Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-04

inches deep; of pine or fir wood, with the ends of beech for insertion of the tuning and pitch pins, and with two narrow bridges of hard wood over which a dozen catgnt strings are stretched. The strings should be slack, but tuned in exact unison. There are usually two sound holes in the sound board, as in a violin, or guitar. The ends of the box should be an inch higher than the sides, for the support Of another board, between which and the box the wind is admitted. Place in window opened sufficiently to admit it.
 H. C.-Where are the following war vessels belonging to the United States navy, and are they in service able condition: The New York, Brooklyn, Oregon, Iowa, Indiana and others that fought under Samp- son and Schley, and the first class monitors of the Spanish war? If they are all along our eastern shores then let not our hearts be troubled. CD Could you give list of the members of the sixtieth congress?
 A. The secretary of the navy will have to be appealed to as to the To- cations of these vessels. It may be considered that there are enough vessels along the Atlantic to head off any foe that presumes on the ab- sence of so considerable part of our navy on it's long cruise. CD That would mean printing 47S names. You can get the list in any political an- nual.
 Mrs T. A. McD.-Give me some ir. formation about Alexander Hamil- ton, and in what respect he infu- enced the development of the coun- try.
 A. His influence was that of 8 public spirited and brilliant states man. He was born in the West in- dies in 1757 and settled in New York in 1772, and at once attracted at- tention by his writings during the political agitation preceding the rev oluton. He entered the continental service in 1776, and from the fol- lowing year was long on the staff of General Washington, serving with distinction at Yorktown in 17S1. A member of the continental congress of 1782-3, of the constitutional con- vention in 17S7, and the New York ratifying convention of 1788, he cid much to secure the adoption of the constitution by his letters under the title of 'The Federalist." He was one of the founders of the federalist party, and with John Adams con trolled the executive of the national administration of Washington and Adams In 17S9 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the army, and was killed in duel with Aaron Burr July II, 1894. ..
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 W. P. N.-How is gunpowder made-its components, quantity of each, and the processes it goes through?
 A. The components are charcoal, sulphur and nitre, in proportions of IA, 9.9 and 75.7 respectively. Other nations use a slightly differ ent percentage. The three ingredi- ents are ground to impalpable pow der by successive grindings in sep- arate mills, and then taken to the mixing house. The charcoal is spread in trough and the sulphur and nitre is sifted upon it and if- perfectly incorporated with the hands. Then it is ground betyeen millstones and thoroughly incorpor- ated in wet state. This part of the work is very dangerous. After three hours trituration the powder leaves the mill completely pulverized in small cakes. Then it is subjected to great pressure between copper plates. The next operation is grain ing, which gives it rapidity of igni- tion. This is accomplished by forc- ing the cakes through minute holes in sieve which revolves rapidly. It is then heated sufficiently to drive out the moisture. glazed by the fric- tion of the grains together in a re- volving cylinder, and freed from dust by the centrifugal action caused by the power being twisted round at great speed in gauge cylinder. It is system which involves great risk to life from hppinnfnQ fo and