The new age., 1906-05-05
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Japan has a wonderful avenue Of
trees extending from the town of Ma
monda to NikkO. This avenue is fully
fifty miles in length and the trees are
the tryptOmera. Each tree is perfect
ly straight and from 13O to $50 feet in
height and twelve to fifteen feet in
circumference.
Twice as much heat Is generated by
X-rays in lead as in zinc. The only
explanation evident to the discoverer
is that certain elements are broken up
by these rays and that the energy lib
Grated from these atoms forms a part
Of that appearing when the rays are
absorbed by matter.
The automatic gas kinder and extin-
gusher Of Herr Raupp of Mayence is
based upon the singular effect Of light
In increasing the electric conductivity
of selenium. With the coming of day
light the selenium permits the ready
passage Of an electric current, and this
causes the shutting off Of the gas, which
the apparatus turns on again and ig-
mites as darkness comes again. The
selenium, Of course, is shielded from
the light of the burning gas
The countries having surplus Of
wheat Of their Own growing and the
countries that must import large sup
plies from abroad to supplement their
own production make an interesting
table. Under the first heading come
the United States Canada, Russia,
Austria Hungary, Roumania and Bull
garia, Turkey In Asia, North Africa,
Australasia, India and Argentina. I'm
der the second heading come Great
Britain and Ireland, Germany, Bel
GUM, Holland, Italy, France, Switzer
land, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Scan
dinavia. For a long time Russia has
occupied the second place as a wheat
producing country, the United States
holding first place. But now Argentina
is rapidly overtaklng Russia in the race
for second place.
The new railway bridge over the Vel
low river in China is one of the largest
and most remarkable in the world. 1t
it mile and seven-eighths in length
and Is composed entirely Of steel, with
no masonry whatever, according to the
report Of Special Consular Agent Crist.
1t rests on steel tubes embedded in the
river bottom, and supporting a series
of arches varying from about &c to 9S
feet In length. Some of the supporting
pillars consist of a group of 8 steel
tubes sunk 80 feet in the river bed
The problems encountered by the en-
glneers were particularly difficult be-
cause the river current changes not
only with the season, but even day by
day. Sometimes where there Is a bed
of sand one day feet Of water may
be found the next day. The strongest
currents are In August and September.
During the past two or three years
the French government has endeavored
to stimulate the ancient Industry of
lace making by hand by providing spe-
cial instruction in girls public and nor
NAL schools, in those provinces where
the manufacture of lace has been car
ried on for generations. The results
are encouraging. 1t is estimated that
at present about 1896 persons are en-
gagged in lace-making in France, only
half the number employed when the
industry was at its height. before the
Introduction Of machine-made lace 1t
is recognized that handmade lace pos
sesses a beauty and originality of de-
In the market, for. after all. the most
cunning Of machines is the human
hand. Until this special effort at revival
was begun, however. the industry was
rapidly becoming extinct.