davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

The suspended interior is divided into
three lengths, two long sections separated
by a short one The short central section
of the inner cradle contains the engines,
one end section the first class and the
other the second class passengers. The
passage from one to another of these sec
tons is through the hollow journal" ="
which is part of the non-rotating center
of the boat. AS these steel axles, in a
roller boat for ocean service are bored
by tunnels ten feet in diameter, it will
be seen that they are ample for carrying
all the electric lighting cables, telegraph
and telephone wires, heating tubes, ETC.,
and for affording a passage way. The
steering is done by rudder drags at each
end, operated from a bridge suspended
outside the boat.
A knotty problem in the construction of
this boat was the application of the power
by which the outside cylinder is revolved.
This is accomplished by a battery of three
engines, having long upward stroke, the
pistons being attached to "cranks" of the
big driving shaft. The points on the circle
of the shaft at which the pistons apply
the power are equidistant from each
other, or 12O degrees apart. At each end
of the driving shaft is a powerful cog
wheel, fitting into the cogs of the cylin-
ders bearings, or more properly into an
internal spur gear" rigidly connected
with the solid bulkhead of the cylinder.
Above the suspended cradle Of the boat
is an arched ceiling hiding from view the
interior of the revolving cylinder over
head. Light and air are freely admitted
at the open ends. Only the ends of the
cradle are, of course, in the least exposed
to sea and weather, and the fact that the
bottom of the suspended section of the
boat is high above the reach of the
fercest storm waves is calculated to in
spire in the future passengers of this
craft feeling of complete security. AS
there will be no swaying or pitching mo-
ton, the inventor promises entire exemp-
ton from seasickness. Rocking or sway
ing is prevented by the perfect equilib-
rum of the suspended body and the great
length of the craft, together with the fact
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

was made last week by Sunday Call
representative. Engineer Storey was on
hand and made all explanations.
The beginning of the western end of
the roadbed through the swamp is a few
miles from Brentwood. At this point
there is a slough, across which a bridge
has yet to be built.
The new roadbed is one of the most ex-
traordinary sights of its kind in the world.
At present it is merely a big pile of black
earth, with a canal on either side. The
canals were made by the dredgers, that
gouged out the earth and piled it up for
the new roadbed. Naturally this pro-
duced a channel
1--WE are going to keep these canals
here" said Engineer Storey, "for two
reasons One is to prevent the tule fires
that are sure to rage on both sides from
jumping across and burning out our
track. The other reason is because the
canals are navigable and will make 1t
easy for us TO get in certain kinds Of
supplies. such as ties. without unloading
them from the schooners till we get them
to their destination"
About four miles from the Brentwood
end of the roadbed there are two navi-
gable rivers-New River and Middle
= = = 4 4 4 4 q q Is Is a Is Is Is I
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30
:. Z. {. {. {. {. . Q Q . . Q Q . Q . . . . Q . Q .
How General Grant Raised
The Standard Of Bedutu.

x ERTAINLY the story is authentic
that President Grant once asked me
II I could not raise the standard of
<beauty in the dead letter office" said
~ Assistant Attorney General James
Tyner, laughingly, but the sequel to 1t
has never been published.
THE President was passing through the
department and jokingly commented on
the unattractive appearance of the clerks
and quizzically inquired if | could not
raise the standard of emale beauty.
Naturally ! regarded the matter as a
l est and replied that / would be glad to do
So and was open to suggestions.
" Why, employ one handsome woman
and perhaps she will leaven the whole
loaf he answered. and when 1 assented
he inquired seriously:
" Would you give a pretty girl an ap-
pointment If I sent her to you?'
"'Of course I would, I replied, never
dreaming, however, that he was in earn
est
But the next Gay a lovely young girl
came into my Office with a note from
President Grant, simply asking me to full
MI my promise, without referring. how
ever. TO its character ] questioned her
closely and found her as innocent and un-
sophisticated as she was pretty. She was
a Southerner and had lived on a planta-
tion all her life, but wanted a Government
position, and, being backed by the Pres
ident, set her to work in the dead letter
office.
while Grant was on his trip around
the world I spent a couple of months with
him in Paris, and one evening as we sat
talking Of the past I asked him If he re-
nernbered this young lady.
Certainly do, for have good cause
to remember her he responded cordially.
II intimated that 1 was satisfied there
must be a story back of his appointment,
and as he was in one Of his rare reminis-
cent moods he related the following ex-
traordinary experience:
" TT was just before the battle Of the
Wilderness that I mounted my horse and
went for a ride was full of anxiety, and
in my preoccupation went outside of our
lines and found to my dismay that 1 was
being chased.
" My horse was a good one, and rode
hard until came TO a little, half-con-
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

