Popular Mechanics 1927-08: Vol 48 Iss 2

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eS CENTS Q z Z. : a mt 5 z N: z ci UV 2 ° > O: “ z Ww - be : 53 z _ —_ 1 +O, 2 REGD. TRADE MARK GREAT BRITAIN No 410476

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Holder, Climbed to the Basket and Leaped for a Parachute Drop At 8,000 Feet, with His Defiated Balloon Falling Faster and Faster, Capt. Gray, World’s Altitude-Record

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Mechanics Ma IN U. &. PATENT OFFICE Fopular WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT REGISTERED AUGUST, 1927 gazine No. 2 ~~» MAAN so mat S SS ~e we SS Fight Miles- é St Hawthorne C. Gray, U. S. A., Consciousness ; By CAPT. HAWTHORNE C. GRAY, U.S. A. (As told to J. Earle Miller) Capt. TF ie does it feel to soar more than’ cubic-foot balloon took eight miles into the air, higher than _ field, Belleville, IIl., in has ever gone before, up where the _ its ceiling, it brought me r becomes tgo thin to support life; where e thermometer, headed for the absolute iking more than 43,000 feet. An 80,000- below, cruising me and once | had rea ero of outer space, has already reached At 42,000 feet, having | early seventy below zero? \ few weeks ago I did it, reached 42,470 ‘I was listening eet above sea level, and broké every’ in St. Louis, the music orld’s altitude record for any kind of and loud on my radio, raft—airplane or balloon. Within a few trace of static. That w eeks | am going up again, confident of along the at the Start of an Attempted Record-Breaking Flight in Which He Lost a Month Later He Broke All World Records for High Flying up trom Scott ched back so fast that [ had to leave it and step off in space with a parachute to check my descent. yeen kept alive by compressed oxygen for the last four miles, to a jazz orchestra playing coming in clear without a single as the only con necting link with the world I had left. Fat top Oo! the cl

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banks at 13,000 feet, two escort planes, one with a movie photog- rapher aboard and the other, with the post surgeon as pas- senger, hovered and watched me, though I could not pick them out of the mist. Below them, the clouds covered the land, except for an occasional rift. Once, through such a crevasse, | caught a magnificent view of the Mississippi and the Missouri, trac- ing their winding course for miles and miles to the north and the south. Up above, the cloudless sky was a deep, almost cobalt, blue. The dust particles that turn sunlight white were all below me and in the thin and rarefied air above, the sky was magnificent in the depth of its coloring. At 40,000 feet I had released the last of my 4,700 pounds of sand ballast and came toa stop. But I had prepared for that by having special parachutes built to carry the weight of each piece of equipment. One was attached to an oxygen cylinder which had been emptied on the way up, POPULAR MECHANICS and the cylifider , a twenty-five-pound flask, was dropped over the side. In rare air, and weakened by breathing gen for some seemed to me weigh at least 150 pounds as I strug: to lift it over the basket rim. of its weight balloon up The rel sufficient to send couple of thous feet — wh broke the world’s rec the airp| mark of slig over 40,000 { claimed b French pi last fall. At that heig! though st distended, knew the g¢ bag above co: one-eighth the gas I h started with. the balloon h: climbed int lighter air the pressur against it w: tained less tha A \ Capt. Gray Demonstrating the Usual Method of Dum; His New Sand Bags, Center, His Radio, Below ing Sand Ballast; and a

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POPULAR MECHANICS 179

ed, the gas had rushed out through g appendix in the bottom, keeping a lvered fabric from bursting. So long stayed up, the balloon would be full, - less th: 0,000 ; MADE BY i, there till would be less than 10, WORLDS AIRPLANE RECORD CAPT GRAY ec feet when I reached the ground. 40.820 FT MADE BY vas time to start back, and a slight oe ath eee on the valve cord, which passes up aILES AMERICAN AIRPLANE RECORD ugh the inside of the bag to the valve 39.586 FT. MADE BY , . flicie art the bag LIEUT JOHN MAC READY e top, was sulficient to start the bag MARCH 13 1926 nward, and once started, it began to » faster and faster, as the statoscope, ch records the rate of ascent or descent,

licated. To check it, I began to attach a es achutes to other articles of equipment drop them over the side. The para- utes were designed to fall at sixteen feet econd, the same rate as the large chutes MT. EVEREST INDIA ed by flyers, but the bag was falling so 29.002 FT. |__5 HIGHEST IN THE WORLD al much more rapidly that when I dropped MILES (NOT YET CONQUERED ngs over the side they appeared to fly traight up in the air, because I went past hem so fast. It was queer to see twenty- ve-pound steel bottles apparently flying t upward. Two more oxygen tanks, the 4 torage battery used to run the electric MILES «MT. MCKINLEY heater in my oxygen mask, my radio bat- a teries and loud speaker, and finally the 20,300 ey

ooden framework which supported the HIGHEST/IN N. AMERICA ind-ballast bags, with all the empty bags CONQUERED 10 wa till attached, were released to lighten the lloon. They served to check the de- cent somewhat, but not enough. Ordi- 4 irily a badly deflated balloon will flatten

out and “parachute” as it comes down, but for some reason mine didn't. At 8,000 feet | got a sight over a tree top on a small marsh beyond, and discovered that the pot | was looking at kept right in line vith the tree top, sure proof that my rate f descent and drift before the wind were ust right to land me in the swamp. The ag was still falling 1,800 feet a minute, hich is twice the safe landing speed in a irachute, so I finally was forced to leave y ship. Climbing up on the side of the basket, I held onto the load ring above, in which all the rigging is concentrated, reached for , the valve line, pulled it down and tied it to | the ring, so that the bag, when it reached

the ground would deflate itself. Then I Comparative Records, from the Tallest Building to the : : , ains 1 zhes irplane and umped and pulled the rip-cord ring of my P#88*st ee est Airplane

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POPULAR MECHANICS down- movie and drifted while the plane circled around and filmed the final chapter. Freed of my weight— some 240 pounds, of which 183 were me, stripped, and the rest flying clothes—the balloon had risen slightly and drifted off before the chute, ward, Basket and Equipment for the Alti- tude Flight, Above, and Capt. Gray, Wearing His Gas Mask; the Canister on His Chest Contained the Electric wind, to come to earth ten Heater; His miles farther on. I had lit more than 110 miles from the starting point. Before the start, I had prepared a typewritten slip and an empty envelope, to be attached to each article I planned to drop, with instructions to the finders to fill in the slips and return by mail tome. My faith in human nature was the cause of considerable amusement at the field. But within a few days after the flight, five oi the seven articles—all but one oxygen cy!- inder and the oxygen-heater battery—had been found and notices returned to me. The successful record-breaking flight, my 107th in a balloon, had been the second within a little more than a month. On the first, worn out by the labor of handling two and a quarter tons of sand, lifting each thirty-three pound bag into the basket, cutting the bottom with a knife, and pour- ing the ballast over the side, and hampered oxygen equipment, I had passed out at 27,000 feet and for forty-five minutes, the barograph record showed, the balloon had drifted along at that height, by defective Flying Clothes Alone Weighed More Than Sixty Pounds St we until I finally recovered enough to pull the valve cord and release sufficient gas t start the descent. Warned by that lesson, I had designed a new type of sand bag for the’second fligh Instead of the usual squat with a drawstring at the top and a hook o1 the end of the string to hang it to the rig ging, the new bags were long slim pouches each of fifty pounds’ capacity, with a fla; canvas sack, door in the bottom, which was opened b pulling a cord, just as the rip cord release the parachute. All the bags were hung from a wooden framework suspended outside the basket, and when I got ready to cast them loose on the descent, the whole framework, with the empty bags, was released at one time. The oxygen apparatus was improved by adding a hollow asbestos-covered cylinder, in which was suspended the electrical heat- ing element, operated by a two-volt cell of a storage battery. The heater warmed the stream of oxygen as it passed and made

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POPULAR thing much easier. With the can- _ the oxygen helmet greatly resembled ir-time mask. Inside, however, helmet was quite different. The oxy- gas tubes ended in flat metal pipes which ected right up against the glass of the 1 eles, so that the passing stream of ven would keep the glass from frosting en | reached the extremely low temper- ires of the upper air. Official calibra- n of my instrument showed that the vest point was sixty-seven below zero. Next time I am going to be prepared to p additional equipment at the top, in- ‘ad of on the way down, and thus I hope pass 43,000 feet. A lot has been said ind written in the past about the coming nquest of the 50,000-foot mark, but re- ent research indicates’ it may never be ealized, at least with any existing type of equipment. The doctors have found in he rebreather tests, in which men breathe xygen in a partial-vacuum chamber as a test of their ability to withstand high alti- that somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 feet there probably lies a point at which the air pressure becomes so slight that the muscles of the body can no longer junction to operate the lungs, so that a man who took ina breath of oxygen could not exert enough muscular action to expel it. At that point he would die. The action of oxygen is peculiar. I believe I was perfectly normal every min- ute while at the top, yet I would not swear to it, for I have watched others in the re- breather chamber and seen them try to put a finger on one button to press it and stab it something two or three feet away, yet come out declaring they were perfectly normal throughout the test and did every- thing correctly. My tube thermometer was broken on the first flight, and on the second, I had no means of knowing the temperature reached, as the recording thermometer It was not uncomfortably however, as I had dressed for the Over the heaviest of woolen underwear I wore two woolen shirts, a sweater and a winter uniform. On top of that was a flying suit, leather on the out- side, reindeer fawn skin on the inside, and two thicknesses of heavy woolen blanket cloth between. My flying boots were built on the same plan. tudes, was sealed. cold, occasion. MECHANICS Measuring the Comfort of an Auto Seat with Instru- ment Devised by Bureau of Standards AUTO COMFORT IS MEASURED TO IMPROVE CARS How comfortable are the seats of your automobile? An answer would probably be based largely on guesswork and per- sonal opinion, but the bureau of standards has developed a far more accurate way of telling. A gauge has been devised that registers the movements of the auto seats, at different speeds of the car, and other which enable manufacturers and lesigners to furnish upholstery and springs better adapted to comfort. factors MUSICAL CLOCK PLAYS TUNES TO AWAKE SLEEPERS Instead of a stri- dent bell to arouse sleepers, a new alarm clock uses a music little makers Swiss box to play a The claim it wakes without tune. giving nervous people the shock caused by a loud bell. Popular airs, se- and old German folk the melodies among which a purchaser can make his selection. alarm lections from operas, songs are some of

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Waiting for the Toss in a Roller-Skate Basket-Ball Game at Camp Normoyle, Tex., Where Sport Was First Introduced ROLLER-SKATE BASKET BALL LATEST ARMY GAME Basket ball on roller skates has been in- troduced by Lieut. Barney L. Camp Normoyle, Tex. Meeden at It was played with slight modifications of the standard game and, contrary to expectations, was not as fast as the usual sport and there were few falls. The players were men who had served on other teams and knew how to skate as well. OCEAN DEPTH OVER SIX MILES FOUND IN PACIFIC What is reported to be the deepest spot in the ocean yet recorded was measured recently by the cruiser “Emden” en route from the Dutch East Indies to Japan. The sounding was 34,416 feet, or close to sailors on 2,000 feet deeper than the previous “deepest spot” off the coast of Japan. POPULAR MECHANICS PROSPECTING FROM THE AIR Organization of aerial expedition to hu for copper and other m eral deposits in northe Rhodesia, close to Congo border in Afri is under way. By me: of the maps and surve that can be made from t airplanes, the prospect: can be guided through t dense jungles to plac: that promise riches in 0 One of the hazards of t! work is the favorable landing field For this reason, eme gency plots will have be cut out of the forest at fairly close inter throughout the territo: that is to be surveye and aerodromes will ha to be erected for servicin the ships and keepins A special airplane has been ce signed for the project. It is to be fitted with two motors and so constructed that it will be able to fly or even climb with but one of the engines running. absence supplies. ARMORED CAR FOR STREET DIRT REDUCES DUST Removing sweepings from the streets i: Hamburg, Germany, is simplified with special auto truck somewhat like an ar mored car. It has compartments that close tightly so that dust and dirt cannot escape while the truck is through the city. being driven Armored Car for Hauling Street Rubbish; the Compartments Are Tightly losed, to Prevent Scattering the Contents

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& APTAIN Charles Lindbergh’s epochal non-stop flight from New York to Paris emphasized the need, in the opinion of aviation engineers, of one more instru- ment to make such long journeys across the ocean safe and sure. That is, some de- vice for measuring the speed of an airplane across the surface of the earth, without the necessity of taking complicated sights at sun or stars, which are often impossible because of fog and storms. Lindbergh reached Paris, 3,600 miles from his starting point,in thirty-three hours and thirty minutes, with nothing but an earth-inductor compass and an air-speed indicator to guide him. Fortunately, for his uccess, the latter not only indicated his peed through the air, but showed fairly well his actual ground speed, for he had a tail wind most of the way. Had he met head winds, however, which would have slowed down his plane and burned up his precious store of gasoline, he would have had no vay of knowing the fact so long as he was flying over the ocean. It is to offset that one great lack in fly- ing instruments that aerial navigators are cudgeling their brains. At three-quarter throttle, the speed at which Lindbergh op- erated his engine throughout the flight, the bass INDICATOR Ryan monoplane “Spirit of St. Louis” has a speed of 100 miles an hour in still With a tai wind that is increased in proportion to the wind's strength, and with a head spondingly decreased. Inasmuch as Lind- bergh averaged about 113 miles an hour for the entire distance, he apparently had a tail wind most, if not all, of the time. air. wind, it is corre- So long as the air-speed indicator, which shows the plane’s speed through the air, registered better than 100 miles an hour, the pilot had nothing to worry about, for the excess mileage over 100 could only be due to a wind behind him. But if the indicator had dropped to 100 he would not have known whether he was flying in still air or against a head wind, for the head wind, plus the plane's speed, would have continued to register as 100 regardless of the strength of the wind. The latter might have attained a velocit) of forty miles an hour and cut the ground speed of the plane to sixty miles, and still the indicator would have shown 100, while the plane could never have reached its des- tination with the gas it carried. With noth- ing below, even in daylight, to check his ground speed by, the flyer would have sailed on, ignorant of his danger, whereas with a ground-speed indicator he could have sought safety by turning back. Centuries of navigation have never pro- duced anything better than the sextant and stellar or solar observations to check the position of a craft at sea. Patent logs, to be trailed through the water, are fairly 183

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reliable, but far from being exact enough even for a suriace ship to depend on. Flying through the air over the ocean, even the trailing log is impossible. If the problem is ever solved, it may possibly come through some new discovery in radio whereby practical instruments may be de- veloped to indicate the distance from a broadcasting station by measuring the amount of power with which the signal reaches the plane. The Lindbergh flight brought home more forcibly than anything that has hap- pened in aviation the high degree of per- fection which have attained. planes and aerial motors That a single motor could operate, without stopping, for more than thirty-three hours, that it could do 6,100 4 POPULAR MECHANICS miles without overhaul, and still be rea to continue, proved a revelation to ma: who have not closely followed the impro\ ments made in flying. Lindbergh’s ave age speed from New York to Paris w 113 iniles an hour. A few days later, Indianapolis, ten of the finest racing cr ations in the automobile world were wo: out in the first half of a 500-mile race wh trying to meet the 109-mile-an-hour pa set by the leader. The air-cooled motor, which Byrd use in his flight over the north pole and whi Chamberlin and Acosta used in setting new world’s duration record, has prov: ideal for flying. It eliminates the weight of the radiator and its water supply, and also all the manifold possibilities of broke: * wEST ¢ SiN OIES / A Hop of 1,600 Miles to St. Louis, a Skip of 900 Miles to New York, and a Jump of 3,600 Miles to Paris Carried Lindbergh a Third of the Way around the World in Fifty- Five Hours and a Quarter; at Right Is the Pilot Exam- ining His Motor and, Below, His Instrument Board ATLAN T NORTH OcEAN water connections and clogged tubes, or a fractured radiator pipe. Every tube, pipe and joint on a plane is a liability, since the failure of any one of them is usually suf- ficient to force a flyer down.

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POPULAR MECHANICS WIND WHEEL FOR EARTH INDUCTOR COMPASS 200 HP AIR COOLED ENGINE GASOLINE TANK IN poy OF PILOT ADJUSTABLE STABILIZER “Spirit of St. Louis” in New York, and Some of the Principal Features of the First Airplane to Bridge the Gap between Two Great Cities on Opposite Sides of the Atlantic in One Flight staking his life on his earth-inductor ass, instead of carrying the excess ht of a companion to act as navigator, bergh likewise was not taking such eme chances as many might think. of flying speed due to a head wind have upset all the calculations on his navigation was based, but, with exception of that one possibility, his hod of flying was fairly safe. e earth-inductor compass is not a pass at all, in the usual meaning of the i, since it does not employ a floating lle to be attracted toward the magnetic th. He carried a magnetic compass, but they are far from being reliable the air, since the presence of the mass metal in the engine and the electrical ect of the ignition system make them theult to correct. The earth inductor is thing but a small electric generator, en by a tiny air fan, a “dummy” com- dial by which the electrical field of generator can be varied, and a galva- eter, which looks like the familiar rge” and “discharge” ammeter on the mobile instrument board. The gen- tor is placed far back in the tail of the ne, to remove it from the electrical in- ence of the ignition system. Its vertical it projects up through the body of the ne and carries a little two-bladed wind /peller, as the photographs of the “Spirit St. Louis” show [n flight, the aviator charts his true urse, and then turns the dummy compass 1,] pointer to the route chosen, upsetting the magnetic field of the generator in its re- lation to the earth. Then he swings his ship until the galvanometer hand rests on the top center of the dial, and is then on his chosen course. Any variation to left or right will cause a corresponding deflec- tion of the needle, just as the ammeter hand on the automobile swings to one side for charge and the other for discharge. To fly across the Atlantic, Lindbergh plotted his course in advance, basing it on the great circle, which is the shortest dis- tance between two points on the earth's surface. Actually he did not fly a circle, but rather a series of short legs of 100 miles or so each. As plotted, his course re- quired him to fly one hour in a fixed di rection, then reset his compass for another hour, and so on. Since all the courses, or one-hour legs, had been calculated in ad- vance, the changes were simple to make. The feasibility of transatlantic flying was further strengthened only two weeks after Lindbergh's flight when Clarence Cham- berlin and Charles A. to Berlin in their monoplane. They remained in the air for forty-two hours, finally running out of gasoline and descending within 110 miles of Berlin, at Eisleben. That was at 5:00 a. m., Levine flew almost Bellanca Berlin time, after nearly two days and nights in the air, yet they immediately regassed and took off again, but finally descended seven hours later, still 70 miles from the German capital. becoming lost,

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POPULAR MECHANICS compose the force. They will have a three. foot walk in each tunnel and vehick be confined to two ten-foot passages he tween white lines. TIDE FLOATS GIANT GAS PIPE INTO PLACE IN-CHANNEL An interesting engineering feat was ac complished recently when a stret eight-inch gas pipe, 600 feet long, was loy ered as a single unit into the eastern e of the estuary that separates Alameda Calif., from Oakland.. The pipe, welded into one length, was constructed par to the shore and then floated out on px toons. Ropes were passed underneat! pontoons to support the pipe, and one end was held fast to the Alameda the other was allowed to drift with t] coming tide, which swung it into place Guiding the Hand through the pioneeinee rae Are PHONE CABLE LIKE SPINAL CORD Easily Copied with Bracec enci PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW BINOCULARS ON DRAWING BOARD Telephone lines have often been « AID IN DRAWING MAP pared to the nerves of the human bod For use in various kinds of topograph- and the analogy is further carried out ical work. French engineers have devised cross-section photographs of a cable a binocular addition to the drawing out- those of transverse sections of a hu fit. It is so adjusted that the contour of spinal cord. The separate nerves of distant hills or other objects can be accu- rately followed by the hand in tracing on the paper. The pencil is braced for greater steadiness and ease in operation. UNDERGROUND POLICETO GUIDE TRAFFIC IN TUNNEL What is believed to be the first under- ground police force ever established has been enlisted to supervise trathe through the new vehicular tunnel under the Hud- son river in New York City. They will have signal boxes every 400 feet to flash electric signs such as “Stop All Traffic,” “Stop Your Motor,” “Accident, Halt,” and “Fire.” Electrical emergency wagons, equipped with powerful jacks, will be sta- tioned at all entrances and exits. ready to Upper Photo, Section of Telephone Cable; Lower, C: respond to calls to haul out disabled vehi- Section of Human Spinal Cord Magnified cles. In case of a fire, the ventilating drafts cord are comparable to the individ the cable, while t can be regulated from the signal boxes so wires that make up 1 that an increased suction can be induced, ganglia, or nerve centers, to draw off the smoke and flames through the same function have somew! as the various “ce the outlets. Three hundred men are to trals” in a telephone system.

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POPULAR MECHANICS aa a i. = : DU XN NPN NG _ eee eee > 2 i ntable Funnel to Generate Electric Power from the Wind; It Can Be Swung to Get the Full Benefit of the Breeze, and Is Intended to Operate Ten Turbines REVOLVING FUNNEL TO MAKE _ five years the United States has been tag- WIND GENERATE POWER ging cod, mackerel, salmon and _ other species. Up to April of this year, 3,565 sunted on a circular track so that it codfish had been tagged and fifty-two of ilways be pointed toward the wind, a the number had been recaptured. funnel has been constructed by a fornia inventor for harnessing the vonieada* ahddaials kai. BEAUTY PARLOR FOR PET DOGS ee ee SAVES OWNERS WORK apparatus weighs about eighteen tons is intended to so compress the wind Dogs have a beauty parlor of their own t it will operate ten turbines asit rushes in Paris where they receive hair cuttings, ough the tunnel. These, in turn, would trimmings and curling, skin treatments iade to actuate generators for making and baths to keep their fur glossy. Sickly tricity. The inventor has calculated pets are given ultraviolet ray applications. t as much as 1,445 horsepower can be Each morning, “customers” arrive in the ved from the wind with this outfit and, arms of their mistresses or maids and the it proves a success, he will erect others shop is doing a large business. ocalities where strong winds prevail. PLAYING TAG WITH WHALES o learn more about the habits and els of whales, Norwegian fishermen tagging them with metal labels. A ecially designed crossbow -is used to ot a small dart, bearing the tag, into m and when a tagged whale is cap- ed, a report is made to the Norwegian ery headquarters, giving the data ap- ring on the tag and where and under it conditions the whale was caught. s system of tagging fish is not new. As as 1653, Izaak Walton made men- of a study of the homing instincts of mon by tying ribbons to the tails of young fish, and for more than twenty- Courtesy L’ Illustration Bathing and Curling the Pet Dogs in the Canine Beauty Shop; “‘Dressing’’ Them for Shows Is a Specialty

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POPULAR MECHANICS hove ot ® i Se

Rescue Steamer at Greenville, Miss., Loading Refugees from the Levee Top to Transpvort Them to Red Cros Relief Camps; the Flood Victims Clung to Vast Bundles in Their Flight Can the Mississippi Be Tamed?

Engineers Debate Need of Returning Part of Bottom Lands to River to Supplement Levee and Reservoir System “_ to do with the Mississippi river to prevent disastrous floods in the future is a problem perplexing the engi- neering brains of the nation as a result of the unparalleled damage done this vear. Three schools of flood prevention have existed for years, so none of the ideas ad- vanced are exactly new, but the wide- spread failure of the levees in the highest flood in history, due to rains falling for months over practically all of the Mis- sissippi watershed, has emphasized the dif- ferences between them. One group has always advocated flood control through the levee system alone. <A second favors abolishing all levees except those protect- ing river-bank cities, allowing the river to take back its former overflow land. The third idea is to combine levees with a series of dams in the upper river and the main tributaries, the dams being designed to hold back the flood water in vast storage pools, releasing it in time of low water to maintain navigation levels, and at the same time using the storage waterhead to ge erate electric current. Old-time river men, who bitterly nounce the levee system, declare that long as dikes are built to retain the rivet in its main channel, the river will keep depositing silt in the bottom, raising it higher and higher, and force the exten of the levees upward, without end. In the old days, they claim, the river overflov the bottom lands every two or three ye and deposited a rich covering of silt, rat ing from a few inches to as much as thie or four feet. Always, however, the wat drained back into the main channel in ti for spring planting, with the result t! the river bottoms, enriched by the silt posit, were the finest cotton plantati: in the world. Then came the levee system, and t bottom lands, deprived of their natu fertilization, were exhausted so that n

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POPULAR MECHANICS Levee Tops Were the Only Safe Reiuge When the Mis- sissippi Poured through th Broken Dikes, and for Hun dreds of Miles Thousands « People Pitched Their Tents i: the Midst of the Flood On the Upper Mississippi Cows Were Milked in Water Neariy Knee-Deep, and Horses Had to Swim to Pasture Speed-Limit Signs at Hollandale, Miss., Were Strictly Obeyed When the Residents Were Forced to Take to Rowboats to Travel between Their Sub- merged Homes; Families Lived on Second Floors and the Unstairs Win- dows Became Doors for Those Not Entirely Flooded Out

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POPULAR MECHANICS even with artificial fertilizer, they will not Arkansas and Louisiana, he says produce the cotton they did in the past. plainly that they formerly served And the silt, which formerly enriched the overflow channel to the Gulf of \ bottoms, drops to the river bed and raises and some provision should be mad it higher each year, making for worse artificial connections, to restore tl floods in succeeding seasons. that use, so that in time of high water pa Col. Robert Isham Randolph, one of the of the stream could be diverted into re! flood engineers who studied the question channels, instead of passing the enti; during the recent high water, declares that burden down the main river. The many of the hundreds of thousands who posal of controlling the flood at its were driven from their homes should not through reforestation is impractical be permitted to return, but should be set- cording to Col. Randolph, first beca tled elsewhere and provided with farms. takes too long to grow the trees, an The bottom lands should be returned to ondly, because it would take a forest the river, and used only for grazing or equal to Montana, the Dakotas, Minn« fish and game preserves, he says, leaving Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, |] them open to absorb the surplus flood Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri to red water. The trouble with the river, he the flood crest five feet at Cairo, IIl., \ claims, is that men have attempted to set- the Ohio joins the combined waters o tle the bottom lands before nature finished Mississippi and Missouri. making them. Left alone, the river would The increasing damage from the have kept on depositing silt inthe bottoms _ rent floods is largely due, engineers a until they were built up in vast savannas’ to the cutting of the northern forest as high as the highest flood, and the river the building of cities where they would then have dug itself deep in its own Every paved street, city sewer and channel and stayed there. farm drain tile helps make the The river tributaries with their con- worse by carrying the water rapidly t necting swamps and marshes in Missouri, — river, instead of leaving it on the grou Millions of Tons of Water Beat at the Cement Wa'l Guard'ng Vicksburg’s Lowlands, While Pumps on Freight- Car Tops Returned the Seepage to the River

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POPULAR MECHANICS fell. Since the Mississippi drain- in includes about two-thirds of the the United States, the water car- through these three agencies alone mous. Mississippi levee system, which this year, is one of the greatest en- ng feats ever undertaken as a means id control. From Cairo to New Or- for 2,000 miles, they stretch along sanks of the river at every low spot, i the southern states arms extend for eds of miles up the many tributary ns and bayous. The levees are built rth, usually dredged up from the river m several feet out from the bank. eight and width they conform to fications laid down by the United , Mississippi river commission, which created by an act of congress back in the avowed purpose being to “cor- permanently locate and deepen the nnel and protect the banks of the Mis- ppi river, improve and give safety and to the navigation thereof; prevent tructive floods; promote and facilitate merce, trade and the postal service.” national government has paid two- of the cost of the levees and local evee boards the other third. The stand- levee top has been three feet above the crest the 1912 high water would have reached had it been confined to the river channel. The flood this year topped the levees at Vicksburg by six-tenths of a foot, vever, even after millions of acres had been flooded.” Had all th: water been kept thin the banks, the flood crest there ould. have been ten feet or more above 1912 flood mark. One effect of this year’s flood was the ering of Louisiana’s famous muskrat shes, from which the state each year furs worth millions. The state servation department built 1,500 rafts ogs covered with marsh grass, stocked m with muskrat food, and turned them e in the marshes to provide floating mes and provision supplies for the krats, whose situation was as serious that of the 300,000 humans driven from ir homes. Trappers were assigned to tch the rafts and keep illicit fur gath- rs from killing off the rats. They esti- ted that half the muskrat population saved. extracts Releasing the Gas, the Chamber Filling, and the Pre- server Inflated for Service LIFE BELT INFLATED WITH GAS ALSO WORN FOR SPORT In emergency a life-saver, in ordinary use, a practical belt for sport wear; these are the advantages claimed for a swim- mers’ safety unit recently introduced. To inflate it, a screw is turned. This releases a buoyant gas which is carried in a small container. The vapor fills the belt, which is folded in such a way that it forms a chamber. MANICURE KIT IN SMALL TUBE INVENTED BY WOMAN \ complete manicure set not much larger than a “compact,” has been devised by a woman in- ventor. In one end of a small cyl- inder is a remov- able tube of nail polish, in the other nail white and cotton application. \ buffer, file. board and stick are attached to the cvlinder. The kit takes up little room in a ha and is neat in appearance. for its emery nani- cure ndbag

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POPULAR MECHANICS

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Fun in the Winter-Sports Palace the Year Around; Chemical Snow Is Used, But Proves Satisfactory for S and Snowshoe Practice, and There Is Also an Ice Rink PLAY WINTER SPORTS ALL YEAR UNDER PALACE ROOF Winter sports can be enjoyed at all times of the a huge building recently opened in Berlin. There are ski runs, to- An artificial but satisfactory as the grades of the slides are year in boggan slides and ice rinks. substitute for snow is used, proves steep. such The dimensions of the palace are as to permit large crowds enjoying it at the same time. PAINTING DOME OF U.S. CAPITOL TAKES THOUSAND GALLONS One thousand gallons of special paint were required recently, to cover the dome of the United States capitol with a protec- The liquid was prepared by a formula approved by the bureau of stand- tive coat. © ards and is expected to withstand seve years exposure. than a we was required to scrape off the old. paint of More WATERPROOF STRAW HAT HOLDS SHAPE IN ANY WEATHER Adapted for 1 beach, hiking street straw wear, hat, ma Wat erprooft chemical ment, trea has bee placed on the m ket. It is maintain its shay in wet or dry weather, is light and pliab and not pal used in mat - sald Hand-woven material does tear. fiber is the principal ufacturing the hat.

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POPULAR MECHANICS KE 2OSENE BATH FOR GOLDFISH CURES THEIR ILLS our goldfish seem listless and ailing, is hope of a cure for them, although are strongly advised against exper- ng with treatments just because they proved successful in some cases. A etent aquarium expert should always nsulted if you value your pets. Miss i. Mellen of the New York aquarium, tly discovered two simple remedies proved effective in curing some sick fish brought to her for treatment, a ene bath and a bath in a solution of inum sulphate. Twelve large comet lfish were allowed to stay in a bucket kerosene for one and a half minutes, itatime. Then they were placed ina ve tank of fresh water into which a flow of salt water was introduced. e fish recuperated and in ten days were ght and shining. The aluminum-sul- te treatment proved effective in curing rtv common, straight-tailed fish from rk lake. Evidently, they had been oned by automobile oil draining into vater. Some were in an almost hope- condition. They were left in a solu- one ounce of aluminum sulphate to llon of water, for one to three min- Only two died, the rest improved. CAVALRY KITCHEN IS MOUNTED ON A HORSE necessary equipment for preparing erving a meal is contained in a kitch- ick outfit that recently been gned for cavalry of the United es army. It is carried on ‘ e horse, as it ighs only 200 unds, and can be together in less minute. It intended for use hen the big rolling tchens find it im- ssible to maintain ntact with the v forces. ina mergency Compact Army-Kitchen Outfit Being Adjusted to Horse; It Weighs but 200 Pounds Complete Manicuring by Electricity; the Motor Is Inclosed in Dome Unit in Front ELECTRIC MANICURE SET SAVES CUSTOMERS’ TIME Manicuring by electricity has been in- troduced in Los Angeles at a reported sav- ing in time and with an improvement in the work. A motor-driven unit occupies but little space on the table. A flexible shaft turns different attachments for pol- ishing and buffing the nails. ALASKAN CABLE CUT BY WHALE communication Seattle and Alaska was interrupted for a month recently when a sub- Cable between whale attacked the merged line. The cut wa army cable ship “Dellwood,” which brought s repaired by the the cable to the surface whale, which was hopelessly entangled in it. The animal had completely along with the severed the core of ble by its eight places. theinner covering is made of gutt cha and he armor, some id the whale’s biting strength is obtained. It was a member of the killer species, Ww eighed twenty tons and was twen- ty-eight feet long with maximum girth of nineteen feet.

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By J. EARLE MILLER \ JOULD you believe there is a land wher Fish come out of the water and inflate t! selves with air like rubber balls? Deer are so small they can be carried home i: pocket and cooked whole in a frying pan? Full-grown bears are only fifteen inches Fish climb trees and blink their eyes? There is such a land, and Charles Darwin, who years ago named it topsy-ti land, only half described it, according to Carveth Wells, English railroad engi: who spent six years in the jungles of the Malay peninsula building railroads and veying roads across its unexplored interior. po Javentures: in Imagine walking along the beach and seeing a fish come up out of the water, c1 the sand and climb a tree;“and,” says Mr. Wells, “I watched and, after a few mome it came down and returned to the pond.” Nothing that Sindbad the Sailor told can rival that story, yet there is such a fish you can see it in museums tagged Periopthalmus Schlosserii, and, incidentally, the only fish in the world that can wink its eyes by Me Pas z climb trees. . wide Carveth Wells went to Malaya before the war to sp: ‘ a9 the Queer Top Shields t e Driver from Burning and Almost Daily Rai: - ed ; ' z -_— ~~ ‘ Cart in a Rubber Plantatior \

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an. rs surveying a rail- up the peninsula rd Siam, but the war on and it was impos- to relieve him, so he nt six years in the jun- before he was finally lided out. agine hunting for deer are only inches ind that can be lured the forest by beating tat-tat on a palm killing twenty-foot onstrictors with the hod end of a survey- pole; photographing t dwarfs so shy even nine native neighbors see them; crossing an unmapped rness to. find a health resort where vild elephants go to take the mud when they think they are about to watching fish fights between finny ttlers that are trained like fighting cocks, meeting birds who seal their mates in low trees at nesting time and feed them veeks on a diet of strychnine. He did all those things and many more. One day,” Wells relates, “I was walk- through the jungle when I became rsty. One of my natives walked over i tree and cut off a section of large ne, about three feet long, holding it care- with both ends level. He told me to kneel and open my mouth, when he poured of the apparently solid wood a stream lelicious cold water. | went to the same vine and cut off a tion, but it was dry. ‘Of course,’ the Malay Boy's Cos- tume of Wide Trous ers, Sarong and Blouse, and His Musical Instrument native said, ‘you made too much the water all ran down t tried that many times, and water if | approached quietly, vine if I scared it!” He found a plant in Malaya t up its branches, closes its flower flat on the ground if you touch it or e breathe upon it, though it will stand up in the face of a brisk wind. A buffalo feed ing at the edge of a patch will make the whole field lie down. He met a Malay bird about the size of a hen that lays an egg almost as big buries it in a hole, twigs, and when the egg hatches, t as itself, shallow covered with > chick flies out, to a tree top, for its wings and feathers are fully formed within the shell. Occasionally a little band of wild ele- phants was met, or, usually when the al- most daily rains drowned out the I norse of 195

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POPULAR MECHANICS until the snakes come to eat them. even in one of the sea-coast is no easy task. Each morni: cook inquires how many are e pected for dinner and asks certain amount of money shopping. there If the employer « and tries to do the shopping self, there is an astonishin crease in prices, so that,in the e1 it is cheaper to let the cool his rake-off. In the jungle, t! hundreds of chickens are kept the there are eggs, for they are cook’s graft and must be chased back from him. Sor times the cook helps out his vate income by Rarely is change. neve part ol coops, selling the chickens several times before t are eventually eaten. Carveth Wells with a Malay Fire Maker, Which Employs the Prin- ciple Used in the Diesel Engine approach, some other animal would be seen, but such sights were rare. There is plenty of rain, some 250 inches a year, and a nine-inch shower in three hours is more or less common, while his surveyors’ rain gauge, with a ten-inch capacity, frequently overflowed in a single afternoon. The rains, however, usually arrive on schedule at the same time each day, so a morning could be spent surveying and the after- noon inside working on the field notes. It was not unusual to walk away from home in the morning and return in the afternoon by boat, the rivers rising so fast they would overflow the clearings to a depth of two or three feet. Insects and their neighbors were the worst curse of the jungle. To live in any comfort in one of the palm-thatched na- tive huts, it is necessary to erect a tent in- side to keep off the things that live in the roof. Cockroaches arrive first, to eat the palm fronds. Then lizards arrive to eat the roaches, and in turn come scorpions, rats, mice, centipedes, frogs, spiders and other things, each living on the others, On a fishing trip with a M boy, the youngster carried tw or more small rods, about two { long, to a rice field and stuck them an the growing grain with the baited | in the swamp water below. When all | in place, he began making the rounds, t ing little fish, three inches long, from « After catching a hundred or so, the turned to land, and the boy began stro! the fish across the ground, whereupon t promptly filled themselves with air unt they could be bounced like rubber bal The Malays are not fond of work, seldom do any, beyond cultivating a field. Most of their food comes ready | pared and nature grows it without as ance. One species of monkeys is trai to climb coconut palms and throw d: the fruit. The monkeys know two wor of Malay, meaning “ripe” and “green,” a: will throw down either kind of asked for. Because of their disinclination for wor the Malays declare one of their favori fruits, the durian, is not good until natu cocon drops it off the tree; so when the duria: begin to ripen, they build a small fen around the tree to keep out animals, at Chicken three times a day 1s the usual diet prepared by the cooks. most of whom are Chinese. Rup ning a household in the jungle, or

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POPULAR MECHANICS fiihcirinereseaieaeeg sete ama The Water Buffalo, Used in Rice Fields, Can Smell a Foreigner a Mile Away and Charges on Sight Above and at the Right Are Two Views of a Royal Prin- ess’ Costume; the Veil, of Pure Silver Mesh, Weighs seven Pounds and Covers a Jacket of Gold and Silk Ready to Draw a Fold of the Veil across the Eyes; the Ma- lays, Being Mohammedans, Require Women to Cover Taces When Abroad; Veil and Sarong Are of Silk Batik oo

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198 POPULAR MECHANICS within the inclosure a hut in which they can rest and chew betel nut until the durians drop. A durian, according to Wells, is about the size of a football, tastes like a mixture of custard, turpentine and ‘ th £ ga wy t IWy i's Ip ~ overripe onions, but nevertheless is to eat, after the taste is acquired. Railroading in the jungles is unlike anywhere else. On ordinary surveyi: is often possible to run lines of a milk more at a time, and in the wes states the government survey working on mountain tops, run lines more than 150 miles | But in the jungle, the vegetati so thick that a sight of a hun yards is often difficult, and bec vines and bamboo to clear the ; a quarter or half mile is a g day’s work. Malays were used in the sur ing party, but when the act building of the roadbed start: Chinese coolies were import Each carried a tool that was a c1 between a rake and a hoe, and t baskets suspended on a should rod. When the baskets were fill: they were carried up the slope a deposited on the right of way. The Malayans make most of t things they use, even to gu When a gun barrel is wanted length of iron rod will be buri upright in the ground, a native dri % ~ of the incessant hacking aw: A ' Row of Palms in Penang, and a Typical Ma Dugout with Its Small, Crude Sail

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POPULAR MECHANICS hted down with box of es, placed above it, a and witha e bow string twisted around drill, a native will sit on the ind and saw away for weeks months, slowly boring a hole ugh the rod. st of their utensils are crude, often employ scientific that are remarkable 1 in civilized countries. When | invented the engine bearing name, employing the heating the air during compression to ; lode the gas, it was considered remarkable achievement, yet the natives have used ex- the same principle in making itches for centuries. Ona lathe of two tough thorns mount a piece of buffalo rn, with a bow string around it. ne man saws away on the bow, ad 1e\ ciples ese iavan smposed olving the horn, while another ns out a small cylinder, about ee inches long and an inch in In the cylinder they tapering hole, a quarter of at the end and v less near the bottom, and Irn out a piston meter. inch across an inch alf long, slightly larger bottom of the evlinder | with a button of horn as ie cylinder on one end. round the piston end. they wrap some read, greased, to form a piston ring, and p the end of the piston slightly to holda ch of vegetable fiber. The piston with fiber is inserted a short way into the cyl- vhich is held tightly in one hand. hen the other palm is brought down ith siderable force on the horn but- driving the piston in so sharply that hly and rapidly compressed air be- mes so hot it ignites the tinder. -The t and middle fingers grasp the horn but- n at the end of the stroke and jerk the iston out, so that the fire can be kept ive by blowing on it. “OT Col » | lig Native clothing is worn in the jungle ven by the white engineers, except when n actual survey work. The native dress chiefly a sarong, which means envelope. t is like a sack or tube, about four feet ng and wide, with the bottom left is as » a \ y rs 4 ~* Even the Foxes Fly in Topsy-Turvy Land; This One Is Notable tor Its Immense Wingspread Slipped over the head and under the arms, the surplus is held out to one open. side while a finger is inserted between the folds and run around to the back, then is quickly withdrawn and the fold caught there, the rest of the cloth being tucked in at the top in front. The women, being Mohammedans, weat a veil when abroad, and for dress wear a The sa rongs are made of beautifully colored silk. short jacket is sometimes added TANK SHIP WITH DOUBLE HULL KEEPS CARGO HOT To keep asphalt while being shipped, a California oil company has de- signed a double-hulled tanker with steam coils in the intervening space. An even distribution of heat is thus assured, pre- venting the asphalt from solidifving. warm

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POPULAR MECHANICS Courtesy The Sphere In Memory of a Great Polish Leader, Thaddeus Kosciusko; This Earthen Mound Is One of the Sights of the City of Cracow and Has Been Built in the Midst of a Series of Forts EARTH MOUND IN POLISH CITY HONORS KOSCIUSKO One of the unique modern monuments of the world is that in the city of Cracow, in honor of the great Polish hero, Thad- deus Kosciusko. It takes the form of a large conical earthen mound, rising from the center of a group of fortifications. A pathway leads to the top where a clear view of the city may be enjoyed. HUNT ELEPHANTS IN AMERICA FOR FOSSIL COLLECTION A hunt for remains of mammothis that inhabited this country thousands of years ago, has been conducted in Florida and Oklahoma by Dr. James W. Gidley, of the National museum. An object of the search is that a complete skeleton may be ob- tained for mounting. The base of a skull, some teeth, ribs and foot bones were found near Alva, Okla., with fossils of parts of other animals including the three-toed horse and a deerlike creature. In Florida, better-preserved relics are hoped for, as the fossil bones are buried deeper. The mammoth passed out of existence in the glacial period; before that it roamed widely over the continent. It was prob bly twice the bulk of the present elephant and was a “cousin” of the mastodon. FRUIT-JAR CAP STRAIGHTENER REDUCES SPOILAGE Needless expense in buying new fru jar caps by reclaiming the old ones, a1 greater that the content of the jars will not spoil, are offered in a simple unit fe truing the edge of the caps. | consists of a roller that fits in the grooves of the cover and a cran| to turn the cay which is fitted to : holder. A lever 1 furnished to pres the roller tightly against the edge and “iron” out any irregu larities that may have been formed. assurance @ Sugar beets furnish about one-half of the world’s supply of sugar.

