'commissioned in the stokehold or FISHERMEN CATCH MINES "S1VEEPING" THE SEA IS A PERILOUS TASK, Iundreds of Lives Lost When the Hulls Strike Mines Sought With Trawls. Manned by Great Britain's deep- sea fishermen, hundreds of tiny yes- sels are patrolling England's coast from Harwich "to the Pentland Firth. From boats in which only a few weeks'ago they were catching herring and traw!) fish they are now fishing for menaces to navigation and maintaining a daily "sweep' 'for mines. Day and night the drift- ers' patrol and the mine-sweeping flotilla are engaged in a work which, if it is less glorious, is not quite an unimportant part of the work of England's navy. What a perilous task the mine "sweep" is is evidenced by the number of disasters which have overtaken members of the fleet. The strain of the work is tremend- ous, as each man realizes that every turn of the propeller may send him to the bottom. For mine "sweep- ing" the vessels work in pairs, steaming abreast of each other, and dragging between them a _ heavy chain that sweeps as a traw! net along or just above the bottom of the sea. When a mine is fouled it either explodes or is dragged to the surface and put out of action. The danger is in the vessels strik- ing with their hulls the mines that they are seeking to discover with their trawls. Cleared of Hostile Ships. Through the roads of the North Sea a continual procession of mer- chant shipping, bringing supplies of all kinds to the various ports is passing with regularity and com- parative safety. As far as the North Sea is concerned, it is only mines, comparatively speaking, that constitute a danger to the coastwise and oversea traffic, for the seas are well cleared of hostile ships. Many of the drifters engaged in patrol work have been fitted with wireless, so that they quickly get in touch with the authorities wheu mine layers or other hostile vessels are sighted. The-coast is divided a . Type of. Zeppelin Airship from Which Bombs were Dropped, mg as Viviltaes in re City af Niue A Delberatel Planned ie by Germa n Government. ters. One day the survivors of an Iceland trawler with four missing and later that same morning four survivors from a Danish steamer, eight lost.' their work all through the winter or until the close of the war. More than 200 vessels are carrying on the work in the North Sea, each with a crew of ten men. THE HEART OF POLAND. Cracow Was Founded About the Year 700 A.D, Cracow, which the Russians are trying so hard to take, is the an- cient capital of Poland, the city round which cluster most of the glorious memories of that lost but not forgotten kingdom. There for more than four hundred years, the kings of Poland were crowned and uried, and for more than' three hundred years it was their seat of government There lie buried Jan Sobieski who delivered Vienna--and thereby all Europe--from the Turks; © Ponia- towski, the famous genera] who be- came one of Napoleon's marshals; Mickiewicz, the poet of Poland, and Kosciusko, the patriot hero of the Poles. The tombs of al] four are in the Stanislas Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic church built in 1359, that crowns the Wavel, a rocky hill that rises on the edge of the town. There are other fine churches in the city, the Augustinian and Dominican among them; and there is also the into districts, and Lowestoft, North Shields, Folkestone, and other such fishing ports have be- come headquarters for the mine destroyers. undreds of other fishermen, members of the Royal Naval Re- aatey have been mobilized and are in barracks waiting to be drafted into vessels as they are on the deck. Not-all of the fisher- men have been able to find places in the various branches of sea ser- vice. Thousands of them are out of work and the outleok is any- thing but bright for very many. "In other years at this time,' Toilers of the Deep, the magazine of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, says, "the great herring harvest of the east coast should be in full swing. To- day the quay is lined with vessels, but there is no sign of life oa board; also they are idle because of the markets on the other side of the North Sea are closed to them, and because their work at sea would be a menace to them selves and causé serious hampering to the rapid movements of his Ma- jesty's ships that come and go con- tinually. Trawlers Captured. great Royal Castle, which was long the residence of the kings of Po- land, which fell to the uses of a barracks after the kingdom was divided, and which has within the last fifty years been restored. The city-also contains # ve 1364, and in age is second only to Prague among the universities of Europe, The intellectual and artis- tic achievements of the Poles and Bohemians, attained