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POPULAR SCIENCE

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the sleepy householder might deem best. They were not kept burning very far into the night, however, and were rather of service to the cutthroat and footpad than to the honest citizen. The outlaw had an excellent opportunity to study his victim by the flickering rays. The second illustration shown is that of an acetylene generative gas lamp, as used to advantage in the city of Heidelberg as a supplementary lighting sys

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USED TO LIGHT THE STREETS OF PARIS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

THE MOST STUPID OF ANIMALS, PIGS. TRAINED BY A
GERMAN, FOR PUBLIC EXHIBITION IN
BERLIN AND ELSEWHERE.

A GENERATIVE GAS LAMP USED IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY.

and four hundred years ago and as it is PUNCTURE PROOF AUTO TIRE today in the city of Heidelberg, Germany.

The first and the last have one feature in A CHICAGO architect, John B. Fis

common, however; they are not connected with any central system to furnish the source of illumination-a curious indication of how, to a certain degree, civilization, even of the material sort seems to move in a circle, more or less. In the days of the Louis's a basket made of iron was hung out from a stout post, into this basket or brazier resinous faggots were placed from time to time, as

cher, thinks he has perfected what countless other inventors have endeavored to produce ever since the automobile became a common form of conveyancea pneumatic tire which is practically immune from puncture. He has worked a long time on his idea, which is unusually ingenious.

Unlike the ordinary tire, which is composed of a single case tube, the new tire

The

is formed with a plurality or series of cavities, rounded or spherical in shape, located within the tube around the circumference and separated by intermediate walls or spacers. tube containing these cavities is constructed by taking a plurality of layers of fabric and rubber applied to a mold or form to give the desired corrugated or rounded shape for cavities. In the depressions between the corrugations are located triangular or crescent shaped pieces of what is known as cushion stock, which is inclosed in a covering of several layers of fabric and rubber, while over all additional layers of fabric and rubber are then applied, making a substantially smooth external appearance with the two lips or flanges at the inner periphery.

NEW PUNCTURE-PROOF TIRE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

The inner tube is composed of a series of inflated balls separated by rubber walls.

Resilient balls are inserted in the spherical cavities where they are securely held by the walls of the spacing pieces. In order to remove or introduce a ball, the casing is detached for a convenient portion of its length and the flanges and lower portions of the spacers spread apart to the extent required. After a ball has been thus introduced and the casing parts released, the ball will be completely enveloped in the casing, and by it securely held in place.

On account of the location of the balls it will be difficult for a puncturing object to reach them, but in case one is actually punctured it alone will become deflated, and only a very small portion of the tire is affected. Under ordinary circumstances the tire would not be put out of commission even if a number of the balls were punctured. But 50 square inches of the tire are are subject

against 1,000 square inches in the ordinary tire.

Among other advantages claimed for the new tire are: freedom from nipping of the air tube by the tire removing lever; prevention of rim cutting and blow outs, for the reason that the tire never flattens, and prevention of what is

known as the side roll, which results from turning corners and in skidding.

If this tire but partially achieves its inventor's purpose it will be a great boon to the autoist. There is nothing more annoying than a puncture.

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HUGE BUCKET EXCAVATOR

THE construction of railways and

canals entails the design of more and more powerful bucket excavators. The one illustrated has been recently installed in Germany and claims the honor of being the largest in the world. It is a gigantic gantry excavator with two discharge openings, the valves of which are operated by oscillating compressed air cylinders fed by an electrically driven air pump. Its maximum dredging depth is about 70 feet. The opening of the gantry is 101⁄2 feet above the level of the track and about 111⁄2 feet in width. The speed of the bucket chain is so designed that 32 buckets are discharged per minute, resulting in a theoretical output of 960 cubic meters per hour.

GIGANTIC BUCKET EXCAVATOR IN USE IN GERMANY.

The buckets are discharged alternately into either of the two railway trains installed in the opening of the gantry and behind it respectively, the direction of discharge being controlled by means of a valve, which is operated by the

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AEROPLANE STARTS FROM

WIRE

THE navy's new Curtiss hydro-aero

plane was recently launched from a wire cable. This experiment was under the direction of Lieut. T. G. Ellyson of the navy, who was the first member of that branch of the military service to become a qualified aviator.

The object of this unusual method of starting an aeroplane was to demonstrate the practicability of the hydro-aeroplane for use on ships of the navy by the launching of the same quickly and easily by means of wire cables available on board any vessel of the navy, and thus do away entirely with anything in the way of a platform.

It is claimed that this successful test as carried out removes the most serious obstacle which hindered the launching of aeroplanes from warships. A hydroaeroplane may thus be launched at sea under any conditions, without the loss of time in putting it overboard to arise from the water and without delay because of rough sea. These experiments may do much toward solving certain modern naval problems.

