all of US eat again before
we are really hungry. Day after day
a little more is taken than is used and
this excess either disturbs the liver or
leases the stomach or leads to torpor,
or sometimes is put out by-out of
harms way for the time, but much
to the distress of the patient later on
in the form OF fat. Thus we never
have an opportunity of striking a
proper balance between intake and
output unless we follow the wise max
i'm of the church and fast once a week
not merely abstaining from the more
toothsome delicacies. but fasting hon.
estly even to emptiness and discom-
fort"
The Assuan Barrage across the
Nile just above the first cataract has
been practically completed, fact that
is not only of much engineering inter-
est, but also of still more Importance
in the broader world of commerce. 1t
is a great masonry weir pierced with
$50 openings which are fitted with
gates. From August until December
the Nile is laden with silt, which
would not only speedily choke the res
ervoir were the stream impounded dur
ing these months, but would also cut
off from agricultural lands below the
fertilizing deposit which renews their
surface during each year and renders
them productive to a marvellous degree.
Early in December the gates will be
81 60 efxx hn
flood water will be impounded to be
used in irrigating until the rise in The
river, beginning some time during the
next July, again furnishes a natural
supply to the farmers. The work is
great material step in the commercial
regeneration of this home of primitive
civilization to which Great Britain
has set her hand.
A steady increase in the size of
gas engines has taken place since the
machine was put on the market in this
country, about % years ago. and now
units of over 100 effective horsepower
are seen SO frequently as to excite no
special interest. 1t is fact to be re-
GREETED, however, that some of the err
roneous ideas concerning these ma
chimes, derived from ignorance during
the Introductory period of small en-
and materially impede it's progress.
The worst of these fallacies is proba-
bly, the one which credits the gas en-
CINE with ability to take care of itself.
For all the evils following the applica-
ton of such an idea to engine-room
practice, the builders are no doubt
largely responsible. inasmuch as the
circular of few years ago generally
assured the prospective purchaser that
the engine described required no care
beyond starting, occasionally oiling
and stopping. The almost invariable
result was that the engine was left to
fulfill the promises of the builder I'M
der the care of a man, who, if not to-
tally unacquainted with machinery,
knew very little about the action of
the gas engine.
An explanation of the origin of
stories which attribute to monkeys the
power of throwing stones may be
found in the account of their habits
given by trained and competent OBJ
servers, says the London Chronicle.
Sir James Brooke says, with reference
to the orangs, that he never observed
the slightest attempt at defense, and
that the wood which sometimes rat
tied about his ears was broken by their
weight, land not thrown, as some per-
sons represent. Mr.. Wallace, also
talking of the orang, declares that he
has seen him throw down branches
when pursued. ut is true he does
not throw them at a person, but casts
them down vertically; for it is evil
dent that a bough cannot be thrown
to any distance from the top of a
lofty tree. In one case a female MAS
on DURAN tree, kept up for at least
ten minutes a continuous shower of
branches and of the heavy spined
fruits, as large as thirty-two pound
ers, which most effectually kept US
clear of the tree she was on. She
could be seen breaking them off and
throwing them down with every APP
pearance of rage, uttering at intervals
loud pumping grunt, and evidently
meaning mischief"
The Oldest locomotive in operation
will soon be withdrawn from service
and placed in the Durham College of
Science at Newcastle-on-Tyne. This
locomotive was built by George Stew
enson for the Hetton colliery, near Dur
ham, and placed in service on Nov. 49,
1922, nearly three years before the first
public railway in the world was opened
the Stockton and Darlington road 1t
was designed to draw a train of 81
tons at a speed of four miles an hour
On steep grades, and has been continu-
ously operated at the Hetton colliery
until quite recently, or for nearly 80
years. On a level track the locomotive
could haul 120 tons at a speed of 10
miles an hour. During the course of
its service the engine has been almost
entirely rebuilt several times but there
still remains some of the original parts.
Another tunnel under the Thames
at London has just been completed aft
er three years work. 1t is for work.
men who cross between Millwall and
Greenwich, and is 1,217 feet long and
IL feet in diameter. 1t is sixty feet be-
low the high-water level and it's crown
is IL feet below the river bottom. IT
was driven under air pressure by a
shield started from the north side. The
entrance at either end is a shaft "a
feet in diameter with stairways and
and electric elevator. The cost was
100000
From the report of the commission
ers in lunacy the deduction has been
drawn in certain quarters that cell
bacy favors and marriage tends to pre-
vent insanity, says the London Tele-
graph. The inference is unwarranted
At ages over twenty lunacy is full fou1.
times as prevalent in those who are
single as compared with the married
The correct conclusion is the same
though to a less degree-as in regard
to consumption: the presence of the in
trinity, incipient or developed prevent |
ed matrimony. Another erroneous con-
clusion was that lunacy is much more |