six centuries and more ago, show that the Slav is capable"of the highest things. He is weakest perhaps in the-organiza- tion of government, for Poland, long the bulwark of civilization against the Tartar and the Turk, fell at last because of the endless dissentions among its brave and brilliant nobility. Cracow itself was founded about 700 A.D. More than once it was destroved by the Tartars, rebuilt and recolonized by Polish, German and Bohemian settlers. From 1305 to 1610 it was the capital of Poland ; later it was part of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and from 1815 to 1846 it was, with its immediate neighborhood, a free and neutral state, a distinction it lost when in- ternal disorders gave Austria an 'At the outbreak of the war phe North Sea was cleared for a time off al] fishing vessels, and many of us -- it would have been wl 1 had is rehibition been mar:ntained louger than it was. There can be | no doubt that numbers of fis ung vessels have been captur nal | turned into mine-laying ate | while outwardly to all appearance. they are English trawlers engage in their ordinary routine of fishing. Many of the fishing ports have re ceived blows through the non return of a large part of their fish- ing fleets. The vessels have © sim ply disappeared. Whether they have been sunk or captured no one ean say. Boston, Grimeby, and Hull have been particularly heayy suf- ferers through vessels striking mines. Thirty vessels were echirey ed destroyed from Grimsby and ten from Boston. In the cases of only two vessels were the crews all saved. had a sad time a. few weeks Az hse 'We ago," one fisherman from North Shields, fe our mine-sweeping trawlers ete blown up almost simultaneously" by mines; a morning of.antious --sus- pense, when it was impossible to get correct information, then a hur- ried message from the oard of Trade and the sad task of going to waiting wives, one after an- r, with the news that their hus- duxnds were among the missing, then hastening over to the South Shiekis infirmary to see the wound- ed. Other sad scenes have taken place on our quay with the landing of survivors of other mine disas- excuse to step in and take posses- ; sion of the town. One of the most intere sting things in Cracow is Kasctusko Hill, a mound of earth on the top of the Bcrislava Hill. It is made up of handf) a canth broucht by Poles from + arte f the kinegd and thr mwn together to forn na me- morial t ie polish patriot. eom posed of the soil of the country he i loved so well. tula on Krakus Hill there lar mound, which if said to be al most twelve hundred vears old; it was, so tradition says, raised in the same way to the memory of Krakus, the Slavie prince who founded the city. f the war results in an autonom- ous of semi-autonomous kingdom of Poland, Warsaw instead of Cracow may be its capital, since it is more centrally situated and much larger, But to the patriotic pole, Cracow is always the spiritual centre of his fatherland--the "heart of Po- land.' - ----t--___. Encouragement. » "Well,"' said the infirm old aunt, despondently, "I shan' . be a nuis- ance to Ske much lon don't talk like that, aunt," nephew, reassuringly, "you know that, you will !" "She is simply mad on the sub- ject of germs, and sterilizes or fil- ters everything in the house!" 'How does she get along with her family?' "Oh, even her relations are strained."' The mine-sweepers will continue |, fam-=4 ous old university, whieh dates from Acress the river Vis- | is a simi-} WHATIS YOUR BIRTH MONTH ? BIG FACTOR IN DETERMINING CHARACTER. Great Many Noted Students De- Their Belief in the Idea. Does the month in which one is born really have an influence on the character and disposition and suc- cess and happiness in life? There are those who are inclined to sco' at the idea; but it is only necessary to read the writings of those who have made a special study of the subject, and to compare their state- ments with one's own life and that of their friends and relatives to be- come convinced that there is much od be learned from those who claim be experts*in regard to fore- telling the future by basing their calculations on the date upon whic! one was orn. Probably clare no man -has made a closer study of the subject than "Chiero," a palmist and clairvoy- ant, who most truly remarks in his book, 'When Were You Born?' that "those people who have some means at their command to learn their own characters and the dis- positions of others must certainly be thrice armed in the battle of life, and consequently more successful than those who know nothing of such things." Chiery" says he has seen many wicked and broken lives where, had people possessed a slight know- edge of their own dispositions, they might. have been saved, and