Evening star., 1939-12-30
Answers
To Questions
BN Frederic J. HdSktn.

~ FTeQeT1c !. d1Sk1H.
A reader can get the ansuer to any
question OF fact by 1ortttng The Eue.
ming Star Information Buredu, Fred
eric J. Hasktn, director. Washington,
D. c. Please tnclose stamp tor reply.
@. What countries owe the United
States the largest war debts?-R H. N.
A. OF the total amount, the largest
debt is owed by Great Britain-$5 4s7,.
069, 9,37948 while France is second with
$4,180 ,628,819.8
@. How many dolls are manufactured
in the United States-H. H. s.
A. In 1899 there were 100000 dolls
manufactured, OF which 10 per cent were
baby dolls.
@. Where does Shakespeare make his
famous geographical mistake, giving Bo-
hemia a seacoast?-W. D.
A. It occurs in act 3, scene 3, of "The
Winters Tale"
@. What is the rarest metal?-M. r.
A. Protactinium is the worlds rarest
metal being worth 100000 an ounce.
Only a small amount has been isolated
so far
O. When Is Twelfth -night?-R. c. L.
A. It falls on January 6, the Feast of
the Epiphany. Originally 1t was Teu-
tonic pagan festival when Wooden.
Frigga and the good spirits held their
festival procession.
@. What is gasoline called in Eng
land?-L S.
A. Petrol is the term by which gaso.
line is known in that country.
@. How many operas will be produced
at the Metropolitan Opera House this
season?-L. A. K.
A. The Musical Digest says that tho
seasons operas will be selected from So
works. representing 27 composers.
Q. Does an infant have as many bones
as an adult?-P. w. D.
A. A baby has II more bones than an
adult. This is due to the fact that cer-
tain bones in the skull and at the end
OF the spine join later.
@ Was there a family named Smell
who had seven sons killed in one battle
during the Revolutionary War?-R. G.
A. The Army War College says that in
the Magazine of American History, Vol
ume I, No. II, November, 1877, there is
an account of the Battle Of Oriskany
which states that family groups took part
in this battle. Nine members Of the
Smell family were engaged in the battle,
seven of whom were buried on the field.
This battle occurred on August 6, 1777.
The seven members of the Smell family
who were killed were probably not Of the
same immediate family. Some of them
were, doubtless, cousins.
O. What proportion Of the automobiles
used are not entirely paid for?-A. c. G.
A. It has been estimated that between
one fourth and one-third of the auto
mobiles on the road in the United States
are not fully paid for.
@. Is the boiling point of water always
212 degrees Fahrenheit?-L. M. B.
A. The boiling point Of liquid de-
pends upon the pressure exerted upon it.
Since atmospheric pressure decreases
with the elevation, the boiling point of
liquid also decreases. 1t, therefore, takes
longer to heat water at 5000 feet above
sea level than 1t does at sea level. At
sea level the boiling point Of water does
not rise above 2l2 degrees Fahrenheit
@. Which of the kings Of France was
called "The Stammerer"?-L. F..
A. Louis II was known as lie Begue"
or THE Stammerer."
@. What is the legend about how st.
Patrick got rid of the last snake in Ire
land?-C. T.
A. One version is that he was resisted
by one cunning old snake. So he made
a box and invited the serpent to enter it.
The latter objected, saying it was too
small, but st. Patrick insisted 1t was
large enough to be comfortable. After
some contention the snake got in to prove
that it was too small, whereupon st.
Patrick slammed down the lid and threw
the box into the sea.
@. What is the process that has been
developed by the Department Of Agricul-
ture for making wool out of SKINNED
milk?-I. L.
A. Earle O. Whittier and Stephen p.
Gould of the Bureau of Dairy Industry
Of the United States Department OF
Agriculture have developed and patented
a process for making fiber out Of casein.
The casein is softened in water and dis
solved in solution of caustic alkali.
It becomes thick sticky mass and in
this condition is worked into the proper
consistency by aging, by adding modify
ing agents, and by dilution. The mass
is then forced through multiple spin
nerets of the kind used in making rayon.
and the flbers are separated and hard
e1ed in an acid bath containing formal
dehyde and modiflers. The synthetic
fiber thus produced has a chemical COM
position almost identical with wool, ex-
cept for lower sulphur content.
@. Who built the first lighthouses?
&C. A.
A. The earliest lighthouses Of which
there are records were the towers built
by the Libyans and Cushites in Lower
Egypt, beacon fires being maintained in
some of them by the priests. The famous