Amador ledger., 1910-08-12

uOX OF hOenJgen hayS-An improved
Microphone-Th Poles Wabbling-
An Aviator's Whirligig-The Flow
of Marble-Java's Flying Frog
Ants on Man Service.
The gyropter of G. l.. o. Davidson,
novel kind of flying machine that
has resulted from years of experiment
in America, has on each side of the
main body two sets of three wings,
with revolving horizontal litter, or
gyropter, between these sets. The
machine that has been building near
Taplow, Eng, measures 66 feet in
length and 76 feet in extreme width,
and will be driven by two 60-horse
power steam engines, working with a
pressure of 300 pounds per square inch.
Each of the two gyropters, shaped
like an inverted saucer, is wheel 81
feet across made up of go full-length
paddles from the center, with 60 half
length paddles toward the circum-
ference. The bird-like wings taper
toward the rear, and have adjustable
tips. The machine, with weight of
tons, is expected to have a lifting
effect of 10 tons. Very small inclina-
tion of the gyropters will give a for
ward and upward or forward and
downward motion. and tail and front
vertical rudder will aid in steering.
The body is large enough for several
persons.
The rapid wearing of dust from
cement concrete floors suggested to
Albert Meyer some experiments with
protective coatings. AS reported to the
American Society of testing material,
the paints and protectives on the
market were found to form only a thin
veneer, but several applications of
dilute water glass (sodium silcate)
filled the pores near the surface, for
ming with the lime of the cement
kind of "marlne glue and hardened
the concrete itself. This cheap appli-
cation seems to be valuable for many
uses. 1t strengthens concrete already
set, and not only makes it more dur
able, but gives it resistance to sea
water, acids, alkalies, and other
chemicals.
Whether X-rays benefit or harm
may depend on the Dose H. E.
Schmidt finds that mild application
may stimulate sluggish ulcer to
heal, but the mild treatment would
stimulate also the undesired growth of
cancer, which needs powerful dose to
destroy the infected tissue.
The new microphone of C. Lorentz,
of Berlin, makes use of a substance
that is heat resisting and good con-
ductor of electricity, yet is very SEN
sitive to variations of electrical resis-
tance. Hitherto carbon has given
better results than any other solid for
microphone contacts, but this material
has the disadvantage of being gradual
ly reduced to ashes by the electric cur
rent lessening the microphone' effici-
ency. With high tension currents. the
carbon has been used only with
difficulty. When carbon is raised to in
candescence in an atmosphere of
highly heated silicon vapor, carbon
silicide-or silundum-is formed, and
this refractory substance has proven
very serviceable in the new instru-
ment. Speech is transmitted more
efficiently than with other means. The
silundum is not only suitable for ordi-
nary microphones, but retains high
efficiency in microphones operated with
currents of extraordinary intensity.
1t is conveniently produced in the
form of powedr, granules, globules,
rods, etc., and even as diaphragms for
the microphone.
Since the autumn of 1899 the slight
shifting of the north pole has been
observed closely at six stations around
the world near the 39th parallel of
latitude, and Prof. Albrecht, of Post
dam, has now completed diaphram
of the poles wanderings for ten years.
Up to the end of 1909 the mean posi-
tion had been circled around eight and
One-half times in an irregular spiral
course. The pole was very near it's
middle place IN 1900, reached a maxi
mum distance away in 1903, and nearly
touched the center again in 1906 and
1907. It's oscillation reaching another
maximum in 1909, it kept about 80
feet away from its central place dur
ing the most of the years.
The testing apparatus for flying