Evening star., 1940-03-01
Answers
To Questions
By frederic J. Haskt,,.

A redder cdn pet the ansper to drv
question OF fact By tcrtttn0 The Eve.
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred.
eric J. Haskin, director, WASHINGTON.
D. c. Please tnclose stamp for yeplp.
Q. How many men are required to
clean the snow from the streets Of New
York City2-K. H.
A. After . recent snowfall the CITY
employed $500 extra men in addition
to the regular cleaning force Of 1880.
Q. Please give the size Of the crew on
the Leviathan ut the time she carried
the record number Of soldiers to Europe,
e. H.
A. When the Leviathan carried her
record breaking contingent Of 1,470 SOL
diers in August. 1918, she carried officers
and crew to the number Of 2,078.
G. Does the brain shrink in old age?-
M. s.
A. The brain attains full weight at
IS to 18 years except In unusual cases.
1t remains approximately the same until
USoAV w SSoAo Va d6C, WllCkl IL USklIlS 10
decrease In weight. At 80 about 8 per
cent of the weight has been lost.
@. What musicians will be honored
on United States postage stamps?-
w. r.
A. TAe musicians who will be COM
memorated in the Famous Americans
series are Stephen Collins Foster, John
Philip Sousa, Victor Herbert, Edward
MacDowell and Ethelbert Nevin.
@. Did Switzerland ever have a navy?
r. M.
A. Owing to its inland position Switz-
erland has never had navy. Yet a
Swiss admiral did once exist, an Eng
lishman named Col. Williams, who in
1899 was in the service of the Zurich
government and commanded a small
fleet on Lake Zurich, with which he was
ordered to oppose the French Army.
When the latter, under Massena, routed
the Austrians and Russians, Williams
calmly watched the battle from the
lake. Then, enraged at his own in
action, he discharged his crews, scuttled
his vessels and took to fight.
@. What is the derivation of the word
ounce?-K. G.
A. The word ounce is derived from
uncia, meaning a twelfth of a pound
and twelfth of a foot.
@. How large are the Fiji Islands?-
C.. M. B.
A. There are from 200 to $50 Fiji
Islands, with an area of 1903 square
miles, and population of 2o5, ,397.
O. What is the other name for the
Siegfried Line?-W. w. M.
A. The name was changed to Lines
Germanicus by Hitler.
@. Why is 1t colder in a valley than
on hill?-W. T.
A. The United States Weather Bureau
says: THE temperature of the air in
valleys at night sometimes decreases be-
low that at high levels, due to the
existence of conditions which favor the
cooling of the air at the higher levels.
The air so cooled, has greater density
than the surrounding air, and so flows
downhill toward the valley. II the cool
ing is sufficient at the high levels. and
If the cooling process continues during
the descent, the air will reach the floor
of the valley. The factors entering into
the conditions favoring cooling at the
high levels are many, but two principal
ones are calm weather and clear skies"
| @. Was Socrates married?-H. T. M.
A. According to "The Greek Common
wealth." by Alfred Zimmern. Socrates
had two wives. Myrto and Xantippe.
O.. When did Henry Ward Beecher
| preach his last sermon?-N. F. B.
A. The last sermon preached by the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was delivered
on Sunday, February 27, 1887, in Plym-
| outh Church in Brooklyn.
@. Who is the crochet champion of
the United States?-R. S. T.
A. Mrs. E. N Noble of Minneapolis,
| Mimi, was named national crochet
champion on November 81, 1899, in New
York City after a banquet cloth on
which she had worked was adjudged the
| finest piece of handicraft in the contest.
Mrs. Mobiles prize-winning flet cloth
took $500 hours to complete. It was
done entirely in one piece, in q Renai5-
sance pattern, out of size 100 mercerized
crochet cotton, and measured 10 by 6%
feet.
@. What methods can be used to make
a baby try to waikiki. B.
A. Child specialists say that an infant
should not be encouraged. to stand or
begin walking until he makes his own
efforts.
@. Where is the Greek monastic repub-
| lic?-S. T. H.
A. The rocky promontory of Mount
Athos u21 square miles, is occupied by
20 monasteries of the Greek Orthodox
Church. The monks number 1900.
No women are allowed to enter the ter
ritory. which has been granted a con.
stitution by the Greek, government, re-
| ceiving autonomous powers as monastic
republic under Greek sovereignty, but
with an appointed Greek governor.
@. What is the real name of stepin
Fetchit?-C. v. G.
A. The motion picture actors name is
Lincoln Theodore Perry.