The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-07


stopped. The car is perfectly ventilated
by apertures at each end which allow free
access of air without causing the slightest
draught. The supply of air can be reduced
by sliding partition. In the English car
the roof is fitted up with seats, which are
much used by women and children.
A School DANGER.-The old slate and
pencil have been banished from many
American public schools by the school
committee. The three reasons furnished
in the report of the committee on hygiene
and physical training are as follows: ~
slight gray mark upon slightly darker
gray surface is more or less indistinct and
therefore trying to the eyesight; ~ the
resistance of the hard pencil upon the hard
slate is firing to the muscles, and the re-
slstance to which the muscles are trained
by the use of states and slatepencils must
be overcome when beginning to write with
pencil or pen upon paper; % and last, but
not least, the use of states, slatepencils and
sponges is very uncleanly custom and
leads to and establishes very uncleanly
habits. So in place of the old-style slate
and pencil we now have the paper, lead
pencil and rubber for school use.
WHAT SOLDIER CAN CARRY.-In accord
ance with the instruction of the German
Minister of War; Professor Zuntz and
Staff-Surgeon Schumberg have made SER
les of experiments with regard to the
weight that can be carried by soldiers on
the march. Five students of a public in
stitute volunteered as subjects for the two
doctors, and always undertook their
marches in full marching order. The
marches were all of the same length, viz:
24.75 kilometres (15 miles 50 yards); the
as,~k+ cd wiz
81 and 81 kilogrammes (4S 2-5 pounds,
80 % pounds and So 1-5 pounds.
The tests resulted as follows: o. 1t
was found that with 48 pounds and
| moderate temperature the man could
march the required distance, and even fur
Their, without any distress, or i'll effects
| whatever. In very hot and close weather,
| slight inconvenience, such as very
| profuse perspiration, high pulse and hur-
| ried breathing, were experienced; but these
| soon disappeared when the march was
| over. No i'll effects remained the next
| day, SO that such marches could easily be
undertaken several days in succession.
| (2) With the next weight (59 2-5 pounds),
| during favorable weather no i'll effects en-
sued, but in hot weather fatigue was pro-
duced, which was felt until the next day.
so that the second days march was
begun under worse Conditions than
that of the first day. 60 With the
third weight (63 LIS pounds) the i'll
effects produced were decided. The tests
gave distinct and definite results. 1t was
found that several days practice with the
lightest burden (4S 2-5 pounds) caused
the carrying of it and the marching with it
to become continually more easy and con-
venient, whereas practice with the heaviest
burden reduced the inconvenience in
hardly any degree.
RECORDING ORDERS ON BOARD SHIP.-A
new invention for use on shipboard is
patent recorder. This machine is attached
to the indicator posts of steam vessels for
recording indelbly and at once every order
as it is given by the master from the bridge
to the. engineer below. While in no way
interfering with the action of the indicat-
ors now in use, it acts as silent and ac-
curate witness and recorder of every action
of the indicator. This device consists of
drum, which reyolves once in twelve
hours, the motive power being supplied by
an eight-day clock. Around the drum is
placed a chart which is renewed at A. NJ.
for the day watch and s P. NJ. for the
zontal lines, which run the whole
length of the chart, is a column
of all the words of command. The chart
is divided and subdivided into hours,
quarters and single minutes by vertical
lines, and as the space allotted to each
minute measures "a inch, the eye can
easily subdivide this into smaller frac-
tons of time. Resting on the chart is
metallic pencil, which is connected by
simple mechanism with the existing in
dicators in such way that it is moved up
and down by the action of the indicator.
The practical operation of the recorder on
the chart is threefold the precise moment
on iah "a CIR halI 10 ch
also the time at which each order was
given and what that order was; also how
long each order remained in force without
alteration.
A DISTRIBUTING CART FOR ROAD CoNsTRUo-
TIoN.-A most useful cart has been de-
signed for distributing broken stone for
building or repairing roads. The cart is
mounted on four wheels and is so con-
structed as to turn in a short space. The
bottom of the cart slopes downward to the
back, and the tailboard is hinged at its
upper edge. The movement of the lower
edge and consequent width of opening is
controlled by two adjusting chains, and
steel wings, which are attached to the
sides of the cart at the tailboard. spread
the stones full width between the wheels.
The cart can be tilted at any desired angle
by means of rack and pinion and held
there, and this is found to be great con-
venience in loading. AS the stone rolls
from the rear of the cart it is leveled by a
scraper attached to the bottom of the tail
board, which can be specially adjusted ac-
cording to the necessities of the road
This adjustment permits of the stone
being spread thicker on one side
than the other, or of an extra thickness of
stone being laid at the middle, as is usually
required. The discharge can be regulated
so as to cover strip only half as wide as
the cart, if need be.
PRIZE FOR A PRACTICAL FLYING-MA-
cHINE.-It is not generally known that
bill was introduced in the United States
Senate at the last session authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to pay the sum
of 100000 to any inventor from any part
of the world who shall, prior to the year
1900, construct vessel that will demon
strate the practicability of safely navigat-
ing the air at a minimum speed Of thirty
miles an hour and capable of carrying
freight and passengers. The bill was re-
ported without recommendation. The
presumed object of the report is to col
1ect and define the information that
has been gathered on the sub
ject of aerial navigation. The report
cove. aft NAV Seem somewhat vision arv--