The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-11
How One Man Escaped
Death Under Trolley Car.
Jumped OnFender as He Was
About to b: Run Down.
A Newly-Invented Machine That
Makes Thin Slices of Rock.

A Providence man who has Just re-
turned from a visit 10 Baltimore told the
Gossipcr last evening of very narrow
escape from death under the wheels OF
trolley car which Baltimoran had one
afternoon last week. IL was at the corner
of Eortieth street ana haverford avenue
that the affair occurred. Mr.. 4. II. Lyon
had OCCASION TO cross the street but he
failed 20 notice the rapid approach OK an
eastward bound Haverford avenue cor.
Before he realized his danger tho car came
upon him while he was directly In the
middle Of the track, says the, Baltimore
american
ssvouiII oet run over :" Lyon heard the
warning and turned in time TO see the car
almost within reach of him. With great
presence Of mind he turned, ana lnsteau
of trying TO jump from the track, leaped
directly upon the fender.
This was tho only thing that saved him
from being knocked down and run over
The intervening space between him and
the car was too small TO admit OF his hav-
ing got clear by any attempt 10 jump IN
any direction, but that In when no uld
lump He landed squarely on the fender
and grabbed the front dashboard ol the
car with both hands
ssWell, TIM alive yet, old man, +" he called
out cheerfully TO the motornan, who was
the worse frightened of the two.
"I'm glad to know it, =" was the motor
mans rejoinder Then he gave the brake
O twist which brought the car 10 "a sudden
stop, and Lyon climbed OH the lender
He was uninjured.
81 don't know how 1 came to jump on
the dashboard, said Lyon afterward,
''excobt that IL seemed TO be the only
thing for me TO do. F."
They have the tramp nuisance over in
Switzerland as well as horeabouts, ana
the two cantons of Thurgovie and Argovie
are now watching with special interest
new departure in dealing with the vaS-
rants and beggars who at certain seasons
of the year infcst the highways. The
plan they have followed is TO establish
relief posts at certain points along The
main roads, generally at distance OF
three hours from each other. These, for
the Encouragement of the professional
beggar, are in telephonic communication
win the police stations but they are also
affiliated with registered and carefully
Inspected lodging houses in every town
and village along the route; and all cases
that seem deserving are directed TO these
abodes. The report from both cantons Is
that the system works excellonty, pro
ducing monthly decrease in the numb
of mendicants applying for relief The
expenses arc betrayed by the Cantonal
Governments and the Communes.
One could hardly expect to have rock
made Transparent, yet that Is what Is
done by machine recently Invented by
Professor William B. Dwight of Vassar
College. This machine will slice rock so
thin rhut IT can be usctf- for Il window
TRANSPARENCY This feat Is accomplished
by means of series of tin disks with
edges charged with diamond dust. The
machine will cut fossils or rock OF any
description so thin that one may see
through IL as easily as through tho glass
in window. To such IA degree of nicety
is the machine regulated that IL will cut
the most brittle rock TO the thickness OF
one-iifth of an inch. The object of the
inventor was TO oontrive machine which
should be of assistance to the paleontol-
oCist ia enabling him TO distinguish che
minor points of his objects OF inyostigd-
tion, which under former conditions was
impossible.
One OF the chief difficulties of the
paleontologist has been his inability 10
study thoroughly the grain of the
rock. 1t is often the case that the points
OF greatest value are not shown upon the
rocks surface, and the geologist breaks
il with his hammer. Now, the paleontol-
ogst objects Co doing anything of this
sort because he realizes that in SO doing
he may destroy choice specimen. There
fore, machine that permits him TO saw
of almost the thickness OF hair at "a
time triples his opportunities of discovery
and makes possible an analysis of rock
specimen finer than those his fOpdeSt
dreams imagined might one day 30 posi-
bio Ii has long been known also, that
the teauty of various varieties Of stono
increased in proportion as their density
laCGpnt1 flhpVQtgFR < lV
means of the new fnacfftrr tn study the
grain OF "a rock which may perhaps prove
yrisinatic In manner never befor3 sup
posed 60 be possible. The geologist knows
exactly the rock formations which repre-
sent certain periods In the earth's exits
tcnce. The composition Of rock Is by no
means the same Each ago has had It's
variation, and therefore this method which
the machine makes possible al showing 20
the smallest degree the composition Of tic
rock enables the goologis5 tO trace its
history beyond poradyenturo.
A system of public work that has nuca
10 commend it is that Uf cooperative
contract in vogue in New ZEALAND. Under
that system a public work D. dix ided INTO
small sections by che engineer ~ chnrg0.
and an eStimetc is mod 81 it5 cost. L1Ch
section is then lct OFT to "a group of work
men, who do the work under foreman
ol their own choosing. bat ,vrp receives rc
more than his fellows Iaoy cttain tiu
full profit which would otherwise Cp 10
professional contractors, ANA they share
the payment equally. EaCL worker is ia
tercsted in seeing that ms companions do
then full amount Of work and tho sooner
the job IL performed the greater the return
fcs days work. II any tools are needed
which tie men do not own, the govern
inent supplies thcin 40 moderate rental
The adoption Of this system should pro-
vide method whereby direct employment
by the government would no consistent
with "a full return for the money expended,
giving tho community an advantage IN
the ecOnomicai execution Of public enter
prise equal TO that enjoyed by private en-.
ployefs.