WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

North Otago Times, 2 December 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

At tho Balo ol the Hob collection of books and manuscripts In New York, £IO,OOO was paid by Mr. H. E. Huntington, the California mil-. llpnalre, for the Gutenberg Bible, This Is the highest price: ever paid for a book, the! previous record being £4,950 pild for the Mew Psalter at the auction of Sir John Throld's books In London In 1884.

Five hundred persons attended tho sale. Many foreign dealers were present, including Mr, Quarltcb, of London, who Bold the Gutenberg Brblo to Mr. Hoo for £4,000. The second largest price realised was £2,400, paid by an American dealer for Mr, Hoe's "Book of St. Albans." Other prices Included £l,lOO paid by a '•Ohicagoan for Heiiodorus' "Aethopicae Historiae, 1 ' and £420 paid by Mr. Quarltch for a prayer-book once owned by Marie Antoinette, The present system of tramways may, before long, be superseded by tho trackless tram. The new system by which trams run without rails, is increasingly popular, as. thereby a great amount of expense in construction can be saved. Under the trackless trolley system, the cars, which have rubber tyres, are rim on the roadway without rails. The steering apparatus is very similar to that of the present-day motor-omnibus. There are two wires overheadsomewhat like the overhead system in use in some parts of the Metropolis—and the car is capable of a deviation to the extent of twenty feet on either Bide of the trolloy wire, from which the motivo power is collected. The promoters are meeting with a largo amount of opposition from the , owners of other patents, and also i from the railway companies, which | aro likely to suffer considerably from 1 tho new invention, I It is claimed that the running cost I of the trackless tram is only about ' one-fifth of that of tho conduit and ! overhead systems.

The French army is interested in a new method for watorproofing fabrics which is claimed to bo'superior to ÜBual processes. English manufacturers have been in the lead in fringing out waterproof fabrics for many years past. Besides rubber, for fabrics, we have the use of insoluble gelatine, boiled linseed oil, shellac, metallic soaps and others, which have had more or less success. It appears that the best solution for waterproofing is acetate of aluminum, and when the fabric is soaked in it for twentyfour hours, and dried in the open air, it is perfectly waterproof, but has not the objectionable feature of rubber and similar material, as It allows the- air to circulate through it, Tho fabric is also quite supple, and this is especially necessary so that clothing can be made of it. Acetato of alumina solution can be found on the market, and docs not need to be prepared, N •