Evening star., 1940-07-15
Hoskin's Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. Hasktn.

~ EfSUCIC q. kU6NHs
A reader can get the cnsuer to dny
question OF fact by icrtttng The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hdskin, director, Warrington,
d. c. Please trclose stamp TOR reply.
@. What is the monthly production Of
airplanes for military purposes?-R e. H.
A. At present the monthly capacity Of
airplane factories in the United States
is approximately 1900 planes.
@. Is there any bird that can fly back
wsrd?-C. D. r.
A. Hummingbircs can not only fly
backward, but are capable Of remaining
practically motionless in the air.
@. What is the origin Of the term blue
blood?-C. S.
| A. The expression originated In Spain,
where light-complexioned persons whose
veins have a blue appearance, claimed
pure descent from the Spanish stock,
without Moorish or Jewish admixture.
@. Who started the college courses in
marriage?-E. T. B.
A. DR.. Ernest Rutherford Groves OF
the University Of North Carolina insti-
tuted these courses, which are now Of
fered in many Of the leading colleges.
@. Has there ever been a case Of mu-
tiny in the United States Navy?-E. T. J.
A. In 1912 Philip Spencer son of the
Secretary of War, who was acting mid
shipman on the Somers and two others,
a seaman, were hanged for conspiring to
mutiny. The captain of the ship was
Comdr. Alexander Slidell Mackenzie.
who was much criticized for the execu-
tions. Before Spencer served on the
Somers he had bad college record and
several misdemeanors had been credited
to him. The executions aroused such a
great amount Of public sentiment that
even well-known authors, such as James
Fenimore Cooper, wrote articles about
| the affair.
G. What is meant by referring to a
person as a Pecksniff?-W NJ
A. Pecksniff is hypocrite, from the
character of that name in Dickens
Martin Chuzzlewit."
@. Please give the number Of vessels
that pass through the Canadian locks at
Sault Ste. Marie.-S. G.
A. The number in the calendar year
1899 was 1929. The total amount Of
freight carried through the locks by
these vessels was 2,776,727 tons.
@. What are the two highest sections
of Washington, D. C.?-F. H.
A. Tenleytown Reservoir, with An ele-
vation of 420 feet, is the highest point in
the District Nebraska avenue and Til
den street 400 feet) is the second
highest.
@. How long have motor-driven fire
engines been used?-A. w. S.
A. The first self-propelled fire engines
employing. an internal combustion mo-
tor (other than as a tractor) were built
about 1908. BY 1910 q considerable num-
ber Of motor fire engines were in sue
cessful service in various parts Of the
world, and in 1928 practically every
large city in the United States and many
of the large cities in Europe had dis
carded horse-drawn and steam fire en-
gines in favor Of self-propelled motor
fire engines.
@. Where was Anne Sullivan Macy
Helen Keiler's teacher, buried?-C. H. S
A. On November 2, 1896, the ashes OF
the great educator were inferred in the
Chapel of st. Joseph of Arimathea
Washington, D. G..
@. What food did soldier carry in hi,
emergency ration kit during the World
War?-W. H. j.
A. The emergency ration kit carried
by soldiers of the United States Army
contained a composition Of toasted bread
ground with dehydrated cooked meal
which could be made into a mush. II
also contained cake of chocolate, sugar
salt and seasoning; all of this waI
packed In can which could be opened
by key.
Q. Please tell me something about
Lake Ladoga-G. M. w.
A. This is the largest lake in Europe|
1000 square miles in area. It is called
Laatokka by the Firms and Ozero Lado1
zhskoye by the Russians. Though for1
merly half Finnish and half Russianl
1t is now wholly within the q. s. S. RI
1t is just northeast of Leningrad, which
is situated at the mouth Of its outlet|
the River Neva.
@. Is the temperature of ice affected
by its surroundings?-R. w. 8.
A. Ice in time assumes the temperaI
ture Of Its surroundings and II 1t is stored
In place where the temperature is, fol
instance, so degrees below zero, the ic}
will assume temperature of 60.
@. Please give brief history Of Conf
necticut's famous Charter Oak-C. D. 81
A. The Charter Oak stood in front o|
Gov. Wyllys' mansion, built in 1888 ID
Hartford, Conn. The charter Of th(
Connecticut Colony, granted by Kin }
Charles II in 1862, is supposed to hav|
been hidden in the oak by a PATROL
when Sir Edmund Andres demanded It'll
surrender in 1887, at the command OF
King James II. The charter served
1