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344
EARTHQUAKE PROPHECIES
Some Forecasts Considered in the
Light of Subsequent Events
The doom singers may claim for their
arts of prevision the great disaster of
Kingston, and to one, at least, full
credit is to be awarded. This is the
vaticinator and green grocer of York,
Pa. On the Sunday before Christmas
incidental to his sealing of the world's
doom for the close of 1908, he uttered
this prophecy for the current year:
"There will be earthquakes in divers
places. Islands will disappear and
mountains no longer will be found.
Great tidal waves will sweep the
coasts."
If it be objected that this prophesy
is all to Delphic, we have another
doom sealer who has attempted to be
more precise in the matter of date,
even if not particularly well defined
in the matter of topography. This
is a popular London meteorologist,
Hugh Clement. On January 8, pub-
lication was given to his prophecy that
"there will be further earthquakes in
America on January 12." To this pre-
diction was added one that Algeria
would suffer a shock on the day fol-
lowing the prophecy. The Algerine
disturbance failed to make itself felt.
On January 10 a detonating disaster
befell several tons of powder at Hol-
lidaysburg, Pa. A seismic convulsion
was promptly reported all along the line
from Baltimore to Menominee, Mich.,
and from the latter point of observa-
tion came word that local scientists
feared that this shock was only pre-
liminary to a great general seismic
disturbance which might cause an ap-
palling disaster.
The fateful Saturday came and went.
From Cape Horn to Hudson bay not
a seismograph showed a tremor. Even
the faithful needle at Laibach drew a
straight line all day long. On the day
of prophesy the earth was at rest all
over. Not even the most enthusiastic
amateur seismographer could detect
the faintest tremor. Two days later,
on Monday afternoon, to be particu-
lar, the solid foundation of Jamaica
slipt and Kingston felt the crash; yet
this is scarcely to be considered a
prophecy fulfilled in line with modern
test conditions. As the lines of com-
munication are feeling their way thru
the wreck of earth and of the works
of man to bring out the full story of
the stricken town, the third within a
twelvemonth to be visited by unusual
disaster, the mind fills with a sense
of the hidden power that can work
such destruction to the solid frame-
work of the earth.
Seismology is yet in its infancy, its
earnest students do not feel that they
yet have the material with which to
pass outside the observational stage.
From the accumulation of their records
of superficial earth movement they
hope in time to develop a fuller knowl-
edge of this branch of geophysics.
Such students do not predict, for they
know how utterly baseless such fore-
cast must be in the present stage of
their science. One such authority dis-
misses the matter in two words of a
single sentence: "Thus the shocks of
earthquake which startle civilization
and destroy opulent cities are produced
at uncertain intervals and without
warning." All prophecy, whether it
proceeds from the home of Pennsyl-
vania Dutch oracles or from London,
is taking a long chance as sensational-
ism. -- New York Sun.
---
REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.
Fragment of a Shattered World Found
By Scientists.
Perhaps the most remarkable scien-
tific discovery ever made in the history
of the world is that just reported by
the members of the Beauchamp Poly-
technic Institute who have just re-
turned from an exploring expedition
which penetrated farther than anyone
ever did before the desolate wastes of
the interior of Greenland.
Far up on the western shore of that
vast island, or continent, whichever it
may be, there is a place where two
high mountain ranges some 20 miles
apart at their crests come down in par-
allel lines to the ocean, and, lying be-
tween the two ranges, in the stupen-
dous valley they form, is a glacier of
almost unimaginable vastness, and
which run backward to the interior
for more than 100 miles, it having been
traced by the expedition for fully that
distance.
Throughout the slow-moving centur-
ies this glacier moves with almost im-
perceptible slownss down the valley to
the ocean, and here the mountains of
ice, as they are driven forward by the
pressure behind, project outward into
the sea and are then broken off by
their own weight and the action of the
waves, and float away in the form of
gigantic icebergs.
The ice was estimated by the mem-
bers of the expedition to be at least
2,000 feet in depth sime miles back
from the ocean, and, so far as they
were able to estimate, the speed of its
onward movement by comparing obser-
vations made on this occasion with
those made in former years, it does not
advance down the valley at the rate of
more than 25 feet in a year, which
would take it two centuries to travel a
mile, or would take more than 20,000
years for the ice 100 miles up the valley
to reach the ocean.
Very soon after arriving in the neigh-
borhood of the ocean and of the glasier,
the attention of the members was at-
tracted by the presence of a dark ob-
ject of very great size, which, imbedded
in the ice some 300 feet from the bot-
tom, had been carried along with the
slow-moving current and then uncov-
ered and brought into sight by the
breaking off of an iceberg from the
parent stream, just at the point where
the object had been buried.
