The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-06-21
FACTS IN FEW LINES


by the city.
Among tho articles made in Philip
/ pine prisons are tables inlaid with
pearl and oyster shells.
/ England is going to coin two bound
| pieces in gold. They will be abou, the
! size of our ten dollar coins
/ The birch grows farther north than
any other tree. Next comes the Sibcri-
an larch and then the fir.
Nebraska was one of the first states
TO recognize the Importance OF keeping
reliable records OF the dow of its
streams.
IL great cold turned our. atmosphere
10 liquid air. it would make sea thir-
ty-iiye feet deep over the surface Of
the whole globe.
The mean annual temperature in the
shade of the City Of Mexico for the pc
riod of twenty-five years past has been
59.79 degrees r.
DR. Hayes measured an iceberg in
Melville bay which was nearly mile
long ana 80 feet above water. 1t was
estimated to weigh 2.0OO.OOO.O00 tons.
A live whale sixty-six feet long has
been driven ashore at Juan les Pins.
near Antilles. an unprecedented occur
renee on that part of the Mcdterrane.
an coast.
An enormous rat has just been cap
tured at Riilingborough. England II
turned the scale at one and half
pounds and measured twenty inches
from the tip of its nose to the end of
its tail
The board of the Metropolitan Rail
way company. London. has let con
tract for their electrical power station
at Neasdcn to the British Wrestling.
house Electrical and Manufacturing
company, limited.
The area planted with wheat i'm Ben
gal this year is estimated at only l,4ol.
200 acres n total considerably below
the normal area. 1t is explained that
the falling of is due to the want Of
rain at sowing time.
The Russian ambassador at Constan.
tinople has scored great success 10y
obtaining an trade from the sultan au-
thorizing eighty-thrce Russian schools
in Palestine which had hitherto exist
ed without permission.
Since the first outbreak Of the plague
in Sydney two years ago Melbourne
has only had ten cases and two deaths
from the disease. the last death occur
ring in June. 1900. In that year there
were 303 cases and 1O1 deaths at sgd
ney.
At Newcastle (England) assizcs JUS
tice Ridley imposed a inc OF $50 on the
court attendant for failure to have the
courtroom sufficiently lighted \ threat
of the same kind 10y Justice Lawrence
at Leeds assizes led to prompt illumi.
nation.
The raising of the instrument shelter
Of the weather bureau In New York
city from an elevation of 100 feet
above the street 10 an elevation Of 300
feet has caused an apparent lowering
Of the mean annual temperature OF 2is
degrees.
II is not generally known that, size
for size. thread Of spider SILK is de-
cidedly tougher than bar of steel. An
ordinary thread will bear a weight of
three grains This is just about 80 per
cent stronger than steel thread of the
same thickness.
The tunnel for the New York sub
way. which is Disagreement and in
convenience TO the city at the present
time, is half cut. Only twelve months
more will be required for the excava-
ton. The cost so far has been SIS. I5O,-
600. More than $3.50, 900 has been
spent in removing and changing sew
crs.
The Persians have an ordnance fac
tory at Teheran under the charge of
German officers which turns out excel
lent work. German machinery is used.
by means OF which 2OO,O TO 100000 OF
Mauser cartridges may be produced
daily. Factories are also TO be estab-
lished shortly for the manufacture of
side arms.
Dog collars are made of all sorts of
semiprecious stones in effective de-
signs. One fashionable style is of many
rows of coral beads. with a large clasp
OF brilliants. A fantastic collar is of
Imitation pearls. with large vampire
like buckle in front, the wings being of
odd blue enamel and the eye of blazing
red stones.
The Royal Geological society of Ire
land has recognized Lord Roberts serv-
ices to the empire by erecting and call
ing by his name a carnivOra house
which is acknowledged TO be the finest
building of its kind in Europe. Lord
Roberts inaugurated the new building
by transferring lion from the old
house 10 the new.
A gigantic crane. which is styled by
the Germans as the largest crane in
the world" is TO be seen i'm use at Kiel.
Its own weight is 45O tons. and ii is
capable OF lifting as much as 100 tons.
Its arm stretches fifty yards from point
TO point and is fifty yards and more
high above the foundation. 1t is work
ed by electricity.
A negro criminal condemned to hang
in North Carolina sold his body for
$40, which he invested In ginger cakes.
The cakes he finished the night before
the execution was to occur. The next