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About Dakota County herald. (Dakota City, Neb.) 1891-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1911)
WIRELESS CONTROL OF BOATS tur Neura Young Australian Inventor Gives Dem onstration of Guiding Movements of Water Craft. A young Australian Inventor ha given successful demonstrations of a wtreleRs nppnratus for controlling th jby ,3Lfttuarflg J TURPENTINE. BY ELECTRICITY Five O'Clock Tea fltfUHL m I ist r 21 I ii- r rf Builder of Panama Railroad Commodoro Asplnwall's Efficiency In Caring. for Returning Gold Miners When Cine of Hit 8teamer Wa Stranded. In I860, following the discovery of gold In California, Commodore Will iam K. Asplnwall, Commodoro Van dorbllt's great rival In tho waters about New York, retired from his great shipping firm and devoted all hla time to building tho Panama rail road, across the Isthmus of that namo, and establishing steamship linos to connect it at Asplnwall (now Colon) from New York and at Panama for San Francisco. At enormous expenso and great loss of life, Asplnwall completed his rail road In 1855, and among tho homo-ward-bound gold seekers who had tho distinction of belpg tho first passen gers carried eaBtword by tho road was Mr. Dudley Jones, now a promi nent resident of Littlo nock, Ark., and tho head of a largo manufacturing corporation. "In tho spring of 1855," said Mr. Jones, recently, "I was a passenger from San Francisco to Panama on tho big Asplnwall steamer Golden Gate or wnp It Golden Age? Thoro were eight hundred of us returning forty niners, and a crew of ono hundred men. Wo had a fairly good run down tho coast and were about to turn north somo two hundred miles below Panama when tho ship, whllo passing betwoen two Islands, ran on tho coral reef known as Qulbo Island. "When tho sldowheelcr struck I was sleeping on tho upper deck only a fow fcot from whero Commodoro Aspln wall and two or throo of his old cap tains wero standing 'admiring tho scenery and tho bright moonlight and speculating at what hour noxt morn ing wo would reach Panama. Instant ly I was nwnko and saw everything that followed. "It was a critical moment. Had tho ordor been given to head for tho mainland, tho vessel would not havo tvu li-r 1iij;(1i l-fr hI til, lug Inlrt deep water, with tho loss pf most of her passengers. Whethor Commodoro Asplnwall or ono of Jils captains gave tho right order I don't know, but whllo tho big ship waB seemingly rocking In her death throes, with clouds of steam pouring from her hatches, her noso waa pushed by emergency means into tHo sandy beach which wo could dimly seo lying a few rods ahead, and In a twinkling n cable was mndo fast to one of the big trees fringing It. "By tho time this had been dono as many of tho passengers . could And Odd Railroad We&tlnghouie Airbrake, Janney Coup ler and Steel Ralls All Were Intro duced In America About the Same Time. "In my long career as a railway and business man I learned that whatever tho emergency might bo, however great tho opportunity, thoro always camo at tho exact moment rosourcos needed to moet tho cmorgoncy or to grasp tho' opportunity," said tho lato James D. Layng, who for many years was associated with prominent rail ways of tho west tho Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and Chicago, tho Chicago and Northwestern, and tho Big Four In high otllclal capacity. "I think, how ever, the most extraordinary demon stration of tho truth of what I havo Just said wuh thut which occurred in or near Pittsburg at the time I wus with tho Pittsburg, Ft. Wayno and Chicago. "In 1819 I nssistod in making tho first survey for any railroad west of Pittsburg, So enormously hod tho railway development of tho mld-wost been botwoon that tlmo and 18C8, tho year of tho threo coincidences I havo in mind, that It had become apparent to all railway men that, unless thoro were some new Inventions traffic would bo congostod, slnco rallwny equipment would not be sufficient to meet tho demaifds mado upon It. "Wo had Just been seriously con cerned over tho swift movement "of trains botweon Pittsburg and Cincin nati and especially because of an no cldont duo to tho inability of a rail road engineer to slow down a heavy frolght train when, ono day, thoro called at my office a young man whom I know, who said to mo that ho had nn npparatus he had JuRt perfected which would innko It possible