The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-12-30
CURIOUS SETTLEMENTS
TOWNS AND VILLAGES BUILT OF
QUEER MATERIALS.
The Most Remarkable City is KEEL
berg-It is Built of Block
4 Salt.

Tit Bits.
One of the most popular health resorts
at this season of the year Is the railway
carriage village near Shoreham. in Sus-
SEX England. Some time ago railway
company put up a lot" OF 100 old rail-
way carriages for auction. which were
knocked down to a builder who conceived
the novel idea Of founding village on
the foreshore with them. During the
summer months the demand for these
strange dwelling places is enormous, and
they are not infrequently let at from two
to three guineas a week furnished, while
in winter they have been found to be
proof against the toughest weather.
Nor is this village unique. for not
single brick has been used to build the
town of Micah, in Georgia. which boasts
1000 inhabitants. all of whom live in
disused tram cars. Hhe Mayor and cor
poration transact their business in the
Town Hall, consisting of two cars knock
ed into one, and there are also two tram
car churches. a theatre and nine public
houses, Another peculiar town Is Cara
cross, on the west coast of Ireland. which
was built in 1850 entirely of fishing boats.
There are large stone quarries In the
neighborhood, but the Inhabitants stoutly
decline to have proper house in the
town on the ground that an inverted
There Is probably only one town built
Of glass in the world. and that may be
found near Yellowstone Park. Wyo. The
glass Is not artificial. but obsidian, ma
turally formed by ages of volcanic action,
though in every respect is resembles plate
glass, save that 1t is either dark green
or black in hue. 1t is cut In slabs, and,
being practically impervious to the wealth
er, Is excellent material for building
There are over 100 houses and shops and
large church, Supported by prismatic
pillars. which have been excavated intact.
great number of people visit the towr
every year on purpose to watch the eff
fects of the sunsets on the glittering
houses.
Bareira, in Portuguese East Africa,
has the reputation of being the only Gin
city in existence. Although but SIX
months were required for Its erection, IL
has a population of some thousands OF
people; the reason that zinc was chosen
being that 1t Is the only material capa-
BILE Of withstanding the peculiar climate.
| The hospital, churches, arsenal ana every
residence is zinc; zinc utensils are In tho
houses and when a man dies he is buried
| In a zinc coffin, while even the railway.
with its carriages and trucks. Is zinc
| throughout
Those who have a prediction for art
cannot do better than reside In the Illus
trated village of st. Legter, near Vevey,
| In Switzerland. Some years ago an
| artist of considerable repute, who Is
| well known in the Paris Salon, Mr.. Alfred
Begun, began to paint all the exteriors OF
the houses both In water colors and oils.
Every shop has a series Of pictures rep
| resenting Its trade skillfully painted upon
| Its plaster walls, and private houses are
/ adorned with landscapes and caricatures
/ Of local celebrities. etc. NJ. Begun has
| now extended his work to the neighborinS
hamlets and hopes before he dies to adorn
all the larger villages In the canton.
One of the most remarkable cities in
| the world Ii Kelberg, near Cracow, Tor,
besides being situateu underground, 1t Is
excavated entirely In rock salt. The in
| habitants, to the number OF over 1900,
are of course, workers In the famous salt
mines, and all the streets and houses
are of the purest white imaginable.
| One Of the most famous features OF the
| city il the cathedral, carved In salt and
| lit with electric Light, and when the. late
Gear Alexander visited 1t eleven years
/ ago, he was so fascinated with the mag
nifcent effect of the light upon the crys-
tai walls that he presented the cathedral
| with a jeweled altar cross. Such thing
as infectious disease is unknown in KEEL
| Der8. IN Iact, lne ndJoiilJ VI thS hhooA-
tants die of old age.
Finally, we may conclude with briefly
mentioning Cooktown, the seaweed settle
ment of Alaska The town was originally
built of clay bricks. out the action of the
sea salt with which the air is redolent
caused the bricks to crumble away, and
in their places slabs of seaweed mixed
with salt, compressed and baked, were
substituted. Cooktown LIS now \built al
most entirely of seaweed, and, beside be-
ing proof against the vagaries Of the at
mosphere, the houses are found to be
much warmer during the long spell Of
| Arctic winter.