Amador ledger., 1910-01-21

Islands Varied Forest-Electric Lac
quering- -Austra's Mine and New
Water Cure --Oiling Under Pressure
Teredo- Proof Bark.
In the last half-century the develop
ment f.the machinery OF war, as every
body knows, has kept pace with that of
the appliances used in the arts of
peace. Sir A. Trevor Dawson notes
that progress has been aided by the
metallurgist, who has developed i'm
proved steel-making. The chemist who
has produced more powerful propellants
and high explosives; and the mechanical
engineer, who has devised new methods
of utilizing power and adding to ac-
curacy and efficiency. In 1854 the most
powerful l2-inch gun was muzzle-
loader, II calbers in length, weighing
about 23 5 tons. It's charge of powder
weighed IS pounds, the muzzle velocity
of the 6l4-pound proiectile was, 1900
feet per second, and it could perforate l6
inches of wrought-iron armor at the
muzzle, or inches at the maximum
range Of 6, 600 yards. The l2-incb gun
of the present is breech-loader, so
calibers long, weighing nearly 10 tons.
Its proJectile weighs $50 pounds, the
muzzle velocity is 5000 feet per second,
its performative power is 81 inches of
wrought-iron at the muzzle, 81 inches
at 5000 yards, and IT'S inches at a.
600 Yards
The long considered plan of making
coal gas in vertical instead of horizontal
retorts is being tested on large scale
at st. Helens, Eng, and the results
with the new plant are being compared
with those OF a very complete equip
ment including 1856 horizontal retorts 10
feet long. With the cheap coal used,
costing about $500 per ton, the old
method yielded 10, 600 cubic feet Of gas
per ton and the new process gave H., $50
cubic feet. The new process yields
more tar and ammonia, coke of higher
selling price, and gas free from naphths-
lene, while it offers great economy in
land and buildings, in labor, and in
wear and tear.
The recording buoy OF E. H. W.
Cro5sley, of Melbourne, is designed to
be released automatically from the
bridge deck if vessel sinks, and a
wire holds it on the waters surface over
the wreck, The buoy is intended TO
show the location and depth of the
wreck, date of disaster, and the course
ard the port sought at the time of dis
a5ter
a very important influence upon his
tory must have been eXerted by various
forms OF disease. The black death of
the middle ages is supposed to have had
much to do with the making of modern
England, the carly failures on the
Panama canal were largely due toI
malariai fevers, and the testse fly disease
of horses has greatly hindered the colo
nizaton of parts of Africa. That malaria
was leading factor in the decline and
fall of Greece and Rome is conclusion
announced a year or two ago by W. n.
S. Jones. The theory has been con-
frmcd and developed by a further
study OF ancient writer's, and it is
thought to be pretty certain that there
vas little malaria in Greece before 500
B. c., but that it began to be common
ia5Attca from the end of the fifth cen
tury B. c. The decline Of scientific
medicine after 400 B. c. and the rise o
charms and other superstitious practices
are looked upon as pos s,ible results OF
spreading malaria Just before the final
triumph OF Rome the character of the
Greeks changed greatly, and they lost
courage and ambition, cared only for
pleasure, and became cruel, brutal and
vicious-this change being largely
traceable to the rayages OF malaria
That the disease soon brings loss OF
vigor and moral sense has been we'll
proven The effects in Rome are more
uncertain, but malaria appears TO have
reached the country by 500 3. C. and to
have oyegspread it before the end of the
Republic, greatly affecting the life of
the people through it may not have
bcen one OF the causes Of the fall of the
Empire,
a. e. An overlooked wealth OF fine timber
has been revealed in Panua. or New |