NEWS BY MAIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11323, 29 September 1930, Page 2

NEWS BY MAIL.

iAf HUNDRED .YEARS’ - TASK

One of the most;'amazing cures for insomnia is. that discovered, by Air. Rerc'ivftl' Boydi "Hp .is a member hf tlie Society, .of. Genealogists, and finding xorfie time ago that he icoiild-not sleep lie embarked upon the task of compiling a complete index . of- tlioi marfiageA that I'oolc "place 'ip England and 'Wales ’ between 1538/ami 1837.. ~ Mr Bbykl hats'already compiled: a list of" 1,400,000, ;ih 139 volumes.' .Sp good is the index Ib)d: the record of. any marriage, can be found in five minutes. Thousands., of records' have had to bo examined-;'some exceedingly difficult' to ' rend, owing to their great ago/ Letters and slips containing information arrive- daily. H is calculnterl by Afr: Bovd. . that at. -.the present rate of progress the work will take "a hundred .years to complete. Tic ca'npdt J get.. ,oii any faster ..because his 'task makes him so. sleepy. lie has’found hjs cure.

A 5000 TEC. .EXHIBITION For the last ,35 years , the British School of Archaeology in Egypt have held din ring J uly an exhibition of Flinders Petrie’s researches. This yeur’.s exhibition, which was shown in University College, Gower street, contained; some interesting exhibits, which -threw light upon the- ancient history of Palestine.. Three periods were represented 5000 B. C., 2300 B.C. ancl 1300 B.C. From all these periods many objects were displayed. The earliest period was illustrated mainly by stratified) remains, • and there were interesting clog totems of some pre-histori-e • tribe. .From the middle, period there were scarabs, toggle-pins ancl pottery, and tho latest; period- was represented by' jewellery, weapons ' and domestic objects dating.from a period before the Exodus. . AIIS HAP WITH PARACHUTE Attracted to Atlantic City, tlie famous American .pleasure resort, by the announcement that IlaFvey Powers, widely known as “the human cannon ball,” would be shot from a gun in an aeroplane aitd descend by means of m parachute, a crowd of many thousands' witnessed a thrilling tragedy. The stunt was fixed for the evening, and a Arts'll from the aeroplane showed that the gun had been fired. Searchlights played on the machine, ancl spectators realised to their ’horror)' that the parachute would not open, and. that Powers was swiftly, falling 1500 ft; to his doom. When only about 50ft. above the sea • the pafftchutfe fluttered slightly blit; the performer was clashed into the water with terrific force and instantly killed. WONDERFUL; SEARCHLIGHT A giant seacliliglit, with a beam claimed to be more .powerful than that of the sun, is being-installed on tlie roof of an American sky-scraper. It has'b'een named "Lindbergh Light,” in honour of the famous Atlantic airman.

This colossal- beacon is really a wheel of light, its beam sweeping round in a- circle 1000 miles' in diameter. On clear nights its 2,000,000,000 candle-power ray will , reach 500 miles, ancl in revolving will light up objects in T2 different States.

FLYING THUNDERBOLTS ' British railway 'officials say that the average speed of British < trains is far higher than those of other countries. Britain holds the fastest lap' record in the world, from Swindon to Paddington—over 77 miles in 70minutes—whicli averages more than'; GOmileS' an hour. The- world’s fast-' e'st record 'is also held by tliis rail-,' way, and was made as long ago nsc 1904. when the mails were -brought from Plymouth -to Paddington at anaverage speed of 71 miles, an hour. l At. one point on- this run the speed of 102 mies-niv'hour was reached. British trains are also . more pane.---tun) than any others in the world. Statistleans show Lhnt of the 10. GOO L.ALS. trains running daily. 95 per cent, are punctual, or not more than five minutes late. Local trains are 97 per cent, to time. Expresses are seldom late. As much as 35 minutes are made- tip 'em a long run. Only fogs or floods'dot ain them. The. L.N. E.R.. on its eastern, section during. Aln.v ran GG,200 trains, and 9S per por cent. 1 were- not more than five minutes late.

‘•BABY" AEROPLANES FOR £2oo'. The “Super Parasol" monoplane, a miniature aeroplane, but foolproof,' ancßn speeder, is Io lie distributed by.- mail order, and,' over the counter. It.is manufactured by the.Heat)i Airplane Company of Chicago, and Soars. •Roebuck,.and Co.’s experts, who have tested if. in a thousand ways, are so' well satisfied with it that, they, will offer il; lo' their millions of customers. "Flivver of the Air’’ is what it is called,, and -the price, is less than £2OO The new departure in' ’plane salesand the low. price .of the craft (says the New York '‘World”) lire taken as indications, heralding the arrival of a new ‘‘air era,” when sky traffic will be heavier than the jostle of flivvers on.the highway.. Experiments are being made in the construction of at parachute to cov’ef the jentire .’plane, and pilot. In a crash tho parasol can be extended over the wings, engine, ancl fuselage, and it will allow tlie ’plane to glide down and settle softly. •’ '<• -' .’

BORROWED BREVITIES . v/ Gramaphone records that fold, up when not wanted have been invented. The trouble it that they will iiot unfold when they arc wanted. ' ' Scientists have discovered that butterflies recogniste one another at a distance' of 6ft. to Bft;. A possible explanation is, that butterflies don’t owe one another money. Razor blades, we read, are now being , sold, in restuarants.. Next thing you know they’ll "be serving shaving cream .with the strawberries.' An American visitor says that there are no papers ip the, world 'which give sucli' full ~details, of . events as London papers. Even ;in' a report of the wed? ding, of .an( actress-mention is invariably inade. ;6f the. bridegroom.; •' “The',so-called' ‘baby’ car is extremely useful .‘in . many' ways,” ive reach. A couple,oL..tEeih,,..’fpr,.e,xamplo, would mako' admirable book ends. ' . According to' Dorothy Dix, “no knowledge we ever acquire is l so' important as a knowledge "of what to say and' hoife -to- say’ it.” . Except, perhaps, a knowledge of what "not to say and..iyhen not/ to say it. •; :! It ' used' to'' be - h'ar'cl to' find a needle in a haystack, and ' now its ’ just as hard to-’find one in a woman’shand'. It’s easy to identify , the owner of the cai“. He"-is tlie’ drie who, after you have shut the door, opens it and slams' it' harder. ••' • . . Several scientists, on' being consulted : ljy' a : “daily papeK have-explained that the blueness of the sea is diie to reflocJ-.iQn. oI ..thq ,sky.. They .reject tho theory/jßat- i't'- is l '"caiiSed by the dye of pheap batltjixijjf. costumes. ' Tbjn "fcrend in' brbiyded cities, says a motor expert; .must bo toward smalt leE cai)S- ;jlian ’ahy-;kb'('far f produced/ trying '■'to ; 'yisualis i e, the pedestriq.ll vof the fiiture; knee-deep in “baby Austins'” arid “Horrid Minors An oyster 1 weighing overrHlb)' is reported from America. This takes some swallowing, "rt