Evening star., 1926-10-23

~~OS0
Q. What causes the center Of blocks
of ice to be milky and have q peculiar
taste?-T. w. D.
A. The Bureau Of Standards says
that concentration Of impurities in the
water frequently causes the center OF
blocks Of Ice to be milky and have @
peculiar taste. Usually the core water
Is removed and replaced with fresh
water when the block has been nearly
soudifled.
Q. Is Eaton's Department Store of
Toronto the largest in the world?-L. E.
A. 1t Is said to rank second. with
Marshall Fields Of Chicago ahead OF
it in size.
Q. What is being done in this coun.
try for the care of dependent children?
r.. NJ. f.
A. The Children's Bureau says that
In the United States there are ap-
proXimately 21S,000 dependent chill
dren under the care of private and
public agencies and institutions: 200.-
900 crippled, deaf or blind children are
in hospitals and special schools: 1885,
900 mentally defective children are in
special schools and other private and
public institutions, and 130 200 chill
dren are given public aid in their own
homes.
O. What was the nationality of
Father Damien?-N. s.
A. He was Belgian priest who de-
voted years of his life to the lepers OF
Molokai. Finally he contracted the
disease and died at the age OF 40
years.
@. How long did Palestine remain
a Roman province?--R. ID. G.
A. 1t remained an integral part of
the Roman empire until GA AID.
Q. Has the bus and passenger car
traffic hurt the Railroads.&c.. ii.
A. The reports of the railroads of
the United States for the current fis-
Cal year show an unusual degree OF
prosperity, apparently not affected by
the increased number of bus lines, pas
senger automobiles, etc. The prosper
ity of the Nation at large and the in
creaSing desire of people to travel and
see all parts of the country have more
than offset the addition of transporta-
tion facilities.
Q. What do the cheapest air mail
stamps cost?-F. +. S.
A. The cheapest air mail stamp IS
an Scent stamp and will carry a let
ter from New York to Chicago by
air mail. A 10-cent air mail stamp
will carry q letter for 1000 miles.
Q. Tell me how a transparent mir
ror is made-one which Is a true
mirror when lighted in front and
transparent when light is made be-
hind it.--W. X. G.
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that a transparent mirror is like the
ordinary mirror, with chemically de-
posted silver, except that the coating
Is very thin. The thickness OF the
coating is governed by the length of
time the mirror is left In the bath.
@. What bird stays in the air the
longest III. 3. F.
A. The albatross is thought to be
able to stay in the air longer than
any other bird. This is because of
its great length of upper arm and
forearm and because the number of
flight feathers carried on the wing
exceeds that of any other bird. Alba
trosses will follow vessels for days at
a time and they are almost the only
visible inhabitants of the wastes of
the Southern oceans.
There Is no other agency in the
1Dorld that can Gns1cer as many Ie0iu-
mate questions as our free infOrmd-
ton bureau in Washington, ID. G.
This highly organized Institution has
been built up and is under the per-
sonGl direction of Frederic j. HdSkin.
By keeping in constant touch 1Cith
Federal bureaus aud other educational
enterprises it is In a position to pass
on to you authoritative Information
of the highest order. Submit p0ur
queries to the staff Of experts 1rhOSe
services are put at yOur free disposal
There Is no charge cCccpt 2 cents in
stamps for return postage. Address
The Euenin0 Star Information Bu-
reGu, Frederic j. HdSkin, Director,
Washington, ID. G.