Porsche honk in a Sactarg" pick? ing to '"'Chiero,"' have strong men- tal force, but they are, as a rule, generally misunderstood by others. They are thinkers, reasoners,' and should aim for some form of public life, for they generally do best in such careers. They have strange ideas of love, duty and social positions, and for thistreason they are aften consid- ered odd, and do not fit in easily with their neighbors. But they have warm hearts toward suffering, and as a rule give largely to charities. his is also a ¢haracteristic of persons born in February. While excellent in business and finance, as a general rule, they are more successful for others, more money for others than for themselves. They are usually high- strung, oversensitive and, while not demonstrative in affections, feel very deeply. Those born in March have rather peculiar temperaments. They are inclined to brood and become mel- ancholy and worry about what a" ye, future position in life may "This state of mi ind is, I think," sail "@hiero," '1: argely due to their dislike and dread of being de pendent on others mare than fr mn fany love of money Many best of themselves Strong Will Power. The main characteristic of those born in April are strong will power and great obstinacy of They are born fighters; they also the greatest ability in the for- -- of big schemes or as the heagis_ of big businesses. But they have their disadvantage in life, for as @ rule they are unhappy in their marriages. They rarely meet mem- bers 'cf hy opposite sex who under- hem. Sgsekisy is the keynote of pe ay. If they re. they are generous to the last de- gree*and will consider no sacrifice too great for the person they care for. If they are enemies they will '| fight with the most determined ob- stinacy to the death. But they al- ways fight in" the spans for they hate trickiness, double-dealing. or deceit. At the same. time neither men nor women born in May should marry early, their ig marriage be- ing tg & mis Of all it appears Sus born in June are the most difficult to under- stand. In temperament y are hot and cold almost at the same mo- ment. They make clever actors, law- yers, lecturers; and a certain class of public speakers--all' those. who play a changing role in life's dra- ma; but if endowed with unusually to aire wi and make | Strong will power, and if they can force themselves to stick to one thing, then they generally make brilliant successes of whatever they undertake in any sphere of life. The Restless Ones. "Persons born in July usually are Testless in disposition and have a constant longmg "for travel and change. They always are making omes and rarely keeping them. Inclined to speculate and make mo- ney quickly in all gambles, they generally lose, whereas in business they are, as a rule, most successful. With their employer they never shirk work or the putting forward of liis interests. Great soldiers, leaders in finance, and public men often are born in August. The main characteristics of people whose birth month this is are sympathy and generosity, al- though somewhat impetuous and quick-tempered. They make mies through their frankness straightforwardness, an ave a tendency to get terribly deceived, and in the end become bitter, severe and over-critical. Those born in September usually make good literary critics, quick to see the weak points, while at the same time they are rapi readers and endowed with wonder- ful memories. In the execution of almost anything they set their minds on they generally succeed. A varied career is usually the portion of persons born in October. They often are successful as specu- lators or gamblers, but have little regard for money. Large numbers of them seem to drift naturally into the study of the Jaw, and in it they generally make a name as lawyers, barristers, or judges. In marriages, however, they are seldom happy, a to Scoept fy ave tremely aang virtuous pee religious, 'but once their nature is aroused, they are often found to swing in the opposite direction. The have great magnetic powers, and in danger and in sudden crises are cool and determined. Many of the best surgeons have been born in November. In December the great workers are born, who never seem to tire until they wear themselves out. They have enterprise in business, but never feel themselves confined to any one line. For this reason one often finds the men of this per- iod change from clergymen to stock brokers, or from professors to fol- lowers of trade. As a rule, from their intense concentration and will- power they are successful in what- ever they do, and they should al- ways be allowed a free hand in | choosing their vocation. x , COURT PRESENTATION: Does Not Carry Privileges Some- times Thought. \ matter that the British court