NAVY SIGNAL SERVICE
HOW SHIP CAPTAINS SEND SE
CRETS ACROSS THE WATER.
This Milliner of Giving Order. I. Now
a Mutter of Science — Me.suge. Cun
lie Sent ut Night—Electric Light,
tliut Tulk.
mon exceptions, these orders are not
memorized. Each ship carries a num
ber of signal books or “keys" for va
rious uses—all arranged in the same
manner aud perlia;»« many having du
plications of the numbers, and ft Is nec
essary first to tell in which “key" the
answer is to be read before the signal
can be properly translated. In one book
“4136” may mean “Attack,” and still
something else In the cipher book. On
going Into action covers weighted with
lead are slipped about them, and it be
comes the signal officer's duty to cast
them overboard and beyond the reach
of a victorious foe.
which also assists In warming up the
Signals of Ships,
I
land, and permits more direct rays of
Of all the things that went down in
the sun, Increasing earliness from ten
to fifteen days. To level land again, the Maine, nothing was more vital to
turn top of ridge track into the bottom the navy than the safe recovery of the
signal books from the captain's cabin,
of north Bide furrows.
Good for the Cow.
Should they have fallen into the hands
Bare Places la .Meadow«.
of the Spaniards, our secret codes
The other day a bicycle rider found
It sometimes happens that meadows would be common property and a whole a rare chance for sport. He was near
which were good one year are eaten corps of Spanish spies, right in our ser the suburbs of Worcester. A farm
out by grubs in the root In fall, or are vice, could scarcely embarrass us more. wagon appeared, with a cow trailing
destroyed by winter freezing, making
behind, patiently submitting herself to
bare places. These are not only un
Points in Gardening.
l>e led by a rope from the front seat
Agardenis not comple*-1 unless It con sightly, but as nature abhors a vacuum,
The bicycle Idiot rode up to the cow
tains a full variety of vegetables. It such places are quickly filled up with
and began a series of tactics to annoy
should not contain anything that is not weeds. If there are many such places,
her. He punched her In the ribs, yell
desired. I’eas should be grown for It Is better to apply what manure can
ed In her ears and dodged around her
early, medium and late pickings, and be spared and reseed. But If there
legs. Occasionally he fell back and
ft
early and late cabbages should be in are only a few, harrowing the bare
taking hold of her tall, attempted to
the list. Tomatoes are essential In all , plnces and throwing on some grass seed
make her tow his bicycle. The cow ob
gardens. The tomato Is a plant that and a top dressing of manure will
jected and kicked viciously. Tills only
■will have blossoms and fruit at all probably make a sod by fall. Blit no
I amused the rider, and he directed his
stages of growth, even to ripening, nt crop of grass can be expected from
attention to an annoyance that would
the same time bearing a continuous such land this year, and if possible, it
induce her to continue kicking, mean-
crop until frost. There Is nothing so should be plowed for a year’s cropping,
I while keeping out of reach of her heels.
easily grown ns early beets, and they to be reseeded the following year.
Finally the animal stopped kicking and
are luxuries cotn[>ared with the field
The
Draught
of
Chimneys.
appeared
to become indifferent. Some
kinds. Carrots and parsnl[>s nre favor
FLEET SIGNALS OK FLAGS.
Many chimneys have
defective
spectators on a passing street car ob
ites with many, but the seeds should
be planted early. A hundred strawber draught because more pains Is taken New books would have to be Issued, served, however, that she had turned
ry plants will entail little or no labor, to make a smooth outside where the and before every ship could be notified her bead so as to keep an eye on her
and are not only ornajnental, but use mason work shows, than on the Inside, and supplied anew with other "keys, ’ I persecutor. It took her a few minutes
ful In a garden. Before next spring tiie where the efficiency of the chimney to months of priceless time would be lost to get the range, and meanwhile the
bed will multiply to over 1,000 plants. carry off superfluous smoke depends on and our service severely crippled. Sig bicycle Idiot grew bold and reckless,
They should lx* set out ns early as the how the chimney was constructed. A naling between ships is as old as the encouraged by her quiet behavior. Sud
land will permit. Unless the garden is well-proportioned chimney should be at hills, almost; but only within recent denly the animal darted forward, so
large, such crops as sweet «>rn and least as large at Its top as It is at bot years lias It become the scientific ne las to get a slack in the rope, stopped
potatoes should be omitted. Try one tom. This rule Is often violated, some cessity it Is to-day. A ship without I short and let both heels fly. Her aim
or two plants, for experiment, of pep people having the idea that If the aper some means of distant signaling is even was sure this time, and the bicycle went
per, okra, eggplant and cauliflower, If ture at the top is made smaller the worse off than a dumb man without ¡out from under the idiot’s feet The
not accustomed to growing such, and smoke will be forced out more violent arms, for she is not only pitiably mute, street car spectators raised a shout,
they will surely be nd*bsl to the crops ly. It may seem to lie so, but such but dangerously so as well. It is sel | the motorman rang a chime with his
next year. The greater the variety the chimneys will soon clog up by the dom possible, even in times of peace, at gong and the farmer aud his boy whip-
smoke condensing on their sides, be
more enjoyment with a garden.
