Evening star., 1925-06-24
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Q. Please give a description Of the
State flag Of Maryland and state the
present population.-N. S.
A. The State flag of Maryland rep
resents the escutcheon of the paternal
coat of arms of Lord Baltimore. The
first and fourth quarters consist of
six vertical bars. alternately gold and
black, with a diagonal band, on which
the colorS are reversed; the second and
third quarters consist of a quartered
field of red and white, charged with
la Greek cross, its arms terminating
in trefoils, with the colors transposed,
red being on the white ground and
white on the red, and all being rep
resented as on the escutcheon of the
present seal of Maryland. The popu-
lation of Maryland by the census of
1920 was 1,449,68 A 1925 estimate
places it at 1,537,0 ,085.
@. Why is it considered bad luck
to light three cigarettes from one
match?-F. S. S.
A. The superstition that it is bad
luck to take three lights from one
match originated III the Russian Or
thodox Church, where il was Gus
tomary to light three candles with
one taper at funerals. This led to
the practice being associated with
death.
Q. Is It proper to pronounce the
word coupe" as If it We're spelled
"coup"?-A. p. X.
A. This is French word and die
tionaries do not give an Anglicized
pronunciation for it. However, in the
automobile business the pronunciation
coup" is, often used.
@. How long have wedding rings
been worn?-V. G. Z.
A. 1t is probable that a marriage
ring encircled the finger of the wife
Of the first Pharoah. 1t was in use
in Rome at the beginning of the Chris
tian era.
@. When will the Coolidge Dam be
built?-R. w. T.
A. An appropriation has been al
lotted for the Coolidge Dam and pre-
liminary work is under way. 1t is
| near the town of San Carlos in the
State of Arizona.
Q. Is a motor cycle a bicycle or
an automobile?-I. J.. II.
| A. The class to which a motor
cycle belongs may be a matter OF
opinion: however, in the Facts and
| Figures booklet, issued by the Ma.
| tiOnal Automobile Chamber of Com
| merce, motor cycles are listed under
the heading of motor vehicles along
with automobiles, trucks, etc.
| Q. How would an aviator know
that he had reached the North Pole
| and how could he prove its. G.. L
! A. The Naval Observatory says
that he would know he was at the
| North Pole when the height of the
sun above the horizon was equal to
its declination as given in the Nauti
cal Almanac and remained so when
ever observed. The declination ot
the sun is its distance from the
| celestial equator. Amundsen'S diScOV
cry of the South Pole was proved
within 35 days by the arrival there
of the British expedition under Capt
Scott, who found a tent and papers
left by Amundsen. In the case Of
the North Pole, which is in the Arctic
Ocean, such tangible proof could moi
be expected.
@. How many members has the
National Safety Council?-F. S. L.
A. 1t has 1898 active members
representing 5000 workshops and G,
000, 900 workers.
@. What languages are used in the
Balkans?-C. H. V.
| A. Ten languages are spoken in
| the Balkans. They are Bulgarian
Serbian, Montenegrin, Croatian, Slo
venian. Rumanian, Albanian, Greek
Turkish and Italian.
Q. What book was it that Gen
Washington said helped to win the
Revolutionary War?-F. S. II.
A. 1t was The Crisis" by Thomas
Paine. The first and most famou!
of the series appeared December 19