RISK LIVES FOR 12 CENTS A DAY

IN the graphite mines of Ceylon men,

women and children are employed, and the pay they receive would astonish an American miner, being about 12 to 24 cents a day for men; women receive about 6 to 16 cents per day for their services, all work being done under a contractor who keeps the wages down as low as possible. The iron law of competition in labor is enforced to the limit in Ceylon.

The graphite from the mine is hoisted by means of a simple windlass in barrels and then transported to Colombo, a seaport town, and then prepared for shipment to the various markets of the world, where it is manufactured into goods for various uses.

The structural work of the mine is of the most primitive and frailest material, and it is remarkable that a far greater loss of life does not take place between these great walls of graphite. Artificial ventilation is unknown in the galleries of these mines and the miner of Ceylon will not venture where a light will not burn and for this reason it has been

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necessary to abandon a great many parts of the mine.

Upon reaching Colombo, the material is given a final sorting, being graded into something like 35 different grades, all being done by hand with a simple screen, while children and women separate it from foreign substances by small iron hatchets. It is separated into large lumps, small lumps, chips, dust, and a finer material called "flying dust." In this grading process, water is used by some of the mines, and it hastens the work as the large pieces immediately sink to the bottom of the tank, and all is later exposed to the drying influence of the sun.

ODD DESIGNS IN TREES

THE southern countries of Europe,

notably Italy, have long been famous for the beauty of their gardens and the large amount of fine topiary work-as the art of scientific tree-trimming is sometimes, though not often, called-in them.

In England, on the other hand, formal gardening on an extensive scale, is of comparatively recent origin. The rigors of the northern climate, the smoke from the factories of the cities and the irregularities of the land were obstacles which the gardeners of southern Europe did not have to overcome. Time, however, has taught the English gardener the trees and shrubs that thrive in his land and the country houses of England now boast of gardens which take their place among the most famous gardens of all Europe.

Evergreen trees and shrubs trimmed into odd and sometimes fantastic shapes play an important part in the scheme of general gardening. The pictures of a corner of the noted garden at Levens Hall, Westmoreland, furnish fine examples of topiary art. One illustration, shows the results of continuous clipping and trimming. Another photo shows an odd and quaint design, that of a bottle, complete even to the presence of a stopper.

These fantastic shapes, however, are more curiosities than real works of art.

BUST OF HISTORIC
INTEREST.

When Napoleon returned from Elba, the French government ordered five busts of the great conqueror to be made, for the five principal provincial cities of France. They were sculp tured at Marseille, and were exactly alike. But before they could be delivered the Battle of Waterloo was fought, and the returning Bourbons gave orders that they be destroyed. Fortunately, this was prevented by the American consul at Marseille, whose name was Hodge. He bought all five of the busts for a small price, and brought them to this country. The bust above is at the War College in Washington.

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HEADQUARTERS OF THE
CHINESE REVOLUTION-
ISTS IN NEW YORK
CITY.

A flag with a curiously
shaped star in the up
per corner has been
adopted.

POPULAR SCIENCE

A JAPANESE STRONG MAN IN BERLIN. BY RAISING HIS
BODY, BENDS AN IRON ROD HELD BETWEEN HIS
TEETH. THE ENDS BEING HELD BY THE
Two MEN AT THE SIDES. HIS
FEAT IS AN UNUSUAL ONE.

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NEW WAY TO COAL VESSELS

HE coaling vessel here shown repre

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THE

sents the most improved boat which has been built for that purpose. It eliminates all the inconveniences which had to be endured at the coaling of a steamer on the old style. It prevents the dust to cover the vessel from one end to the other, soil the sailors' and passengers' clothes and get into the lungs of all.

This vessel has a capacity of 400 tons and is fitted with two elevators of a capacity of 100 tons per hour each, together 200 tons per hour. From one end of the coaler to the other is a longitudinal passage which the movable elevators are free to travel. Larger vessels are fitted with more of such elevators. The big

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This locomotive is one of the heaviest which has yet been built in Great Britain. Its 6-coupled wheels are each 6 ft. 7 in. in diameter and the four bogie wheels are 3 ft. 7 in. The boiler has a barrel 13 ft. 9 in. in length, 4 ft. 10% in. in outside diameter and the working pressure amounts to 200 lb. per square inch, while the grate area is 31.5 square feet, The locomotive has a length over buffers of 63 ft. 0% in, and the tender carries 4,500 gallons of water with a space for 5 tons of fuel.

A NEW SYSTEM OF BUNKERING STEAM SHIPS.

liners, such as the Lusitania and Mauretania, could thus be coaled at a rate of 1,000 tons per hour.

A thousand tons per hour may appear a very large quantity of coal to transfer from barge to steamer, and it can only be done by a system such as the barge shown is constructed on. To attempt to pass that quantity of coal down one chute, or even two chutes, would mean that the discharge would have to be so rapid that the delivery of it could not properly be taken. In the arrangement of this barge, however, different chutes are put through the side bunker doors ir different parts of the vessel and the coal ing operation is thus going on simultaneously in practically all parts of the

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