officials have felt it necessary to im- f ' | | ! press upon visitors from other parts of the Empire and foreign lands| : presented to the King and] Queen is that the fact that the |have been presented at court does | noi carry all the privileges that are j sumetimes suggested. Nobody who| has not been presented at a court or levee can be asked to meet the King and Queen, but the facet that they have been presented does not.mean that they will be invited to meet their Majesties on some other occa- Sion. The presentation at courts or le vees has no further results than the appearance of the names of the pre- sented in the following morning's papers. It confers no privileges ex- cept that of entry--when invited--to a foreign embassy abr The sug- gestion, that presentees are entitled to receive at least one invitation to a State bal 6 any entiwority The lists of invitati for 'en cgha are compiled Ff the place the Esa, Chamberlain makes out the lists and then they are care- pally scrutinized by the Queen. In tihe reign King Edward went over the lists, bay Ring ore has wt this task to his consort, every name is carefully conadnred before it is "Ts your mamma sorry that I am going to marry your sister?" "Oh, no, sir! Ma says that sister might have married someone with brains an' they wouldn't have been half 80 easy to manage as you. y{as powerfully equipped ; 'the time arrives for bombarding the HUGE GERMAN GUNS. British Artillery Is-Superior to the German. Considerable' interest has -been aroused by the mammoth engines of destruction which are being em- ploy y the German armies. Ter- rible tales have been told of the eleven and seventeen-inch Krupp weapons; but it may be said, with- out depreciating the powers of the enemy, that these stories are con- siderably exaggerat The exis- tence of these weapons has been known to military experts since the day the first of them appeared on the testing-range of its creators, says a writer in Chambers' Jour- nal. A friend of the writer, who has been responsible for many weapons, and who saw these guns under test upon the Krupp ranges, maintains that neither of these terrible how- itzers has yet been used, but thai the ten and a half centimeter-- four and a quarter inch--howitzers, with which the German army is we equipped, have been mistaken for them. he former were employed against the Liege, Namur, and Ant- werp fortifications with deadly of fect. No occasion has yet arisen for the use of the larger weapons, al- though the eleven-inch gun was be- ing ragged southward, and was to be used for the reduction of the for- tification of Paris. Fortunately, however, the transport proved too dificult, and the guns became stranded in the country along the River Aisne. When the Germans retreated they retired until they reached the lines where they had been placed upon emplacements, when it was recognized that a German re- inevitable. These " as they _the vs a itbr A ne sive an Seaipenent 6 be ceed ex- cept in extreme cases e forty- two centimeter howitzers, hich the same informant also saw under trial at the testing ranges, has a life of only about thirty rounds. The shell weighs nearly a 'ton, while the firing of a round represents an expendi- ture of twelve hundred pounds, The weight of the weapon precludes its movement by ordinary systems o haulage, and sg ean be moved only over a railw The shell, at fired at a verti- cal angle of sixty-five degrees, has a range of between eight ten miles, attains an altitude of about ree miles, and travels at a speed of one thousand feet per secon upon leaving the muzzle. 'may be followed with ease even by the naked eye, while with glasses the action of turning turtle, which eccurs when the missile has reached the highest point of its trajectory, oc = Its flight | "BRITISH Saami ALLERS BEST. Ginaaia: 'Depend Altegether on Telegraph and Telephone. -- Much of the hardest and most dangerous work of the British army -- is done by the flag siguallers of the Army Signa! Service. They hav often to stand in the fighting lin wagging their flags or worki. their flash mirrors, while the. Ge: man riflemen mass their fire again the men who are directing th infantry, and movements of guns, semen. x The German army does nob. use our methods of signalling. The Germans rely on field 'telephones and wireless apparatus, kept main- ly behind the battlefront, The Brit- ish troops are just as guod as the Gennans in this kind of safe sig- nalling, but they find that one flag: wagger in the firing-lime is often worth a dozen telegraph and tele- a clerks a safe distance away. A good deal of the remarkable suc- cons of the British in France and Flanders is due to the splendid work of their unmatohable signal- lers. Even if half 2 company be- comes