The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-13
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

o. 1OtLGllafD.
The japanese government is negotiat-
ing for the installation of a complete
pneumatic mail delivery service in Toxic
under American direction.
The locomotives working through the
Arl6erg tunnel, on the Austrian Stale Rail-
road. now burn oil entirely. They are
specially designed, having cylinders $50
nm. and 500 nm. diameter and 625 nm.
stroke. They have eight Wheels all eou-
ped; the wheels being 1900 m diameter
The engines formerly burned Bohemian
coal, but it was found almost Impossible
to ventiiate the tunnel With the oil very
littie difficulty is experienced. The oil
burners used are of the type devised by
Mr. Holden Of the Northeastern Railway,
in England
Active operations have begun in the
work of transforming the street car lines
of Mexico city for the introduction of cleo
trio traction. The companys machinery
for the big plant is arriving all the time.
The first line to be put under electricity
will be the one from Guadalupe, three
miles north of the city, to San Angel,
about twelve miles south of town. The
/ line to San Angel will follow about the
/ present course of the mule lines through
/ the city, passing Chapultepec, Tacubaya,
/ and Mixcoac. The company hopes to
/ have this first line ready for operation in
/ about nine months An entire new road
bed is being constructed, and new So
pound rails will be laid.
Several friends of the University of
/ Pennsylvania are hard at work trying to
raise fund Of $500, 600, to be used for the
erection of a building and the establish
ment of pharma Geological, a physiolog-
zeal, and pathological laboratory Pro-
vost Charles c. Harrison is the leader in
the movement, and there are several
prominent physicians of the university
alumni who are doing all in their power TO
assist him. Provost Harrison has prom
ised to raise $3.50, 900 himself, providing they
raise the remaining $4,000 1t is said
I that the committee having the project in
charges has already been guaranteed
about $4,000, and that the prospect of rails
ing the remainder is very bright
Some time ago it was discovered how to
make cement out of blast furnace Stag,
and now 1t is announced that carboiite
can be manufactured from the same ma
terial Carbolite is necessary to the pro-
duciion of ethylene gas. which, 1t is said,
is better than acetylene gas, thought pos
sesslng the exceIencies of the latter. To
make this new substance Stag, while mol
ten, Is poured into conVerters such as are
used for the manufacture of Bessemer
steel, and pulverized coke is blown
through the liquid mass by means of the
air blast. Next the melted Stag thorough
ly permeated by the pulverized coke, is
subjected to electric treatment by means
of which the Stag is fused with the coke.
Then The mass is poured off into mods
and allowed to cool, after which it is
boxed with tin and wood and becomes
carbolite in commercial form. One of the
inventors claims is that this material will
produce a gas superior to acetylene, at
much less cost-an announcement of un
usual Importance if it is well founded.
Mr.. Lowell, so well known for his as
Economical researches on the markings on
the planet Mars, made at Flagstaff, Arlz,
has during the last year or two been de-
voting his attention to the surface of
Mercury, and, aided by the wonderfully
clear atmosphere in which the work was
carried out, and an excellent A-inch re-
tractor, has been able to discover features
on the planets surface hitherto unobserv-
ed. Mercury, as we know, is not a planet
that can be easily seen, although known
10 the early Assyrian astronomers Even
under the telescope, the ordinary observer
sees little of Mercury except its varying
phases, but Mr.. Lowell has been able TO
tell us that the markings on this planet
are unlike those of any other being long,
narrow and dark; irregular in width and
appearing at times like a row of dots,
very symmericaly placed, and darkest in
the intersections. There are no appear
ances of cloud or of an atmosphere en-
Velope, and there are no polar SHOWS
Vegetation is absent, and no change takes
place on the surface; ii is, in short a
dead world.
"A Pittsburg mechanic is working on a
double barreled engine-that is, an engine
with two boilers, each one about So inches
in diameter and 1S feet in length. not in
Guiding the fire-box. His object is to uttl-
ize the force of gravitation going down
hill to pump ar into the cylinder or re-
ceiver, which is really what one of the
boilers viii be. He says that 1t will oa
, possible TO generate a pressure of ZOO
pounds to the square inch in the receiver
by the force of a pump working on cam
| attached to the axles and that this extra
machinery will not hamper or complicate
the engine in the least. When the next
/ hill is encountered the air pressure can BE-
turned into the cylinders by means of a
special nozzle or throttle, and white the
, air is being used TO keep the train NOV
/ ing the steam pressure can be raised ia
: the highest pitch, so as to be used in case
OF long ascending grace Wnen The all
pressure gets low. He expects to demon
, strate the utility and economy OF his
: auxiliary air pressure locomotive 10 INC
| complete satisfaction of all railway man.
ayers. Another advantage which he claims
is That while the engine is standing the
r Steam now allowed to go to waste out OF
the safety valve can be utilized in 4 spe-
cal pump to force air into the rec4. veI
for use on leyel tracks or adverse grades. -
While this appears to be a rather startling
idea, it has more in it that viii look fea ;.
ible to practical railroad men than they
car see in the Raub and other friction
geared monstrosities.
= Travellers in uncivilized countries have
/ often wondered how some savage tribes
were able to transmit news for hundreds
> of miles with no apparent facilities for do
ing so. An interesting light is thrown or