for a railroad Slipped One Over on Kent. Congressman Kent of Cnllfornln got In tho othor day. In tho smoking room as his train passed through New Jer sey sat a largo and prosperous look ing mnn, who eyed him with evident interest. "Do you know that you look a lot like Governor Wilson of New Jersey?" asked the prosperous man of Kent. Kent said that no ono had over told him so. "Well, you do," Bald tho othor. "Gool Wilson's a homely man, Isn't ho?" Kent eald that no ono had over told him that, either. Tho prosperous looking man apologized, "I don't want tp hurt your feelings," said ho, "You do look Uko Wilson, and ho Is uglf. There's no getting away from that. But Wilson looks Intelligent." Mr. Kent said that he wus some what relieved, under tho circum stances. Cincinnati Times-Star. Saving that Is spasmodic Is perhaps better than not saving at all, but It makes a poor umbrella for the rainy 4y. - standing room had rushed to tho deck. Tho big boat gradually settlod down at tho stern until sho rested on the bottom with a slight list to port. Tho gold dUBt was rushed to deck and piled in tho bow. It was In very strong boxes, each about six Inches wide and fifteen Inches long, and thoro was $4,000,000 worth of It. Later, two boats wero sent out from tho ship ono to tho head of tho Island to Intercept the outgoing steamer then about due, If she should happen to tako tho passago on the othor sldo of tho island, and tho other with orders to proceed to Panama for aid unless it foil In with tho outward bound steamer, "During tho three days that passed beforo tho big steamer Ilrothor Jona than hovo In sight thoro were no regu lar meals ovcryono was glad to eat what ho could got. Thoro was no cook ing no tables set. A plnce to spread a blankot waB hard to find. Tho wa tcr, at high tldo, Invaded tho upper cabins, and tho lower, or second, cabin was flooded all tho time. Wild animals wero heard during tho night In tho Jungle. Parrots and paro quotts kopt up a contlnunl screaming. And all tho whllo thero was much anxiety as to what tho commander of tho Brother Jonathan would do If he wero Interccptou, Perhaps ho would carry us off tho way wo had como to Prophecy of Great Engineer General Serrell Predicted Another Canal Would Be Built .Across Isthmus 6t Panama Via the Bias Route. Gen. Edward Wellman Sorrell, who died In 100C, wns ono of tho groat engi neers of tho United States. Ho was as sociated with somo of tho most Im portant and difficult engineering under takings of tho tlmo betwoon tho early forties and 20 years after the war. In tho latter years of his llf", which wns much occupied with his pot pro Joct of building n ship eannl across tho Isthmus of Panama along what Ib called tho San Bias routo, which lay somo mllos nenror tho South American contlnont than tho Panama canal. Ho projected his cannl from tho Gulf of San Bias, on tho Atlantic, to Pearl Is land harbor, on the Pacific; and ho claimed that It could bo built at Boa level and on a straight lino, with no locks, ttJHs limn 30 miles from ocean to ocean, and not bo costly. He wns al most heart-broken when It became ap parent to him that the government Coincidences - engineer completely to control a train to bring It to a stop within tho limit of snfoty. "I asked him to show mo his ap paratus. He did so, aud I waB given authority to test it upon a specially prepared train on tho Pnnhnntllo be tween Pittsburg and Stoubonvlllo, O. That waB tho way Georgo Westing, houso's alrhrako wnB Introduced. "About that tlmo within a fow months anyway thore alBo called upon mo an npothecary whose homo was in Alexandria, Vn. Ho told mo that a railway accident had occurrou near Alexandria which caused much dnmago by reason of tho fact that tho cars had clashed togothor and wore toloscoped, and ho ndded that ho had Invented nn npparatus which would mnko toloscoplng Impossible. "It told him to show mo this np paratus, and ho did. 1 gave orders that It bo adjusted to sevoral cars and then bo Boverely tested. In thnt way the Jnnnoy couplor, porfoctly supple menting the air brako, waH Introduced. "Yt nvHln, about tho Haino tlmo, J. Edgar Thompson, president of tho Pennsylvania, told mo thnt he wanted mo to toBt tho now steel rail which wan then being first manufactured In England. I decided to put ton miles of thoso steel rnilH upon it section of tho Pnnhnndlo n fow miles out of Pittsburg. W gavn tho