The Athena press., February 01, 1907, Image 4

HON. JAMES BRYCE.
1I0KTJMENT TO COMMODORE PEEEY.
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One of the most Impressive Indications of modern se'en
tlfic progress comes from the fluid of astronomy, says
the Washington Tost The limits of the universe are
Bow being reached by the strong eye of the photo-
grapning telescope. In the view of some star spe
cialists. Enough observational basis for the
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uenet nas aireaay Deen added to philosophical rf' ' '
grounds for the conclusion that the exten- M'" '-'x,?
Ion of matter In void space Is not Infinite
but finite, to create a sharp difference
of opinion which is receiving the seri
ous attention of the highest and
most judicially minded author!
ties.
This conclusion Is counter to
the conception more popular
with the unknowable worship
ing past The view still held
by the mass of people who
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New Ambamador of En&lanA to the
I nlled Slate.
The appointment of Hon. James
Bryce to be ambassador of Great Brit
ain at Washington semes to give genu
ine satisfaction in both countries. Mr.
Bryce Is one of the ablest men in the
public service of England and the fact
that he refused a title on being se
lected for the post shows the stamp
of his democracy. Mr. Bryce at pres
ent is secretary for Ireland und has
been engaged for some time uiii Im
portant reform measures for that coun
cnt is secretary for Ireland and has
work and would have refused to aban
don It for any other diplomatic mis
sion. The attraction of the Washing
ton post, however, was too stroug to
be resisted and he comes to the Unit-
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give thought to Jbe subject at all Is expressed by a Ger
man poet, who wrote In the earlier decades of the past
century of a man "called Into the vestibule of heaven,
stripped of his robe of flesh," and guided by "a mighty
angel through long reaches of planets circling on the right
and left and vast Saharas of darkness" at such velocity
that "the light with lesser speed came on to meet them."
The dream poet voiced the conviction of his times by nar
rating that finally "the man sank down, crying: 'Angel,
I can go no further, for end there Is none!"
"Some astronomers now state their belief that we can
see through the expanse of nebulae and stars to outside
vacancy," said Professor Aaron N. Skinner, who, in charge
of the equatorial work at the United States Naval Ob
servatory, Is making a catalogue of 9,000 of the known
stars. "But," he added, in the course of his talk with a
Post reporter, "the question arises, Should It be true that
we can la time penetrate even to the limits of the ether
of our universe, what Is there beyond, across space which
light cannot traverse? Indeed, we might assume the ex
istence of a plurality of universes, beyond any hope of
cognizance by us, Just as there are a plurality of suns
that we can see. For myself, however, I am too busy
with the more tangible work I have on hand here to in
dulge much in these speculative discussions."
Professor Skinner is now nearlng the end of twelve
years' work occupied in definitely cataloguing a strip or
zone of the 500,000 stars approximately catalogued be
tween 1850 and 1800, comprising a list known as the Bonn
Durchmusterung. In later years, also under German ln
ltlatlve, the leading observatories of the world under
took the tremendous Job of determining the exact position
of these half-million suns, being those down to the ninth
apparent magnitude. (Stars become Invisible to the un
aided eye at the sixth magnitude.) The Bonn Durchmus-
' J-A4S rung aeais
M7 only with about
half of the heav
ens visible from the
earth, owing to the
lack of enough observ
atories, so that the stars
of first to ninth magnitude
number about a million. Pro
fessor Skinner stated that the
stars already seen with the aid of
modern Instruments number several
million, of these only a small fraction
being definitely located, catalogued, and
counted.
The task to which astronomers set them
selves twelve years ago was so divided among the promi
nent observatories that to the Washington institution was
assigned the zone lying between 14 and 18 degrees south
ward from the zenith, each observer slightly overlapping
or duplicating the work of his neighbor to make the strips
match positively. Another year of observation and com
putation will complete the part assigned to the Washing
ton Naval Observatory. The work Involved accurate ob
servation at different times of every one catalogued, 'In
cluding 300 zero or base stars, from which the position of
the others are reckoned, so that about 20,000 observations
had to be made. Further, every hour spent in observation
required at least three hours of mathematical computation.
