Notes from Various Sources.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11737, 15 September 1902, Page 5

Notes from Various Sources.

It is a fixed dictum of hygiene that practically the only advantage ot the open nreplioiCa of ordinary houses 19 its contribution to the ventilation of the room. The rush of air up the .chimney creates a draught which in its turn acts in renewing the air supply. Otherwise, the ordinary grate is a most wasteful appliance seeing that over 76 per cent of tue> heat generated vanishes up the chimney.,. Dr R. <Lee has patented certain improvements in grates which, while not limiting their ventilating capacities, tend to make them much' riforc economical as regards coal consumption. He combines a<blower and a damper, or regulator, in the construction of the grate, and claims that he thereby saves from 30 to 50 per cent, of fuel, w; 1). the pte-. ention of smoke. The Luger pistol is a new American invention that discharges bullets with tremendous velocity at the astonishing speed of 116 shots a minute. It works on the automatic plant, similar to the automatic x-apid gun fire of the army and navy, where the recoil of the discharge is utilised to perform the functions of re-loading. The pistol weighs less than 2Kb., and all that is necessary is to keep it loaded and pull the trigger. Tests recently made by the United estates Board of Ordnance and Fortification at Washington have demonstrated its deadliness for accuracy of aim, penetration, velocity of projectile, speed of fire, endurance, etc. To the traveller's wonder list of Niagara., the Yellowstone and the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky there will probably be added the Wind Cave, South Dakota, of which it is proposed to make a "national park.'.' Its winding passages, spacious galleries and -beauties of rock formation are said to surpass, those of the Kentucky marvel. One of its explorers declares that it contain1 * 3000 chambers and 100 miles of passages. After many years of waiting two old lovers, whose united, ages amount to 200 years, have become engaged, a second time at Skuleni, Roumania. Feodor Monteau, the swain, is aliteged to be 120 years of a Se- __________