The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-06-14

described in La Semaine deS Construc-
tuers, which seems to have advantages
over those now commonly used, and
iseasily and cheaply made and operated.
Inplace of the ordinarylong steel blades,
supplied with sand to enable them to
to grind their way into the stone, the
new machine presents only slender
endless cord, composed of three steel
wires twisted together, which is stretch
ed over pulleys in such way as to
bring the lower portion horizontally
over the stone to be cut. The frame
carrying the pulleys is movable, so that
the cord can be brought into contact
with the stone, or lifted away from it
at pleasure, and the whole is kept in
rapid motion, while water falling in
drops from a reservoir above serves to
moisten the stone. The three wires
which form the saw differ from the or
binary kind in being square in section,
and by twisting into cord they are so
turned as to present succession of OBJ
lique cutting edges, which act, when
set in motion, in nearly the same way
as so many small chisels, while the rap
idity with which the blows follow each
other probably adds to the effect.
HOT REGION.
One of the hottest regions ofthe earth
is along the Persian Gulf, where little
or no rain falls. At Babrin the arid
shore has no fresh water, yet compare
lively numerous population contrive
to live there, thanks to the copious
springs which burst forth from the bot
tom of the sea. The fresh water is
gotten by diving. The diver, sitting
in his boat, winds great goatskin bag
around his left arm, the band grasping
its mouth; then he takes in his hand
heavy stone, to which he attaches a
strong line, and, thus equipped, he plum
ges in and quickly reaches the BUTTON.
Instantly opening the bag over the
strong jet of fresh water, he springs
up the ascending current, at the same
time closing the bag, and is helped on
board. The stone is then hauled up,
and the diver takes breath, and plungeS
in again. The source of these copious
submarine springs is thought to be in
the green hills of Osman, some 500 or
GOO miles distance.
NEW SODIUM BATTERY.
The Bulletin of the Societe Interna-
tionale DIES Telephones has recently an
nounced the formation in Paris of
syndicate with capital 6I2,oo for
working the sodium battery lately invent
ed by M. P. Jablochkof. In designing
it the object was to obtain an element
having a much higher electromotive
force than any other hitherto devised;
for this purpose he has made use of pure
sodium. This metal is used in thin
plates and is coupled with carbon, such
as is employed in other batteries, orthe
plates may be placed in metal capsule
in the midst of broken carbon. Under
such conditions, and subjected only to
the humidity of the air, the battery
yields the relatively high electromotive
to six volts by impregnating the carbon
with certain mtfaftofd sUturfOns.
BARTHoLDI's STATUE OF LIBERTY.
This statue when completed and put
imposition on Bedloe's Island will be the
most remarkable monument of the kind
ever erected, far exceeding the Colossus
of Rhodes in size. The pedestal will
be III feet inches high and the statue
is Is I feet 2 inches, making the top of
the torch 32S feet inches above high
water level.