In recent years the equipment of twelve-Inch telescopes
with photographing attachments has greatly extended the
range of human view, for while the eye, tiring, sees less
In protracted watching, the photographic plate, accumu
lating Impression with time, sees more. Professor Skinner
found It especially serviceable In distinguishing the minor
asteroid, planets from fixed stars, and remarked that Its
capacity for seeing what the eye could not see through the
telescope was notable In the case of the discovery of a
maze of nebulae in the field of the plelades where with
the eye hardly any nebulous trace was discernible. The
photographic method of cataloguing stars has been quite
successfully used In Europe.
"These plates," said Professor Skinner, "give very ac
curate results, but the method Is yet too new for us to
depend entirely upon It."
The work upon which he Is engaged has been done en
tirely by telescopic eye observation, and the Naval Observ
atory has not so far been equipped with an Instrument
for doing the same thing photographically. It would eost
$50,000.
Speaking of the financial support given scientific work.
Professor Skinner remarked:
"Many private and university observatories are handi
capped because the donors do not understand the full
requirements of the work. Such Is true of the observa
tory In California to which Mr. Yerkes, the late street
railway magnate, gave the big telescope. Wealthy men
are Inclined to give liberally enough for equipment that
people can see and touch, but are apt to forget that it
requires several times as much money to use an Instru
ment than It costs, In order to bring the results for which
It is supposed to be designed; results, of course, which
only the learned can fully appreciate."
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HON. JAMES BBVCE.
MIUTAEY TACTICS
. IN CHINESE SCHOOLS.
An Eustern correspondent writes:
"While visiting the native city I en
tered the courtyard of the yamen, or
magistrates' olllcial quarters, and saw
a number of youngsters being drilled
by an instructor in uniform. They
went at It most energetically and car
ried out the simple movements In an
Oar Millions of Anceatora.
Has anybody ever stopped to think
how many male and female ancestors
it took to bring us into the world?
First, of course, it was necessary to
have a father and mother, and our
father and mother must have had a
father and mother, and so on back
through fifty-six generations to the time
of Christ.
A careful calculation of all these an
cestors 6hows that there must have
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THE MAKING OF A NEW AB.MY.
excellent manner. My guide who, like
many Chinese, can not negotiate a word
beginning with the letter y proudly
irew my attention to the fact that these
boya were 'lung soldia.' It is notorious
that this sort of thlug is going on
throughout the empire. Whether any
lgnlflcance can be attached to it re
mains to be seen. The boys were all
dressed In Jumpers and pants of rusty
black. Their drill was watched by a
mandarin, who was dressed la silk
robes down to his heels. He wore also
allk tunic of dark cholocate color dec
orated with many trinkets and he bad
en embroidered pouch hanging from a
girdle underneath his jacket The drill
Instructor wore a white uniform."
These and other signs indicate military
awakening
If a man can afford a motor boat he
doesn't have to paddle tils own canoe.
been 130,235,017,480,534,970 births to
bring one of us Into the world. And
this Is only from the time of Christ,
and not from the beginning of the
world.
According to one authority. If from a
single couple for five thousand years
each husband and wife had married at
the age of 21, and there had been no
deaths, the population of the earth
would be 2.100,015, followed by 144
ciphers. To hold such a population It
would take several worlds the size of
ours. Sunday Magazine.
A Loat Snbarrlber.
The Kedah postofflce authorities
have a somewhat blunt way of putting
thlncs. Copies of a Peuaug paper nost
ed to a subscriber were the other d.iv
returned marked "Addessee hanged for
Murder." Bangkok Times.
FALL OF SOOT IN BIG CITIES.
Soft Coal ' Smoke Senda Down
Eighteen Toai Dailr In Cincinnati.
A scientific Investigator In Cincinna
ti has been trying to arrive at a definite
idea of the amount of soot deposited In
the city in the course of a year, One
of his tests was to place buckets, three
fourths filled with water on eleven roofs
In different parts of the city. At the
end of three months a careful analysis
was made of the contents of the buck
ets to ascertain the amount of carbon
aceous matter. '
The final computation is that In the
downtown area the falling soot amounts
to 541 tons a month, or eighteen tons
dally. On a square mile of the city the
soot deposit is 171 tons a month, or
343,728 pounds, an average of several
pounds to each Inhabitant. In one of
the suburbs the soot In the bucket was
404 grains to the square foot for a
period of thirty days. For the same
time the deposit at a central point In
the city was 22,550 grams to the square
foot.
