NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1695, 5 April 1917, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

All the officers engaged in Salvation Army work in the Russian capital are women. Since war broke out they have been specially occupied with caring for the children of reservists and other soldiers of the Tsar, and also with war refugees.

The Grand Duchess Tatiana, the Tsar’s second daughter, has taken a personal interest in their endeavours, and has used her kind offices to secure grants of money towards the expenses.

The Palace of Waters, which is situated beneath (he foundations of (,'onstantinople. should undoubtedly rank among the wonders of the world. It is a palace of imposing grandeur and beauty, with its roof of massive arches supported by magnificent marble columns, standing in a vast expanse of water. The pillars are formed of single blocks of marble, elaborately carved, and are about 10ft. apart. Many intrepid explorers have sailed away into the black waters to be lost in the vast expanse. Home have returned after hours of wandering among the marble pillars and bat-haunted arches.

Match-making ic a comparatively new industry. In 1680, following the periods of Hint, steel, pud tinder, Godfrey Hafickwitz, learning of the discovery of phosphorus and of its nature, wrapped some of it in a little roll of brown paper and rubbed it until it look fire. Then he held it to a stick covered with sulphur. This was the world’s first match- Later sticks were dipped in sulphur and then in a composition of chlorate of potash, sulphur, colophony, gum of sugar, and cinnabar. These sticks were put up in a little box and were sent out wi(b a small bottle of sulphuric acid. AY lien the jiser desired a light, be dipped one of the sticks into the acid, and it was inimediafcdy ignited.

In the constellation of Here .ales there is a small dull speck which looks like a star, but use a telescope of sufficient /lower and there is revealed to you one of the most wonderful effects in all the mighty dome of heaven. The faint star breaks open into a sphere like a cluster of suns, and they are perfectly* .symmetrical in arrangement. From centre to circumference an inconceivably ya&t space is enclosed, and the raightly st)ns that make .that.sphere number 14,001), i7ud have a diameter of 45,000,000,000 miles. Let us suppo.se that the distance’ of each from the other is 9,000,000,000 of miles. Now, by analogy each and every one of these stars or suns —and it is a fair inference —are all of them the centres of separate systems of worlds like our own solar system.