PROMISE TO END
SMOKE IN CITIES
Electrical Engineers See Air
Quickly Cleared.
FOG WIRES TO AID SHIPS.
Practical Demonstration Is Given
Showing How Powerful Electric Volt
age Will Detach Particles of Carbon
and Other Material Substances From
. Gases Passing Up a Chimney.
A means of making Pittsburgh a
spotless town, of doing away with
London's fogs and of enabling safe
navigation in thick weather was out
lined in three papers read before the
members of the American Institute of
Electrical Engineers at the closing ses
sion of the convention in New York.
Electrical precipitation, a method first
practically applied by Sir Oliver Lodge
of England, was stated as the solution
of these problems.
A practical demonstration showing
how a powerful electric voltage will
detach the particles of carbon and oth
er material substances from the gases
passing up a chimney, thereby doing
away with the objectionable smoke,
was given in the auditorium. A quan
tity of lampblack was blown up
through a fifteen foot smokestack plac
ed on the platform. The flying parti
cles filled the air. Then 50.000 volts
were turned on, and at once the lamp
black attached itself to the interior of
the chimney and the air cleared.
By adjusting the voltage to the size
of the smokestack to be treated facto
ries will be made smokeless. It was
said, and thousands of dollars that are
now lost through smoke damage will
be saved.
Moving Pictures of Fogs.
Moving pictures of fogs and clouds
and their elimination as produced by
electricity have been taken, it was
said, to show the practicability of the
plan to free London from the grip of
the dense fogs and to eliminate a men
ace of sea travel. At the present time
Sir Oliver Lodge is said to be working
on a plan by which London will be
strung with wires through which a
high voltage will be passed and the fog
cleared away. Engineers at the meet
ing agreed that the plan was not im
possible and expressed great interest in
the work.
An unusual idea was suggested for
removing the fogs front about ships al
sea. A small aeroplane electrically pro
pelled from a ship will fly about two
boat lengths in front of the liner during
the fog. From the flying machine will
be strung a high powered electric wir t
reaching back to the ship. The cur
rent passing through the wire is ex
pected to cause a precipitation of the
moisture In the nir and clear a channel
some 2.000 feet in advance of the ship
and to some extent on either side
through which the ship may safely
pass. This will enable the lookouts to
detect another ship approaching in
time to maneuver the liner out of dan
ger.
The patent rights on the discovery
are owned by the Smithsonian institu
tion at Washington and the Mellon In
stitute of Industrial Research of Pitts
burgh. The income on the patents will
be devoted by the institutions to fur
thering research work oh scientific sub
jects. it was said.
The papers dealing with the discov
ery were read by Dr. W. W. Strong of
Mechanicsburg. Fa., Arthur F. Nesbit,
professor of electrical engineering at
the University of Pittsburgh and elec
trical engineer of the Mellon institute,
and Linn Bradley.
WESTWARD HO! BY WAGON..
Staten Island Prairie Schooner Is Going
to San Francisco.
Driving up to the New York city hall
in an old fashioned prairie schooner
drawn by two horses, John Urflinger
and William Stevens obtained a letter
from Mayor Mitchel to deliver to May
or liolph of San Francisco.
The odd trip across the continent is
being made in the interest of Staten
Island business men, who want it ad
vertised that Staten Island is the gate
way of the ehstern coast, just as Sau
Francisco is supposed to bo the gate
way of the western.
The schooner was driven about Man
hattan, and a trip made through Brook
lyn. Charles J. McCormack of Rich
mond borough started the wagon on
-its long overland trip to the western
city, where it is due to arrive before
the Panama exposition ends.
RICHEST TYPIST QUITS JOB.
Not Because She's Tired, but She
Wants to Give Needy Girl Work.
Miss Flora Holt, the nation's richest
stenographer, who recently inherited
the estate of Yilna McDonald of Esca
naba, Mich., daughter of a former lieu
tenant governor of Michigan and who
upon becoming an heiress said she
would not quit her job, has at last re
signed.
She has quit, not because of a wish
to be idle, but because she believes
that by remaining at work when she
did not need the money she was keep
ing some needy girl out of a job. The
estate which she inherited was nearly
$250,000, amassed in the iron mines of
tipper Michigan. Miss McDonald was
her cousin.
