The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-04
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


a thread from the mouth of the Co
lumbia river to the port of Manila, in
the Philippines, it will be seem" says
the Engineering Magazine that the
shortest or great-circle route passes
through the Aleutian Islands, and close
to the Japanese coast, leaving the Ha-
waiian Islands far to the south. The
Importance of Dutch harbor, as COM
pared with Honolulu, is thus clearly
seen, and the advantages of the north
ern route, with its short stretches and
important commercial connections for
Pacific cable, are apparent.
An examination of a globe will make
the importance of the Alaskan coal de-
posits much more readily realized"
Not long ago M Camille Flamma-
rion proposed a new calendar with
new division of the year and new
names for the months. His proposal
has evidently borne fruit, for a little
almanac has just been issued at Ma
drid in which the year is divided into
four periods of three months each, all
equal and all of ninety-one days. The
new style of year begins March u and
has an extra holiday to make up the
1865 days which nature invented. The
months are named in order: Truth,
Science, Wisdom; Justice, Honor,
Goodness; Love, Beauty, Humanity;
Happiness, Progress, Immortality. 1t
gives a vivid idea of the leisure at the
command of certain of our fellow be-
ings to read solemn pseudo scientific
fooling of the sort. The Western con-
tinent is too busy to be much affected
by it.
Two periodic comets are expected
to return during the present year. The
first was originally discovered by Tenn
pie at Marseilles in 1869 and revolves
about the sun every five and half
years. 1t was independently discovered
by Swift in California in 1880 and was
again found by Barnard at the Lick
Observatory in 1891. 1t was not seen
in 1886 and in 1897, nor between 1869
and 1880. 1t is expected to return ear
ly in December, 1902. The second comet
was discovered by Swift in California
in 1895, and it's period is about seven
years. 1t is not improbably identical
with the comet discovered by Messier
at Marseilles in ITO. 1t was expected
to return in 1775. but in passing close
to Jupiter its orbit was greatly alter
ed. 1t will return toward the end of
November, 1902.
THE visit of an earnest British
economist and student of industry to
this country to prepare for an extend
ed tour of inspection by two consider
able parties representing British in
dustrial interests, is significant of an
aspect of British character which is
too little appreciated by American COM
petitors," says the Engineering Maya
zine. Britain is slow to waken, but
thorough when aroused. There is now
working in British engineering plants
a spirit and a movement of reorganiza-
ton and re-equipment which is splen-
did in it's courage and sterling in it's
activity. The great technical schools
at Manchester Birmingham and Shelf
field are crowded to double their ca
pacity with students-not dilettanti,
but working lads, eager even after a
days work in the shops to spend the
evenings learning the principles of their
trade. England is being modernized.
Let no over confidence lead American
manufacturers to belittle her future
Importance as an industrial rival"
M. Louis Parisot, an eminent
French chemist, has discovered a
liquid which he claims to be capable
of preserving the freshness of eggs for
a period of twelve years, says the Lon
don Mail. A year ago he placed a large
number of these delicacies in the
liquid, getting a magistrate to witness
his act and seal the tank with his of
fetal seal. A few days ago the tank
was opened in the presence of his wor-
ship, the eggs being found to be in ex-
cellent condition. Four eggs were Sc
lected at haphazard out of the tank,
and on being boiled were eaten, the
magistrate pronuuncing them to be ex-
cellent and possessing a delicious flaw
or. Another triumph for the inventor
happened the other day, some eggs
which had been in the liquid for four
months being successfully Matched,
eight out of the twelve placed under
the hen proving fertile. M. Parisot
states that he can preserve eggs with
his preparation at cost of Is cents
per 1000.
Almost every shad season, says the
Washington Post, some one in this city
or in the surrounding section will pro-
pound the inquiry to the members of
the Fish Commission as to whether or
not it is possible to convert shad roe
into caviar, and if so, why it is that
the industry has never obtained a foot
ing along the Chesapeake and Del
aware. The reason is simple and soon
answered: The demand for shad roe in
its fresh state is always a little in adj
vance of the supply, whereas the roe
of the sturgeon of the Volga (the larg-
est river in Russia, along the banks of
which the caviar industry f1ourishes) is
absolutely worthless and unfit for food
in its fresh or raw state. The Cos
sacks, living along the banks of this
river and in a country of limited food
resources, have, therefore, learned to
make very tasty and appetizing
article of food out of otherwise worth
less roe of this fish. The roe of the
Volga sturgeon is entirely too large
and coarse to be fit for food in the
raw state.
The total cost of our two wars in
China and South Africa up to March
81, says the London Chronicle, is close
on 229,0OOOOO (S1,145, OO0, OOO), which is
about e6,00O,0 900 more than Germany
received from France in the shape of a
war indemnity. Strictly speaking. that
indemnity only amounted to five mil
lizards of francs, or about 81, 900. 600 900.
but Germany received about $115 900, 900
more from her Yanquished foes in the
form OF a special contribution from the
city of Paris, special taxes in France.
and interest on the chief indemnity
Out of this all the expenses of the war
were repaid. Some 92S,000,O0O (S140.-
0O0O0O went to establish a pension
fund for old soldiers; Sic, 600 900 $50.
00000O) was spent on army reorgani-
cation; about GS,500, 900 ($42, SOC. 0OO) on
strategic railways, while $4,000 00O
1896, 1000, 000), was stored in gold as an
imperial war chest in case of emergen-
cies, and this immense treasure is still
lying dead in the vaults of the Julius