rails an ex haustive test, and wo dccldod that w(th n slight Improvement thoy would malco vory heavy traffic possible "Thesu throo fcaturoB of modern railway equipment tho nlr brake, tho Janney couplor, and tho steel mil which have made henvy and safo trnf no upon American railways posslblo, wore all perfected, as 1 now remem ber, within a your." (Copyrlulit, 1811, by K. J. IMwnrd. All Rights HeaorviHl.) Uncle Joe Representative Palmer Tells How Speaker Was Excommunicated From Religious Sect. Representative A. Mitchell Palmer ot Pennsylvania Is telling a good story on Speaker Cannon. . "Fow people reallzo," said Mr. Pal mer, "that tho Quakers havo a larger representation In congrcsB, In propor tion to tho membership of the sect, than any other religious body. There are 200,000 Quakers In the' United States; the present apportionment rails for one membor of tho houso for approximately each 200,000 population, and yet there are nine Quakers In the Iiouho nnd senate. Thoy are Repre sentative Cocks of Now York, Butler ot Pennsylvania; Driest of Pennsyl vania, Barnard ot Indiana, Hcald ot Delaware, Speaker Cannon nnd my sell. Over In tho senato the Quakers are Heyburn ot Idaho, Scott ot West Virginia and Dixon ot Montana. "Strictly speaking, there aro only Acapulco, or oven to San Francisco. And perhaps wo would havo to wait till a steamer could bo sent out from Panama to our relief. "Hero Is where tho prcsenco of Commodoro Asplnwall stood us In good stead. As soon as tho Brother Jonathan anchored at a safe distance from tho reef wo had struck ho or dered us to bo taken aboard her. It was a rush order, and It took nearly twelve hours of steady work on tho part of both crewn to transfer passen gers, baggngo and gold. It was Just qt dusk when the Brother Jonathan hoisted anchor and hooded for Pan ama, to our Intense relief and delight. "At Pnnama, tho next morning, wo were quickly disembarked. The tldo being low, we were landed n quarter of a mUo out on a coral reef and walk od Into tho city That night found us loaded In cars headed for Asplnwall, tho first east-bound train to carry pnRsongers on tho Panama Railroad. Tho road was far from being finished. Tho tracks wero slippery, tho locomo tlvo light, and It had to bo helped by a lot of negro laborers pulling at long ropes. "I never saw Commodore Asplnwall aftor wo loft the wreck. Whethor ho stayed at Panama or went on with us to New York I do not know. And I never saw In nny paper an account of our wreck or of tho first east-bound pnsscngor train's trip across tho Isth mus of Panama." (Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All Rights Reserved.) would decide In fnvor of the present Pnnnma canal project. During 'a conversation thnt I had with Gen. Son ell in 1834, when discus sion over tho probablo government cnnal ncrosa tho Isthmus of Panama was attracting a great deal of atten tion, I asked tho gonoral how ho had becomo Interested In tho construction of a cnnnl along tho San Bias route. "My beliof In tho feasibility of tho Snn Bins routo Is duo to two of my carllor experiences ns an engineer," waa tho reply "In tho flrBt place, I waB ono of tho engineers employed by Commodoro William Asplnwall to make a survey of tho Panama railroad across tho Isthmus of Pnnama so as to shorten tho routo botweon tho Atlantic coaflt and San Francisco In California gold days. That experiment mnrto mo very familiar with tho Isthmus; we went nil over the Snn Bias route be foro fccldlng upon our final survey for tho Panama railroad. "In the next plnce, my experience with tho Hoosnc tunnel, one ot tho most exciting experiences of ray life, led me to reallzo how easily the Sau Bias routo could bo constructed in splto of Uio mountain thnt towers in its pathway near tho center of the Isth mus. "Tho state of Massachusetts had au thorized the construction of a tunnel under tho groat Hoosac mountnln. That meant tunneling through solid rock about four and threo-qunrtors miles, nnd nt tho base of a mountain some 500 foot In height "You enn't imagine how oxcltlng and npprehenslvo wo wore as tho workmen from either end approached each oth or. At last ono day tho rocks were pierced from the east to tho west, and tho drills met with a deviation of only a littlo over an inch. "Now, I snld to myself, when I came to study thlB canal problem, If we could cut tho Hoosac tunnel so accu rately as that, wo could