The San Francisco call., 1909-10-26
Answers TO Queries

! Answers to Queries
THE ARMY-H. NJ. B.. City. What is the
organization OF the army of the United States.
| that is. the number of officers and men?
The army in active service as now
organized under the act of congress of
| February g 1901. comprises Is regi-
ments of cavalry, $50 officers and 1876
men; six regiments OF field artillery,
199 officers and 5,245 enlisted men; a
| coast artillery corps, 10 companies,
| $50 officers and 1881 enlisted men;
| 30 regiments of infantry, 1000 officers
and $3.50 enlisted men; three battal-
ions of engineers, 2,O02 enlisted men,
| commanded by officers detailed from
the corps of engineers; staff corps,
military academy. Indian scouts, re-
cruits etc. 4.457 enlisted men; also a
provisional force consisting OF one
regiment in Porto Rico, 81 officers and
57i native enlisted men and 90 COM
panies of native scouts in the Philip
pines, 116 officers and about 5000 en-
listed men. The total number of COM
missioned officers. staff and line. on the
active list, is 1896, and the total en-
listed strength, staff and line, is Co.
S71, exclusive of the provisional force
and the hospital corps. The act cited
provides that the total enlisted
strength of the army shall not exceed
at any one time 100000.
THE NAvY-H NJ B. City Howl many
ships are there in the United States navy?
Battleships first and second CLASSY,
27; armored cruisers, 10; cruisers, first
class, 8; cruisers. second class, Z;
cruisers, third class. 16; torpedo boat
destroyers, Is; torpedo boats, Sc; sub
marine boats, 12; wooden cruisers, 4;
gunboats, 3S; transports, q; supply
ships. 4: hospital ship. 1; colliers, 10;
converted yachts. "a; tugs, AZ; training
sailing ships, 5; receiving ships. 8; un-
serviceable for seagoing purposes, 10;
under construction or authorized-bat-
tleships. first class, s; torpedo boat de-
stroyers, Is; submarines, Is; gunboat,
1; Golfers. 4 tugs. 2.
MAsoUEs OF THE SEASON.. s, Paeihe
Grove, Cal. Who wrote the poem entitled The
Masques Of the Season?
James Whitcomb Riley.
LOCATING wATER-A subscriber. Lakeport
Cal. What is the philosophy of the hazel twig
in locsting water in the ground?
The foundation that water can be
located by means of a forked twig Is
laid in superstition, not science. The
delusion is as old as the tabled wand
of Mercury.
forked branch of the Rowan tree. In
the United States the witch hazel is
usually preferred. but ii has been found
that a similar rod of<any wood, IL 1t is
supposed by the diviner to be hazel
acts equally well in his hands. Rods
of of metal, iron, brass and copper have
been used under the idea that the
movement was due to magnetic action,
to which a metallic rod is peculiarly
susceptible.
In centuries gone by persons with
some pretentions to scientific knowl
edge were believers in the occult power
of the forked wand. But the scien-
have studied natural phenomena most
closely, regard the whole power of the
rod as an unconscious delusion.
That the mere presence of water has
no effect on wood or metal can be read
lily proved by experiment. Such an
effect in the hands of a human being
must therefore, be referred to some
person.
The solution of the mystery is prob
ably found in the explanation of the
phenomena of mesmerism or hypno-
tism This shows how the condition
of concentrated and expectant atten-
tion of the mind acts to temporarily
paralyze the will and affect the nerves
and muscles. often most powerfully, in
the line of the dominant idea.
The diviner walks along holding the
rod between his thumbs, in a position
in which his slightest muscular move
rnent must affect it. His entire atten-
tion is fixed upon the stick, expecting
it to move. If wholly unconscious
movement on his part should cause the
rod to twitch, its gravity being dis
placed, it would naturally fall down
ward If water which underlies the
whole surface of the globe at greater
or less depth is found. the magic of the
rod is supposed to be proved; If it is
not found, it is easy to claim that the
movement was due to a metallic vein
in the earth.
A few years ago a committee of Odd
Fellows IN this state went to inspect a
site for home. One man sought wa
ter in the ground by means of a hazel
rod and found" it in four places An
other man used the same rod went
over the same ground in precisely the
same manner and held the rod in the
very same position. without firmer
pressure than his predecessor but at
each place where the rod pointed down.
ward in the hands of the first man. il
moved not a bit in the hands of the
second.
DIVORCE Subscriber, City In what states
in the union may commence an action for
divorce without having resided there a pre-
scribed length Of tmes
Delaware. Louisiana, North Carolina
and South Carolina