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POPULAR MECHANICS ‘HT CENTS TO TON f SAND IS YIELD OF GOLD MINE ield of but eight cents he ton of sand and el would not tempt poorest placer miner, that is all the yellow th obtained from a big fornia working, where 000,000 worth of gold been extracted in twen- three years. The expla- tion lies in modern ma- inery and enlightened vineering. Huge dredges e employed to sift the nd, enough electricity to ipply a city of 60,000 per- ns is required and 200 men are employed. n twenty-four hours, 100,000 tons of ma- ial are handled and during the twenty- three years of operation, the company has ved about 135,000,000 more cubic yards earth than was excavated to dig the inama canal. CURSE OF DEAFNESS RELIEVED BY HEARING LEAGUES Surveys made by the leagues for the hard i{ hearing in various American cities in- cate that there are 3,000,000 children with efective hearing in this country, but that ghty per cent of deafness een prevented if could have Testing Horse’s Eyes for Defective Vision; Most of Their Optical Ills Are Said to Be the Result of Heredity TESTER FOR HORSES’ EYESIGHT TO CURB DISEASE Defective vision in the mounts causes more than ninety per cent of the accidents during horse races, jumps or riding, ac- cording to a specialist. He has devised an instrument for testing and recording the vision of the horse, to detect the pres- ence of ailments. Practically all eye trou ble in horses is due to hereditary according to this authority. causes, FACE MASK FOR LIBRARIANS SHIELDS THEM FROM DUST recognized early enough and given Under e direction of the eagues and with the co-operation of hool boards, thou- inds of pupils are iven hearing tests by competent ear pecialists with ac- curate instruments; lip-reading classes ire held for the deaf, - and vocational de- partments main- tained for securing proper employment tor those with de- roper care. Keeping the thou- sands of volumes in the New York pub lic library in repair is a task requiring special workers so that the books always be in con- dition ing. lo will for loan- protect themselves dust and germs, a tape mask that guards the face and mouth has from been used by some of the repairers. It is espe- cially useful when examining volumes that have been in fective hearing. Librarians Wearing Dust and Germ Masks storage some time.

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POPULAR MECHANICS ba et ee (aKa ORME 4 ETL LABIA sh GOIN ON eee % 2 8 SS NNN Se ET .* “ > Be hei BF pe oe Parachute in Container; It Is Pulled Out When Pilot Leaps over Side, Saving Bother with Release Cord PARACHUTE IS CARRIED IN TUBE TO INSURE OPENING Successful tests are reported with a par- achute incased in a metal tube, which pro- trudes through the cockpit floor of the air- plane. When _ the jumps, his weight snaps it out of the carrier by means aviator of a cable attached to the parachute and the flyer’s back. This insures quick open- ing and forestalls any chance of the aviator not being able to pull the release cord. HOW CHINA’S WAR AFFECTS U. &. SEEN IN PAINT MARKET At first thought, a war in China and the price of varnish seem to have no connec- tion but the relationship is direct, for most of the wood oil, extensiv ely used in paints and varnishes of various kinds, is obtained from China. The recent military troubles there have sent the price from twelve to thirty cents a pound. We import more than 12,000,000 gallons yearly. Ten years or so from now, this country may not be so dependent on China for the material, because plant explorers of the department of agriculture have introduced a tung-oil tree here. In a few seasons, Florida. Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana will be producing the oil, but the trees are o saplings now. FABRIC THAT RESEMBLES STONE MAKES HANDSOME WALL Imitation Italian travertine is now fi nished in a fabric wall covering that easily applied and is said to closely resem- ble the natural material. It is impervious to water and can be washed with soap ij it becomes soiled. Different colors are provided and a nonrepeating block design is followed in the pattern to increase the effectiveness of the material for interior It is easily repaired if dan aged and may be removed whole for uss on another wall. decorating. MOTORBIKE HAS AN INCLOSED PASSAGE COMPARTMENT Many of the conveniences found in touring car have been fitted to a motor cycle and sidecar a Chicago man has de signed. The cycle has reverse gear, horn and whistle for warning signals, an the compartment is equippe with a top, a seat that can be adjusted f sleeping, a passenger footrest, windows on_ th: driver's side, permitting conversation, an a light for reading. In all, the vehicle ha twelve lamps. The sidecar is waterpro: and the fender is removable for entran to the compartment. The outfit is adapte to long trips at lower than auto costs. nom How Sides of Motorcycle Passenger Car Fold Out for Convenience of Occupant and for Loads

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POPULAR * >. Seg TI MECHANICS 1omas A. Edison with One of His First Phonographs, Which Will Be Fifty Years Old on August 12, and One of His Dictating Machines, Which Grew Out of the Original Invention Edison’s Greatest Invention Half Century Old Inventor, Now Eighty, Picks Phonograph as Contribution He Hopes History Will Remember Him By 1877, Edison scrawled four crude tle diagrams on a scrap of paper, wrote ross the bottom the laconic message, Kreusi, Make this. Edison,” added the ite, and—the phonograph was born! \lmost half a century later, on his eight- eth birthday, the greatest inventor the orld has probably ever knqwn picked up a scrap of paper on which a reporter id written, “By what would you prefer be remembered?” and, with the same iconical briefness, wrote beneath the question two words—“The phonograph.” The reason why the man who conceived he carbon-filament light, created central- tation generating systems, invented the ion-acid storage battery, brought out mul- iplex telegraphy and gave a host of other years ago, on Aug. 12, JalFTY Thomas inventions to the world, should pick the phonograph, whose greatest development has been in the field of entertainment, as his premier achievement is twofold. First, he believes the surface of its sphere of usefulness has hardly been scratched. Sec- ondly, as probably the most impelling rea- son, the phonograph was not a di but a true invention. No man had ever conceived recording the human voice for mechanical reproduction. Curiously enough, Edison did not set out to invent “frozen speech and music,” but was trying to perfect a telegraph re- peater to record incoming messages and later repeat them mechanically to another station. Having started in life as a tele graph operator, his first interests were in that field, and the phonograph was more scovery

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POPULAR MECHANICS ———E —_ One of the Latest Phonograph Applications, the Talking Mowies in Which the Large Record, Shown on Metal Stand, Furnishes Voice and Music Synchronized with the Film an accident. The repeater with Was experimenting bore a re- markable resemblance to the modern disk phonograph. In his that day he wrote: notebook for “Just tried experiment with diaphragm having an point and held against paraffin paper moving rapidly. The speaking vibrations are indented nicely and there’s no doubt that I shall be able to store up and reproduce automatically at any future time the human voice per- fectly.” embossing The telegraph repeater was forgotten. In his mind he could see exactly how a phonograph should look. The only ques tion was the best material to use. soft; the quickly. A hard ideal, but would and Paraffin wore out too would been require months of re- he wanted immediate action. suggested itseli—something soft and pliable, yet more durable than coated paper. was too record wax have search, Tintoil On Aug. 12, the rough diagram was drawn, with a note to John Kreusi, hic 3 tre al “é al ‘a? | his instrument maker, to “make this.” The mechanic also was told he could spend up to $18 on the model! The model was completed within a few “old man,” as thirty-year-old inventor was called. staff, see the outcome of what Kreusi had fre: branded as a ‘ days and carried to the even ther The laboratory curiou gather¢ Edison turned the crank to test its friction, wrapped a sheet of tinfoil o1 ‘crazy idea,” around. the cylinder, fastening the ends down wit a strip of lead, laid in a groove cut for tl purpose, and adjusted the mouthpiece. He grasped the crank, for the first p! nograph was hand-operated, and began turn, at the same time shouting into tl mouthpiece: ‘Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went The lamb was sure to go.” The laboratory wits were convulsed wit laughter at the picture of Edison shout ing childhood rimes at a revolving piece 0 tinfoil. Amid their shouts and jokes, Edi son calmly substituted the reproducins diaphragm, turned the cylinder back to th« starting point, and spun the crank. Bacl from the tinfoil, in a high, thin voice cam: the words: “Mary had a little lamb ae Straight on to the end it word missing! went, not a

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POPULAR MECHANICS Edison Invented Both the Phonograph and the Movies, and Now They Are Com- bined; Above Is an Orchestra Recording in the Old Mechanical Days When They Had to Be Grouped Closely around the Horn; at Right, a Record Maker Is Watching the Disk as It Is Engraved with Sounds Modern Radio Mi- crophones Have Eliminated Close Grouping and Carry the Sounds to the Recording Labora- tory; Here Is a Set Used to Photograph the Singer in Action While the Record Is Being Made

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POPULAR MECHANICS Kriss wilt UlLatelKio ~ The Horn of the New Victrola for Auditoriums Is So Big a Girl Can Stand in Its Mouth; at Top Is Young Edison with His First Phonograph, and Below It His Original Dated Sketches It was a memorable day, and night, too, at Menlo Park. Nobody went home. Hour after hour they stood around the machine, taking turns at speaking, laughing, whis- tling and singing, and then listening to their voices repeated back to them. The next day Edison carried the first phonograph under his arm to New York and demonstrated it in the office of a friend. The demonstration was a success, and the papers were filled with reports which were cabled all over the world. Orders poured in from every quarter, and Edison, without stopping to perfect and improve, was forced to begin making ma- chines immediately, to supply the demand. The phonographs were used for exhibition purposes. So great was the _ interest aroused, that one enterprising exhibitor cleared $1,800 in a single week in Boston. The craze lasted for a vear and a h then gradually died out. Edison had b come interested in the electric light, a1 for nine years let the phonograph la guish. Yet he realized its possibilities at in an article published a few months afte the invention, he listed no less than t fields of development in which it woul prove a boon to mankind. It wasn’t until 1887, ten years after tl original invention, that he went back the phonograph. His first step revolutionize the machine, substitute permanent cylindricai wax record for til foil, and a battery-driven electrical moto: which was very shortly spring motor. Until radio came along to challenge it supremacy, the phonograph held the cen ter of the stage as a music and speech re was t replaced by

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icer. Radio made a temporary dent prestige, but the various manufac- tu _ who saw their profits threatened, nded with a series of notable inven- that again revolutionized the canned- c art. e company which had been founded ‘velop Berliner’s disk inventions pro- d, in co-operation with the Bell tele- phone laboratories, an entirely new type of reproducing horn. About the same time o and the phonograph were combined, radio tubes and electrical power to up and amplify the vibrations of the dle traveling over the record. vo other notable inventions involving nographic records quickly followed. e first was the perfection of talking mo- pictures, utilizing large phonograph rds and radio amplifiers to furnish the ind. Talking pictures were not new. e DeForest had brought them out sev- eral years before, with the sound photo- iphed on the edge of the film. lhe new idea involved using an ordinary mograph record which should be re- rded in perfect synchronization with the ovie film, and the projection of the film | the reproduction of the sounds in per- ct tune, which is achieved by operating ith from the same electric motor, so their peed in relation to each other cannot vary. The latest application of Edison’s orig- nal phonograph principle is in the record- r of motion pictures on wax disks, from hich they can later be reproduced by iving the record on the phonograph. he idea is the invention of an English perimenter with tele- POPULAR MECHANICS 207 | —d John Sheepers, Right, Receiving Medal for Prize-Win- ning Tulip from Secretary Jardine NEW TULIP WINS GOLD MEDAL AT FLOWER SHOW A tulip was judged the best of the new flowers shown at a recent New York floral exhibition and was awarded a gold medal by Secretary of Agriculture Jardine. It is named the “Miss Helen Eakin.” THIS TRUCK MAKES OWN ICE FOR DELIVERING CREAM For ice-cream storage and delivery, an auto truck now on the market is equipped with an electric refrigerating plant instead of ice. Temperatures of several degrees below zero can be attained, while the coils and other parts of the apparatus are com- pactly arranged and save transporting hun- dreds of pounds of ice, brine, tanks, etc. sion. The movie scenes re picked up, not by the isual camera, but by a hotoelectric cell, which ecords them as pulsat- ig electric currents, that turn operate the cut- ng tool making the rec- rd. When the record played, the reproduc- ng needle is used to cre- te another pulsating urrent, which operates a eon light to sweep ands of light and dark cross the screen, creat- aS STR ; ETHINTD: (Y REBEE IEE) BEAM TUK ME SERRE ow THE RTPA STATES } i I ] ‘} *st + tn ng the pictures again. Ice-Cream Delivery Truck with Own Refrigerating Plant

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208 POPULAR MECHANICS SPRING WHEEL TO END AUTOISTS’ TIRE TROUBLES Car Equipped with Spring Wheels, and Another with Spring Bumper; the Inserts Show, Top, the ‘‘Spider”’ Which Distributes the Load to the Springs, and, Bottom, the Outer Side A spring wheel which permits use of hard-rubber tires even at speeds of sev- enty miles an hour without excessive road shocks has been developed by a Chicago inventor, who believes it not only will end tire-repair troubles, but reduce the cost of tires through longer life and less material and labor consumed in manufacture. Called by the maker the “resilient wheel,” it employs eight flat spiral springs to sup- port the load, the center of each spring being attached to an arm of a cast-metal “spider” which revolves about the hub, where it is cushioned by a heavy rubber pad built into the wheel. Because of its peculiar construction, the wheel produ an entirely new effect—the load revolvii while the wheel rolls forward, due to t! fact that the load is carried near the ri by the springs, instead of in the center « the wheel. Ordinary wheels, unless pet fectly balanced, produce increasing vibra tions as the speed increases. The sprin wheel, however, when it reaches its critica high speed, actually carries the load at higher point than at low speed, for the springs have a tendency to establish common center, in doing which they li the load, and thereby overcome gravit) A similar bumper is also being made.

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ES Auto Drivers; Marke: POPULAR MECHANICS 209 CAB: E LINES TO CARRY MAILS | PLACE OF AIRPLANES ubstitute for airplanes in carrying n eastern engineer has suggested of long, slim containers, moving speed on an overhead cable sus- between high towers. They would en by motors or propellers and be operated either with or with- pilot. It is estimated that this would be more economical, faster ;s hazardous as well as more regular. TEST DRIVERS’ STEERING SKILL WITH PERFORATED TAPE Candidates for automobile drivers’ li- ire given numerous tests in Ger- one of them being a trial to deter- yw skillful they are at steering. A ted tape is rotated past a marker 1 | ed to an automobile steering wheel. hjective of the subject taking the test oid striking the perforations which ent obstacles in an actual road. ig with the wheel, as the tape passes, ker leaves an actual record of the late’s solution of the obstacle prob- \ rating is given on the basis of the racy shown by the candidates. d Tape Ary for Testing ite Be Steered . - the Holes Making Up with the Help of an Air Brush; Applying Whitening to Hide Sunburn on Actress’ Arms AIR BRUSH IN MAKE-UP SOLVES MOVIE PROBLEM I xtensive alterations in costumes some times have to be made in the motion-pi ture studios to hide the effects of su burn. This will no longer be necessat in the opinion of an inventor who has pre pared a flesh-tint spray which is applied to the skin with a compressed-air outfit. An i even coating is easily administered a the material is said to cover the darkest shade of burn effectively. FOSSILS FOUND IN RIVER BED It will be necessary to change the course of the Kansas river, at Topeka, to uncover a bed of fossil remains believed to underlie the water, in the opinion of engineers Three huge fossil teeth have been dredged up by sand companies, two of mastodon and one of a mammoth. Each of the mas todon teeth weighed ten pounds, was seven inches long, four inches wide and three inches high. Other fossil bones have been recovered from time to time

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210 POPULAR MECHANICS Pondering the Problem of Using Sound Waves to Treat Illness; Inventor with Radio Apparatus Used in Tests HARNESS MUSIC SOUND WAVES TO RELIEVE ILLNESS Instruments to utilize more effectively the healing power of music have been de- signed by a concert pianist and a scien- tific investigator. With their apparatus, the long or audio waves are imposed on rays that penetrate the body, resulting in vibrations which are said to be of great benefit in relieving nervousness, depres- sion and other ills. STRENGTH OF AIRSHIP GIRDER TESTED BY SQUEEZING How much strain the parts are give: tests, while obsery cord the perior: The part to be ex: is placed in front powerful plunger slowly presses agai: while as many as e nected to the girde: ister the slightest re to the strain. The gives a good indicat to how the part perform in actual se: SPARK PLUGS Because a prosp who was sleeping doors in the mountains of Mono cou Calif., felt a stony lump in his bed spark plugs are now better than they to be. The chance occurrence disc] to Dr. Joseph A. Jeffery, of Detroit only known deposit of sillimanite in world. During the war, the govern: felt the need of better spark plugs. A celain core was desired that was stro: hit five micrometers. cop. ROCK FOUND IN BED LEADS TO BETTER that had a higher electrical resistanc: high temperatures and a greater heat « ductivity. Certain spark plugs exhibit these desirable characteristics were te and it was found they were better be the cores were composed of sillima crystals. However, such great heat can an airship girder stand? The question is impor- tant in building big dirigibles, for costly experience has shown that the du- ralumin units are sometimes sub- jected to stresses beyond their strength and dis- aster follows. In- vestigators at the bureau of standards this sillimanite ficially that it lox doubtful as a « Then a search sillimanite that been produced to South Dak« and Dr. Jeffery have a special ap- paratus by which Reading Gauges That Tell Where Duralumin Girder Is Weakening; Piece Being Squeezed by Big Plunger Again, the s nature’s own lal ratory. Some sp imens were tract required to prod mercial ventu gan for a suppl) } ] i yt he gan his geologi “detective work” |! prospecting ther ul ee ae were

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POPULAR MECHANICS “l to be sil 1 t he chunk 1 the Mexican Presidential Train of Five Cars Recently Built in America; There Are Seats f ourteen Persons; Special Si s found only in scattered crystals, | | pockets in othet h was based on a snail anv sillimanite, he reasoned, found in regions wh ere gre ions had taken place. He Invo mountains in Cali- me through about the great- disturbances. in this Two pros- | range more of those exasperating little On the third trip came the the rock in bed limanite. Being ona rocky must her up, Dr. Jeffery reasoned. merely the which there Be- perpen- have fallen loomed a liff 14.250 feet high. liff seemed to be more blue than prospectors One section Investigation revealed a | ‘al million tons of the o: lverware Was Made for the Car TRAIN FOR MEXICAN PRESIDENT HAS MANY LUXURIES One of the produced wv Calles of the nore than $500,000 and co1 cars, one for the president’ dining and smoking and a space for four machines. car, stan car special autom orations and furnishi resentative of d ivs to the pre to harmonize wi president's palace teen persons ca 1 ° 7 telescoping wainu @ Sound and im on the

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here ra Little Eagle, One of the Indian Riders on Miller Brothers’ Ranch O* the “101 Ranch,” near Ponca City, Okla., the largest food-producing es- tablishment of its kind in the world, you can ride in a few moments from the pro- gressive present to the scenes of the re- mote pioneering period, for this 110,000- acre project, in addition to fostering mod- ern scientific farming, also preserves the practices and traditions of cowboy days. Superlatives are drained of their descrip- tive when visits and at- tempts to tell about this last of the huge ranches which once America’s map. resources one speckled western In all creation, from one end of the earth to another, a counterpart of this vast empire of stock raising, crop growing, fruit production and specialized farming cannot be found. The largest herd of purebred Duroc Jer- sey hogs in the world, the biggest herds of registered Holstein and Shorthorn cattle in America, the most extensive band of buffalo under private ownership, the only herd of “cattalo,” a new breed of drouth- 212 resisting cattle, one of the largest ap; orchards west of the Mississippi, new typ« and varieties of corn, barley-rye, pecar peaches, plums, apples, grapes and oth fruits—these are but a few of the variot outstanding accomplishments of this Okl homa ranch. Col. George W. Miller, a native Ker tuckian, deserted the Bluegrass country 1872 in order to seek a stock-farming fo tune in the primitive southwest. Eventu ally he settled in Oklahoma and lease grazing land from the government f from two to five cents an acre. In tl course of time, he became friendly wit! the Cherokee, Ponca and Otoe Indian: and from then to now, the Millers hay annually rented large tracts of grazins land from the redskins. At one time, Co! Miller rented 250,000 acres of Indian land When Col. Miller died twenty-four yea: ago, the ranch covered 110,000 acres, one half of the property being owned by the Millers. His three sons have managed the

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ish till WIL Old-Fashioned ‘‘Chuck-Wagon”’ Still in Use, and a Group of Cowboys Out on a Cattle Roundup on the Vast Miller Range, Where the Old West Is Kept Alive h during recent years, and, fulfilling father’s wishes, have developed it the finest farming enterprise of its Some years ago, oil was discovered the property and at present more than Ils are in operation, yielding from O00 to $25,000 in oil daily. he Miller la training school for cowboys and virls. A rodeo and roundup, one of bi is held annually at this ranch which thousands from all rts of the country and which ranks in same cl the famous frontier ertainments that take place at Chey- and Pendleton. Three thousand the best uroc Jersey swine which money can buy ranch since its inception has r events of the cowpunchers’ calen- racts of visitors iss With nine of breeding mpose the champion hog herd which ecializes in the production of valuable stock for new stock. In addition, than 15,000 hogs as well as 20,000 rent ore exas cattle are fattened annually and utchered in the large packing plant which an important part of the equipment. The herd of 500 Holstein cows is with- the Atlantic to the Pa- ut equal from cific, butter and ice cream being the products which are sold, while milk is fed to the hogs. The milked by electricity and the dairy vided with the most modern labor-saving machinery. A breeding herd of 2,000 registered Her- efords and 3,090 purebred Shorthorns 1s providing foundation stock which is doing ’ much to improve the cattle south- ot the western states. The 160-acre apple orchard is the largest in Oklahoma, and_ last produced 40,000 bushels of top-quality fruit, all through the year ol which was sold directly large store on the ranch. Peaches, plums, chet res and other fruits also are produced on an extensive scale. It is not uncommon for the Miller wheat crop to aggregate 100,000 bushels, the ele vators at the ranch larg to accommodate the maximum crop ol bread grain which c be raised. Te thousand acres of corn provide feed for and flocks surplus. = Li being an the enormous herds and pro duce a marketable ist ve 90.000 bushels of fine seed corn were di the Thi southwest. tributed throughout ' e enough )

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POPULAR MECHANICS Jack Miller and Some of the Purebreds That Have Replaced the Old-Time Longhorns on the Plains, and, at Right, Chief Sheet Lightning, One of the Indians of the Ranch Circus corn was originated by the Millersand is a cross of a white corn on the speckled squaw corn of Oklahoma. It is in demand be- cause of its ability to withstand dry weather. But sentiment is not forgotten on this agricultural empire. A herd of 300 breed- ing buffalo roams a large well-grassed pas- ture. It is a heaven and haven for buffalo nership with practical agriculture in K multiplication. For many years the Miller Noble and Pawnee counties, Oklaho: boys besought Uncle Sam to protect the where the 200 miles of Miller fences remnant bison from extinction. The gov-_ stretched. These sons of the cow count! ernment took no action and finally the who possess sheepskins from prominent Millers established a buffalo preserve of colleges, have hired science to solve som their own where they have provided ideal of their riddles. As a result they have «¢ conditions fer the band of bison to live veloped a combination barley-rye whic! and increase. The surplus buffalo are used provides the best of winter pasturage for educational and exhibition purposes, They have produced a new breed of bee! and are sold to zoological gardens, public steak makers by crossing buffalo with o1 parks, museums, sideshows and circuses. dinary range cows. A herd of 300 of the Scientific farming is in profitable part- animals, called “cattalo,” is now mai:

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POPULAR MECHANICS of the Hundred Cowboys Gathered by the Millers to Work Their Ranch and Keep the Old West Alive | Carrying on the Work Started by Col it the ranch. They have also been cessiul in crossing the Brahma, e sacred cattle of India, with Oklahoma s, thus producing the most drouth- istant cattle known. Skill with grafting tools and proficiency Big horticultural art have enabled them to ita Japanese persimmon on the Okla- ma native, the paper-shelled pecan on variety and finer-quality grapes and apples on the Similar scientific skill has Oklahoma iches, plums, al varieties. en harnessed to improve the native veg- tables and truck crops. From the covered grandstand, which its 20,000 spectators, to the special oil finery, huge blacksmith shop and mar- e-columned mansion, the ranch is as in- A 200-horse- wer electric engine, which runs by nat- resting as a six-ring circus. William (Buffalo Bill) Cody ural gas, 18 used in making all the cating oil for the fleets of trucks, tractor gasoline engines and automobiles. Ma- j whet chine power has replaced handwork ever possible on this huge establishment least, which operates o1 | a factory scheme and scale. It is one farm, at ARTIFICIAL LEATHER IS MADE FROM SCRAPS scraps, is now Leather waste, or shredded and prepared into a paste w! is rolled into sheets. To the paste, is a fibrous substances such as hemp, flax, jute wood and cementing material such as glue The product mal or vegetable usually dyed and, as it is easily ornamented or embossed, is especially suited for coverings and upholstery

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POPULAR MECHANICS Night Work on the Grandstand Built at Epsom Downs for the Great Derby; Construction Went On aft: Nightfall with the Aid of Huge Electric Searchlights LAMPS TURN NIGHT INTO DAY car or to make steering hard and TO FINISH STEEL JOB adjusting, as the friction band is de 1g to take up the wear as developed. O1 Workers staged a race against time in one is needed to a car. completing the huge grandstand for the 4 MOVIE MAKERS DEFY WEATHER ON INDOOR STAGES annual Derby at Epsom Downs, England. i h of the steel construction was done [ ith the aid of powerful hts, focused to spread Outdoor movie scenes are now be » area. The men were largely filmed on stages, to avoid c night to finish on time. delays due to weather uncertainties few months ago, one company del AUTO SHIMMYING IS STOPPED production on a winter picture SO BY FRICTION PLATES that spring melted all the snow, and entire picture was taken indoors usi artificial snow—a combination of gyp salt, flour and untoasted cornflakes other company constructed a section of t African veldt with spectacular cloud ¢ fects which would have necessitated w ing for weeks to get its duplication in 1 ture on a location trip. The roof of a sk scraper was built indoors in another aid to be effective. stance. This set had three distinct part It operates by fric- which were combined into one on the m eloped be- tion-picture film. First there was the bac! he drum part of the device and drop with a city painted thereon. The: the band attached to the spindle arm. It theactual set. Then this was shot throug said not to interfere with driving of the glass, the upper part of which was maske J18 POPTIT AR WRC ANTCS

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POPULAR MECHANICS h black paint so that it hid the top stage, where the lights came from, ive the impression of a dark night plenty of sky. For a day scene, the mask was painted over with fleecy In the case of snow-country pic- the custom now is to take a short on trip to film long shots and then n to the studio and film all the action edium shots and close-ups. FUMELESS HORSERADISH GRATER eparing horseradish “without shed- tears” is now possible with a power- en grater that removes the fumes be- they can spread. This is accomplished he centrifugal force of the rapidly ving cylinder that does the grating, n being needed. Air and odors are harged at the rate of 150 cubic feet per ite into a pipe leading outside the ling. As the horseradish is ground, ls into a crock of vinegar, saving the ble of scooping it from a receiving bin. ‘ grater is made entirely of metal and is ended for preparing large quantities. LD STUMP AS GIANT UMBRELLA SHELTERS GARDEN SEAT stead of removing an old tree, which 1 uld have spoiled the appearance of his len, a-California man built a rustic seat it the base and converted the top into l'ree Umbrella Fashioned from an Old Stump for Shelter over Garden Bench The result was a natural of very attractive form. wide shelter. umbrella” Trying to Force the Plate into the Socket and Enjoying the Task; Below, Position for Two “Players” WRISTS AND ARMS DEVELOPED WITH SPRING GRIPPER Helpful exercise for the hands, wrists and arms is afforded by a compact unit recently introduced for the home or gym- nasium. It into the top of which a movable plate is to 7 ‘J oO do a spring must be depressed and con- consists of a small cylinder, be forced by means of a handle. this. siderable strength and steadiness are re- quired, although the task may be made as easy as the user desires by regulating a Th e screw at the bottom of the cyl’) ler. gripper, with the exception of the the handle. is made of metal that will rust, and it is intended to last a long not t, an time can operate it a contest and game together. under constant use. Two persons at the same time, enjoying VIOLIN BOW HAS BALL BEARINGS FOR EASIER TIGHTENING Children if tightening the sometimes have difficulty hair on violin bows, and adults often experience trouble with cello To eliminate this, a west with a There are eleven steel and bass bows. ern inventor has introduced a bow ball-bearing screw. balls, each one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, to permit easy turning of the tightening unit.

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POPULAR MECHANICS DANGERIN “GASSING” MOTORBUS a chain before starting to fill the tank REDUCED BY GROUNDING This plan is not so efficient as the othe; but establishes a fair degree of safety. Cl, BUTTERFLIES SAVE WALNUTS How a recent flight of the “painted la butterfly through southern Califor: helped the walnut crop there, is one the odd adjustments in nature. The sects laid numberless eggs on weeds yw the result that the grubs, when hatch: became parasites that attacked the eggs the codling moth, one of the greatest e1 emies of the walnut. More than fii per cent of the moth eggs were attack: by the parasites, it was estimated, to great benefit of the new walnut crop. AIR TRAIN OF PLANE AND GLIDER IN SUCCESSFUL TEST Enter the train of the air. A big pl glides over a city. In its wake, a row gliders, connected to each other and to t Filling Gasoline Tank on Motor Bus in Safety; Note “locomotive” plane bv slender wires. Cable at Bottom, Making Ground Connection - i last glider drops away and skims gent | B Filling the gasoline tank-on automobile down toa landing field. The rest proce coaches presents a hazard under some con- The picture suggests a fanciful idea, ditions, as a spark, occurring between the recent successful tests in Germany in nozzle of the hose and the tank, may cause’ cate that it may become a reality. 1 a fire or explosion. To eliminate this risk, experiment was performed with one gli a western company has devised a means connected to an airplane by a wire neat of grounding the car while the tank is be- 1,000 feet long. By means of an autom 1 1 ing filled so that any static present is car- release, the pilot of the glider cut loo ried off. A cable is installed at the gaso- when ready and achieved a separate land line pump, grounded to a water pipe at one’ ing while the plane proceeded. end and fitted with a plug at the other. Each coach has a porcelain recepta- cle, connected by cable to the frame and forming the ground for the entire electrical system of the coach. Before gasoline is pumped in, the opera- tor inserts the plug into the porcelain socket, thereby grounding am static charge that may haveaccumulated. Where special connections are not provided, a substitute is furnished by grounding Glider Used as “‘Car’ behind Airplane in Recent German Test; It Was De- he ink t : pe P o the tank to a pipe through tached and Made an Independent Landing with Occupant 220 ee oe ee ee

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World's Loftiest Observatory on Monte Rosa, Second Highest Peak in the Alps and 15,000 Feet above Sea Level, Where Perpetual Snow Gives Records of Extreme Cold the Year Around VV HETHER any form of life can exist at absolute zero—the point where reaches its ultimate limit, as it is be- ed to do in outer space far beyond the h’s atmosphere—may soon be known. a scientific laboratory -at Leyden, therlands, has recently brought cold hin one degree of its final limit by solid- ng a sample of helium gas received m the United States. \bsolute zero long ago was fixed by in- ‘ate calculation at 459.6 degrees below zero on a Fahrenheit thermometer e. No one has ever actually produced *h a temperature, but the Dutch exper- ent came within a degree of it, which is enty-one degrees lower than the record eviously made in the United States by e liquefying of hydrogen gas. At the farthest limit of cold, the move- ent of atoms which is a part of the cre- tion of various substances ceases and ‘range phenomena begin to appear. The te Prof. Kamerlingh Onnes, who first re- uced helium to a liquid, which occurs at out eight degrees above absolute zero, 1 or seven degrees above the freezing point of the gas, discovered that all the accepted ideas of electrical resistance upset Metals which because of their high resistance are poor conductors became ex- cellent ones when placed in a bath of liquid helium. A ring of pure lead cooled to that temperature wa and after the current supply had been con- nected to it and a charge of electricity were there. s used in one experiment, started traveling around the ring the wires vere removed, vet the electricity kept right on going round and round the lead path as long as the ring was kept cold. For six hours the test continued, and it was est1- mated that, if helium had been available to maintain the temperature, the current could have been kept flowing for at least two years. Equipment for reproducing this and other experiments through the cooling of helium to its liquid and freezing points is being installed in the low-temperature laboratory of the bureau of standards at Washington. When work gets under way, the results may revolutionize many popu- 219

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Casting a Deep-Sea Thermom- eter into the Depths to Get Cold Records Miles beneath the Surface, Above, and a Sounding Balloon Starting Aloft to Test the Air lar conceptions The common idea of heat and cold as two different things has no place in science, for to the scientist there is only one unit of measurement—from ab- solute zero upward. Heat and cold are usually reckoned by our sense of touch rather than any scientific basis. Anything colder than blood temperature may be classed as cool, cold or colder, while any- thing with a higher temperature than that feels warm, warmer or hot, yet when com- pared to the temperatures attained in the laboratory our coldest cold is hot. Once, in Siberia, the thermometer is re- ported to have gone down to ninety-two degrees below zero, and there is a record of sixty-five below zero in northern Mon- tana. Compared with absolute zero, a mark of minus ninety-five Fahrenheit is much hotter than the difference between water at freezing and at the boiling point. POPULAR MECHANICS There is no reason for believing, how according to Dr. C. W. Kanolt, of the temperature laboratory of the burea mines, that some form of life cannot « at even the final limit in coldness. A he points out, can be frozen and then vived again, provided the freezing and melting processes are carried out slo enough not to damage the fish throug! abrupt changes. back to life aga Any sudden mel ing, however, would blow the fish pieces from t!] strains set up the expansion. The production oO} unusually low te: peratures in the | oratory does 1 differ from tl process of maki: artificial ice out water, except tl better equipme: more delicate ca and the utmost 1 finement of mate © Harris & Ewi That being true, there obstacle to taking frozen fish and gradually reducing its te perature to that of liquid or even fro helium, and then as gradually bringing Testing Thermometers in an Ice Bath to Send the Mer- cury Down to Zero

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POPULAR MECHANICS 221 e necessary. A thousandth part of a temperature far below zero, the com- quantity of hydrogen or helium to _ pressed hydrogen is allowed to expand and iefied would ruin the whole experi- spread what little heat it has leit over a because air would freeze long before much larger space, which further reduces ; was cooled and in freezing would its temperature by many degrees. Then he delicate expansion valve of the a second tank of compressed hydrogen, itus. after first being cooled by liquid air, is e the making of artificial ice through cooled by the liquid hydrogen, and it in ise Of ammonia or other gases, the turn is allowed to expand, bringing a still ss is one of alternate compression further drop. The process may be carried resultant heating, and expansion with on until the gas turns to liquid at twenty- companying cooling. When air, or two degrees above absolute zero. The ther gas, is compressed in a confined same process, carried farther, will liquefy it contains a certain amount of heat and eventually freeze helium. is distributed through the space it The farther the process is carried, the ies. When the gas is suddenly al- shorter and more difficult the steps be | to expand in a much larger space, come, until eventually the reductions are is just so much heat to be spread so slight that it is useless to continue ugh the entire space, with the result at least without better equipment and the temperature drops enormously. purer materials. iking liquid hydrogen—the coldest Liquefied gases at such low temperatures r yet produced in the United States— are hard to handle. Ifa container of liquid as is compressed and then cooled in’ or solid hydrogen is left open in a room, d air, which itself has a temperature air will rush in and freeze as it strikes the ww that, if the finger touches it, the hydrogen, settling to the bottom if the will be badly burned by the rush of gas is a liquid. As the process continues, from the hand to the air, just as a_ the hydrogen rises higher and _ higher, of heat from a hot iron to the hand floating on top of the frozen air, and m i es a blister. and more hydrogen is turned into iter being cooled by the liquid air to eous state by heat absorbed from the Harris & Ewing Dr. C. W. Kanolt, of the Low-Temperature Laboratory, Bureau of Mines, Who Produced the Lowest Tem- perature Ever Recorded in the U. S., within Twenty-Two Degrees of Absolute Zero

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279 --- POPULAR MECHANICS THIS MAN MAKES PROFESSION OF WINDING CLOCKS Mr. Schwarz and Old-Clock Specimens; at Left, an Instrument for Measuring Time by Flow of Water; Uppe Right, Sand Glass, and, below It, Roman Lamp That Told Time by Oil Level Horace Greeley Schwarz, of Detroit, has worked up an unusual which gives him an income that many profes- sional men might business He conducts a clock-winding service for private homes. envy. very week, on the appointed day, he ap- pears at a client’s home, passes from room to room where there are clocks and winds and adjusts them. divided his territory into four routes, each serving about twenty-five customers. Schwarz has He charges from $60 to $96 a year for his services. The homes he serves all have staffs of servants. Why is not the butler given the responsi- bility of winding the clocks? The answer is that clients all an- tique, musical or stately grandfather clocks that they do not want to take chances with. “People expect more of a clock and give it less attention than piece of machinery,” Schwarz’s possess other said when asked for tips on how to treat a clock. “In almost anv Schwarz the first place, a clock should be wou regularly. If this is done, the power be uniform and hence the timekeeping c sistent. If winding is delayed past the re ular period, a weaker portion of the spri is brought into play and hence the clo cannot run as accurately as it should. “Temperature changes should be avoid A clock should n be placed near a hot stove or radiator o1 as much as possible. day and in a cooler spot at other times; « near a source of heat that varies as tl steam is turned off or on. Clocks ofte stop when a room gets unusually cold at unexpectedly start, when it gets warm.” Cheap clocks that have stopped can ofte’ be “cleaned” or freed of the inside stic! iness that impedes them by dipping in ga oline. the “ like cure-all patent medicine. Many housewives give silent cloc! treatment This ofte: Kerose1 feather and kerosene can” seems to correct the trouble.

