Amador ledger., 1909-01-08

The new electric lamp of Robert
Hopfelt, as tested in Germany, is
claimed to combine the resistance to
shock of the carbon lamp with the
economy of the mercury-vapor lamp.
1t has carbon tilament fused into
V-shaped tube. which contains a drop
of mercury and an inert gas to- tran
smit the heat to it, and the tube it.
self is fused into a bulb, giving the
whole the appearance of an ordinary
incandescent lamp. The energy con-
sumption per oandle-power is about
GO per cent less than that of the or
binary carbon filament lamp. On
first turning on the current, the
filament glows with about the usual
consumption per candlepower. but
as the mercury becomes vaporized the
light increases, reaching more than
double the ordinary intensity in five
minutes. The light is pure white,
without Objectionable blue or green
rays.
Quite a revolution in naval warfare
is promised by the new torpedo of
Engineer Lieutenant Hardcastle of
the British Navy. Thus far the posi-
bility of being torpedoed at greater
distance than 1000 yards has not been
considered. but the range of the new
torpedo is claimed to be 1000 yards,
or 1000 yards more than the latest
type in use, while its speed averages
81 knots. If torpedo attacks become
effective at this range, present gun
merry calculations will need to be
completely revised. Trials have de-
u onstrated the effectiveness of the
new projectile, but its adoption Will
be delayed, as it is too large to fire
from the present tubes.
Colored lights as signals on rail
ways become more unsatisfactory as
speeds and traffic increase with the
growing confusion OF city lights, and
it has been suggested that a system of
bright white lights in varying
arrangement would be more quickly
and certainly recognized in all
weather. Three lights, for instance.
might be shown in a vertical hoIi-
zontal or sIanting row, or arranged
in triangle. each form being a de-
finite signal.
The flow of metals under pressure,
discovered somewhat mole than 30
years ago, is the basis of tie industry
of the French MetallurgicaI Company,
which makes tubes ana sections by
forcing cold copper, aluminium, zinc.
ETC., through suitable dies. The
three machines now used have capaci
ties of 1000, 500 and $50 tons respect
lively. The enormous pressure exert
ed by the machines is concentrated
upon small area, and this causes
the metal to become more or less
fluid, so that il can be given the de-
sired form. Elaborate tests of the
tubes before and after annealing, also
when heated to various temperatures,
have been recently made. Among
other results, it has been shown that
cold drawn zinc tubes of equal
strength may be substituted for ordin-
airy lead pipes, and that the saving |
in cost would be from % to 40 per
cent.
boat load of shipwrecked mar
liners having few panes Of glass may |
collect from the ocean enough fresh !
, water to sustain life, The great RAIN
! less area OF Chile has some brackish |
water, which, however, neither man
nor beast can drink, and drinking
water is now obtained by means OF a
novel desert distilleTy containing |
%, 600 square feet of glass. The panes
are formed into V-shaped troughs, |
which are placed over shallow pans
of the brackish water. The vapor of
the water ovaporated by the suns
heat is condensed on the lower side |
of the glass, and runs down into little
channels, which conduct the fresh |
water to the main receptacle. A
supply of about 1000 gallons daily
is thus provided.
The rational diet, as worked out by |
DR.. Landouzy, Doyen of the Paris
Faculty of Medicine, must contain
the heterogeneous food necessary fol-
the repair of the body, and in addi-
tion a still larger proportion of fatty |
matter and carbohydrates, to main
tain heat and working energy. The
dietary should be proportional to the
,,o,, =, oi,o apd uaiobt and tbo uporIr /