Odd Rock Formation JUST a of Stamford, UST a few miles from the city of New York in the suburbs of Stamford, Connecticut, is one of the oddest pieces of nature's handiwork which can be found in the United States. It is situated in a patch of woodland, and consists of a series of rocks standing parallel with one another on the hillside. They are placed in such regular order that, at first glance, anyone would think they had been carried to the spot and deposited side by side; but nature placed them there at some period centuries ago. Probably all formed one boulder, but it was split into five huge slices separated so far apart that trees are growing between four of the pieces, although each stands on edge and, as the photograph shows, they are arranged in regular order. The Whaling Industry APROPOS of the present revival of the whaling industry, interest attaches to the accompanying photograph of one of the famous old whaling ships which formerly sailed in great numbers from the city of New Bedford, Mass. These vessels cruised around the world in the search for whales. Probably every one who sees this has read stories of the exciting chases after these leviathanshow they were harpooned by the brave mariners, and their oil and bone secured. Some of the whalers made voyages of such length that two and sometimes three years elapsed before the crews again saw AN OLD-TIME WHALER. their home port. The vessels were fitted Improved Tele- A 109 The apparatus includes two drums on which is wound a wire of pianoforte steel .25 millimeter (.01 inch) in diameter, and 5.4 kilometers or 31⁄2 miles in length. This wire is wound off at a speed of nearly 10 feet per second, thus sufficing for half an hour's continuous operation, by which no less than 3,000 words can be recorded at the rate of 100 words per minute. Between the drums are placed the recording, reproducing, and obliterating magnet systems, as well as the driving motor and starting, stopping, and reversing gears, in addition to any other accessories. When the switch is placed in the "Dictation" position, the operator can talk into a microphone connected to the apparatus, whereupon the microphone currents set up in the circuit will produce a periodically varying magnetization of the electro-magnet system, resulting, in turn, in variations of magnetism in the steel wire as it passes in front of the poles of the electro-magnet. These alterations in magnetism, being permanent in the steel wire, will constitute a lasting record of the speech or song transmitted from the microphone. If the switch be set afterwards to the "Hearing" position, the wire will pass in front of the "Hearing" magnet, altering its magnetism according to its own magnetization, and thus according to the sound to which this has been due; and, as the electro-magnet is connected to a telephone receiver, the COMPLETE TELEGRAPHONE. telephone circuit will be traversed by fluctuations of current, strictly corresponding to the original microphone currents, and in the telephone will be heard a faithful reproduction of the original speech or song. In order to prevent the superposition of one speech on another, an obliterating magnet is arranged, which, in the "Dictation" position of the apparatus, wipes out any previous record, while the sensitiveness of the apparatus is enhanced by a polarizing magnet. A novelty of the apparatus is its use for correspondence purposes. When setting the switch to the "Secretary" position, it can be controlled by an operator, who may be sitting in another room at any distance required, and is provided with a switchbox similar to that of the owner. After the secretary has pressed the forward button to start the instru WATER CLOCK. Scene in a Detroit park. ment, he may listen to a sentence, press the stop-button, and then write or typewrite the words listened to. By acting on the stop-button, the machine is made to run back a sufficient distance to make sure that the last few words will be repeated on restarting the machine, so that none may be omitted. The whole record can be run back on pressing the backward button, after which the speech can be readily checked. An interesting field of application is opened to the telegraphone in connection with the recording of telephonic conversation. In fact, when connecting such an instrument with the telephone, a faithful record of the speeches of both parties can be obtained, which is of the highest importance for business purposes. In another type of telegraphone, the steel wire is replaced by a small disc, which can readily be slipped into an envelope and forwarded to any destination. like an ordinary letter, there to be listened to by the addressee in his own ap paratus. The interest attaching to such a transmission of spoken words in the place of a mere written record, is quite self-evident.-DR. A. GRADEN WITZ. A Water Clock PEOPLE in the city of Detroit, Mich., do not have to look at their watches or the timepieces in the church towers. In one of the public parks is a mammoth natural clock which records the hours and minutes accurately. What is more, it never has to be wound up as it is continually in motion as long as the jet of water which operates its "movement" is turned on. It is known as a water clock for this reason, but the face is composed of small foliage-plants ornamented with various flowers, which are set into the face by the gardener. Usually a row of white flowers are used to indicate the minutes. The hands are of wood painted white, and are attached to the movement similarly to the hands of the ordinary clock or watch. The face of the clock is about six feet in diameter. Exhibition of Flying FROM the mythical days of Daedalus and Icarus whose attempt to reach the stars resulted so disastrously, human aspiration has looked longingly and vainly for a means to rival the flight of the bird; and efforts in this direction have been marked more by fatal accidents than by an approach to the desired goal. But, fruitless as these efforts have thus far been, they have not led to utter discouragement, and it would be hazardous to say that success may not finally crown these endeavors. So, while man has not yet come to share his supremacy in the air with the bird, the establishment of an exposition by the Aero Club of Paris is significant and interesting. At this show, twentynine workers exhibited the fruit of their labors; and if, in the majority of cases, it was impossible to subject the models to the test of experiment, either because of size or weight, there were still enough left to sustain the interest in the matter. There were machines both with and without a motor; in fact the latter were the 1-Dumoulin's Aeroplane; 2-Gelit's Mechanical Bird "Le Gelitas:" 3-Paulhan's Aeroplane; 4-Deltour's Helix; 5-Rose's Aviator; 6--Seux's Aeroplane. plunged directly down to earth; some descended slowly as upon a plane inclined at an invisible angle, or turned to and fro with the grace of a bird of prey; but all came down as a dead weight. of the air. But still the azure domain remains unconquered, and the successful flying machine still remains a thing of the future, the date of whose arrival cannot even be guessed. |