nor paddles. The four-inch Trails run
ming from end to end of the outside of the
cylinder are better described as cogs
which set into the water and enable the
roller to roll forward over the sea instead
of merely revolving without progress. The
progressive action of the cylinder is SINH
lar to that of the broad-tired wheels OF a
country traction engine pulling its way
up a hill, the cogs with which the tires
are crossed biting into the roadway and
giving foothold and pulling power.
Within the tunnel or core Of this hollow
cylinder is suspended the boat proper or
the portion carrying the passengers, crew,
cargo and engines. The cylinder revolves
around this inner cradle, the latter always
remaining level Only at the points where
the spider work" of the cylinder projects
down to the Journals or huge hollow
steel axles by which the central section of
the boat is suspended does the framework
of the roller come in contact with the
hanging or non-rotating part of the craft.
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

over several times until the required
height and strength is obtained.
'"These dredgers have been working
steadily twenty-five hours a day for the
past year. said Engineer Storey. "They
lift about four tons of earth each time
they are filled, and they will carry about
one hundred loads an hour. So you can
figure out what an enormous amount Of
soil has to be moved in order to get that
pile of dirt in condition to lay railroad
track on top of It,"
The Stockton end Of the swamp road
bed is at point on Whisky Slough about
four miles from the city. From this point
to Brentwood the road is almost in a
straight line. Standing on the highest
point it is possible to get a view of the
whole length. 1t can be dimly traced as a
black line through the green tule lands,
with here and there a dredger at work
showing through the haze.
From the end Of the swamp roadbed
into Stockton is about four miles, over
which the grading is nearly all done. At
the San Joaquin River a drawbridge is
being built. This is a stupendous piece of
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30
The Roller Boot in Rolling Trim.
From a Photograph Taken as She Lay at
the Wharf in Chicago


From a Photograph Taken as She Lay at
the Wharf in Chicago.
cago, will mean a complete and sweeping
revolution of all deep water transporta-
ton. If this pioneer roller achieves no
greater speed than that made by the
crude model which has been operated in
Toronto Bay the crafts now plowing the
inland seas may read their orders to tie
up in permanent quarters, for the carry
ing capacity of the roller boat is immense
ly greater on the same draught than that
of the prevailing type of vessel, while the
power required to propel it is far less.
To form correct mental image of the
roller boat, picture a huge barrel or CYL
inder 800 feet long, Sc feet in diameter md
"a feet from the hollow core to the outer
surface This is constructed of boiler
plate so riveted as to be air-tight. 1t mas
an inner, an outer and a middle t,1in.
these tubes being held at proper distances
from one another by circular partitions
forming air-tight compartments which
make the boat unsuitable.
Not only is this great barrel the shell
Of the boat, but 1t is also it's propeller
the wheel which gives the craft its ac-
tual travelling capacity. Think of a boat
with a paddle-wheel 500 feet broad and 9S
feet in diameter! But the term paddle
Wheel is not strictly applicable in this
case, for the roller boat has neither screw
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

tage of what has been studied out for
another purpose. This is the building Of
levees for the purpose of reclaiming tide
lands to be used for growing wheat.
The demand for a means of building
levees quickly and cheaply led to the con-
struction Of the strange looking dredgers
that can be seen all along the banks of
the San Joaquin River This dredger has
been through many phases of develop
ment during the last quarter Of a CEN
tury, until at the present time it is the
ideal machine for railroad building
through swamps.
The work done by the dredgers for the
roadbed of the Valley road does not vary
in the least from that done for the re-
clamation of swamp land. This being the
case. it is an easy matter to comprehend
that the new railroad is to be merely
built on top of an enormous levee.
But the work has not been without its
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