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POPULAR MECHANICS KS ssolve the dirt and gummy oil. To the dial from getting spotty, it is best move it during a dipping treatment. 7 warz rather frowned on these meth- for clocks that are valued at all. ugh gasoline and kerosene will cut k gum,” he said, “a film is always left. vays give clocks a cyanide treatment r that to remove the film. If you value clock highly, don’t monkey with it try such cleaning. Only a clock shop facilities to clean away the cleaner.” FILMING OF COUNTY RECORDS SAVES TIME AND WORK Official records of court proceedings in ng county, Washington, and other legal tters have been photographed on mo- n-picture film so that, in case the orig- ls are destroyed, duplicates may quickly J obtained. The task required 1,200 reels, & | involved 400,000 separate descriptions 1,600,000 recorded instruments. The rk was completed in about seven mths. More than three and one-halt irs would been needed to do it der old methods. The photographing done in the vaults of the county audi- r, and the projecting and indexing in a lding especially fitted for the purpose. the indexing, a battery of 100 project- machines was used. The reels are of n-burning film and have been stored. ‘. have 223 Working the Trimmer with the Rope Where Shock Might Be Received from Electric Wires TREE-TRIMMER IS INSULATED AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCKS Keeping cut-away branches of trees from electric wires is a necessary but sometimes hazardous task, especially if the cables carry high voltages. To simplify this work, an insulated tree- trimmer has been devised. It is equipped with an in sulator thirty inches long and capable of resisting 105,000 volts, the poles are made of shellac treated spruce, and the lever that operates the cutting knife is pulled with a rope. The cutter will sever branches up to one and one-fourth inches in diameter, leav ing a clean wound that is not likely to damage the tree. Extra sections pro- vide for increasing the Making an Index of the Records from the Projected Negatives length of the pole.

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224 POPULAR MECHANICS Racer Wearing Mask Which Collects Expired Air So That the Energy Expended Can Be Measured ENERGY TESTS ON FOOT RACERS DEVELOP TRACK TEAM How much horsepower is represented in the lea p of a racer as he starts at the gun? How much speed does he gain in the first b twenty vards? How soon does he begin to get tired? These and similar questions are answered by means of special appa- ratus which a British scientist has devel- oped to aid coaches in training teams and hlete a more definite idea of the units employed is a mask arrangement which collects expired air so that measurements to give the at his own performance. One of may be taken as to the amount of energy required for the race. SEEK TARNISH-PROOF SILVER With a silver, the bureau of mines is conducting a series of experiments in an effort to find an alloy of the metal that will not tarnish. Although completely satisfactory have not view to increasing the use of results yet been attained, several kinds have been developed that will not tarnish as readily as sterling. Alloys of cadmium and silver, and zine and silver are the most highly resistant to tarnish, but they have low tensile strength and therefore are not suitable for most practical uses. Anti- mony or tin, added to a mixture of sil and zine, produced good results, while the introduction of twenty per cent gold in an alloy containing fifteen or twenty per cent of zinc or cadmium, yielded a hard workable material that also resists tarni WM DOG HEROES OF WORLD WAR HONORED IN CEMETERY Since the World war, numerous add : tions have been made to the graves in the pet cemetery at Hartsdale, N. Y. The mark the last resting places of dogs tl belonged to various members of the A. F., some of whom owe their lives to tl faithfulness of their canine pals. A monu ment at the entrance to the buryi: ground features the bronze figure of a p lice dog, and bears an inscription stati that the monument was “erected by pub contribution by dog lovers to man’s mo faithful friend for the valiant services re: dered in the W orld 1914 to 1918 Some stones at the head of the graves be Wart, a photograph of the dog, and such epitap! as “Good Old Pal,” “True to the End “Born a Gentleman—Died a Hero,” are t be found. 1896, The cemetery was started Besides dogs, many other pets at buried there, including monkeys, a lion sheep and a canary bird “=” DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY THE-WAR DOG ERECTED By Peaiic WUTION GY DOG LOVERS TO MANS MOST er PaiTHty FRIFND FO0 THE VA Lat SERVICES PENDERED m0 THE W ORLD WAR 1914 — 1916 Monument in Honor of Dog Heroes of the World Wa: It Stands at Entrance to Pet Cemetery

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POPULAR MECHANICS S} LIT LIGHT ENDS GLARE DANGER IN Illustrating the Effect of the “‘Split-Beam” Headlight for Boats on the Suez Canal, to Eliminate Glare in the Eyes of Approaching Pilots; Guide Buoys Are Plainly Visible oat traffic through the Suez canal at it involves lighting problems somewhat ke those on automobile highways. The re from one ship, shining into the eyes an approaching pilot, has been found ‘bjectionable and a menace to safety, so a “split” reflector has been designed. It nables a passing boat to light up the uovs at the sides of the canal but elim- ites the beam straight ahead, giving an ncoming navigator an unobstructed view. ) 1 } GAS-ELECTRIC RAILROAD TRAIN HAS SMALL CREW Locomotive, passenger, baggage and mail are combined in one unit in a coach it 1 in use on a western railroad. generates its own power through an en- burning a light fuel oil to drive gen- that supply current to motors eared to the trucks. The cost of opera- on is said to be about one-third of that or an equivalent unit.of steam train. The otor develops 275 horsepower, and is of pulling two or three trailer It demands only two men, a con- and motorman. The c Is now ne, rators pable uctor ar 1S sev- enty-two feet long, burns a lighter grade of oil than others, and is said to produce little more smoke develops high speed than an automobile. GUN MOUNTED ON FLASHLIGHT GIVES DOUBLE PROTECTION Fo. household others, a combina tion flashlight seven-shot re al volver has beet placed on the mat ket It directs powerful beam for of 30 a distance feet and this help y in aiming thie weapon. folds tight against the case when not in use, to prevent accidental discharge. The light switch is on the side, and pistol ot flash may be used se itel\ nat protection, for campers, watch- men, railway de tectives and { } The trigger that fires the pistol

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226 POPULAR MECHANICS Turning a Marble Column, Thirty Feet Long and Four Feet in Diameter, in a Giant Lathe; Smooth Colur Are Often Made in One Piece, While Large Fluted Ones Are in Sections and Columns for Modern Building By N. C. McCLOUD lk an ancient Egyptian could visit the Vermont or Georgia quarry regions he would find the workers cutting stone by the same primitive method that prevailed in the days of antiquity. But the saw of the marble mill is not a saw.in any sense of the word. marble Accurately described, the blade is a strip of soft iron, fastened in a frame, and. moved back and forth along the channel through the stone. The cutting. that is being cut saw itself does no The actual work is performed by sharp particles of sand fed to the blade by a stream of water. The saws work in and in a frame, are set at intervals regulated by the thickness of the slabs to be cut. “ovangs” The use of these saws dates back many centu1 before the dawn of Christianity. The have been changes in the form of appli tion, but modern engineering has disco ered no effective substitute for the use sand and water in the process of convert ing blocks of stone into slabs. Iron frame are employed for holding the blades, 1 stead of the wooden holders of antiquit and there has been marked increase in the number of saws placed in a single gan; but the method itself is unchanged. Th: first saws were moved to and fro by th hand of man; then c steam and electricity. ame water powe! The casual visitor will be amazed at the quantity of sand required for effective sav

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POPULAR MECHANICS ( Mar te ; i ( Modern Cutting Tools Saw Out the Huge Blocks of Marble as the Quarry Level Slowly Sinks, with Almos Perpendicular Sides, the Steps Too High for Climbing

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ing operations. For the general run of marble, the volume of abrasive runs close to the size of the block itself. With the harder va- rieties of stone the weight of the sand is even greater. Marble is sawed at a rate of one and a half to two inches an hour. Hard stone yields less readily. Once started, how- ever, the blades move back and forth twenty-four hours a day until the largest block has been separated. As received from the quarry, the orig- inal blocks vary in size, according to the use for which the stone is intended. The most common dimensions, perhaps, are six by four by four feet, with a weight of several tons. In the early days of the American indus- try, the first steps in opening a quarry in- volved the use of drills and blasting pow- der, for uncovering the deposits of marble lying beneath the surface. The stone un- covered by the blasts was then split off in great chunks by means of blasting and the use of steel wedges. The employment of explosives, however, was so destructive POPULAR MECHANICS that much good stone was spoiled, a: this reason the blasting was abandor favor of hand-drilled channels which se; arated the marble into venient size. In most quarries the stone is take: from an upright face, offering a wal! . solid marble. The first block prepared fo; removal is known as the key, becau opens the way for general operatic: Whether done by derrick or tramway, th: hoisting operation demands extreme care to prevent damage to the heavy blocks, an especially is this true in the removal oi the great pieces intended for long colu: At the surface the lifting derricks load th: blocks on the ¢ for the mill. Th: modern marble : is an object les in efficient arrang: ment. Stone heavy and exces handling adds mi to the cost of finished For blocks ot produ this rea everything planned for ord sequence in t journey of the st: through the pla: The huge blocks ; unloaded from t \ Pneumatic Chisels and Electric Drills Do Much of the Work; Center, Gang Saws Cutting Layers

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4 nd torth nd water. een POPULAR MECHANICS means of traveling cranes, and ed on transfer cars to be hauled by otive cranes to the gang saws within From the the roceed to the finishing shop, where saws individual re dressed and polished to the re- dimensions. the finishing marble receives varied treatment. slab of that is trimmed and sent to a passage through tl e exact dimensions, has produce a rough material been turned by the saw ing bed, a revolving cast-iron plate on h it is ground true to size and thick- or the rotation abrasive action of sand. mnstant he true plane o1 ee ng the slab unt results in thickness and s quared For irregular the me bv perly curved SurT- rubbing is hand, Wi mple instrument le of a marble pa sed vith sand | back Recent years have im- the cutting marked ’vements in ethods of urved pic ces, mold- ngs, cornices

A and this For ilusters.

( t i Rubbing Bed for Polishing, a Figure for a Fountain at Madison, Wis., and a Block Being Hoisted

carborun- set into a lathe, and, by : steel into a dum wheel is means Ot a is cut exactly the the pat- to be wrought in the mar- This negative cuts into the the marble the latter the chine bed beneath The fluting lat rey - ot tern that is ble. then face of block as travels on ma- process ot 2’ < COl- umns involves the use of diamond saws in conjunction the dum wheel. carborun- with of this type makes a series of parall in the places intended for the dee of the troughs. The fluting completed with a carborundu Most known as columns are made up “drums,” because of their Some of the large “ti ever produced a aie those used in the Lincoln Memorial, completed at Washington, D. C are recently Eac structure has a diameter of eighty-nine h drum in the columns of this inches and a lengt] of ] The solid columns inv pretentiot seen in m memorials e produce:

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230 POPULAR lathe, with the same ease as iron or steel is turned. To produce ornamental surfaces, the marble carver of today works with pneu- matic cutting tools. He still uses the ham- mer and mallet in places, but his usual chisel is driven by compressed air. Marble is a form of limestone, of such structure to it to take a polish of extreme fineness. In point of hardness there is wide variation in marbles of different types. Besides taking a high polish, it has the important characteristic of permitting penetration of light. marbles are waxy in appearance, because of this property, while others are milk- white and opaque. The best Pentelic mar- ble, used by the old Greek sculptors, has been found to admit light to a depth of more than half an inch. In close cause as Some Parian mar- ble, from which the Venus de Medici was sculptured, the penetration is more than Carrara marble, used by Michelangelo and Canova, is penetrated twice as great. MECHANICS + to more than an inch and a half. sections, iF white marbles are almost t parent. Some marble is porous, admi water and dirt with resultant freezing discoloration. The change of limestone into marbl past geologic ages, came through pres or heat, or both. reproduced The formation has | experimentally through application of heat and pressure to cium carbonate. KNOT REMOVER FOR BOARDS ALSO PLUGS HOLES Savings of lumber are promised b recently patented electric unit to cut knots out of boards and fit a threaded p! into the hole. so simple that a boy can operate it, rem: ing from sixty to ninety knots an h and plugging the holes. on hard or The machine is said to The outfit wor soft lumber and is adapted boards up to three inches, eit I her roug When the Thin Layer of Surface Earth Is Stripped Off, a New Section of the Quarry Can Be Opened along- side the Old, Which Has Grown Too Deep to Be Worked Profitably

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POPULAR MECHANICS 231 d. As the knot 1s 1t a thread is i ng | in the sides of the ind the plug is led to fit this. It is eC. ted flush with the Ire | and turned so that rain is in the same he tion as that of the No glue is re- ed and it is said that lumber will dry IS ind a dry plug with- splitting. For larger outs two plugs can ya ilized. the 6 PLOW TRACTOR NEEDS NO s . DRIVER F > : Farmers will be able to Cloth Trap Inside of Which the Fog Was Produced for the Picture and Held from Blowing Away p their neighbors with work, go to town, or listen to the SHIP INCLOSED IN CLOTH SCREEN » while their fields are being plowed, FOR TAKING FOG PICTURES he invention of a Nebraska man is gen- lly adopted. It is a self-steering at- In order to keep smoke, manufactured chment for a tractor, permitting the out- 1n smoke pots, on board a ship for produc to work without a driver after the first. ing a fog effect, the vessel was inclosed in euiding furrow, has been made. Ifthe a cloth screen to trap the fumes. When ichine leaves the row, the guider auto- enough had been collected, the coverings atically stops it. Essentially, the unit were removed and the photograph made composed of a piece of aluminum, cov- ering a pipe attaching it to the tractor, and ANTIQUE FINISH FOR NEW WOOD i curved piece of sheet iron that slides SECURED WITH SOLUTION ong the furrow. It is held in place by heavy spring which is released should New wood can be treated to give it a1 the plow stray out of its course, and the aged appearance with a mixture of a solu power is automati- tion of hydrogen lly shut off. The uiding furrow is made with rounded irners so that the low can turn them isily. In a dem- peroxide and hydro chloric acid, fou parts of the forme to one of the acid The liquid is painted on, allowed to dry nstration, the driv- ind the antique col riess tractor | oring develops plowed a twenty- | quickly. The acid cre field without | may afterward be | ‘ uidance from an neutralized witl yperator, requiring sranidenen Variou nly replenishment colors may be pro the gasoline and “| by addition il. The attachment treatment that ‘an be fitted to any & causes metallic «de tvpe of tractor. i | . ” P no its t » \ wd Steering ‘“‘Foot’’ That Guides the Tractor I in ‘

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oJ POPULAR MECHANICS auld warping in storage or in service. It [ . tion and absolute absence of corrosi: . pecially adapted to use on seaplane cause the spray does not damage it substance is chiefly cotton, layers of vas being impregnated with chemicals pressed into material of steel-like hard: CORNSTALKS MADE TO YIELD SILK AND EXPLOSIVES The problem of commercial utilizatio cornstalks is believed to have been sol after many years of effort. The pro of Dr. Bela Dorner, a Hungarian che has been brought to the United Stat | tested by experts and pronounced pra cable and economical. By this met] artificial silk has been produced trom ec stalk pulp. The technical obstacles | been the pith and knuckle of the cornst which could not be removed economica | The Dorner process grinds up the ent - f bd e ina te ; . Pe eed ee | stalk, which means t lat 1t 1S possible Mirror Bracket in Place, Showing How It Affords Per- convert as ela material into abune son in Chair Front and Rear Views of Head supplies Ot pulp tor making paper, artif silk, notion-picture films, explosives, MIRROR SET FOR BARBER CHAIR luloid, lacquers, artificial leather, pyt AIDS BETTER HAIR CUTS and other products. Now the corn Clamped to the barber chair, a double farms destroy annually more than enou . ornstalks St , > puln reaquiremet mirror arrangement gives a clear viev cornstalks to supply the pulp requireme of the front and back of the patron’s head so that he may be sure of a satisfactory cut. The supports are not in the way and the mirrors always remain in proper posi- tion, as they are raised, lowered and re- volve with the chair. A pedestal type on rollers has an adjustable spring to obtain any height desired. PROPELLER BLADES OF CANVAS RESIST CORROSION High-powered airplane-propeller blades made from ordinary canvas pressed into a noncorrosive product of metallic strength are to be used on the navy department's training planes. The new material is like- wise used for the manufacture of pulleys. * - > enn aon Because of its water-resisting and mois- Sempey ol aria $k Made from Corneal throug ture-proof nature, parts manufactured of this material have been accepted as stand- of the United States. By-products of the ard equipment by the United States army Dorner process can be used in the manu and navy. This latest propeller is brass- facture of alcohol, cattle feed, butanol, tipped and is of special interest to aviators furfural, lactic acid, etc. These by prod- because of its lighter weight, smoother ac- ucts will be an additional revenue

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, “edi ee ee se ee > eatin os e of the Rescue Attempts That Failed; the Plane, Flying Low, with Rope Suspended, Was Guided over the Stranded Vessel in an Effort to Get the Lime Aboard MOTORBOAT DEFEATS PLANE IN RESCUE OF CREW irty men, stranded four days without on the steamer “Collingdale,” which aground off Morocco, were rescued small motorboat after unsuccessful at- pts were made to get a line to the craft the aid of a seaplane. When re- ted efforts at dropping a cable on the k of the vessel failed, a veteran Spanish pper put forth in the motor launch and ught the men to shore in two trips. CENTURY-OLD ORANGE GROVE FLOURISHES IN FLORIDA Budded on native-soil orangé stock, brought to this country iring the Spanish occupation of Florida, orange grove at Allenhurst is still thriv- Measures have been taken to place under the protection of the state, na- nal and local interests so that it may preserved for many years more. The rove is believed to have been planted out 1830. Some fifty of the original ees are still standing and produce about ree boxes of fruit each. m seedlings Some are fifty- POPULAR MECHANICS ee allt ee four inches in circumference one foot above the ground, average from twenty- five to thirty feet high and e an aver age crown spread of sixteen feet. 1914, the grove has been better cared for, the application of fertilizers creased the vigor of the trees Since having in AUTO BATTERY WINDS CLOCK ON STEERING POST To keep accurate time and eliminate the bother of winding by hand, a magnetic clock, attached to the automobile steering post, 1S kept wound through an elec- tromagnet ener- vized bv the car battery A coil spring is tensioned every thirty sec- being fully wound at all times, the clock is little affected by road motor. A screwdriver is the only tool that 1s re- quired to attach it onds, so, shocks or vibrations of the

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234 POPULAR MECHANICS laa , example, this apparatu - eighty-eight feet hich. separates the light and diseased kernels into one group and heavy high quality kernels into an f other. Almost an un- limited number of grades of grain can be made. The apparatus cleans and @ grades all of the grains commonly grown in North America, includ ing corn, wheat, rye oats, barley, clover, alfalfa and soy beans. Vegeta ble and flower seeds ar also cleaned and graded by this new proce Clover seeds contami , nated with noxious-we seeds, which are often the same size and cann be removed by any chine now used in clea C | ing and screening se¢ i are easily cleaned a1 graded by this method | } Kj ‘ ‘ : Se | he W hole process take us — ei ™ a Be x hss * oe place in a huge glass te An Important Unit of the Grading Apparatus, the Huge Glass Test Tube tube. nine feet tall Where Grain Is Mixed with Chemical Solutions four feet in diameter. A SEE BETTER CROPS AND SEEDS thousand pounds of grain is separated IN CLEANER AND GRADER a time. The invention makes it possibl for farmers to plant seeds which will gern nate, develop, bloom and fruit at the san time. It will put the world’s seed situatio: under laboratory control. Field and garden seeds of practically every kind and variety grown in the world can be cleaned and graded in a new ap- paratus recently built in Chicago at a TINY STEEL MOTORBOAT SPEEDS TWENTY-TWO MILES AN HOUR freed from weeds and foreign matter and Weighing less than seventy-five pound then separated into strata depending upon and but three feet wide, a ten-foot out the weight of the cost of $275,000. Through the use of chem- ical solutions of different strengths, com- pressed air and vacuums, seeds are entirely board-motor boat de seeds. The process velops a speed o will make it possible wenty-two miles an for farmers and gar- hour. It 1s made o steel, has a flat bot tom and is provided (leners to plant only the finest of the best seeds, increase the with an air chambe number of pounds under a waterproot per bushel and add reat to the vield canvas deck, so that it will float even 1f per acre. In the filled with water and handling of corn for Tiny Outboard Racer in Full Speed can carry 300 pounds

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u rh nd me in- 1n- ] iCs i} ns in 0] ,e 1 le | f | Cooking-Utensil Bands Get Harmony Out of Tinware in the Latest Scheme to Raise Funds for Charity | | vi. you heard the latest recipe from “kazoo” at one end and serve it up in the e kitchen? music band under the nom de plume of a ke one tin funnel, medium size,a half trombone. tin spoons and three or four exten- rhat’s the basic formula for the dozens urtain rods, coat the ends with sol- of recipes that go to make up Susie's ux, heat slightly with the ironand Kitchen Band, the tinware “sinkopaters eood grade of solder. Add one oi who are getting harmony out of the cook ueer little tin instruments called a cooking utensils, and making money at it details of Baby Saxophones, Horns and an Accordion, All Built from Odds and Ends of Kitchen Tinware by a Woman Who Learned to Solder in Order to Help Raise Funds for Charity

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236 POPULAR Imagine a large band of fifty pieces, ‘ompletely equipped drums ti French horn from clarinets to from and the strings ot the } ] viol. bass la ; band isn’t unusual, j but if everyone of : the instruments is . made out of kitchen tinware soldered to and regardless of what it looks like, is held to the lips and blown into, you gether, ever’ one, have something de cidedly novel. Where the idea of the kitchen originated band nobody knows for sure, but there is evidence that it came out of the Kentucky mountains by way of southern Illinois. A dentist’s wifein East St. Louis, Ill., Mrs. Harvey S. Smith, heard about such a band, and, after a course of soldering lessons under the tutelage of her radio-building husband, proceeded to make a full set of instruments, guided only by a postcard photograph of a similar or- Mrs. Smith’s idea was to cre- ate a novel form of entertainment to raise a charity fund for one of her clubs. She succeeded so that ganization. well others wanted to MECHANICS 1 do the same, and a brisk band trade in up. A] was written with the concert and add hilarity to ready laughable performance. instruments sprang story in scenario form Che instruments themselves are as \ as the ingenuity of the maker. The clude about every odd and end that be culled from the kitchen. Tin can dered together, tinice-cream spoon as keys,a flour sift at one end anda] zoo at the other, by come a moaning saxophone. Frying pans with pict ire wire strings and clothespins for key are transfor into ukuleles washboiler top tened to an old handle and _ str with picture makes a neat pearing cello. mato cans, gra = at itecdlin size, soldere to form a circlé , : ; with a washbasi : the end and t # spoons for ke , make a passa bass horn. j drum is a dishy covered with cloth. Extensi Ds & I Pair of Soloists from a Los Angeles High-School Fa ulty Band and Some of the Instruments Made by Mr: Smith for Her Bands

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POPULAR MECHANICS | sinkopaters” of a Los Angeles School Faculty, Led by a Drum Major Wielding a Feather Duster for Baton; the Instruments Show the Wide Variety of Utensils Pressed into Service n rods make excellent slides for such ngs as trombones, or extension coat ers can be used for the same purpose. you want a tom-tom, a board is excellent, particularly when ired slipper is used as a mallet. Bake vith the handles of other pans sol- ed to their bottoms and connected by l-starched and pleated muslin, can be erted into For the di- tors baton, a curtain rod is excellent, worn-out accordions. ugh a kitchen band composed of mem- of the faculty of a Los Angeles high ol is ruled by a feminine drum major ed with a feather duster. \n entire outfit of instruments od-sized band costs little more than five ars, plus several hours’ work with a dering iron. \nd for musicians, one need not have a ngle person in the band who can read e note of music, for the kazoo plays hen the player hums, and anybody who n hum a tune is eligible for membership. ne kazoo alone doesn’t make a band, but hen twenty-five or thirty or more are ummed in unison, the result is surpris- gly good, with a stirring quality and ivthm that is startling. The history of e kazoo is as shrouded in mystery as he origin of the kitchen band, but one ory is that it goes back to the days of for a Cleopatra, when a frightened lave, OT- dered to play on a reed, extemporized with a crude hollowed stalk. : such a success at the by the time The bands \ start that, instruments ere a half dozen sets « : ] road constantly, the uniforms were on the being rented to organizations all over Smith turned to 1 aris and country, Mrs. Brilliant re “aps, SC sashes, val nished with small tin spoons instead oi gold frogs, and with toy knives and fork to add a special touch here and there, cat ried the kitchen band one ep further The demand for instruments and uniforms became so great that it was necessary to design special boxes for packing and ship ping them. At that, a full set of instru ments and uniforms for a twenty-eight $12. The maker saves the tin cans that pass through her kitchen and buys the rest of the supplies at a With stant practice, she has become proficient piece band rent for only dime store. con with tin snips and soldering iron and has the cut reached point wher not only her seldom scratched. hands any Her bands, in the last have earned more than $4,000 for women’s organizations, in addi doesn't three vears, tion to the profits from others designed in imita- ] tion of the originals. The original concert before the Wednesday club netted $150.

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POPULAR Illustrating How Paint-Spray Gun Is Adapted to Over- head Work and Reaching in Corners PAINT GUN TO REDUCE WASTE WORKS IN ANY POSITION For the application of paints, varnishes and lacquers, a spray gun recently intro- duced is so adjusted in that it will function any position, an important advantage for overhead work, reaching under parts and other special uses. a continuous It is said to give without sputtering, uses all the material in the supply cup and to control, spray is easy \n additional feature is that it rests comfortably on the side of the hand so that the fingers do not have to stand the full strain of supporting it. WETTING BRICK AFTER LAYING NO HELP TO WALL W etting brickwork for a period after laying, does not add to its strength, ac- cording to tests by ards. the bureau of more than were built and crushed, stand- walls brick of different grades used and pressures ranging from 2,500 to 6,500 pounds to the square inch applied. burla For six months, The panels were covered with which was sprinkled at intervals and then removed, allowing the brick to While the dampness tended to strengthen the mor- season for about sixty days MECHANICS tar, it the rest of the w found, and the variation in strs between the walls which had been 1 tened and those which were not, was sidered insufficient to justify the pra of wetting the brick. weakened was KANGAROO BEATS RACE HORSE IN SPEED TEST One of the fastest Australian race hor ridden by an expert jockey, was decisi defeated by a kangaroo in a recent tria near Sydney. The contest was describe as a “procession” with the horse poundi: away and losing at every bound of the kangaroo. The animal covered more t! thirty feet at a jump when at full speed HANDHOLD MERRY-GO-ROUND AIDS CHEST DEVELOPMENT Healthful exercise and provided in a amusement steel unit for the pla ground. It is constructed on the princi of a merry-go-round, consisting of a volving rack turning about a set in Instead of sitting, riders cling to the rack with their hand This gives beneficial center p } concrete. stretching and promotes chest development exer as Ve as strength of arms and fingers. Patent have been asked for the device. Combining the Merry-Go-Round and Trapeze for Fun and Exercise

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POPULAR MECHANICS HITE PANEL R DAY \ BLANK PANEL ean ~ DAY AND NIGHT SIGNAL PANEL SYSTEM NUMBERS LETTERS LETTERS Guiding Airplane Pilots with Troughs of Light; Drawing of the Signal Apparatus as Installed on Hangar, How Signs Are Operated, and Drawings of the Eleven Characters ELECTRIC AIRPLANE SIGNALS REPLACE CANVAS STRIPS \ simple electric-signal system, visible th by day and night and designed to re- ice the cumbersome canvas ground inels invented during the war, has been eveloped by the aeronautics branch of the epartment of commerce. Five triangular etal troughs, mounted on top of the ingar so that they can be revolved to iow either a white service by day or lights night, or a black surface when not in e, are employed, and with them it is pos- ble to form three numbers, seven letters nd one square, or a total of eleven dif erent signals. The troughs consist of three feet in width, joined to gether to form the sides of a triangle, with two sides, a three-foot open face. The inside of the open trough is painted white tor day use and fitted with a row of electric lights for night signaling. Two of the troughs. twenty feet long, are mounted parallel to each other, with three shorter ones be- them at twenty-foot 1 the whole Kach upports and tween right angles forming a trough is 1] i fitted with a sprocket and end square swung between ess chain, so that it can be revolved from the inside of the hangar, where a simple switchboard enables the operator to turn on the lights in any series of the troughs one or any mounted on the root

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240 POPULAR MECHANICS RADIO EYES HELP TO FIND NEW MINERAL FIELDS Prospecting by radio is the latest devel- Ore de- posits beneath hard lava-covered ground, opment in the mining world. = | coil to various positions, the locatio the axis of the second magnetic field j termined. So far, the process is apy Receiving Set with Loop Direction Finder; the Crew Setting Up the High-Frequency Broadcasting Set and View of the Energizing Apparatus That Causes the Current to Flow rormations, easily be found with this rock or gravel or below may new process. Systematic exploration surveys are now being made in the mineral regions of Arizona and other southwestern states. A high-frequency broadcasting set and a re- ceiving set with direction finder compose the equipment for field work. The outfit weighs less than 275 pounds. broadcasting mounted which are set up quickly at desired points about the ter- ritory to be surveyed. entire The and sets are on tripods receiving Four or five men are sufficient to operate the apparatus un- der average conditions, rain is very rough but when the ter- , the crew is increased. In order to locate an unknown ore deposit, which may be five or 500 feet below the surface, it is frequency induce high- currents to through conductive ore deposits. The current the broad- casting set creates a secondary field when such the ground. necessary to alternating pass sent out trom there is some ore beneath the sur- A special receiving set is attached to the direction-finding coil This latter apparatus is mounted on an ordinary surveyors’ transit, earried about the field. face of and is easily By using the ear- phones and revolving the direction-finding 14° ble only to ores containing metallic phides in sufficient j quantity to condu high-frequency electric currents. phides include such minerals as lead, c per and iron. In order to determine t! nature of the ore deposit the radio surv is followed by diamond drilling or ot! methods of mineral. reaching the undergroun Although the length and dept! found, the tot determined with tl With the new proce the explorations may be conducted in ol mines hundreds of readily as of the deposit volume can be cannot be present apparatus. feet under ground on the surtace. HOUDINI’S BOOKS ABOUT MAGIC IN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS One of the most unique collections « books in the world, 5,147 volumes about magic and psychical research gathere during, the lifetime of the late Harry Hou dini, is now in the Library of Congress at Washington, to which it was bequeathed by his will. from all The assortment was selecte: over the globe. Houdini having searched carefully through many catalog and having advertised his wants in Euro pean and American cities. He considered

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POPULAR MECHANICS choicest books, and Unnatural yy Gantziony, 39. It is in the script. Another among the pio- tings on the sub- piritualism in this The authors hn W. Edmonds, in New York, eorge T. Dexter, a ill. SWIM-POOL SWING GIVES THRILLS IN DIVING ty and added sport itures of a diving- ipparatus for which ipplications have filed. It is intended laced in water four p, the swing ex- out to depths safe At the Outdoor Fur Store Where Pelts Are Sold to Autoists; the Proprietors - TI 1: ; Do Their Own Trapping in Alaska 1e diver gets ase, trips a foot lev ROADSIDE FUR STORE SOLVES HIGH-RENT PROBLEMS y to start and soars to start the actual dive. {the outfit are securely tied together . which lie at the bottom The frame is six eround boards, and velve feet high to the top plat- iX There is a well-braced apparatus to sidesway, while corrugated hardwood ls on the steps promote satety. a Ca en Pe MATCH AND TEE HOLDER EASY TO CARRY ram Drawing of the Diving Swing in Operation; Chief Cau- tion Is to Have the Take-Off in Deep Enough Water

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POPULAR Sturdy Rest Keeps Banjo in Position and Away from the Player’s Body So That Tone Is Not Muffied BANJO HOLDER RESTS PLAYER AND IMPROVES TONE To relieve a banjo player of the weight of the instrument and to insure freedom and relaxation for rapid execution, an up- right holder has introduced. It is said to improve the tone because the banjo is kept away from the body. The unit is adjustable to different heights and posi- been tions, is easily moved out of the way, as it has casters, and folds up into compact space, the bottom is so constructed that it serves as a footrest. SHEEP STOP FIRE DANGER AROUND OIL TANKS One of the most feared enemies of the oil company is fire and, to reduce danger from this source, a western concern keeps a herd of sheep grazing in the fields near the tanks. They keep the grass so short that little likelihood of a blaze spreading, should it start, and the plan in- volves practically no expense there is MECHANICS QUICKER DIAGNOSIS OF DISEAsr IN NEW STAINING METHOD Diseased tissue of the human bod be studied with much less trouble. a; quicker diagnosis made, by an imp: method of staining the cells, demonst by Dr. B. T. Terry of the Mayo clinic der former processes, samples had cut extremely fine and carefully mounted for microscopic examination, a pr that took eight or more minutes, ofte while the patient was under anesthet By the new system, sections may be cu with an ordinary razor without special r gard for thickness. The stain affects . the surface of one cell layer and the |i is permitted to pass through the rest though they were not there. In less't! a quarter of a minute, Dr. Terry prepared a specimen so that another physician coi diagnose the case as malignant cance: AUTO STOP SIGN TELLS COST OF VIOLATING LAW To answer complaints of motorists \ declared that they were being fined t: heavily, and to give an additional wat ing at intersections, stop signs in A: Arbor, Mich., bear figures showing wi! fine will be imposed if drivers violate t! law. The plan removes all grounds charges of unjust penalties, and is calculated to make the motorist think fore running any risk. Figures below Words, “Thru Street,” Show Amount of Penalty for Failure to Stop

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Secrets of the Oldest rkers Digging into the Big Serpent Mound in Ohio, to Eastern United States, Anteglating the Indians, the Explorers Found By TRUMAN B. MILLS 'D VER since the discovery of America 4 the secrets of the Indian mounds sands ot \\ hich are to be found ughout the Mississippi valley and ad nt regions, have been sought. [ven 1 1 Indians found by the first white sett lers nothing of them. Scientists have at buted them to an early people who oc ed these regions centuries before and been subjugated or driven out by latet madic or hunting Indians. he fact is that the custom of mound lIding was not limited to the American ntinent. Mounds are to be found the rld over, this having been one of the rliest methods of showing respect for he memory of the dead. Civilized man is naturally dug into these structures out | curiosity and for the purpose of study. ew mounds are to be found in the United ites that do not show some evidence of olestation. Indeed, the early settler often declared a holiday in slack times to make exploration attempts. Adventurers also dug into them in search of buried treasure, but the pot of gold they sought was ever in elusive one, and the reward was usually nly some decayed bones. and this region | mound-excavati! wo exceptions, beginning of t versity, and Dr. William C were erected as declared Mr. Mills. ' the bodies of prominent individua the remains

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POPULAR MECHANICS Map of the Great Serpent Mound and Two Smaller Ones, Show- ing the Coils and Undulations of the Huge Earthwork Some of the mound builders were adepts in the working of copper into beautiful ob- jects. They possessed rich pearls, wove beautiful fabrics, made artistic objects of bone, stone and shell and carried out elab- orate ceremonies in connection with the burial of their dead. Some cremated the dead and showered upon the ; mains the most precious of possessions. One famous ave found in an Ohio mound recent revealed a burial of four mound builder “princes,” lying in beds o pearls and covered with finely woven fabrics bearing the mo tistic designs. Among the more these ancients, advance copper was tl “precious” metal which was worke up into art objects of rare de and execution. lesser amounts. Silver was us« In addition, the made use of materials from all ove the United States and traded “The Ohio Indian or mow builder,” says Mr. Mills, “was neve any more intent on doing the necessary than we are today. Ha ing a suspicion of this, we ea: doubted whether the mounds t! had been examined previously reported unproductive had been plored thoroughly. We alw were inclined to feel that the Ind would not go to all that work piling up a big heap of dirt o nothing at all. “One of the first mounds we « plored was of small size. In tl we began at the edge and moved the ent structure, but we did not find a trace ot burial. When we got all through, the bo asked what we were going to do about and I said that we would start right in a1 go through it again. went The Seip Mound, in Ross County, Ohio, Showing Graves Which Have Been Uncovered by Shoveling Away Successive Layers of the Earth That Had Been Heaped over Them Long Ago 3ut this time down a little bit deeper, and bartered for stone, bone and shel! + ' ee

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POPULAR MECHANICS Eagle Pipe, Above, Showing High Degree of Art Developed by the Original Settlers Who Preceded the Nomad Indians Dr. W. C. Mills, Above, Director of the Ohio Archzological and Historical Mu- eum, Examining a Specimen of Ancient Pottery Recovered from One of the Burial Mounds Which Are Now Being Investi ated by the State Artificial Noses, Made of Copper, Are Sometimes Found Added to the Skulls in the Burial Mound, Ap- parently through a Post- Mortem Operation; the Skull at the Left Wears One of These Ornaments, the Purpose or Significance of Which Remains a Mys- tery; at the Le‘t Is the Claw of an Eagle Sculp- tured in Mica, One of the Religious Ornaments Found in a Mound Build- er’s Grave; at the Right Is an Elaborate Effigy Pipe; the Prevalence of Smoking Pipes, Usually of Highly Sculptured De- signs, Indicates That the American Indians Got the Tebacco Hab:t from the Far Earlier Civilization Which’ Their Nomad Tribes Displaced, Proba- bly Several Centuries be- fore the Arrival of the First White Men

