The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-31

Ter and Stephenson win have nothing
but golden words for The Marian
and st Ives" Delightful stories they
are. too. though possibly neither is
quite as good as other work by the same
authors. Two other remarkable books
or the year are BeIlamy's Equality
and Henry Georges last work.
| BOOKS OF MEMS LIVES.
Some excellent biographies and auto
biographies appeatsd during the year.
Among them may. be mentioned Lord
Roberts account Of his career, The
True Life OF Captain Sir Richard Bur-
ton, Jefferson's book on Lady Hamilton
and Lard Nelson. the scholarly account
OF Benjamin Jowett's life work. the bio
graphy OF Alfred Tennyson, and the
handsomely illustrated works on Bis
| marck and Napoleon I. In the same cat
egory, too, may be placed Nine. Mar
chests very entertaining sketch Of her
life and experiences in the musical
| world.
In word, while the literary achieve
ments of the year have not. with few ex-
ceptions, been Of the highest order Of
merit, there has been throughout the en-
tire domain Of literature a healthy and
| promising fertility. It may be noted, too.
that the illus,rate TED books of 1897 are OF
unusual excellence; indeed, the advance
made in this direction is one of the most
notable features Of current literature.
ADVANCE IN SCIENCES.
| That many strides have been made in
science during 1897 is well known to all.
IL is doubtful if inventors have ever
been more busy and more optimistic
! tion were made of such novel inventions
many inventions-some excellent, some
| doubtful. some utterly impractia BILE
have been brought to public notice dur
ing the year! To enumerate and pard-
| ally describe even the most noeaole
among them would require a large
| amount Of space. Yet this review Of the
year would be incomplete if no men
ton were made of such nivel inventions
as the rotary motor, which was sold to
an English syndicate for a large sum;
the electrical steamship, which was des-
igned to run 40 miles an hour; the signal
device enabling persons on board ship
TO speak TO those on shore; Baziin's roll
ler steamship. which was expected to
do so much, and which up to date has
done CO little; thesynchonograph, the OBJ
5ect OF which is to send by telegraph as
many as 5000 words minute; the aerial
torpedo boat; the bullet proof armor,
which has been tested several times.
and apparently with signal success, the
non-sinkable boat; the divice for max
ing gold and silver out of base metal;
Knapp's rolling steamer; the fish-snaped
steamship; and the electric horse and
carriage.
WHEELS WITHOUT END.
Naturally many inventors have rack
ed their brains trying to improve the
bicycle. and as a. result we have the ny.
drocycle, the electro-ma gnetic bicycle,
the bicycle airship. the bicycle health
meter, and several other curious de-
vices and appliances, all based on the
original hobbyhorse Of our forefathers.
Horseless carriages are now familiar
sight in the streets, and the prediction
has been made that within a few years
horses would practically disappear from
the great cities. In Europe, especially
in France, horseless carriages are being
used to a great extent, and the indica-
tion IS that they will become ever more
popular. 1c
Electricity, OF course, has played a
great part in the scientific achievements
of the year. Hany cures have been ef-
fected by means of it, and physicians
throughout the world are beginning to
recognize its efficacy as a healer. Fur
ther discoveries have been made in re-
gard to the Roentgen rays. and as a re-
suit they are proving Of unquestionaDleI
value to physicians and surgeons. BY
means Of them and through the use of
a suitable machine ii has been found pos
sible to wipe out a mans stomach. The
danger as Nikola Tesla has wisely point
ed out, is that X ray machines, unless
they are used by experts, are likely 10
prove harmful to humanity. Mr.. Tesla,
however, has shown how the rays can
be rendered harmless. and there is no
reason why serious accidents should re-
suit from them in future OF their use
fulness in many directions there is ample
evidence. In France, for example, they
are successfully used for the purpose Of
detecting smuggling.
WONDERS IN ELECTRICITY.
On the other hand, evildoers have also |
made use Of electricity. Burglars, for |
example, made a bold attempt a few |
months ago 20 rob a bank safe by it's |
means. Its usefulness. however, far |
transcefds is har1nfulness. One stiH |
frequently hears Of persons being killed |
by trolly wires. but these causulities can !
not blind one to the fact that electri- |
city Is one Of the greatest conveniences
in modern civilization. In the great ci- !
ties il has become . sine qua non. other
wise how account for the fact that the !
greatest dynamo on record il at present
being built at Schenectady, ". Y? Lon
doners are especially bound to appre-
ciate ii, since their garbage burning
plant supplies electricity for use in the
city.
Again. thanks TO such men as Edison,
Tesla, and the young Italian inventor.
Marconi. the time seems not far dis
tant when the civilized world will be
able TO use electricity for the purpose OF
wireless telegraphy. Many most inter
es.ing experiments have been made in
this direction, and and that the result
desired will be ultimately attained saens
certain. In this connection nay De men
TONED another admirable Il gention-
name:y' Dixon's sextuplex wire. The ob-
.ect &C whicf /. TO enable a VIE - con.
vsy Isx messages nultaneously. three
m ous G.rsc,ian END three IN an1ths-
I he. Importance OF this achievement; lies
in the Szsl<t that heretofore only four mes
sagescoald be sent simultaneously
scgss could be sent simultaneously
lex :sansmit;er.
MECHANISM AND MEDICINE.