easily tunnel tho San Bins mountain, although we might havo to cut tho tunnel a hundred feet wide and a hundred and fifty foot high. Thnt, sir, would bo a sim ple question ot draughting. But with that, mountain tunneled In that way, any ship could pass through, wo should havo a porfoct sea-level cannl only 30 mllos long, tho mountain tunneling be ing only flvo miles, nnd good natural harbors at elthor end. "I suppose that If It had not been for my cxporlenco on the Isthmus when surveying tho Panama railroad, and my work as tho engineer In ohnfgo of tho Hoosnc tunnol construc tion, I uevor should have thought of tho San Bins Interocennlc cnnal route. And I toll you," tho great engineer add ed emphatically (and who dares to dony prophetically?) "that If our gov ernment decides upon tho Pnnnma or tho Nlcarngunn routo, tho day will surely como In tho next century when nn Interocennlc cnnnl will bo construct ed hy private enpttnl vln tho Snn BlaB routo. And wbonovor that time comos, let the government cnnnl look out for competition." (CopyrlBbt, 13ip. by 12. J. Kilwnrds. All Hlghts Reserved.) as a Quaker nlno of us. Spenkor Cannon excom municated himself the day ho wob married. When tho meeting heard of Cannon's marrlago they sent a com mittee to mm. "'Joseph.' said tho committee. 'Hnn has committed n great wrong by mar rying nonfrlend. If theo will say that theo are sorry thee will bo ta ken back Into tho meeting.' " 'Brothers, said Cannon, 'theo como to mo too soon, If theo will como to mo In about n year I will bo able to toll theo whethor I nm sorry,'" "Thoy would not wait a year," In terrupted tho Bpenkor, who was en Jojlng the story, "and tbov loltt n good Quaker. Howover, I nm not lonely, bocauso although Painter says Senntors Dixon and Scott aro Quivkors 1 don't think elthor of them work nt It any more than 1 do." Arithmetic for tho fortuno founder: Give tho ratio ot tho squandered dim to the Buved dollar. v THE pretty and comfortable cus tom of serving afternoon tea Is, In many houses, nulto as much a part ot tho regular household routlno as breakfast or dinner. The lea may be simply served for the family and casual visitors who drop' In nt tho "tea-hour," or It may bo quite an ,olaborate affair, with Invitations nnd many guests. When It assumes the proportions of a reception, the dining table 1b tho center of attraction, and guests are escorted thither. For a cup of tea with a chance caller, the tea-table Is brought Into tho drawing-room or sitting-room. It 1b no longer usual to leave tho Bmall table set, as used fre quently to be seen. Thero was a suggestion of possible dust about that custom not qulto savory to the tea drlnkor. To meet this change in fashion a small portable table fc used. For this most simple and pleasing way of entertaining one's friends tho preparations noed not be elaborate. The tea-table may stand In tho cor ner of tho drawing-room, or a room opening oft it. If the hostess expects many callers, sho should ask a friend to preside over the tea urn or kettle. If cof feo or chocolate Is to bo served an other friendmay bo nBked to pour this. Tho second beverage Is not nec essary, as tho ono for which tho function Is named is sufficient and Is generally liked. The tablo must be covered with a pretty cloth, and on this should be the tea-kettle with an alcohol lump to Insure a constant supply of boil ing water to replenish the teapot or to weaken the liquid already poured. In somo homes tho maid is supposed to bring In freshly boiling water as often as required, but the particular housewife usually finds that tho water Which sho bolls herself It more certain than that carried from the '.-.... "five O'clock" Cakes. aislant kitchen. There never was a truer ndngo than the old ono that de clares: "Unless the kettle boiling be. Filling the teapot spoils tho tea." Therefore, tho connoisseur wants to be sure that tho steaming liquid poured upon tho high-priced leaves it Table Book Case -me&uTl n lffi tffcStzpiSSZz B', "-A1! 