Chapter 8
Section 8 of 1000 Things Worth Knowing. Coal Industry In the United States, the coal fields have an area of exceeding 160,000 square miles, but it is supposed that there are at least 310,000 square miles which contain coal. The estimated quantity of the available coal is exceeding 3 trillion tons.
Cocoa Industry The world produces about 530 million pounds of cocoa annually. The United States consumes about 130 million pounds. Germany about 112 million. France about 60 million.
England about 56 million, the total consumption being about 507 million pounds. Coffee Industry Brazil about 1,300 million. Central America about 201 million. Venezuela about 97 million.
Other South American countries about 78 million. Haiti and Santo Domingo about 84 million. Mexico about 43 million. Puerto Rico about 34 million. Jamaica about 10 million.
A total of nearly 2 billion pounds annually. The United States consumes about 881 million pounds a year. Coin Money in the form of metallic coins probably superseded all other legal tenders. The first record of the coinage of silver was in 869 BC, and it was made in Rome as
early as 269 BC and in Great Britain 25 years before the Christian era. Gold was first coined in England in 1087. Copper money was introduced by James I of England in 1620. The United States Mint began to coin money in 1793. Colosseum
The building of the Colosseum at Rome began in AD 80. It covers about 5 acres of ground and has a seating capacity for nearly 90,000 persons. It was built in the form of an oval with a diameter varying from 312 to 515 feet, the height being from 160 to 180 feet. In its arena, the gladiators fought among themselves and with wild beasts.
At its dedication by Titus, 5,000 wild beasts were killed and the celebration lasted for nearly 100 days. Occasionally the arena was flooded with water and sea fights took place. Comets Comets are supposed to be made up of an innumerable number of meteors, with millions of miles
of burning gas. They have regular orbits, but they have not been fully established and are more or less eccentric. They are not supposed to shine by their own light, but to obtain it by reflection. The orbit of comets was discovered by Hadley in 1682, who predicted their return.
Sometimes the head and tail part and remain so. Their number is unknown, but there is supposed to be thousands of them. The comet formerly was looked upon as a source of danger and it was supposed that the near approach of one of them would destroy the earth or any other celestial body. Recent research, however, indicates that comets have not sufficient density to cause damage,
although they might affect the atmosphere. The principal thing to be feared, however, if there is any danger, is that the envelopment of the earth by the comet's gas would destroy life. But most astronomers have agreed that the atmosphere of the earth would be sufficient protection.
So far as is known, no comet has ever caused any injury, and as they have existed from time immemorial, there would appear to be no reason for alarm. End of section 8
