The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1901-10-17
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Prof. Thurston, Of Cornell University,
says that the twentieth century opens
with the gas-engine for the first time in
its century Of evolution seriously com
peting with the steam engine in import
ant commercial work on large scale.
Summing up the results Of recent tests,
it appears that ''the best work of the
large gas engine gives a thermal eff
cheney substantially the same as that
Of the very best steam engine, while it
employs fuel which is considerably
cheaper"
The longest cold season is found In
the Rocky Mountain region, where It
exceeds the warm by ten days. The
warm season in Texas and the lower
Missouri Valley opens about ten days
earlier than in the region near the mid
die Atlantic coast, and from twenty to
twenty-five days earlier than OH the
southern coast of California. In the
Northwest the warm season opens
from twenty to twenty-five days earlier
than in the lake region and from fifteen
to twenty-five days earlier than in the
North Pacific coast region.
Gen. Brialmont, famous for the de-
fence plans of Antwerp, has lately de-
vised new uses for cement in the walls
of fortresses. Masonry walls, or walls
of ordinary cement, are quickly lie
molished by modern high-powered can
not, but Gen. Brailmont has succeeded
in mixing fragments of granite
throughout a cement mass, so that the
resulting mass has extraordinary re
sistance. Iron cables imbedded in the
mass join its parts together, so that it
holds firmly even when deeply assured
A wall of the sort viii resist the heav-
lest siege artillery when its thickness
is ten feet
Observers of nature are frequently
struck with the singular resemblances
of insects to leaves, dried sticks, and so
FORTH and these likenesses are sup
posed to have grown out of the neces-
sity of protection against, or conceal
ment from, enemies. An interesting ex-
ample of this kind of resemblance was
recently brought to the attention of the
chronological Society in London by
Dr. Chapman, who exhibited a spider
found inhabiting some rocks near
Cannes, on which were also fastened
the cases Of a species of moth. When
at rest the spider exhibited almost pre-
cisely the same form and color as the
moth cases surrounding it.
Among the remarkable geological fea-
lures of California are the gravelly
channels of ancient streams, known to
miners as dead rivers, which often
contain gold in paying quantities. The
rivers ran generally from north to
SOUTH and some have left beds more
than two miles in width. Some of
them, after their waters had disappear
ed, served as channels for lava, which
hardened over and concealed the gold
bearing gravel. Particular attention
is at present being paid to mining these
deposits. In prospecting them, melon
seeds" of gold, varying in size from
minute grains to particles a quarter of
an inch in diameter, are found. The
gold was brought down by the van
ished rivers from the mountain lodges.
On the coast of Africa, opposite the
mouth Of the river Congo and contin-
uous with the course of that river, lies
submerged valley, the existence and
shape of which have been ascertained
by means of soundings made by the
British Admiralty. This valley,
through which the Congo probably
flowed at time when the western
coast Of Africa was more elevated than
it is at present, is 100 miles in length,
extending to the edge of the platform
of submerged land which borders the
continent Its sides are steep, preclpl-
tous and well-defned, indicating that
they are formed Of solid rocks. Other
submerged river valleys are found ON
the western coast of Europe, and sim
liar phenomena exist in various parts
of the world where the edges Of con-
/ tinents have sunk.