sides throwing a good deal of smoke
To Cut Up a Beef.
The following diagram shows the through the lower rooms of the house.
Charcoal for Lawns.
number and style of cuts Into which a
The dark color of charcoal makes it
Ix*ef Is divided at the Chicago Stock
Yards. The average weight of each cut alisorb heat, ami thus warm the land
and the price paid per pound for It at to which it is applied as a dressing. It
may also have considerable manurial
value, as the charcoal easily absorbs
—,\iwl \v*rwui
ammonia, and if soaked in strong
C m U'ui
/ n/i* ¿»« za ...
manure water from a comixjst, It will
carry the ammonia to the lawn in less
offensive form than in the manure,
which is so often us«l for that purpose.
1 i!
ifil
Cultivation of Beets.
nOW A BEEF 18 CUT UP.
wholesale are also given In the dia
gram. It will lx* seen that there Is a
wide range In the price per pound of
the various parts, and that only a small
portion commands the highest price. It
is to be said of the pie«1« into which
a steer 1« cut up that the choicest bite
sell too high and some of the other ;x>r-
tlons too low.
Mnple Sugar.
Clay loam is often the finest beet soil,
but on account of subsoiling and be
cause of the need of good drainage, it
must not have a rough clay or hard-pan
underneath. Perfect beets demand not
SPEED CONE AND
THE INFORMAL
SEMAPHORE«
only depth, mellowness and fertility as
“WIG—WAG.”
FI,AO SIGNALS.
soil characteristics, but, as well, free
dom from standing water for any sea to hail a passing vessel by speech, ped up the horse. The impassive cow
length of time and from such stones and In times of war to do so would lie only wiggled her ears and gave an Im
os would interfere with cultivation.
practically denied by the conditions of aginary fly on her side a triumphant
service. Some sure and accurate means slap with her tail. The wheel was so
Selecting a Calf.
A correspondent suggests a novel of visual communication must serve twisted that the rider had to walk
idea for selecting a calf which is In- instead; anti with us we have recourse home as helplessly as the cow was be
tended for a milk cow. He says: “Nev to colors, form and sound. At present ing led. He will not sue the owner of
er k«bp a calf with a thick, short, stub we have no less than eight means of the cow.—Worcester (Mass.) Gazette.
by tall or otherwise of an ox-llke ap- signaling; and, paradoxical as It may
THE AMERICAN GIRL.
;>ea rance unless for the feed lot. This
is a simple way of ascertaining a desir
One Artist Declares that There Is No
able piece of Information, and the
Distinct American Face.
writer wishes some would try It.”—
Recently the New York Herald Invit
Journal of Agriculture.
ed several distinguished artists to draw
Is it not possible to utilize our maple
trees more fully for making sugar?
They nre everywhere giving out as
shade trees. In fact, the maple tree
thrives adniirnbly In groves, but you
rarely find a perfect specimen standing
alone on the lawn or in the street. Let
us go back to the old habit of having
a maple grove, and making our own
Shippers’ Improved Milk Can.
sugar. Whether the iMX-t-sugar enter
A milk can for shippers that will al
prise will prove a success or not, we
know that maple-sugar milking is a ways hold a given quantity of milk is
natural enterprise throughout all the shown In the accompanying Illustra
tion. The met boil of
Northern States. There ought to be
securing tills result
fifty pounds made where there Is one
is by having nn ex
made now. Those who are fortunate
terior corrugated
enough to lx* in condition for making
or covering,
sugar this spring should not lx> turn«!
within It the
aside front It, anil hope to make more
ROCKET AND SKA lit BLIGHT.
