Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-28

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Feb. %. The cars and general equip
ment show high degree Of develop
ment in the way Of appliances for SCI
curing comfort and safety. The roll
ing stock Is flreproof from trucks to
roof, the doors are operated by pneu-
matte power, and an automatic block
system makes a collision or telescoping
OF trains almost an impossibility.
Thorough ventilation Is secured by IN
ingenious system which compels each
train to act as a piston, drawing the Mt
mosphere after 1t, thus keeping con-
slant current through the tunnel with
out the aid Of expensive fans.
Immigrant Outflow Continues.
The records of the transatlantic
steamship lines show that for the first
forty-five days Of the present year the
number of incoming foreigners was o.
800, while those returning for the same
period reached total of STAB. The
incoming figure is 249 per cent less
than for the corresponding period in
1907, while that for the outgoing travel
is 28s per cent greater.
Gas. Electric Car Tested.
At Schenectady, N. T., officials Of the
Delaware and Hudson company and
the American Locomotive company
have made test of the new gas-elec-
trio car which is expected to revolu-
tionize railroading on short lines. 1t
combines in one the power house trans
mission lines, substations and all the
benefits of electric traction without
the costly and cumbersome features Of
the trolley. A powerful gas engine
drives an electric generator. The cur.
rent obtained in this way supplies
power to the motors which drive the
car The gas engine, which consumes
gasoline, runs very smoothly, and the
electrical equipment assures perfect
control Of speed and as comfortable
riding as is enjoyed in the modern In
terurban electric. The shape Of the
ends of the car Is parabolic to reduce
the air resistance to a minimum when
travelling at high speed. The eight
cylinder gas engine develops $50 horse.
| power and Is coupled to a 100 horse
power direct current generator. The
machinery worked finely on all kinds
Of grades, and speed Of over sixty
miles an hour was made at times.
The car was especially designed and
constructed by the General Electric
company for steam railroad work on
the Delaware and Hudson lines and
will be used on several Of its branch
roads.
Mississippi Jetties compIeted.
The new jetties at the mouth of the
Mississippi river, the construction of
which was commenced four years ago,
are now practically completed and will
give the south one Of the deepest har.
bors in the world by opening to the ac-
cess of the largest steamships afloat
the 100 and 200 foot depths Of the low
er Mississippi. They consist of two
parallel walls, one about three and the
other about four miles long, lying over
half mile apart and built In the shoal
water at the juncture of the southwest
pass with the gulf Of Mexico. The
swift current which they have pro-
dnced, aided by dredging, has caused
such a tremendous scour as TO already
make from fifty to eighty-five feet Of
water in some places where ut the be-
ginning of the work the depth was hut
little over mans head. The jetties
have no foundation, but rely for their
stability upon their extremely broad
bases. being from 100 to 100 feet wide
at the bottom. They are capped by a
sea wall about four feet high. 1t is ex-
pected, however, that the whole struc-
ture will gradually sink until this con.
crete wall is entirely submerged. The
cost was but little short of $4,000, 00O..