The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-10
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But little notice says Science has been
taken in the United States of remarkable
progress made in Northern Italy in the
establishment of stations for the protec-
ton against injury from hail storms, by
means of the etJerschiessen-one of the
old "suDersti1ions which has come 10
honor again in our enlightened age. Shoot
ing and ringing of church bells has for
ages been popularity supposed to be effica-
cious against the effects of thunder storms,
especially of lightning. Now, however,
the matter has taken practical shape, in
the form of stations located at intervals
of not more than a kilometer apart in re-
gions subject to hail Storms, and provided
with a small cannon placed vertically ana
surmounted by a 6-foOt narroW-cOnical
trumpet. which transmits the vortex and
conclusion of a 2l2 ounce charge of black
powder to the threatening cloud preventing
the formation of hail, and apparently also
diminish hing the electrical discharges. The
idea originated with BurgOmaster MOritz
Stiger of Syria, where, after three years
experience complete exemption from hail
injury seems to have been secured, so that
the inhabitants have abandoned hail in
surance. finding the new method cheaper.
THE Belgian plan for electric canal
towing" says Chambers Journal, will
have only one generating electric station
which will serve not only to supply the
necessary motive power to the traction
engine. but will enable electric light to
be supplied to any neghboring village or
even hamlet at as moderate a price as
that enjoyed by large towns. The route
taken by the engine is to be about thirty
miles though we may confidently expect
that in time the entire service of canal
haulage will be worked by this particular
motive power. The engine has thre
wheels, the two back ones being the mo-
tive wheels The front one of this tri
cycle is the guiding wheel. which is man
euvered frCm behind by a driver ensconc-
ed IN a covered shelter, which contains
the starting and directing apparatus, the
brake. and the drag. The traction cable
is attached to the framework of the car
riage. and draws by means of two trolleys
running on wire The electric force from
the aerial line which, supported on wooden
posts, is placed along the canal banks 1t
is, in fact, practically the same as the
overheard system in use for tramWays in
many large towns. The towline is fixed
laterally to the framework of the engine
There is a man here-J. P. Thomas,
Jr.-who says he has eaten nothing for
six years but uncooked vegetables, and
argues that nature intended all of us to
do so, writes W. f. Curtis from Wash
ington to the Chicago Record. They are
nourshing and contribute more to the
strength and vigor of the human system
than cooked vegetables or animal food.
All energy, Mr.. Thomas asserts, comes
from the sun. Plants absorb the sunshine
and hold the energy. in their fibres like
cCal, timber and minerals. Men and ami
mails derive their energy from plant food
because they cannot eat trees or coal
Cooking causes chemical decomposition,
deprives vegetables of a part of the ener-
gy which they have inherited from the
sun, and hence they are less beneficial to
mank nd than when eaten raw. Mr.. Thorn
as, his wife and his child, 1 year Old,
subslst almost exclusively on raw wheat
and other cereals, raw potatoes cabbage
turnips and all other varieties of vegeta-
bles and fruits AS a consequence they
are never i'll, they are not susceptible to
cold, they wear their garmnts without
Undertaking, oVercoats or wraps the
year round. Mr.. Thomas claims 10 have
the strength of four men, and can lift L.,
450 pounds.
The proposition to store liquified acety-
lene gas in cylinders for use in supplying
gas for Illuminating purposes has been
abandoned on account of its danger. Next
it was proposed 20 absorb the acetylene
gas in some solution, much after the fash
ion of the absorption of carbonic acid gas
in The production of soda water. Ii was
thought that this would furnish a safe
storage of gas for use in lighting, but this,
too, has proved unsafe. Until very re-
Gently, says the Philadelphia Record this
has been the state of the art, and re-
version to the original acetylene carbide
fed generator has taken place Recently,
however, a French investigator, NJ Veille
connected with the Compagnie Franchise
de rAcetylene Dissous has discove cred
that a steel cylinder is filled up with some
highly porous, in organic, incombustible
material, such as pumice stone, it can be
charged at high pressure with dissolved
acetylene without fear of explosion or
danger when the reservoir gets hos The
gas is dissolved in acetone. a comparative
ly cheap, non-explosive liquid which has
a peculiar affinity for acetylene, dissolv-
ing twenty-four times its own volume of
that gas at ordinary atmospheric press
ure. Consequently when a bottle is charg-
ed to ten atmospheres df It held a cubic
foot of acetone originally ii would then
dissolve $40 times its own volume. and
when relieved of pressure would actually
yield 2l6 cubic feet of gas, leaving the
acetone ready for another treatment of
gas While these experiments are only
in their infancy, they give promise of pro-
viding an economical and practical meth
Cd of storing adetylene gas for portable,
lamps, for use on trains. vehicles. etc.
where a generator is out of the question.