CONSCRIPT ARMIES.
Military Rules In Force In the Vari
ous States of Europe.
Naioieou In 170b first brought con
acrlptiou into force, tbeii it was adopt
ed by Prussia after her defeat by
tbe Freucb at Jena in INH>. lu most
countries where conscription is in
vogue every man on reaching a certain
age—from nineteen to t wenty-oue—has
to undergo a period of military train
ing. This prevails in France and Ger
many, but In Russia a eertaiu number ,
of weu is required only, and if this is '
exceeded ttie authorities decide from
whom full service shall be exacted. Ot
course eertaiu men art excused, such
as tbe only sons or eldest sons of
clergymen, etc.
In Spain and Portugal every man is
not directly called ui>on. but each lo
cality is obliged to furnish a certain
number, the men being chosen by bal
lot. There !s no standing army in
Switzerland, but all ablebodied citizens
serve in the militia, which is called
upon to train a few weeks every year
Although compulsory service is tbe
law of the land, the urmy In the Neth
eriands is mainly composed of volun
teers.
It is considered by some people that
conscription is unpopular, hut in the
rural districts of the countries where
conscription Is in force the inhabitants
took forward to the time when they
will be called unou as the only excit
tng change in their lives.
The best conscrlptive countries have
so legislated that when the conscript
leaves the army suitable employment
is found for him: also, another point in
his favor, his period of service is not
so long as that of the volunteer.—Lon
don Chronicle.
A BOTANICAL PARADISE.
Juan Fernandez Islands Have More
Than One Claim to Fame.
In the Juan Fernandez group ot Is
lands. 3GO miles front Valparaiso, the
Chilean government has a wireless sta
tiou. Three islands comprise the group
but tile name is usually applied to I In
largest. Mas a Tierra. closest to th
mainland Here it was that Defoe pi
tured Alexander Selkirk < Robinson
Crusoei in exile
Mas a Tierra is <>r irregular forn.
about twelve miles in length, but nam
ly four miles across in its walest pan
NY hen seen from a distance tin- peak t
El Yunque the anvil appears cn
Kpimously in a range of precipitoii>
mountains and attaining a height ol
3,000 feet. Front the summit to the
base the mountain is wooded, with a
wonderfully fertile valley at the foot.
Dr. Carl Skottsberg of the Swedish
Magellanic expedition landed on tin* is
laud in IPOS, and the eminent geogra
pher wrote subsequently that "from a
botanical point of view Juan Fernandez
is one of the world's most famous
places. So many wonderful plants are
brought together here on a small area
that one must touch them to realize
that one does not dream." Coloniza
tion of Juan Fernandez began some
years ago, and a considerable fishing
settlement is now in evidence.
In the finer restaurants of Valpa
raiso and Santiago the lobsters of Juan
Fernandez are considered delicacies for
which fancy prices are paid. Argo
naut
Asking Too Much of the Bank.
The officials of the English savings
bank department, a correspondent
writes, occasionally find themselves re
garded as a kind of universal purvey
ors. A depositor sent his bank book
with this modest request: "There are
some little things 1 should like to get
from London, and one is some natural
leaf tobacco. I should be glad if you
will send two ounces and charge to my
account. It is only to be obtained in
the largest tobacco stores." We failed
to comply with his wishes, whereupon
he wrote an indignant letter to the
comptroller of our department.—Man
chester Guardian.
Languages of India.
One hundred and fifty different lan
guages are spoken in India, most of
them unwritten, and this fact fre
quently leads to trouble in the courts
of that oriental country. Strangely
enough. Indians frequently drift into
that capital who can find no one able
to understand their vernacular. Nei
ther the court nor the court interpret
ers understand some of the litigants
and witnesses in legal cases.
Obnoxious Presumption.
"Why did your sister drop her wel
fare work?"
"While she was out trying to uplift
the children of other people another
welfare worker came along and tried
to uplift her children." Louisville
Courier-Journal.
Flowers.
Slowest—Virginia creeper, trailing
arbutus.
Most sedate —.lack In the Pulpit
Dopiest—Poppy.
Most active—Johnny Jnmpup.
Most taciturn—Chrysanthemum.—De
troit News.
Chemistry Kindergarten.