Other cities that burn soft coal need
not flatter themselves tbat they fare
much better. A glance out at the win
dow tells the story. In many parts of
a sooty city the trees and flowers are
coated with grime and often refuse to
grow. The smoke cloud injures health
in several ways, one of which Is the
shutting out of the sunlight that de
stroys disease germs. That soot Is de
posited in human lungs Is a fact well
known to surgeons.
These figures were laid before a
smoke abatement league meeting In Cln
clnuatl, and It was resolved to ask thr
next legislature for more stringent antl
smoke laws. The present methods of
smoke abatement are visibly unsatisfac
tory and the opluion is widely held thai
relief must come through some means
not yet attained. Pittsburg Dispatoh
finishes It.
"When you have written a story dc
you not go over it and give It a finish
Ins touch?"
"No; the first editor I send It tc
usually does that Houston Post
Chtueae Hournlag Cnatom.
Duriug thirty days after a death h
China the nearest relatives of the de
ceased do uot shave nor change thelt
rWhoa-
ed States with a genuine admiration
for the republic.
Mr. Bryce has represented Aberdeen
in Parliament since 1885. He has been
under secretary for foreign affairs and
president of the Board of Trade. He
was born in 1838 and at one time was
professor of civil law at Oxford Uni
versity. He Is the auvhor of the Amer
ican Commonwealth, one of the few
works by foreigners which reflects a
clear understanding of American affairs.
LEGAL INF0EMATI0N.
A stepchild will not Inherit property
from its stepfather.
If hens go on the land of a person
and do damage, suit can be brought
against the owner of the hens for all
damage caused.
Any person can free his land from
surface water by digging a ditch, and
will not be liable if the water Is turned
on to the land of another.
In Michigan a marriage license must
be obtained from the County Clerk of
the county In which either the man or
the woman resides. If both parties are
non-residents, the license must be ob
tained from the County Clerk of the
county where the marriage Is to be per
formed.
Adultery Is a cause for divorce. If
a man lives with his wife after learn
ing she Is guilty of adultery, It will be
considered a condonation of the of
fense, and he cannot procure a divorce.
This will not prevent him from procur
ing a divorce for a later offense of a
similar nature, or for any other cause
allowed by law.
The father and, In case of his death
the mother, are the natural guardians
of a minor. If the Probate Court
deems the father or mother lncompe
tent to care for the property of a
minor. It may appoint a curator to do
i. TWs will not be done in the case
of a person of unsound mind. In such
a case the court will appoint a guardian
to care for the person and the property
If stock yards are maintained in such
i condition as to constitute a nuisance
l suit in equity can be brought against
the owners, damages asked for and a
request made that an Injunction be Is
sued restraining the owners from long
er continuing the nuisance. It is 8
question for the courts to decide as to
whether or not, under all the circum
stances, a nuisance Is being maintained
If a woman dies leaving a husband
ind children, the husband takes one
third of the property and the chi'drer
the balance. If a man dies leaving n
wife and children, she takes one-thlrc"
uid the children the balance. A valk'
nortgage on real estate binds the prop
rty, and the rights of other creditor
ind heirs are subject to such mort
age. The holder of a note not secured
by mortgage will stand on an equal
footing with other creditors.
Endless Trail.
Gonier Davies, of Co;icordia, tells a
.tory about a wooden-legged man, al
hough he denies being the one to whie!
t refers. "This man," says Davies
'was going home after being at a lat
supper, along about 13 o'clock In tb
nojrning, when his peg leg wen:
Through an augur hole In the plaul
idewalk and he kept circling about thn
iole all night thinking he was goin
aome." Kansas City Star.
DeSnttlon Given by a Cynic.
"What is reform?" asked the argu
nentatlve man.
"Reform" answered the wrld-wear;
me, "usually consists In merely con.
telling a man to stop doing things hi
vay and making him do them yours.'
Washington Star.
VICTORY MONUMENT AT PUT-IN-BAY.
Put-ln-Bay, nature's beauty spot, will be made more beautiful and at
tractive than ever by a monument which is being erected in recognition of
Commodore Perry's great victory near the Island. The monument is being
put up at an expense of more than $2,060, most of which has already been
raised by popular subscription.
The statue is of the Goddess of Victory and Is a reproduction of Alphonse
Telzer's masterpiece. It will be made of copper bronze with the antique
oxidized finish. The statue alone is ten feet high and Is mounted on a twelve
foot pedestal of the beautiful and peculiar natural stone of the Island. The
pedestal will' bear Inscriptions telling of the victory. The wings of the god
dess are two feet high and have a spread of seven feet from tip to tip.
