ONE THOUSAND SECRETS REVEALED

126 ONE THOUSAND SECRETS REVEALED.
The "Valley of Death," in the island of Java, is simply the crater oi
an extinct volcano, filled with carbonic-acid gas. It is half a mile in cir
cumference.
The city of Amsterdam, Holland, is built upon piles driven into the
ground. It is intersected by numerous canals, crossed by nearly three
hundred bridges.
Coal was used as fuel in England as early as 852, and in 1234 the first
charter to dig for it was granted by Henry III. to the inhabitants of
Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Tobacco was discovered in San Domingo in 1496; afterwards by the
Spaniards in Yucatan in 1520. It was introduced in France in 1560, and
into England in 1583.
The present national colors of the United States were not adopted by
Congress until 1777. The flag was first used by Washington at Cam
bridge, January 1, 1776.
Paris was known as Lutetia until 1184, when the name of the great
French capital was changed to that which it has borne ever since.
The longest span of wire in the world is used for a telegraph in
India over the river Ristuah. It is over 6,000 feet, and is stretched be
tween two hills 1,200 feet high.
The largest library in the world is in Paris, founded by Louis XIV.
It contains 1,400,000 volumes, 175,000 manuscripts, 300,000 maps and
charts, and 150,000 coins and medals.
The tallest man was John Hale, of Lancashire, England, who was
nine feet six inches in height. His hand was seventeen inches long and
eight and one-half inches broad.
In round numbers, the weight of $1,000,000 in standard gold coin is
1^4 tons; standard silver coin, 26^4 tons; subsidiary silver coin, 25 tons;
minor coins, 5-cent nickel, 100 tons.
The largest stationery engine in the world is at the zinc mines at
Friedenville, Pa. The number of gallons of water raised every minute
is 17,500. The driving wheels are 35 feet diameter and weigh 40 tons
each. The cylinder is 110 inches in diameter.
The part of United States territory most recently acquired is the isl
and of San Juan, near Vancouver's Island. It was evacuated by England
at the close of November, 1873.
The highest monument in the world is the Washington monument,
being 555 feet. The highest structure of any kind is the Eiffel Tower,
Paris, finished in 1889 and 989 feet high.
It is claimed that crows, eagles, ravens and swans live to be 100 years
old; herons, 59; parrots, 60; pelicans and geese, 50; skylarks, 30; sparrow
hawks, 40; peacocks, canaries and cranes, 24.
FACTS WORTH KNOWING. 127
The greatest cataract in the world is Niagara, the height of the
American falls being 165 feet. The highest fall of water in the world is
that of the Yosemite in California, being 2,550 feet.
The most ancient catacombs are those of the Theban kings, begun
4,000 years ago. The catacombs of Rome contain the remains of about
6,000,000 human beings; those of 'Paris, 3,000,000.
The quickest passage ever made across the Atlantic was that of the
steamer Lucania, of the Cunard line, being 5 days 7 hours and 23 min
utes from New York to Queenstown; the distance being 2,850 miles.
There has been no irregularity in the recurrence of leap year every
four years since 1800, and will be none until 1900, which will be a common
year, although it will come fourth after the preceding leap year.
The first English newspaper was the English Mercury, issued in the
tcign of Queen Elizabeth, and was issued in the shape of a pamphlet
The Gazette of Venice was the original model of the modern newspaper.
The Mormon Church in Utah shows a membership of 127,294—23,000
families. The church has 12 apostles, 58 patriarchs, 3,885 seventies, 3,153
high priests, 11,000 elders, 1,500 bishops and 4,400 deacons, being an of
fice for each six persons.
A "monkey wrench" is not so named because it is a handy thing to
monkey with, or for any kindred reason. "Monkey" is not its name at all,
but "Moncky." Charles Moncky, the inventor of it, sold his patent for
$2,000, and invested the money in a house in Williamsburg, King's Coun
ty, N. Y., where he now lives.
The Union arch of the Washington Aqueduct is the largest in the
world, being 220 feet; 20 feet in excess of the Chester arch across the Dee
in England, 68 feet longer than that of the London bridge; 92 feet longer
than that at Neuilly on the Seine, and 100 feet longer than that of Water
loo bridge. The height of the Washington arch is 100 feet.
The largest ship ever built, the Great Eastern, recently broken to
pieces and sold to junk dealers, was designed and constructed by Scott
Russell, at Maxwell, on the Thames. Work on the giant vessel was com
menced in May, 1854. She was successfully launched January 13, 1858.
The launching alone occupied the time from November 3, 1857, until the
date above given. Her total length was 600 feet; breadth, 118 feet; total
weight when launched 12,000 tons. Her first trip of any consequence was
made to New York in 1859-60.
The most extensive mines in the world are those of Freiberg, Sax
ony. They were begun in the twelfth century, and in 1835 the galleries,
taken collectively, had reached the unprecedented length of 123 miles.
A new gallery, begun in 1838, had reached a length of eight miles at the
time of the census of 1878. The deepest perpendicular mining shaft in