Bobby—is oxygen what oxen breathe
all day? Papa—Of course, and what
everything else breathes. Bobby—And
is nitrogen what every one breathes at
night?
Different Ways.
Hewitt—l have been pinched for
money lately. Jewitt—Well, women
have different ways of getting It My
wife kisses me when she wants any.
There is not a single moment in this
Hfe that we can afford to lose.—Cool
horn.
I •
"BRANDED" TO WARN OFF SUBMARINES.
Photo by American Press Association.
Holland-America liner with name enlarged to show German submarines la
AEROSLED GOES MILE A MINUTE.
Photo by American Press Association.
William Travis Huhn, society man, has fitted an ordinary sled with pro
peller and motor.
Extravagance.
Extravagance in thought is as bad as
extravagance in living expenses.—E
W. Howe's Monthly.
Egotistical.
"You sometimes disagree with these
scientific experts?"
"Not at all." replied the serene ego
tist. "Notwithstanding the faet that I
have thought a matter out to a sound
conclusion they frequently insist on
disagreeing with me."—Washington
Star.
Coming Across.
Hampton Dinwiddow told me his
family is a very old one. They were
one of the first to come across
Rhodes—Not at the grocer's.—Judge.
Would Hang All Submarine
Raiders Captured
Photo by American Press Association.
LORD CHARLES BERESFORD.
THE PATRIOT
NEW SULTAN OF EGYPT GREETS PEOPLE.
Photo by American Press Association.
Hussein Kemal saluting bis subjects in the streets of Cairo.
SOCIALIST IN SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
* * TfS *
y *®s %
\g£ dP&tto&m* j
J? Mk
Jr n
&SB&'.; \; ' .f
Photo by American Press Association.
Meyer London of New York is lone Socialist elected to the Sixty-fourth
congress.
4%
SjHMlcel I etgil H .. d. I'.. Tel
of the foiii \>, i,. cxperiem
He was nil' • oa--.ug tin* war •
building in uni. U.i, tu n his inn
punioii. a S otchaian. igniting to t!:
emblematic devi.es encruwtl ovei to
door, indicated the Scotch thistle, th
English .ion and the Irish bar]
"Where is the emblem of Wales?" ask
ed his friend "Oh ' Mr Hughes re
plied. "I ex[Ks*t there is a leak It
the roof " London Express.
Badly Scared.
"Were you frightened duting th
storm ?"
"Dear ttie yes. The windows wer.
al! open and I was so afraid of tin
lightning that I didn't even stop t
wake iii> John. I jumped right lip am
Closed them myself."—Detroit Fro
Press
Prohibitive.
"What's the matter, daugher?"
"Fathc. I want a duke."
"That can be arn.nged. my dear
was afraid you might want a basebai
pitcher." Baltimore Sun.
There is no fatigue so wearisome as
that which comes from want of work
- Spurgeon.
Falling Up Out of a Balloon.
If a man falls out of a rising aero
plane or balloon he will not go toward
the earth, but will continue rising in"
the air for an appreciable time, if tin
air machine were stopped in its ascent
at the time it could catch the man
as he came down. If the airship wen
ascending at the rate of thirty two feet
a second the man would rise sixteen
feet before beginning to fall toward
the earth. Thus, by reducing the speed
of its ascent, the vessel might keep by
the side of the man and rescue him.
The reason why the man rises is the
sitme as the reason for a bullet's rising
when shot from a gun into the air
both the man and tue bullet are given
a velocity upward, and it takes sum*
time for gravity to negative that
velocity.—Glasgow News.
E "tremea.
Cham, the French caricaturrsr, was
talking one day with a Gascon, who
bragged that his father's ancient baro
nial dining hall was the wonder of the
world It was so high you could hard
iy see the roof
"My father lincl a diniitg room." said
Cham. "Which w;is just as remarkable
the other way. it was so low that the
only fish we cu)d serve at table was
flounder!"
Always Apprehensive.
"My wife gets nothing but apprehen
sion out of life."
"How so?"
"She's afraid of cows in the country
and automobiles in town."—Kansas
City Journal.
A Demonstration.
"I distinctly saw you witb a police
man's arms around you."
"Oh, yes. mum! Wasn't it nice of
him? He was showin' me how to hold
a burglar if I found one in the house."
-Life.
