Miscellaneous.

Lake County Press, Issue 2391, 31 August 1911, Page 7

Miscellaneous.

Champagne contains much loss alcohol, in proportion, than port, sherry, or .Madeira. African cat-lish have the power of discharging an electric shock sufficiently powerful to disable a man. In Persia the dough for making i bread is rolled out as thin as a pancake, and as long as an ordinary towel. Canada has lost .£9,400,000 by tire in the last two years, according to an American consular report. In the village of Wakhwil, .Switzerland, out of a population of 1044 no fewer than 508 persons possess the name of Hurlimann. In a garden restaurant in Berlin the waiters actually serve the patrons on roller skates. The distance between tile tables and the source of the food and drink supply is considerable, but, shod in this manner, the waiters practically constitute a quick service brigade. Ash leaves are capable of taking up more water than those of most other trees. In 100 lb. of ash leaves are 85 lb. of water; in those of beech 75 lb., of maple Co lb., of pine 14 lb., and of lir 10 lb. RESTORE FORESTS AND PREVENT EARTHQUAKES. To prevent earthquakes seems to be the most surprising of the many reasons for restoring - imests. It is suggested that in such In alitics as -Messina and Southern Italy, cutting away the forests has loosened tire soil, and this may have given rise to earth faults, and added to the earthquake disturbances or their effects. If this theory is correct, of course, replanting the trees should again bind the loose material with roots, giving the surface its old-time greater stability.

THE FLOWING OF METALS. It is perhaps not generally known that one ol the most important properties of metals employed in striking coins and medals, and stamping and shaping articles of jewellery, is that of (lowing under pressure. Standard silver is remarkable for this property, which precisely resembles the flowing of a viscous fluid. The flow-takes place when the metal is subjected to rolling, stamping, or hammering, and .the particles of the metal are thus carried into the sunken parts of the die without fracturing, and a perfect impression ; s produced. ST!LL IN THE STONE ACE. That a Stone Age industry still continues in our highlv civilised country was lately brought' to notice by the deatli of a flint worker at Brandon, .Norfolk. Flint-knapping is a hereditary occupation, and though made unhealthy from the stone particles entering the lungs, it is Britain's most ancient industry, having been established at least 10,000 years. The flint knives, axes, and hammers of prehistoric days, have been superseded by metal weapons. In parts of [taly and Spain, however, flints are still used for striking a light, and flint-lock guns continue to be in demand in the wild regions of Africa. The troops in the South African war were supplied with 17,000 tinder boxes, containing Brandon Hints. VEGETABLE UMBRELLAS. 'l'he umbrella-producing plant grows on she liank of the Mississipi, near its source. When full-grown it resembles an umbrella so much that at a distance a number of them look like a picnic party caught in a. shower, or a continuous row 0!' anglers, with their umbrellas up, waiting lor a bite. The plant grows perpendicularly, and, when about four and a half feet high, shoots out an immense leaf, which laps over, much in the shape of a large Japanese umbrella. 'these grow so hard and brittle that when a terrific storm comes on the natives cluster under them to seek shelter from the rain. They also act as sunshades on scorching hot days.

MISERIES OF THE RED SEA. In tlic waters of tli." Red Sea the cassation ol' the engines on a steamer tor an hour means extreme physical suffering for passengers : for a day it would involve absolute torture. The wind which prevails every day is a ''jt, asphyxiating Mast, and its continuous directions are from north and south towards the centre. As a result, every passing vessel is subjected to two days of almost intolerable heat, followed by two days of comparatho comfort; but instances have it'en know n of crowded liners being •ompolled, when travelling with the wind, to turn round and steam back for an hour or so, in order to give the passengers even a brief respite from the sufferings induced by the dull, dead, ii nbearable at mosphere. MAKING ARTIFICIAL EYES. Most of the artificial eyes in use all iver the world have been manufactured n Thuringia, where a large number of lie houses are factories on a small cale. In many cases, lour men sit 'i a table, each with a gas jet before , dm, and the eves are blown from , dates and moulded into shape by hand. I lie colours are traced in with small lei dies, and, as no set rule is nhserv- ] d in the colouring, no two eyes are , ■saetly a like. Sometimes a man or foinan having (ravelled perhaps a , treat distance—poses for a glass orb. he artisan, with his gas jet, his ejass -j ■.id his needl \ looks up at his sitter ,; ml then down at his work, the scene ] trough resembling a portrait paint- I | r\s studio. j t I ' Ei!CYCLE TROTTING SULKY. ' In order to make a sulky that will be j :I er\ light, and one in which the weight .- I the driver will be entirely removed ! •' urn the shafts, an American inventor v a-, adopted a bicycle design. The two j t heels of the sulkv are mounted in , 1 ! i

1 tandem, and are supported in a frame of the bicycle type, which not only very light, but is also very strong. The shafts of the sulky are connected to their steering post of the front wheel of the bicycle, so that the wheel will follow the horse around curves and sharp turns. The tractive effort required with a vehicle of this sort will bo practically negligible.

NEW NOAH'S ARK STORY. Carl Lumholtz, the well known explorer, has visited and reported on a wonderful and almost practically unknown tribe of Indians in Mexico. He found among them a remarkable legend, a new version of Noah’s Ark and tho Flood. This new interpretation of the deluge is not in keeping with the biblical narrative. According to it, tho Ark never rested on Arrarat at all, also Noah was not a Jew, and his name was not Noah. He was a Huichol Indian, and his stor vis part of the Huichol family history. His ark rested on one of tho mountain tops of Central Mexico, and the flood was not merely a forty day affair, but lasted five years. The Huiehols are a hermit people. Mr. Lumholtz believes he is the first white man, certainly the first scientist, to penetrate and to live some time in their territory. There are some 4,000 of them, and they live in an almost inaccessible canyon or narrow defile in the Sierra Madre Mountains in the State of Jalisco. C jn3Msi»ia«aj-i»in—P«irT——!■■■