Evening star., 1933-03-14
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

This is special department devoted
solely to the handling Of queries. This
paper puts at your disposal the services
of an extensive organization IN Wash
ington to serve you In any capacity
that relates to information. This serv-
ice is free. Failure to make use Of 1t
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your inquiry for direct reply. Do not
use postcards Address The Washing
ton Star Information Bureau. Frederic
j. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. c.
@. What is the origin of the cricket
expression, ashes" used when England
plays Australia?-N. T.
A. In 1882 Australian cricket play
ers won on British soil for the first
time. A sport paper, in reporting the
match, facetiously said that English
cricket had died, the body would be
cremated and the aShes taken to Aus
tralia. The ashes now signify victory.
@. What is the term Of the chap
plain Of the House of Representatives
and Of the Senate Of the United States?
r. N. H.
The chaplain of the House Of Rep
resentatives is appointed for the dura-
tion Of the Congress, while the chap
lain of the Senate has an indeterminate
term.
@. How big are the letters of the
inscription on the Mount Rushmore
Memorial?-L. D. D.
A. They are feet tall.
@. What instrument does former
IL n u
A. The musical instrument on which
former Vice President Charles Gates
Dawes is most proficient is the violin,
for which instrument he has composed
music.
@. Have Summers always been
variable-some much warmer than
otherS?-L. o.
A. Both tree rings and varves are
mute witnesses to weather fluctuations.
Very old trees show thick and thin
rings. Layers of clay. called varves.
found in the former beds of ancient
lakes fed by melting ice sheets, form
another record. These layers are due
to the annual deposit of sediment
Thick layers were deposited in warm
Summers when melting was rapid, and
thin layers in cool Summers.
". WIN called Tie IlrSL INTERNATIONAL
peace conference.-the. T.
A. 1t was called by Car Nicholas
of Russia, May 18. 1899. This was a
preliminary conference and a second
was called for October 81, 1904.
9. How fast does coral form9-
A. Little Is known regarding the
rapidity of growth in corals. A speci-
men OF Mocandrina labryinthica meas
uring a foot in diameter and 4 inches
thick IN the most convex part was taken
| from block Of concrete at Fort JET
fercon, Tortugas. which had been in
! the water only 20 years. It has been
calculated that the average growth of
Mocandrina observed at Key West
was half an inch year.
| O. At what distance from the earth
does the stratosphere begin?-C. K.
! A. The stratosphere Is the area Of
upper atmosphere believed to commence
some nine miles above the earth's
surface.
@. Please describe the Damascus
sword blade-V NJ
A. The Crusaders first drew atten-
ton to Damascus blades. They were
! found to possess not only great elas-
ITCHY, united with considerable hard
ness, but their surfaces were covered
with beautiful designs formed by a
tissue Of dark lines on a light ground,
or light lines upon a dark ground. and
occasionally by the inlaying of gold on
/ the steel-blue ground Gold and silver
are inlaid in the higher class of sword