Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-13
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

| d. FhEDEhI
@. What per cent of the building
done is on residence?-H. c.. 2.
A. Today one-half of the building
operations are residential: Al per cent
of these are of the workers home
type.
| Q. How long must a cadet fly be-
fore he goes up alone? What is he
paid?-W. d. w.
A. In the Army Air Service flying
cadet is allowed to go up alone after
eight hours of instruction. The base
| pay of a flying cadet is SIS a month
Each cadet is allowed not to exceed 81
per day for food. Other allowances
such as clothing, equipment, etc, are
those of a private, first class, Air
Corps. Flying cadets, as a rule. are
quartered together in a separate bar
racks provided for the purpose.
Q. What is the deepest draft ship
in the world?-J. B. L.
A. The United States Shipping
Board says that the U. S. S. Leviathan
is the deepest draft ship of which it
has any record.
Q. How do foreign taxes on automo-
biles compare with those in the United
States?-M. T.. L.
A. The average per vehicle tax In
the United States, exclusive of Fed
eral and personal property tax, was
$21.G0 In Germany the ownership tax
on middle priced car is $500. In Bel
gium the price is nearly as great. in
England it is about 800 and in France
SS7, plus a sales tax of II per cent.
Q. Why did people believe that an
emerald should be worn?-P. NJ.
A. When worn, it was held to be a
preservative against certain illnesses
it drove away evil spirits and pre-
served the chastity of the wearer.
@. What were the first settlements
within the District Of Columbia
Fl. J. NJ.
A. The first settlements within the
territory now occupied by Washing
ton were Indian villages. There was
one at the intersection of New Jersey
and Virginia avenues, south of the
Capitol. Another was along Piney
Branch, west of Fourteenth street.
@. Are there any genuine red dia
monds?-F. G. r.
A. Considerable attention has beer
attracted lately by the finding neal
Kimberley of red diamond that is ex
pected, when cut, to weigh 6 carats
Two other red diamonds have also
been found near Pretoria; one, 6
brownish red, weighed IL carats il
the rough and q carat cut; the other
is reddish amber and weighed
carat rough and u carat cut. Rec
diamonds are exceedingly rare; there
is fine red stone of p carat in the
Field Museum of Natural History iT
Chicago, one of carats in the Mu
scum at Vienna and the red diamond
Of the Emperor Paul, weighing
carats, among the Russian crown
jewels.
@. Where does the Bowery begir
and end?-E. w. l..
A. The Bowery begins at Chatham
Square, New York, and runs to Cooper
Square parallel to Broadway. 1T was
long notorious for the resorts located
along it's length, but it's character has
undergone improvement. 1t is still
characterized by the heterogeneity Of
it's population and a multitude Of
cheap shops and boutiques.'
@. What actors have received tht
freedom of the city of Stratford-on
Avon?-A. r. L.
A. Among the actors so honore(
are F. r. Benson and David Garrick
The last actor to receive this distinc
ton before Benson lin 1910 was the
great actor of Johnson's day-Garrick
@. In reading of the poilus I otter
find the phrase, HE had cafard.
What does this mean?-E. NJ. w.
A. This phrase is the equivalent Of
I "the blues"
Q. What causes a hand grenade tc
explode? Does it have time fuse?-
D. z. S.
A. The usual ignition device on {
grenade operates approximately as
follows: There is small handle along
side the body of the grenade, helt
close to the grenade by a safety pin
When the grenade is to be thrown, the
hand grasps both the grenade body
and this handle, holding the handle
close to the grenade body. The safety
pin is then pulled out and the grenade
is thrown. The handle then flies off
being actuated by spring, and this
releases a hammer, which strikes q
primer. The primer ignites a powder
train fuse which burns for about three
seconds, and in turn ignites a det-
onator containing illuminate. which in
turn igniteS the charge of high ex
plosive, which skaters the grenade