Middletown transcript., 1908-08-22
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

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is exactly like cows milk in appearance,
and in taste can hardly be distinguished
from it. To make it the beans are first
soaked and then boiled in water. Some
sugar and phosphate of potassium are
added, and it is boiled down till it has
the consistency of condensed milk.
With all the water which passes over
Niagara Falls the little city at the brink
of the great precipice, and which bears
its name, has long had water supply
which left much to be desired. The first
step toward bettering this condition has
just been made by the appointment OF
Commission to take the subject in hand
and make report. What seems to be
the most feasible plan is to carry tunnel
under the river to the Canadian side,
where, it is asserted, the water is OF finer
quality than that obtainable on the Amer
ican side. All the industrial companies
located at the falls are in favor of an i'm
proved water supply. The present sys-
tenn is controlled by two companies,
which are not very energetic, and the
service is unsatisfactory. The new pro-
ject will cost several million dollars, and
after the plans are perfected, the details
arranged, the scheme must be presented
to the citizens of the town for ratification.
A fight for two.cent cable rate be-
tween England and America has been
inaugurated by John Heniker Heaton,
a member OF the British Parliament, who
led the fight for two-cent postal rate.
1t is proposed for the two Governments
to acquire possession of the existing cables
and to operate them for public benefit.
At the present time the cables are worked
to about one twelfth of their total capac-
ity, and it is argued that the margin
offered for increased business would make
the two-cent rate profitable.
Electric trucks have been introduced
by the company which controls nearly
all the docks of the Brooklyn water front
| Will RICdb SuCCCSSs AdA
on three wheels were used, and these
were drawn by horses. The matter OF
transportation by this means was always
necessarily slow, and the action of the
feet of the animals tramping constantly
over the wood covering of the piers made
the item of repairs very heavy one.
The new trucks carry three times as much
as the horse-drawn ones, besides reducing
the item of dock repairs to minimum.
A new system of illumination is offered
by the discovered of Professor Blau of
Germany, which is liquid Illuminating
gas to be delivery at the houses of GUS
TONERS at regular periods in much the
same manner as coal oil and other COM
modities are delivered at the present
time. A 22-pound cylinder Of gas is sufi-
cient to supply 50-candle-power light
for four menths if used four hours per
day. The means of connection between
the burner and the reservoir is through
fine tube no thicker than an electric
light wire and just as flexible.
The fish candles of Alaska are being
sent over the world in quantities as cur
iosities.
AsphaItic layers have been found in
Syria, near Kferie, a village about 25
miles northeast of the port of Latakia,
along the road leading toward Aleppo,
which have been declared by competent
mining engineers to be not only rich in
asphalt, but also practically inexhaustible.
Coal production in Michigan in 1907 is
81 per cent. greater in quantity and value
than in 1906 and the largest ever recorded
in that State. The total output for the
year was 2,035, 1858 short tons, having a
local value of S3,660, 1888, as against the
previous record in 1905 Of l .473, ,2l1 short
tons. Of the 1907 total 29.S per cent, or
606, 71s short tons was machine mined.
During the meeting in Chicago of the
Republican Convention no less than S..
100000 words were sent by telegraph.
The two telegraph companies and the
several press associations had prepared to
handle 100000 words a day from the
convention hall, and large corps of bicycle
messengers were organized to take over
flow matter to the main city Offices. The
| Western Union Company had ITO cir
cults from Chicago to New York City, and
| 150 expert operators were on duty, in ad-
ditiou to those detailed from the Chicago
staff. The Postal Telegraph Company
had 135 extra operators on duty.
The most powerful engine ever put in
an automobile is one of six cylinders and
200-horsepower in French racing ma
chine. In it's preliminary trials it is re-.
ported to have attained an average speed
of 125 miles an hour.
Naturally, San Francisco leads the list
in the increased building operation statis-
tics. The total number of building per-
mits issued in San Francisco during 1907
was IL, 1926 for buildings to cost $91, ,5O2,-
240, an increase of 1862 per cent. over the
building in 1906.
Taking the building operations of this
whole country into consideration 60.S8
per cent. were for wooden structures and
39.12a per cent. for fre-resisting buildings
but the cost of the latter amounts to 70. 81
per cent. of the total.
Six gates weighing 20, 900 pounds each
will be used at the Roosevelt dam in con-
nection with the Salt River project being
erected by the United States Reclamation
Service. The gates will be subjected to
total maximum pressure of 80, 900 pounds.
The new fire boats James Duane and