The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-16
OUTFIT FOR KLoNDIKE
DEVICES At THE PATENT OFFICE
USEFUL FOR ARGONAUTs.
Trains to Travel over Lighthouses
That May BE Shipped in Packing
BOxes-COndensed RatiOns.
Washington Star.

Washington Star.
Hundreds of unique ideas-just the thing
for Klondikers-have been patented in this
country recently. They can be best de-
scribed in a word picture of a strictly up
to-date expedition supposed to start out for
the frigid land of gold in defiance of the
freezing winds, ice and snow.
Professor NewfAngle, director of the ex-
petition, has been searching the files of the
Patent Office. and, with a snug sum to back
him, will avail himself freely of the adj
vanced ideas of the progressive Yankee in
ventor He has inspected various designs
for ice locomotives recently patented. With
one of these to command, he hopes to carry
out Secretary Ayers idea Of ascending the
Yukon while it is frozen over. The most
recent of these inventions, the conception
of an Idaho man, is guaranteed to run over
all sorts and conditions of icy and snow
surfaces, either as an Independent convey
ance or as motive power for train of
s,eds. The platform or base is coffin
shaped, the long end being in front. A
cabin to contain the engine, boiler, passen-
gers and crew is erected over the widest
part. A pilot house stands at the extreme
'front.' The base is supported by three run
ners, a large one on either side and a small
steering runner in front. Through an OPEN
ing in the floor of the cabin large driving
wheel, revolved by the engine, engages di-
rectly with the frozen running surface be-
meath. Over the broad tire of this great
wheel are distributed numerous long spikes
The wheel may be lowered, to thrust it's
spikes deeper, or raised, as the speed or the
surface may demand. The fuel may be car
ried on a tender in the rear or in one of
the sleds.
A Wisconsin man would build a simpler
contrivance on a rectangular base with a
pair Of spiked driving wheels. Other ideas
are to revolve the drivers by means of
sprocket wheels and chains, or to eliminate
the driving wheels altogether and substi-
tute on either side, close by the runners,
horizontal sprocket chain, with extending
spikes or Jugs to engage the ice or snow
beneath.
HOTEL IN A BOX.
Prof Newfangles equipment, to be car
red in the train which he ultimately Sc
lects, will be even more novel than his
means OF transportation. He has examined
at least hundred specifications for smart
ideas in portable houses and finds that he
can box up a whole hotel in a very little
space and carry it to Klondike If he
chooses. AS it is, he can select any style
of house he desires and send his plans to
one of several firms, who will have it put
up in boxes and ship it to him with in
structions as to how it is to be fitted to-
gether after having been brought to its des-
tinatiOn. One man will make him a very
neat house, good enough for Klondike,
which may be unfolded and set up in a few
minutes. All that is necessary is to put
similarly numbered parts together and they
will be held by bolts and catches. No nails
are necessary. One of the newest of these
ideas is portable house which may stand
as an individual dwelling, or may form the
unit of a great block of such houses spread
out on the ground, or as single fiat of a
huge apartment building formed by piling
one upon another. They may be turned
out by hundreds in a factory.
The professor intends above all things to,
battle old boreas: He has investigated
scores OF patents for new ideas in portable
stoves and heaters. One of the most strik-
ing of these is a cook stove. which may be
packed in the form and size of asfull-dress
and suit case, and which is as conveniently
carried. The greatest possible economy has
been observed in packing the parts together.
The outside is an open stove and grating.
Inside of this is the bake oven, forming. the
main body or carrying kit, and holding
stove pipe, pots, pans, kettles and kitchen
utensils of all kinds made to fit, one in an
other, like the parts of a conjurer'S box.
Although such stove will be large enough
for the needs of the professors party, it is
not circumstance in compactness to
by a Prussian. The latter, q. complete Gull
nary outfit, including all which is necessary
to cook 125 meals at once, may be packed
in a portable case smaller than an ordinary
trunk To carry with him while out pros
pecting away from the portable house the
professor will have always in his pocket
portable cooking outfit contained in unique
case the shape of an egg. Inside are con-
tanned a spirit lamp flask knife, fork, spoon
and several pans or dishes of various sizes
for containing the coffee. soup or other food
to be cooked. When the lid is taken off
three legs unfold and form q salamander.
The lid is then inverted and placed under
this. A spirit lamp formed in a compart-
ment of the top Is then lighted.
THIS OUGHT TO BE WARM.
From a New Jersey inventor, who patent
ed the scheme few months ago, the pro-
fessor has purchased an odd garment to
protect him from the freezing Klondike
weather. 1t is a long coat extending from
the top of his ears to his heels. The outer
facing is of a warm, waterproof cloth, and
the inner lining of thick duck. Between
these two surfaces is a thickness of a
woven fabric of spiral wire, which readily
bends when the body or limbs are moved.
In the bottom part of the front Of the gar
ment is a large flap pocket, made freproof.
and containing a magazine for holding a
fuel cartridge of a slow-burning carbon
aceous powder. The heat from this mnia-
ture furnace room rises and circulates
through the wire openwork of the coat
which is virtually an air chamber, entirely
surrounding the human form inside. For the
pilot Of his ice locomotive who cannot con-
meet his apartment with the engine room,
as can the other passengers, the professor
has purchased from an Omaha inventor a
lately patented skeleton jacket constructed
of hollow metallic tubes fitted together with
ball and socket joints. This, when fastened
about the body, can be attached to the
boiler or an engine or any steam-heating
system.
Besides a bountiful supply of furs. the
professor will take with him a sufficency
of the new smo!dering powder now made
as fuel for various heating devices to be
applied to the person. In either pocket he
can carry a small-siZed heater, about the
size of a soda biscuit, filled with this COM
position ignited.
Each man will always carry with him an
emergency ration of lean bacon, pea meal,
compressed biscuit, salt, pepper and tea or
coffee, done up in little case capable of
being attached to his belt, but sufficient to
keep him alive for more than week, should
he get lost from his companions Little
capsules about the size and shape of birds
an excellent pot OF coffee or tea and con-
tain the sugar and milk already condensed
inside. Instead of sugar, however, the
larder of the party is supplied with sac
charm, which is two hundred times sweeter
than sugar, In proportion to weight and
therefore occupies 1-2O0 the room which the
former would require. Soup or all kinds is
compressed into small caramels which may
be readily dissolved in boiling water. Be
sides an abundant supply of canned meats,
vegetables and fruits OF all kinds, the pro-
fessor will take with him a goodly supply
of q new kind of liquor, distilled from the
kola nut which has the valuable property
FttNer hrarR