The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1869-12-25
A FE.RruL INyENrros-The yalle-

A FEARFUL INvENTIoN.-The Valle-
jo Chronicle of the Both ult., gives the
following account of the invention OF a
young man of that city:
Thomas Hill, Esq, young mechanic
of this place, has constructed models OF
two inventions which he proposes to pat
snt He has constructed hollow steam
ram for perforating ironclads or other
vessels in time of war. 1t punches hole
in the sides of vessel under water
sixteen inches in diameter, is immedIatly
withdrawn, and q shell or torpedo can
then be fred through the hollow cyiin-
der. The utter destruction of an appos-
ing vessel is insured. The machinery
works by steam, and the ram is designed
to be driven out sixteen feet with strlk-
ing force equal to 5000 tons, when after
penetrating the vessel, it will be mmedl-
ately withdrawn. A vessel could be
honeycomed below the water line SO full
of holes that it would be impossible to pre-
vent sinking A careful examination of
the model assures us that it will accom-
plish tie purposes sought for, if such
destructive weapon of war should ever be
built. 1t is intended to be fitted into an
iron-clad. double screw propeller of Pc
culiar model! This gentleman has also
invented double-acrion oscillating steam
engine, the cylinders of which have
reciprocating motion that counteracts all
dead points The valve gearing is very
simple in operation, and the whole ar
rangement of parts is nicely adjusted to
save space without loss of power. The
engines are adapted particularly for a
double screw vessel. Mechanics and
steam engineers who have examined the
model approve of its mechanism, and be-
Iieve for the proposes designed that it
will supersede all other styles of engines.
ABOUT RATs.-The Central City
Colorado Register contains the follow
ing: One of the most remarkable ami
mails of the Rocky Mountains is the
Rocky Mountain rat, the Neotomaa GIN
erea of Beard, also known as the Neoto-
ma Occidentaiis, and called in Oregon
the wood rat. a full grown rat is often
nine inches in length from tip of nose to
base of tail, while the tail adds about as
soft, gray ON the back, and white on the
belly, ears short but broad, and round
tail, bushy lat the tip. Il is the worst
thief in the animal creation, not except
ing man. for it always steals, and does
not stop to consider whether what he
steals is valuable or not Many strange
stories are told concerning its stealing
nails, candles, &C., and bringing back in
return manure and all sorts of offal. Its
operations often have the appearance more
OF having been the result of desire to be
employed than anything else. On one
occasion, j. Alden Smith, of this Office,
says he had standing in his Office in
Clear Creek county half a keg of nails,
containing three sizes, and during sin
gle night these rats took out all the nails
and piled them up on the floor in three
piles, each size by themselves. The same
animals night after night, brought in
heaps of manure from an out t-house.
But even stranger trick was performed
in the house of Mr.. Hale on Tuesday
night. On going to bed he placed his
false teeth on the bureau. In the
morning the teeth were gone, and raw
potato left il their place. After long
search, tearing off the weather boarding
in several places, they were found in the
nest of one of these rats. The rat had
started to carry off the potato but find
ing the teeth took them and left the po-
tato-