regulation can.
money by growing Ix'ets. Ix<t us have
Then, no matter if seem, we are most In the dark by day-
the largest possible crop of maple
tiie can should be ■ light, for then we must depend for
sugar. It will pay better nt 8 or 10
dented In transit, i the greater part upon the doubtful tliit-
cents a jxiund than Ix'et sugar at 4.—
tiie interior recepta l taring of our flags, and the questiona
New York Independent.
cle will still hold Its ble interpretation of color and form
Care of Form Tools.
original shape. This which distance and refraction tent
Tools on the farm may be costly
alteration of capa easily to confuse. At night, backed by
when they are not kept In place. When
city In cans when the deep setting of gloom, it Is an easy
the hurry of work comes the Imple
tiny become dent«l matter to flash for miles our messages
ment most required may be out of Its
or battered Is a very with accuracy and quickness and lie
location—really lost—ami a new one
serious one In the sure of their proper reading. For day
must then be procured. Some Imple
dairy Industry, re use—setting aside that polyglot inter
ments may then need repairs, which sulting In frequent disputes and much national Hag code common to all mari
should have been procured weeks be- litigation.—Philadelphia Record.
time nations we have the service flag
fare. Cases are known in which farm
code, the wig-wag or single-flag code
Sheep Feeding.
ers who have changed locations found
familiar to nearly every modern school
F«xllng Sheep for market should be boy, the semaphore code, an elabora
themselves loaded with tools that they
a
sejMirate
business
from
simply
rais
did not supitose they had, the clearing
tion of the railway signals, and the
up of goods for removal bringing to ing them In the usual manner. They whistle code to be us«l either day or
light those that had Ixxm put In some should receive clover hay and a liberal night In foggy weather. The use of the
out-of-the-way place. Another careless allowance of ground grain, as well ns speed code, hoisted on the yard arm to
class of farmers Is that which stores be sheltered In a large yard. In order give the gradation of concerted speed,
the tools In places so safe that they for not to have them travel over the fields can hardly lie called a code. Aside
get them, and though Intending to be while fattening, the object being to fat from the flag code, consisting essen
careful they endeavor to keep in re ten them quickly, aud sell as soon as tially of thirteen elements or flags rep
membrance the location which they they lire ready.
resenting the numerals from 9 to 0 and
cannot recall. An Inventory of farm
Marketing l*nr«nips.
three repeaters—substltut«! In place of
Implements and tools on«1 or twice a
The demand for |Nirsnlps Is best In duplications, and the semaphore cover
year would change such «mdltlons.
winter, nnd In the Southern States they ing the same numerals and all the let
are allowed to remain In the ground ters of the alphal>et, the two remaining
Kvergrren Trees from Seed.
Evergreen seeds may I m * planted In until wanted, while In the northern —the wig wag ami the whistle are
beds of leaf mold mlx«l with sand. States they tire dug late In fall and based upon the familiar tolegrade codes
The seeds should be covered with a lit stored In trenches. They are shipped of dots ami dashes. The semaphore in
tle annd wet down, anti clean hay put In small ventilated barrels, the tops our service can hardly be counted upon
over the beds, until the seeds germin having l*een removed and the roots lu tluu1 of war. for the New York Is the
only vessel so fitted, and the rest of the
ate. After the plants appear they may washed when ne«*ssary.
«hips are practically unpracticed In
be shaded with screens of latlm, wa
Shelter Raves Food.
tered In dry weather, ami have dry
A herd of twenty cows that are not reading It. In the British service, the
sand sprinkled around them In wet properly sheltered and kept warm In semaphore Is one of the most trl«l day
weather to prevent too much damp- winter will «ait enough additional food time metliixU of signaling; ami the ra
Seeds of evergr«»ns are often to more than pay for shingling the pidity and accuracy with which they
MOB.
germlnat«l and the plants well started leaking roof over them, and they will can dispatch messages Is truly wonder
only with great difficulty, and skill 18 also lose more than enough In the prod ful. With our blue-jackets they look
requisite of su«’ess.
uct of milk or butter to paLnt the build upon It ns something akin to marine
ing. Shelter saves food and iwomotes railroading, and are not complimentary
For Knrljr Vegetables.
