Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-06-17
CURIOUS EXPEDIENTS
MAKESHIfTS THAT SERVED USEFUL
PURPOSES.

How Water WINS Obtained by the
Use of Gun Barrcls-A ship NnNi-
stated %, @enns of n Hallway Map.
Dynamite I-ed For Driving Piles.
Guns have other uses than that of
killing. We all know that hundreds
of clocks are set from the l O'Clock gun
fired by electricity from Greenwich
observatory, but not everybody IS
aware that rifles have supplied mois-
dying of thirst and thus saved their
lives.
In the great Sahara some time ago.
says Pearson'a Weekly, a globe trottcr,
who wanted water badly, found it pos
Bible to collect Il drink out of the mere
dampncss of the sand. He sunk the
barrel of his gun into the ground and
1t collected enough moisture in the
bore to stay his thirst. a timely suck
at n gun muzzlc has saved many lives
In the sun Scorched deserts of the
tropics.
Water ran short on a merchant YES
sci in mid Atlantic not long ago, and
the crew did not know what to do to
obtain a drink. The captain, however,
hit upon brilliant idea
He had n number of sporting guns
In his cabin, and, taking them on deck,
he plugged up the brccch ends, filled
the borcS with sea water and set them
them end up among the Goals of the
galley fire.
As the steam gathered he ran ii
through other gun barrels until it cool
ed. The steam collected in the shape
of excellent fresh water, and in this
way the crew We're supplied with suf
ficieut moisture until the vessel touch
ed port.
If you We're to drop into the houses
of the French peasants you would be
struck with the fact that practically
fire with bayonet
Some 100000 bayOnets-Condcmn
stores of the French army and used in
the Franco-PrusSian war-have found
their way into the homes of poor peas
ants, who use them as fire irons.
The bark Ruth, bound from Dcmera-
IA 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 ncmcTara to get Il
chart he looked about the vessel for Il
substitute.
lie discovered Caledonian railway
time table, with the railway map at
tached. This helped him out of his diff
ficulty, for it acted spIcndidly rs Il sea
guide. The Ruth cut across the ATTAIN
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 obtainablc 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 gunmallcrS found them Il perfect
substance for the manufacture of rifle
barrels, for the nails. made originally
of the best metal obtainablr. had re
ceived from the constant pounding of
the horses feet on hard roads IL pccul-
lar ann"aling and toughcning.
If is IlIitn hnSSil,l. tIut ,nI, mr., N,-,.,,.
ing on your hands today drawn up
lawyers briefs or ancient title deeds
When Kid leather was at premium
the French glovcmakcrS hunted high
and low for il substitute one firm.
more ingenious than the rest. bought
up Old parChmcntS of all descriptions
They carefully removed the ink marks
and eventually turned the cleaned
parchment into gloves.
Ever since that particular firm has
supplied Britain with finest French
Kid gloves made of parchment. The
vcllum 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 it was discovered that
1t was impossible to construct Il trcStle
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 way
Hlnt 4.