Middletown transcript., 1908-10-31
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

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ton of A. X. Schaap, of Brooklyn, N. Y
very high temperature is secured fc
brazing, welding and variety of use
where the local application of heat is nee
essary, the burner using common al
blast and a small quantity of city gas
This burner is now being used for va
riety of automobile work coming in
iobbing shop. City gas only is under nor
NAL city pressure, and the air blast varie
from 80 to so pounds. With this it il
possible to melt cast iron on open heartE
and braze inaccessible places quickly anC
readily. One of the features of the appar
atus is the small amount OF space taken BY
the blazing tools, some of them being
smaller than an ordinary soldering iron
What is probably the best record oI
steam power efficiency of which there is
any record is reported in the test of new
type of engine which originates in Darn
stadt. The particular engine under test
had capacity OF 100 effective horse power.
The steam consumption per effective horse
| power was determined as Sc pounds,
and the coal consumption as 1.04 pounds
Figuring on coal as costing SIS per ton in
the particular locality, the fuel cost per
horsepower comes on as low as 0.22 per
cent. per hour. The figures were com.
piled by Professor Guttermuth, of Darn
stadt.
In order to secure an increased depth Of
water in the Manchester Canal some very
extensive work of an auxiliary ma
ture has been undertaken. As a part of
this work the Halpool Brook had to be
carried under the canal by means of ST.
phon. This siphon consisted of twin
steel tubes, with an insilr t'.,m"t"r of 81
ieet covered with inches Of Concrete and
held together by angle frames 6 feet
apart. 1t was constructed some y
miles from the brook crossing and towed
down the canal on barges. lis total
length was 225 feet, and its weight
260 tons. Lowering it into position was
accomplished by the use of a 250-ton
floating pontoon crane.
Paris has 80 miles of underground rail-
ways in operation and 25 in the course
Of construction. At present the travel
averages $50, 900 passengers day. There
are TWO tracks PARALLEL to the Seine and
serving the traffic OF the central portions
of the city, a circular line surrounding
the city and situated between the central
quarters and the Notifications, occupying
somewhat the position of the outer bouIe
wards, and, lastly, two transverse lines at
right angles to the course of the river.
The system has double track tunnel
throughout, except where it crosses un-
der the Seine, through two iron-lined
tubes, each 1874 feet inside diameter.
These subaqueous tunnels are being ex-
cavated under pressure by the shield
method.
What DR.. Sven Hedin regards as the
greatest achievement of his recent ex-
plorations in India is the discovery OF
that continuous mountain chain which, |
taken as whole, is the most massive |
range on the crust of the earth, its aver
age height above sea level being greater |
than that of the Himalayas Its peaks |
are 1000 feet to 5000 feet lower than
Everest, but its passes average 5000 feet |
higher than the Himalayan passes. The
Eastern and Western parts were known
before, but the central and highest part
s in Bougba, which was previously unex-
olored. Not tree or bush covers it;
here are no deep-cut valleys, as in the
for rain is recently for rain is
canty.
Some valuable and interesting work
las been accomplished recently by DR..
/. W. Fewkes, of the Bureau OF Ethnol-
gy, in the excavation and restoration of
he cliff dwellings the Mesa Verde Nation
! Park in Colorado. This ancient vii
gels situated on the border OF the Mon
ezuma Valley, just south OF the ancient
lontezuma road, and contains some
t the best preserved relics of the
rehistoric cliff dwelers in the country.
wall forming the front of this village,
ormerly hidden under fallen debris, was
rought to light and repaired throughout
IS whole length, The former pazas were
estored to their original condition. In
he course of the work 12O rooms were
leaned out and repaired. Eight of these,
'hich are circular in form, were found to
e ceremonial in nature. They were ex-
awaited to their floors and their architec-
lral features revealed. The roofs of two
these circular rooms were restored, fol-
wing aboriginal lines of construction.