Evening star., 1936-05-29
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC }. HASKTN.

A reader can get the dnswer to ann
question OF fact by Uriting The Epentno
STAR Information Bureau, Frederic J.
Hdsktn, Director, Washington, d. C.
Please tnctose stamp for reply.
Q. How much does the starting pats
at race track cost?-W. P Z
A. A 10-stall gate costs about "a ooo.
l2-stan, $4,000; 14-stall, $4,000. Such
gates can be rented for about $50 a dav
plus transportation charges.
@. How much money is paid out in
TINS country for death claims in auto
mobile fatalities?-F. G.
A. In 1885 more than S35 600 600 was
paid cut by life insurance companies of
the United States and Canada in death
claims directly attributable to automo..
bile accidents.
@. How many tulips are in bloom dur
ing the festival at Holland, Mich.?-J. x.
"A. This year it is estimated that three
million bloomed. Many are from bulbs
brought from the Netherlands.
@. Who wrote the Prayer for a
Writer" containing the line: Let me noe
be too greatly discouraged by rejection
Slips"?-M. H. B.
A. The prayer is by the late Harry
Franklin Harrington, former director of
the Medin School of journalism at
Northwestern University.
@. When was Fort jefferson builto
"A. VI
A. FhiS stronghold was commenced IN
1846. 1t was planned on such a colossai
scale, and its construction proved 50 dim
CUT and expensive that it was not ready
Tor garrisoning until 1860. Andrew
jackson was one of the prime factors in
the movement to fortify Garden Kew.
which is one of the Dry Tortugas eroun'
The massive walls, hexagonal in shane
and fully Fashioned, rose SLOWLY from the
sea. Shark-infested depths, between the
prisoners and the mainland. cut off everv
hope Of escape.
G. Has wheat found in ancient Egvn.
tian tombs been planted and erown2
IT. M.
A. Stories have appeared from time IN
time regarding the finding of wheat IN
Egyptian tombs which had been stored
for centuries and which gerninated
when planted. There is no truth in
such stories. The maximum life of q
grain of wheat is less than 90 wears
and grain buried for so manv wears
would have absolutely no viability.
O. How long will steel last?-C. D.
A The 1ifc oF
years.
Q. How many acres are there in the
Pierre du Pont estate at Kennett
Square, Pa.?-J r.
A. Longwood comprises about 900
acres. The glass houses for the plants
cover eight acres.
Q. When was the seven-shot carbine
introduced into the United States Arny?
"A. w. S.
A. The rifle was patented in 1860 bv
Christopher M. Spencer and was made
by the Spencer Repeating Arms Co.
Boston. Mass. It was extensively used
during the Civil War. A caliber .56, rim
nre, seVen-shot rifle which loaded
through trap in the butt plate, The
ance OF the BlakeSlee'S patent cartridge
box containing 10 tin tubes each holding
seven cartridges, each tube loadable as
unit. This method was in use during
the last two years of the war.
Q. What progress is being made on the
Moscow-Volga Canal project?-G. G.
A. 1t is now more than halfway COM
pleted and should be finished in 1888.
This project will not only provide an
ample water supply for the new city, but
will raise the level of the Moscow River
by 9 feet, permitting the arrival of large
bargeS and river steamers from the
Volga.
@. How high do waves run in the
Atlantic Ocean in a severe storm?-
j. A. D.
A. The highest wave reported by the
photographic Ofice of the United States
Navy Department was encountered in
the North Atlantic Ocean December 22,
1922, by the British steamship Majestic.
Its height was estimated to be 80 feet.
@. When was the Mazarin Bible
printed?-M. E. r.
A. In l450. 1t was so named because
it was discovered in the library of Car
dinal Mazarin of France 1t is now the
property Of the French nation.
@. How much do a persons bones
weight. NJ.
A. The weight of an adult skeleton is
usually from 10 to II pounds. The
skeleton with light bones would weigh
pound less; the skeleton with heavy
bones a pound more. After death dry
bones tend to decrease in weight.
O. What rivers in the United States
flow North?-C. c.
A. The ST. Johns River in Florida IS
supposedly the only river in the United
States which flows northward through
out its entire course. There are others.
however, which flow North for part of
their course. These include the Monon-
gahela in Pennsylvania, the Tennessee
in Tennessee and Kentucky, the Red
River of the North in Minnesota and
North Dakota, Big Horn in Wyoming
and Montana, Powder in Wyoming and
Montana.
@. Was Ralph de Palma, the automo-, 4.
bile racer, born in this country?-
D. M. B.
A. He was born at Troia, Italy, and
came to this country at the age of 9.
On obtaining American citizenship, he
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