Filled with the deepest curiosity as to
what the object might be that had thus
been buried from the light of day for,
perhaps twenty centuries, and then ex-
posed for a short time before it must
inevitably fall into the sea and sink
forever again from sight, the members
of the expedition, at the great peril of
their lives, mounted the glacier, and
cutting their way slowly downward,
arrived at last directly upon the object
that had attracted their attention.
It was a vast mass of solid rock,
some 500 feet in length, 200 feet in width
and of an estimated thickness of 300
feet and was held by every member of
the expedition to incontestibly be a
great fragment from some other world
than ours that had been burst by some
mighty cataclysm of nature, and, flying
through space, had been hurled down-
ward upon our planet, and, falling upon
the comparatively yielding surface of
this great glacier, had sunk down
therein without being crushed to pow-
der by falling on ta rocky surface and
had thus been preserved for the study
of these fortunate men.
It is very much to be regretted how-
ever, that after the first visit of the
scientists, and while they were all away
at dinner in their camp, and before
they had secured any of the tools or
implements, a huge section of the gla-
cier broke away and fell into the ocean,
undoubtedly spilling out the world-
fragment and casting it down to the
bottom of the ocean, which is here of
a depth of more than 3,000--Lesuler,
Minn., correspondent of St. Louis Re-
public.
---
The Art of Pipe Smoking
As important as the condition of to-
bacco smoked is the state of the pipe
itself. A straight pipe with a wide
bore to the stem is the best, says the
London Globe, because it is easy to
clean with a few twists of a feather.
No doubt feathers are the finest pipe-
cleaners.
Next, no doubt, to a good seasoned
tobacco the great secret of enjoyable
pipe smoking is to have a battery of
pipes so that a frequent change is
possible. The ideal plan is never to
smoke a particular pipe more than
once in a day. When done with it
should be cleaned and stood in the
rack, bowl downward; and all pipes
should be used in rotation.
There is a great art, too, in filling a
pipe. If the tobacco is crammed in
haphazard it will not burn evenly,
and a tightly packed pipe is the cause
of more tongue blisters than even an
ill-conditioned, half-drowned tobacco.
Pipe filling is perhaps the most dif-
ficult thing a smoker has to deal with.
Old hands cannot be sure of always
exactly hitting the right degrees of
even density throughout the bowl, and
beginners invariably make a botch of
it.
Some people will never master the
thing in a lifetime, try as they may,
and they are perforce limited to the
minor delights of cigar and cigarette
smoking or at least have to put up
with mixtures which, by reason of
their short, choppy nature, are fairly
fool-proof from this point of view.
A perfectly filled pipe should light
at once in an evenly glowing disc,
and should burn through almost to
the bottom uninterruptedly, preserv-
ing a slightly coned shape the whole
time. A curious, not to say unac-
countable, thing about pipe smoking
is the way in which the formation of
the "cake"--hard, black substance
which collects on the inside of the
bowl--varies with different smokers.
It does not appear to depend on the
nature of the tobacco used, but al-
most entirely on some mysterious at-
tribute of the user. With some smok-
ers this cake grows rapidly and must
be as constantly pared away; while
with others its collection is just as
slow. In either case the interior of the
bowl must be kept as smooth as
possible by frequent scrapings. This
ensures the "rim fire" necessary for
the cone-shaped burning; a rough
bowl means "centre fire" and waste
of tobacco.
To many people the first smoke
from a new pipe is always a terror;
but the breaking in of a new briar
should never be attempted by smok-
ing in the ordinary way. It must be
done by some sort of bellows ar-
rangement. A bicycle pump is not a
bad thing. The pipe should first be
packed hard with the strongest and
juiciest tobacco obtainable. It is then
lighted and drawn up to a glow with
the bouth. A few puffs wil suffice
for this, when it is laid on the table
and blown at steadily until the charge
is all consumed. A pipe treated in
this way is ready at once to go in
the rack and take its turn with the
rest.
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RIGHT PAGE
345
ORIGIN OF "23," POPULAR SLANG
PHRASE, IN DOUBT
The Bible, Race Track, Dickens, The Circus and Broadway Some of the Sources
Mentioned--Expression Has Penetrated Every Part of the United States
Whence came "23," that popular slang
synonym for "get out," "you have reach-
ed the end," "quit," etc.?
This numerical phrase has no applica-
tion and if anyone attempts to trace the
origin he will find the derivation credited
to many incidents. Members of many
callings claim the distinguished honor of
giving the diminutive to the world.
All assert that its first employment was
perfectly fitting to the conditions that
brought it forth.
