The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-27
CURIOUS SETTLEMENTS.
Towns and Villages Built of Queer
 Materials.
From Tib-Bits.

From Tfb-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 a railway company put up Hot" of 100 old rail- way carriages for auction, which were knocked down to a builder, who conceiv- ed the novel idea of founding a village on the foreshore with them. During the summer months the demand for these strange dwelling places is enormous, and they 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 Nidah, in Georgia, which boasts 20OO inhabitants, all of whom live in dis used tram cars. The 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, theatre and nine public houses. Another peculiar town is Carra- cross on the west coast of Ireland, which was built in 1750 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 fishing boat is far more comfortable.
 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, naturally formed by ages of volcanic action, though in every respect 1t resembles plate glass, save that 1t is either dark green or black in hue. It Is cut in clabs, and, being prac- tically impervious to the weather, i Is ex- cellent material for building. There are over 100 houses and shops, and a large church supported by prismatic pillars which have been excavated intact A great number of people visit the town every year on purpose to watch the effects of the sunsets on the glittering houses.
 Bareira, in Portuguese East Africa, has the reputation of being the only zinc city in existence. Although but six months were required for it's erection, it has a population of some thousands of people, the reason that zinc was chosen being that 1t is the only material capable of withstanding the peculiar climate The hospital, churches arsenal and every residence Is zinc; zinc utensils are in the houses, and when man dies he is buried in zinc coffin, while even the railway with its carriages and trucks are zinc throughout.
 Those who have a prediction for art
 
 trated village of St Leiger, near Vevey, in Switzerland. Some years ago an artist of considerable repute, who Is well known in the Paris Salon, M Alfred Beguin began to paint all the exteriors of the houses both In water colors and oil | Every shop has a series of pictures rep | resenting it's trade skillfully painted upon | it's plaster walls. and private houses are | adorned with landscapes and caricatures | of local celebrities, etc. M. Beguin has i now extended his work to the neighboring | hamiets and hopes before he dies to | adorn all the larger villages in the can | ton.
 One of the most remarkable cities in | the world Is Kelberg, near Cracow, for, | besides being situated underground 1t is | excavated entirely in rock salt. The in- | habitants, to the number of over 5000, | are, of course workers in the famous salt mines and the streets and houses are of the purest white imaginable.
 One of the most famous features of the | city Is the cathedral carved in salt and | lit with electric light, and when the late | Czar Alexander visited 1t eleven years | ago he was so fascinated with the magni- | f1cent effect of the light upon the crystal walls that he presented the cathedral | with a jeweled altar cross Such thing | as infectious disease Is unknown in Kel- | berg Tn fact, the majority or the inhabi- | tants die of old age
 Finally, we may conclude with briefly | mentioning Cooktown, the seaweed set clement of Alaska. The town was orig | inally built of clay bricks but the action of the sea salt with which the air is red olent, caused the bricks to crumble away, | and in their place slabs of seaweed mixed with salt, compressed and baked, were substituted. Cooktown is now built al- ar1ftr 0f ing proof against the vagaries of the at- mosphere, the houses are found to be much warmer during the long spell of arctic winter.