Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-04-22
CURIOUS EXPEDIENTS
MAKESHIFTS THAT SERVED USEFUL
PURPOSES.


Guns have other uses than that OF
killing. We all know that hundreds
of clocks are set from the o'clock gun
fred by electricity from Greenwich
observatory, but not everybody Is
aware that rifles have supplied mols-
ture in desert countries to travellers
diving of thirst and thus saved their
lives.
In the great Sahara some time ago.
SAWS Pearson's Weekly, globe trotter,
who wanted water badly, found 1t pos
sible to collect drink out Of the mere
dampness Of the sand. He sunk the
barrel Of bis gun into the ground and
II collected enough moisture In the
bore to stay his thirst. A timely suck
at a gun muzzle has saved many lives
In the sun scorched deserts OF the
tropics.
Water ran short on merchant yes
sci in mid-Atlantic not long ago. and
the crew did not know what to 90 10
obtain drink. The captain. however,
hit upon brilliant idea.
He had number of sporting guns
in his cabin. and. taking them on deck,
be plugged up the breech ends, filed
the bores with sea water and set them
them end up among the Goals OF the
galley fire.
AS the steam gathered he ran It
through other gun barrels until II COOL
ed. The steam collected In the shape
OF excellent fresh water. and In this
way the crew were supplied with suf-
acient moisture until the vessel touch
ed port.
II you were to drop into the houses
Of the French peasants you would be
struck with the fact that practically
every man and woman poked bis or her
fire with bayonet.
Some 100000 observation-disclosures
stores Of the French army and used In
the Franco Prussian war-haye found
their way into the homes Of poor peas
ants, who use them as fire irons.
The bark Ruth, bound from Demera-
ra to Oban with sugar neglected to
procure a chart Of the Scottish coast
when setting sail. The captain had
never been to Oban before, and. not
wishing to return to Demerara to get
chart, he looked about the vessel for
substitute.
He discovered a Caledonian railway
time table. with the railway map at
tached. This helped him out Of his diff
fculty, for 1t acted splendidly as a sea
guide. The Ruth cut across the Allan
tic and after sailing up the west coast
of Scotland dropped her anchor safely
In Oban bay.
Without this railway map the cap
tain would never have got his vessel
safely through the intricate channels.
Good steel wasn't Obtainable when
the Germans wished to manufacture
some new rifles for their army, so they
purchased tons of horseshoe nails
which had been kicked about the roads
OF the world by horses innumerable.
The gunmakers found them perfect
substance for the manufacture Of rifle
barrels, for the nails. made originally
Of the best metal obtalnable, had re-
ceived from the constant pounding or
the horses feet on hard roads pecul-
lar annealing and toughening.
It is quite possible that you are wear
Ing on your hands today drawn up
lawyers briefs or ancient title deeds.
When kid leather was at a premium
the French glovemakers hunted high
and low for a substitute. One firm,
more ingenious than the rest, bought
I'D old parchments Of all descriptions.
They carefully removed the ink marks
and eventually turned the cleaned
parchment into gloves.
Ever since that particular hrm has
supplied Britain with finest French
kid gloves made Of parchment The
vellum clippings left over when the
gloves are made are boiled down and
turned into letter cases and purses.
The British forces were about to
cross the Glands river during the late
Boer war when 1t was discovered that
It was impossible to construct trestle
bridge across it, for the bed of the
river was nothing but Quicksand. Piles
had to be driven, but no pile driver
was handy.
The officers Of the engineers, how
ever, overcame the difficulty in a way
that startled the general In command
Of the troops The sappers waded into
the water. set up the piles and laid iron
plates on each one. On these small
charges Of dynamite were placed and
fred.
After the explosion the piles were as
arm as II they had been driven In by a
steam hammer. Dynamite explodes
downward with a terrific force, and
anything below 1t is pounded deeply
into the earth.
Mr.. Fosdyke, engineer In charge OF
the Asaka dam on the Nile, scuttled q
ship to save his cherished earthworks
from ruin. The dam partly burst. and
the great rush Of water was forcing
the banks from below.
Something had to be done to stop the
dow. for q terrible disaster was tmmi-
nsnt. Mr.. Fosdyke boarded cargo
steamer tied to the bank some distance
away and, getting up steam, steered
har down the rapid stream.
When she was broadside on the trem
bling dam the engineer had her scut
tied, and as she sank in the rushing
waters Mr.. Fosdyke and his men cheer
ed themselves hoarse. The scuttled
cargo steamer had saved the dam
This remarkable makeshift for break
water cost nearly $1,000.
Glass and Sunlight.
Common clear glass left exposed In
certain desert regions Of the earth soon
changes greatly In appearance and &C
Quires color, sometimes rose purple