It is a companion to "skiddoo" and is
frequently used in conjunction with that
equally expressive word, altho when you
say "23" you mean "skiddoo." "Skiddoo"
is authoritatively asserted to be a West-
ern expression, which was used first on
the cattle ranges of the Southwest by
cowboys and Indians.
It was declared to be a contraction and
popularization of the old phrase, "ske-
daddle." "Skiddoo" and "bushwa" the
latter a term of derision used to convey
the same comment as "hot air," drifted
east from the plains along with other
terse expletives.
But "23" belongs to no section, or
rather it originated in every part of the
United States according to the respective
authorities who have devoted their en-
ergies to tracing its lineage, says the
Boston Globe.
All the disputants on the question of
the genesis of the expression agree that
it was disseminated largely by a comedian
named George Cohan, who used it in the
musical comedy, "Little Johnny Jones."
But Mr. Cohan did not first employ the
numeral as a slang phrase. He heard it
and thought it a good line, so he used it.
Where did it come from?
Well, it is just about two years of age.
says one man. This authority, by the
way, is a baseball "fan."
"'Twenty-three' was first used as a
slang expression thru the South and
Southwest. It is a modification of the
slang phrase 'Eighteen and five.'
'Eighteen and five' was the first form,
and it was sprung by a barn-storming
ten, twent' and thirt' repertory company
touring the jayhawk, watertank towns
of the South and Southwest.
"It seems the manager of the company
was a kind-hearted guy, and did not
want to bruise any one's feelings. He
never fired any of the bunch, but had a
habit of piling on the extra parts in the
plays and keeping the ghost from walk-
ing in the direction of the actor or
actress he wanted to get rid of.
"The man or woman who was in bad
favor was ordered by the manager to
study additional parts until the number
reached 18, and at the same time the
manager kept putting off salary day. It
took about five weeks for the artful
proprietor of the show to work up the
list to eighteen parts. That meant five
weeks unpaid salary.
"By that time the object of the scheme
reached the subject and he or she quit the
show. So in that company it got to be a
byword. When one of the troupe fell
down or failed to make a hit the rest of
them would pass out the word '18 and 5
for you.' It meant that there were
eighteen parts and five lean weeks com-
ing, and the actor had better leave.
"After a while the '18 and 5' was found
to be too long and some one did an add-
ing stunt and brought out '23'
"The threatrical company left '23' along
the lines of the railroad and other show
people picked it up and after a year or
so it got to New York and Boston. Rac-
ing men took hold of it and used it to
designate a horse that was a 'dead one.'"
The racing man takes exceptions to this
above elucidation of the problem of dis-
covery. "Not a bit like it," says he, "23
for that.
"Now, I'll tell you just where it did
come from," he asserts with positiveness.
"It was this way. There were 23 horses
entered for the Suburban handicap over
in New York and the limit was 22. They
picked out the numbers to race under,
and of course one was 23. That horse
was ruled out, marked off the list. It
did not run.
"So in racing pariance, '23' came to
mean the horse that had to quit the
track and so was used to describe the
skate that wouldn't do.
"Don't let them fool you with any pipes
about actors having originated the word'
an actor never originates anything. He
is only a repeater."
Authority Number 3 is the press agent
of a circus. For more than two decades
he has illuminated the columns of the
country papers with thrillers and the
canvas show has trailed him all over the
country. This genius of lurid phrase and
alluring paragraph claims for the circus
man the credit of "23."
"It's as much the circus man's expres-
sion as 'Hey Rube,'" says he, "It's as
old as that slogan. You know whenever
a circus man runs up against a tough
crowd in a hard town, is getting the
worst of the mixup and needs assistance
he cries, 'Hey, Rube!' That is the signal
for every circus man within hearing to
rush to the rescue with a tent stake or
anything he can grab.
"'Twenty-three' is eighteen or twenty
years old. I heard it soon after I went
into the business. In the ring show there
used to be twenty-three turns, and after
the last one the boss canvassman had to
work the boys lively to get the tents down
and pack things into the wagons.
"That last feature, Number 23, was the
Roman chariot race. During the perform-
ance the canvassmen always sleep, par-
ticularly if the show is playing one day
stands. During the evening you'll find
they laying around on the hay and straw
in the various tents.
"When the Roman chariot race started
the cry '23' was sounded thru the tents
and over the lot to arouse the canvassmen
and get them up ready for the heavy
work just as soon as the event was over.
It meant 'get out,' just as it does now,
and it was adopted by the circus men
generally as a way of telling a compan-
ion that they were thru with him."
It is a far cry from the sawdust ring
and the animal tent to the Holy Writ, but
the explorers for the original application
of "23" have to make it if the quest be re-
ligiously pursued. It was not a minister
who advanced this theory that the Bible
is responsible for the most recent slang
phrase, but a student of slang, who ob-
served that many a colloquialism was
suggested by the Scriptures.
