The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-12
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Prof. Charles Wilson has announced
to the Royal Astronomical Society of
London that a new determination of
the temperature of the sun is placed
at $500 degrees centigrade; or, 1l,1s2
degrees Fahrenheit. Prof. Wilson start
ed his, calculations aboue one year ago.
"A correspondent writing from Sau-
gatuck, Conn.,, says that in that town
were born, and lived until quite re
Gently, three brothers triplets, who all
| lived to be about as years old. They
were named Frederick, Franklin and
Francis Sherwood, and were known as
| alike that they were often taken the
one for the other. All followed the
sea, and were for a long time mas
tiers of vessels.
A dispatch from st. Petersburg,
says: Vladimir Bogoras, ethnologist
of the Jessup exploration party, who
will return soon to New York to re-
port upon the results of his investiEa-
tons to Kamchatka and neighboring
| regions, says that he found indisDuta-
BILE connection between the American
Indians and the Paleo-Asiatic races on
the Behring Sea coast, in Kamchatka
and on the headwaters of the rivers
which rise in the Stanovoi Mountains.
|
should be sharply distinguished from
the discovery of close resemblances be-
tween the American and the ASiatic
Eskimo. 1.-The Indian and the Paleo-
Asiatic languages are similar in struc-
| ture, and their mythologies present
additional proofs of common origin.
The Paleo-Asiatic languages are of
American structure. II believe the
| Japanese to be a mixed people-Mon-
| Palnn- g CnnaaFniner
the peopling of America I have formed
| the hypothesis that this took place at
a period when the Malay Archipelago,
| the Philippines, Formosa and the Japa-
| neSe Islands. either formed CONT
mental peninsula connected with KAN
chatka or an unbroken series of ISL
ands. and when Asia and Alaska were
| connected. Mr.. Bogoras will report
| upon all these questions more fully to
| the American Museum of Natural His
tory.
For sixty years. says the PhiladeI-
phia North American, Bianco, an i'm
mense white cockatoo, has held undis-
puted sway as mascot of three gene
rations of the McKenna family, his
| latest master being Policeman Charles
| McKenna, of the Snyder avenue sta
ton. Aggressively has Blanco main
| tanned his status, often at the expense
of prospective animal rivals. His most
recent display of jealousy consisted in
killing pet cat which he feared was
about to encroach on his province. The
tragedy occurred yesterday. Blanco
| has the run of the house, and he had
stolen into the back yard for a walk.
All cats in the neighborhood know
Blanco and avoid him. but this one
belonged to family that had just
moved to the neighborhood. Puss
| 1erh r hn sko
for fun, and pounced into the yard. A
moment later she was trying to re-
| treat, with Blanco fastened on her
back. There was a fierce battle, and
when the family arrived the cats
throat had been pierced by the birds
beak. Blanco only lost a few feath-
ers. The cockatoo is regarded as a
wonderful example of the longevity OF
| these birds. No one knows exactly how
| old the cockatoo is. Bianco was given
| the grandfather Of his present owner
| by a sailor who brought the bird from
Africa. He was said to be old then.
| At first the bird spoke in Spanish, but
for the last fifty years he has spoken
| English fuently. He is even musical,
whistling portions of 1.-The Star Span
| gled Banner" He is perfectly tame,
| so far as human beings are concerned,
and is the pet of the children of the
| neighborhood.
"A dispatch from Wilkesbarre says:
The first few months of the new year
may decide the fate of the 5000 mine
| mules used in the anthracite mines
| of this state. For some time the OPP
| orators have been seeking a substi-
tute for the not always patient ami
mails and they believe they have found
one in the compressed air locomotive.
The Philadelphia and Reading Com
| 10 IN nafo airs
engines in its mines in place of the
5000 mules now used. If the expert
| ment proves a success the other COM
| panies will take 1t up and the mine
| mule will retire forever to the happy
land of green grass, fresh air and
| blue sky which he now sees once in
| several years, if he Is lucky, or per-
haps oftener if he is Ill or injured.
| The electric motors in use at some
of the mines have not shown the sue
| cess expected, owing to the expense,
| and to the danger from the overhead
| trolley used. While they are still IN
/ operation at some collieries they are
not in general use. The compressed
| air locomotive promises to do the work
in a satisfactory manner and at less
| expense than the mules now used.
| These mules are kept in stables IN
| the mines and need constant care
| from the driver boys and the stable
| bosses, both of whom would be dis
| placed by the engine driver. The sta
bles take up much space. A hospital
has to be maintained on the surface
| and as the mules, in the impure air
| of the mines, are very liable to ILL
ness, and to injuries by the many ac-
cidents, their treatment is a source
of constant expense. The engines are
expected to do as much work as half
a dozen mules and do 1t faster.
Divorce is very easy in Turkey
and does not require Judge and jury
to settle matters, says the London Tel
| egraph. All that is necessary is for
| the injured party to say 81 divorce
| you" three times and the deed is done.
| The husband has to make the wife
proper allowance, and all is over.
| Two cases have occurred recently
which are rather amusing. A certain
Turkish gentleman is a keen amateur
| gardener, and his garden contains at
| all seasons brilliant show of flow
ers, to which he devotes most of his
time, rather to the disgust OF his wife,
| who is never allowed to cut them. Last
month his chrysanthemums were in
the hight of their glory when a ire
mendous downpour of rain came on.
This threatened to destroy the mag
| nificent blooms, many of which were
equal in size to the best results at
tanned in England. Seeing the danger,
the gentleman called all his servants
| and set to work to carry the pots into