In their remarks. With the thirteen
If you have a south slope, plow • health.
principal flags of our day code, supple
heavy furrow on the north side of the
Have u Trade Mark.
mented by a half dozen designating
row, throwing the soil as high as pos
Burin«* men have trade marks; so pennants, It Is ¡»osslble to make about
sible. Turn a light furrow «11«* back sliould the farmer. The farmer who 12.000 different “hoists” or combina
against this. Rake the south elope to uses n trade mark. and puts It on every tions. varying from one to two, three,
any pitch deaired, and plant midway thing be soils In packages, advertise, or four flags, not counting the ;>en-
from top to bottom on the south side. ills goods and creates a market for his nants. These hoists indicate the num
This secures an earlier drying out of products. In adopting a trade mark, bers of certain established orders or In
the soil, especially If rather «wirso however, only the beat aud choicest ar structions carried In the “key" books of
manure Is covered Inside the ridge, ticles should be sold.
the service, ami, with very tow «—■-
sketches showing the conception of
each of the distinctive type of Ameri
can young woman. Tile accompanying
picture is Mr. W. T. Smedley’s idea.
But it Is not offered as a distinctive
type, because Mr. Smedley declares
that there is no distinct American face.
“The American girl," he said, “is Amer
ican mainly in general get-up—in man
ner, bearing and dress. Were you to
dress a number of men or women of
different nationalities exactly alike you
«>uld not, I believe, easily pick out the
representative of one from the other.
I've seen Russians who looked like Un
cle Sam and Americans who looked like
Russians, and I've known any number
of similar Instances. Similarly In a un
SPAIN’S
AMERICAN
1808.
Within one hundred years Spain has lost
all of her territory on the Western Hem
isphere, except the Islands of Cuba and
Puerto Rico.
Spain own«l one hundred years ago a
great part of what Is now the United Stato«,
nil of .Mexico, Central and South America
save Brazil, and the Gtilauua, aud many
of the IVeet Indies.
sight anti friendly ships are passing In
and out, the break is left open at the
shore station, so that a mine If struck
will not explode.
The contact, electro-contact and ob
servation mines can only be used In
comparatively shoal water and In
places where the current is not very
strong. When the depth of water Is
considerable, or when zfto current is
rapid, “ground mines”—heavy mines
similar fa construction to the others,
but resting on the bottom—must be
used. Ground mines have been plant
ed In slxty-flve feet of water. For this
depth a charge of about 1,200 pounds
of guncot ton, equivalent to 4.800 pounds
of gunpowder, should be used.
The
method of firing the ground mine is
very simple and Ingenious. The mine
Is held In position on or near the
ground by a heavy anchor or sinker.
Two observers are usually employed to
determine when the enemy is directly
over tlie mine. The mine is tlien ex
ploded by means of electric cables.
High explosives Mke guncotton, dyn
amite or explosive gelatine are used
In submarine mines at present. They
are superior to gunpowder In that they
are not seriously affect«! by moisture.
A. leak In the case containing the
charge will not render It useless, as
would be the case with gunjxnvder
mines. Besides, the high explosives
are from four to six times as powerful
as gunpowiler. The pressure necessary
to blow a hole through the double bot
tom of a modern ship has been esti
mated to be between 6,000 and 12,000
pounds per square inch.
The important function of the sub
marine mine defense is to check the
first advance of a naval enemy against
a seaport, thus giving the defenders
time to concentrate their ships to meet
the attack.
An Instrument of War,
The bagpipe, whose stirring music
find the blood of the Gordon Hlgh-
landers as they scaled the heights of
Dargal, enjoys, though It Is not gener
ally known, the unique distinction of
THE
POSSESSIONS.
THE RAM KATAHDIN.
The Powerful U. H. Turtle-back Ship
Recently Placed in Commission.
The belief prevails among naval of
ficers that In a naval tight Hhe country
would be electrified with the havoc
caused among the enemy’s fleet by
such a vessel as the Katahdin. No
modern vessel of this kind has ever
been used In actual warfare, and, in
fact, the Katahdin is about the only
craft of her kind In the world. She re
sembles the old-style ram Merrimac
only In the use of armor, the employ
ment of steam power and the pointed
steel prow.
The Katahdin
has a length on
the load water line of 250.9 feet
and her beak or ruin, which is below
the water lino, gives her an extreme
length of about 254 feet. Other statis
tics of the vessel are: Displacement
under normal coal supply, 2,155; ton
nage, 582; extreme breadth, 43.5 feet;
mean draught, 15 feet; Indicated horse
power, 5,068; speed, 16.11 knots; ca
pacity of coal bunkers, 192.70 tons.
