The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
WATER FROM GUN BARRELS.
q RIOTS NtkFSHIFTS THAT
SFRJ IN ISETT PURPOSES.
Rayonets Used as Pokers Naugated by
Means OF Railway Niap-tncient
TILE Deeds for Glove smoke Turned
into Light ship saved Dam.

Means OF a Railway Map-tncient
Tille Deeds for GIoNes-SmOke Turned
Into Light ship saved n Dam.
Guns have other uses than that OF kill
ing. We all know that hundreds OF clocks
are set from the 1 O'Clock gun fred by
electricity from Greenwich Observatory
hut not everybody is aware that rifles have
supplied moisture in desert countries to
travellers dying of thirst and thus saved
their lives,
In the great Sahara some time ago
says Pearson Weekly. a globe trotter
who wanted water badly. found it possible
10 collect a drink out of the mere dampness
OF the sand He sunk the barrel Of his gun
into the ground and it collected enough
moisture in the bore to stay his thirst A
timely suck at gun muzzle has saved
many lives in the sun scorched deserts
of the tropics
Water ran short on a merchant vessel
In mid Atlantic not long ago. and the crew
didn't know what TO do TO obtain drink.
The captain however, hit upon a brilliant
idea
He had a number Of sporting guns in
his cabin and. taking them on deck, he
plugged up the breech ends. filed the
hores with sea water and set them end
UP among the Goals Of the galley fire.
As the steam gathered, he ran it through
other gun barrels until it cooled. The
steam collected in the shape of excellent
fresh water. and in this way the crew
we've supplied with sufficient moisture I'M
Ill the vessel touched port
II you we're 10 drop into the hou -es Of
the French peasants you would be struck
with the fact that practically every man
and woman poked his or her fire with a
bayonet
Some 100000 bayonets condemned
stores Of the French army, and used in
the Franco-Prussian War have found
their way Unto the homes Of poor peas
ants who lYse them as fire irons. Bayonets
are also becoming fashionable as pokers
in this country, but here they are gen.
eraly used by the well to do.
The bark Ruth, bound from Deme-
rara to Oban. With sugar. neglected TO pro-
cure chart Of the Scottish coast when
setting sail. The captain had never been
to Oban before, and. not wishing to re-
iun to Demerara to get chart he looked
about the vessel for substitute.
He discovered a Caledonian Railway
time table. with the railway map attached.
This helped him ont Of his difficulty. for it
acted splendidly as sea guide. The
Ruth cut across the Atlantic. and. after
sailing up the West Coast of Scotland,
dropped her anchor safely in Oban Bay
Without this railway map the captain
would never have got his vessel safely
through the intricate channels.
Good steel wasn't ohtainable when the
Germans wished to manufacture some new
rifles for their army. so they purchased
some toms Of horseshoe nails which had
been kicked about the roads Of the world
by horses innumerable
The gunmakers found them n perfect
substance for the manufacture of rife bar
rels, for the nails, made originally Of the
best metal obtainablo, had received from
the constant pounding Of the horses feet
on hard roads peculiar annealing and
toughening.
IT Is quite possible that you are wear
ing on your hands 10 day drawn up law
yerS briefs or ancient title deeds,
When kid leather was at a premium
the Freuch glove makers hunted high and
low for a substitute One firm. more in
genious thNn the rest bought up old parch-
luents 81 sll descriptions. They carefully
the ink marks, and eventually
tuned the cleaned parchment into gloves
L or since that particular firm 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 BIRTHS forces we're about TO cross
The Elands River dur ing the late Boer war.
when II was discovered that it was impos-
-ible to construct trestle bridge across
it. for the bed OF the river was nothing
hut quicksand. Piles had 10 be driven.
but no piledriver was handy
The officers Of the engineers however
overcame the difficulty in way that start
led the General in command Of the troops.
The sappers waded into the water. set M
the pics and laid iron plates on each one.
IN these small charges Of dynamite were
placed and fired
After the explosion the piles were as firm
rs n they had cen driven in by a steam
hammer. Dynamite cTplodes downward
With terrific force, and anything below
il is pounded deeply into the earth
Mr. Fosdyke. engineer in charge Of the
Asaka dam on the Nile, scuttled a ship TO
ave his cherished earthworks from ruin
The dam partly burst. and the great rush
II water was forcing tho hanks from
below
Something had 10 be done 10 stop the
low for a terrible disaster was imminent
Nr. Fosdyke boarded a cargo steamer tied
% the bank some distance away. and
getting up steam, steered her down the
-apid stream
When she was broadsidc on tho trembling
lam the engineer had her scutued and a.
he sank In the rushing waters Mr.. Fosdyke
md his men chcorcd themselves hoarse.
The scuttled cargo steamer had saved the .
lam This remarkable nakeshift for a
'rcakwatcr cost nearly c7,OO0
A Belgian who Is disguised with the .
darkness OF country villages wants 70 save
he country expense by lighting them with
hifnney pots instead OF lamp posts. His .
dea Is simplicity Itself.
The inventor collects the smoke from /
be chimneys and forces IL into a receiver. +
lie then saturates Il with hydro carburet, /
md brilliant light results.
The apparatus. from all accounts, Is very .
ample and can be attached To any chimney I
L small expense. To use a chimney pot /
Il a amp port Is certainly a very queer /
ubstituto.