The etymological scientist declares that
"23" is linked with the departure of Adam
from the Garden of Eden. He insists that
an anonymous party fell to discussing
the cause of the woes of the world and
the banishment of the first mand from the
garden of bounty. They tried to recall
in just what part of the Bible the expul-
sion of Adam was recorded, and opinions
differing, one pored ofver the pages for a
reference. At last he exclaimed: "Here
it is in the fifth chapter of Genesis, verse
23; remember, 23."
This verse reads: "Therefore the Lord
God sent him [Adam] forth from the
Garden of Eden to till the ground from
whence he was taken."
"In recollecting it afterward, the mem-
bers of the party knew that Adam got his
in the twenty-third verse," said the au-
thor of this exposition upon the rise of
"23." "Afterward among themselves they
used to employ the expression in this
wise: 'It's yors to imitate Adam, what
he got in the twenty-third verse.' Then
came the contraction to '23'"
Those who know their Dickens well
say the phrase "23" meaning the finish,
the end, was suggested by his description
of the death of Sydney Carton in "A
Tale of Two Cities."
This is the story of the French revolu-
tion, and Sydney Carton, lawyer of bril-
liant promise but dissolute habits, finds
his life of no value to himself. When
during the Reign of Terror, a clean, hand-
some young man, the husband of a beau-
tiful young woman, is convicted and sen-
tenced to death, Sydney Carton seizes the
opportunity to consecrate his life to a
noble purpose, and he takes the place of
the condemned.
Many are led to the guillotine that day
As Dickens describes the scene, the citi-
zen soldiers, the populace and the "knit-
ting women" are gathered to witness the
executions. One by one the heads fall
from the balde and the "knitting women"
call the numbers.
Carton approaches the guillotine, a
woman preceeding him. "She goes next
before him--is gone; the knitting women
count 22--"
It is Carton's turn. The number, 23
is the end for him.
Under the title, "The Only Way," a
dramatization of Dickens story was
played a couple of seasons agon and he
who traces "23" to the adoption of this
numerical description of the departure
from life of Sydney Carton explains that
the theatrical profession seized it as an
easy way of indicating one's "finish."
No New Yorker would ever admit that
anything which caught the American peo-
ple could have come from anywhere but
Broadway. So the metropolis has ap-
propriated "23" as the product of condi-
tions on its best known thorofare. Here
is how a New Yorker tells it.
"The slang phrase came into use when
the mounted squad of policement were
first stationed in Union and Madison
squares to regulate the traffic. Each man
wwas given a whistle, and drivers were
taught to obey the signals. One blast
of the whistle meant 'stay where you
are.' Two shrieks constituted an order
to 'go ahead.' When the copper blew
three times he told you to 'back up.' If
he blew twice tshrilly and three immedi-
ately after the driver understood he must
back up and get out lively.
"So the cabmen took it up and souted
'23' at an obstructor of the traffic in any
part of the city. Naturally, from Brod-
way the expression spread over the coun-
try."
Another New Yorker advances a second
theory. He declares that in the alcoholic
ward of Bellevue hospital the padded
cell for the worst cases is No. 23. Thus
when, after a hard night, the sufferer
from the effect of high and low ones
lands in Bellevue he sees his finish in
'23"
Jack O'Brien, the pugilist, was refused
admittance to twenty-three New York
hotels, is advanced by an ingenious del-
ver into the mystery of '23' The only
difficulty with the plausibility of this is
that '23' was a part of the slang tongue
before O'Brien hit New York and he was
not thrown out of twenty-three places.
Still another explanation is that a party
of Westerners started to 'drink up'
Broadway. They counted each successive
bar and as they advanced to the last
they hailed the bartender with "23" All
hands then passed away and were bun-
dled in capbs and sent home.
One of the most commonly accepted
ideas of the derivation credits the coin-
ing to the evolution of the telegraph sig-
nal. The story goes that old-time opera-
tors used "23" to order interrupters off
the wire. Among railroad train dispatch-
ers "23" was used when the dispatcher
wished to notify all operators along the
division to copy a train order which was
about to be sent to some junction point.
It did not imply "get out" for on the
contrary it commanded everyone to "get
in."
Telegraphers have a yarn to the effect
that way back "23" was used for a death
message, but veterans at the key do not
recall the employment of the numerals
the chances are that no one knows ust
how "23" did happen. As long as 'most
everybody by this time knows what it
means, why waste time in trying to trace
it, when in a few months it will have
been superseded by some terse phrase of
equally mysterious origin?
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