1 tlk&'-LBBssss THERE are certain books that are almost as nocessnr on a writ ing table as pen and Ink, nnd those books should bo In such n position thnt any ono of thorn may bo rendy to hand whonevor required, nnd for that purpose tho tablo book case shown In our sketch will prove n great convenience, nnd It requires littlo skill to mnko. It can bo mndo with the aid of any strong woodon box of n sultablo size. Tho lid may bo removed, ns it will not bo rcqulrefl, and also tho front pnrt of tho box. nnd the remaining portion will present the appearance shown lu tho smnll Bketch on tho loft-hand Bldo Tho wearing of earrings is now uni versal. Orlontal embroideries display motifs omplihatzod by bends of gold or silver. As though trying to got to tho other extreme, tho newest veilings show fine dots, fine threads and flno meshes. Cloth topped shoes aro proeurnblo lu plain colors, gray, tan and dull greon, whllo tiny chocks or shadow plaids aro much In evidence among smartly drofised woiueny Dull Jot or enamel Jowolry Is Invnrl nbly worn for deep mourning. Brooch es, belt buckles and long neck chains for lorgnette or watch aro about all that U really necessary. Marriage to mo could be but one of two things, exquisite or detestable, it was exquisite. -. y -x. . -. I sho uses Is more than "scalding hot" witn tho Kcttlo on the tablo must bo the teapot, sugar bowl, and cream Jug. The cups and saucers aro ar ranged within easy reach of tho per son who "pours," and on tho tablo rnay bo n pile of plates, each ono pro vided with a small nnpkln or dolly. Many hostesses omit these plates, and they aro, after all, a matter of taste, although whero thero aro several kinds of sandwiches or cakes the guest finds them a convenience. Simple sandwiches are always popu lar White bread-and-butter sand wiches cut into triangles and Boston-brown-bread and crenm-cheese sand wiches cut Into semi-circles form a pretty combination, and are known by some housekeepers as "blond and bru nette sandwiches." A dish of fancy cakes and macaroons, and another of chocolates and other sweets appeal to those with a sweet tooth. Havo fresh tea made often. Tho lover of tho beverage 1b quick to de tect tho "flat" taste that proves that the same leaves havo been used over and over again. Cheap tea Is an abomination and exponslvo tea Is too delicious an article to be spoiled in tho making. Therefore, preparo only a littlo at a time Just a little more than will be needed by the guests present at the tlmo of tho making. After tho beverage hr-3 stood for three minutes, It Is rendy to pour. Tho usual allowance is the old-faBhloned one of "a teaspoonful of tea leaves for each person and ono for tho pot," but Bome of tho finest grades of tea makes too strong a decoction if used according to this formula, and a half teaspoonful of tho dried leaves for each guest makes a satisfactory drink. When the "tea" Is one of consider- j ablo proportions, several young girl s-i xr iiaE7S. r vjsjjaJssa - ii3?. "Five O'clock" Sandwiches. friends of tho hostess may assist In handing tho tea cups and cakes. A small lump or two of ugar are placed In euch saucer, that tho guest may sweeten her tea If she wishes, If thero are too mnny guests present to ascer tain their Individual preferences. These young girls, prettily dressed, add to the appearance and pleasure of the occasion; and when all the guests are chatting cozlly over their tea, a charming hour Is spent. Party slippers are decorated with rosettes, buckles, bows and butterflies, J at tho top and forms the foundation ot tho book ense. Both tho Interior und the exterior should then bo smoothly covered with silk or brocade, fastened along the edges nad underneath tho box with thin sharp noils or Seccotlne, and the Interior may be slightly padded with a thin layer of cotton wool placed un derneath tho silk. Tho edges nro next finished off with a narrow ornamental braid, fastened on with tiny brass-headed nails; and to completo the book caso small brass handles aro attached to either side, so that the case may bo easily lifted when filled with books. Binding on Blankets. One of the first places to show wear In a blankot Is along the edge, which will begin to split into n coarse fringe Keeping blankets well bound with Inch wldo ribbon will prevent this. Unless some accident happens to a blanket patching Is not resorted to until It Is vory old. then a pleco from another blanket mny be laid on largo enough to cover tho worn placo and hold In placo by darning rather than seaming. All thin places can be fortified by darning with rnvellngs from an old blanket When tho blanket Is worn pnst repair. Just doublo It and quilt It together here and thero nnd lay It across tho mat tress under the sheet, and It will con tinue to bo of Borvlco. Smocking