BELL RINGS WHEN
STORM IS ON WAY
Approach of Atmospheric Dis
turbance Told by Eleciricity.
FORECASTS ARE AC,URATE.
Machine of Such Delicate Arrange
ment That It is Affected From Two
to Seven Hours Before Storm Arrives.
Most Effective In Summer —Reliable
as Government Bureau.
A remarkable machine has been in
stalled upon the roof of the New York
Edison company's Waterside statiou
in New York city for the purpose of de
tecting the approach of storms. This
ingenious instrument which is said to
surpass even the United States weath
er bureau iu the general accuracy of
its forecasts, is a brand new device,
which has such delicate perceptions
that it can fel the coming of a storm
while the disturbance is still from two
to seven hours off.
"The importance of such a precau
tion is appreciated when one senses
the sudden and at times tremendous
demand for light in both office anil
residence buildings on the descent of
storms," says the Edison Monthly. "Oc
casions have arisen when this demand
has 'boosted' the summer day normal
of GO.OOO kilowatts to 105.000 kilowatts
in less than twenty-five minutes.
"The device in question Is not com
plicated and will no doubt meet with
ready acceptance by central stations
generally. Its principle rests on the
fact that summer storms are almost
Invariably associated with electrical
disturbances. Detection therefore is
brought about by what virtually
amounts to a wireless telegraph re
ceiving circuit. To a certain extent
such apparatus is effective during win
ter weather, though storms at that
time of year exhibit but comparative
ly weak electrical manifestations.
The Detector Plan.
"The plan provides for the following
features: An aerial frame, a spark gap.
a coherer and condenser, a ground
connection, a combined bell and de
coherer. together with a relay, two
batteries and a short circuiting switch.
"In receiving messages from storm
headquarters due regard has to bo
given potential interference by wire
less messages on their way between
political and commercial headquar
ters. The spark gap provides securely
against any such unnelghborly pro
ceeding. as the spherical terminals are
one-sixteenth of an inch apart.
"In common witli earlier speein ens
In wireless telegraphy the coherer con
sists of a short small bore tube of
glass containing nickel silver filings
between German silver plugs. The
bell, one of single stroke connection,
is so mounted that its clapper will
back strike the coherer tube. The
high resistance of the coherer impulse
is lost upon a storm passing, whereat
steady current flows through from its
battery, causing the tap. High resist
ance is then promptly restored by the
return of the clapper jarring the
filings, and everything is in readiness
to announce another storm impulse.
Short Circuit System.
"In the present case the inserting of
a condenser was made to prevent the
flowing of direct current, though In
other instances it could be left out.
The necessity of a short circuiting ar
rangement appeai-s in the protection of
the set when the storm is about to
break.
"The action of the device is most In
teresting to watch. Experience shows
that a storm a few hours distant causes
the bell to tap every fifteen to five min
utes. On coming nearer, say two hours
before breaking, the storm records it
self in minute or half minute taps.
For a full hour before the climax the
bell rings continually, then stops
abruptly as the set on the breaklr.g of
the storm is short circuited.
"By this time not only the vast resi
dential and theater section, but every
office and loft building is a-spnrkle
with lights through the rain. Long
before, however, everything at the gen
erating station was in readiness, boil
ers firing up and turbines throbbing,
provisions making these little emergen
cies mere Incidents in the round of cen
tral station routine."
IS YOUR SUIT BUILT OF TIN?
May Be Wood, Glass, Sweepings or
Cotton, Tailors Warn.
Your new, all wool suit it quite like
ly to be of pure vegetable origin or
may even be constructed of tin or of
almost any material but wool, accord
ing to a warning by the directors of
the National Merchant Tailors' asso
ciation in annual convention in Chi
cago. The association is getting ready
a pure wool bill to be submitted to
congress.
According to the tailors, the bargain
suit may be of tin shavings, wood pulp
and wood fiber twisted to resemble silk
threads, spun glass, wool cardings,
sweepings forced into an opeu cotton
mesh by pneumatic pressure or of jute,
cotton or hemp.
Editor Gets a Warning.
Ernest Judet, editor of the Paris
Eclair, criticised the censorship, and
the censors have notified him they will
refuse to read his proofs hereafter,
and if he publishes a line conn try to
law he will have to take the conse
quences.
3