Evening star., 1952-07-28
Bio Caribbean Islands
Put in Map Network
Powerful Mountain Lights
EnubIe Job to Be Done

Powerful Mountain Lights
Enable Job to Be Done
By Thomos R. Henry
With powerful searchlights on noun
taintops as reference stations, engineers
have Incorporated the major islands Of
the Caribbean into the North American
map network.
Distance and relative position of any
spot in Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the
Dominican Republic now can be de-
termined, so far as basic data is con-
cerned. with respect to any spot in
North America.
The work has been carried out by
the Inter-American Geodetic Survey.
Eighteen American engineers, working
under the direction Of Maj. j. Newton
Cox Of the Army Engineer Corps, set
up surveying instruments and signal
lights on strategically located heights
In the three islands. In five weeks they
accomplished job which it had been
estimated would require six months.
Some engineers had said that it would
be impossible. for the lines of sight
to be observed were extremely long.
Rush Call for Beacons.
Most stations proved to be intervisible
when 500-watt ship Searchlights were
used. The longest line Of sight between
two stations previously recorded was
100 miles. One distance which was to
be measured in the present survey was
that Of Pico Turquino in southeastern
Cuba and Macaya on the western tip
Of Haiti. This Is an airline distance Of
214 miles. The 500-watt searchlights
could not be seen over this stretch. A
rush call went out for several 1,000-watt
aircraft beacons. These proved entirely
sufficient.
The international scope of the opera
ton presented many problems. Each
participating nation spoke q different
language and each had its own con-
cept Of surveying procedures. Lghtkeep-
ers, packers and professional personnel
were provided by all the countries in
volved.
Transported by Mules.
Much of the equipment had to be de-
signed or modified for portability, for
all supplies and instruments must be
carried to the mountainous by packers
or mules. One station in Cuba was sup
piled by helicopter after group had
worked for twenty hours to clear a
place for the aircraft landings.
The work was part Of a gigantic
mapping program now in progress
throughout the Western Hemisphere. It
be continued until it is connected with
the South American mainland. It will
provide an absolutely accurate frame
work on which future maps Of the area
will be based.
Synthetic tobacco can be made out
of sugar cane from which the Juice has
been crushed.
It is announced by the Sugar Re-
search Foundation. This product. ac-
cording to the foundations journal is
"a product resembling tobacco in taste.
color, aroma and burning characters
tics" 1t has just been patented by DR..
Jean u. Koree Of New York City.
A satisfactory synthetic tobacco has
been an objective Of research for some
time, according to the Foundation. Ell
forts have been made to make 1t out Of
wood pulp, cotton and linen but the
physical properties Of the crushed sugar
cane-so-called "bagasse"-apparently
more nearly approached those Of to-
bacco itself. It may be used in cigars.
cigarettes or pipes.
"Bagasse." says the announcement.
"has the further advantage Of supplying
two distinct types Of fibers-long and
short. This is important in attempting
to duplicate the burning rate Of to-
bacco. Both long and short flbers are
used in the processing, which permits
complete utilization with no waste.
1.-THE fibers are passed through con-
ventional paper-making machine that
is adjusted so that the final dried sheet
has the thickness Of the dried tobacco
leaf about .005 of an inch.
when the product is to be used as
a cigar binder or wrapper the sheet is
embossed by rollers which have been
engraved with the vein and stem config-
urations Of the natural tobacco leaf.
To give color flavor and aroma several
chemicals are added, including sugar.
a glycol alcohol. gum. terpinene and
coloring."