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246 hadn't been on the line the first time. The second ex- ploration of the structure resulted discovered that we base in the finding of five skeletons, all placed in one grave on the original surface of the ground upon which the mound stood.” Although a great many new facts have been learned about the mound builder tn recent years, much remains to be revealed. Modern explorers and scientific workers are as yet unable to tell where the mound builder came from and what happened to him. They are hoping that further dis- coveries may clear up these mysteries. TATTOO EXPERTS FIND NEW DEMAND FOR THEIR ART Like all other arts and crafts, tattooing must keep abreast of the times in order to survive. The day of sailor trade, with its mermaids, ships’ anchors and dragons, is pretty well in the background, but a new field has been opened in applying a POPULAR MECHANICS under two layers of skin, which is ac plished with a fine needle actuated | electric vibrator. The delicate shadi1 quired is a test of the operator’s skill plying photographs to the body is an: form of :expert work. A single need employed, but in the coarser work oj old days, and to a certain extent eve: day, several needles soldered together operated by a single vibrator. The used are harmless, being made for purpose in Germany. The predominat colors in the old-time designs were r blues and greens, but today a great riety of shades has been achieved. other profitable field for the tattoo art if he is an expert, is the removal of tatt marks. This is a dangerous process not carefully handled, and leaves a s To remove the marks, an acid preparat is pricked into the design, which eats a the color. An odd turn of the trad putting color in a dog’s' nose to mak: a more promising bench-show entry. Applying Old-Time Tattoo Designs, and, at Right, a “Permanent Blush” to Young Wom- an’s Cheek; This Work Requires a Delicate Touch and Discriminating Eye - “permanent blush” to cheeks, according to an expert who has experimented in this line. The tron of pricking the tint W omen’s opera- consists, simply,

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POPULAR MECHANICS 247 perfection in all mottled The nose approach requirements, but a it from a prize ribbon. made all one color by tattooing. iny years there has been a profitable identification marks may nose s in tattooing as a protection against kid- and getting lost, and emblems of and fraternal organizations in in- tattoo are in demand. A er of customers wish tattoo designs moles or thus Some of ints large vaccination scars, blemish is ver up } irks, | into a and a con- decorative asset. ore complicated designs cost as much 00, but the usual price is much less. POISON CRYSTALS IN SAFE WALL TO FOIL ROBBERS lumes of poisonous gas are produced oment a drill penetrates the steel in a i. German inventor has devised to de robbers. Crystals of deadly chemicals deposited between the walls in a bed oi converted into and are drill ous concrete . ’ 1 1 by heat irom the or blowtorch a compound of chlorine, crystals are bon monoxide and hydrocvanic aci the fumes are said to be more deadly n anv used during the war and will netrate any mask yet invented. VACUUM MOTOR LAWN MOWER SAVES TIME AND WORK The blad an electric lawn 1 he yiades ot mower on the market are so arranged that ey are said to ick the grass | rainst the cutting thereby in- better im. There cutters lges, uring a are ve rotary ind they turn at a peed of 5,000 rev- lutions per min- ite, power being upplied from an electric motor ] hic] attached cord which may be 110-volt house current, direct. The inches wide through a to the ordinary either alternating or motor cuts the height of the cut may be adjusted. a swath seventeen and French Artist Finishing Model of the Pantheon in Cork; Material Is Easily Worked from Slab MODEL OF PANTHEON IN CORK SHOWS ARTIST'S SKILL Slabs of cork are the principal mater used by a French artist in fashioning ; models and other decorative objects s kept moist so that it will be pliable, and a special knife is used in tracing the out lines on the slabs before cutting. A rep lica of the famous Paris Pantheon, shown here, is typical of the things made from cork. One of the advantages of the mate rial, besides its softness, is that the grain gives the effect of age—a desirable quality in reproducing some structures “SUPER-FLAX SEED” DEVELOPED TO MAKE LINEN CHEAPER Linen may become as goods if experiments with a new flax seed introduced in | of th It yields tow double the lengt! reland produce the results e that some most optimistic growers ‘ nticipate. of the ordinary variety and free from the substances which ne troublesome sticky cessitate expensive hand-cleaning met ods. The new flax can be worked by chinery, it is said. Several hundred acre in Ulster and a tract in Sor lerset | ng- land, are to be planted wi

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POPULAR MECHANICS wa A0 ALLE us AVY) » . _ . VAT) ‘4 a4 a XN AAA A SAYA AA ¥ vA Ww ‘ wy 4 4 3 BY \ My \ \ ‘ AN ne 7 4 \) L)\ a 24 "4 ' EL L Protection from Chinese Bullets for Ships in Whangpoo River; the Rope Armor Is Draped on Vessel’s Bridge ARMOR OF ROPE GUARDS SHIP FROM CHINESE BULLETS Heavy ropes and cable, draped over the sides of vessels on the Whangpoo river in China, proved effective in protecting the bridge against bullets during anti-foreign demonstrations. The “armor” was necessary because the ships were frequently exposed to fire while on the river. WHO GAVE THE MONKEY WRENCH ITS NAME? Where did the monkey wrencl get its name’? Some persons have held that it was named after it supposed inventor, James Monckey, but careful search o records has shown that no such name appears in the patent files of any country and the nearest ap- proach is that of a Mr. Monk who was granted a patent for an im provement on pipe wrenches. But the term monkey wrench was used long before that. plausible explanati: offered by a foundry prietor in a letter w: to a friend in 1865. suggested that the wr was probably so « because you “twiste: tail to make it ope: mouth.” Another mis: ception lies in the ay cation of the name. | buyers prefer the “screw wrench,” whil some sections, “spani is used. CAR-STEP PLATE ALSO CARRIES LUGGAGE A luggage carrier folds up and become step plate on the runn board of the car is one the latest novelties motorists. Fully opene it has a length of thirt five inches, sufficient three bags in place, wl folded it is only fifteen inches long, ai presents an aluminum and rubber tread | the passengers. The extension bars sli into the plate, which is hinged to the rur and are held in place by locking system. ,- EXTENSION BARS HINGES —- RUNNING BOARD ed Diagrams of the Luggage Carrier Folded and Extended, and in Use on Auto Running Board

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Coast and Geodetic Survey Party Dragging Sledge Load of Equipment across a Glacier Bound for a Mountain Peak, from Which the Survey Light Will Shine Out at Night Surveyors Who Operate Signal Lamps on Snowbound Summits Have One of the World’s Most Lonely Jobs By DONALD EDWARD KEYHOE from a high REAM into the night Arizona peak shot a horizontal beam f light, its figures beside reflection silhouetting three a powerful electric lamp. ‘Ten o'clock and no signal from Rogers,” wonder have men. “I others complained ene of the vhat’s wrong. The howing for an hour.” He indicated four specks of light gleam- ng like stars at distant points. “Maybe it’s too far to see him,” ventured one of his companions, stooping to sight he lamp more accurately. “We're 153 miles from there.” For the fiftieth time the first man lifted his binoculars and stared into the dark- ness. After a minute he gave an exclama- tion of satisfaction. Another pinpoint of light had suddenly become visible. As he watched, it began a series of flashes “Send him a ‘Z’ and we'll get to work,” he directed the man at the lamp. “We’re late already.” been He stepped back and swung his survey- ing theodolite toward the first of the far- off lights. As the lamp operator shielded the lens to start the code signal, the third man opened a recording book and poised his pencil, awaiting the first angle reading. Four hours later, with lamp, batteries, and theodolite in back packs, the little party began its laborious descent of the mountain. Tired and hungry, the three men reached the base just at dawn and stowed their instruments in a waiting truck. A hasty breakfast and they on their way to another peak. Forced marches like this, with only a few hours of sleep snatched between long were periods of climbing and observing, are not unusual in the operations of the coast and geodetic survey. They are generally the rule in mountain states, where mers and short sum smoke from forest fires greatly reduce the working time. Transportation Wil- ineer of the in such regions is always a problem. liam Mussetter, a geodetic eng survey, tells of several difficulties encoun tered recently: “At one place, on a single-track sidehill road in the northern (¢ we came to a ‘alifornia mountains, hairpin turn so sharp that we had to jack up the rear of our truck Another truck ravine and was stop] started to ed by a big tree, the only one for a hundred teet to get around slide down a

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POPULAR MECHANICS fording it barefooted. We got over right, but it was chilly traveling.” I:xperiences of this nature may seem credible to people accustomed to the co forts of a city, but they are necessary surveying remote parts of the count: Often the weight of instruments and su plies makes the carrying of bedding impo sible. Sleeping for three or four nights scooped-out hollows on mountain tops not at all uncommon. The frequency o thunderstorms is another feature of hig] altitude work. Two engineers of the sur vey were burned by lightning while work ing on Ladrone mountain, N. Mex., an others have had close escapes. Mr. Mu setter describes a strange scene on Boulde mountain, Mont., where such storms were daily occurrences: “During the most severe storm I hear Titi 4d a queer ‘fry ing’ noise outside the tent. Go ing out, I saw the tops of our steel pole glowing brightly from charges of ele tricity. And at the same time my hair be gan to lift and crackle. I wasn’t any tor comfortable, but luckily we weren't struc though we saw near by spots that were “It isn’t always serious work,” Mr. Mu setter continues. “Funny things oftet happen. Once we were coming down a steep slope which was covered by sn with a hard crust. To keep Irom slipping 1 we had to dig in with our heels. The mar 1 behind me was a rather short chap, and in trving to walk in my steps he made a miscalculation. The first thing I heard was a rather indignant outburst and then this fellow slid by me at high speed, whirl Swe _ _} ing around like a top in his efforts to stop Signal Tower in the ines, Utilizing a Tree to Lift himself. He brought up about 120 feet ee ee se away against a heap of brush. He got up “On the ; between Salt Lake and at once and began to dance around Needles, Calif., our worst trouble was keep- “*That’'s the first time I knew snow wa ing enough water. While packing up a_ hot!’ he exclaimed, as I reached him. lope near Death Valley, where the tem- “Another member of our party, who had perature was 105 degrees early in the not seen this, attempted to slide down a morning, six of us drank eight and one- snowbank later on. He had seen others do half gallons of water in less than five hours. it on a board, but rather thoughtlessly he We observed at night and tried to sleep in chose a shovel. From his subseq ut it was usually too hot. marks I judged that he would not try it uent re the daytime, I “We ran into cold Vi eather, too, espe again for ome time.” cially in mountain work. I remember we Sometimes peaks are not available for had to cross the Verde river several times lights or observing stations. Signal towers when it was swollen by melting snow. Our must-then be built or tall trees made to boots filled up with sand and our socks serve in their stead. Comm. E. H. Pagen would stay frozen all dav. sO we tried hart of the coast and geodetic survey re

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POPULAR MECHANICS athrilling experience ad while working in '-foot tree in the state Vashington: sing climbing irons i: safety belt, I started the tree, which was feet in diameter at base. At 130 feet, I to discard the belt to around the first limb. en I worked on up, ing big spikes to be d as steps. When I iched the top I cut off out thirty-five feet of it that a platform could built. On descending found the falling limb id knocked out some of v spikes. I had slung a neat the top,so I started slide down on it. In moment I loosened my old and commenced to iin speed. Then I came the spikes. The first uncom- I made a grab at the next one or two but missed. Finally managed to slow down nd get a tight hold on a mall limb. And I stayed here several minutes, getting my breath back. “We were at that sta- tion three weeks. Every night a light- keeper had to climb up there in the dark, his light three or four hours and back down. He said his biggest lear was going to sleep on the platform and rolling off.” Comm. Pagenhart had put in the spikes at intervals equal to the distance he could step, which was unusually long, as he was a tall man. The lightkeeper working with him was also tall. However, the officer followed a few months later shorter. His monthly report contained this paragraph: “I earnestly recommend that the man ne whizzed by fortably close. how climb who was somewhat selected to put in spikes after this be the smallest man in the party.” In few stories of the survey is there any mention of the lightkeepers, and vet they Electric-Signal Lamp Set Up and Ready for the Keeper, Who Will Tend It on Many Lonely Nights on His Isolated Hilltop form a vital part of its geodetic work. Like their lonely brothers in lighthouses, they live a hermitlike existence, sometime going days without seeing a human being. Night after night, their lamp shines from some isolated peak, its only answer a briet signal from the observer.. Often there is no answer, as the observer is short-handed and cannot spare the time. But the light keeper must whether he gets an answer or not desolate life show his light regardless of Few men can stand such “burn out quickly. Yet there are several wl for long, and many who try it 10 have spent vears in faithful service, taking bliz zards, lightning, trials as part of the day’s work back-packing and othet Seldom has a lightkeeper failed in his important duty, and then only tor rood reasons

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POPULAR MECHANICS back, the lightning had burned { rest of his camp and also his fo He's one man you don’t want tell ‘lightning never strikes tw in the same place.’ “Another chap, William Black, of Idaho, was sent up Neihart mountain, Mont., late the tall. He stuck out three da and nights in a heavy blizz: without even an encouraging nal from his observer. Seeing couldn't communicate, he aba doned his station, packing hi lamp, batteries, and full camp equipment on his back. In going down he had a bad fall that started a stitch in his side. When h reached the village of Neihart after staggering through miles « blinding sleet and cutting through undergrowth they found he had a broken Many a man would have droppe his pack rather than suffer like that, but Black never thought of it.” The opposite kind keeper, who never 1: Engineers Climbing an Almost Vertical Cliff on the Boundary Line the survev. is describe: between Alaska and Canada, to Found a Lighthouse aR : Pagenhart: Durgin explains two of these “T had hired a new man had spent all afternoon explain he says,“we had missed ties to him. Then my _ record Wakefie 1 a signal from a veteran lightkeeper named started for the observing stati ‘ld \t last the officer in charge miles awayv. told the lightkeepe | | 1 made a hurried trip to find the cause. It had any trouble, to tell my wife, wv turned out that a large bear had taken — staying at a house near by, and wl possession of Wakefield’s camp and had © stood the principles of the work chased him off the peak. At another time, recorder and I reached the station ; while servin: a light thirty miles and started observing. At nine o' ‘per for the time. the light went out. \ airing m ) to be ‘DG’ opinion of the keeper vhe it came on ans ‘Done at this again and began to flicker. Lnowing the station. Pack u lgotonextone. He man didn’t understand the code, I paid no didn't waste any ti but started at once, attention but continued to observe in spite vhile we were ning because the light of the unsteady light. We finished ] went out. ‘e didn't find out until the and drove back to the village. next day what was wrong. marks concerning the intelligence ‘Montana seems to be an unlucky place lightkeeper were interrupted by my wite, for lightkeepers. One fellow came back who explained that she had been sending o camp, after rustling some food, in time mea message. Earlier in the evening she o see most of the camp destroyed by had sent a man to see how the new keeper hehtning. » fixed it up a vel he was getting on All he had found w: could, leaving his ppl hile he went dark lamp, with a note which ran: after lim for shelter } he g is too short.’ ”’

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POPULAR MECHANICS ECTRIC LIGHTS AS BUG TRAPS GUARD RICE FIELDS ectric lights suspended over vats of are used successfully in Japan to insects that damage the rice plants. tracted by the glow of the lamps, the vs strike the bulbs and drop into the ter. About one trap to each two and half acres is effective and while the ethod does not kill all the insects, it re- ces their number materially. OST THAT SCREWS IN GROUND SAVES DIGGING HOLES Anchorages for guy ropes and other pur- oses are quickly set without having to dig oles by means of a unit which is screwed nto place. An auger head on the end of he bar is twisted into almost any kind of oil, from five to fifteen minutes being uffcient for installing it with two men vorking. In very hard areas, it is some- times necessary to bore a small pilot hole first. The anchor is so designed that the eight of hundreds of cubic feet of earth Setting the Anchor, and Diagram Showing How It Grips Wide Area When in Place around it is brought into play in helping to hold the shaft in position under strain. J Advertising a Town's Leading Industry, the Huge Chai: at Thomasville, N. C. HUGE CHAIR MONUMENT BOOSTS TOWN’S INDUSTRY Thomasville, N. C chair-manufacturing towns in the country, . is one of the largest and, to advertise the fact, a giant seat has been erected on a pedestal in a conspicuous part of the city. It is thirteen feet high, the front legs are six feet tall and the seat slants to five and one-half feet at the rear. The chair contains sufficient lumber to make 100 of the ordinary kind and a week's time was required to build it. “BREATH CURRENT” GIVES ALARM TO FOIL BURGLARS W ood, paper, glass and other mate rial generally used for insulation can be em ploved as current conductors in operating alarms and other units, a Berlin has The functions on less than one ten-mil burglar engineer demonstrated. ratus lionth of an appa ampere through a sensitive relay of wood. Merely touching objects guarded by the alarm actuates the signal, it was shown, while the “breath currents’ of electricity spread over walls and cur- tains touching the things protected

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3ed Folded in sack for Carrying, an Extended; Note Sleeper Is Raised fr the Ground Knap- How m d POPULAR MECHANICS HOSPITAL FOR SEA GIVES SERVICE TO U.S. FLEET the portant units of the na is the hospital ship “R lief,” the first vessel the world built OI One most from tl keel up for naval hospita purposes. Besides hay ing every modern devi for the safety, comfor and care of the sick an wounded, it is fitted as fleet medical depot to fh the requisitions for emet gency supplies from th other ships, and carrie a field ho pital in case there is need materials for of such a unit by a land ing party. The ship ha venty-nine othcers, 324 7 1 r listed men, is 483 feet MILK IS TRE ATED WITH BED FOLDS UP AS KNAPSACK STEAM TO PREVENT SOURING By blowing steam through fresh milk and cream, a Wisconsin dairv expert has discovered a process for keeping them fresh. Milk thus treated exposed to direct sunlight and kept at a temperature ot seventy degrees for three eeks ] out souring, according to reports he effectivity the treatment is said to lie in the fact that the steam kills the bacteria and eliminates the acid that ormally long and of about 9809 tons’ displacement. Du ing maneuvers, the “R liet” ust lly occupies a po ition in the reat FOR HIKERS’ COMFORT { the fleet formation. Patients seriously | or injured are lifted aboard on special For outing trips, a folding bed is cat l tretchers, the gangway platform being as a knay n in use, keeps the uilt extra large to accommodate suc] occupant off the ground. It is made o equipment, and are quickly taken to ope rainproof canvas and the small met yar ating rooms, wards or special-treatment necessary are of duralumin and weigh quarters. Berths in the wards are det little over three pounds. It offers an elas- able and accessible from both sides tic and comfortable resting place and can , : | ° 1 +1 : sarell ¢ Meare eee eet etc BACKLASH IN CASTING ENDED BY WINDING LEVELER \djustab 1 ‘= to s of different t a winding ichment for the fichin ng rod is said to enable the Ash- erman to get a crisscross wind on the reel and thus prevent backlash in casting. It is fixed with two 7 iall screws and may be taken off quickly and easil) hen not wanted

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POPULAR MECHANICS [YSTERY TEMPLE IS FOUND IN YUCATAN JUNGLE Ruins of One of Several Hitherto Unknown Temples Recently Discovered in the Yucatan Jungles; Some Are Nearly 200 Feet High, Bear Dates of About 400 B. C., Are Covered with Stucco Brightly Painted and Are Remarkable for the Narrow, Three-Foot Rcoms at the Top

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POPULAR MECHANICS WINDOW FRAMES THE PICTURE OF SCENIC WONDERS An Oregon inn, with a matchless view of Douglas fir, a river, distant wooded lopes and two snow-capped peaks of the Oregon Cascades, known as “The Sisters,” capitalized the outlook by installing a “pic- . ° ¢ 99° @ ‘ ~. 4 ture window’ in the dining room. A heavy eold frame replaces the usual window cas- ing and incloses the panorama of distant mountains. The Sisters recently attracted ittention when land surveyors of the for estry service discovered that between the two peaks was a “lost” half section of land vhich | and uncharted on the map of Oregon, so yy accident had remained unclaimed , ae 1 that olhicialiy it belongs to no state. PORTABLE CANVAS SNOW FENCE SUBSTITUTE FOR BOARDS lo keep snow from drifting upon the highways, a light, waterproof canvas fence has been devised by a Maine man to re- place unsightly wooden barriers. When not in use, it can be rolled up and stored away. Th anvas strips are attached to iron rods which are driven into the ground at intervals of ten feet. The strips are six inches wide and are spaced to form a fence Window Casing Designed to Frame an Outdoor View; You Are Looking through the Wall of an Oregon Inn upon an Actual Panorama of Forests and Mountains four feet high, using canvas. Ihe rods are 1 1 ne iower strip can be ! tached to the top if desi 1 + snow to drift away fron long e iough so tl the strips sway back an: ut four lengths o a removed and at red, making a bat rier six feet high. When the wind blow l forth “1 } , causing the 3) it » + LHe road. SAFETY LAMP PREVENTS SHOCK AND DANGER OF FIRE specially suited for use around tl 1ome or in a rages,an extension electric light pi vides satety to the user, as both the socket and the wires are rubber covered and the guard is fu'ly in- sulated from the socket. \ flexible handle is also fur- nished. \nothet electric unit for safety and convenience is a_ protector, which is easily adjusted and guards the plug from injury when the floor or bumped int: it is dragged along » objects.

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REC ORD FLIGHTS WITH GLIDERS MADE IN GERMANY conducting in flyers have been experiments with gliders recently, sults assuring experts that these ess planes have possibilities of con- ble usefulness. One aviator skimmed from the crest of the Zugspitze to lley of Ehrwald, 10,000 feet below, ng ago, making the ten-mile distance enty-five minutes and establishing a d tor glider flights from such an alti- \ few day later, another flyer re- ned in the air for fourteen hours and minutes on a glider. BIG PIPE SWUNG FROM CABLE DEFIES COAST STORM luring a severe storm, a 100-foot section the twenty-eight-inch riveted-steel pipe that supplies San Diego, Calif., with 00,000 gallons of water daily, was com- tely undermined and left without sup- rt. Engineers expected that it would ak or at least leak, but it held securely. mporary frames were quickly erected at her end of the stranded section, a cable stretched between them and vertical es tied to it, then under and around the pe to the strain. This held til a permanent support could be made. decrease It Failed to Break Sling Suspenders for the Pipe Line; ome Time Although Unsupported for POPULAR MECHANICS Ear’; Vibrations from Demonstrating the ‘‘Wooden » Teeth through Stick Phonograph Record Carried + HEARING THROUGH THE TEETH POSSIBLE WITH STICK hearing afflicted with poor through some defect in the outer ear, can Persons hen they often distinguish sounds clearly v are transmitted through the bones of the unit sl snown face. This is illustrated in the here, invented by a Florida man to enable T st is essentially a wooden holder with a pho the deaf to enjoy phonograph records. nograph needle in one end. The other is Che vibrations stick, inserted between the teeth. through the are communicated ear through t] thence to the >» bones FREE SUN BATH IS ALLOWED BY PERMEABLE CLOTHING Without change of appearance or « bility, cloth is treated by a method a Bri has discovered, so that it al the : ura ish scientist lows the healthful ultra-violet rays of sun to pass through and reach the sun-bath treatments” was discovered during the kin Che w ay for “free sone course Ol \-ray experiments.

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(e Gol By PAUL PADDOCK Bears IS are like parrots, they learn by imitation, hence their early instruc- tion is of importance, for most of their singing ability is acquired while they are very young. Not many learn a great deal after they are a year old. Females seldom sing, but if your male canary doesn’t do anything but chirp, its early schooling was probably neglected, or it grew up in the wrong company. A visitor at Stulik’s canary farm, close to Chicago, where from 500 to 4,000 pets are housed in one of the largest aviaries of its kind in the world, soon learns that a singing canary is about as temperamental as other “stars,” that it is subject to sore throat and other ills that afflict human per- formers, gets jealous and angry at its rivals, is exceedingly self-centered and re- quires weeks of careful instruction with expert bird teachers and special instru- ments before it learns its songs. At this institution is a large flying cage where the birds get exercise after they are eighteen to twenty-two days old, a boarding house, 258 rooms for breeding cages, and a theat: where the singing “pupils” may perfo1 for visitors. It all grew out of a hob! Mr. Stulik started twenty years ago. Four or five months after the birds a: hatched the males are caged in the singin; department. Two or three star performe: are kept close to them so that they wi hear desirable notes at all times and wi not learn to imitate the chirping of the females. Each bird is kept partitioned from the next stack of cages, and the en tire singing class is curtained off part oi the time each day. sird raisers use violins, flutes, whistle and many other instruments in teaching their pets, but one of the most interesting aids is the organ. It is operated by weights on a chain and produces three distinct sounds, a whistle, a rapid staccato bass note and a call like that of a cuckoo. As the weight falls, it pumps small bellows which supply air to the proper chambers to make the sounds. It runs forty-five minutes before the weight must be read

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Canaries Recuperating in Bird Hospital, and a Class of Tricksters Training for the Stage oat SCHO@IE aE justed. How rapidly the bird will learn and how fine its song will be, depend to a large degree upon its breeding and its own peculiarities. It may develop into a genius “Yankee,” the famous California ird that whistles a number of tunes and is a favorite radio entertainer. Bird fanciers in England quite recently mourned the death of a remarkable roller canary. The name “roller” describes the oft, rolling notes these birds produce as uch as compared with the sharp, halting ones of ordinary kinds. This particular bird was able to make sixteen different notes a sec- ond. It died before another canary could be taught to imitate the song, which is now regarded as the “lost chord” of the bird world. Few canaries can make more than ten notes a second. In picking a canary from a bird store, some prefer imported ones, but authorities declare that no one country now has any monopoly on fine singing canaries. Of the 500,000 live birds shipped into the ee ere salen allel United States in 1925, the majority were canaries, and it is not unusual for a steamer to carry 1,000 or more in one ship ment for here. Last New York department store sold 18,000 canaries and more than 5,000 birds, hundreds of kinds. Each year, it takes more than 12,000,000 pounds of im sale vear, a love besides other ported canary seed to keep the bird pets in \merican and The increasing popularity of the birds is partly due to the fact that quired to tend them. homes well singing. so little time is re a day is enough if careful attention is given to the diet. Originally a native of the Azores, the Canary and other small islands off the Africa, adapted to less tropica little resembles the wild varieties in plum- Five minutes the bird has become 1 climates and but east coast of age or song. Many bird owners make the mistake oi viving their canary too much sunlight and Since the beginning of the sixteenth century the bird has been keeping it too warm.

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260 POPULAR MECHANICS How the Singing “Pupils” Are Kept Covered and the Cages Separated with Pa- per Partitions ; an Outdoor Cage at Stulik’s Farm, and the Bird Organ Being Ad- justed for Operation a household pet and has become accus- tomed to indoor life, but it is less delicate than many persons suppose. Last win- ter one of Stulik’s canaries was kept in an outdoor cage all season and appar- ently was comfort- able when the tem- perature was seventeen degrees below zero. This treatment is not recommended for all birds, but they do not need and should not have constant coddling, author- ities declare. Keep the cage in the coolest part of the house in the summer, and in winter where there is likely to be the most even temperature. The bird should not be exposed to direct sunlight nor placed near a window. The cage should not hang too close to the ceiling. Most of the air cur- rents are more pronounced at the top of a room so that there is danger of a draft if too high. On the other hand, the cage should not be under six feet from the fioor. The canary is a voracious eater. On owner reported that his bird ate times its own weight in seeds and food in one month. This was proba case of improper feeding, but many sons make the mistake of giving thei: too much. - The bird should always cuttle bone, some kind of fine grave! ¢ help to digest its food, and a plentiful ply of drinking water. The diet dep: to some extent upon the bird itself, owners are advised to study their pets find out what kinds of food produce best results. A first essential is good nary seed and rape seed. Celery, cab! apple, green pepper, dandelion, chickw: raw carrot lettuce are all able extras, though many ¢ perts agree th common mistake to give the can too much of the] ter vegetable He: seed should be give as an extra and 1 as a steady item diet. A daily fee of hard-boiled e with crackers given to advantag: especially during t! breeding season.

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POPULAR: MECHANICS FAH ‘i wialiibilip S| Feeding and Watering Time at the Canary “Farm”; Rations Are Carefully Measured According to the Bird’s Appetite; Don't Overfeed Your Pet, the Experts Advise Canaries are subject to a dozen or more ommon ailments, some of which need ex- pert treatment. One of the chief troubles s colds, often caused by exposing the bird to drafts, giving ice-cold drinking water, forced baths or too sudden change \ cold may also explain A drop two of olive oil down the bird’s throat, cold n temperature. hy the canary no longer sings. taking care not to get any on the feathers, small piece of rock candy in the drinking water and a bit of smoked fat bacon, with- in easy reach Between the bars of the cage, may help restore the bird’s voice. Fre- quently inferior seed is responsible for loss of voice. It may also be stimulated to sing by placing it where it can hear the song of other birds, or musical instruments. With proper care, canaries often live to he twelve or sixteen years old, and some- times longer. In selecting from a bird store, the young ones can often be distin guished from the older birds by their feet and legs, which are smooth and of fine tex- ture under the age of a year or so. The more mature birds have coarse and scaly legs. Experts are fooled many times in distinguishing a male from a female, but, in general, the male birds have broader heads, flatter on the crown, the body is more slender, the eyes are brighter and more bold-looking and color patches on darker hue than the back are usually of those on the female. Che male swells its throat when singing and produces a longer, more connected song BRACE TO KEEP HATS IN SHAPE HIDDEN UNDER SWEATBAND Concealed under the sweatband, an ad- justable brace is said to keep the crown of a sof better sl prevents the front or back from cay ingin. Thesupport ; a ia psi- partly co 30 that it » fitted to hats of 1 different sizes and does not mav interfere with the wearer when in place

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POPULAR MECHANICS tect’s figures. i ty-six miles long. The ¢ crete would build a si walk four inches thi three feet wide and ni: skyscraper, is indica by some of the ar i thousand tons of stru tural steel, if rolled int quarter-inch plates, wou cover forty-six acres make a seventy-five-foot roadway more than fi miles in length. The 1,7] windows in the buildin; with 34,000 square feet « glass, equal the entir: surface area of one sid of the building. Thre thousand doors, eight miles of electric wiring, fifty miles of conduit, fi miles of telephone wir five acres of room carpet in the hotel section, two- thirds of a mile of corri dor carpet and fifty-seve: acres of plastering are some of the other thing that are involved. TRICYCLE TAXICAB CUTS COST Three-wheeled taxi- Matching the Washington Monument in Altitude; the New American Insur- ance Union Building in Columbus, Ohio BUILDING RIVALS WASHINGTON MONUMENT IN HEIGHT Built to the exact ington monument— 1eight of the Wash- 5 feet five and a half inches, the new forty-eight story home of I the American Insurance union in Colum- bus, Ohio, combines a theater seating 3,000 people, a 600-room hotel and an office building, allin one. The main tower rises at the corner of two streets, with wings flanking it on either side, while back of the tower and between the wings is the theater. An alley on one side is bridged to connect several floors to an adjoining hotel, giving a 600-room addition, and above the hotel is the office building. How much material is used in building a modern cabs, recently introduced in Vienna, are said to be gaining favor, as they op- erate on reduced rates and make fast time. An additional advantage is that they take up less room than the larger cars and can be handled easily in crowded traffic. Tricycle Taxicab for Rapid Service through Crowded Streets; Passengers Are Sheltered from Weather \ ee ee

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POPULAR MECHANICS 263 SADDLE MAKING IS REVIVED AS ART IN FAR WEST Carving Designs on Leg Fender; Upper Right, a Twenty-Five-Hun- dred-Dollar Saddle; Left, Standard Type and Elaborate Bits Despite the passing of the horse-and- uggy days, the saddle business is picking up. While the movies are partly responsi- le for the revival of the saddler’s art, a reater market has been opened by the ealthy sportsmen who have purchased estates in California and also the “dude” ranches in Montana and elsewhere. Visiting easterners like all the western color they can get, and a handsome silver- mounted saddle is no small part of it. Some of the saddles, with bridle and equipment to match, sell for as high as $5,000 and re- quire over a month to make. the buver irge Frequently Angeles to be “fitted,” much as a man is measured for a suit of clothes. comes to Los There is still a considera- ble market among the real cowboys, and the amount that will invest in a good saddle is surprising these men of the plains O,ften its cost is equal to that of a service- ible car. Saddlery is reallyanart ratherthan a trade. Frank Moreno, one of the best known saddlers in the west, has worked continuously at this craft for twenty-seven vears, and his father before him, a Califor nia pioneer, spent making saddles. all his active years in From cutting down to and fitting the rich requires great skill. The leather carving in itself is a fine art. and all is done free-hand. fashioning the trimmings, seat saddlery Designing and plates and lized art. engraving the silver “concho is still another highly specia

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264 POPULAR Switch ; Lighting the Show Window with Outside t Off and Save Current Shoppers Learn to Turn I SWITCH OUTSIDE SHOW WINDOW SAVES ELECTRICITY Instead of allowing the lights in his shop windows to burn for hours at a time afte nightfall, a Berlin merchant has installed a switch on the outside, so that persons wish ing to see the display can turn the lamps on. Although some go away without snap- ping them off again, many do so with the result that much less current is consumed. MECHANICS CONTROL FOR SHIP PROPELLERS PREVENTS “RACING” To prevent the racing of a vessel’ peller when the stern is out of wate: high sea, a control has been designe California inventor. Itisintended to r shock and strain and to result in lowe: tr consumption, especially in heavy weat During a gale, when high seas are run: and the propeller is buried deep one ment and spinning like a windmill, above the trough of the sea, the next a frequent practice to have two or 1 men stationed at the throttle valve to 1 the ship’s motion by cutting down steam pressure as the vessel rises and water resistance against the blades i duced to nothing, then opening the \ the next instant as the ship settles, in o1 to maintain headway. 1 This method i efficient and is supplanted in the autom control which is essentially a weight wheels that follows the vessel and dctuates a geared valve, at top of a pendulum, to open or close 1 steam as the vessel rises or settles motion of EAST MEETS WEST IN TRAFFIC ON STREETS OF INDIA Although western modes of travel rapidly being introduced in India, the e! phant is still widely used for transport tion. Contrasts such as that presented the accompanying photograph, the “thre: seater” elephant with the five-passeng: automobile, are commonly seen where t! highways have been developed for aut trafic, but the elephant is still retaine: Extremes in Transportation Met! ods Meet in India Where Ele phants Have Not Yet Given Wa Entirely to Autos

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POPULAR MECHANICS CIRCLES GLOBE ) STUDY CRUST eresting observa- of the earth’s crust been made by a h scholar on a voy- ivaling in reality any ribed by Jules Verne, ibmarine trip around world. At certain es, the traveler was to detect with com- itive ease one of the enomena known to ‘ntists for some time, difference in weight the same objects at va- us points on the globe. *~h measurements must made with delicate in- uments and are diffi- | t on board a vessel, to the motion. In- le the submarine, satisfactory results re obtained more easily as there was ; interference. The difference in weight believed to be caused by variations in e density of strata composing the crust of the globe. MAGNET KEEPS SAFETY-RAZOR BLADES KEEN The principle of agnetism has been idapted to sharpen ind keep in good condition safety- razor blades, saving the trouble of strop- ping them. When dull, the blade is simply inserted in little cabinet in which a magnet is so adjusted that it straightens the bent and ragged edge of the blade without any effort on the part of the user. The sharpener has no moving parts to get out of order, is suited to different kinds of safety blades and keeps the blades where they are easily accessible. Camera “Cannon” to Take Pictures from Airplane at Range of 200 Miles; Special Ship Was Built to Use with It CANNON-SIZED AERIAL CAMERA HAS 200-MILE RANGE The biggest aerial camera ever built, with a nine-inch lens and a range of 200 miles or more, is to be tried out at Rochester, N. Y., this summer, taking long-distance pic tures of New York city’s famous sky line. The camera is so big that when it is thrust through a porthole in the side of an air- plane, it looks like one of the ancient cannon of sailing-frigate days. Special filters will be employed to utilize the ultra- violet rays and penetrate clouds and mist. An airplane is being built for the camera, powered to fly higher than any aviator has yet been, so that pictures may be taken from a height of eight miles, at which the view would be between 300 and 400 miles. OIL IS EXTRACTED FROM COAL IN IMPROVED RETORT Cheaper and quicker extraction of crude oil and gases from coal is promised with a special retort a South African inventor has devised. an inside brush mechanism which is said to keep the contents agitated, hastening A distinguishing feature is the reduction processes. Volatile matters are said to be vaporized within three min- utes after the coal has been loaded into the retort, and oil is produced soon after.

