Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-30
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

@. Is there any difference in APP
pearance between an American cut
diamond and European cut diamond
of the same SIZES. C.. G.
A. A local jeweler says the cut OF
diamonds is standardized. and there
should be no difference in appearance
between an American cut and Euro
pean cut diamond of the same type
and size. Regulations for a good dia-
mond cut are one-third above the gir.
die ledge of stone) and two-thirds be-
low.
Q. In the sentence 'In about INV
the melocotoon trees with luscious
fruit grew in the gardens Of Boston"
what kind Of fruit was it?-E. N. NJ.
A. The Bureau of Plant Industry
says that the red-cheeked melocotoon
is a variety of peach.
@. What are the greatest natural
disasters Of the present century,
T. A. w.
A. The greatest disasters from 1900
to the present time arising from nat
ural causes include: st. Pierre and
Martinique, volcanic eruption, May g.,
1902; San Francisco, Calf, earth
quake, April IS, 1906; Sicily and Gala
China earthquake, December 16, 1920;
Japanese earthquake, September l,
| 1923; Santa Barbara earthquake, June
| 20, 1925; Shenandoah wreck, Septem-
| Der 3, 1925; Lake Denmark, N. j.. ex-
| plosion, July 10. 1926; mine disaster
| at Ishpeming, Mich. November 3,
| 1925; snowslide near Bingham. Utah,
February II, 1926
Q. What is the speed of the U. 8.
| S. Memphis?-A. J. B.
! A. The U. S. s. Memphis has a
speed Of 1871 knots per hour.
@. What chemical solution is used
on paper or cloth to indicate weather
conditions?-L. B. H.
A. Some MICROSCOPES owe their
| microscopic properties to their color
| which changes with the state OF hui
nudity Of the air by reason OF the
application Of sympathetic inks
| These instruments are often compos.
ed of flower or figure of light mus
| lin or paper, immersed in the follow
| ing solution: Cobalt chloride, l part
gelatin, 10 parts; water, 100 parts.
| The normal coloring is pink; this
color changes into violet in medium
humid weather and into blue in very
dry weather.
| O. How many suicides occur annu
ally in New York and elsewhere?-
| H. T. 3.
A. DR.. A. D. Frenzy in his book
"The Suicide Problem in the United
| States" says that annually a leading
| New York paper reports between 40C
and 500 suicides from the City of New
York and other parts of the country
This is indeed a large number. but II
| is not one.twentieth part of the reaI
number of suicides committed in the
| United States, for every year about
| 10000 people seek relief from life
through self-destruction."
@. Was Lord Northcliffe interested
in aviation?-W. L. D.
A. The distinguished British jour
nalist aided aviation by offering large
sums of money in prizes for flying
races. He was first interested in the
| subject on the occasion of visit tC
Pau. where he saw Wilbur Wright
make his flights.
@. What is the distinction between
the words "fiammable" and "infiam
mable"?-S. r. S.
| A. "Infiammable" in it's usual sense
! implies explosiveness or a character
| that will burn readily. 'Flammable'
means exactly the same thing. The
resulting confusion has caused the
word 'infiammable" to be abandoned
! altogether, "fiammable" now being
used to indicate ready combustibility
and "non-flammable" for the opposite
Perhaps the most flammable material
i in general domestic use is gasoline
| The vapor from pint OF gasoline,
mixed with the proper amount OF air,
has destructive power equal to that
| of a pound of dynamite.
O. Please give a short account OF
| Eugene Fields life?-J. P.
A. Eugene Field was born in 1856
in St. Louis, Mo. During several
years of his childhood he lived IN
| MaSSa nhusatts and Vermont. and