on Girls' Dresses. Smocking Ib being done gonorously on tho frocks of little chlldron. tho pink and bluo threads on whlto are lovely. One wondors why thoy have been so slow getting here. Ono smocked in yoko In points Is scal loped lu tho nccl; nnd finished with baby Armenlau Uc. Successful Experiment In Extraction Carried on In British Columbia Wood Is Cheap. Tho attention of Consul General George N. West has been called to a Bmall plant In operation In Vancouver In which experiments havo been car ried on for several years with tho view of obtaining turpentine from the resin ous woods of British Columbia by an electrical process of distillation. He reviews tho process mado: Tho operations thus far havo been carried on In a small way, only about two cords of wood or mull refuse hav ing been treated dally. It Is claimed, however, that tho result have been emlnentlj satisfactory. Tho turpen tlno, after tests by chemists and paint ers, who have used tho product both for lnsldo and outside work, pro nounce It equal If not superior to tho turpentine distilled from the long leaf plno of the south. From ono cord of tho resinous wood treated it Is claimed that tho tar, oil, rosin, pitch and char coal (tho by-products), moro than pay tho cost ot the distillation of the tur pentine, thereby making this process n vnluable one. It Is clnlmed that from ono cord of pitchy wood costing five dollars there can be extracted chemically pure tur pentine, tar, oil, rosin, charcoal- and pitch to tho aggregate Value of $24.70, tho presont market value of theso commodities, at an expense of $12.70 per cord. That this statement Is not orroneous Is vouched for by persona who havo tho most thorough knowl edge of the process and cost of manu facture, they claiming that tho small plant now In operation Is producing tho products at tho price per cord stated. The amount of by-products said to bo obtained from ofife cord, of vood (amount of turpentine secured not bo lng stated) are as follows: Rosin, 60 pounds; tar oil, 20 gallons; charcoal, 1,300 pounds. The oil la used for wood preservative, and Is also manu factured Into shingle stain. Tho char coal, having boon coked and cooled in a can out of contnet with the air, la very perfect rnd valuable for making powder. The resinous woods necessary for uso In this plant nro accessible In largo quantities at cheap rates, ELECTRIC LAMP FOR HUNTER Searchlight Attached to Barrel of Gun Aids in Locating Intended Prey In Forests. Not content with using portable lamps for lighting their way through tho forests on their hunting trips, some sportsmen havo lenrned the ad vantage of having an electric search light ttached to tho barrel of the gun so ns to locato tho intended prey In the dark, says Popular Eloc triclty. Tho Illustration gives a con ception of tho advantage of tho ar- Method of Attaching Searchlight. mngement. A lnmp attachment made for this purpose by a firm In Cassell (Germany) is reported as having done excellent Bervlce In locating deer at distances of from 75 to 200 feet. Some hunters prefer It nttached below tho barrel, In which case a telescopic sight can bo used with it; others like It mounted high above tho ordinary sight. On long Jaunts tho hunter car ries nn extra pair of dry batteries and nn extra lamp with him ns a re serve. Use of Precious Metals. Few persons reallzo what an enor mous amount of the precious metals and oven precious stones, such as dia monds, uro used In the manufacture of telcphono apparatus. In a single year one company uses upward of a ton of platinum for this class of appa ratus nlouo. Anil platinum costs 30 per cent more than pure gold, demon strating that this expensive metal would not bo used so extensively un less results Justified lt Wireless Apparatus on Vessels. Efforts are being made In Englnnd to requlro that all passenger-carrying British and foreign vessels sailing from British ports should bo equipped with wireless telegraph npparatus capable of transmitting to a dlstanco of 100 miles. A bill to this offect now beforo the house of commons pro vides n penalty of $5,000 In caso of failure to obey the law. Curious Heat Wave. Moteorologlsts are being perplexed by tho curious heat wao that passed over Teneriffo, Canaiy Islands, ono night last November, In tho municipal weather observatory at Santa Cruz, tho thermometer registered 63 de grees F. nt 12:45 a. m., suddenly