MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2939, 18 February 1899, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Attention is beinfc directed at Queenscliffe (Victoria), to the value of seaweed as a manure, and Mr Sternberg, M.L.G., intends, m conjunction with Mr Levien, M.L.A., bringing the matter under the notice oi the Minister of Agriculture, with a view to practical action being taken for the utilisation of the weed. Local experiments with the latter conclusively prove that it is a rich manure unequalled for the production of vegetables and other crops, whilst on the other hand its presence on the seashore is very much of a nuisance to residents and visitors. Spread upon* the tilled land and plqughed m, or burnt to an ash, and then used as a dressing, the weed is of great value. Extreme care is manifest m the manufacture of the inner tubes of Dunlop tyres. , Previous to vulcanisation the pure para rubber is placed upon a table m strips, the size of the tubes. They are then wrapped round lathif, and another strip is placed outside where the two edges of the strips touch each other. These are pressed down to produce a perfect join. A specially designed tool is then used which not only exactly gauges the size, but makes the tubes assume a circular shape, a great feature of the Dun lop tyre, which prevents their puckering and becoming detorted when placed on the rim. They then undergo the process of vulcanisation, by being hung up on long racks and placed m a large vulcaniser, from which they finally emerge a beautiful tube, full of elasticity and " life." The Morning Herald records the arrival m Sydney of a couple of creatures representing one of the seven wonders of the Southern Hemisphere, m fact, of the world, a pair of fish which possess the unusual appendage of "lungs." This fish is called ceratodus, or the Burnett salmon, being an inhabitant of the Burnett river, Queensland. It was discovered many years ago by a resident of Gayndah. This gentleman, whilst fishing on one occasion, noticed that a certain fish came to the surface periodically, and seeing that it was a regular habit he determined to know the reason why, and so he set himself to watch. After patient waiting he noticed that the fish came up to breathe. His curiosity was now fairly fired, and he determined to catch one. The ceratodus, however, is shy, and not to be caught with chaff, but after numerous and futile experiments, he discovered its particular fancy for a certain weed which grows on the banks, and at last his patience was rewarded by a bite, and the coy creature was landed. Yes, there was a healthy pair of lungs. He landed several pairs of the fish. Scientists, much interested, caught on and wrote for particulars, with the result that pairs were sent to England and Germany, and realised large sums. An important advance m electric lighting of railway trains has come, under our notice. At least one American railroad company— the Santa Fe— is said to have made arrangements to light all the care of He limited, trains,

rnnning between Chicago and Lob Angeles, a distance of 2209 miles, with electricity generated from the car axles. The electric equipment of each train will aggregate 492o caudle-power. All berths will be provided with berth lights, and this will probably be the flret train m the world carrying such a large supply of light service exclusively from the ear axles. It is the intention also to light the locomotive head-light from the same service, thus making these trains solid axle-light trains throughout. The steamer Taiyuan, from China (says the Sydney Morning Herald of 27th ult.), brings news of a desperate piratical attack at Hanoi, m which five men were killed and six were wounded. The pirates attacked the town of Hanoi on the night of the sth ult. They comprised a band of Arihamite robbers and pirates, and came across from On the road they killed a postal delivery coolie to prevent him carrying the news of their approach ahead. Several smaller villages were attacked and pillaged. In Hanoi, which is a considerable place, they were confronted by native and foreign forces before any very serious damage was done, though four persons were killed and six others wounded during the conflict. The band numbered about 300 armed men. The French colonial authorities at Tonkin are blamed for not takinK precautions to arrest the desperados before they reached Hanoi. References to violent and turbulent scenes m the Hungarian Diet have of lat»» been frequent m our European cables, and it will be remembered that a duel was recently said to have been fought between the Premier, Baron Bttnffy, and Dt Horansky, the Leader of the National Party. The Vienna correspondent of the London Daily Mail telegraphing on January 3rd says: — " The duel was a ludicrous affair, the. seconds had arranged a fight to the death at twenty paces. Dr Horansky, however, when he faced his opponent, was agitated beyond all control, and & >ron Binfly w»b hardly more comfortable Each discharged four shots, but all so wide of the mark that the bullets were found lodged m the roof or high walls of the riding school where the encounter took place. The duellists finally left the building, scowling fiercely at each other." A wonderful discovery, which will have great interest for students of the history and remains of ancient Rome, was made m the extensive excavations which ciignor Baccelli, Minister of Public Instruction, a passionate lover of the antiquities of Italy, is conducting m the Koman Forum. To the east of the Roctra Julia, about the middle of the Forum, was found (says a Daily News telegram), the celebrated Niger Lapis viz. the black stone marking the spot so famous m the legends surrounding the earliest history of the Eternal City where Romulus should have been buried. It will be remembered, however, that he was translated, becoming a god, and Quirinus Faustulus, the shepherd who brought him up, was therefore buried there, together with his grandfather, Quintilius, who gave his namo to the descendants of Romulus, the Quintilia clan. Professor Shelton, of Brisbane, who has recently revisited the United States, says :— '• The most wonderful thing m industrial life m America to-day is the universal extension of electric trams from city to village and from village to hamlet, far and near. For instance, I happened to be m a town of considerable size, and wished to visit another city 16 miles distant. I asked the hotel proprietor about the trains, and he said, 4 You don't need a train, the street car leaves m front of the hotel every halfhour for that place.' So I bought a return ticket for exactly Is 3d, and was whisked across country by the electric tram at a speed and accuracy that enables them to compete successfully with the railways. At my old home m Central Michigan I found them just completing the link m the line of trams which connects this small place with Detroit, 90 miles distant. Wherever you go you cross .electric tram lines This development is having a wide and far-reaching influence upon business m general. The small villages and little suburban places suffer terribly from the convenience the trams afford the shopper m reaching the great centres of trade. People now, instead of buying at the local store, take the tram and go Into the city and purchase their supplies at the great department stores, where [everything oan be had." A great point has been made by the Church Times of the good example set by the clergy of St. Alban's, Holborn, m submitting m some not very important matters to episcopal authority, but when we read that Midnight Mass was ce!e brated m that Church on Christmas Eve and devotions offered up at the Crib we are compelled to wonder whether this measure "of obedience will satisfy the bishops and the majority of Anglicans who really wish for peace. Ffty, nay forty, years ago Midnight MaBS w,as unknown, unheard of m the Church of England, though revival services to usher m the New Year were about then introduced m a few churches. Twenty-five years ago or less than that a Crib would have been voted sheer idolatry m any Anglican church. Are these practices now considered by the bishops lawful P Do they strike even outsiders as consistent with the spirit of the Anglican prayer-book? For our part we cannot conceive how any so-called loyal Anglican can adopt them. The clergy of St. Alban's a.nd of many other Angli* pan churches have been blessed with Catholic infttinots which they are vainly endeavouring to satisfy m a Protestant manner m a Protestant Church. Paradoxical though it may be sound, it is nevertheless true — the more Catholic the Anglican clergy are m external practices, the more Protestant they are m reality, for to foisK^atholic practices and doctrines into a Protestant Church is only a way of protesting emphatically against the authority of the Catholic Church.— Catholic Times.