Evening star., 1936-01-06
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
By Frederic ]. HaskiR.

FTGukfE v. Hu1NtW, DUeCbWs uo6tuy~
ton, D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
O. Is the active volcano Mauna Loa
visible at night?-H. s. H.
A. Smoke issues profusely from the
source cones and the night skies glow
from the reflection CT the molten rock.
Q. Is there O. tax for an automobile
when it is driven into Mexico?-E. =. B.
A. It is necessary to post bond for
the car. Duty is charged, depending
upon the weight of the automobile and
also on whether or not the vehicle Is
new or used.
@. Who is the oldest telephone oper-
ator in the United States?-A. A. P.
A. The Oldest telephone operator OF
whom we have record is Miss Mary Alice
Page of Port Arthur, Tex. She is u
years old.
@. What city in the United States has
the narrowest Street?-J. v.
A. St. Augustine, Fla, claims to have
the narrowest street in the United States.
Treasury street is only feet wide at its
east end. The main business street, St.
George street, is only II feet wide.
Q. How does spontaneous combustion
come about?-T. E. S.
A. Whenever oxygen combines with
anything heat is produced. In some
cases the oxidation takes place very
slowly and no heat or light is observed.
so that rags, cotton waste saturated
with certain oils, newspapers, straw and
many similar materials give on heat OF
sufficient amounts to reach the kindling
point of the materials, which then burst
into flame. The loss of many farm
buildings is laid to spontaneous com.
bustion of hay.
@. Did George S. kaufman, play
wright, ever act in any of his plays7
R NJ
A. Kaufman acted in his play, "Once
in a Lifetime" which was produced in
New York during the season Of 1901.
@. What is meant by a matched
ORDERS. C. H.
A. This is an order to buy, given stimuli
LdnSOuSIy Will OLOCl W oCA O oAAAAA04
number of shares of the same stock or
an equal quantity of commodity. Such
an order really amounts to a fictitious
sale and gives an appearance OF activity
in the particular stock or commodity
which has no basis in actual demand.
The purpose of matched orders is usually
to cause an artificial or temporary rise in
prices.
@. Why is corduroy so called?-B. S.
A. The name, meaning kings cord,
was first applied to the material in the
seventeenth century, when it composed
the uniform of the French Kings hunts
men.
c. If Americans took an oath similar
to the Athenian oath it would be step
in the right direction. Please publish
this oath.-M. v. B.
A. The oath Of the young Athenians
was: I'VE will never bring disgrace ON
this our city by an act. of dishonesty or
cowardice. We will fight for the ideals
and sacred things of the city. both alone
and with many. We will revere and obey
the citys laws and will do our best to
incite a like reverence and respect in
those above us who are known to annul
them or set them at naught. We Will
strive increasingly to quicken the pub
lies sense of civic duty. Thus in all
these ways we will transmit this city
not only not less, but greater, better and
more beautiful than it was transmitted
to us"
@. Who wrote the Christmas song,
Silent Nigh" PA, j.
A. The music was composed in 1878
by Franz Gruber, an Austrian organist,
for words written in the same year by
josef Mohr, an Austrian clergyman.
@. What is anchor ice?-A. @.
A. Since water expands on freezing,
ice is lighter than water and therefore
forms on the surface and floats. Anchor
ice, however, is sometimes found at the
bottom of the river. 1t consists OF an
aggregation of small crystals or needles
of ice frozen at the surface of rapid open
water and probably carried below by the
force of the stream.
@. What is the most plausible theory
regarding the disappearance Of the U. S.
S. Cyclops?-Z. r. B.
A. She was sunk by her own cargo,
according to a theory advanced by an
officer of merchant ship. At the time
the Cyclops was carrying load Of man.
ganese ore, which is difficult to handle.
Manganese ore has a tendency to settle
down. grinding away whatever is below
it, and as the CyclopS was twin-deck
ship and the cargo was loaded in the
lower hold, the end could have come
suddenly when the bottom gave away.
The CyclopS left Yorktown on its last
trip on December 8, 1917. AS far as the
United States Government is concerned,
there is no explanation for the disap-
pearance of the United States fuel ship
Cyclops.
@. Please give some information about
Sir John Nash English afchitect-J. g.
A. Sir John Nash Q752-1835) began
his activity in London in 1892. His
capacities were greatest in town PLAN
ming and he is chiefly known for his
boldly planned development Of the
Marylebone region of London. His
scheme, as put into execution in 1872,
comprehended Regent street with its
quadrant and Regents Park with its
terraces and surrounding streets Of
formally designed town houses. Nash
also designed Haymarket Theater and
Buckingham Palace (since altered. His
architectural designs were chiefly neo-
classic in style. He was responsible for
introducing an extensive use Of stucco