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I 1299 jeodA 9I0ARCI s1y sHIeI] uszoq jl 1isanog j3ed frum paseidsiq SPH BF] [estueyoop e 49338 Bursey punoyAain

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Sport from America; Tracks Are Devoted to the Newest Manchester at a Half Dozen e Race on the Oval 1, Where rdl irsin Typical Scene durir ketch Shows a the ~~ owe CCS Tel . id . an Seven Tall and Speedy Greyhounds, Blanketed and on the Leash, Being Led Out for Their Race; the Dogs Are Paraded, Just as Are Horses, Before They Enter the Starting Box TS thousand powerful greyhounds, trained to the minute, are chasing elec- trically propelled stuffed rabbits around juarter-mile tracks all over the United States. Across the oceans, in Europe, South Africa and Australia, thousands of ither blue-blooded canines are being raced n the latest of American sports, which lready rivals the ancient pastime of horse racing in popularity. Despite the fact that the game is hardly ix years old, it has already taken a place is one of the most fascinating of sports. Crowds of 10,000 banked around the oval track are not unusual for the average evening program, all dog races being run it night under blazing electric lights. To the late O. P. Smith, who, prior to his death a few months ago, was high com- missioner of the International Greyhound Racing association, goes the credit for de- veloping the chase of the electric rabbit. Mr. Smith developed his first crude me- chanical rabbit as long ago as 1909, but it was not until ten years later that even fair success was attained, and public races really date from 1921. Despite its new- ness, the sport has spread throughout the world. England saw its first track at Bir- mingham last year, and this season has six. Canada had one last year and four this season. One has been built at Cape Town; Australia is constructing several and Mexico has applied for a franchise under the international association. Track racing differs materially from the “society races” of whippet dogs. The little whippets, weighing from twenty to twenty- five pounds, are raced on a straightaway between cords which mark each dog’s path. A trainer at one end of the course releases the dog, who runs to a trainer at the other end. The track races use greyhounds, stand ing twenty-four inches or more in height and weighing up to as much as seventy) five pounds, though the best racing animals average from fifty to sixty pounds. On . the oval course, with fairly sharp curves at either end, only slightly banked, the better dogs can negotiate the quarter mile im twenty-five seconds, a rate of thirty miles an hour, and to keep the el rabbit ahead of them in shorter das Hits is geared for a top speed of hour, though its average running

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268 POPULAR MECHANICS limited to around forty to forty-five miles. Cwenty-five horsepower and an electric car weighing more than 1,100 pounds are necessary to whisk about a pound of stuffed rabbit around the course at that rate. Years of work were concentrated in de- veloping the car, the special electric motor and the housing, which hides car and track from the dogs, while permitting the arm carrying the rabbit to project over the track for about five feet. The dogs know that the rabbit is a fake, and in the early days when power failures or mechanical trouble brought frequent breakdowns, it was not unusual for the dogs to catch the lure and bite the skin until their gums bled from contact with the metal lining, yet they would be out in the next race trving just as hard as ever. The grevhounds have learned to associ- ate the rumble of the hidden car with the rabbit, and even when they cannot see the animal, will go wild with eagerness when- ever they hear the mechanism start. For this reason the dog stables have to be ken- neled away from the track, to keep the animals that are not racing from disturb- ing the peace. In the earlier days, after the rabbit escaped through a trapdoor at the end of the race and disappeared from sight, the car would keep on going for some distance under its own momentum, setting the dogs crazy in their eagerness to tollow the noise. The difficulty was ‘emoved by the development of a special motor which utilizes an ingenious electric braking system to bring the car to a st: by the time the dogs have reached t! hole through which the rabbit disappears The quarter-mile dirt tracks, twenty-five feet wide and banked two and a half feet the turns, have front and back stretches, 30) feet in length, and turns with a diameter « about 117 feet. The housing that hides the car and motor is on the outside of the track, with a slot running around its inner face through which the arm carrying the lure projects. A plank track, laid around the outside of the track, provides a run way for a small rubber-tired wheel sup porting the arm, keeping the rabbit about five inches above the track. An improvement which has just been patented makes the rabbit move up and down in a realistic way as it runs along, and the new rabbit has been provided with a squeal to supplement the dog’s eyes Greyhounds have very poor scent and race only by sight and ear. A live rabbit tied in a sack and placed under a dog’ nose will not be bothered so long as it doesn't move. Eight dogs are raced in each event, and eight races, seven flat ones and one hurdle, compose the usual evening program. Oc casionally matched races between two three or four dogs are arranged. Start ing boxes with spring trapdoors, each box having eight separate compartments for the dogs, are used. The electric rabbit is * - % 7 . A: P " — sy i are ao eA i: iC ae RO > Trainers with a Group of Young Dogs Being Schooled to Chase the Electric Rabbit; the Narrow Track and the Wheel Are Eliminated in the Latest Models to Increase the Realism eA —*

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lectric a stop d t! rare V-five Cet at s. 300 fer f 'S the ; the nner 4 the und run sup bout een and yng, vith ves and »bit « S . j POPULAR MECHANICS The Society Game of Whippet Racing; the Dogs Are Much Smaller Than Greyhounds and Race on the Straightaway, between Tapes, Running from One Trainer at the Start to Another at the Finish potted” at the other end of the track, ist out of sight around a bend, and the dogs are placed in the starting box, which run out on the track. The position of the box is twenty feet behind the start- ng line, where the clocker stands with his top watch. When the dogs are in place, the rabbit ; started and run around the track to get up speed. As it passes the boxes, the dogs catch sight and give tongue. When the rabbit gets forty feet ahead, the starter drops his flag and the trapdoors are sprung, releasing the dogs. From then on the man at the controls in a tower, from which the entire track is visible, keeps the rabbit about sixty feet ahead of the fore- most dog. As soon as the animals start, the box is withdrawn from the track, and after the car has passed the right end of the front stretch, the operator in the control car throws a switch in the track so that, when the car gets around again, it will be side- tracked onto a switch track. A barrier is dropped across the track, containing a trapdoor through which the rabbit disap- pears. The barrier is 126 feet past the fin- ish line and the dogs continue the chase until the lure vanishes. They rush up and sn ff the door, and occasionally try to poke their heads through, but by the time they reach it, the electric brake has stopped the car and there is no sound to follow. The greyhounds raced are all thorough- breds. An untrained pup is worth as much as $300 or more, and trained dogs which have won a race bring from $1,000 up. The owner of the world’s champion hurdler has refused an offer of $5,000 for his dog. They are at their best when from two to three years old, though some pups have been raced at fifteen months. The average racer lasts for three or four years, though again there are exceptions, eight and nine vears old still being able to 1 go out and win a race occasionally. some dogs One advantage over horse racing is the lower prices of the animals, the lower up- keep costs and the lower transportation

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270 ee ee A Fine Specimen of Greyhound; No Particular Color Scheme Is Standard, the Thoroughbreds Being of Many Types charges, for a dog in his traveling box can be carried by express for only a fraction Thirty- five cents a day will feed a racing grey- hound. of what it costs to ship a horse. One meal a day, after the eve- ning’s race, is the usual The most diet is seventy per cent fresh- ground hamburger, mixed with crumbled dog biscuit or crumbs of very dry bread. Some of the western dog raisers have had fare. common success in feeding their animals specially cooked Irish stews, While one meal a day is the rule, some of the trainers, who had experience in The Start of the Race, Just After the Dogs Have Been Released from the Starting Box to Chase the Rabbit, Which Is Sixty Feet Ahead and Near the Outer Edge of the Track POPULAR MECHANICS [rish coursing before takine yy track racing, have introduce he unusual novelty by giving dogs a cup of very black coffee each morning. The animal ke to the coffee and the tra claim that it not only gives strength and speed, but help them get through the day on an empty stomach. One of the things that make dog racing attractive for the s; tator is the fact that the dogs run their own race, without contro! guidance, which obviates at chance for “pulling” a mount has been done in horse racit Like every other sport in wl money changes hands, many tempts have been made to fix throw races, usually by tamperi: with the dogs’ food. Besides out lawing trainers who were caught in attempting frauds, the gover: ing association, which supplies all the r: officials for each track, has adopted ela! orate precautions to defeat crookedness The most important is the fixing of racing weight for each dog. The owns is allowed two weeks to experiment wit a new after which he must declare the weight at which he believes his anim performs to the best advantage. There after, until a new weight has been declared dog, as the dog grows, the animal must be kept within a half pound over or under the de Electric

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a. Bays ss POPULAR MECHANICS size. The dogs are ed in at six o'clock evening on which ire to race, and if de the limit, are for the evening. weighing in all the for the eight races, iss from the owners’ rol into that of an as- ition kennelmaster, does not surrender again until fifteen utes before race time, n they are weighed n, and the slightest ition from the earlier ‘ht will cause the dog be ruled out. llandlers working un- the association lead ] dogs in the parade be- e the grandstand, each wearing a muzzle 1a small blanket bearing his colors and number. The muzzles and blankets are rn throughout the race, the former be- “* necessary te prevent a general fight ter the rabbit disappears. Positions are drawn by lot, and, though he rabbit is only five feet from the outer edge of the track—to keep it in view of the dogs when rounding the turns—the ani- mals quickly learn that the inside rail is the shortest way around the oval. After four or five starts, the average dog has mastered that fact and, if it draws an outer position, will always try to break over to the rail as soon as it is released. Experiments with other breeds of dogs, notably wolfhounds, have been complete failures, because they either haven't the heart to keep on after another dog passes them, or because, as is the case with wolf- hounds, the animals are accustomed to running in pack formation and will follow a chosen leader without attempting to pass him. The greyhounds, on the other hand, are all individualists, striving to be first. All of the dogs are raced in flat races, but not all can be trained as _ hurdlers, which makes the good jumpers the more valuable. Four hurdles are used, the first two and a half feet high and each succes- sive one two inches higher, so that the final hurdle is three feet above the track. To Illustrate the Size of the Airplane-Testing Tunnel; Group of Men at One End of the Shaft HUNDRED-FOOT TUNNEL HELPS IN STUDYING AIRPLANE Exact scale models of airplanes are flown inside an air tunnel, 100 feet long, at the aeronautical school of New York uni- versity, to study their reaction to blasts The shaft is nine feet in diameter at the working end, and air can be blown through it at the rate of 100 miles an hour. of air from a huge propeller. CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRIC WIRE REPLACES SOLDERING To join electric wires, a porcelain unit, threaded on the inside, takes the place of sol dering and taping. It is only neces- sary to push back the insulation on the wires, insert the loose ends in the cup-shaped cannector and twist. The screw- ing-up action binds the wires together and forces them into the cup as a nut 1 screwed on a bolt.

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72> ele POPULAR MECHANICS man-made vapor from high-pressure water nozzles. It becomes so dense that « tric lights in the chamber are hardly ble. Then a dozen jets of highly electr water are sprayed into the room, an most instantly the fog fades out. experiment is a modification of the la ratory test of clearing a jar of smoke by passage of an electric spark. Partly suc cessful trials at clearing fog by the use Combination Awn- electrified sand have been made. ‘| ee Gon dust is shot from an electric chute while the airplane flies above the cloud. Tests have shown that the upper part of the fog bank disappears, and it is believed th more complete success would follow if the sand were more highly electrified. BY PULLING BRIDLE Amusement and healthful exercise fo: children are afforded in a mechanical hor AUTO AWNINGANDSHADEINONE and buggy exhibited recently at a German RUNS ON SPRING ROLLER show. The operating equipment is cor cealed within the horse and, by giving t] bridle a slight pull, it is set in motion, sen ing the buggy, rider and all, forward. Easily installed on any model of closed car, a combination awning and curtain is intended to increase driving comfort with- out detracting from the appearance of the auto. [It does not interfere with raising or lowering of the glass and has a strong spring roller that fits neatly on the inside of the window frame. To con- vert the shade into an awning, a steel rod is sim- ply raised into position either in or out of the car. When not in use, the pro- tector rolls up entirely out of the way. LANDING FIELD IS CLEARED OF FOG ELECTRICALLY Success in the problem of clearing fogs from air- plane-landing fields is promised as the result of recent tests at an eastern factory. A large com- , martment is Siied it] Even Adults Like to Ride the ‘‘Racer’’; Pulling the Reins Actuates Mechanism partment is filed with in the Horse, Propelling It Forward

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POPULAR MECHANICS . ic la \ SUC se 1 he vl} ri Pest » fog that t the fo i = nan r Wiucter Travel across the Frozen Fields of Russia and for City Traffic, Too; Motor Sleds Developed by ‘on the Aerodynamics Institute at Moscow “4 SLEIGHS RUN BY PROPELLERS winter and require $0 little care that one REPLACE HORSES man can easily tend 50,000. On the other side ot the pir ture, t] e\ do not thrive in Sleds equipped with motor-driven pro- filthy water, overcrowding injures them, pellers have been tested in Russia for they must be impounded to prevent escape suntry and city use. They area product and should not be disturbed, especially in the aerodynamics institute at Moscow, the laying season Some varieties are here research in various fields of motor slow-growing. requiring ten or twelve transportation has been conducted. vears before they are big enough tor mar- ket. Experiments are being made to pro TERRAPIN-GROWING ON FARMS duce faster-growing varieties. NOW PROFITABLE INDUSTRY - ‘ ; om WINDOW SQUEEGEE AND SPRAY With the best variety of terrapin selling SAVES TIME AND WORK t $72 a dozen, additionally encouraging eports have been received from the bu- eau of fisheries to the effect that terrapin | ulture can be made a profitable business. Developed espe- cially tor washing A car windows, a } . . ; ¢ ranch, ++ . ,@ > . he conclusion has been reached after sev- og |} squeegee and eral years of experimenting, since heavy | sprav combined emand threatened the extinction of the | has proved effec- : . z a . pecies about the Chesapeake where the ; tive. According to rest kinds were found. The most suc- reports, tour men essful results have been attained in the using can clean ilt and brackish marshlands of the south where the culture of the terrapin is de- | windows and two cribed as one of the “least difficult in the | glass doors of a ive-stock industry.” They have few ene- a — car in two min mies except man, will stand almost any utes, a substantial saving in time over a imount of neglect, are subject to few dis usual methods. Water is supplied through eases, eat almost anything, hide in the a hose at the end of the cleaner.

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POPULAR Where Canvas Still Is King; Glimpse of Some of the Vessels in the Alaskan Salmon-Fishing Fleet GLORY OF SAILING-SHIP DAYS STILL SEEN IN FISH FLEET The days of the sailing ship are all but past. Masts piled high with billowing can- vas are as rare a sight on the high seas to- day as was the smudge of a steamer fifty A notable exception is the fleet of square-riggers used for salmon fishing in Alaskan With the coming of spring, crews are signed on, sails sent aloft and “bent,” cannery supplies loaded, and they are off for the Bering sea. When they the the turn fishermen and daily set out in small boats, delivering the catch directly to the can- neries. years ago. waters. reach north, sailors In the fall, the men rejoin their ships as sailors and the fleet returns to winter quarters in San Francisco bay, near Alameda. In this stanch old ships, every one of them sound and sea- worthy, are some whose histories date back to the days of the Civil war. group of There are oaken ships, iron ships and steel ships, rep- MECHANICS resenting the struction. marine They range in size from to 3,000 net tons and include full-ri: barks and barkentines. vessels with three ages of passages to their credit, and most of | have had close calls. AMERICAN OWLS TO KILL RATs IN SOUTH SEA ISLANDS A shipment .of owls was recently from San Diego, Calif., to Lord How island, South Australia, to ‘be:used in ey terminating rats that have been thr ening crops ‘there. The principal produc: is palm seeds, and the rodents, arri) from mcoming vessels, had multiplied rapidly that they menaced the life of palm trees on the island. Attempts we: made to eradicate them with cats, but t plan failed, and consequently the were called into service. MEASURE AIR SPACE IN EGGS TO JUDGE QUALITY As an aid in the government’s effo: to further standardize different grades eggs, the department of agriculture | developed an instrument for measurit the air space in the eggs. It is used connection with a candling device and placed over the egg so that the air ce can be compared with measurement WAITED STATES STANDARDS 0 GRADES ~v EGGS Grading an Egg by Measuring Its Air Space; Chart Behind Gives Diagrams of Different Qualities printed on the gauge, and the thus more quickly judged. quality

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POPULAR MECHANICS ti With the Circus Candy Butchers cel Venders Are Keen Students of Human Nature and Help to Keep the White Tops Moving | By EARL CHAPIN MAY "| | We VER heard of a circus without Robinson show and John was seeking a peanuts ? substitute, he |] happened to drop a red horse hi. candy butchers’ challenge to the blanket into a tub of water, whereupon the : | ywners sitting on the circus seats or surg- public, which falls for the red beverage | into the sideshow and menagerie is mobbed the Robinson soft-drink stand nswered by millions of annual sales. “From being just a plain peddler, the lhe circus college, which gives him his candy butcher became a concessionaire cree after he has studied human nature who either bought the candy privilege om the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and outright or shared his profits with the’* Mm upper Canada to Mexico many years, ernor or owner of the show \lost big lays no favorites No pupil has a pull circuses now own their ‘concessions’ and th the hard-boiled faculty. Anvone hire some expert to manage them on salary ho gets a concessionaire’'s degree earns plus a bonu on the sales But the titl is honors honestly. Frank Gavin earned ‘concessionaire’ still sticks long ago. “The circus business will never change sale “Il take no stock in that troupers’ tale its nature or its appeal The elephant bout how John Robinson invented red clown and candy butcher will be fe ty lemonade,” says Frank. “That varn as- of our big-tented shows as long erts that when lemons were scarce on the hold the road. But while the circu

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</0 POPULAR never change essentially, changes of busi- methods follow business trends. When I was a candy butcher, working for $3 a week and sometimes get- ness normal ting it, the slogan of the circus lots was, ‘We're here today and gone tomorrow.’ Now it’s, ‘We're coming back next season.’ “In keeping with the increased respon- sibility of circuses, ‘gypping’ is no longer practiced on the circus seats; that is, it isn’t practiced on the larger shows. Time was, within most memories, when the boy in white coat who you peanuts or lemonade walked away with most of your change or charged you all he thought the trafic would bear. Now, on most of the better shows, the price you're to pay for anything you buy from the butcher is plainly marked on a sign he carries in his hat. Also, nine times out of ten, you can trust him with a $10 bill and he'll come back with all the change you're entitled to. “Contrary to the popular belief, most of the candy butchers’ business during the performances comes not from the high- priced reserved seats but from the ‘blues.’ “The color complex which prompted the good people to patronize old John Robin- son’s red lemonade controls our business to this day. sold People like anything that’s brilliantly colored, and red is the greatest

MECHANICS

favorite. So, while we have popcorn | made with both vellow and red sirup find that most of our stock is in the You'll notice that the little birdik that flutter from sticks which our sp: ists offer to the pulsing crowd, are b: vellow. These novelties were dead with us when they first came out in shades. That’s true of balloons, also the red, blue and yellow ones that go “Although my also department’s = income comes pretty close to ten per cent of w the ticket wagon handles each and ever day of the thirty weeks’ tenting sea each town and mands. town. district varies in its is a top-notch pea Brooklyn is a darb on ice-cre As soon as we go south, we k up on chocolate. “Peanuts will always be the most po lar, thanks to the human appetite—and 1 elephants. I’ve long marveled that t big beasts, which probably never met peanut in their native Asia, should be crazy about the goobers from our southe states, but soit is. I’ve seen ‘Alice,’ a o1 ton elephant, eat $20 worth of the hun backed, double-jointed delicacies and « Boston cones. it in one standing without velling for pare goric afterward. You don’t have to tea the circus bulls to boost my peanut game

Ready to Work the Streets during the Parade with a Line of Canes, Flags, Balloons, Whistles and Other Mer- chandise; in the Afternoon the Street Venders Turn Candy Butchers in the Tent

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POPULAR MECHANICS 277 ISS OF WEIGHT IN BREATH oman of average loses about an e an hour in mois- civen off by the and skin, and a 1 s loss is about one- higher. These in- ing results have | ittained by scientists | the Carnegie institute | recent experiments, | the aid of special inces. | wo scales re used, both suffi- ntly strong to sustain - weight of a man, yet | itive enough to re d extremely small nges in weight. One licated differences of | e-third of an ounce the other was 100 es more sensitive. th the aid of an auxil- L ry device, se parate How They Get the “Fighting Close-Ups” for the Movies: the Actor Literally easurements were made the losses from the skin and from the ungs, and other instruments gauged the mount of carbon dioxide given off, the centage of water in outgoing breath | also its temperature. RIDE WITH A PUNCTURED TIRE ON EXTENSION RING * Cn: lo prevent dam- ve and loss of me due to punc- tures, an English nventor has de- ised an extension rim and hard-rub- ber tire, to support the car in case the pneumatic unit be- comes deflated. It alwavs in serv- ce, easily put on or taken off, by means of the ein lightly longer bolts which are provided, ind takes the place of a spare tire, when the motorist does not wish to carry one. Wrestles with the Camera while Close to the Lens “WRESTLING” CAMERA IN MOVIES REGISTERS FIGHTING FACE ro show facial expressions ot actor during fights, a “wrestling” camera has been devised. It is similar to other instru- ments of the tvpe operated by an electric motor. but is mounted on a strong, spiral spring instead of on a solid base rhe actor grasps two handles in front and lit erallv struggles with the camera while the film records changes in expression, his face being but thirtv inches from the lens With this svstem, excellent close-ups can be obtained. MERRY-GO-ROUND MAIL BOXES SIMPLIFY DELIVERIES At a crossroad Penn boxes have been placed on a eel undet a shelter, so that the post n can gain access to all oO} them simply by turning the rack, and patrons are spared trou le in using their boxes. Only one is exposed ita time. The shelter ts of in the opening attractive ippearance

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278 POPULAR MECHANICS AIR BLOWERS INCREASE “LUNG” POWER OF AUTOS Did you ever see a fat man puffing uphill, gasping to get a little more air ° That's just the way an auto engine acts pulling up a steep grade im high, and supplying that ex- tra breath of air is the function of the supercharger. It's just a pump that fills the cylinders full of fresh mixture at every stroke. It doesn’t wait for the pistons to suck it im, but goes right ahead and pushes it into the cylinders under ing. For onet smaller engines be used, with be mileage. The n ern car of fi horsepower uw fifteen twenty horsepo only for average drivi the rest is reserve power for hills, celeration and { If you r this with one of twent driving. placed engin five horsepowe plus a supercharge the engine wou operate at better e ficiency under ave driving cond age pressure. You see. it takes about four teen pounds of air to burn one pound of gasoline, and the more air you can force into the cylinders the more fuel you can burn, and the greater the power. Super- chargers have developed along two dis- tinct lines, the positive and the centrifugal type. The first is a pump that takes in a large volume of air and forces it into a smaller cylinder, thus building up pres- sure. The centrifugal type builds up pres- sure by taking air in at the center of a rapidly revolving fan and flinging it out t the tips by centrifugal force, where its velocity is converted into still more pres sure by passing through a diffuser which slows up the air flow, and makes it more dense. It must operate very fast and give practically no pressure at speeds engine For this reason it is used mostls on racing cars and on airplanes, while the positive type is being perfected for pas- senger cars. low Of course, you’ve seen these little racing cars around the tracks. They are all supercharged. En- gines half the size of a Ford, and devel- oping six times as much power, that’s what the supercharger, does for them! scooting Gas is pumped into the cylinders at a pressure as high as twenty pounds a square inch. For passenger cars, the supercharger offers even more advantages than it does for rac- Examining a Supercharger Built for Passenger Cars, with Carburetor Attached tions, giving mot miles to the gallo of iuel, while the supercharger would suj ply the reserve power required. A sho while ago an experimental supercharge Acce! amazing was attached to a six-cylinder car. eration and_ flexibility were You could use high gear for starting and through traffic without From a crawl drive shifting bare the car picked uj; swiftly and smoothly, with never a jerk o1 hitch, when the throttle was pressed clea: to the floorboards. Valve timing, ignition setting and carburetor adjustment were less sensitive, and could vary appreciably from the correct value without affecting the operation, thus increasing the interval between adjustment and overhaul. As to cost, an engine that will develop fifty horsepower without a supercharger will develop well over seventy-five horsepowe! with one. The the fifty-horse power engine with the supercharger will be less than the cost of the unsuper- charged seventy-five-horsepower engine. cost ol ELECTRIC WALLS AND FLOODS GUARD BANK VAULTS A man touching a switch ten miles out- side of London can flood the big vaults of the Bank of England should a foreign army ever land in England or a now 4

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S reaten the security of its treasure Che structure is being rebuilt so e bullion vaults, in an emergency, be flooded from two other places, the bank itself and the other in a it place, the locality of which 1s a secret. Besides the an ingenious system ot ed concrete blocks is designed to er the vaults burglar proof. New are being built of concrete reinforced the wire of old ships’ cables. The ks are two feet thick, two feet wide and ieet long and the cables separated into nds and fashioned into a sort of mat- The units are locked together and tric wires connect them. A cracks- trying to pry through them, would ik one of the wires and sound an alarm. ully guarded ing devices, EAM CLEANER FOR TROUSERS PROLONGS THEIR LIFE Accumulations of lint and dirt are ckly removed from the seams of trous- s with an outfit which a Michigan man ; devised to simplify dry-cleaning. The sential part of the assembly is a clean- r wheel and blower operated by a motor. ne leg of the trousers is slipped on a tandard reversible cleaning board, the ims exposed, and in less than a minute, is said, all four can be ridded of dirt. Besides helping to increase the service- Blowing Dust Out f vith Motor Out- fit « in ability of the garments, the cleaner pro- Trouser Seams Job Is Done Less Than a Minute motes more sanitary methods. POPULAR MECHANICS 279 Carving Concrete Figures for Church Steeple near Paris; the Process Proves as Successful as Molding SAINTS CARVED IN CONCRETE FOR CHURCH STEEPLE The adaptability of concrete to decora tive purposes is illustrated in a church near Paris. Its steeple and the figures ot saints, and other ornaments on it, are made of cement, some of the details being carved by a French sculptor. WEATHER HUNDRED YEARS AGO AFFECTS GLACIERS TODAY Effects of the “dry seasons” of 150 years ago are revealed by some of the great gla ciers in the Canadian rockies Measure ments made by the Smithsonian institu tion suggest that the ice masses ‘have been receding at an increased rate latel\ indicating that there was milder and lighter snow fall about a century and a half ago. The conclusion is based on the rate of movement followed by glaciet which “flow” less than 100 feet in twelve months. Because of this snail-lil -e prog ress, it would take 150 vears for an effect to transmit itself from the ice field to the tongue of a three-mile glacier

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POPULAR MECHANICS tute to determine the e} i fect of the size of t wheels on the perf: ance of mine cars, the r if sults of the study being a | applicable to other tyy: These tests proved t the larger the wheel dia eter the was the relative friction and co: | | * Sane ¢: lower Car-Wheel Tests at the Carnegie Institute; Meas- urements Showed That che Larger Wheels Power Losses ble sequent loss of power a load-carrying capacit The power saving po on straight tra through the use of larg Reduce wheels may amount thirty-eight per cent making a change fr eight to eighteen inch: in diameter. AUTO HEADLIGHTS SET IN BUMPER REDUCE GLARE Klimination of the glar a Fi HOW BIG A WHEEL SHOULD BE ANSWERED BY TESTS The who utilizes the products of factory, mill and mine would hardly consider that the prices of many average person of these articles depend to some extent on the size of car wheels; yet it is a dact in the eyes of the moto istapproaching and bette illumination of the road, particularly at the sides, are claimed for an automobil: bumper with headlights. They shine di rectly down upon the highway and ar: too low to seriously interfere with othe: drivers, while the rays are directed in suc] a manner that they show the ditch at the side of the road without the use of spot that this is an item light, it is said. The which plays its part bumper is a strong in the cost of living. seamless tube, and The size of the car wheel is known to the lamp lenses are definitely so protected that have a they are little likely very direct bearing to break unless they on the load car- come in forcible ried. Giving the contact witha proper diameter to pointed obiect. the car wheel is, ee therefore, an im- @ Popular Mechan- portant factor in’ ics Magazine does obtaining a maxi- mum of service and speed and a mini- mum of resistance. Experiments have been conducted by the Carnegie Insti- not publish the name of the maker or seller of any de- vice described, but our Bureau of In- formation will fur- nish it, free. Bumper with Lights and How Rays Shine Down

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POPULAR MECHANICS 281 b LANTS’ NEED OF SLEEP IS SHOWN BY LIGHT TESTS Plants Need a Good Night’s Rest as Well as People, Experiments at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research Show; Above Is the Electric-Lighted Greenhouse; at Left, the Crane Carrying the Night Lights, and, Below, Plants, Showing How Too Much Light Kills and Not Enough Stunts Growth; the Control and Twelve- Hour Sunlight Plants Are Nearly Alike ~ ¢ te 9. we e

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282 POPULAR MECHANICS MACHINE TALKS, PRINTS AND SERVES AS A TEACHER PA By combining the principles of a pho- nograph and a print- ing press, a machine has been invented by \. L. Runyan of Los \ngeles, Calif., that translates languages, speaking and print- ing the correct words familiar mode of pression and syn- chronize it with lated unfamili modes of expre sion, seeing printed and hearing it spoken, will rey lutionize study of home foreig languages, it is ey pected. grant, The imn wishing to 1 learn Englis| would have a nig! Machine Showing Index Chart and Record Tape, Syn- chronizing Knob above Operator’s Left Hand and Cab- inet Open for Removing Record simultaneously and, with a proper set of charts and records, teaches shorthand, tel- both in the Morse and Conti- nental codes, music harmony, voice, plays a game of bridge, egraphy, printing each trick as played, and gives a general summing up of the game. Any child can operate it, and it lends itself to kindergarten study, giv- ing the child both the auditory and visual perception of the subject matter, teaching him reading and number work. With a set of bird records, it will print the name of the birds on record tape, give their song or call, or print the name and tell a story of the different animals, should he place such a set of records in the machine. It is a portable phonograph as well, weighing about eighteen pounds, ard will play any ten-inch disk Teaching with a phonograph is not a new but the ability to select any portion of the sound record, automatically repeat that portion record. idea, as often as you wish and print on the tape the contents of the sound record you are To select from an index chart subject matter in a hearing is a new development. school and a maste tutor in the ma- chine. To operate the machine, a set ot index charts is prepared in English by pro- fessors, having the lessons that are to be reproduced. Translations are made intothe languages, for instance into the French, set up in type and the accompanying record is recorded in French. This is put in the machine, and the synchronizer, when it is set at any particular square on the index chart, moves a related section of the print record to printing position and the sound reproducer to a corresponding po- sition on the sound record. Whena crank is pulled, the machine talks and prints the French translation of the chart. With sixteen double-faced index charts rubber-stamp sheets and sound records. the user can have at his command 10,000 words in index French or other language. The sound reproducer may be changed to an electric any one into a the reproduction for classroom or group study. and, by plugging ~s radio set, will amplify By giving each student an index lesson chart, any number could get the results at one time.

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[ER yf POPULAR MECHANICS JT STILL GROUND BY STONES PREPARED BY EXPERTS — > hough years have elapsed since man earned to prepare grain for bread by ing it between stones, a direct sur- of this process is seen in many mill- perations today and is clearly demon- ed in one where the layman would expect it. That is in paint making. tone-age process is still an important in preparing the protecting film for house, your automobile and many er articles. In several mills, before the nt is tinted and diluted with oils for consumption, it is ground between cial stones to crush the ingredients roughly and to insure perfect mixture he pigment. These stones must be of a ticular kind, to prevent glazimg and too pid or uneven wear. Some of the best es come from France and another ex- ent variety is quarried only a few miles om New York city. Dressing the stones the mill, that is, cutting the grooves nd furrows to afford a grinding, crushing urface, is a special task that only experts n do. The art is said to be known to ly a few men in this country. ELECTRIC VAPOR INHALER AIDS TREATMENT OF COLDS To supply hot, medicated vapor ior the elief of colds and various nose and throat ailments, an elec- | tric unit has been devised. It oper- ates on 110-volt house current and consists of a small heater which is placed in a glass partly filled with water, having a cone attachment that directs the vapor toward the nose and mouth. \ledicine used is held in a special container ind a metal cover over the glass prevents wasting of the fumes. The outfit is espe- cially useful when quick relief is wanted, saves bothering with stoves and kettles and, when not needed for inhaling, may be employed as a sterilizer for liquids. Cone-Shaped Pouring Pot for Applying Hot Asphalt in the Repair of Streets ASPHALT-POURING POT HELPS IN PATCHING ROADS For fixing breaks and cracks in private driveways, as well as public roads, a con- ical asphalt-pouring pot has been found helpful. The flow of the material is easily regulated and directed where needed, re- ducing waste and trouble. ENDLESS STEEL-JOIST BRIDGING SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD Reduction of cost, and greater durabil ity and strength are claimed for a steel substitute for wood as bridging between building joists. It is furnished in three sizes for different types of construc- tion, is applied with stretching wrenches and af- fords tension be- fore the load is placed onthe floor. It is painted with acid-proof paint and comes in con- venient coils 100 feet long. The steel elim inates weaknesses caused by poor fitting flaws and splits in wood bridging.

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284 POPULAR MECHANICS HOW SCIENCE GUARDS THE THINGS YOU USE DAILY A Chicago Mail-Or- der Company Main- tains a Laboratory to Test Samples of Everything It Sells. Above Is an Expert Testing Sugar, Es- sential Oils and Ex tracts, and Below Is a Light Test That Gives Suits and Other Cloth a Year’s Exposure in Forty- Five Hours Wear-Testing Ma chine, at Left, Whi Draws Abrasi‘ Bricks over Sample of Leather Beltin; and Shoe Sole Again and Again, t Determine He¢ Much Wear The Will Stand befor Giving Out; the Machine Was Built from an Old Aut mobile Crank Shaft The Hardness-Testing Machine, at the Right, Discloses How Much Life You Will Get Out of Your Anti- Skid Chains

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e) POPULAR MECHANICS EW PRINTING INK TO HELP RECLAIM OLD PAPER :oval of the ink is one of the greatest ilties in reclaiming newsprint and paper for use again, but this obstacle d to have been largely overcome in ik German experts have prepared. It iins chemicals which are said to fade ost completely under a half hour’s tment with an acid, yet it does not nge under ordinary light and air. A t blue, remaining after the acid treat- nt, is said to disappear in the pulping cess. Although it costs more than or- iry inks,a future saving is seen through expense in de-inking old paper. PUPILS ARE TAUGHT TO SPELL BY BLOCK MACHINE instruction and amusement are both af- rded children in a novel outfit combin- some of the features of the typewriter printing press. It has twenty-six one for each letter in the alphabet d an accompanying character. When a is pressed, a little wooden block ap- ears, bearing that letter. The block is ted out, placed in any one of several edges above the keys and another block btained by pressing a different key for aking up words or arrangements of num- ] ers. The key controls a magazine, each ontaining fifteen blocks, making 390 for e entire set. Each block bears two cap- tal letters, one in lower case and a charac- When finished with the blocks, the ild inserts each in is proper magazine holder at the top of the rack and it lides down, ready or removal again vhen its turn comes at the key. Chil- dren thus learn to associate the letters with the words more quickly and are aided in work- ing simple problems in arithmetic. There is space for a lesson of considerable Electric Heart Tester in Operation; Pulse Is Accu- rately Registered and Charted as It Beats under Pad ELECTRIC DOCTOR TESTS HEART TO DIAGNOSE DISEASE “Just let me slip this on your wrist, please.” The nurse adjusts a pad over the patient’s hand, a wire is connected and without the knowledge of the wearer, hi pulse is registered in another part of the hospital, where a doctor, examining the beats, can detect various heart ailments if they are present. The apparatus is known as an electrocardio graph. With its aid, heart beats have been broadcast by radio, so that a phy sician in one city can diagnose the heart trouble of person many mile away. The instru ment will scarcely disturb the patient, so that his heart ac tion stays normal in stead of being accel erated or modified by knowledge of the leneth on the rack. Blocks Arranged after Lifting Them from Magazines by Pressing Keys at Bottom; Feeder Openings at To; examination

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To Eliminate Cooking Odors, Per- fume Tablets Are Kept in Perfo- rated Holder Attached to Wall Compact Electric Range Which Cooks Entire Meal at One Time and Operates from a House-Lighting Circuit, Saving ad Costly Installations; Food Requires No Attention after Once in Oven, and Upper Heating Element Is Adjustable to Different Heights for Special Dishes Holder a Metal Hamper for Clothes Is Well Ventilated, Mouse- Proof and Has a Pedal for Opening the Lid, Sav- ing Stooping Over ————s eer eeeetente tee eee eae eneane Air-Tight Toothbrush Has Steriliz- ing Agent in Bottom, Fumes from Which Eliminate Bacteria a 7 Dirt Is Ejected from Collapsible Comb by Metal’ Teeth Formed on the Edge of the Holder

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inYOURH@ = ee vet oe 4 To Keep Cakes Moist and | Nyy , . Protected from Dirt, This a ~ Container Is Useful for Storing and Carrying Too, as It Closes Tightly and Can Be Taken on ‘Picnics ; the Lid Is Held by ‘Means of a Spring ‘Clamp Metal Clamp Holds Dishcloth or a Cork for couring and Utilizes Last Bit of Steel Wool, Reducing Waste Simple Tester Tells if Milk Has Been Adulterated by Ad- dition of Water Ejector on Serv- ing Fork Pro tects the Food and Fingers Too At Left, an Adjust- able Steaming Grid in Kettle Permits Cooking Food So That Valuable Substances Are Saved and Reduces Shrinkage; at Right, Is a Special Out- fit for Cleaning Floors, with Pockets for Brushes and Soap and Compartments for Cloths, Clean and Dirty Water

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288 POPULAR Personnel of the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, a Steam Line Operated Entirely by Two Men TWO-MAN RAILROAD SERVES KANSAS FARMERS Although it is operated entirely by only men, a nineteen-mile_ railroad in Kansas serves six stations and hauls hun- dreds of grain and other cars yearly. D. W. Platz is ticket agent, freight agent, train dispatcher, section foreman, roadmaster, conductor, fireman, and claim agent, while J. H. Hodges is engineer. When farmers along the line want a few two brakeman cars, they call Platz, the engine is fired up and the orders delivered. In busy seasons, a daily trip is made and at other times, three a week. WATER AND OIL PUMP FOR AUTO ALSO OPERATES HORN Quickly installed on the Ford car or truck, a water-circulating pump has an oil- pump attachment and a powerful horn which operated by a pedal on the floorboard. Power is supplied to the unit irom the fan belt, the water pump having a capacity of thirty gallons a minute and MECHANICS the oil, three gallons. The latter is so ad- justed that oil is sprayed on the connecting rods under any angle at which the car } be operating. A spray nozzle is screwed into the side of the crankcase directly front of each connecting rod. MUCH IS UNSEEN TO THE EYES IN RAY OF SUNLIGHT While the human eye is a wonderful in strument, it records but one-third of 1 sunlight, the rest being on wavelengths either too high or too low to register. Cer- tain insects are believed to see these rays that escape the human eye and their pre ence is manifest by their effects. Ult: violet rays, for instance, react on phot graphic plates, although our eyes cannot see them, and while the X-rays are invis ble, their “shadow” can be observed on fluorescent screen HORSES WEAR RUBBER ARMOR DURING BULL FIGHTS To shield them from the horns of the bull during fights, horses used in the ring of Madrid have been fitted with an armor: of rubber padding. It is adjusted so as not to interfere with the movements of the animals and guards them at vital points. Protection for Horses in Bull Fights; Rubber Padding De- signed to Ward Off Horn Thrusts without Interfering with Movements

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POPULAR MECHANICS 289 ) x - . 8 ov a \ ES the t] ‘er | a\ m I te is Hogs Coming from the Hair-Removing Apparatus; as Many as 1,000 an Hour Can Be Scraped in the Larger he Outfits of This Kind, Saving Hand Processes and Loss of Time 5 SCRAPING HOGS BY ELECTRICITY ther was fitted as a confectionery and re - freshment stand, and a third was remod : ELIMINATES USE OF HOOKS : nd a, t s remod eled into a home and rented for $12 a ” One of the most recent units to speed month. Two cars were rebuilt into dining perations in large butchering plants, is and sleeping quarters for a summer camp. outfit for scraping hogs. As the animals a aa trom pads. vat, they are ets LINOLEUM ON CURVED MOLDING eyed into a cabinet arrangement in which Ce eee - a PROTECTS BASEBOARD re sets of flexible scrapers. These are iid to thoroughly remove all hair and fo guard the baseboard against mop efuse, and aiter the hog has been cleaned, marks and other scratches and to eliminate t passes out of the machine. drops ona the usual crack where dust and dirt col 4 table and is ready for the next step in a tect, an mprove utchering. A separate conveyor is sup- ment in laying lino plied for salvaging the hair. The largest lachines have a capacity of 1,000 hogs an our. They save using hooks and insure reater regularity in handling. leum has been in troduced. Next to the base, a length of inverted quar ter-round molding RETIRED TOPEKA STREET CARS USED AS STORES Instead of being junked, several street cars, replaced by auto busses in Topeka, Kans., are in useiul service although they is placed, and the linoleum is carried up about si.» inches. A vet narrow molding placed at the top re no longer running. They have been to hide the edge converted into stores, cottages, tourists’ This plan results in a curved channel imps and chicken coops. A motorman around the room, so that sweeping is mo purchased one car for $50 and used it as a easily done, the base is shielded and a more display room for a stock of stoves. An- attractive appearance presented