Special to The Sunday Call.
Y Asst year the world was amused,
then perplexed, then astonished at
the effort of Frederick A. Knapp,
a daring Canadian inventor to
navigate huge boat which rolled
on the sea like a barrel. The in
,tial trip of the experimental boat con-
vinced a number of capitalists that Mr..
Knapp's invention would revolutionize
the science of navigation, and now with
thousands of dollars at his command the
inventor is letting contracts for the con-
struction of the first Knapp roller boat.
It will enter into active competition with
steam and sail vessels of the present type
for the worlds water traffic. The big
cylinder will be finished and launched
this summer.
The success of the first full-sized roller
boat. the initial steps in the building of
which are now occupying the attention
of Mr.. Knapp and his associates in Chi
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

obstacles, for many of the details had
to be studied out as the construction pro-
ceeded.
1.-THE worst part of the work" said En-
gineer Storey, who has had full charge
of the building Of the roadbed, was in
making the survey.
I'VE began this about two years ago
and worked for weeks and weeks among
the tules. At certain points the growth
was so high that it was impossible to get
a line through the. tules without first
cutting them down. In one place we did
this for over two miles, and then found
that the route so laid out was imprac-
ticable, and we had to make another one.
Some of the land was worked over sew
eral times before we finally discovered
way by which we could uild railroad
track through the swamp without enor-
nous expense"
An examination of the finished roadbed
o o 8 o @ o 9 o @ o Q @ o o o o o 9
grounds and told her stories. After
time Mrs. Drew, fearing that Mr. Kip
ling must be tired of the child called to
her and said: Now, Dorothy, L hope YOU
have not been wearying Mr.. Kipling"
'Oh. no. not a bit. mother, replied the
small celebrity. but he has been weary
ing me-
Evans of the warship Iowa set Of his
works and with them these verses:
"Zogbaum draws with a pencil
And 1 do things with pen,
But you sit up in coming tower,
Bossing eight hundred men.
"Zogbauni takes care of his business,
And l take care of mine,
But you take care of ten thousand tons,
Sky-shooting through the brine.
'Zogbaum can handle his shadows,
And 1 can handle my style,
But you can handle ten-inch gun
To carry seven mile.
ITO him that hath shall be given,
And that's why these books are sent
To the man who has lived more stories
Than Zogbaum or 1 could invent"
At the time he wrote THE Last Chan
ty'' some one asked him how he pro-
nounced it. We'll" he replied, 'the real
Iy elegant and well-bred people pro-
nounce it 'Chanty, but those who know
what they are talking about call it
Shanty.'"
Mr. Kipling sold a book to a London
publisher at price that netted the au-
thor one shilling a word The publication
of this fact came under the notice of a
F'leet-street humorist, who, "for the fun
of the thing" wrote to the author, say
ing that, as wisdom seems to be quoted
at retail prices, he himself would like one
word for which he enclosed a shilling
postal order. The reply came in due
course Mr.. Kipling had kept the shilling
postal order and politely returned the one
significant word "Thanks!' written on a
large sheet of writing paper.
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30
ANECDOTES
OF RIPLING.

Seldom one Hells a joke on ones self;
not so, however, with Mr.. Kipling, who
relates an amusing story at his own ex-
pense During his stay at Wiltshire one
summer he met little Dorothy Drew Mr..
Gladstone's granddaughter, and, being
very fond of children, took her In the
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

Hotel Clerk (suspiciously)-You bundle
has come apart. May 1 ask what that
queer thing is?
Guest-That is new patent fire escape.
l always carry it, so in case Of fire I can
let myself down from the hotel window.
See?
Clerk (thoughtfully)-I see. Our terms
for guests with fire escapes, sir, are in
variably cash in advance
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

"Borus, in your last novel you spoil the
story by raising an insurmountable bar
rier between the hero and heroine, who
certainly ought to have married each
other"
81 couldn't help it, Naggus. My wife
insisted that | was the hero of the story
myself, and she got jealous of the hero
ine"-Chicago Tribune.
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

