The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
Norrs ON so1ExoE AND INDUSTRY.

One of tho most interesting announcements
In connection,with the Brussels Exhibition con-
Germs the Mono-rail railway, invented by +. b.
Behr for tho British sectional system OF locomo-
tion so ,favornbly regarded by the Belgian Gov
eminent rs to induce II to provide the electricity
for tho carriage. which travels over n single
rail three miles in length OF an c~lliptical form at.
II is claimed, n minimum speed of 100 miles an
hour. The carriage runs on a raised central rail.
supported by ~trestlos framed on ground %sleepers.
and tho wheels arc central, the covering for
them being. provided by tho central row
OF scats. Tho inventor advocates the use
of his system mainly ns an adjunct TO existing
great trunk lines, whero IL would be employed
for tho express passenger traffic. and would
run alongside tho trunk line. whirlinE pnsscn-
gers nj an estimated ratio Of $50 miles ~ hour.
Tho carriage Is worked hy electric motors ut
,schSd to four Of tho e lSn hear C"rry yOyor w u, CnS
revolutions per mi,nte. Tho claim, Put forth hy
Mr.. Behr In ono respect concerning his system ia
construction OF tho line in its relation to tho
guido wheels which. enables the carriage to
travel Mt the rate indicated without danger of
Tho largest floating dock OF its kind in tho
world Is now being constructed in England for
the port OF Olongnpo, In the Philippine Islands,
at the order OF the Spanish Government. Tho
dimensions of this vast structure, as given. are
q length Of 45o feet, n width OF III feet over tho
pontoons, and a depth of 3sia feet. Tho dock.
when In position. will rest on ak pontoOns. each
a the sId Is o ofe the seSs dock tR Miii be being NJ s af iToH tho wh az,
that, should one OF them be damaged, It, can
repairs. Powerful pumping engines will DO
htted so that q vessel weighing 1000 tons can
length OF vessel which tho dock viii accommo.
date will BIO 500 feet.
Investigations have been made by tho Frank
lin Institute Of Philadelphia for the purpose OF
determining the quantity OF tho so-callcd "ham-
mer blows, centrifugal lifts, and tangental
throw" Of locomotive driving wheels in use on
American railways. 1t appears that tho unequal
balancing OF. locomotive. Is tho cans" Of tho
thumning and Earring which bring such discom'
fort to passengers and so much injury to rail.
bend. break or spread rails, which inr the road
beds. tear out fastcnings. fracture bolts, shatter
orally. involving also frequent railway accidents
OF n serious character. In the city streets. too.
TIE hammer blows Loosen tho asphalt In which
sightlinessa and constant expense for repair and
reconstruction.
II the details and figures given by a corre-
s%pondent Of the Chicago Record are exact, con-
corning ono of the pumps OF the Calumet and
Hecla mine. It is, without doubt, the greatest
mechanism Of the kind in the world. It's capacity
Of water delivery being some two and one.half
million gallons every hour In the twenty-four,
and even then without reaching its utmost. Tho
apparatus 10 q triple expansion pumping
engine with n capacity Of sixty million gallons,
standing nearly fifty feet In height. and rcQuir-
ing fifteen hundred horse power for its opera
ton; and it has been proved by actual tests that
its nominal performance cnn be easily main
tanned for an indefinite timo without
injury or strain. and that. pushed to the
full extent, the pump could handle mp
proximately seventy-hve million gallons
in twenty-four consecutive hours. The
purpose of this pump is to furnish mater for the
great stamp mills Of the Calumet and HeclR
in continuous operation. daily pulverizing :. 900
tons Of conRlomerate rock into sand so fine that
!, can DC carried r way ny T. T inrn N, OF nS swiftly Ky
lake shore and below the mills, SO as to force n
steady. stream of water TO the upper portions OF
the mill, where innumerable small Jets play
upon the great slime tables md iigs. Hero it Is
that the specific gravity Of the fine particles of
copper contained in the rock separate. the valu.
able mineral from the mass OF worthless sand.
the size and force OF the streams OF water being
so nicely regulated ms to wash away tho sand
and yet carry with 1t the minimum Of copper.
The growth OF the cotton industry In LON.
hardy. according to consular reports. has been
remarkable-that Is. tho number OF spindles in
Italy Is stated to be nearly 800. 900; also some
10000 power looms. besides n very large mum.
Dor OF hand looms: and OF all these about half
are credited to Lombardy, and. rs q large proper.
tion OF the spinning mills work day and night.
tho spindlcs may be calculated rs equivalent
to 100000 in countries where only day
work prevails. All kinds OF raw cotton are
used, but chiefly Indian and American OF
were almost entirely confined 10 the lower
counts, even now the general average being COS
to 22s. but many spinners are tnrning Their at
been imported from Switzerland and England,
while no insuperable difficulty has been encoun.
tered either on account OF labor or the climate
Calico printing has also become n business OF
considerable Importance. and the amount il con
siderable, both Of yarns and cloth. which is now
sent TO Tunis. the Levant, South America, and
the Balkan States.
On some aspects OF the problem OF the extent
pertaining to the universe OF space. light Ia be
ing thrown which challenges scientific attention
and increased research. Evidence. 1t is declared,
Is gradually accommodating which points 10 the
probability that the successive orders of smaller
stars. which continually increasing telescope
power is bringing into view. nro not situated a
greater distances. as the prevalent theory as
sumes to he the case, but that We are actually
cogniZant of the boundary of tho universe.
This indication, not yet definitely elaborated. Is
acknowledged to lend. a peculiar interest to va
rious questions growing out of tho motions OF
the stars, and the opinion Is expressed that 0uitt
possibly the problem of these motions will bt
the great one OF the future astronomer.
The levels Of the great Western lakes are be
loved to be seriously threatened. not alone by
the cutting down OF forests. thus exposing 1
larger surface to evaporation from the sun, but
also from artificial causes. Among the latte
which engineers regard as likely, in course o
time, to provo serious in this respect. particular
mention Is made OF the Chicago drainage canal
tho project for cutting Il ship canal between
lakes Eric and st, Clair, and the plan Of cutting
n fourtcCn.foot channel through the whole
length OF tho st. Lawrence River. Estimates
show that the Chicago drainage canal VIII, n'
soon rs finished, take SOC, 900 cubic feet OF wntcl
per. minute from Lake Michigan, and ulti
mately double that amount; the. shin cana
between, Lakes st. Clair and Erie N
proposed, will be twcnty.one feet dccI
and seventy-two feet wide at the bottom
and to supply 1t will ~rcQuir" nm adIitiora
drainage OF water from Lakes Huron and MiChi
gan, and consequently from LIKE superior; fur
already had some effect in lowering tho levels o
Lake Erie. and II the channel of The ST. Lawrence
River Is decpencd so ms to admit larger steamer
and moro otthcm to the lake trade. nm increased
demand will be made for water from tho lakes
and a further decline, In Erie and. Ontario !
probable. To meet the c~Xigency In question
o,,lnopf npginaara prnnpsN TINT tho Ont1pt n