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290 The Realistic Ribs of a Ship Buried in Sand, an Excavation and a Recovered Skull, with the Director Explain- POPULAR MECHANICS ing the Action; a Typical Set Manufactured for the Movies Doing the “Impossible” in the Movies Answering Strange Questions and Supplying Queer Things Quickly Is Function of Unique Organization “impossible” that belief or reason and supplying everything quickly, an 1 gcestas the swering questions are bevond from skeletons to ships, is the business of a Los Angeles organization. “Hello,” a studio calls. voice from a busy movie “How tall was Cleopatra ?” “Five feet, two and one-quarter inches,” is the immediate answer to a question that might have taken a studio’s research ex- pert a month or more to solve. Throughout the day demands and in- quiries pour into this amazing establish- ment, the like of which can scarcely be imagined: “Get us 2,000 lady bugs by Friday.” “Could the Gulf of Mexico be used as a And the him in location for the Bey of Tunis?” answer: “No, not unless you put a rowboat. He is a man and not a bod of water.” To give an idea of the extent of the stock carried by this organization, the Western Costume company, the present contents o! the building would dress and fully outfit over 25,000 people—and furnish thei: homes also. The reference library is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to motion-picture producers. Shelf upon shelf of books, pamphlets and intermingle common, costly and rare volumes. tomes with Every known science is represented, but books of travel predominate. These volumes are in charge of Edward Phillips Lambert, director of research. He supplies the answer to the comedy director who wants to know how the Eskimo says

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POPULAR MECHANICS Two Storerooms of the Movies; Above Is the Treasure Depart- ment, Where Valuable Antiques Are Kept; They Are Never Re- moved, but Copies Are Made from Them; Below Is the Ar- morer’s Department; the Gun- smith Keeps All of the Weapon in Repair

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Je POPULAR a condenses the plot of Hamlet after this fashion “Well, a man murders his stepfather out of re- love you,” and venge forthe slaying of his own father. And the crux of the play is a mix-up with swords and poison.” Wandering through the twelve floors which the es- tablishment comprises, is like taking a trip around the world—from prehistoric times to the present—and beyond. Many of the things to. be seen never existed except in someone's imagination.. The “Goofus,” for instance, has the tail of a fisi:, the wings of an eagle and the head of a mummy. There are miniature ships, including everything from a replica of Noah’s ark to a tiny ocean liner, and figures of saints, old liquor bottles, coffins, glass eyes and even stuffed elephants. The medal collection, comprising at least one duplicate of every known medal cast from the time of Julius Cesar, is con- sidered one of the best in existence. Orig- inals of this collection, as well as musical instruments, arms, saddles and a myriad of other priceless antiques, never leave the MECHANICS building. They are guarded as zeal as a museum protects its treasures. | duplicates are rented out. The shoe collection contains thou of pairs brought from all parts of world. Persian sandals, Indian m: sins, Chinese clogs and fur boots Greenland lie side by side; shoes of y shoes of straw, of paper, cloth and leat in all grades and all sizes. The arsenal contains practically eve fensive and defensive weapon that was ¢ used by man. Everything—from a club to a high-powered rifle—is there. A German machine gun, relic of the late \ frowns disdainfully on the long-barre silver-mounted guns of the Moors. A there are bayon belts, holsters hand grenade: stacks, and eve imaginable type sword—those of t! Crusaders besi: the greattw handed blade Richard the Lio: Hearted. Sra knuckles appe puny in comparis¢ with Stone Ax weapons, war clul and African spea No matter what t! movie director ma Molding a Statue, a Completed Mask and Wig, and a Worker in Ornamental Brass in Movieland

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Weird Bipeds Manufactured to Illustrate a Dream, Above, and, Below, the Saddlery in Which the Hundreds of Riding Sets Are Stored When Not in Use by the Cavalry, the Cowboys or the Hollywood Indians Who Ride through the Western Films

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294 POPULAR ask for in the way of a weapon, it is there. The armor collection shines like well- polished silver. And no wonder. It is kept as well oiled as the finest of machinery. Were the Knights of the Round Table to visit here they would go wild with envy. No longer would it be necessary for them suits that A lightweight substitute has been invented that has all the appear- ance of genuine metal but which is as light as felt. And it actually is felt—a compo- sition with a metallic around in_ steel weighed a ton. to stagger surface. A casual glance about the costume floors reveals uniforms of every nation and period of history—classified their Cowboy outfits, waiters’ togs, Chi- nese coolie dress, miners’ caps, all kinds of army and navy uniforms, tights and African “G” strings. In fact every con- ceivable piece of apparel, worn by humans since the beginning of time, is represented. There is the uniform worn by Gen. Sher- man of Civil war fame. Old and blue showing signs of active wear—it was pur- according to types. MECHANICS chased for $35. Embroidered on shoulder are two silver stars denoting rank and recalling the famous “Mari the Sea.” Hanging behind it is the form of Gen. Grant and one worn by A Farragut at the battle of Mobile bay Motion-picture cameras have bee perfected in the last few years that quality and texture of fabrics show wit] markable accuracy. For this reason very finest of silks, satins, linens, wool and furs are used—and tailored to m« ure. Therefore, your favorite star « and often does, wear screen clothing on t street and at social affairs. And when see what you think are antique furni ings on the screen, they really are as r resented. Exquisite importations that upholstered in the most delicate sha and tapestry are not “cheaters.” They genuine articles and many are priceless An idea of the tailors’ abilities to things in a hurry is demonstrated by t fact that 1,500 military uniforms have be: designed, made to order, and turned « An Elaborate Costume Piece That Required Much Research and a Vast Investment in Special Scene from a Film Depicting One of the Battles of Washington’s Continentals Equipment; a

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POPULAR MECHANICS 295 lete in every detail, including equip- within thirty days without interfer- ith regular business. Three or four umers in this department often get rush orders of fifty and one hundred umes on an hour’s notice. These are, uurse, taken from stock. ince someone sold a load of old cos- es for junk. The very next day there e a call from one of the upper floors rags—more rags. Beggar costumes re being made and old rags were needed. rags would not do. They photo- phed new. That little sale to the junk- which netted $12, cost the company er S900. Natural wear cannot be faked it least not for the eye of the camera. this reason even the most tattered cos- ies are preserved for the time when the y telephone calls for rags of streets of ris, 1870, or other similar requests. CLAMP FOR CONCRETE COLUMNS CUTS CONSTRUCTION COST lo simplity the task of holding the forms rr concrete columns in place, an im roved clamp now on the market is said to ave met the requirements of contractors ind is so easily adjusted that two men can attach sixty of them in an hour. They are used in connection with an iron strap which is anchored to the clamp, passed iround the column and through an open- ng ina drum on the clamp. This drum is then tightened ith a nut and locked when the desired tension has heen reached. The straps can be used repeatedly on col- umns of the same size, and the ‘lamps are said not to injure the forms in any way. @Old railroad rails have been salvaged for ties on an eastern line, two pieces being used for each tie; they are held together by metal plates welded in position at each end of the pieces of rail. Suit in Carrying Rack Which Is Slipped into Case, Keeping the Garments Neatly Pressed SUIT HOLDER FOR TRAVELERS KEEPS GARMENTS PRESSED For traveling and for delivering suits of clothes from stores or the tailor’s, a special rack that holds the garments tightly, so that they cannot wrinkle or become dis arranged, has been devised. It is made ot wood or fiber. Suits are easily inserted or taken out and use of the holder saves room in the luggage STEAM HEAT SOLD BY METER IN NEW YORK BUILDINGS Steam is bought instead of coal to heat and operate some of New York’s sky scrapers and apartment buildings. A re cent survey shows that more than seven billion pounds are being sold through meters annually to serve over 800,000,000 cubic feet of space. While discussion have been going on concerning the ere tion of central heating plants, forty-five miles of mains have been extended ovet More than 2,000 buildings, including some of the largest in the east side of the city. Manhattan, are each buying an average of 3,500,000 pounds of steam every year.

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POPULAR MECHANICS where time and labor- ing devices, such as popular in this count are winning approval. UNWASHED DISHES MAY BREAK Dishes in which gelat desserts have been serv: may be found broke: thev are leit standing some time without wa ing. The reason is tl when the gelatin dries exerts a force stro enough to pull the di apart or to chip it,inson instances. Egyptia1 similarly used woode wedges, soaked wit water, to split rock. r] expansion of the drie substances in the woo: caused the stone to brea! FLOOR FINISHER FITS CORNERS Places that cannot b¢ reached with the usual type of electric floor fin - . as 1 isher are accessible to compact unit now on the ahabeaieite: sie k market. It is equipped Evidence of Electrical Progress in Japan; Beautiful Tower at Recent Exposi- with both disk and drum tion as It Appeared under Floodlights to which sandpa per i BEAUTY OF JAPANESE TOWER _ ‘eadily attached by patented devices. For REVEALED BY FLOODLIGHT work in corners, against baseboard around curved edges and similar tasks, it Sparkling under the radiance of hun- is especially adapted, eliminating the need dreds of floodlights, a crystal tower was one of the spectacular features of Japan's electrical exposition in Osaka. The fair showed what great of hand work which is usually necessary when large machines are used. The out fit is run by a one-fourth or one-third horseps wer motor, strides have been furnished for direct madein recent vears in adapting electric- ity to the industries of the land of cherry blossoms. The de- or alternating cu rent at thirty-two o1 110 volts. One oi the special features is an automatic pressure release. As soon as the hand i removed from the erip, the finisher velopment has ex- tended to factories, street and interur- ban railways and to 3 - —_* . Polishing Close to a Rounded Corner: This Task Is ? the Japanese home, Possible with Finisher That Reaches Hard Places is disengaged.

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Speaker Built from Cigar Boxes By S. N. EDWARDS T neat and serviceable loud speaker wn in the photo was made from no «pensive material than a few empty soxes. Speakers of this type may be either on the table or hung on the If properly built and equipped with | speaker unit, the tone is remarkably for a horn of this size. The built-in supported only from the top and which type of non-rigid construc eems to add much to the tone. The proper should be built entirely ot box wood, as this gives the best tone tv; the casing, however, may be built 14-in. wood. e first step is to form the block for peaker unit. Three pieces of wood cut 134 in. square and glued one on top the other to make this block. When lue is thoroughly dry, a hole, slightly a, smaller than the nose of the speaker unit, is drilled through the center of the block Any good standard unit of the type ce signed tor phonograph or horn will make very satisfactory speaker. The block i then set aside and the inner-horn front and back pieces are prepared. These piece are 514 in. long, 3% in. wide at the top and tapering to 114 in. at the lower ends The horn sides are then cut, and a center line drawn on the board will be found helpful when making these; the widtl 1 at the bottom is 1% in. At a height of 51% in., on the center line, the width i 3% in., and from this point the sides are cut straight. On the front. side. this straight cut is 5 in. long but at the back itis only 2in. From this point, at the back, the sides are polygonal to form the upper “curve” of the horn. This mav be laid out Upper Left, Finished Speaker Showing Suggested Decoration; Above, Cutting and Trimming the Grill

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298 by marking off 1-in. “flats,” each at an angle of 18° to the next. With small brads and glue fasten the back, front and sides to- gether, and complete the upper curve with l-in. strips of the 4-in. wood. Fill in any crevices with glue and trim off the ends of the strips. The unit block is then beveled so that POPULAR MECHANICS the bottom. The “bulge” is 8 in. wide 4 the widest section, 134 in. from the bottom The sides of the lower casing are 8 334 in. and the upper sides 5% by 3 The bottom and top pieces are 534 by 33, in., the lower back piece 8% by 4% in. and the upper back piece 4% by 5% in. The casing is now assembled, the TH HORN GREEN al a ) » Je gh ” YELLOW 4-- it will fit inside the end the horn, where it may be fastened with slue or brads. Next, the grill front of the speaker is cut; this is 5% in. by 7 in. at top and 6% in. at bottom. design is cut lower of The out with a scrollsaw and any rough edges smoothed with a file, as shown in the illustration. The grill is then covered with a square of silk, glued to the back. The center front piece of the casing is 4% by 5 in., and the lower vaselike base is 3% in. high, 5 in. wide at top and 6% in. at \FRONT BACK i Construction Details, Showing Section View of Side, and Cut-Away View from Back: ing Scrollsaw in Cutting Out Lower Panel and Grill » | FRONT | | — HORN | \s |. BLOCK 13 SQ S| SPEAKER 7 UNIT of the horn being fastened to the rea of the grill by mean of brads at the points indicated by the small the four corners ot the front view and at the top. When the grill is in place, the horn is ported only from the top and at the four points at front, a floating effect be ing thus obtained that the clarity of tone. If care is taken in cutting and fitting, so that the assembly is solidly constructed, the results will be well worth while. The design may be outlined on the circles at sup Method of Us- Inset, increases

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with a tracing wheel, after the back d has been carefully sanded and lac- POPULAR MECHANICS [his design may then be filled in brushing lacquer in suitable colors, will give a pleasing and attractive rance to the finished speaker. e long tapered reaming tool that fits tandard brace is one of the handiest own. rging panel holes to fit various sizes instrument shafts or bushings, tool saves time as well as wear and on the experimenter’s patience. Drills not always available for the exact size the hole wanted, but it is an easy matter use a small drill and enlarge the hole to proper diameter with the reamer. a radio builder crews, Charging a Radio Battery When one does not feel justified in pur- ising a separate charger for the radio ittery, it can be fully charged within a hooked up ectric system, as shown in the illustra- mounted hours, if A knife erminal to the e post of the car The eads which connect to the radio battery may be set on the floor behind the front seat. The knife switch permits the current to be cut off from these leads when not used. advisable to provide a rubber mat under the stor- age battery to pre- vent possible dam- age to the floor rug. attery. two It is Wm. Rosen- blohm, Mountain View, N. J. switch is e seat, or in any other convenient posi- on. One end terminal nnected to the starter switch, the center ammeter, and nd terminal to the positive post of the dio battery that is to be charged, while e negative post is connected to the nega- Reamer a Useful Radio Tool can with of the switch is Quickly the auto under market. The large grill at the other with doors. Cabinet Speaker Has Eighty-Six-Inch Tone Chamber The lower photo s Method of Charging a Radio Battery in an Automobile Connections to Be Made for the Purpose and STARTER SWITCH? EE - ——E - _— _ —— \ fo « \ : \, AMMETER J JZ GENERATOR _ yy AwS.P.D.1 7 th 5 SWITCH A ‘ + . — ee Siren CAR RADIO BATTERY BATTERY GROUND OF CAR a 3 — 299 A new speaker, employing an 86-in. tone chamber built into a neat walnut console, has recently made its appearance on the Above, Front View Showing Large Grill; Be low, Rear View with Back Panel Removed The cabinet is large enough to be used for any table set and also provides ample room for batteries or power units. front of the type shown in the upper photo is backed with gold cloth, but other models are provided hows the rear of the console with the back panel removed: the horn is mounted at the front on sponge rubber cushions. The air chamber i scientifically de signed and is claimed to give flawless reprodu both high notes. The tion of and low cabinet is 34 in. high, 26% in. and 16% in. deep ° 4 wide batteries ah should be not more than six feet from the set if best re sults are to be ha:

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300 POPULAR MECHANICS poneoaneE $200 quired is approximately 3 a eR aa ——— The filaments are connected | AERIAL 1 rectly to a 4-volt battery with | a rheostat or filament contro any type. A 90-volt B-batter specified and the plate cur! drawn is said to amount to f 3 to 5 milliamp., or about that quired for a single-power tube standard make. One tube of type will give loud-speaker | |} ume on an inside aerial for stations and excellent volume | distant stations when used the ordinary outside aerial a Fic.2 | tube is known as type 3 N.F the inner-element construction Left, Internal Construction of Type 2 H.F., the Long-Distance shown in the photo at upper | Tube; Right, Simple Circuit Employed Fig. 1. The sketch at lower 1 Multiple Tubes Simplify Receivers illustrates the difference between the « and new systems; the new tube replaci: Multiple tubes containing three com-_ the standard units shown in the circk plete tube systems together with two re- When extra-loud volume is required, sistance-coupled amplifier stages and one’ much as 150 volts may be used on the p! loud-speaker stage, as shown in the dia- with very satisfactory results. The tube is fitted wit W7~- AERIAL a six-contact base and special socket is supplied although this entire sys tem has been incorpor ated in one unit, the tube is only slightly large than some of our powe tubes. rhe circuit em «A-BAT. ployed is extremely sim t}_- ; 1 : . pir ple, and merely consist of a variable inductance Liihhiii-+- LA : GROUND B-BAT. LOUD / Fic.! SPEAKER Upper Left, Inside Construction Pm f Triple Tube Type 3 N.F.; | ¢ Right, Circuit Showing Simple ; Connections; Below, Units Re- placed by the New Tube gram, Fig. 1, have re- | cently been introduced in Germany The fila ment voltage is 4 and the total filament current re

Page 129

al hi )] after which the con- POPULAR MECHANICS 301 condary being shunted witha variable enser, and the usual arrangement of | B-batteries. In Fig. 2a special tube nas type 2 H.F. developed for long- nce work is shown; in external ap- ince this tube is similar to the type .: it consists of two double-grid tubes the necessary coupling, as shown in liagram. The filament voltage for this is also 4, directly applied; a 9%0- B-battery and from 10 to 20 volts of ittery being required. This long-dis- e tube may be used as a first stage for tvpes of receivers; it is, however, par- tlarly suited for use in conjunction with tvpe 3 N.F. triple tube. lament-Control Units Simplify Wiring he simpler the wiring the better, both m the mechanical as well as the elec- cal standpoint, in wiring the radio re- iver. Long leads should be avoided erever possible, and the elimination of nnecessary hand-operated rheostats from e front panel will enable the builder to e much less wire. Automatic filament- ntrol units of the cartridge type may be ounted at the side of the tube socket, o1 everal tubes of the same type may be con- olled with the same unit if the proper re- tance value is employed. These con- | units require little room, and may be aced in any odd corner since, once in- talled, they require no further attention. Solderless Cable Terminals Snap terminals of the kind shown in e drawing, which come in different olors so that they can readily be distin- cvuished, are convenient to use on flexible, tranded battery wires, is they do not have to be soldered on, yet inake good electrical ‘onnection. About % n. of the end of the vire is bared and slid intothe bakelite sleeve, nector end is screwed on. This spreads the end of the wire in the sleeve, and binds it with perfect security. Push-Button Plug Corrects Polarity A push-button plug for correcting the polarity of the loud-speaker or phone con- nections 1S a new device offered to ra- dio fans. It insures maxi- mum_ results of speaker or headset by providing im- mediate means of ob- taining the correct polar- itv. Just press the button and you have it without withdrawing the plug from the jack or changing the connections. Handy Markers for Battery Leads Handy identification markers for bat- tery leads, now available, are made of polished alumi- num and can be clamped around the wire with a pair of pliers. As it is highly im- portant that bat- tery leads be care- fully marked to prevent mistakes ii in making con- Age AM uw fy i * IaH? nections, the tags are particularly handy in wiring console sets in which the battery leads are long and difficult to trace. The markers are made stamped in black and come in assortments of nine, bearing A, B and C-battery designations. Small Clamp Used as Vise A little metal clamp of the type used for holding small glued wood parts may bé« used as a vise for holding any small ob ject you may wish to solder. It is often diffeult to hold small parts while soldet ing, especially radio parts such as lugs switches, fixed condensers, etc. Get the tvpe known as the C-clamp; mount the back of the clamp between two = small blocks of wood and the result is a vise tha is very handy for small work.

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Ss afety First iw sightly but a decided liability, becau af IKE ar ny oO ther piece of electric sally operated appat “ the radio set requires intelligent installation for sai convenience and efficient functioning. Early radio ex; \ menters, interested only in results, had to use such equip: \ as was readily obtainable, and the work progressed am \ \ jumble of unsightly wires, batteries and charging devi \ } Chen the console cabinet came into use in an effort to hide LIGHTNING } : mess and was partly effective, though the were still cnouno // and ground wires and a tap from the lighting line strete Mn around the room behind the picture molding or tac] — 4 os to the baseboard. The cost of the console keeps ‘ 4 HY of those who already have a good table-type cabir oT if from buying one, and their batteries remain in p!| % ; ‘ view or partly hidden in a dark corn z té,) Installations of this type are not onl 4 ~ damage to rugs from spilled battery a and short circuits caused by trailing wire Zz a SS Ses PS = = are likely to occur. Within the last few months the SSR a See spread use of B-battery eliminators a he Oy V a higher B-voltages and trickle chargers |] not only complicated the problem of h ing these accessories, but has introduc: a need for better insulating and more o derly installation. Any electrical dey operated from the house- t cause serious shock if the body is wel grounded, as has been demonstrated times when people have tried to use ele trical devices, such as curling irons or mas sage machines, while in the bathtub or contact with a well-grounded water ot plumbing system. There is no particular case known to the writer where such acci dents have happened to users of radio sets but now that the house-lighting current i employed, the sensible thing to do is to take the same precautions as employed for lighting current When installing the new set or modern izing the old, the part to begin with is the aerial, and the sketch in the insert on thi page shows ~ correct method of bring any other devices using B- ELIMINATOR ing the aerial lead into the building. Note | — J B- DET. 90 135 that the insulator tube is slanted from = | [| i the inside down so as to prevent the entry shesal of water during rains. A lightning arrestet A+ __B- Beper. Be wh. “ae should be installed on the outside of the building in the manner shown, and run to

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Receiver Installati By Frank LBvittin: =| —= z outside ground; this protects both building and the set, and requires no ntion later on. The switching device vn in the diagram at the bottom is of manually operated type still in com- ) use by the experimenter, and is safe ugh when properly installed. How- it is not recommended where there small children about and is shown y as a comparison between the old and methods. With the new devices now the market, safety and neatness are th possible, for the A-battery, B-elim- tor and charger can be removed to the ement (directly below the set) or hid- il away in a near-by closet, and the wires ried through the wall in insulating tub- ¢ to a plain brass outlet plate little dif- rent from the wall outlets in common e for portable lamps and other fixtures. With such equipment the radio set can disconnected as easily as a floor lamp —— Sf == - Yar and moved to permit cleaning of the room, since it is neither tied down by a mess of wires to a lot of batteries, nor weighted down, as in a con sole cabinet, by fifty or sixty pounds of accessories. A very complete installation of this type is shown on this page, and, in addition to the battery equipment, aerial and ground connections as well as loud speaker outlet, facilities for other rooms are taken care of. If it is impossible to run wires in the wall, the outlet plate can be placed in the floor, and the multi-cord cable plugged into it or, as an alternative, a small hole can be bored through the floor and the wires brought up through it from the base- ment and directly to the set. When bat- teries and charger are placed in the base- ment or in a closet, an automatic switch is almost a necessity, and during the past few months several highly efficient devices ¢ LOUD SPEAKER y REAR OF SET Dp iP - -——S eo tull ; T ae 10-voLr Wisi OUTLET _TRICKLE ““ CHARGER ~-FB- ELIMINATOR TRICKLE CHARGER’ CABLE MARKERS of this type have been placed on the mar- ket. Care must be taken to select the type best suited for your equipment; the rela) switch shown in the diagram given at left. is available in two types, one, a series type for use with sets emploving tubes having a current draw equal to or greater than six UV-199 tubes; the other is a multiple type for use with any set. Connections for the

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304 POPULAR MECHANICS : ~ } nects the charger. This instrument 4”PORCELAIN KNOB for use with the older types of char 3 A | employing an auto-transiormer . in ne Bey construction, such as the vibrating ie tH or the older model of the Westing] Renee charger, unless a condenser is connects series with the ground lead of the set j .006-mid. molded-type condenser is oe . - | ommended in this case. MULTIPLE PLUG = n tl i ~ : lot le curic — A aN WIZ. —_ — - cu ) The home completely wired for rad that it was a year » | \YO10 water Pipe TO BATTERIES. y sO ago, since ra IN BASEMENT IN BASEMENT i broadcast recept has become such st type ire indispensable e shown in the dia ment in the hoy gram, but the con- lite of the typi 1 t OUTLET ‘ . ; nections for the sec- | BEDROOM American fami ond type are very [)zZa ——— — that it has out similar. The relay VY grown the livir > : OUTLETS . rs is used for the pur UV) y Pall room. The hou ; stoehinge Gorurtwa ye ; o£ 1 1 pose ot switching O— 7 > wite, busy about he such devices as | OUTLETEY | T | daily work in var trickle chargers, B- i ous parts of tl eliminators, etc. It | fi house wants to may be used to con DINING 1} LIVING ROOM | ten in on progra nect and disconnect ROOM U {| bs especially broade i : either a trickle : for her; she cann 1 4 a charger or a B-elim- inator, or it mav be ~\ i used to connect and i A disconnect both by & = —— ; simply operating the filament switch on the set. Another and similar device is shown on page 306; this unit is tapped for use with 3 to 5 tubes drawing 34 to 114 amp., and for 5 to 10 tubes drawing from 1% to 2% amp. It will be noted that both of these devices are designed for use only with chargers of the trickle type. An automatic control unit for use with 5-volt tubes and a 2-amp. tungar charger is shown in the basement assembly on page 305; this new device has lately made its appearance and solves the auto- matic switching problem where 2-amp. chargers are involved. The diagram given below the photo is self-explanatory, and requires little comment, charger and B- eliminator being automatically controlled by the fil ent switch on the set. When the set is 1 in use, the charger is auto matically connected to the storage A-bat- room and get any work done: radio ha tery and the charge continued until com entertainment for the summer evening plete, when the unit automatically discon group on the porch; it is used in the set

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POPULAR MECHANICS 305 juarters; to provide music during for the morning setting- rcises and to tell bedtime stories to ner hour; dren. If advantage is to be taken it is necessary to pro- priviie2kes, peaker outlet in each of the various This is not difficult but must be The wiring may be as or as elaborate as pocketbook and may dictate; it is often, unfortu- .a temporary type of exposed wiring lly done. e to the eye, as well as a sample judgment in handling electrical It should bea permanent, concealed job, either built into the house un- struction, or installed in the house ly built. The diagram at upper left is to be distributed, and then consult the radio electrical contractor re : ; ge garding the installation, or undertake the work himself. dealer or It is always best to wire for high voltages even if the present set is a small one requiring low power, so that the wiring need not be torn out to accommo date a larger set. The wiring should be in accordance with the fire underwriters’ re quirements, and if the home is under con struction, it can be run in flexible armored cable or conduit, side by side with the usual electric wiring. If the wiring is to be installed in a house already built, it may be of the concealed variety, run in flexible armored cable which is slipped between the walls and floors, or the much simpler 304 will reader an usual on page ive the , : ‘ dea oft the 4 hs am lh. — 17) method of = using { + 4° 2 AMP. CHARGER neat metal molding may be This employed. ' molding, a ethod employed. here are no fixed exposed to ules as vet for ra- lio wiring, so each ise must be han- dled individually vith the safety fac- tor always in the foreground rhe home owner must is not objec especially painted he color lls, ceiling ork \ section of the \\ ood short is shown 304 to A- BATTERY” molding decide just to what on page extent radio service vether with a tee

Page 134

POPULAR and cross, required at junction points. I smoothing tl bows. or course, are aiso available Che ground floor plan gives the readet an idea damage the BATTERY +A TO SEF tA

the program tions of the «

and inscri

— | NWOV.SOCKET | { CONTROL _ Pe eee) SS | The dial is UNIT A-TRICKLE *

MECHANICS coming Ww eek ; } ie surface with the hot ] acyoining favorite programs little device, of simple desired laily A handy little chart giving the t his should be careiully done so a surface: an Time Chart for Daily Programs cation of polishing wax or furniture | will then blend the repaired surface it will be difficult to locate the flaw. broadcast each d shown in the accompanying sketch [ construction, referring to the daily papers in sear Most Sunda papers Carry a Col divided into seven 5 | these programs are se ( é ibed on the dial card opposite time, identifying the station with the hx schedule of local-station programs for sectio CHARGER ~ one for each day, and may be made cardboard or celluloid. It is 4 in. in di <: , mo~ Tag eter, each of the seven segments be =e : &: —” of the week and the hours as shown for laying out a similar plan covering his own requirements. The wires are shown away from the walls for the sake of clarity; the outlets in each room should be laid out in parallel and not in series. By this means, any number of outlets can be used at the same time without interference, and without switches being required at the remaining outlets. When laying out your wiring plan, group the outlets and select the location of the set so as to require the least possible amount of wiring; this idea is illustrated in the diagram.

Repairing Defects in Radio Cabinets etch at

Flaws in radio cabinets or consoles caused by cracks in improperly cured wood or accidents that sometimes happen regard-

ess of the amount of care taken by the

cabinetmaker, can often be repaired by the tollowing simple .method. A special le

+4 ix for this purpose obtainable at all finishers’ supply houses and comes in va <= rious colors to matcl the woodwork on which it is to be used. Use a thin pliable blade su is an artists’ patula, heat the blade | the wax over a gas or alcohol dial. The di flame nd app the t wax with the hexagon nuts sparingly, the upright

WwooD BRACKET

NUTS AND iai WASHERS Hi]

left show cuts fron held in posit by front n the upright desired.

means mall thin Ss i bra permanently inscribed in ink, with the « \ tion letters should be entered with a pe so that they may be erased as changes n demand. The sk completed unit and the simple tion details are shown at right; + constru the sta is 8 in. high and may be made of cigar-b: wood. The wood dial is 4 in. 7 ‘ scrollsaw, or a section removed by straig! + outer edge cove}! oO! acket bent os plove lo the cellul d dl, between as shi Craig, New Yor! in diamet: and drilled at the center for the shaft; window at the top may be cut out wit!

17 l 1e manne!

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POPULAR MECHANICS 307 ninum Shields for Standard Sets around the pipe, and it is then allowed t slip back until the edges of the slot cat ling radio engineers have long rec the proper notch Then the thumbnut i the fact that proper shielding is tightened, which makes the band securt portant necessity in a receiver to- around the pipe and prevents it from get ge ee i ' : Completely Assembled Set Mounted on m Chassis with Front Shield in Position; Sides in Position, Back and Top Assem- bled in One Piece and now complete aluminum elds are available for most of the dard sets. These shields are sup- d in the knocked-down form and e very simple to assemble. The per photo shows the Nine-in-Line — perheterodyne mounted onanaluminum ting loose. There is sufficient surface to sis, and with one of the metallic front insure a good electrical contact and the elds screwed to the rear of the front bared end of the ground lead from the re nel. The lower photo shows the sides ceiver is fastened to the snap clij hich place. The top and rear shields assen holds it securely The clamp is made ot led in one unit are easily placed in post heavy copper for strength and durability n or removed to get at the set and can be used on pipes ranging trom 2 in. in diameter. Adjustable Ground Clamp Fits Any Pipe Features not fouad in érdimary cround Ribbon Aerial from Old Ford Part imps are embodied in the one shown in \ ribbon aerial can be made fro he illustration. , carded Ford magneto field coil. Each cotl No tools are & contains 11 feet of copper, ribl needed for it | ] nd these « ne st ) oO stallation, the dere tovethe unt the ce ‘ ‘ ind being sim- obt | | make \ vod ae ply pulled through the slot @ lt vou wish to add materially to the liagonally pearance of your set have the panel en hich prevents eraved after all necessary holes have bee from binding drille The average cost of this worl intil it is pulled tw ] ] wo cents per tettet and most deaters Pp snugly

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308 Three-Barrel Hydrometer Easy to Read Ordinary hydrometers have one barre! and a weighted, graduated float inside. It often happens that the low level of the electrolyte in a cell does not permit enough to be taken up into the barrel of the hy- drometer to raise the float sufficiently, which makes it impossible to take a read- ing. Another objection to the usual form of hydrometer is that the float, which is 5| TIME TO j | RE-CHARGE made of glass, is apt to break. | Both of these | troubles been come by the novel three-barrel hydrometer shown in the photo. Only a spoonful of electrolyte is needed to obtain a reading. DEAD have Oovefr- Each barrel contains a float of different specific gravity. If the solution raises all three floats, the battery is fully charged; if it raises the medium and small float, it is half charged, and if only one of the floats rises, it is time to recharge. If none of the floats rise, the battery is completely exhausted. tip extension on A special the nozzle is provided to facilitate testing storage B-batteries. Adapting Short-Prong Tubes to X-Sockets \ simple but effective method of con- verting the UV-type base tubes so that they may be uSed in X-type sockets is to standard prongs. solder phone-cord tips to short This is a simple matter for anvone having an electric lin the ‘ soldering iron. inside shank of the phone tip and | also the short prongs of the tube. Slip the tube prong and I the phone tip over place tl e hot iron against the tip. It wi not require much heat to make the two adhere, and when this ts done to al rout POPULAR MECHANICS tube contacts, the tube may be slippe: the new X-type socket without any ble. It is essential that the contacts ji) socket make the right connections wit! tube prongs, that is, the grid prong connect with the socket contact car the grid-circuit connection, etc. Th formation may be obtained from an struction sheet furnished with the st ard tubes. If this is not handy, tak: extra X-socket and push the tube int You will then note that the filament tacts are under the socket. large holes in Most of the newer X-type soc! have a small engraved arrow pointing the grid post, and in this case the tub: pushed into the socket with the pin on side of the base in line with the arrow Umbrella Aerial Several types of aerials are now on market, which are designed to occupy space, and most of these are in the f of a conducting device such as a ball, she of copper or brass, or a wire coil mount: on a standard, which in turn has a spe I base permitting it to be fastened to roof. The “umbrella” aerial shown in drawing also belongs to this class. It ] a 100-ft. length of wire wound over t! insulated ril and is collap ible, permit ting it to | dismantle: when ~ movin loc: As it re quires vet little is especial] toa new tion. space useful to radio owners living in apartment building selec tivitythanthat Greater SIDE VIEW of a straight line aerial 1 A claimed for this type, and it ha no di memmsse rectional qual ities. No guy wires are needed to hold in position and the outfit comes complet:

Page 137

Facts and Fads for Radio Fans

Upper Left, Capt. Paul Edwards of U. S. Signal Corps with New Trans- mitter for Communication between Ground and Planes in Flight; Above, } Miss Mary Texanna Loomis, President and , Lecturer of Loomis Radio % College, Demonstrating re ” = fe- <= One of Her Transmitters

Built for Experimental Purposes, This Large Horn Employs a Ten-Foot Air Column and Is Made of a Plasterlike’ Com- position; It Is Claimed to Reproduce with Fidelity Both Bass and Treble Notes

Ray Hurling, Owner of the Trained Seal, Persuaded His Pet to Address the Radio Audience of Station WEEI at Boston; Bob Emery Is Hold- ing the Microphone

Page 138

310 Twin Rotor Condensers in Gang Form Several new adaptations of twin rotor variable condensers are now available ior the radio builder. This popular type of condenser is unique in that both sets of Above, Three-Gang Type; Below, Sin- gle Condenser Unit plates gears. rotate, driven bakelite This construction results in com- plete insulation of the dial shaft from the plates, allowing the dial to be grounded, The three-gang type, shown above.at the upper left, is mounted on a frame of die-cast aluminum with black crystalline enamel finish ; being by and eliminating body capacity effects. special staggered connections ot plates make it self-shielding, preventing interstage The lower sketch shows a single condenser of the same type fitted with a special drum dial; the drum carries easily mounted calibration strips upon which call letters may be written. This drum is rotated by means of the small knob shown at front, a spiral coupling. station gear giving quiet operation without back- lash. A socket and lamp are furnished for illuminating the dial at front; the dial-in- dicator plate is easily mounted. Disposing of the Hot Soldering Iron One of the most useful tools the radio builder is the electric soldering iron, but, since this very necessary tool gets for hot on the tip and stays hot, it must be care- fully handled. It must not be carelessly disposed of when not in immediate use, but some sort of stand should be devised to support the hot tip above the surface of the table. 1 } ’ block Oo! Crossed nails, driven into a wood, make an efficient tempo- POPULAR MECHANICS rary stand, but a stand of this type kk the hot tip exposed, and there is da of the hand coming in contact with it of damaging some near-by material simple method of keeping the tip out the way is to bore a hole through work table near the front edge and d: the hot portion of the iron through t hole when it is not immediately requir the handle supporting the tool. The } should be plenty large enough to pass copper tip and shank, but not the han and in this position it is out of the but readily accessible. Another point worth remembering is to turn off the c rent when the iron is no longer requir« absent-minded experimenters known to leave the current on unnece sarily many hours at a stretch; have be: this not only a fire hazard but is decidedly | for the iron. A simple method of ov: coming this difficulty is to install a socl and switch on top of the table in pla view, then use a two-way socket in t] first one, employing a pilot lamp in o1 side and plugging the iron in on the oth: side. The lamp burning is a constant minder that the iron is hot. Bottle Makes Battery Filler An ordinary bottle, with two glass tube extending through the stopper, makes device for adding dis tilled water to storage A and B-batteries, es pecially B-bat teries. The cor] or rubber stop per is drilled fo: the tubes, which handy are bent as shown by hold ing them ovet a hot flame un til soft. The bottle may be held in an in- verted position and no liquid will run out of the delivery tube while the end of the air tube is closed by holding the thumb over it. The amount of water added to each cell can bs easily controlled.

Page 139

' The Tricks of Camping Out By EARLE W. GAGE }." )R summer camping or hiking, elabo rate clothing supply is an incumbrance. a short trip, special clothing is unnec- iry. Old do. If outing things will thes are bought, they should be of rain dding duck, khaki or forestry cloth. ter travel in lightweight things, with to put when resting. is invaluable and may take the ice of a coat if something waterproof is ovided rain. This a waterproof silk cape, rments on 1 al weater an against be my poncho or may bout 4 by 7 ft. in size, with a slash in the and high boots, but bloomers and short skirts will do; an outing shirt is bette than a middy blouse, and woolen shirts are better than cotton, except in very hot should usually be lightweight 1g > weather. Underwear medium-weight cotton = or Felt hats give best all-1 rr. &. a oa 7: ound sery 1( e. 7 WoOOl, 4 center for the head, also serving as bed- ding. \ W oolen cruisers’ shirt of closely woven both and Men should wear leggings or Women usually wear knickers goods serves as coat WW aterproot. high boots.

