Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1908-01-31

BY his ingenious system of con.
trolling distant electric signals by
sound, John Gardner, English cleo
trlcIan, claims to make an automobile
torpedo respond like a dog to call,
to fire mine, blow a steamers
whistle, or give useful signals on an
electric bell or printing telegraph.
The sounds--preferabl transmitted
through water-must have a constant
musical pitch, duration and interval,
though several simultaneous sounds
of differing pitch may be necessary to
act in some cases. The sounds are
received by vibrator of steel tape.
on which is mounted car bon pencil
microphone, which remains stationary
with silence or an unsuitable note
but amplifes note for which the
vibrator Is tuned, and this dIminishes
the contact between vibrator and
microphone. lessening the current
through relay and thus causing
tongue to drop and close a local cir
cult, which effects the action desired.
Several distinct operations may be
controlled. In small model, pro-
peller has been started, rudder set
as desired, and an explosive charge
fired, all by the voice at a distance of
some yards in tone little above
whisper. A powerful sound generator
will give action over several miles.
The new library proposed in France
by K. Gnldschmidt and Paul Otlet is
to have microscopic print on pages Of
reduced size, and the books are to be
read by special magnlfying appar
atus. A uniform International stand
ard of size is suggested The cost of
the small books would be not more
than sixth of that of the present
large ones, library work would be
lessened, and capacity increased.
In new French Welsbach mantle,
the rare oxides are consolidated in an
electric furnace, greatly increasing
resistance to shocks, tremors and
draughts.
'Oedipism is the name given to
the act of tearing out one's eyes.
DR.. Oh, Laton, French physician,
reports the recent case Of a merchant,
made insane by losses, who attempted
suicide by dashing his head against a
wall and tried TO rupture his eve balls
by pressing his thumbs against them.
The globes were not ruptured, though
| blindness eventually resulted About
twenty similar cases are found to be
on record, and in every instance the
! patient--always insane-has tried to
tear out both eyes. Every degree of
injury has been inflicted. Eminent
physicians have doubted that the eyes
| could be torn out by the fingers
alone, but recent facts have proven
that the muscles and tough optic
nerve have been torn and scratched
| through oy the nails and the evidence
is conclusive that the eye balls have
been completely removed in some
cases. The seIf-mutilators are all
melancholics, usually with religious
delusions, self-destruction being the
end in view. Temporary injury is
inflicted by designing sane persons,
and malingerers-such as working
men seeking special compensation
and soldiers wishing to secure dis
charge mutilate the eye
by introducing tobacco or other
irritating substances.
The novel household freezing ma
chine described by Consul K. j.
Thompson from Hanover has capac-
ity of five gallons or more, and is a
double walled vessel of tin with
hollow space an inch deep completely
surrounding the inner compartment.
Carbonio acid from ordinary storage
under pressure is admitted to the
bottom OF this surrounding chamber
passing through a cross armed tube
into the top of the inner vessel.
1 he sudden expansion of the car
homie acid yields great cold, and
water is changed to ice in sixty
seconds, while meats, fruits, bottled
beverages, ETC., may DO chilled or
frozen in a few seconds.
The thousands of sandhill nests of
the magnetic" ant of Northern
Austraiia-lately inspected by the
governor general measure , to by
10 to 10 feet. They form a mature 3
compass, the long axis pointing
ALWAYS north and south