The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-05
mote profuse perspiration and ease of
mind.
MECHANICS AND ENGlNEERs.

ting tunnel under Niagara Falls. Mr4
William Wallace, an engineer who has
made preliminary survey of the Falls,
says that no insuperable difficulties,
either of material or financial descrip-
ton, need be feared. The length of
the tunnel proper from shore to shore
is about /, 600 yards, while the cuttings
on both banks will extend to nearly
thrice that distance. Mr.. Wallace de-
clines to give any estimate of tho cost
of this undertaking.
AN EXPLOSIVE FISH.
A machine of the torpedo class has
been constructed for the British navy
which viii move at o speed of nine
knots an hour for three hundred yards,
and at q lower speed for q mile. It
will maintain any direction impressed
upon it, and it can be launched either
from boat or an iron-clad, by night or
by day. In short, it is q kind of ex-
plosive fish, which, in obedience to its
masters, will swim for mile toward any
adversary at which it may be directed,
and will strike dangerous if not a
fatal blow.
ToRPEDoEs AND TORPEDO BOATS.
The British government is interest
ing itself greatly in regard to torpedoes
and torpedo boats. An automatic tor
pedo boat, invented by Won Scheliha,
is now being experimental with, and
the inventor claims its superiority to
others on the following grounds 81.
The motive power by which my torpedo
boat is propelled is gradually generated
in the boat itself while running, thereby
obviating the necessity of large
reservoir subjected to high pressure,
which must of necessity increase the
size and weight of the boat, and con-
sequently render it less manageable.
2. The screw, being apt to foul in nets
or rope distractions, is replaced by
more suitable propeller. 8. The boat
carries q battery of twelve heavily
charged torpedoes, which, when the
boat approaches the enemy, may be
discharged one after the other at the
will of the operator, by which the
chances of success are increased twelve
fold. 4. I use cable consisting of
three wires, by means of which the pro-
pelling engine is started and stopped,
the boat is steered, its course is changed
from going ahead to going asterp and
vice Versa, and the torpedoes contained
in the battery are started. Although
the original cost of my boat is little
in excess of that of other offensive tor
pedoes, / venture to say it offers many
more chances of success, and that, hav-
ing succeeded or failed in attack, ii
still remains under full command of
the operator, and can therefore be used
again"
THE FUNERAL PNEUoMATIC RAILROAD.
A pneumatic subterraneous railroad,
similar to that of which short section
was made under Broadway by way of
experiment, is to be constructed in
Vienna, not for the transportation of
live freight, but of the corpses of de-
ceased from the city to the cemeteries.
From the cellars of centrally located
chapels in the city, tunnels, two, three,
and four miles long, will run to the
different cemeteries outside the city.
The tunnels are to be only large enough
to pass the cofins lengthwise which will
be placed on small platform-car NOV
ing on rails, while the blast of air sends
the corpses off to the cemetery at rate
Of velocity equal to forty or more miles
per hour. This does away with the
tedious and time-robbing funeral pro-
cessions. All the procession that takes
place is in the city from the house to
the chapel then, as soon ID the fdneral
service is ended, the coffin is lowered
down in the cellar by means of an ele-
vator, the friends go home; while the
body is labeled for its destination, and
goes where the grave is situated. We
must confess it takes away much of the
poetry of burial, the assembling of
the friends around the grave, etc., but
then the world is progressing, time is
becoming more and more precious, and
we can no longer afford to lose time with
slow funerals +; and If the living are
clamorous for quick transportation, why
not give this privilege to the dead also.
AsTRONOMY.
NEW THEORY OF COMET TAILS.
M A Rartho1nv in France r,11b-