" While it may sound strange, it is nevertheless true, that inquiries for automobiles are being made in Syria," says Cassier's Magazine. " Only one specimen, an inferior second-hand French machine, so says United States Consul G. Bie Ravndal, at Baireut, has been seen there; but it is thought that in Syria and Palestine, with their lack of railways and street-cars, and with their rapidly developing carriage-road systems, automobiles would do well. A new road is now being built between Sidon and Baireut, and will soon replace the ancient bridle-path. While this road will be level, others throughout the region are steep, and make numerous sharp turns. Vehicles in use, therefore, must be strong and durable. The tourist traffic has more than doubled in Syria during the last ten years."

Searchlights are to play a conspicuous part in American coast defenses. Extensive experiments with the lights are soon to be made by General Gillespie, chief engineer of the army. The Fortifications Act of last year appropriated $150,000 for the installation of the lights in New York harbor. It is now proposed to install the same system at Portland, Me., Boston, the eastern entrance of New York, and Puget Sound. It is planned to use the target and most effective searchlights, those having a range of 2,500 yards. It is proposed this year in the maneuvers at Narragansett Bay to multiply the searchlights in such way as to determine definitely whether the main channels in the four harbors named can be lighted up.

A heavy rainstorm occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio, about 10.45 a.m. on May 20, giving a precipitation of 2.31 in. in 38 minutes, according to the report of the local office of the Weather Bureau. This exceeds the precipitation of the storm of May 14, 1881, which was 1.14 in. in 20 minutes. The heaviest rainfalls in 24 hours were 2.98 in., May 25, 26, 1879; 2.47 in., May 27, 28, 1882, and 2.43 in., May 1, 1894. Since 1871 all the record storms have occurred in May, with the exception of 1897, when 1.99 in. fell during one hour on July 5.

An old oaken chair, which is said to be the most perfect specimen of ancient British carpentry extant, has been found by Dr. James Johnson in the village church at Stanford Bishop, Eng. It is believed to have been used by St. Augustine at the synods held between A.D. 590 and 603. The chair is made entirely of wood, without any form of iron work.

The proposal to develop the power of the great falls of the Zambesi River, in South Africa, is said now to be taking definite shape, the consulting engineers of the Rhodesia railways having been retained in connection with the development. These falls are the largest in the world, being larger even than Niagara. They are about a mile wide and 420 feet high, and even in dry seasons the water is from two to three feet deep at the crest of the falls. It is proposed to erect electrical transmission lines to cover the district within a radius of 150 miles, a distance which work at California has shown to be entirely practicable. In the territory covered by this radius the Wankie coal fields and some rich copper deposits are found, as well as all the materials necessary for the manufacture of calcium carbide.