The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-21

The Kaiser's cigars are half as
long again as those on which the or
binary mortal pulls. They come from
Havana. where they are made espe-
cially for the Emperor. Each bears
a Havana ring ornamented with the
Emperor's portrait. He pays 80 to So
cents apiece for them, while even in
Germany. where tobacco is very cheap,
similar cigars could not be bought for
less than s1.2O.
p Coal mining beyond a depth of 1000
feet is impossible under existing con-
ditions, the increase of temperature be-
ing the main obstacle. At 5000 feet the
temperature of the earth would amount
to 9S degrees. The effect of pressure
is another great difficulty. In the
Dechenfield colliery at a depth of about
$500 feet the pressure became so pow
erful that it crushed in circular arches
of brick four feet in thickness and In
another case pillar of cast-iron II
inches square was snapped in two The
royal coal commissioners estimate that
the English coal fields contain beneath
the working limit over $4,000, 900 600 of
tons.
The mysterious sleeping sickness"
of West Africa, which has been the
subject of recent scientific investiga-
ton, proves to be a form of menin-
gifts, differing from cerebro-spinal
meningitis in it's chronic and almost
invariably fatal character. 1t is
classed with hydrophobia as one of the
most deadly diseases known. 1t is
communicated in some unknown way,
beginning with slight listlessness,
which passes into coma and then into
death, the duration being from one to
six months. Thus far it has been
known only among negroes. 1t has
depopulated large districts, however,
and it's spread is feared through the
opening of African trade.
Just what connection the 14th of
February has with the memory of st.
Valentine is not quite clear, but the
custom of choosing valentines for
friends has been handed down, and is
still observed, though in modified form.
Whcatley's Illustration of the Conn
mon Prayer says st. Valentine was
man of most admirable parts, and
so famous for his love and charity that
the custom of choosing valentines upon
his festival took it's rise from thence
In England, Scotland and France the
day was celebrated by a company
placing the names of maids and bache-
Tors written on pieces of paper into a
receptacle and then drawing them lote-
trywise. This attained a high popu-
larity in the 18th century, but later fell
into disuse.
Perhaps the most novel musical
event on record was the telephone band
concert attended by all Hawaii a few
weeks ago. The Territorial Band, for
merly the famous Royal Hawaiian
Band leader Capt. Berger went TO
Hilo on its annual visit. The band or
dinarily is stationed at Honolulu, and
was to return there in a week. The Ha-
waiians were wild over the music, and
requests for the band poured in from
all over the island. A joking remark of
an acquaintance about playing into a
phonograph' gave Capt. Berger the
idea of the telephone concert. The tel
ephone company gave enthusiastic CO.
operation, getting their instruments in
shape, notifying subscribers, ETC., and
from 2 to 4 of Sunday afternoon
business communication was suspended
through all it's exchanges. Fully 500
phones We're included in the system
The band played in the city of Hilo, a
gigantic trumpet receiver connecting
with a special switchboard being placed
close to the performers. The arrange
ment worked perfectly, and not COM
plant was. received. The concert was
literally heard all over the island.
THE engineers digging the wonder
full tunnel that runs throug hthe great
Simplon mountain to connect Switzer-
land with Italy are experiencing great
difficulties because of the presence of
boiling water in the mountain. The
water comes from the top of the noun
tain, and is heated almost to boiling
point by the friction and pressure of it's
percolation through the limestone beds
of the mountain. Before the tunnel had
been dug very far on the Italian side
the heat became so intense that It was
impossible to live in it. The mountain
was piped and soon $1,000 gallons of
steaming hot water was flowing out of
the south end of the tunnel every min
ute of the day and night. The i'm
mense flow was harnessed and made to
drive refrigerating plants and cold-air
blowers. To-day the temperature of
the tunnel has been reduced from a
hight that would have roasted a man
in minute or two, and the atmos-
phere now has the pleasant warmth of
June day. The hot water also drives
pneumatic drills and boring machines,
so that it helps to dig the tunnel as
well. When completed the Simp1on
tunnel will be the biggest in the world,
fourteen miles long, with a cost of
nearly $1.000,000 a mile.
The sea anemone is the last ami
NAL on sea or land that one would
pick as a fighter; but a certain blue
crab in the New York Aquarium
knows that he is, says the Mail and
Express. A battle between the fight
ing anemone and a thieving crab was
described by L. B. Spencer, who has
charge of the Aquarium laboratory
II was feeding the anemone, a fair
sized brown specimen said Mr.. Spen-
Ger, with bits of chopped clam from
long stick. The crab, not content
with his own share, darted at the ane-
none and attempted to steal the choice
morsel from his mouth. Then a funny
thing happened. Fully thirty small
threadlike coils shot out from near the
anemones mouth, striking the crab on
all sides. These threads are said to
have singing powers equal to a net
tie. Instantly the crab doubled up in
apparent pain and started round that
glass tank like all possessed. After
numerous turns he approached again,
and this time the anemone stung him
hard, for after a turn or two he turned
over on his back and wagged his flip
pers feebly. 1t was some time before
he recovered, I tell you that crab has
not been within hailing distance of
the brown anemone SINCE
So low is the level of ST Peters
burg that the heavy westerly gales
from the Gulf, says the Pittsburg Dis
patch, as we'll as the big floods brought
ahO11t Inv tho y,oaltirAr of +ba e.