GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19915, 7 April 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

AN ALL-ELECTRIB VILLAGE. Llanmvchllya, near Bala, claims that is is the most up-to-date village in Wales, for it is run entirely by electricity. Power is provided at per unit. Every cottage is provided with electric light, electric cookers, electrical laboursaving devices, and the village carpenters and builders use electric saws and planes. Tho power-station is in a small wooden tut on the mountain-side. WHERE CRUSOE RO/iMED. A recent survey of Juan Fernandez Island, en which Alexander Selkirk, the reputud original of Robinson Crusoe, lived for four years, showed the island to Le on a of the most fruitful spots in South Amer ca. Every imaginable plant seems to grow on the island. One Frenchman was shipwrecked 011 the island forty years ago. He likes it so much that ho refuses to leave. LAST YEAR'S BIG FISH. Sea-anglers' captures in Britain during 3927 included a number of fine fish. One skate landed at Hastings weighed 124£1b. A 501b. soz. tope —a fish which belongs to the shark family—was caught at Heme Bay Eastbourne waters yielded a 471b. conger, and at Brighton a 221b lOoz. cod was secured. A monkfish of regarded an angler at Weymouth. A Spanish mackerel of 251b. was landed at Coverack. A CRAB'S EMOTIONS. How emotions bring about unusual activity in animals was demonstrated recently. It was shown that a crab fettered by one claw and left with food just oul. of reach will resignedly starve to death. But put a polyp, the crab's most deadly enomv, nearby, and the prisoner crab will bo convulsed with fear. Excitement racing through its nerves will send a violent shock to the tied claw, and the claw will come off, so that the crab can scuttle off to safety. SPREADING THE SCOUT SPIRIT. There are now 340,000 Boy Scouts and 430,000 Girl Guides in Great Britain. Tho way in which tho Scout movement lias " caught on" is one of tho miracles of modern times. Although the movement has not yet attained its majority—it celebrates its coming-of-age at a great jamboree in tho North of England next year—there are now 1,711,643 Scouts in training in fortytwo different countries. The number in the British Ernpiro is 582,223. In India alone there are over 104,000 Scouts. BEES AS WEATHER PROPHETS. As forecasters of the weather, bees never make mistakes. They know what the weather for the day will be without consulting the direction of the wind or markings of the barometer. If there is going to be rain they will not go to work, 110 matter how much the sun may shine in the morning, arid if the weather is going to bo fair, tho thickest clouds do. not. keep them at home. If on a summer morning bees are going out and coming in as usual, one can con elude the day will be fine. If they are loitering about at their hives as if they intended taking a day's holiday, they know there is going to be rain. Sometimes tbey will be seen rushing homeward as if in a hurry, but none will be noticed flying away to the fields. When Ibis happens a storm is threatening.