The Katahdin Is propelled by twin
screws. Iler full complement consists
of 90 men.
The most peculiar feature of the
Katahdin is her coiwealmeut under
water. Only her smooth turtle back,
covered with armor plate aud sur
mount«! simply by a small conning
tower and a smokestack are visible.
The tower is made of steel is Inches
thick, and unless squarely hit by a
heavy shot at close range, is proof
against any attack. Aside from her
dangerous sharp beak of steel and her
covering of armor plate the Katahdin
Is equipped with slight means of of
fensive or defensive character. She
carries four six-pound, rapid-firing
guns, which are intended as defense
against torpedo boats or boarders.
Her speed Is low, hardly higher than
tluit of a batUeahip; but with her tre
mendous momentum and powerful pro
pelling force behind a sharp steel prow
tiie Katahdin Is calculated to do a lot
of mischief among the enemy’s fleet.
KAM KATAHDIN IN ACTION.
having been declar«! by a court of law
to be “an Instrument of war.” In an
early volume of the Scots Magazine we
find It reported that on the 15th No
vember, 1746, a James Reid, of Angus,
was tried for taking part In the rebel
lion. It was proved for his defense
that he had never carried arms of any
kind. but, on the other hand, it was
shown that he had for some time offici
ated as a piper In a Highland regiment.
It Is not unlikely that he had been
pressed Into the service, for we are told
“he behaved very devoutly, prayed fer
vently, and sang part of a psalm.” Not.
withstanding these most untraditional
piper traits, however, the court found
poor Reid guilty of high treason, and
senteiMid him to suffer the punishment
which that crime Involved. It -was held
that a “Highland regiment never
marched without a piper, and. there
fore, his bagpipes In rhe eye of the
law was an instrument of war," There
Is little wonder, in the face of such a
decision, that Pennant when he came
north later in the century found the
bagpipes becoming scarce.”
The ram, being sltua ted belowthe water
line, is directed at the most vulnerable
part of a battleship or cruiser, where
armor Is either thin or altogether
■wanting.
Taking Life Seriously.
This exceptionally clever photo of
children was taken in Dublin. The
two mites who in their garb of monk
and nun look so solemnly out on the(
Li and the Woman Doctor.
THE AMERICAN GIRI..
tlon. Its beauty often «»mes from the
outside; yet the nation gets the credit
for It. Nor is the highest beauty to be
found among the aristocracy, but
among the “people'”
How Chinese Catch Fiah.
The drug used by the Chinese In
catching fish is Coculus lndicus, which
I» powdered and mlx«l with dough and
scattered broadcast over the water
after the manner of sowing seed. The
fish seize and devour it with avidity
and Instantly become Intoxicated and
turn up by hundreds on the top of the
water. They are then gathered np and
placed In vessels containing clear wa
tt*
Li Hung Chang’s visit to England Is
«aid to have had the most beneficial
effect on the destinies of women in
China. Since his return he has ap
pointed the first Chinese lady practic
ing medicine in her own land to be
physician to the women of his house
hold. Two delegates. Miss Wang and
Dr. Eng. are to represent the Celestial
empire at the women’s «ingress In
London in 1898. The latter Is the
daughter of a mandarin who was con
verted to Christianity and graduat«l
in an American university; and she ob
tained the degree of doctor of medi
cine at the Women’s Medical College,
Philadelphia. She has been so suc
cessful In the healing art that she is
now known ns the miracle lady.—St
James Gazette.
Queer Restauraat Sign.
SISTER MARTHA AND BROTHER PAUL.
world in general are aged 4 and 3 re
spectively. Brother Paul has the ex
pression of one meditating great truths
and Sister Martha is as benign as
though fifty years older.
changed His Opinion.
Spinner—I’m surprised to hear you
talk as you do about Belle Sprocketts.
You us«t to say she was the most fool
ish girl you ever knew. Now you sim
ply rave over her. Whaf s happened,
old chap!
Scorchley—What, me say she was
foolish? Never! Why, say, do you know
that she's rode her wheel every day
thia winter?
When a man 1» making a night of It
he usually discovers that the darkest
hour Is just Wore the dawn.
In Sweden the railway stations
where meals nre served are known by
He may be called Senor de Lome In
the picture of a crossed knife and fork Spain, but hit name U Mud In thia
opposite the name of the station.
| country.