detached from the army in the course af an action, it, is usual- ly able to ' to the main body over a phe of two oc three miles. A squadron of seouting vara' of half a battalion of advanein fantry cannot, in the rush sn of a critical acti take 4 im wire and an electrical jg them. Bat even in e man can run'a tlag, andif . tines is brought up suddenly by an entrenched host of the «enemy, the flag-man can at onee signa! for help. If he hasn't brought tage with him, he oan tie a handkerechied on his rifle. He can ask the gun- ners to rake the trench wth siirap- nel, and give them the/Tange and tell them if they hit or miss; or he can ask for supports to be hurried up to strengthen the charging column. The work of the flag signailer it very simple. He takes a tlag in each hand and strikes various atti- tudes--right flag held high up, left flag held straight down: right flag held sideways, left dag struck up, and so on. Each movement stands for a letter of the alphabet. This is known as the semaphore system. But a message can be sant almost as quickly with one flag. This is wav ed in two ways--one a long wagg): the other a short, sharp, flutte The long waggle represents 1. dash in the Morse cade, the sh flutter stands for the dot. A few weeks agu, at the battle « Ypres, some of the British guns got in a very hot corner The lieuten- another battery, a mile away, to shrapne! a farman regi- ment that had got too vloae and was shooting his gunners down. There was no field telephone handy. and efore anyone could cnn or ride with a message the Germans would have captured the guns But in accordance with the splen- did system of training for al acol- dents which is the great distinct ion of our army, one of the gunners knew al! about tlag-signalling $ took a handkervhief, and, amid a hail of German bullets, Aagged out a message for help Tha distant British battery observed the signal- ling, trained its guns on the enemy, (lernvans have situation oe this: would and saved the in such a ¢ase been helpless DIN aneneaceccmmer GOATS' MILK FS SARE, Said to Be Better fer tnftants ' is plainly visible. Expert artiller- ists who are fully cognizant of the! Krupp trend in gun evolution, evince slight regard for this wea- pon, and emphatically state that "its bark is worse than its bite." The forty-two centimetre weapon is claimed as the modern wonder of :.3 the artillery world; but, as a mat- |" ritish force is just antl when ter of fact the Br fortres guarding the German frontier, it will be the Gernitins, as well as other nations who will be surprised in_turn. The field artil- lery of the British army, the whole, is the most powerful, in the world, and it will be found that} our siege weapons will fully main- | tain our claim to pre-eminence in this --_ field of human en- deavor Fresh Brilliance. Throughout the campaign the French artillery have shown e greatest brilliance and resource. On one occasion a German battery was 50 sieestly concealed oo the French battery. which 'it ell- as unable to find che: range. For "moar hocrs th this state of af- fairs contint oie at last a Ger- 1 man uriedtself in the ground without Kren" The officer in} milked command of French battery at once dug up the. shell, parody taking the great risk of the shel explogins at any minute. e examined 'the time fuse, and then set his own ac- cordingly. Within half.an hour the erman battery was silenc CS: "SCSI ae Even a multimillionaire can have his veriform appendix removed only once. The one thing that doesn't seem to be affected by the law of gravi- tation isthe high cost of living. a taken on; Cows Milk i That many diseas-s |milk is a fac toon. which are agreed. Bs 1 uk i ind the s ul ; s. 1. } 'ture for half an Othe that this destroys the food value « | the milk and it is'hetter to ru risk of septic sore throat, tonsi | scarlet fever, typhoid! fever." | diphtheria than ty drink milk that | is valueless as food Another suggestion Lume: frony an eminent English nhyntoiat, Dr. Walter Edmunds of London, wh urges that cows' milk he discard in favor of goats.' Wriling to the: Lancet, he Says: "Goats practically never have tu- bercle, therefore their oulk can bq, given without pasteurizing; fury ther, it can be obtained fresh and n. I once caught in a test cube ~~ a goat being -by a hoy; the teal tube wag placed in an ineubator and: reuain- ed sterile. Goats are small and cleanly animals, : k apt in milk from the tei ant oan bo ke ealth even in the oentre of a large town; their milk is said to he better for infants than ows milk because the curd is finer.' The Goat Society of England cal, culates that for every A centt spent on the keep of a goat it re- turns one quart of milk ny The opinion of a candid persmy - is seldom sought a second time. et