A MUCH-TRAVELLED BOTTLE, Twenty years ago, Mr. James Thomson, a Dundalk dentist, while cruising in the Mediterranean, threw a bottle overboard. The bottle contained his business card, with a note offering to make a set of false teeth for tho finder. Mr. Thomson recently received a letter from George Christian, Cooilsheelagh, Isle of Man, stating that the bottle, covered with seaweed and barnacles, had been found by him off the Manx coast. The bottle appears to have travelled between 1000 and 2000 miles. DUELLING WITH CARDS. Pistols have given way to cards in tho settlement of "affairs of honour" in Czecho-Slovakia, judging by the method adopted by a business man at Bruenn, near Prague, to avenge an insult. An engineer in tho town is said to have given offence to the business man, who challenged him to a duel. " Why not settle the affair at cards ? " another man suggested. Tho men agreed, and sat down at tho card-table to play for a stake of £ISOO. The business man won. A MECHANICAL CHESS PLAYER. An amazing " mechanical man" that clays chess and automatically responds to tho moves made by its human opponent has been invented by a Spanish mathematician Almost human in its actions the machine man, it is asserted, can even detect an opponent if he attempts to cheat, for it stops working as though disgusted with tho player. Although this automaton cannot play a full game of chess, it works perfectly with half the usual number of chessman on the board. BUSIEST SPOT IN LONDON. A twelve-hours' enumeration of vehicles passing different points in London on a fine July day shows that traffic is heaviest at Hyde Park corner. This is one of the many interesting facts that emerge from a . bewildering accumulation of statistical data compiled by the London County Council. A total of 55,441 vehicles passed Hyde Park corner on the day chosen for the traffic census. Trafalgar Square and Marble Arch came next on the list, and Piccadilly Circus was fourth with a total of 39,476. CORNWALL'S CONCRETE TUNNEL. About 150 Cornish miners have been employed during the last two and a half years in constructing a concrete tunnel that is to form part of tho Camborne drainage system, considered to bo one of the finest drainage undertakings in England. Ten and a-half miles of pipes have been necessary to convey sewage to the sea, and tho tunnel, that runs through tho cliff for 1033yd5., is 7ft. high and sft. wide. Three thousand tons of concrete were required for lining the sides, and eighty-three thousand concrete blocks for tho roof. A NEW GAS GUN. After many years of experiment a Danish engineer, M. Arnold Christensen, has devised a machine which, experts think, will be the most effective defence against aerial raids that has ever been invented. It takes the form of a gun which shoots into the air large masses of cas that render tho occupants of any attacking aeroplane or airship unconscious. Tests are shortly to be made by a special gas committee of tho Danish Gen-' eral Staff, and if, as is expected, they prove satisfactory, the British Government may consider the question of acquiring participating rights in the invention.

TREASURE IN LONDON'S TOWER. It is not generally known that there is buried treasure tucked away in the heart of London. It sounds incredible, but there is supposed to be such a " find" awaiting discovery—the amount has been estimated as £so,ooo—in the Tower of London. There is an old tradition that John Barkestead, a former lieutenant of tho Tower, buried this somewhere in the fortress.

Excavations have been made in search of the treasure, but without success, and although the story has been revived by the restoration of the Byward Tower, which is now in progress, tho search is not likely to-be renewed at present.

GERMAN WOMAN CENTENARIAN. There is a German widow dwelling in Cologuo in a fifth-lloor flat who recently completed her 100 th year of lifo. Tho century of stairs troubles her no more than her century of years, the only thing which keeps her at liomo being inclement weather, and then only under constraint.

Otherwise the old lady goes off gaily to her daily hobby, pursued at a daughter's home, of mending the family socks and stockings, and when the laimties of her six children have no stockings to mend she cheerluily tackles any that neighbours care to send along. She reads witnout glasses and is extremely activo.

ORIGIN OF THE POSTCARD. The postcard, it is stated, originated in Austria, wnere its introduction was the idea of Dr. Emanuel Hermann, a Prolessor of Economics at the Military Academy at Vienna, who drew attention to tiie saving in tune and labour such a feature, a single card for brief correspondence, would prove to the community. The suggestion was adopted by the Austrian postal authorities, and the first " (Jorrespondenz-Karte " was issued by them 011 October 1, 1«69, at once proving immensely popular with tho public. There has recently been a proposal ill V lenna to erect a statue to Dr. Hermann in appreciation of the great public service he rendered in introducing tho postcard idea.

MEDALS OP LIFEBOAT SERVICE. Three of tho gold medals of tho Royal National Lifeboat Institution—one of tho most coveted distinctions in tho worldhave just been awarded for heroism ill connection with rescuo work in Britain during the gales of October and November last year.

Two of the medals havo gone to tho crew of the Moelfro, Anglesey, lifeboat, and the third to Coxwam J3logg, of tho Cromer boat, who thus wins tho honour for tho second time. He is the only man now living who has won the " Lifeboat V.C." twice. The last similar instance occurred in 1840. It is very rarely that the gold medal of the institution is awarded —no others havo been given since 1922.