The entire statue Is mounted on a battlement wall foundation and para
pet arrangement, the parapet being twenty-six and a half feet square. It Is
enclosed by a stone balustrade with stone abutments or posts at regular In
tervals. A grass line surrounds the pedestal In which will be planted flowers
and green sod.
The approach to the monument Is In peristyle effect. It is hedged with
six pillars with tops surmounted hy large glass globes with which to illuminate
the spot at night. The columns are graduated In height, the tallest being nine
feet and ranging from that down to the six-foot pedestals which will be sur
mounted with stone Jardinieres for flowers. These are all connected by the
balustrades.
The approach Is twenty feet deep and thirty feet across the front with
concave sides and a convex front. A five-foot walk on the parapet encircles
the statue so that It may be viewed from all sides.
BALLOONING ACROSS THE ALPS.
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Two Italian aeronauts, SIguorl Usuelll and Crespl. crossed the Alps In a
balloon called "Mllano." They started from Milan and descended at Aix-les-F.alns,
having passed across Mont Blanc. The photograph was reconstructed
from materials supplied by the voyagers. Recently Mr. Leslie Bucknall left
the Wandsworth gas works and In sixteen hours descended on the River Loop
near the Lake of Geneva, a distance of over 420 miles. In the darkness the
aeronaut located the proximity of the Alps by the echo. Had he had a reserve
of gas he would have crossed the mountains. . .
FIRE IN THE SKYSCRAPER.
Chief Danger la the Inflammable
Oflice Furniture.
The construction of the new Singer
jullding in New York, a lofty tower of
forty-two stories, 612 feet high, leads
the Journal of Fire to speculate on the
consequences of a fire In this structure
)T in ny very high steel frame build
ing. It concludes that the average
fkyscraper is too high for adequate
Ire protection and that when such a
luilding begins to burn the people in
che upper stories will have to sit down
vith such calmness as they can mus
:er and wait for it to be put out or
tor the alternative.
"The danger is not so much to prop
;rty as it Is to life and for this reason
he matter deserves careful considera
lon," says the paper named above.
The modern office building contains a
mall army of occupants, both men and
vomen, and the endangering of these
s a great responsibility.
"The skyscraper as a fire risk has
lot been sufficiently tested to justify
tny conclusion as to Its fire safety, but
udglng by present knowledge and ex
rience it represents a serious fire
ossiblllty. The question of safety for
he occupants may be passed by In the
tellef in the 'fireproof capacity of the
ulldlng, but this belief is a delusion
ind a dependence on it is likely to re
ult disastrously. The results of the
ialtimore and San Francisco conflagra
ions were not needed to demonstrate
he falsity of the 'fireproof idea, for
iew York's fire experience was amply
ufficient for this.
"The so-called fireproof building is
ire proof only as regards the structure
iself and this only to a limited extent
"he building, as such, does not assure
.he safei of the Inmates uor the se
curity of the contents and as regards
lire danger to life it Is the part of pru
dence to consider It from the Btnnd.
point of an ordinary building. It must
te conceded that in an office building
it is possible for fire to start and the
smoke, heat and flames to unread
throughout, making It Impossible to use
tne stairways and elevator as exits.
Under the circumstances it Is to be ex
pected that a number of persons will
be Imprisoned above the fire and their
safety dependent upon circumstances.
"The possibility of a serious fire In
an oflice building Is generally discount
ed on the ground that office buildings
do not contain enough fuel for a con
siderable fire, but whoever entertains
this notion should look about and esti
mate the quantity of combustible mate
rials contained In an office in the shape
of desks, cabinets, rugs, papers, etc. It
Is true that the usual office occupancy
Is not such as results In frequent fires,
but there are the hazards due to the
heat, light and power and in many
instances offices are used for compara
tively hazardous purposes. At the samt
time among thousands of offices It ia
reasonable to expect a certain propor
tion of fires and among these some that
will get headway and result in a con
siderable fire." Translation In Liter
ary Digest
Poor Memory Somewhere.
Mother Tommy, what did I say I'd
do to you If you touched that Jam
again?
Tommy Why, It's funny, ma, that
you should forget It too. I'm blamed
if I can remember I Philadelphia Telegraph.
Old Law for Honra of Work.
As early as 1S47 a law was passed
In New Hampshire making ten houri
a legal day's work.
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