crater of
an extinct volcano, filled with carbonic-acid gas. It is half a mile in
circumference.

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
Cambridge, 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 between
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
1-3/4 tons; standard silver coin, 26-3/4 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
island 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.

The greatest cataract in the world is Niagara, the height of the
American fa