The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-24
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

ana retain a llfeltke appearance. 1t
is the general opinion that the corpses
date from the French invasion OF 1895.
and are the remains of prisoners. The
discovery has created a great sensa-
ton.
The catch OF herrings this season
at Yarmouth. England. has now reach
ed the huge figure Of 1885 lasts-a
last containing 1920 ashland is now
ahead of last years figures, which
marked record by some 10000 lasts.
The fishermen have made some big
earnings, the top boat making $11, 600
since August, and the boats with the
lowest earnings have $4,000 to take.
One result of the earnings of the Scot
tlsh fleet that came to Yarmouth, and
has returned to North Britain, is evil
denced in the large number of mar
riages already arranged for Christmas.
Every gaseous substance now def
nitely known to the chemist. with the
single exception of helium, may be So
lidified with the aid OF the low tenn
perature furnished by liquid hydrogen.
Prof. Dewur of London. to whom the
world Is indebted for nearly all the
discoveries of this kind, expects to
succeed in solidifying even helium,. and
is now making a series of experiments
to that end at the Royal Institution.
Liquid hydrogen has a temperature of
ABS degrees below zero, and air exposed
to its vapor Is instantly frozen and
falls into the vessel in miniature
snowf1akes.
In a paper read before the recent
convention in New York city of the
International Association of Fire En-
gineers Capt. William Brophy said
that the way to cure electrolysis of
gas and water pipes is to break the
continuity of the metal in the pipes by
inserting insulating joints, therein at
suitable points, thus preventing any
flow of current over them. In that
case the poorly bonded track would
have to receive immediate attention
and Its carrying capacity increased
either by proper bonding, increasing
the size of the rails, or the addition or
return feeders. If neither plan was
adopted an increased coal bill would
be the result.
"A celebrated English engineer.
Prof. Perry says that 1t is the en-
are lifting from the shoulders of the
world the yoke of superstition: they
are doing more in that way than all
the teachers and schoolmasters. 1t Is
difficult for people to have any belief
in evil spirits and witchcraft when the
products of scientific research and in
vention meet the eye on every hand.
Steam engines, electromoters, tele-
craps, telephones steamships, rail-
ways, electric tramways, drainage.
water works and other things of that
KIND are making people familiar with
the wonderful resources of nature and
uprooting superstition by showing the
practical things of life.
Toward the end of this month will
be published the Duke of the Abruzzi's
account of his voyage in. the Arctic
seas during the years 1S99-190o. The
work. which is fully illustrated with
photographs taken by the author, will
also appear simultaneously in English,
French, Spanish. German and Russian.
The Duke had spent about $4,000 on
the production of the volume, and
when the other day this fact came to
the knowledge of the King, the latter
Immediately presented the amount to
the author, saying that he intended to
assume responsibility for all the ex-
penses himself. Thereupon the Duke
of the Abruzzi sent the $4,000 to Com
mandant Cagni. who accompanied the
expedition, in recognition of all the
SAOutaC oAiA hoAQOlAP uC ItdQ
The Philadelphia board of charities
and corrections is about to put up sew
eral glass houses for the benefit of con-
sumptives. The pavilions will cost
s140,000 They win be eight in num-
Der. so by so feet, with provision for
thirty patients in each. They will be
one story in hight, and the trussed
roofs and sides and every part except
the steel frames will be Of glass The
doors and windows will be pivoted so
that ordinary air may sweep through,
and when the weather is damp and
cold may be closed. hot-air blower
system of heating will force fresh air
Into the rooms, and draw it out by ex-
haust fans. so that the atmosphere
will be changed every ten minutes. The
same device wifi be adopted in New
York and other cities. 1t will prove a
vast Improvement upon the unsanitary
conditions now existing.
The electrical equipment for the
Mersey Tunnel Railway at Liverpool
Eng, has been nearly completed at the
westinghouse Works at East Pitts
burg, Pa. and the last of the gen.
orators and engines will shortly be
on tneir way across the ocean. The
Mersey Tunnel Railway which was
completed in 1856, is about Az miles in
length, OF which about two miles con-
stitute the tunnel under the river and
the approaches. While the English
bull-head rails are used for the track.
Trails, so feet in length and weighing
100 pounds per yard, are to be used for
the conductor rail and also for a
fourth rail carrying the return cur
rent. Both these conductor rails are
supported on stoneware insulators. In
this way all risk of stray return cur
rents causing electrolysis will be
avoided. 1t is hoped that the use Of
electricity for propulsion will leave the
air purer.
The statement that a solid like
iron or steel always melts from the
inside, the outside being the last TO he
converted into liquid state will seem
no doubt, to many ludicrous. II Is
clearly demonstrated in the manu-
facture or tool or crucible steel. AS
TO the cause, all iron or steel bars
plates, etc, have trace of oxide upon
the surface. which is formed during
the period Of cooling. after the rolling
or hammering. or from moisture of
some kind. When the charge is placed
in the furnace an intense heat comes
IN contact with the iron or steel. and
more oxide forms upon the outside OF
eacn piece of steel or iron, and. being
aided BY Sthe oxide originally upon N
q oifncult fusible she'll is formed
There being no possible manner bv
which the center of the iron or steel
can become oxidized to the Same de-
gree, Its melting point is therefore NOT
raised and IL naturally rnelts long re