I.ORD NELSON'S " PILL-BOX." In future, when turbulence reigns in Trafalgar Square—that storm-centre beloved of loather-lunged agitators —the storms provoked by unbridled oratory will be serenely surveyed and controlled by a police inspector securely ensconced in an impregnable watch-tower.

Liko the "pill-boxes" of the Ypres Salient, , this new landmark 'neath the Molson Monument will bo a buttress against which the shock troops of disorder will expend their fury* in vain. It has been erected on the east side, and is built in the form of a large kiosk. Its walls are of 6im stone, pierced by narrow observation slits. The door ,is of thick iron, and a powerful arc lamp is perched on top. Secure in this fortress the inspector in charge will have a complete view of the field of disturbance even by _ night. A private wire to headquarters will enable him to get reinforcements on the - move within a few seconds. A

ONE-MAN SHORTHAND SYSTEM. A London painter and decorator has evolved a system of shorthand adequate for his business and other needs, and which only he can understand. Being unable to read or write, he has formed this system during tho last five years, and now he can make notes reg&i'ding estimates where before he had to rely on his memory.

Schoolmasters gave up the task of trying to teach the man to read or write, and even after six months' special tuition, when he was 30 years of age, he was just as hopeless. Other members of his family have a similar inability. I" appearance his shorthand is similar to any other system. 'Ho signs cheques by copying a signature made by his wife.

AMERICAN TUNNEL TRIUMPH. A new tunnel constructed under the Hudson River in New York has a ventilation system that keeps it entirely fiee from smoke. r ihis despite the fact that there is a steep up-gradient at both ends which causes cars to leave behind a larger amount of poisonous gases than usual. The tunnel is a mile and threequarters long and is intended for motor traffic only. On its opening day over 00, 000 cars went through its two separate sections for cars going different ways.

The gases are removed by a system, by which air is blown in at the sides of the roadway and extracted through grids in tho roof by ordinary fans driven by electricity. The vertical draught thus formed is therefore constant and practically independent of air currents that may 'bo caused by cars.

RELICS OF ANCIENT ROME. Galleys of Imperial Rome that once belonged to Emperor Caligula, and which for 1900 years have lain beneath the waters of Lake Nemi, in the Alban Hills, are to be raised. Signor Mussolini has signed a contract with five firms which offered to do the work free of charge as " homage to the Duce."

The operations include tho lowering of the level of the lake about 20ft. This will be done by transferring the water to Lako Albano, by means of powerful pumps, through a tunnel built at the time of the Roman Republic. It is hoped to complete the installation of all tho machines for the pumping in about three months.

The lovel of the lako will be lowered 39in. every month, and it is expected that operations will bo completed before tho end of the summer. The work will bo carried out in the presence and under tho control of experts appointed by tho Government. Lako Neuii, 20 miles from Rome, .was a favourite pleasure resort of tho early Roman emperors.

VALUES OF EARS AND EYES. Few people have the same view on the monetary value of an ear, and not many, I think, would sacrifice one for £BOO, as a Chicago woman is reported to be doing, writes a correspondent in an English paper. Judge Cluer. a, short time ago declared that a finger was worth more than £SO, while the value of a nose was assessed at £450 in an action at Toronto.

The human eye has been rated as the most valuable part of tho body, no less than £50,000 being awarded an American doctor who lost tho sight of one •of his eyes in an accident. A smilo equals £l2O in the eyes .of, tho law. At least this was the sum secured by a Paris mannequin who in a street accident lost her ability to look pleasant, and claimed £2500.

An American dancer was given £SOOO for the loss of a leg, but many .famous dancers have insured their limbs for much higher amounts than that. Nothing varies more than the values put on the human frame as a whole. A wife's worth Jias been put at-2s 6d by-one judge and £IO,OOO by another. The value of a husband to his wife was in one case put at snch a meagre amount as threepence.