roso to 79 degrees within two minutes, nnd n few minutes later fell back to tho starting point of C3 degrcos. Osclln tlons of pressure wero simultaneously recorded by the barograph. Increased U6e of Telephone. Thirty years ago the telephone list of New York was printed on a small card and contained tho names of 252 subscriber. Tho now city direc tory has 630 pages nnd Instead of tho small card Is a book about a foot squnro and weighing 2Vd pounds. Tho city edition alone, piled ono book on another, would mnko a tower more than six miles high. Fittings Exported. Electrical flttlngB vnlued at 1,100, 000 wero Imported Into British South Africa during the first seven months of 1910, against only $368,000 worth In tho Bnme period last year. Controlling a Motorboat by Wireless. movement of boats on the wator and torpedoes beneath tho surface, says Popular Mechanics. Such con trol Is not new, Boveral European. Inventors having constructed appara tus for operating torpedoes, but U Wireless-Controlled Submersible Tor pedo. Australian Inventor has worked out what Is said to be an Improved sy totm. NEW NAVAL WIRELESS TESTS Elaborate Series of Experiments Con templated by United States Navy Department on Atlantic A notably elaborate series ot experi ments with wireless telegraphy is now contemplated by tho United States navy department. It Is proposed to Install on the flagship of the Atlantic fleet and two scout cruisers apparatus capable of transmitting messages 1,000 miles under the most unfavorable cir cumstances, and threo times as far when satisfactory conditions prevail. Tho country has been treated to some surprises In respect to tho dis tances to which radlotelegraphln dis patches have been sent from war ves sels, but thero has been a lamcntablo variation In the range of tho Instru ments hitherto used. Perhaps any ap proach to uniformity Is still out of the question, but an Improvement on for mer achievements may at least be hoped for. Many clever electricians have been studying the art of which Marconi gave the world tho first hint, and It would not be strange if some of his students were ablo to outdo their master. Communication by means of Hertz waves can hardly be supposed to havo "reached Its full de velopment at present. From the announcement that tho Connecticut, the Salem and tho Birm ingham will exchange messages with a land station at Brant Rock, in east ern Massachusetts, It Is Inferred that a system of which the world has heard comparatively little 1b about to be tested the one devised by Prof. Reginald Fessenden, an American. Tho company has also sought a con tract for Installing apparatus at Wash ington which would send messageo 2,000 miles. If from Brant Rock It should now prove tho feasibility of such a performance Us hopes of com pleting negotiations with the govern ment would doubtless bo strength ened. Telephones In Use. There aro moro than seven million telephones In regular servlco In thin country and during tho past year more than 7,500,000 messages were Bent over tho wires. Electric Sirens In Germany. Eleetrle sirens aro in use on the railways of Germany. Tho sound 1b produced by the vibrations of a metal lic diaphragm under the Influence ot an electro-magnet. EteCTRIOi NOTES On .Innunry 1 Philadelphia and ita sufiurbs had a telephone for evory 11 residents. A rather useful novelty Is a cane carrying an electric flashlight near tho handle. Wireless telephoning from a moving train has been successfully accom plished In Englnnd. A zlgzng nrrow has been adopted In Germany as a danger sign to be dis played on high tension electrical ap paratus. Investigation by a French chemist shows that gold bolls In an electrlo furnaco nt a temperature 2,400 de grees Centigrade More than nine hundred girls are being taught to operate electrically driven mnchinory In a new trade school in Now York. now l)pu unit, ure uuni iuiu have beon instnlled In 400 bedrooms of a New York hotel. A flexlblo rubber mouthpiece for telephones has been Invented, tho Idea bolng to prevent breakage Bhould a desk transmitter fall, A falling bulb of a 40-watt tungsten lamp In tho show window of n Chicago storo Is blamed for setting fire to the dress goods on which It fell. The attention of the oil operators In California Is now directed to tests be ing made with electric motors for lumping and drilling oil wells. . . .l-. 1...II. I n.oll " o h