81 told her my soul was wrapped up in
her"
What did she say?"
She warned me to be more careful or
ia be making love to her before long,
Philadelphia North American.
DO you think bachelors ought to be
taxed?' asked some one
I'm not quite sure yet," she answered,
dreamily. "Give me another week, and
maybe I'll be able to land him without
any outside help."-Chicago Post.
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

work. The piers are of concrete set on
piles driven into the river bottom. The
concrete piers are first made in frames
and then sunk by means of screws until
they set on the piles, which have been
sawed off perfectly even. The drawbridge
is to be of steel It is to be of the best
construction, like all the other work on
the Valley road.
From our depot here in Stockton"
said Engineer Storey, ito the foot of Mar
ket street, San Francisco, by our road is
only seventytwo miles. Within a year
we will be covering the distance in about
two hours, and I think that from the very
first we Will make it inside Of three hours
From here we run down the river bank,
then cross the swamp to Antioch. From
there we go toward the south and through
a tunnel in the Coast Range then run
parallel to the Southern Pacific to Point
Richmond. From here our new boat will
cross the bay in thirty-five minutes and
the whistle of our first engine will be
heard at Point Richmond about the 1st
of next November. From then on we ex-
pect to give the best kind of service and
to constantly improve it,
Q . @ q o s 8 o 9 . o . . o o 80
that it rolls over the water ''broadside
| on" allows little opportunity for end-to-
end pitching.
The problem of the speed which the
roller boat will be able to show is an in
teresting one, certain to provoke wide
range of comment from nautical men and
engineers. Regarding this point the in
ventor says:
If the freight boat which we shall put
into commission next summer for the or,
and grain traffic Of the Great Lakes
makes no better speed than did nv first
crude working model 1t will outcIass. all
competition on the part Of the swiftest
freighters now on the inland seas. That
model was 10 feet long and % feet IN d.
ameter. Loaded to 100 tons displacement
she revolved ten and half times a min
ute on the application of less than twentv
horsepower of steam This gave her =
steady speed of six miles an hour. The
roller boat for ocean traffic will be 500
feet long and 200 feet in diameter. On tba
basis of what has already been done with
the model in Toronto Bay, operating un-
der an insignificant expenditure of power
think it may be reasonably granted that
adequate engines will be able to turn he
ocean boat thirteen times a minute. That
means speed of 100 miles an hour!"
The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

f.: = :: s: E: !: !: $: ::
L x big a problem as ever worried
a railroad man. This was to
find a means of crossing the twelve miles
Of swamp between Stockton and Brent
wood so as TO save thirty miles of travel
and over an hour Of time. The Southern
Pacific Company goes around this swamp
by way Of Lathrop. which course the Val
ley road directors were anxious to avoid.
But the big problem has been solved
and the roadbed is finished all the way
across the tide lands. The laying of rails
VIII commence in a few weeks
Literally speaking, the solution of the
problem has been in course of develop
1nent for years and years and the rail-
road engineers have simply taken advan--
The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23
DEMOCRACY AND IMPERIALISM.

