Evening star., 1939-02-23
Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. HnSkt11,

To Questions
By Frederic J. Hasktn,
A reader can get the answer to any
question OF fact by 1DrttinQ The Eve.
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hdskin. director, Washington.
d. c. Please irclose stamp for reply.
Q. Please explain the meaning of q
tropical or solar year,. K.
A. The tropical or civil year, also
sometimes called the solar year, is the
time in which the sun moves from the
vernal equinox to the vernal equinox
again. Its mean length is 1865 days, S
hours, 4S minutes and 497 seconds.
Q. Are termites ever used as food?-
w. j. H.
A. These insects are considered a
great delicacy in Africa and are also
eaten in India.
@. What color is the German Nazi
f1ag?-Q. T. M.
A. The German Nazi flag has a red
field with white circle and q black
swastika.
@. How many words are there In q Is
minute radio script?-S. j. H.
A. 1t is estimated that the wordage
of 15-minute script, story type, is from
1,400 to 1,7OO words.
Q. Who was Lady Elizabeth Nightin-
gale who is mentioned in the writings of
Washington 1rving?-E. S. N.
A. The Lady Elizabeth nightingale
referred to in Washington Irving's writ
ings was the eldest daughter and co-heir
Of Washington, I'd Earl Ferrers by
Mary, eldest surviving daughter of Sir
Richard Leringe, lord chief justice of
common pleas in Ireland She was
born in 17o4 and married in 1725 Joseph
Gascoigne Nightingale, Esq. She died
In 1871. Her well-known monument
in Westminster Abbey is by the sculptor
Ronbiliac. The Ferrers family inter
married with the Washingtons of SUI
grave-hence her fathers Christie!
nanle-and Florence Nightingale was
the same family as Lady Elizabeth d.
husband.
@. What kind of capsule was burie,,
at the New York Worlds Fair?-L w. NJ.
A. The time capsule which was buried
beneath the Westinghouse Building at
the New York Worlds Fair consists of
an outer shell of Cupaloy, and its con-
tents are packed in an inner envelope of
Pyrex. The capsule contains more than
40 articles of common use such as the
fountain pen, watch, miniature camera
metals, fabrics, seeds of staple crops, and
a microfilm essay of our times This
sample of our civilization will remain
buried until 6939 AID.
@. How does the number OF multipr
births compare with the total number O;
births in the United States?-E. J. D.
A. For the United States registration
area for 1884, the total number of live
births was 2,l67,63 OF these 47,e46
were twins, 669 were triplets, andl 2i
were quadruplets
@. Please give the name of a good
garden dictionary.-M. j. H.
A. "The Garden Dictionary" edited
by Norman Taylor and published by
Houghton Miff1in Co., is recent book
which is comprehensive and authorita-
tive. The Massachusetts Horticultural
Society awarded a gold medal to its
horticultural book which has appeared.
in America in recent years."
@. What is the origin of the name OF
Yellowstone Park?-B. G. N.
A. According to the Geological Survey
the name yellowstone" is derived from
its original French name, Roche
Jaune," meaning yellow rock or stone
though by some said to be from the
Indian word "Mi-tsi-a-da-z," meaning
"rocks on Yellow River"
@. Who invented the rim or flange
that is on the inside edge OF the wheels
of railway cars?-M. E. D.
A. In 1889 William Jessop, when con-
structing railroad at Loughborough. in
Leicestershire. England this was either
colliery or quarry railroad introduced
the iron rails with fiat top, and wheels
with a fange cast upon the tire.
@. Is the percentage of voters In presi-
Dental elections smaller in the States
that have poll taxes?J. H. K.
A. In the presidential election of 1896,
in the nine States which then had the
poll tax, only "a per cent of the citizens
voted, while in the 80 other States, 72
per cent cast their votes.
@. How many chemists are employed
by E. I. du Pont & Corr w.
A. The du Pont co. says: I'm our
company We have approximst tely $500
individuals who have been trained either
as chemists or as chemical engineers
This group includes men who are now
assigned to research work, plant, sales
and executive positions. They, of course,
range from recent college graduates to
men who have been associated with the
company for many fears. In the re-
search group alone we have approximately
ly 1900 men whose primary function is
to carry on the fundamental problems