Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-16
sculpins, founders, star fish, Holsters,
crabs and many other kinds.


crabs and many other kinds.
Says a Washington correspondent:
"A good hustling Maine man In tbs
person of Chief photographer M. Q.
Leighton Of the Geological survey IS
looming up in the scientific world here.
Formerly no one knew very mucn
about the photographic work OF the
survey OF course, everybody, or
nearly everybody, knows that some
work in the measurement of streams
was in progress in various parts of the
country Occasionally there was
something in the prints about the flow
of streams and rivers and the fall
thereof on the way to the sea. But the
prevailing opinion seemed to be that
it was some more scientific foolishness
that Congress would be wise in stop
ping. But the importance of ascer-
tanning the water resources OF the
various states of the union, partl-
cularly the resources in the way OF
water power has gradually been dawn
ing upon the people. Pres. Roosevelt
has been emphasizing it in numerous
utterances The Conservation con-
crosses of the last year or two have
been laying stress upon the impor-
lance of this work. 1t happened that
Mr.. Leighton had vast deal OF ma
terial and that he could put his fingers
on a lot more. He was up to date, full
of energy and resourceful and nova
DAYS there is an awakening to the fact
that he is very useful man IN the
position he holds. Mr.. Leighton was
born and bred in Portland, Me-, ana
graduated from the Massachusetts IN
stitute of Technology. He has Travelled
up and down and across the united
States much in photographic work he
knows much about the value OF water
powers in Maine, for instance, and also
about the value of underground waters
in the semi-arid regions of the distant
west. He can talk with equal facility
and impart instruction to the average
visitor about the Importance OF utlllz-
ing waters above and below the
ground He has studied the posi-
bilities of irrigation with underground
waters and has branched out into
number of kindred themes Inc
Geological survey has as it's director,
DR.. George O. Smith, also Maine man,
who has made good in scientific
achievements here He and Mr.. Leigh
ton are good friends and. possibly Co
operate little more cordially because
OF the fact that both of them are from
the Pine Tree State" ,..s
Here is a story of rat canlballsm
from the New Meadows river. One
time last winter capt. E. w. Neal set
trap at the Hyde Camp on the New
Meadows River and did not go near 1t
for a month. When he next went into
the camp, there was savage rat or
enormous size in the trap. From the
appearance of the trap, capt. Neal
Judged that it had once contained three
or four rats and perhaps two squirrels,
for there were bones and fur to lndl-
cate this, but they had all been killed
by the big fellow who had eaten them.
M. H. Douglas tells a story of a rat
catch a short time ago. He visited the
trap one morning and discovered four
big rats and six little fellows who had
been born in captivity, but the little
rats were all dead, having been trodden
upon by the adults in their endeavors
to find some means of escape from the
trap.
L. S. Metcalf of Bath who has the
only good seismograph in the East
with the exception of that owned by
the State of New York at Albany and
those of the United States Govern
ment in Washington, was somewhat
disturbed because his instrument made
no record of the disturbance which
destroyed the Sicilian and Calabrian
cities two weeks ago, and as usual
compared notes on the subject with the
observers at Washington. No mention
had been made in the press OF any
record having been obtained on the
Government instruments, but it seems
Uncle Sam did get one. The observer
sent the records to Mr.. Metcalf, and we
had a look at them. The shock that
threw down so many cities appeared rs
a vibration of about an eight OF an
inch, but as the instrument magnihes
considerably. the actual vibration
which produced the record was some
thing like a Tooth of an inch. When
San Francisco was destroyed, the Jar
at Washington was so great that the
six-inch strip of paper used in the
seismograph was not wide enough TO
contain the record. The comparison
serves to indicate of how local
character was the more recent quake,
which was scarcely as far from
WASHINGTON as the other. The Govern
ment record also serves to explain why
Mr.. Metcalf got none, as his instrument
magnifies the vibration only seven
times which would scarcely make the
tremor perceptible on the smoked glass
which he uses.
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.