DROWNING A QUICK DEATH.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 18, Issue 41, 21 May 1907, Page 8

DROWNING A QUICK DEATH.

Even Expert Divers Cannot Bemaln .Under Water More Than Two Minutes at a Time. j The story frequently repeated about professional divers who have been able to remain under water for over two minutes is silly, Dr. Joseph Boehm says, according to the St. Louis GlobeDemocrat. No one can remain under water that long without drowning, whether they are trained divers or not. At Navarino, where the sponge divers are reported to be able to remain under water three and four minutes, tests were made recently and resulted conclusively proving that none of them remained down longer than a minute and a half. Ninety seconds seems a long time to the watcher on shore, and it is about the limit of a diver's endurance under water. At Ceylon, where time tests were also made among the famous pearl divers, it was ascertained that few of them remained below the surface as long as a minute and other tests' made on the Red sea among the Arabs proved that a minute and a quarter was the longest they could endure without a fresh breath.

On the coast of England several years ago a diver, a trained diver, one of the best on the coast, renowned for his endurance, went down and was pulled up slowly when he gave the signal that he was under water about two minutes and five seconds. He was drawn out of the water insensible, with blood flowing" from his nose and cars, and it was only after long and arduous work that his recovery from the effects of that two minute stay under water was assured. Drowning is a quick death. Even though the water is kept out of the lungs, insensibility will ensue in one minute, and complete unconsciousness in two. The stories of people who have been in the water five minutes being resuscitated are generally mistakes' or untrue. A man could not be in the water Ave minutes without coming to the surface several times, and be restored to life.

HORSE SAVES TWO LIVES.

Another Grade Crossing Disaster Is Averted \>y Animal Intelligence —Gatekeeper Was Asleep. A Maiden physician had an adventure Bome time ago which he does not care to repeat, although it gave him a much higher appreciation of the intelligence of his pet driving hor&o than he had previously entertained, says the Boston Transcript. He was- returning home from visiting a patient late at night, in company with a clergyman, when the horse stopped short at one of the most dangerous grade crossings within the city's limits. Absorbed in lively conversation with the clerical friend, and seeing no gate down, he mechanically touched the horse with the whip and urged it by his voice to go forward, but the spirited animal for once would not respond, and, instead of obeying, stepped briskly aside and turned his head as far as possible from the train which just then whizzed by at the rate of 40 miles an hour. It was a close call for the occupants of the carriage, who sat breathless through the moments of terrible suspense, but the horse maintained its attitude of a half circle until the danger was passed. It seems that the gatekeeper was asleep at his post, and had neglected his duty, but the delicate ears of the horse had detected the sound of the coming train and had rightly interpreted it as the signal of a danger to be avoided. Both men were firmly convinced that they owed their lives, under Providence, to the intelligent use the animal made of its former experiences with grade crossings, and nothing but a farm "down east" with a radium mine on it would now tempt its owner to part with it.

PERIL IN ELECTRIC WIRES.

Fires Are Frequently Caused 6y Badly Protected Conductors—• Cases in Montreal Cited. It was claimed at one time that the substitution of electricity for gas and petroleum in lighting would result in a lessening of the danger from fire. But a recent report issued by the Montreal five and light committee tends to show that the danger has been increased rather than diminished by the change, says the Toronto Globe. The report gives x record of 150 fires due to electric currents during the last three months of 1903, with an aggregate loss of $1,500,000. When classed according to causes the list shows that 22 fires were due to the contact of telephone, telegraph and other low potential wires with electric light and other high tension circuits. Wires grounded on gas pipes were responsible for 19 fires. Eleven fires were cue to the defective wiring of gas fixtures, five to the puncturing of gas pipes l;y the currents of flexible cords wrapped ;iround them, three to short circuits in moldings, three to open link fuses in porcelain cut out bases, 15 to overheated resistance coils and heating devices and nine to incandescent lamps coming in contact with inflammable material. In (lie same report 135 fires are recorded In which electricity was supected of being the cause, but in which all material evidences of origin were destroyed.

