Amador ledger., 1908-05-29

the sponge fishery OF the Kerkenah
greatest sponge gathering center. A
crude attempt at bottom navigation
for sponges was made some years ago
by Vicar-G General Raoul Of Carthage,
and he organized the local society
that has followed up the problem,
and has had the present vessel built.
This boat is simpler and smaller than
those designed for naval use. 1t is
1G1@ feet long, sd feet in diameter,
has displacement of only 9 tons and
buoyancy of 1900 pounds, and
carries two men. The only opening
is the turret at. the top. Filling
three water ballast tanks causes the
vessel to sink, and it is raised, and
small movements of ascent and de
scent are controlled by manipulating
the compressed air value. Two steel
oars, with water-tight spherical
joints, make it easy for the crew to
paddle about. A wheel at the for
ward end facilitates moving along on
the bottom, and a movable arm with
watert tight spherical joint is provid
ed for gathering sponges. with large
basket to hold them. Electric lamps
are fed by storage battery.
The special X-ray tube worked out
for medical use by DR.. a. G. Geyser
has been tried in more than 5000
applications of to 30 minutes each,
and there has been no case of burn
ing of the skin. The tube is of
lead glass, and small flint-giass
window-jus large enough to cover
the area under treatment-is the
only portion that permits the active
radIations to pass.
Great pressure is used in manu-
featuring the new shingles of
asbestos fiber and Portland cement,
and they absorb only per cent of
their weight of water. Hydration
and gradual capitalization on ex-
posure on roofs make them absolute.
ly impermeable.
An improved ornamental glass
more transparent than the old and
designed to reflect and transmit light
of substantially the same color-has
been developed by Fritz Publ and
August Wagner of Berlin. The gold
or silver panes in mosaic work have
| 10 Inv ri
upon metal film and then causing a
thin sheet of glass to adhere TO the
film by heating, the product being a
glass rejecting gold or silver light
but almost opaque, the feeble light
transmitted being of a dirty yellow
or gray color. In the new process
the metal is made to thoroughly
coaIesce with the glass. The film is
applied to tho first layer of glass
mechanically or by chemical or cleo
trolytic method, and melted glass is
then poured on to form the second
layer, giving perfect union and great
transparency. The panes have a
beautiful golden or silvery lustre by
reflected light, while the transmitted
rays are more or less colored and give
a pleasing antique effect. Mosaics
may be made up with both the new
glass and the old, and the new
material is adapted not only for
windows but for lanterns, lamp Chin
neys and other uses.
Cactus, instead or petroleum, is
the mosquito eXterminat or that is
being tested by the sanitary authori
ties of Gaboou, French Africa. The
thick, pulpv leaves are cut up and
macerated in water, and the sticky
paste so formed is spread over stag
nant pools, giving the isolating layer
that destroys the mosquito larvae by
preventing them from coming up to
breathe. The paste retains its place
for weeks and months, while the
petroleum quickly dries up and dis
appears in the fierce heat of tropical
sun.
slhiPlo hoW ueNioo aiihS " duu
further power and efficiency to the
incandescent gas-light. The little
apparatus is operated by electric cur
rent generated by the waste heat of
the lamp, and acts by COMPRISING
the gas at the burner instead of de-
pending upon the uncertain high
pressure from distant station. 1t
is claimed that thorough test has de-
monstrated the usefulness of this
novel compressor.
A simple compass finder, costing IL
cents, has enabled a western pipe