u Y cleverly lodging the extreme silver men, and
X by carefully confining itself to what was hardly
- more than clerical work, the Democratic Ma
tional Committee managed to get through the meet
ing at Chicago on Thursday without taking sides with
any of the wrangng factions of the party. 1t the
unexpected that happened. Instead OF storm there
stagnation.
There was no lack OF opportunity for a if the
National Committee had felt in humor for one
The fight between the Harrison and the Altgeld
gangs in Chicago was in full evidence during the pro-
ceedngs and the committeeman again and
again challenged to take side the other Much
sad experience has taught them wisdom, however,
and they kept of the wrangle. The result is that
so far as the National Committee is concerned no
declaration has been made as TO what course the
Democratic party will take any of the issues be-
fore the country
In the meantime the movement of the influential
leaders to get rid of Bryan goes steadily forward 1t
matters not to them which way they move so long as
the course takes them far from the Chicago
platform and its champion. Senator Morgan, who
speaks with authority than any other single
man for the Democracy of the South, has once more
declared himself in favor of issues, and has
cheered his followers with predictions that such is
sues will be forthcoming.
In recent interview he announced that the cam
pagn of 1000 would be made not on one issue but on
many. He is quoted having said "The more
there are the better for US The Congress that as
sembles in December will in providing for the gov
ernment of our possessions, have to modify the
tariff which will materially strengthen the Demo-
cratic position. Sugar will give you issue enough.
We can no more place tax sugar from Porto
Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines than from
Louisiana Then, in providing for the government
of the islands, will the arranging of financial
system. Silver has been the only money there, there
fore the RECOMMENDATION of silver will be again de-
manded by the Democrats If we can't get free coin
age we will say give us five hundred or a thousand
millions. Once we make inroad, the rest of the
party way will be cleared"
AS if those issues were not enough to build hopes
upon the Senator added: Then, again, the issue
will be injected of the income tax which effort
has been made to collect l shall soon Con-
gress assemblies introduce joint resolution require
the President to collect this tax, which will doubt
throw it again into the Supreme Court Still another
issue will be brought out by the reapportionment by
Republicans in Congress under the new census, and
The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23
Law TaNGLEs aND WAR PROBLEMS

y CURIOUS sideight is thrown upon the per-
I ! pexities of the administration by the decision
of the President to conhde the direction OF the
War Department to lawyer rather than to of
military training OF executive experience. 1t ap
pears the legal tangles Of the Philippine imbroglio
are much more harassing than the war problems.
The selection OF a lawyer for the Office is not in
itself of surprise Several lawyers have
pied the position in times past, and of them, Ed
win M. Stanton, proved himself during the Civil War
to be one of the most efficient organizers of military
administration the world has seen None of the
former War Secretaries, however, selected pri-
marily because of need OF a lawyer in the depart
ment The choice of Mr.. Root has been determined
OF. that ground solely. 1t seems be law and
not campaign are conducting against Agunaldo.
II this view Of the situation be correct General Otis
stands blameess for not prosecuting the
vigorously 1t may be that he is in the situation of
bailf who has gone out with very large posse
itatus to arrest Aguinaldo and his followers for
respass vi ct armis" upon certain town lots subur-
ban tracts, farms and jungles purchased by from
Spain Naturally he does wish to exceed the legal
powers OF bailiff and therefore desires counsel to ad
wise him how far he go and where he must stop.
1t would also appear that A1gers resignation was
due lack OF administrative ability but inef
cheney counselor law to the baiffs in the field
1t will be remembered that some years ago when the
exigences OF British politics raised lawyer to the
Office of First Lord of the Admiralty Gibcrt's face
pen very neatly satrzed the appointment and made
contribute to the gayety of nations by the we'll known
song of the admiral in 'Pinafore': Stick close to
your desk, and go to sea- and you'll get to be
the ruler of the Queens navee' 1t was good song
and merry Our politics now points the same
moral and the Hon. Elihu Root will have the salts
faction of serving reminder to every clerk in an
attorneys office that by due attention the practice
of law he may become the director in chief of great
imperial wars and Asatic conquests.
The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23

the action to be taken on the fourth and fifteenth
amendments to the constitution far as it relates to
States like Louisiana for instance which has dis
franchised the negroes AS trusts both parties viii
denounce them in the strongest terms, and neither
do anything inimical to them"
There is certain frank cynicism in that last state
ment which is characteristic of the man. Both par
ties will denounce trusts in the strongest terms and
neither do anything inimical to them The state
ment is not strictly accurate for is 10 be noted the
Republican party has made pledges concerning
antitrust legislation it has fulfilled The 1mpor-
tant feature of the interview is the advantage the Sen
ator expects to gain for his party out OF the I'M
perialist programme. Imperialism means free trade
in sugar, fruit tobacco rice and all the products OF
the tropical islands. 1t also opening tor
the issue of fiat money. The Senator is an inn
perialist. The people, however, well aware OF
those dangers and not likely walk into the snare
that is for them. Imperialstic Democracy IS no
more attractive than Bryanite Democracy.