Language of Animals. Prof. Garner proved to his satisfaction that monkeys talk. A French savant reports that he has translated the vernacular of cats. Now we shall hear both the words and the music of back-yard concerts. "Aelio" means that pussy is hungry; "aliloo" that, she is thirsty; "lae" that she wants some milk. "Bl" means red meat; "bleeme-b," cooked meat; "ptlee-b," mice, and so on. It is evidently a Persian or a sacred Egyptian catwhich the professor heard. Any good'. American cat says "miaow" and "p-rrr/ and has no respect for grammar. ~ Lj

ABOUt THE INC& OITpERU.

Witt and Ju/it Civic Administration Diwouraged Crime Among the People. Spanish first invaded Peru the government of the Incas '< was in a flourishing condition there. It is said to haye been the most enlightened despotism that ever existed and about the nearest approach to a Utopia that has yet been reached by any people. There was allotted to each man free of charge a dwelling site and extended area of land for him to cultivate for the maintenance of his family. The surplus of products from this tract, left over from the immediate needs of the owner, was given as a tribute to the Inca government and used for religious,, charitable and other purposes at the sovereign city of Cuzco. Under the wise and just civic administration crime and publio corruption and theft were not known. In Cuzco a resident with 100 bars of silver and gold piled up in his house left-it wide open, only placing a small stick across as a sign that the master was out—and nobody went in. All the tribe was divided into numerous clans. The powers of administration were centered in the elective dignitaries, a military leader and the head of the religious system. There was also a council of chiefs. None of these offices was hereditary and they could not be occupied by sons unless they were specially chosen for the position. The succession of the chief Inoa did not fall upon the shoulders of his child. This was due to the clan organization, whioh governed the affairs of state. Inheritance was by motherright. A 1 man could not marry a woman of his own clan, but had to select one from another. This was the main unit for holding the tribe together. Woman had no voice in the publio affairs of the tribe, but ruled supreme in the home. She was admitted to esoteric societies, of whioh there were many. Women also practioed healing and beoame priestesses.

Hffeots of Right-Eyedn©o9, The majority of men and women, according to Dr. George M. Gould, are not only right-handed, but right-eyed; that is, the right eye sees better than the left. From this flow some curious results. For instance, right-eyed-ness explains why, in the development of violin-playing, the difficult and rapid fingering was allotted to the less expert left hand, while the easy bowing fell to the dextrous right hand. The reason, as Dr. Gould thinks, is beoause the ordinary position of the violin is su.ch that the right eye most readily sees the motions and positions of the fingers on the strings. In a similar way the right eye compels the more awkward left hand to direot the gun barrel, while the right has simply iv hold the trigger. In chopping, the weaker left arm has to direct and enforce the blow, while the stronger right plays a subordinate part for the convenience of the right eye.--.Soi-enoo. ■,

to. Korean Society, Oood society in Korea has many ourious customs. One of these is that widows must not remarry. No widow in the really "smart set" would ever dream of remarrying, however young she may be or however soon the death of her husband may have followed her wedding. Married life in Korea is by no means an unmixed blessing to the woman, so perhaps perpetual widowhood might not be objectionable if it were not for the necessity of perpetually wearing mourning for the departed. This means that during the whole of her life she is limited to blue, black and- green as oolors for hep costumes*

Japanese Christians, Some of the prominent men of 'Japan are Christians. To this creed belong one member of the imperial cabinet, twojudges of the supreme oourt, two presidents" of the lower house of parliament, three vice ministers of state. In the present parliament the president and 13 members In a total membership of 300 are Christians. In the army there are 145 Christian officers, or about three per cent, of all, and the two largest battleships are commanded by Christians, In Tokio three of the daily papers have Christian editors.—Argonaut. « '•■