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POPULAR Buckskin gloves, without cutts, are good for work- ing around camp and to keep off mosquitoes, but hop pickers’ gloves will do. canvas It is also a good idea to take along a yard or quito two of mos netting, especially in the mountains or for sites near low water. most im- Comfort- able shoes and wool socks Footwear is portant of all. are absolutely essential. The uppers of the shoes need not be of the heaviest weight but the should be thick, as they keep the feet from hold hobnails, im portant because soles become slippery on soles tiring and New shoes should be broken in before starting, forest trails. for blisters are danger- ous as well as painful. Avoid narrow heels. If your ankles turn in or out, running yout shoes over, buy side plates that screw to the heels and stiffen the counters. and ankle straps, buckled outside the shoes, are excellent in steep country to prevent jamming the toes and blistering the heels. Instep Always have insteps tightly laced. If, after all, heels slip and blister, MECHANICS ram with a stick as n cotton Or MOSS as you ¢ between heel on b sides. This prevents s ping. Moccasins will found restful after a h: day’s hike. Trunks, suitcases, ¢1 and satchels should ne\ be taken on camping trips; the roug incident to can force in ankle and extende usage ing will soon ruin the: Aside from this fact, the are very inconvenient handle, especially if pack horses are to used tor transportation. Extra clothing and other personal equi ment are best carried in a heavy cany bag, known as a “duffle” bag, be purchased which ca firm handli1 Such a bag is fitted wit a canvas loop or handle at one end an from any sporting roods. another at the side; the top has an insid hood, which should be waterproof, a1 the bag is shut with a drawstring or ba lock which is passed through eyelets the open end. A tarpaulin is used as a protection to! the bedding when the latter is rolled into “ve dag ihm » ah anit edi

Page 141

POPULAR MECHANICS

pack or made up n on the ground. e best size is 11

15 ft., or the same e as a regulation von sheet or cover. should be of not less than 8-oz. uck, and should weigh approxi- ately 10 Ib. No waterproof anket need be included in the edding if a good grade of tar- iulin is used. A 30-ft. length of in. manila rope is used to tie the ed for packing. Amateurs cannot handle or care r pack animals and should never ttempt a trip on which they are to employing an expert Auto 7 scale up e used without packer as well as a complete outfit. quipment may be had on any kitchens and Gasoline or kero- running-board trailers, pecial beds and tents. ene stoves are labor-saving and practical <cept for heavy cooking and baking, ob- lating wood rustling and trouble with The prime requisite of all with the hire wardens. auto equipment in food supply is that it be dust-proof. All covers should overlap and close down on Plenty of canvas covering is connection lelt straps. also a good thing to use. For back packing in the woods, there are four standard devices, their relative superiority being much a matte sonal opinion. 1 he canvas pack straps 1s simple, easy to load bought in any size or defect is that it is rather the shape and weight of the l rest too low on the bac , 4 : he nacl 1 wavs ride high The pack boa likely wil 1 iould al is a lat wooden frame with shoulder strap The load is lashed to it or suspended in sack into which the frame is built. A var ation of this form is one made of hollo

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POPULAR MECHANICS tubing to provide ventilation, and is bent so that cross webbing bands rest against the body. One of the most common and best devices, if emploved with some skill, is the bedroll. The is folded lengthwise, until it is about wide, with tl old-timer’s blanket o. at: ie edges lapping over the food and small articles, which are first laid com pactly in the center and near one end. The roll is begun at this end to torm drical bundle, cylin with all the hard articles in the center. Straps or cords around each ‘nd hold it firmly,and to these the shoulder traps are attached, together at the top and eparated a foot or more at the bottom, to prevent s\ put in ; Sometimes the roll is sack before strapping Lying. Gunnysacks and overalls furnish a vari ation of the above system and this equip ment is preferred by many. The leg bot toms of a pair of old soft , overalls are tied to ~ the bottom corners of a gunnysack with a chip or pebble i each corner so that the string will not slip off. The load is placed in the sack, the top of which is gathered down as close to the load as possible and there lashed with which are h ered exactly at the crotch. a string to the overalls, gat The lezs form the shoulder straps, and the waist is spread back over the pack to shed rain Always use some method of suspending even a light both shoulders Anything on one shoulder, even a long slender blanket roll, is very tiresome. See pack from that the shoulder straps are not too wide, narrow, tight, loose or hard. Keep the pack as high as possible without binding the

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POPULAR MECHANICS the chest, or it will tip back and small of the back, and also tire you ving. to the badly slung pack the com- st errors are too much load and too speed. Avoid non-essentials and ite articles in the party. Anything 25 or 40 Ib. is too much to carry eniently. A four-day trip can be made rtably with less than 30 lb. Always slowly and rest often. e most important thing to consider choosing a camp site is the supply ter. This is absolutely essential ex- at temporary camps, where water is ided in canteens. When mp is to be more or less permanent, it ld be located at a point far enough from the source of water supply to ent its contamination from se, if this is allowed to accumulate. use should always be burned or buried, attracts flies and other insects. 1el is the next important item to con- er. Ordinarily, where camps are estab- ed in wooded regions, there will be ind sufficient dead wood for all heating But if \ilable and a camp is to be made in the en country, dry stock manure will prove barrels or camp cooking purposes. no wood is 315 substitute. This is the fuel the old-time pioneers used when crossing the prairies, where they sometimes saw no trees for months. an excellent The accessibility of the camp must also be taken into consideration. and supplies li equipment transported by means of wagons, it is especially desirable are to be to have the camp located at a point which wagons may reach without difficulty and where there is plenty of room for backing or turning them about. The camp may, however, be located in a } "4 Ae ae much rougher place, if pack ani mals are to be used to carry the equipment and supplies. [In either event, it should be so located that it will provide Casy a Ms 3 fa la“ 4 access. After the questions of water, fuel and accessibility have been sat- isfactorily set- tled. the one

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316 POPULAR MECHANICS of protection should be considered. Win- the side bars, but 34-in. lengths of ter camps located on northern slopes, iron, bent as shown, will be more W hich h ive little sunshine or are covered factory ‘ Tw Oo holes are drilled in the with he timber, are usually dreary and dle so that the side bars can be secu uncomtortable (On the othe hand, suni- screwed to the CTOs member. mer camps located on bare, exposed south lopes are also uncomfortable When ‘ 2g: ia Casein Glue camps must be established in country \\ here stock oTraze it large, it is alway s Casein olues are sple ndid for woody ( advisable to construct some sort of fence ing, for making cardboard articles. around the tents when the composition is varied somew] To be continued) make excellent cements for china metals. To make the glue, soak a quant ° -_ f “2c eR] r) voier . houre +t “ ' Carrier for Firewood of casein powder two hours in an e WW] Ry ed j ; weight of hot water. fo this gut en od Nas to be carried into the 1 1 : 1: : ; ; mass add one-seventh the weight of 1ouse from a wood . » yar : “ae a ' ) 7 or pile in the yard, the casein ia borax. which has been Ga in very little hot water. Stir until al __ STRAP dissolved aiter mixing borax and ca . IRON ry. ; o49 y This can be thinned with water to M ° 1 ’ 1 ° and is a good glue, but it can be m «s 4a rote ; : WE more adhesive by the addition of a litt sodium arsenate. Any alkali, such as s 2X4 X12 -" BROOM HANDLE | or ammonia, can be substituted for borax. To make a china cement, lime « water glass should be substituted for t] borax. Addition of burnt magnesia ‘reases the speed of h irdening. Electric-Light Telegraph While radio is the modern means of code transmission, even the simplest send ing set is costly and needs a special license to operate it. For the boy who wishes a1 efficient and inexpensive telegraph systen one can be built that will transmit mes sages over a considerable distance. Gov ] ernment experiments have shown that a common auto headlight will transmit read able signals for over 150 miles, so, with two outfits similar to the one shown in the illustration, signals can be sent and read by two operators miles apart, as for in . 4 stance across a wide harbor or lake, or Convenient Method Carrying ] “14 . 1 . 2 . ce ‘tT\Wee 11 T)S S11C! TATISTNISSIO! Firewood without Soiling Clothes ¢ yveen two hilltop ; Such transm 1 l must necessarily be done at night, and, by task is rather unpleasant, especially dur- ‘mploving lenses that will shoot a narrow ing rainy weather. The provision of a beam, messages can be confined to a fairly carrier of the kind shown in the drawing traight line and not be noticeable out of will be found to lighten the work consid- the line of the light \ 32-cp. bulb and a erably and it will also protect the clothes torage battery can be used. The outfit to some extent. The handle consists of a is constructed as follows: Make a heavy 30-in. length of old curtain pole or broom wooden base, at least 18 in. long and 10 stick. The crossbar is a piece of 2 by 4- in. wide. Near the right end, fasten a in. wood. Barrel hoops can be used for common telegraph key. Some_ space

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Work. POPULAR MECHANICS 31 d be left to the right and in front of ey for the operator’s hand. Then, at eft and about 3 in. from the end, nt two metal trunnions as indicated. se are merely angle irons with a pivot in the center of the uprights. They be made from any fairly stiff metal. e them 4 in. apart and between them ot a wide U-shaped piece with a hole the center of the horizontal side into ch the threaded end of the headlight nk is fitted. Two washers and a nut ve to hold it in place but allow sufficient so that it can be turned if desired. e U-iron can also be swung forward or ckward, and is locked by a wingnut on e of the pivot bolts. Drill the light ink as suggested, and insert a handle - turning the light. Place two binding sts on the baseboard and wire one to the The other key terminal is wired to a amp. auto-light fuse in a spring-clip der fastened to the baseboard, and the her end of the fuse is then wired to the unnion. The other binding post is wired rect to the bulb socket in the light. unt the whole affair suitably near a ndow or outdoors on a tripod. Con- ect the battery to the binding posts and u are ready to send. Pressing the key a short or a long time makes dots or ashes of light. Direct the light toward the desired point, lock it in place, and the beam will travel straight to your corre- pondent at the receiving end. HEADLIGHT . TO BATTERY ‘- TELEGRAPH KEY Using Auto Headlight and Telegraph Key to Flash Messages by Rays of Light 7 Dolly Aids in Landing Small Boats Dragging rowboats or canoes along a dock or float is hard work, and is also in- ~~ > BOARDS Handy V-Shaped Dolly with Roller-Skate Wheel for Moving Rowboats jurious to the bottom of the boats. A dock tender at a vacht club overcame all this trouble by building a dolly for the pur- pose, as shown in the illustfation. Two boards, 12 in. long and 6 in. wide, were beveled along one long edge and screwed together. A V-shaped block was fastened in one end and two pieces of flat iron were bolted to the sides, about 4 in. from the end block. The lower ends of these were drilled and fitted with an old skate roller. When a boat was to be moved it was lifted by the stern and the dolly slid if under the keel. held it in place as the keel pinched down into the “V.” It could then be easily wheeled in any direction —L. B. Robbins Harwich, Mass. The weight of the boat Outboard Motors as Baggage According to the western association of general baggage agents. outboard motors regardless of how they are packed, mu be shipped by express, and cannot be checked as baggage.

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318 POPULAR f-) ™ - ] SS ———_—— - ————_———S 3 3 | Dey MECHANICS No. of four or 14 ¢ six | Be sure that all joints are mec! three lights, and as a feeder ically tight. They are twiste pig-tail fashion and are sold and taped. To make a good tape | | joint, take a piece of friction ta about 4 or 5 inches long, plac between the connected wires wind it around them once. T] Way take 2 in. of rubber tape and bi \ 8 it around the joint, then over a Ol he ap it back to the beginning of ey joint to make the tape firm. | Rs also a good plan to paint the j: va, with insulating paint over f 9 tape. Be sure to test out the J4) tures after they are wired for sockets or bad insulation in wi yts:? Wy caused by burrs and sharp edg: "yor . “a in the pipe or fixture parts. Bat y a ° ° ° amy wire touching the fixture “Al, sometimes cause a short circuit | “4 Alw ays use hea\ yw ood screws t YW ° 4 ‘ lg my KY fasten the crowfoot or base of t log fixture to the ceiling: the scre\ Clothes Pole Attached to the Line Holds Rug in Place That It Can Be Beaten More Efficiently Non-Sagging Clothesline for Beating Rugs When a heavy rug or carpet is thrown over the clothesline for beating and clean ing, it usually causes the line to sag, wrin- kling the rug so that the work cannot be efficiently done. To avoid this we attached two small wire hoops to our clothesline, he illustration. These, when not in use, are slid back to drop over the poles supporting the line. When a rug is as shown int to be cleaned, the hoops are drawn out and one slipped over each end of a clothes pole. Che rug 1 and vill G. E. s thrown over both line and pole then hang smoothly and evenly. Hendrickson, Argyle, Wis. Assembling and Hanging Electric Fixtures After and hung un fixtures that are from t to be packing newall 1 wired ne ll the see that together, then and smaller than fixture wire, with ceiling, the parts are put wire assemble No. rubber in- ulation, for the arms and chains of the fixture. Also note that [ such wire of the sockets Ney er stranded part S them. wire 18 use No. 16 gauge of s used as a feeder of two or Evenly So should project through the pla laths provided above them. sti and into a support boar Heavy fixtures and ceiling domes should always be hung fro1 fixture hooks screwed into the joists o1 fastened to bridging between the joists.— J. W. Wright, Hudson Falls, N. Y. Spring Clip for Depth Gauge When bor- fi ing holes in — wood toa pre- determined depth and a depth gauge is not availa yle. ; “dj | CLOTHES CLIP ble, an ordi i) sine’ nary spring clothespin can be used for this It is attached to the bit as shown purpose and can readily be adjusted, serv ing just as any gauge especially made for this pur pose.—Chas. Illingworth, Vancouver, Can

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Pea) w'"¢ »,

yer a bit of landscaping change your house and lot into a home, in rue meaning of the word? A place heauty and comfort, that is pleasant | restful to the eye, and which gives one it feeling of pride that only a beautiful me can give? nient house, hether new or d, cannot mplish this urpose alone, ut add to this flower garden, ac- ne or two gar- en structures, reen lawns, ell placed rees and shrubs nd, perhaps, a ily pool, and ne cannot fail to produce an and de- ppealing together lightful place in vhich to-live. There is an idded in a home when much of the beauty and con- venience are the result of one’s own handicraft. When can so easily add to pleasure one An attractive and con-

i ch vot _— ew ‘ ,* ~ She x ¢

om, Vey

iPr = B

"HW + MICHELSON the beauty and comfort, as well as mone tary value, of one’s home and at the same time derive pleasure and profit from the small expense and labor involved, it need but the inspiration, with some few hint ] and general information in regard to good design in lines and proportions, to begin a

re 4 “~~ an why yy id oh structure for our home beau tiful. The three de- signs for in closed garden gates illustrated herewith are all well within the abilitv of the average home owner. Only the ordinar tools are need- ed, as difficult andtedious joint making has been largel: eliminated Practically all of the material can be obtained, ressed to widt and thickness, from »iost lum bet dea ers. The lumber

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S o > 2X2X6-0~ | ! _~ ~ - ' 4 a “36 al . Tt nn een ae | ] _ rf ™ { NS + : t i aie 1 Bie, | Pre. 6 te \ an ie We, ~ ze fy oA Fe, weather-resisti stron and straight-grained, as it is sub jected to extremes of temperature, wind and rain ind sometime to other abuse Southern pine, cypress or redwood all ful fill these req live east of t find pine the most easily obtainable. the should sides and the ends smoothed for painting, to prevent : consequent ulrements k? two coats ota rood qu --- ] x : } 4 } Ken /~sR, “ | 4S 4 / 3 + | As wet . |-f-sR. . I —-| 4 t BRACKETS 4 REQ Fic.3 ; | ¢ v | ; AM i Y =e ~ = , 2-4 ’ , Fic.2 ity outside paint. White or pale cre are the preferred colors for garden stru } tures, though a brown creosote stain whic! preserves the wood, or an aged effect pro duced with acid, is very effective also it proper surroundings. Eighteen inches is added to the lengt!

For Fig. 1 + corne iB t y t 1 ifters I 7 in. by 2 ft. 4 , . lh it tt ‘ n. by ¢ ] ( s latt by 1 7 ert 1 ] } ] sy 4 ft For Fig. 4 onumens . h . t by 10 | , | Q iils : , , 1

MATERIAL LIST roof slats, by 13% by 11 ? root slats, gs by 1 by 18 20 roof and side its, % by 1 ! l 2 posts, 2 by 2 in. by it Also material for rafter segment For Fig. 10 2 cross slats, , | il } >it. 6 8 vertical slats, ; by For Fig. 11 2 rails, 1 ' 10 in 1 i by in. ! l 1 il i 1 slat by i by 2 ft. 11 is 6 slats e by in. |} i For Fig. 12 2 vertical rail ] by 1 n . < 2 cross rails, 1 by I 6 1 « ved rail, 1% by 9 I 4 6 1 4 vertical slats, ! ! t. on 5 vertical slats, 3% | in. b ( Climbing rose wistaria ther ¢ \ should be planted on eacl the st e and trait lt rrow up tl tt , , r tl ¢

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POPULAR MECHANICS h corner post or leg of the structure ‘hor it in the ground. This is not in the drawings but is taken into “: leration in the stock bill. The por- a below the ground should be well “aie ed or tarred, especially on the end, event the entrance of moisture. The hould be buried in concrete. is best accomplished by digging jie” properly spaced a about 6 in. in di- | } "". ameter and a few’ the vibration of the gate when slammed. inches deeper than \ good sturdy latch with hinges of rust- oll | the post is to en- proot material, if possible, is suggested. uc- . iad | ter the ground. Lattice is carried in stock in most lum- ich ail Fis.9 | Thebottomshould ber yards in two standard sizes, 3g by 158 — be filled with a bit in. and 34 by 134 in. The sawing of some in concrete for the ends of the posts to of the rafters and rafter ends may either t on \fter this concrete has partly be done on a bandsaw at the mill, or, if the structure should be set in place you prefer and don’t mind a bit of rather nd braced with laths, to act as stays, so. hard work, cut with a turning saw it itis plumb. The holes are then filled Detail drawings, showing the shapes of h concrete a little above ground level. o form will be necessary for the concrete . ess the soil is very loose or sandv. ely mi ; Nails are used to fasten the parts to- 1 +; > It ether. If vou wish to make a very nice ae CD b, you will use finishing nails, so that Ut " ty ey may be set and the holes puttied, but | Ay his is not necessary. The lattice is fas- If tened with fine two-penny nails clinched none side. Brass screws, of course, make u ° better 1ob. 30 31 3 Che corner posts are shown doubled on the side where the gate is attached. This is a satisfactory method of reintore —— ng, but if the gate will be subjected to oe ot a4 much hard usage, it might be well to hang tona4 by 4-in. post, set directly back ot / ~ the corner post but unattached to the latter, so that the structure will not receive Fic.11

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322 POPULAR MECHANICS

| OR.

18X13 LATTICE,

—— | ae © } v rA/ nae tt é et | iti aad Wake | Rr «if ee | ™ iI f\ | ! o . | MUS | cntts Saad tee O™ ‘oO 16 *» |} | 21 iI : | | | | Ut ih) |e J | . a ees g~ 5-18. ak Fig.12 2 Y : ES , = TOON oe AO 7: y aan Oe a Oa amt: « ) wu CM ina, hate AY x Ve, the rafter ends and brackets as well as the gate construction, give you all the infor- mation necessary to construct any of the and gates in a workmanlike manner. As the gates are all the same size, they are interchangeable so that you inclosures may select one to go with your inclosure. A little explanation of the detail sketches may not be amiss. Fig. 2 shows the size and shape of the rafters for the archway, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3, the brackets for the same project. It is advisable to lay out a full-size pattern of each of these before cutting the stock. The dotted lines of Fig. 2 indicate the width of the stock. Fig. 5 shows the shape of the rafter and pieces purlin ends for the tvpe shown in Fig. 4. No dimensions are given for the curves, which may be designed to your fancy. and 8 for the in- shown in Fig. 6. The varying the lattice over the top give a Figs. 7 give details closure lengt] pleas curve which is not very evident in the perspective sketch. Fig. 8 shows the method of building up the arched rafters. segments for The two lavers con- sist of short sections, with the joints stag-

Nails are used to fast the segments together, the heads bei: driven in, after which the arch is planed The three types vary greatly in the < gree of skill required to construct the lhe one illustrated by Fig. 10, of cour is the simplest and most easily construct: By changing the curve at the top this ge: eral arrangement may be used for any « the gates. gered as shown. The joints are all of a simp! butt-nailed type and require only care nailing. The curve should be laid out an cut after the gate is constructed. House or half-lap joints are used on both of th others, as shown by Figs. 11 and 12. Fis 1 of 9 is an enlarged detail of the joint. How to Make a Taper Ferrule Having occasion to make a taper ferrule of irregular form, a pattern from which to cut the material was made as follows: A mandrel of the desired shape was made, a piece of writing paper, soaked in water wrapped around the mandrel, and a piece of twine wound over it, coil after coil like This was allowed using a little heat. The string was then removed and a longitudinal cut made in the paper while on the the thread ona spool. to dry thoroughly, man-

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POPULAR When opened, this paper formed ittern. A piece of metal was cut from sattern and the edges were brought to- r and brazed with spelter. The point e mandrel was driven through a piece ock tin, about }4 in. thick. The man- was then removed, the ferrule was ed on it and both started in the hole the tin and driven through it. As the ndrel with the ferrule passed through tin, the metal was shaped exactly to mandrel. It is best to oil the hole in tin—James Beebee, Rochester, N. Y. Improved Diving Board lo give greater spring to a diving board, croup of boys used a set of auto springs hich greatly increased the height to ich a diver could jump. Two posts, th crosspieces at the bottom to prevent em from pulling out, were buried se urely in the bank, as shown in the draw- ng. A bolt, which fitted over the end of ‘plank, was connected to the tops of the sts, and two cleats held the spring board place. Two smaller stakes in front sup- irted a crosspiece upon which the springs ere mounted. A little adjusting was nec- essary before the proper position for the prings was found. Divers who have used he board claim that the action of the hoard when thus equipped is different. Discarded Auto Springs Improve Spring of a Diving Board So That Height of Jump Is Increased MECHANICS 323 BOONE a. ee ape I. a * v2 . 2 a 3' « .. Gas and Electric Meters Arranged in Basement Window Handy Place for Meters When installing the gas and electric service, I arranged to have the meters placed near a basement window so that they could be read by the inspectors from the outside. This overcomes the annoy- ance of admitting them, which is especially objectionable when they have wet and muddy feet. Besides, in this way, they can always read the meter, whether there is anybody at home or not.—Mrs. R. A. Jessen, Keansburg, N. ] Repairing Worn Escapement Wheel When a clock has served its useful- ness and is apparently worn out, the jeweler’s price to overhaul it fre- quently amounts to almost as mucl as the original purchase price. One weak place in the clock is the escape- ment wheel. The points soon weat down, thereby producing a greater escapement and pendulum move ment, which results in an increased strain and wear of the clock. If the tips of the teeth on the wheel are bent up slightly with a pair of pliers, the swing of the pendulum will be re duced, thereb) increasing the life of the clock. Many of the grandfather clocks can be put in order in this manner so as to serve as timepieces.

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Garage Door in Three Sections Is Said to Facilitate Handling; Two Sections Are Hinged Together and Slide on a Carrier Track Novel Garage-Door Installation This garage-door installation will appeal! to the man who does not care to go to the expense of getting special fittings for his garage and yet wishes to have the in- stallation stand up constant use. In this case, three doors are used, all of under the same width. Two of the sections are l together and one of these is hinged The opposite hinge to the leit side of the door opening. third section is hinged to the side. A short length of door-carrier track is mounted directly over the door. on the outside, with two-thirds of its length run ning parallel to the side of the third is garage he other mounted on a 2 by 4-in. piece, which is set at a slight angle, pproximately 12°, as indicated in the upper right-hand photo. A swiveled double-wheel sup- port is mounted on the upper free cor- ner of the two-unit door section so that it will ride along the track. <A latch which can be locked at the t is pro- vided near the mid- - dle of this two-sec- (SSI

right like any ordinary It is fitte door. with a latch so that it can be padlocked insure safekeeping of the car.—Dale R Van Horn, Walton, Nebr. Wedge Fastener for Portable Equipment Parts of portable equipment are usuall held together by wingnuts or cotter pin but both these methods have Having vantages. occasion their disad to build portable outfit I used an idea of an old master and allows quick assembling or tling. blacksmith, which gives rigidity disman The upper detail in the illustration Py shows a rod fastened in place by a cotte1

—a|

tion unit. The third

door swings to the Quick-Acting Wedge Is Better Than Cotter Pin for Use with Portable Equipment pin. This not only allows play, but the ends of the pin must be spread for safety, with consequent difficulty in removy | ing it. The wedge in the other figures will be found much more convenient Che end of the rod is slotted and a pin it fitted through it as shown, of asizethat wedge, slotted slantingly, will just slide freely upon it. It will be that the wedge is just as such the which is noticed

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wer nt the paper, i ‘4 POPULAR MECHANICS » as the diameter of the rod and that, 1 horizontal, it allows the rod to be in- dina hole drilled to fit. When the ‘is turned upright, a light tap or two drive it home snugly. Re- il is just as easy. Thus, with positive action, a tight fit is ired and there are no loose ts to be lost—Herbert C. Mc- Eustis, Fla. Handling Sticky Flypaper [It is sometimes rather amusing see someone trying to move or indle a piece of sticky flypaper, when I had to handle it myself found it very annoying. The per flattens out when it gets rm and is hard to pick up; it eems to jump around likea grass- he trouble was, how mpper er, easily overcome, by using a umber of ordinary paper clips, nt at right angles and slipped over the lges. When it is necessary to move just take hold of the clips and ll not get away from you.—Frank W. sentley, Jr., Missouri Valley, Iowa. VW A “Bird Filling Station” The novel bird house shown in the photo s appropriately been called a “Bird Fill- ig Station.” It is a duplicate, in minia ure, of a gasoline-filling station, and is painted red and white. A wire basket is provided and filled with suet. The inside i the “othce” is arranged so that grain An Interesting Novelty in Bird Houses; Grain Drops Out Automatically as the Birds Feed flows out onto the floor of the exterior as last as the birds consume the first supply. —Geo. B. Dolliver, Battle Creek, Mich. ww Gate Closes Automatically Three horizontal bars used to provide passage through a fence from one field Novel Gate Permits Easy Passage of Persons and Drops Back into Position Automatically into another, are always certain to return to their original position after being W eighted at one end and pivoted as shown in the photo. Although such a set of bars will not permit the passage of ve there are many situations where tl to maintain an unbroken fence line and yet allow persons on foot to pass without diffculty.—Orin Crooker, Elgin, Ll. Homemade Humidity Indicator A simple weather indicator that may be used in determining the humidity of the atmosphere can readily be made. Dress small figure in the form of a doll, with piece of clotl revious ( ¢ n the following solution: chloride r t. 30 parts by weight um chloride, 15 pa eum arabic, 7 parts: calcium chloride } parts, and water HK) p clo \ I] chat ge color a tive 1 t ot mol ture inthe atn osphe ¢ ch; nges the chat é being due to the cobalt salt hich in dry air is lavender blue As the humid the atmosphere increases the c rel c first to bluish-red, then lig] ed 1 fina pink, according to the amount « visture With a decrease in humidity, the colo change in the reverse order and the | inal blue color will return when tl becomes dr

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Effective One-Man Stump Puller By CHAS. ULLING stumps is always a more or less difficult task. Even with horses or a tractor, it is, at best, a slow process, to say nothing of the danger of cutting the horses’ legs with the sharp ends of the However, the writer's experience in removing hardwood stumps of 15 years’ growth by hand, with the use of the stump puller described, has been very satisfactory. A straight, dry hickory pole, about 10 ft. long and 3% in. in diameter at the large end, was selected, though later it seemed roots. that one somewhat shorter and smaller would have been heavy enough. The checks were carefully filled with wooden feathers glued in and afterward smoothed so that splinters would not endanger the hands, and several coats of raw linseed oil were applied and allowed to soak in. STEEL CABLE )} SHORT CHAIN “eS ~ ~—_ LONG CHAIN C ee” 1ST. POSITION STUMP ~ - SHORT CHAIN ; LONG CHAIN 4 ---- ' - *SSSeece,t UA Ay . Seae f eet eens — UO 2° POSITION Simple and Efficient Stump Puller One-Man A. KING A plate and hook for the end of the pole were bent to the shape shown and secur: fastened by two eyebolts. A 15-ft. len of 34-in. steel cable was next attached had a grommet and clips at one end fasten it to one eyebolt on the hook, shown, and had clips, a grommet and hook at the other end to permit fasteni: it around an anchor stump. A 24 length of short-linked %-in. chain, fit ted with a split hook at the outer en was attached to the other eyebolt. 1 radius of operation of the device could, « course, be made greater by providing longer chain and cable. A 20-ft. chain the same kind was also fitted with a stou split hook at one end. A light %-in. chai: about 4 ft. long, was attached to the har dle end of the pole and a hook provid

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POPULAR MECHANICS e free end, which could be fastened to teel cable or long chain when the er came to the end ot the stroke and to reset the chains. is, of course, obvious that, while one can use the device efficiently, a helper iid permit him to accomplish more n twice as much during the same time. tudy of the first and second positions iwn in the illustration will explain the thod of using the stump puller. With stumps are pulled with ease and speed, th no horses to consider or to manage; gains are held securely, allowing anges of chains to be made and roots be cut with the ax, and plenty of power n be exerted. Telltale Light on Basement Circuit 4 \fter having come up from the base- ent without putting out the light a num- of times, I resolved to put an end to e omission. I purchased an ordinary vorbell transformer designed to connect 110-volt lighting lines, a roll of bell re, and a small 6-volt auto-parking imp. I connected the two rubber-cov red wires from the transformer to the vo terminals on the basement light socket. » that, when the light was on, the trans ormer was also on. Then | ran two eneths of bell wire from the two 6-volt terminals of the transformer up through > floor into the kitchen, where the base- ment light ‘switch as located. and up the outside of the kitchen wall to the small lamp, which I had fastened on the all about 4 ft. above he floor. Whenever the cellar light is on, the auto light is also lighted, and is a con- tant reminder not to forget the former. Chis telltale lamp uses less current than the smallest 110-volt lamp, and materials cost less than for a 110-volt installation. Chas. W. Brown. Springfield, Mass. Wooden Bright-Colored Pieces of Paper Glued Irregularly on Paice ae Book Ends erre iu Lifting Wagon Wheel One of the rear wheels of a huckster’s wagon came loose and the driver had to repair it single-handed. The simple method —>> ¢ Lo a Lifting Wheel of Loaded Wagon by Using a Prop 1 shown in the drawing enabled him to do this without much trouble. Instead of attempting to lift the wheel directly, he placed a prop under one spoke and pulled upward on the opposite spoke. Japanese-Effect Book Ends \ pair of book ends to match the Jap anese lamp which adorned my table were greatly desired and they were constructed from an old board as The board was cut into four follows: pieces, each piece by 4 by Gin. These pieces were nailed together along the 6 in. side. A numbe of tiny triangles, squares, erescent and circles were cul from brightly colored advertising pages ‘These were pasted ir regularly over the wood, thoroughly, covering it. The fin ished pieces were then shellacked Clyde ] Volkers,

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How to Make Typewritten Silhouettes By ROBERT GREGG OVE TIES Cer- ‘tainly. All you need is a sharp pen- knife and some sheets of thin paper, and you can make something far tive than the ordinary Draw the outline of the to make paper on a typewriter? more attrac- typewritten page. picture you desire a silhouette of, on a sheet of thin and then cut it out, using a pair of scissors or a sharp penknife. With tiny dabs of paste fasten this picture on a sheet of clean paper. Insert the double sheet into the typewriter, the cut-out to the front. The small letter “m” is the blackest letter on the tvpe- writer keyboard. Using this letter as your “brush,” run ae. a line of them across the sheet. After completing one line, release that the ratchet aghastantas' yg! MT apenventest He Ss ae as \ wv¥ VV AV NA F ears Ramm iavecteis Wey y VV VVVVV"" ~¥VVVVVVV evaveone dll tates eects alae turns the platen of the typewriter, and move down so that the top of the n line will just fit under the first line. 7 the second line and then finish the wh: picture in this manner In the illustration are shown some sa ples of the work. For posed of only needed. But if ture of two or silhouettes co1 one tone, one cut-out you wish to make a pi more tones, aS Many ste1 cils as tones are needed to make the fi ished picture. The picture of the farme sharpening a scythe and that of a man head were made with one stencil. former the object was cut out latter everything was cut out ject. The girl’s head consists of two tone Another method of making silhouette is to cut the picture desired on a sheet o carbon paper. L In th . while in the but the ob ay the carbon cut-out o1 a sheet of clean paper and over this plac another sheet of paper. Insert the sheets of paper in the typewriter. Marl out lightly on the top sheet the approxi mate area of the carbon stencil and fill thi space with the letter “m.” Where the car bon paper has been cut away, the botton sheet receives no impression and in this way the silhouette comes out in black and white. By using sheets of black, blue and paper at the time you can get three different tones in the picture. three carbon same You can add a touch of distinction to your stationery by typing a sil- houette of your own head, as shown in the circular insert. ephastipiay tagtant as en teneey jandadegtantecicclentesteates seieoteatectes OL Novel Silhouettes and Two or Three-Tone Pictures Can Be Made on a Tyvewriter by the Use of Stencils and 328 Different Letters for Various Degrees of Shading

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POPULAR MECHANICS Removing Vegetable Stains remove stains of vegetables or fruits kind from cloth or wood, the fol- method is very good: The stained is first moistened with water and put in a jar or pail that can be cov- A lump of sulphur is ignited and ped into the jar. Place the sulphur fire shovel when lighting it, to avoid The burning sulphur should be ed in the receptacle on the side where stain will be exposed to the fumes. sulphur burns slowly so that the arti- will not be harmed. After the sulphur burned away, the jar should be kept ed for a few minutes and when the ticles are removed the stains will be ne. This is harmless to try, and the th will not be injured if it is dry. How- er, the articles should be washed and ied immediately after they have been emoved from the jar. Protection for Wall behind Stove When a gas stove is set up near a painted ill, the heat from the oven will soon ister the paint. The gas company may tfer to tack a sheet of asbestos to the wall, ut besides marring the paint, quite a dif- erence in shade can be seen, when the sbestos is removed and the protected sur- face exposed. A better pro- tection is shown in the drawing. A sheet of metal, as large as the back of the oven, is bent with a l-in. flange on each side and riv- eted to the oven back. In this way, a sort of chim- ney is formed, which is closed at the side and open at the top and bottom. The hot air between this plate and the oven flows upw ard, causing cold air to be drawn from beneath, and thus preventing radiation ot heat against the wall—Harold E. Benson, Denver, Colo. Screened Shelf Outside of the Window Permits Proper Airing of Dairy Utensils Screened Shelf for the Milk House The idea represented in the drawing will appeal to the dairyman having a small milk house. It permits airing and drying of the utensils outside, but is within easy reach from the inside of the building. To make uch a device, run strips of wood at an angle from the top corners of the window down to a point on the level with the bot tom of the window opening. Provide a solid shelf below and cover the three side with screen. When the window is down, no dust can enter the building, vet, by merely raising the sash, dishes that should be sunned can be placed outside. Striping In White on Furniture Many amateur painters who have tried to stripe furniture with flake white have difficulty in getting a mixture that wi flow freely and dry rapidly without run ning. It has been found, however, that this can be done easily by mixing a fev drops at a time of good rubbing varnish with the flake white. If it should still be a little thick, use a few drops of turpen tine to thin the flake white before adding the varnish.—L. H. Georger, Buffalo, N. \

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Cycling Clown Amuses the Youngsters By HERBERT C. McKAY \ CLOWN who rides a monocycle along “a taut the children The wood, string will amuse for hours and is very easily made. material used is heavy cigar-box and the only tools required are a scrollsaw and a few others that are found in almost every home. The pieces are laid out as shown in the drawing, on paper ruled off in %-in. squares. The wheel is 4in. in diameter. A short length of square wire, such as radie busbar, about 1 ft. of 18 or 20-gauge hard iron wire, and a 2-oz. weight are necessary the wooden parts. A groove 1 first cut around the edge of the wheel. If no lathe is available, besides this can be cut witha making the cuts exactly the same depth all around the wheel. 1 the wheel handsaw, Then place and turn it, to cut down irregularities in the groove. \fte the t] the tne Ootne4r thev should be sandpapered smoot! against the saw pieces are cut with scroll SsaW,

@

Painting is more easily done before the afterward. the market best adapted for this kind of work, and assembly than The qu drying lacquers now on finish is smooth, glossy and brilliant. N urally the colors chosen will depend individual taste. In the original, the used: wheel, bright clown suit, bright red with yellow po dots; bands at the wrist, ankle and kne bright yellow; ender ; colors were egret 1 hat, collar and saddle, face, white with features in c1 son. The umbrella, which may be adds if desired, was bright green. The assembly should proceed in the lowing way: Attach the square ends of t > pieces, Z, of the bo first two to the bottom 3, with in. wire nails, placing r side of 3; t ody in the fice position shown in the completed figure the wheel is cardboard spacer on eithe ] arms, 6, are nailed to the the sid inserted between

Balanced Toy Clown, Cycling over a Suspended String, Amuses the Youngsters for Hours; It Can Be Made by Anyone from Ordinary Cigar- Box Wood : i ) preces, <, SO 4 that the holes in all three coincide, and a piece of square busbar wire is threaded through the holes and bent to form a crank. As

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SS POPULAR MECHANICS to serve also as an axle for the it should fit tightly in the hole e latter, but loosely in the side- holes. A drop of glue at the s where the axle passes through the will help hold the axle firmly. The r parts of the legs come next. A piece isbar wire is fixed firmly in the lower hole (piece 5), a washer, cut from d auto gasoline pipe, is fitted on either and the pieces 5 are placed on the r ends of the wire so that they will e freely, the washers being of such kness that the leg pieces will not bind inst the pieces 2. The lower legs (4) fitted loosely to parts 5 and to the nk ends as shown. There is only one ng to watch for; see that the radius of crank arms is such that the legs never ome fully extended, or they may lock, | the wheel refuse toturn. The wire on ich the balancing weight is hung is ven into the lower end of one of the eces 2, and a hook is formed on the lower d for the weight. Stretch a string tightly in a horizontal sition and place the groove of the wheel the string. By carefully bending the ire you can readily find the best position r the weight so that it will hold the toy ipright. If such a position cannot be und, the weight is too light and a heavier ne should be substituted. When the bal- nee has been found, lower one end of the tring, place the toy the upper endand ~“S ~ will roll down the tring, the legs work- ng in the proper ishion. Anumbrella_ .. an be made from a lisk of cardboard clued to the end of a hort stick, which is n turn glued to one the hands. Carrying Ice on Running Board To carry ice on the run- ning board of a car, take the lid of a small spice can and screw it to the running board, upside down. The edges can be notched but do not neces- sarily have to be. The holder is not in the way at all and need never be removed. The ice is placed on it, and as it melts, the edges enter into it, so that the piece will not slip off easily—tThos. F. Johnson, Cuero, Tex. Combination Ladder and Wheelbarrow For doing odd jobs about the farm, the workman is generally handicapped by the necessity of first wheeling the tools to the scene of operation and then bringing the ladder. By combining the ladder and wheelbarrow as shown in the illustra- tion, much work and time can be saved. Drill a hole in the ladder sides and cut a slot to ends of the accommodate an old and Then drill smaller holes through barrow wheel ixle. the sides, at right an gles to the slot, to re @A cure for ivy poi- ceivelong bolts. Make oning that never |soemm_ “ pracxer |. two metal brackets fails is to wash the —s \ and screw them to affected parts with a ‘| = e |: the ladder about 18 olution of sulphate PP, - 4 ‘ or 20 in. back of the of magnesia, com- | go.r--*) “worTcH monly known as ep- som salts, and then apply sulphur. One Method of Saving Time and Labor on the Farm Then fit two Hi} wooden stakes in these brackets to hold the box of tool WwW hee l.

