The Washington herald., 1913-12-28

last year, headed an expedition which
sailed northward in June from British :
Donald b. Mcmillan. left New York on
July to search for CFecker Land, which
Peary believes to be a new continent ,
AFTER many attempts to reach the sum-
INIT OF North Americas highest noun
tain-Mckinley-the periIous feat has AZ
last been accomplished by Archdeacon
STUCK an Episcopal missionary. He ana
mis- party gained this topmost height
estimated to be 1880 feet-on June 4
They planted a six-foot cross on the pealx
and recited the Te Deum.
IN MS inaugural address before the
British Association, September 10 Sir
Oliver, Lodge, the president of the ESQ.,
ciauon and world-renowned scientist.
expressed his conviction that memory
and affection persist after bodily death
and that the souls of the departed MAJ
exert influence on the living. Tbese start
ling assertions aroused much comment
all over the world.
The last remaining obstacle at the
racine extremity of the Panama Canal4
was removed by dynamite on the last
oay Of August. The tide came I'm and
within a few hours the Pacific section
from the ocean to the BIirahores locks
was iuIl and ready for navigation On
september 10 the Atlantic dixie was blown
W and the water admitted to the famous
Cuieora Cut. This was the real compile
uon OF the great canal although II wasa
announced that IL would not be ready for
the passing of ships before the first of
the year
The completion of the Panama Canal
has overshadowed the earlier consum- 4
natlOh Oh another great engineering feat
next to the canal the greatest Of our
time. This is the concrete nonoIithic
oam across the Mississippi River from
heokuk, Iowa, TO Hamilton. on the IL
nnois shore. This, with its go
water-power plant, its new government
lock. and Its dry dock. was formally dedi-
Gated with appropriate ceremonies lasting
from August % to August q The steam
ooat lock or this dam is greater than any
OF those at Panama. having a higher
lift and allowing two beats to pass
abreast
In September the closing of the first
gate In the great Ashokan dam called
attention again to New York City's new
water supply project. This main dam,
which is longer by a foot than the
heokuk dam, is built across Esopus
Creek. The immense reservoirs formed
oy this and dikes across smaller streams
VIII give New York City a daily supply
OF pure mountain water amounting to
sOoU9.OOo gallons, and the cost of OBJ
tanning this supply is estimated at sl6l.-
SofOO0' The closing Of the first gate
made possible the delivery Of water into
the Croton reservoir before the end of
this year. The year also marks the com
pIetlon OF the wonderful water-supply
system at Los Angeles, Cal.
Wireless telegraphy has passed the ex-
perlmental stage and has become a per
manent, dependable factor in the worlds
caily business The government station
at Fort Myer, near Washington, with its
towers 40 feet in height, has been abb,
to read messages from Clifton. Ireland.
The most powerful of wireless stations
Is TO be built in connection with the PAN
anna Exposition A new tribute to the
efficiency of the wireless was furnished
by the rescue Of a majority of the pas
sengers Of the Volturno. which burned in
mid-Atlantic on October 9. But for the
aid OF the wireless in securing rescuinS
steamers not a soul would have been
saved.
The Conquest of the Air.
Although a number Of new records have
been made in aviation, air navigation
cannot be said to have made noteworthy
advance in a practical direction. In fact,
it is even probable that the many sicken-
ing disasters which have befallen ven-
turesome airmen during the year have
contributed not a little to the decline
Of popular interest in the matter. On
January 16, Bider. a French aviator, flew
over the 1yrenees from Pau, France, to
Madrid. On the following day, Bielovucci.
a Peruvian. few in a monoplane across
the Alps in less than half an hour. On
February 25, NJ. G. Brindejonc des Mou-
linais few in a monoplane from Paris to
London in three hours and five minutes.
On March II. a new aeroplane height
record of 1850 feet was made by Perryon
near Paris. On March ., a spherical
balloon. piloted by Rumpelmeyer, sailed
from Paris to Kharkov. Russia, 1900
miles, in forty-one hours. making a new
record. On April q, Guillaux, a French
aviator, flew from Biarritz, France, to.
Kollum, Holland, 1000 miles, with two
stops for fuel. A Cuban aviator. Domingo
Rosillo, made the first air voyage be-
tween Key West and Havana on May II.
Count Zeppelin made a flight in his
dirigible balloon from Baden-Baden to
Vienna on June 9. Marcel Brindejone des
Moulinais sailed his aeroplane from Paris
to Warsaw, 800 miles, between sunrise and
sunset, on June 10. One June 19, Maurice
Provost established a new aeroplane re-
cord, flying at the rate of III miles an
hour. On July 2 Des Maulinais COM
pleted his air voyage from Paris to st.
Petersburg and return-S,1OO miles. On
July IL, Leon Letort, French aviator.
flew from Paris to Berlin (590 miles) with.
out stop. a new record.
c. Murvin Wood established new
American record, August s, by making
a nonstop flight in a monoplane from
Hampstead, Long Island, to within six. ,
teen miles Of Washington. A new SINGLE
day aeroplane record OF $50 miles was
established August q by Maurice
Guillaux On September ., the French
man Pegoud demonstrated his ability to
fly head down ward in a Bleriot mono
plane. On September %, the French
aviator Roland G. Garros few across the
Mediterranean from France to Tunis-
SIS miles-in seven hours and fifty-three
minutes. On September % Maurice Pre-
vost won the international aeroplane cup
at Rheims and made a new speed record
of Us miles an hour. On October Is. an
aeroplane race around Manhattan islandl
was won by W. s. Luckey in Curtiss
biplane. The sixty-nile course was cover
ed in fifty-two minutes and ffty-four
seconds. On October Il, Victor stoenler
made a new aeroplane record in South
Africa, flying 1876 miles in twenty-five
hours and forty-seven minutes. On Oc-
tober 10, the American balloon Goodyear
won the race for the James Gordon Ben
nett cup, sailing from Paris to Yorkshire.
On October II, the new Zeppelin airshfp
L. exploded at a height OF 800 feet. kill
ing twenty eight passengers an1 members
of her crew.
International Meetings of Moment.
The year has been unusually prolific In
;.,,o-na.tonais conferences OF great nh .