SCIENCE AND INVENTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15516, 24 January 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

SCIENCE AND INVENTIONS

CRANK-HANDLE SCREWDRIVER.: The construction' of a crank-handle screwdriver provides a crank action to the handle, which makes a rapid tool for small work. The handle has a metal sleeve,' in which the stem of the screwdriver -revolves. The bend in the screwdriver shank should be so shaped as to make the outer end of the handle centre the straight part of the screwdriver. REVERSIBLE LIFEBOAT. The distinguishing feature of a new type of lifeboat is that it is the same underneath as it.is shown, on the ; top. In other words, it is ready whichever" wav up it may be launched. It can.be handled and navigated in the same manner as an ordinary boat. It has 48 air-tight and water-tight compartments,. and properly fitted compartments for food and water accessible from either, side of the boat! The boat has proved to be exceedingly stable, and would seem to possess important advantages over the ordinary boat. BIRDS AS CONSUMERS OF FOOD. It may npt be thought that of all animals, birds ' are among the largest eaters. This means, of course, in portion to their weight. Some birds are known to consume two and one-half times their weight of food in -24 hours. The heron, which has a light weight of 41b in spite of its size, is a striking example. One was lately caught which had just swallowed two trout of. l£lb and 21b: Wild pigeons are among the forertiost eaters, and they make-a most copious 'repast whenever an abundance of, food is found. Thus- a -single pigeon '.picked - up 1000 grains of wheat in one day. •

- STONE-GATHERING MACHINE. J

About three years, ago:the South, Australian Government offered a prize for the invention of a stone-gathering machine to be used on some of the barren lands that it was desired to render available for cultivation. The first competition. was abortive, for no machines were entered. Again the . prize was offered, but the two or three machines that were entered failed to do the work. Now, however, two Australians have invented an improved rake and stone-gatherer for clearing stony land. The new idea was given a public trial recently, and did its work very successfully. The rake, which is triangular in shape, and works in snake fashion, leaves the stones in a straight row. It is followed by the stone-gatherer, which consists of a large wheel, which picks up all the stones, large and small, and deposits them in the dray which runs alongside. The land was too stony to use for agricultural purposes previous to the trial, and yet, after the machines had gone over it, some of the farmers . present. rode over the ground in their motor-cars. By the use of these machines thousands of acres of land may be put injo use, which at present are not available on account of the cost of clearing. ELABORATE WATER SCHEMES. Should the additional water that the city of Paris requires be brought from the Loire River the expense will be some £16,000,000. Such water is of good quality, but as tho quantity is but 500.000 cubic meters per dav, the project has the drawback of. being 'but a temporary one, soon needing to, be amended. -Amuch more satisfactory plan will be t*> bring, the water from Lake. Leraan, that is from the Rhone, where it flows out cf the • lake. As the" volume. is. twenty, times what would be taken now, there is ample scope for any further inc*rease. and it will always be possible, to .' take off what is needed ..f6r„ the /city's; c6nsump'tib'n.. ' To bring one: million cubic meters per -day .tor .Paris would cost' £24,000,000. or one-half more than the above • project," but the amount!pf ; water,^ojildtibe-doubled > : and: Jpe-supply... wouldbe' carried out on much conditions. As.to the purity■ of 'the ; watery it need-only be rnentirined that '■■ Geneva, Lausanne; and other places on the lake never s^er>ijbniJ-byphoTd and otherepidemics known at.Paris,' and even" then, they . take.. the water directly from .the l|ke without the. precautions which " would' Here ibe used. The excellent quality of the water, is.recognised by. chemists and bacteriologists of all countries.- ■ ■ /

HEALTH BY FREEZING.! :

Suspended animation, to be continued for weeks, has been the subject of some curious experiments by Prof. Bachmetief, - a Russian biologist. It is' well-known that some low. forms of animals can be restored to life after existing a considerable time m. a dried state, and certain others pass the cold season in a lethargic condition. On gradually reducing the temperature, insects were brought to. a strange stage of existence between life and death. All vital functions become suspended at 20 deg. to 23 deg. F., but might be restored even after a fairly long time, and death did not occur until the temperature fell to 15 dee. or lower. Lethargy was produced in small mammals, such as bate and white mice, by artificial respiration, when the animals could be safely kept at temperatures below freezing point. The experiments are to be extended to higher animals, and the investigator even seeks to determine whether tuberculous patients could be kept a few weeks in suspended animation ■ at about 20 deg. It is believed this would effect a cure, as tubercle bacilli are destroyed by two or three weeks at a somewhat higher temperature. Another idea is that the feeding of sheep and bees during the reproductive winter season could ,be made unnecessary, and that cattle and other food animals could be transported in a lethargic state.

. OCEAN-GOING SUBMARINES. If the development of the submarine in the early years of "its existence seemed to be rather slow, no such charge can be made against this interesting craft at the present time. Within a single decade it has developed from an ingenious curio sity into a potent engine of war, the limit to whose future development no intelligent student of naval affairs would care, just now, definitely to determine. Derided and belittled in the early days of its struggle for recognition, the submarine at last has come into its own. The principal objections against this type during the early years of experimental work were its lack of 6peed, its limited steaming power and its restricted radius of action. So great were these limitations that it was considered to be useful merely as an adjunct to the more formidable"harbour defences in the way of long range guns, mortars, and submarine mines. That the charge was well founded is proved if we call to mind the limited dimensions and power of submarines at the commencement of the present decade (says an American writer). The boats of the " Adder" class, of the year 1902, were only 63ft 4in in length, of 120 tons displacement, and of I seven to right knots speed. They carried but one torpedo tube and a verv limited supply of gasoline. Four years 'later the submarines of our navy were still very small craft, their length being 80ft 6in. their displacement 170 tons, and the speed 10 knots on the surface and 8j submerged. To this class belong the Cuttlefish, Viper* and Tarantula of 1906. Between that nate and 1909. when the boats of the Stingray class were launched, there was a marked development, the displacement increasing to 274 tons, and the horse-power for surface propulsion to 500, as against a, surface horse-power of 160 in the Adder of 1902. The armament was doubled, these vessels carrying two torpedo tubes. It was now realised that the submarine was so far developed in efficiency that the time had come to enlarge its size, habitability, cruising radius, sufficiently to enable it to become sea-going, at least to a limited extent. Hence, we'find that the boats of 1911 . have an overall length of 148 ft a displacement of 520 tons, that they ran develop 950 horse-power when steaming at the surface, at a maximum speed of 14.5 knots, and that in the submerged condition they have a speed of 10.5 knots. Furthermore, they can travel ou the surface f'o.2500 miles at-a speed of 11 knots, which means thai, at a slower speed than this and with a full supply of fuel in their tanks, at starting, they are. capable of steaming across the Atlantic Ocean.