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ww w bo POPULAR Painting Shingles Quickly It is a tedious task to paint a large num- ber of shingles by hand. A quick method of doing it is to dip them as shown in the

Quick and Handy Method of Painting or Staining Shingles without Waste photo. A 5-gal. oilcan will be found useful for holding the paint, the top being cut off to permit the shingles to be tnserted easily. A large piece of sheet iron, triangular in shape and having two sides bent up to form a ridge, makes a good drip pan. It is set at an angle and a pail is set directly under the lower corner. A wheelbarrow will be found convenient for holding both the dipping bucket and the drip pan. With this arrangement very little paint is wasted.—Mrs. V. S. Martin, Detroit, Mich. How to Demagnetize a Watch Quite often an attendant, or a visitor, at an electric power plant, discovers, after a few days, that his watch is losing a half hour or more a day. The reason for this probably is that the watch has been mag- netized by the generators. A jeweler demagnetizes a watch in the following way: Hehasa piece of soft iron with an opening cut in its center of sucha shape and size as to receive the watch, and with a fine wire wound about it. After the watch has been placed in position, an al ternating current is sent through the wind- ing, and thus a magnetic field is produced that also changes in direction as the cur- rent reverses. The current is gradually reduced in value and the magnetism orig- ~ MECHANICS inally possessed by the watch is rem When an alternating current is not able, a direct current may be used, its dj rection being rapidly reversed by what is known as a polarity changer. Anyone can demagnetize his own wa however, with very little trouble and no expense. Obtain a piece of heavy linen thread, about 3 ft. long, attach one end of it to the ring of the watch, hold the othe: end and turn the watch around until the thread is twisted at least 100 times. N allow the thread to unwind and as watch revolves move it back and fort] near a strong electromagnet. The fi magnet of a good-sized generator or mot will answer. The machine should be operation, or at least there should b« current in the windings about the fie when you attempt to demagnetize t watch. While the thread is unwindi and the watch moved in the magnetic fie gradually withdraw from the magnet that when the watch ceases to revolv Is just outside of the field. Always be su to keep the watch revolving while it is the magnetic field, otherwise the result will be very unsatisfactory, and more har than good will result. Floating Frame Holds Milk Can When a partly filled milk can is placed in a cooling tank, it is common practice to weight it down with rocks or iron to prevent it from turning on its side and spilling the contents. <A the removal and replacing of the weight makes access to the con- tents rather difficult, an Iilino‘s dairy farmer devised a floating

frame, con sisting of 2 by 6-in. pine planks, in which the can stands upright at all times. The lid may be left loose or removed entirely When the float is used in a large tank, a short length of chain should be used to hold it to facilitate the cooling process. to the side of the tank.

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( linen rt her ‘ “9LLO: o, a3 — So a $4 Y 04 aS) a. it All Shop Notes published in 1926, in book form—Fifty Cents—from our Book Department Make Your Own Flagstone Walk By ALLAN R. SMITH T! [E flagstone walk as a useful and beau- ful addition to the home landscape has ¢ been confined to sections of the coun- vhere suitably shaped rocks, stone or te could be found. Lately, however, adaptation of concrete to such walks made it possible for anyone with a ick for tools to build one regardless of ition. The cost is very small and the rk so easy that it is almost play. The first step is to lay out the design the stones, according to the width and ngth of the walk to be flagged. Any pat- This Drawing of a Flagstone Walk Is from an Actual Photo of a Walk Done in Concrete, as Described in the Article; Right, Pattern for Flags tern that strikes one’s fancy and conforms to the shape of natural rock can be used. A suggested pattern is given in the draw- ing. It can be drawn on a small scale un- til the right shapes are found, and then the actual size of each piece may be cut from cardboard. Rather than make individual patterns for the full length of the walk, a good plan is to cut patterns for about 10 ft. of the walk, repeating the same pat- terns for the full length of the flagging. A cord is stretched along each side of the re] intended walk, curving around flower beds

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we o>) an POPULAR or trees to add to its beauty. Between these cords the cardboard patterns are sod and the outline of each is marked with a knife, the pattern removed, it. The laid on the and a hole, 3 in. deep, scooped o1 bottom of each hole should be tamped Entrance Walk Laid with ‘Natural’ Concrete Flags, Closely Simulating the Real Thing thoroughly to provide a solid base for the flagstones. The best concrete for flagstones is a 1:3 mixture. By this is meant one part of portland cement to three parts ot sand. The materials must be clean and measured iccurate]l Three cubic teet of sand are spread yn board, usually a level platform made oO} ongued-and groo\ ed boards. One sack (1 cu. ft.) of portland cement is spread over the sand and thoroughly mixed by turning over and over with shovels until the color of the mass is uniform. Adding the right ount of water is most im portant. foo much water in concrete weakens its final strength and is just as bad as leaving out some cement. Only ufficient iter should be added to make a quaky jellylike mixture. As soon as t he concrete is thoroughly mixed, it is ready for the earth forms that have already been dug. After it is placed, a wood float is run over the top of each tone to make a level, grittv surface. In hot eat he the valk will be ready to wuse ithin three davs In the mean time, bette concrete will result if the flag stones are covered ith earth and sprin kled once or twice a day to keep them from dryit too fast. In cool weather, the walk sh not be used for a week to ten days the same earth covering and sprinkling should be done. If the of the walk does not ¢c the flat finish produced by the float, maker ty tor MECHANICS but desires to imitate the worn surfa old flags, all that is necessary is to sel vith a surface as j ular as desired, and impress this stor sinzle flat stone, the surface of the concrete fla~s whil are still plastic enough to retain the pression. If cement are use tint the flags in light blues and gray even closer imitation of the natural stone may be obtained. colors Inlaying Brass Letters in Steel Letters, names or numbers cut in a | acid or steel lette punches can readily be filled with b: his is accomplished by heating the steel surface with I pared steel red-hot in a brazing furnace forge or kitchen range, and flowing in the indentations. Use and a piece of brass wire for the spelt borax as a spelt Che wire can be handled much easier t] the regular brazing Be thick Surtace, spelter. bi \fter cooling, braze a rood coat ot lettered ass ( yn the plus brass is filed away from the top of t article and the steel surface is p lis] Che indentations will be filled with br: Tools may be marked in this manne A Place for the Shop Needle } AE nat has Mlost mechanics w ho keep a needle and thread in the tool box, for first aid to over alls and buttons, have a hard time keepi: track of the needle. Take two used le A Leadless Pencil Safe Place for Pushed through Spool Provides a Needles pencils, a little longer than a large needle Remove both the eraser ferrules, smooth ing off the slightly burred points on the to the Push the lead out of one ot the pencils and whittle the inside, which clinched them wood ends so that the fet rules will act as caps on the ends. Push the hollow pencil through the spool, and there is the thing togetl You 1 not lose the needle any more. whole er. wil

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POPULAR MECHANICS 335 Homemade Corn-Stalk Cutter ter “corn picking,” the stalks have to it, and the homemade cutter shown e drawing has been found quite effi- It consists of four old binder bull els mounted in pairs at either end of axle, each pair being bound together , six lengths of 1%-in. angle iron rn-Stalk Cutter Which Consists of Four d Binder Bull Wheels Fastened Together Pairs with Lengths of Angle Iron, to Which Blades Are Bolted hich are riveted to the wheels as shown. he protecting side of the angle iron is irilled and steel blades, 4 in. wide and /% n. thick, are bolted on. Ordinary angle ron will serve the purpose if the field is ree from rocks. If not, it is advisable to use steel blades. The frame is 7 ft. long nd 5 ft. 4 in. wide and is made of 4 by t-in. stock. All the iron braces used are made of flat stock, % in. thick and 2 in. vide. The ends of the axle are supported under the frame by means of ordinary bearings, bolted in place with lag screws. Each wheel is also anchored by means of the flange and setscrew, with which each was originally provided. The tongue is securely mortised or bolted to the frame, as indicated, and is further strengthened with flat-iron braces. The centers of the two pairs of wheels must be 3 ft. 6 in. apart, so that the cutter will take two rows of corn. If desired, the front end can be weighted down and a seat from an old mowing machine can be mounted on the back. To do this, the seat should be attached first and, with the driver seated on it, the weights in front should be put on so that there will be a slight steady “| sxe" strap | "<7 IRON Ry | Ne 44 FRAME rN | a

at the neck yokes of the team. is attached to the under- Dale R. Van Horn, weight on The doubletree side of the tongue. Nebr. Lincoln, Clamp Holds Pedal Depressed The drawing shows a good method of holding the brake orclutch lever of an automobile immovable while adjust ing, parts, cleaning the clutch faces or other repairs. a large C-clamp to the clutch pedal so that the clamp screw will press against the brake pedal as in dicated. The work can then proceed with out danger of the pedal slipping. If the clutch pedal is to be held in, the clamp, ot screwed to the brake-pedal A. Luers, Washington, D. C renewing or t+ CLUICH PEDAL \ CLAMP Screw course, is shank.—G.

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POPULAR Handy Tongs Used to Carry Heavy Spools of Barb Wire Safely Tongs for Handling Spools of Barbed Wire Handling barbed wire often results i1 serious injury to hands and clothing. One dealer employs a simple pair of tongs with which the spools can be handled rapidly and safely by two men. They are con structed and used as shown in the illus- When the “beak” ends are in- serted in the opening in the center of the tration. spool of wire and the handles raised, the ends grip the spool so that it can be car- ried about easily and without anv danger. Replacing Ford Crank Spring The spring on a Ford starting crank must be replaced now and then. This is usually because the inner end has worn thin, and jams between the crank and its bushing trouble hen trving to use the crank. The Iso occurs on starter-equipped cars, as the crank swings while the car is being driven and wears the spring. Since the crank is used only when the battery is run down or the motor is cold and stiff. a jamming crank is verv troublesome. On the late: del cars, the spring can easily be rep vithout removing the crank 2 “ 1 : ° or ratchet. Such cranks are one-piece, 1 round iron rod with a sleeve, free to turn. pressed over the outer end. The old spring MECHANICS is removed by grasping the outer end a pair of pliers and pulling until it winds and comes off. A good grip 1 be kept on it or it will fly out and injure someone. The new spring is c pressed by the fingers and twisted slig! to unwind it, which will increase the of the opening through it. It is slip over the crank sleeve when held in this « panded condition and worked over crank into place against the front end the crankcase. The bent-over end of the spring, which fits into the small hol drilled in the crank, is sometimes bent out so that it will not stay in the hole. this case, the end of the spring wire shou be held slightly out of the crank, about in. from the bent-down end, and bent down again with a pair of pliers. Handy Method of Setting Surface Gauge Many mechanics have a habit of holdi a seale flat against an angle plate whe setting the needle of a surface gaug: However, if the scale is held by one han it is rather dithcult to set the gauge wit the other, and 1f the scale is not so held it will fall down at the slightest touch solved this difficulty by drilling and tay ping a hole in the bottom of the angl plate and putting in a screw, as shown \ BOTTOM : Practical Method of Setting the Mechanics’ Surface Gauge Also Makes Reading Easier | lay the scale up against the back where it does not have to be held at all \ fut ther advantage I found upon use, was that the scale marking was much easier to read than when it was held in a vertical posi- tion.—Harry Moore, Montreal, Can. —————

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Simple Adjustable Scaffold for Store-Front Erection Above, Built-In Box Brackets; Left, Home- made Tamper A Painters’ “Cripple’’ That Makes the Painting of Trim Easier; a Couple of Lengths of Pine Pass through the: Members Projecting Inside Right, the Correct Way to Corner a “Soldier’’ Course; Below, Difficulty Encountered When a “Soldier’’ Course Is Carried On to the Corner A Well-Braced Light Lad- der for Interior Work Below, Barrel Staves Make Good Legs for Light Horse

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338 POPULAR MECHANICS Concrete Garage Bumpers by hand in cases where cutting and burp. ing cannot be resorted to, as in the crot of large branches. The only change n on the oilcan, besides attaching the tu! es The accompanying photo shows how one garage man solved the problem of a | Concrete Bumpers in a Large Garage Are Heavy Enough to Withstand Abuse and Can Readily Be Moved from Place to Place providing bumpers in his garage. He makes them of concrete and they are heavy enough to stand considerable abuse, al- though they are readily portable. Ropes or chains are fastened to the eyelets so that the bumpers may easily be moved from place to place—A. S. Bowes, Chi- cago, II. Killing Tent Caterpillars Cutting or burning the web of tent cater- pillars, which form in trees in many sec- tions of the country, is rather difficult. A much better method of killing these pests is to use auto crankcase oil and kerosene, or the latter alone, in the following way: A 1-pt. plunger oilcan is obtained and a 3-ft. length of hard-copper tubing, such as is used for auto-feed systems, is securely soldered to part of a threaded coupling, while the other part is soldered to the spout of the can. The end of the tubing is bent to form a hook. The hook is in- serted in the web and a stroke or two of the plunger saturates it. No more than a teaspoonful is required for a small web (and more for a larger one) to completely destroy the pests in a few minutes. This method is quick and easy, and the oil in- iures the tree much less than cutting or burning the webs. It is also more pleasant to apply the oil than to remove the webs is to reinforce the lower cup bearing the plunger with a %-in. iron washer, t take care of the increased “head” of oil. W. H. Pennypacker, Ashland, N. J. Extra Handle Aids Filing A blacksmith contracted to turn out large number of duplicate pieces of wor! all of which needed filing. After using file in the reg ular manne: for some time the constant pressure o the point ot} the file on the palm of the left hand was more or less tiresome and painful. He thereforedash- ioned a point handle, as shown in the drawing, and this made the A piece of flat steel, job much easier. about 2 in. wide, was doubled and bent to the shape indicated. Two holes were drilled through the sides of the handle near the corners and tapped for bolts. The

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POPULAR MECHANICS L by rns , was slipped over the point of the = Otches ' d the bolts tightened until the file > Made ipped firmly. ubine Cooling System for Crude-Oil Engine order to keep the water used in the ler jackets of a large oil engine at a rate temperature, the structure seen e photo was erected and found to be effective and cheap. A water pump talled in a circuit of l-in. piping that ects with a concrete pool on the ind, under the frame, and with the bar- mounted on its top. As the engine ;, the pump forces the water into the rel until it is filled, when it overflows ugh notches in the ends of the staves nd trickles down the sides all around the em rel. Underneath the barrel, several — cks or floors are made of narrow slats, yee iced about 4 in. apart. Although not | shown in the photo, the floor of each | Rit eck is preferably laid at right angles to | ’ : the one above. The water drips through Convenient Homemade Apparatus for Hoisting Baled il.- the several floors, and this cools it thor- Hay into Barn Loft ighly. The return pipe to the pump and . ngine is connected i. the nncnaih onal, Hay Hoist Saves Work hich is larger than the frame of the “ra- The baled-hay hoist shown in the photo iator,” to prevent waste of water. has saved much time and hard labor on t the farm of John Dickens, near Floral, ot Kans. The chain in the middle of the 5 a slide carries the bales up. Chain links es ~~ with extensions, taken from a discarded nd UAT Co corn binder, were placed in the hoisting ne AN chain at 6-ft. intervals. The links bear mt A= 7 =. against the ends of the bales and move ° them up the slide. The chain, which ts o1 countersunk in the surface of the slide, he is driven from the top by another chain as le shown at the side of the slide, a 1%-hp. as engine furnishing the operating power 5S and raising the hay as fast as one man can d lay it on. The base of the hoist is of a le convenient height for unloading bales. i When the hay is to be taken out of the it barn, the hoisting chain is removed and s the bales slide down by gravity.—Stanley e Russell, Winfield, Kans. d ietetiaiiun - @ When it is necessary to cut a slot in a ; piece of steel and the hacksaw cut is not wide enough to admit even a file, a wider slot can readily be made by using two blades and putting them side by side in the hacksaw frame. Ry? P Cheap and Effective Device for Keeping a Crude-Oil Engine Cool

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340 POPULAR MECHANICS fresh, dash small drops « is Portable Forge Moved - - a‘ small ina a of this on the Around like Wheel- painted surface. This will separate the barrow Has Bracket . — . : : . . for Holding Rivets. COlors and blend them into very pretty marble effects. By the exercise of a little taste and ingenuity, surprising effects be obtained. If spar varnish is used, jt can be rubbed down and a coat of spar put on as a protector. I have in my yard a pair of large garden urns made oj plaster of paris, marbled to a malachite green, and these have stood the weather for four years—Wm. G. Browning, Angeles, Calif, Binding Short Grain Evenly ' When the heads of wheat or barley are unusually heavy or the straw is short, the i heads fall forward faster than the butts and a loose, misshapen bundle results. To prevent this, bolt a piece of clock spring about 1 ft. long, to the binder table, shown, just even with the twine as it drawn taut before the straw is forced into it. The spring holds the heads back even Portable Forge Carries Rivets with the butts until the packers gradua force it down with the twine. Much grai: is saved in this way and a compact bund that can be easily shocked is formed. The spring shown has been in use three season and the steel is worn down thin as a razor. The rivet forge shown in the photo is equipped with a wheel and handle like a wheelbarrow, making it very handy and permitting it to be readily pushed from place to place. When stood on end, two legs hold it up, ready for use. However, the operator sometimes discovered, after a move, that there were no rivets along with which to do the job, so he devised the rivet holder shown. It consists of a steel bracket, % in. thick and 3% in. wide, with holes drilled through it to accommodate seven rivets. The bar is welded to the front legs of the forge. Producing Marble Effects with Paints Prepare the colors to be shown in the marble, using varnish for the vehicle, and japan colors, reduced in turpentine, for making glaze colors or varnish stains. Put in the ground color with lead and turpen- tine and allow it to dry, then apply dif- ferent glaze colors so as to give a mottled, variegated effect. No care need be taken in this part of the work, as the crudest efforts give the best results. Dissolve a lump of potash, the size of a pea, in 1 oz. - ; - ‘ inder Hel of kerosene, and while the glaze coat is Length “7%, Sores es hg hoe _

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on Lf A 1\ So I y = See oT oe SS —, ‘HE ship plaque described in this article is not only easy to make, but it forms ost unusual and handsome wall deco- tion. Its uses are not confined to this, wever;: as suggested in one of the draw- ngs, it will make an attractive fire screen, with the addition of suitable brackets, holder for the fire tools, such as tongs, poker and brush. Omitting the shield, the brass ship may be fastened directly to the front of a wire fire screen, where it will ‘resent a fine appearance, especially dur- ing the winter, standing out boldly against he firelight behind it. The only materials necessary are a piece f “46-in. sheet brass, 12 by 15 in. in size; i piece of l-in. veneer paneling, 17 by 25 in., to make the shield, orany other suitable lumber; about ™% oz. of nitric acid and a cake of paraffin wax. The tools necessary are a coping saw or a bracket saw, with about a dozen fine metal-cutting blades, a set of diemakers’ files, a supply of fine emery and crocus cloth, a bottle of lacquer ind a good badger brush, 1 in. wide. The first step is to enlarge the pattern for the ship, given on page. 343. The squares in the drawing represent 1 in., so the first thing to do is to lay the paper lor the pattern out in l-in. squares. The pattern should be made on stout brown wrapping paper, about'14 by 17 in. in size, and the squares on the top and one side should be numbered serially to facilitate transferring the lavout points. ‘| + Number the squares on the original to correspond. a Attractive Ship my “Plaque Easy to Make by J. Tate — Now, with the brown paper tacked down flat, transfer the various points on the original design to the pattern, and draw in the enlarged design. This looks harder than it actually is, as, once the starting points are established, the remainder of the design is easily put in. As noted else- where, a blueprint is obtainable, which will eliminate the task of enlarging the pattern It is not necessary to cut out the design on the pattern. Trim the brown paper to the size of the brass sheet, and paste it down on the latter. Rubber cement will be found best for this purpose, although shellac or liquid glue will serve fairly well in its absence. Now drill holes right through the pat- tern and brass wherever an opening ap pears in the design, so that the end of the saw blade can be passed through. The 24]

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POPULAR MECHANICS SAW = END CUT E FOR , INSERTION INTO SMALL HOLES Above, Use of Bracket or Fret- saw in Cutting Out Ship; Be- low, Coping Saw Used for the Same Purpose metal-cutting saw blades used have a doubled- over end, as shown on this page, and, in the larger openings, a hole sufficiently large to admit this end can be drilled quite easily. For the smaller slots, such as the between the shrouds, it is neces- sary to cut the upper part of the doubled- over end of the blade off, and then to drill a hole in the wider end of the opening in the design, just large enough to ad- mit the blade as shown in the same draw- ing. The saw can easily be “wangled” through in this manner, and, while the cutting of the upper end weakens the hook of the blade, it will be found to serve all right for the relatively few small open- ings to be cut, provided too much tension is not put on the blade in the frame. Next, take a piece of board, 10 or 12 in. wide, about 1 in. thick and 16 or 18 in. long, and cut a wide “V” (see above). spaces out of one end This is clamped in the vise or to the bench, and the sawing is done on it. The parts of the board on each side of the “V” support the work while it is being sawed and make the sawing easier. The actual sawing out of the design j; simple, demanding nothing but care and patience, but there are one or two little points that will aid the amateur if he ob serves them from the start. If you have had any previous experience with the ire: INSERTING BLADE THROUGH HOLE es if TOOL FOR CUTTING. IN LINES END OF CUTTING or bracket saw, you will find it as good a tool as any; the coping will probably b« found easier to handle, although more in convenient in threading and straining tl blades. not, Saw [If a coping saw is used, it mus be one in which the blade can be turne to any angle desired; the ten-cent store wire-frame variety will not do. The blade should be inserted with the teeth point ing downward, so as to cut on the dow: stroke of the saw. When sawing into a corner, make th¢ cuts as shown above. The first cut run: into the corner from the hole, cutting out one side of the design; then the blade is drawn back to the hole again, and a second cut made to complete the cutting out ot the corner. A few minutes’ sawing, how- ever, will teach you more about the best way to do this than a volume of instruc tion. The main thing is to go slowly and carefully. If the outline of the ship is cut out first, it will help in cutting out the in- terior parts, especially if the coping saw is used, since it will enable the frame of

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sign is ire and Oo little he ob- u | ive he fret lust nec ore des nt wn the ins ut 1S nd ot v- Cc- id ut a Ww ee et es tat ita, Bi RETR — “. x, SENET hi OE Pe to go closer to the work. Cut n the outside of the lines of the de- ind leave a trifle for finishing with er the sawing is completed, clamp the between two pieces of board in the ind clean up all over with the die- s’ files. When a line has been filed SA LAE NNT REE SRT ETS POPULAR MECHANICS 343 straight, drawfile it, that is, just draw the file back and forth along the edge, at right angles to the usual direction of filing. This is not essential, but it adds to the finished appearance of the work, especially on the outside edges. It will be found easier to keep the lines straight or the curves of the design uniform and true, if the filing is a | GOOD lhe BR “'x way 0 P Pith aaa ELEC AE BLOKE * GE ESL Ae Cla at SE LEIAL! CBD ia) | oO || 2 - it ke ; ; : SSA GEA ASA RR ERI WHO SER AGT eae RTOS RAR RN Each Side of the Square in the Diagram Above Represents One Inch, and the Enlarged Pattern Can Be Made by Measurement from This | | | | |

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344 POPULAR done from the back, that is, the side op- posite that on which the pattern is stuck, since the sawing roughs up the pattern to some extent. In fact, the writer pulled off the pattern and scraped off the cement as soon as the sawing was finished, and filed “by eye” only. The next job to be done, when all the edges have been filed true and clean, is to remove the pattern and cement, if that has not been done before filing, and then to select the side that is to be the face of the finished ship. Choose the side on which there are no deep scratches that will show up when the work is finished. Clean this side by polishing it with No. 00 emery cloth, polishing only in one direction, and preferably straight up and down in the direction of the masts of the ship. Now heat the ship gently over a gas stove or electric plate, and, when hot enough to melt the paraffin wax, coat the sheet by rubbing the cake of wax over the surface. Coat the whole ship evenly and com- pletely, and set aside for the wax to harden. Mix one part of the nitric acid with two parts of water to make the etch- ing solution (adding the acid to the water, not the water to the acid), then scratch in the lines of the side strakes, ports, etc., shown in white on the layout diagram, through the hardened wax on the ship. Use a fairly blunt steel point for this, and be sure that the lines are cut clean through the wax down to the brass. Do not try to scratch in these lines freehand, but use a French curve as shown on page 345, so that the curves will be fair and sweeping. Then apply the etching solution to the lines, using a medicine dropper for the purpose, and, when the lines have been etched deeply enough, which will take but a few minutes, wash the acid off with water. It is best, when using this method of etching, to work on one line at a time, so that the etching can be controlled more easily. This is not the best method of etching, but it is the quickest and sim- plest, and demands little equipment. When all the lines have been etched deeply enough, wash off-the paraffin with benzine, and look over the linés. Any that are not etched in deeply enough may be cut deeper by the use of a-tool made from an old hacksaw blade (see page 342). This is ground as shown, so as to cut on the MECHANICS draw, and is used with the French « just as in scratching the lines through the wax. If you are sufficiently sure of yoy; command over the*tool, you can dispen with the etching entirely and cut the line, in with the tool directly, first pencili: the lines lightly, and using the curve Don’t forget the line defining the afte; edge of the foresail, and those showing where the topsails come in front of the masts and tops. The ship is mounted on the plaque by means of two No. 8-32 flat-head brass screws, 1 in. long, the heads being dered fast to the back, one about the cen ter of the hull, and the other above it nea: the top of the mainsail. Solder these o: now, and make a good job of it. Drill t holes in the cutting board to suit and countersink them for heads, drop the ship, with the ser through the holes, on the cutting boa and you are ready for the polishing. Fold a piece of No. 000 emery cloth o a piece of %-in. felt, cork or even a piec: of %-in. wood, and start polishing as page 346. Polish always in one direc- tion, in the direction of the masts, a: follow the No. 000 emery with a piece the finest crocus cloth you can obtai: Get as good a polish as you can with the crocus, then finish with a good bra polish. Clean away every particle of dust from around the work with a soft brush paying particular attention to the interio: corners, then fill in the etched or cut line with India ink, using a fine pen. Do not let the fingers touch the surface while do ing this; keep a piece of clean blotting paper under the hands. The ship is now ready for lacquering. The lacquer used should be one intended for metal; do not use a furniture lacquer Use a soft badger brush, fill it full of the lacquer, but not too full, then, starting at one side of the ship, draw the filled brush straight down from top to bottom, coating a strip of the ship. As quickly as you can, coat a second strip alongside the first in the same manner, and coat the whole surface in this way. You must work fast, and the edge of the first strip. must still be wet when the second is coated. Also, each brush stroke must cover a strip completely, for you cannot go back over it; hence the importance of screws,

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mm, * POPULAR MECHANICS 345 Left, Ship Clamped between Two Boards in Vise for Filing; the Edges of the Boards Come Up Close to the Edge to Be Filed, to Support It. File from the Side Opposite the Pattern, or Remove the Pattern before Filing. Above, after Filing, the Ship Is Heated on a Hot Plate and Coated with Paraffin Wax by Rubbing a Cake over the Surface; the Whole Surface Should Be Covered to an Even Thickness with the Wax, but as Thin as Possible ; Above, Applying the Diluted Ni- tric Acid to the Lines Engraved through the Wax, Using a Med- icine Dropper; Keep the Acid off Hands and Clothes. Right, Cutting the Lines through the ax Coating, Using a French Curve to Get the Lines Bold and True

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346 POPULAR MECHANICS inner line of the rim. When this has hb. done all around, it will be found that CUTTING OUTLINE OF SHIELD RIM) =x —— LS eS = oe le | |=. CUTTING-IN SHIELD BACKGROUND WITH GOUGE the well-filled brush. Set the ship aside to dry while you make the shield. If the first job of lacquering is poor, wash it off at once with turpentine, repolish and lac- quer again. The writer happened to have on hand a piece of five-ply veneer of the proper size for the shield, and therefore this was the material used. It may be made in way desired, perhaps the best material would be oak, with the back- ground carved out and the whole finished in dark Flemish. Or the rim may be made of a piece of %-in. veneer, cut out and glued in place on a flat back. To make it in veneer, lay out the shape as indicated, using a piece of string, a tack and a pencil for the curves; then take a narrow chisel and cut down through the top two layers of the veneer along the any however, and Above, Layout of Shield; Center, Method of Polishing Ship; Below, How the Background Is Cut In with a Small Paring Gouge veneer on top, inside the rim, is easily split, cut and ripped away from the sur- face of the core, leaving the rim intact. Should the core, as it usually is, be knotty and full of holes or other imperfections, fill these up with plastic wood, or a good crack filler, and, when hard, pare and sand the surface down smooth. It will proba bly look pretty spotty after this operation, but pay no attention to this. Now a %-in. gouge and go all over the back- take rround, as indicated in the drawing and in the photo of the finished plaque. Make the cuts all about the same depth, but varying in length. When the whole back- eround has been treated, give it three coats of ivory black in japan (not in oil), known as carriage color, allowing it to dry between You don’t want a shiny black behind the brass, but if the last coat of japan black is rubbed gently with a soft cloth, it will acquire a slight sheen and the also coats.

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=) LCr a | , le We 7. » oC POPULAR - will be deepened. Stain the rim to st our taste. It looks best in dark oak, d walnut or dark-brown mahogany, a shade lighter than the background. ten up the stain for the edges, or they he too dark, as they absorb the stain -e, Give the rim a coat of shellac after stain has had 24 hours to dry. When shellac is dry, rub down with the very firest steel wool, taking care not to rub ugh the shellac; then give a coat of ‘cabinet varnish. When this has dried least 24 hours—or better 48—rub it vn to an even, soft gloss with rotten- ‘one and oil. If oak is used for the shield, vould be best to finish it with wax. \fter the shield has been completed, lay e ship in the proper position on top of and press the screw ends into the wood mark the position of the holes; drill ese, countersink on top for the screw- leads and counterbore on the back for nuts and washers, After tightening the MECHANICS 347 nuts, cut off the projecting screw ends flush with the back of the shield. Put in a couple of fine screweyes on the back, almost at the top, for the cord to hang it with, and the job is done. There are just two hints on hanging the plaque. Let it hang flat against the wall, not tilted forward at the top. If possible, hang it on the same wall as the window that lights the room. If hung facing a window, or with the light coming from one side, in certain positions the ship “glares.” When hung on the same wall as the window, the “back light” deepens the black on the shield, and the ship looks splendid from any angle. To simplify the task of laying out the ship design, we have prepared a full-size blueprint, which can be cemented direct to the brass sheet. Send 25 cents for this to Shop Notes dept., Popular Mechanics magazine, 200 E. Ontario st., Chicago, specifying ship-plaque blueprint. Concrete Mixture A rich mixture of concrete consists of 1 part cement, 1% parts sand and 3 parts gravel or crushed stone. This mixture should be used for structural parts where water is to be kept from columns and other parts subjected to high strain. A standard mixture consists of 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 4 parts gravel. This should be used for reinforced ss foundations, for ma- Building Paper So It nrolls Conveniently chines or engines, subject to vibration; for reinforced beams, columns, arches, floors, and for water- tight work, such as tanks, conduit sewers, etc. A medium mix- ture consists of 1 part cement, 2% parts sand and 5 parts gravel. This mixture is used for ordi- nary floors, and ma- chine foundations, piers, thin foundation walls, abutments, re- taining walls, side- walks and heavy-wall sewers. A lean mixture consists of 1 part cement, 3 parts sand and 6 parts gravel. This mixture should be used only for heavy walls, backing for stone masonry and for large foundations. Keeping Building Paper on Sawhorse When building paper is being used on a house-construction job, it is often difficult _ to find a place where hh it may be unrolled conveniently. One contractor found a sawhorse handy for this purpose. Two notched crosspieces were nailed onto the legs of the sawhorse, as shown in the illus- tration, and upon these the roll of paper was supported by means of a length of broom handle. The paper can thus be un rolled as needed, and the roll is at all times protected from dam- age.—G. A. Hendrick- son, Argyle, Wis.

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348 POPULAR MECHANICS Wide Rubber Band on Base of Torch Prevents It from Slipping Non-Slip Base for Blowtorch When soldering eave-trough joints or roof valleys, it is often difficult to place a blowtorch in such a position that it will not slip yet be convenient. A Wisconsin tinsmith cut. a wide rubber band discarded inner tube, and snapped it around the flanged bottom of the blow- torch, as shown in the drawing. The torch could then be placed on a steep roof with out any tendency to slip. from a Improving the Small Forge The average small-shop forge stands on three legs, has an 8-in. blower and a pan, 18 to 22 in. wide and about 3 in. deep. The blower is usually rated at 1 to 48 and has a sufficient blast for iron bars up to 11% in. in thickness. However, the chief drawback is the shallowness of the fire, as by claying the pan to about half its depth, and using the remainder for fuel, the fire is seldom over 2 to 2% in. thick, which is insufficient for heavy work. With this in mind and noticing the lack of steady heat in my forge, I improved it as follows: I obtained a strip of heavy galvanized tin, about 6 in. wide, from a piece of culvert and cut it to the right length to fit around the pan and connect with the hood on both sides. This piece was securely and snugly fitted on the out- side of the original pan with Stove b and similarly attached to the sides of hood, to make the pan about 6 in. It was then claved to a depth of neat in., leaving a tapering hollow in the cent about 7 in. wide at the top and equa the width of the tuyere at the bottom. difference in the heat of the fire was prising. To allow longer pieces of to be placed deeply into the fire, a hol in. wide and 2 in. deep, was cut in b sides of the pan, in a horizontal line ac: the center of the tuyere. To prevent w age of coal through these holes, when 1 in use, they were closed by bending a ] piece of tin, 6 by 4 in. in dimensions, t U-shape so that it could be clipped o the side and pushed down on either of the opening. A good way to determine the right dept of a forge fire is to place a small piece « iron into the center of a good fire without a blast. The fire alone will keep the iro: bright red. Now turn on a steady, slo blast; if the iron turns dark as soon as t] blast is on, it is a certain indication t!] the fire bed is too shallow. The iron shoul be so deep in the fire that the air abov will not cool it—Joel FE. wood, Minn. Shoeberg, Rose Staggered Screws Hold Cable For the pur- pose of hold ing the loose ends of pulley ropes, hoisting cables or elec- tric-light cords against the walls of buildings, the method shown in the drawing will be found convenient. Four are driven into the wall slightly stag- vered, so that the rope or cable will be held securely when placed between the screws heads and wall as shown, and the cable will not be injured. screw

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Safety Hints for the Builder ———— This Scaffolding Is in a Bad Way; a Slight Jar Will Dislodge the Block- ing, and Down Comes the Scaffold ee mm a z “Sp . —_—> — Tl —_ ut a . O01 See How This Plank i Sags under Its Own Weight; It Is More Than Likely to Break When a Man Carries a Load over It Stone Left Unan- chored over Week End Was Blown to Sidewalk by Heavy Wind A Good Practice; Always Hook the Derrick Block to Prevent Its Swinging Never Leave an Opening, like That Above, Un- guarded; Someone May t Think the Level Outside Is the Same as That Inside and Injure Himself Badly; | a Few Boards from the Scrap Pile Will Guard an Opening, as on the Right Le RD: =>... _— —_

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Better Sifters for the Builder An Easily Op- erated Screen for Fine Sand; the Screen Runs on Roll- ers That Are Mounted on the Sidepieces A Vertical Fold- ing Screen; the Legs and Braces Fold against the Screen for Easy Transportation | The Roller-Screen Idea in Improvised Form; a_ Piece of Pipe, Resting on Longitudinal Bearers, Forms the Roller; the Screens Have Handles At- tached for Ease in Operating Left, a Tilting Screen That Takes Werzht off the Arms Left, a Vertical Sifter with a Wire-Lath Screen, for Use on Coarser Work 350

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| a rr i Moving Stationary Engines had to move a 1'%4-hp. stationary gas- e engine for about 100 yd. and there no one to help me. So I tipped it grasped the skids and pushed the ne over the ground just like a wheel- ow. I found later that it could be hed much more easily if the cotter pin the intake-valve spring was first re- ved. In another case a 10-hp. gas en- e was used at different pumps and had be hauled from one to the other. This ; hard to do until we noticed that the vheels projected a trifle lower than the t-iron base. Then, by raising the rear inder end, putting a mowing-machine le and wheels under it and bolting it in ce securely, we could drag it all over e ranch with one horse.—C. E. Mack, -. Sacramento, Calif. Dumping Boxes Help to Load Wagons To speed up the work of loading wagons om freight cars filled with gravel and ‘ment, the dumping box shown in the hoto was found very helpful. It was hung er the side of the car so that the wagons ould be driven directly under it. The orkers inside of the car fill the box and hen the driver comes to get a load he nly has to pull a cord, which releases a itch and allows the bottom to drop open. Dumping Box for Loading Sand or Gravel into Wagons from Freight Cars After the contents has been dumped into the wagon, he closes the bottom and ad- justs the catch so that the box can be re- filled. The box holds 1% cu. yd. of sand and four boxes can be hung on one car.— R. O. Parks, Beatrice, Nebr. POPULAR MECHANICS FELT-PAD _ ‘| ERASER ——_ Self-Erasing Blackboard Used as Bulletin Board by Wisconsin School Self-Erasing Blackboard A self-erasing blackboard is used in a Wisconsin high school for the announce- ment of school athletics or other school news. It consists of an ordinary window shade and shade roller, the shade being painted with several coats of blackboard paint. The roller is attached permanently to the wall near the entry door. Just be- low the roller and over the shade, is sus pended an eraser, made from a suitable length of pine board covered on the inside with a heavy layer of felt. When an an nouncement on the board is “dead” and other copy ready, the shade is raised. By pulling the shade down again and press ing the eraser firmly against it, the board is wiped clean for use in an instant. Handy Stone Boat Most farmers have occasional need for a stone boat for moving large, heavy rocks. An efficient one can be quickly improvised from a piece of 4% or %-in. sheet metal, or iron plate, and it is an easy matter to roll the stones on it with a bar. Two iron couplings are riveted to one end to permit the attachment of a chain, which is in turn hooked to the tractor, or doubletree if a team of horses are used.—James Hall, Vic- toria, Australia.

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Is This Your Home? Copyright, Architects’ Small House Service Bureau , BED ROOM £10-exi3-6% |—* LIVING ROOM | gl’ Ae! 13+5} x19" Plan No. 5D28 Small House Service Bureau of the close self-addressed stamped envelope for reply. sample plans. tained for 20 cents. Oe ae regarding home building addressed to this magazine will be answered by The Architects’ Tnited States, Inc., controlled by the American Institute of Archi- tects and endorsed by the United States department of commerce. Blueprints, specifications and material list for the house shown here may be obtained at nominal cost. In- If further information is desired, send 5c and stamped envelope for a 24-page booklet explaining how the Small House Service Bureau functions and showing 12 A new booklet, entitled “Fifty Ways to Lower Home Building Costs,” bureau houses actually lived in, and showing how as much as $1,000 can be saved on a home, may be ob- Inclose 10c and self-addressed envelope. illustrated by ten HIS design is an example of what may be done with a house that has its long axis corresponding with the long axis of the lot, and here we see how well this prin- ciple may be made to work. The living room has been given the im- portant position which it deserves. The lighting and ventilation are all that they could reasonably be. Placed in this posi- tion, there is a broad expanse of green- sward on three sides. Those parts of the house that are more directly associated with tamily life are placed at the rear. Certainly this living room is the distinct feature of the house. Its floor level has been lowered and its ceiling raised so that there is a clear height of more than ten feet. In the end is a_ great window, an English addition, and on one flanking wall is a massive fireplace. One enters the house through a covered portico, beyond which is a_ vestibule. French doors also open onto the portico 352 from the dining room. The kitchen is placed at the rear, where its connection with services is convenient. Among these may be mentioned a door to the side entry which leads outside and to the basement stairs. There is also a door opening onto the service yard at the rear. At the left, two bedrooms with bath complete the sleeping quarters. At the rear of one of these there is an open terrace. This design is an especially beautiful one. The high-pitched roof, massive out- side chimney, great window in the living room, and gate to the garage driveway are marked by English influences. Here it forms a screen to the garage and adds to the privacy of the rear lot. The construction is wood frame with exterior finish of stucco and roof of shin- gles in variegated colors; approximate width of lot, forty feet. The house should be faced to take advantage of prevailing winds and best exposures.