The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-06-23
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After six years contest Peter Coo
per Hewitt has been awarded patents
for his mercury vapor electric lamp.
The patents have been in dispute al
most since the date when they were
first applied for, in 1901.
The battleship Indiana has under
gone some tests of the 'Eship brake"
with which she has been equipped. It
was found that the vessel could be
brought to stop within the distance
of her own length without injurious
shock or strain.
Construction work will shortly be-
gin on another of those stupendous
buildings which are called city of
towers. The new structure, which is
to be built at the northwest corner of
Wall and Nassau streets, will extend
$50 feet above the street level, max
ing it the third tallest office building
in the world
The Society of Illuminating Engi-
neers in England has lately discussed
the question of the best means of
avoiding glare from artificial lights.
1t is beginning to be recognized that
tie recent introduction of intensely
dazzling points of light raises prob
lens in the solution of which the
oculist must take a hand. Two Ber-
lin professors urged in communi-
cation to the society the "advisability
of initiating daylight The quality
of daylight is its diffusion, whereby
the eye is saved from injury. 1t has
been estimated that the diffused day
light from clear sky is about 60 per
cent of the direct sunlight 1t is point
ed out that the injurious eye effects
of artificial lights are not confined to
the light centers, but arise also from
the glare reflected from the surface
of shining paper and other bright OBJ
jects.
A device which manufactures
breathable air, when required, for
miners caught in mine accidents, has
recently been invented by Clarence
Hall, government expert at Pittsburg.
A double tank contains, in one COM
partment, sodium peroxid. and in the
other water. A cock that can be
opened at will connects the two. The
combination of the chemical and wa
ter creates a flow of oxygen, and
enough of the raw material is carried
in the apparatus to supply one mans
demand for about thirty minutes. A
nose and mouth piece are furnished to
cover the face. The purpose of the
device is to provide men with port
able supply of oxygen that will enable
them to live long enough to make eff
forts in their own behalf after an
accident. A man can travel far in
thirty minutes, if he can breathe free
ly and knows his ground. 1t is ex-
pected that the invention will be the
means of many otherwise impossible
escapes.
W. H. S. Jones contends that ma
laria played considerable part in
bringing about the decline of the an
cient Greeks, and also exercised pow
erfu1 influence upon Roman history
and life. He thinks it doubtful if
Greece was malarious in early times.
In the fifth century B. c. malaria fell
like a blight upon Attica, and, ne be-
lieves, upon many other fertile dis
tricls of Greece. He ascribes the de-
cadepce of the Greeks before the tri-
umph of Rome, in part, at least, to
the ravages of malaria. AS to Rome,
Mr. Jones points out that some dis
tricts in Etruria and Latium were al
one time populous and prosperous, al
though now they are hardly habitable
on account of malaria. Although Rome
was marshy in the early period, ii
was we'll drained, and there is no rea
son to suppose that malaria was pres
ent But in the first century B. c.
Cicero and others speak of shrine
and altar on the Palatine Hill dedi