The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-11

senger traffic is light, which are the
conditions under which these cars are
operated in a few instances in this
country, these cars are being used on
main lines in the postal service, and
where there is a special demand for
accommodation trains. They are also
being used to some extent in thickly
settled industrial centers and in the
suburbs of cities. The cars are gener-
ally run by an engineer and a conduc-
tor.
in some recent tests of crude oil
as fuel at Stevens Institute some in
teresting results were obtained. In a
stationary boiler test So pounds of
steam was raised in 50 minutes, while
in a test made later, with a heavy coal
fire, one hour and IL minutes were re-
quired to raise the same steam press
ure. After the experiment a careful
examination of the boiler was made
and no injurious results We're found.
Several tests were subsequently made
with similar results. Relative to the
economy of oil as a fuel, it was found
that four and one-quarter barrels of
oil furnishes the same amount of pow
er as one 2,240-pound ton of coal, the
latter costing nearly five times as much
as the former.
A new submarine torpedo boat has
been invented by Mr.. Thomas j. Mo-
Rarity, of Newport, R. I. 1t is what
might be termed a one-man submarine
boat-that is, the vessel is so small and
its operative parts are so designed and
actuated that the boat may be pro-
PEELED, guided, submerged and perfect
ly controlled in ever way by one per-
son only. This fact is due to the appli-
f0NN l. 81
matte contrivances which control the
action of the boat and leave the opera
tors attention free to lay his course
and to fire the torpedo suspended be-
reath the craft. The boat is IL feet in
length, feet deep and 5 feet wide
amidship. 1t is cigar-shaped, and is
provided with a coming tower about
the size of a bucket.
-Interurban electric railway compa-
MES are beginning to experience the
greater responsibilities and increased
expenses which necessarily accompany
the effort to make their transportation
facilities correspond to those of steam
railways. Many of these electric roads
have been built in the public high
ways and have been accorded the same
rights and immunities as the ordinary
street railways. Suit has now been
begun at Detroit against the Rapid
Railway on claim for damages caused
by an accident, in which the principle
is asserted that interurban railway
companies doing a regular through
freight and passenger business cam
not be regarded as street railways and
are responsible for damage done on
account of their being in the street or
highway-which would seem to be rea-
sonable.
The sardine of the French coast is
handsome little fish, whose beauty is
not entirely lost in canning. Sardines
go in schools, and swim at or near the
surface. AS many as 100000 fish have
been taken in one net from one school.
They are preyed upon by many fish
the mackerel, the paddock and the dol
l'hin being especially destructive. Be
ing free-swimming oceanic fish, the
sardine varies in abundance from year
to year; but there is no evidence that
the fishing effects any permanent re-
Cuction of the supply. From 1887 to
1890 there was an alarming scarcity of
sardines on the French coast but af-
ter four years the fish returned in
their former numbers. Several Ameri-
can fishes resemble the French sar-
dine, among them being the herring
and the California sardine. The for
ner is canned on the coast of Maine
and placed on the market as genuine
French sardines in pure olive OIL"
India rubber in it's raw state prob
ably provides one of the most fragrant
cases of adulteration on record, says
the Electrical Review. Pebbles placed
in the center of the "nigger head, va
riety to make weight, and the same
on subsequent detection, by cutting
the ball in two, being relegated to the
two halves, such that the inspectors
knife fails to reveal their presence,
are familiar cases of fraud now al
most played out. The latest system
adopted by the native collec-
tors applies more especially to fine
Para rubber, and consists in a Judi
cious mixture of farina flour with the
caoutchouc while in a milky state.
This flour is employed as food by the
natives, and is frequently added in
such quantities that its presence is
Immediately apparent on cutting into
the mass. Smaller authorizations are
readily rendered apparent by apply
ing the usual iodine, applied with a
brush to the surface of the suspected
rubber causes the latter to turn a
deep blue. So common has this species
of adulteration become that 10 per
cent. admiXture of farina flour is re-
garded by the importers as fair, usual
quality. In view of this wholesale re-
duction in quality of imported rub
rubber it behooves electrical buyers,
such as cable makers, to be very care
full in their examination of consign-
ments before accepting them as bona
fide. The fault does not lie with the
importers altogether and possibly, if
buyers combined to exclude such rub
bers from the market, the evil might
be remedied. or at least reduced.
The Department of Works of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition has
placed with contractors the plans and
specifications for machinery hail. which
is one of the group of nine monster
exhibit buildings, for the Worlds Fair
in 1908, in what has come to be known
as the main picture" of the EXPOSE
ton. The bids were opened and
the contract for it's construction were
let April 8, and the contract will
provide for the completion of the struc-
ture not later than Dec. l, 1902. As in
the terms of the contracts of the three
other big buildings already under con-
tract, the successful Bidder for the ma
chinery building had to give
bond covering one-third the
price of the building, and for
felt a sum equal to $500
a day for every day it takes to COM
plete the building beyond time fixed
for its completion in the contract The
building will be one of the giants of
the Exposition picture. Its dimensions
are to be 525 by LOCO feet, and it's esti-
mated cost is 100000. The building is
crowned by eleven towers. Two of