SCIENCE SIFTINGS

New Zealand Tablet, 4 July 1918, Page 46

SCIENCE SIFTINGS

By "VOLT.'*

Records Gun Shock. Professor John Curtin, who has had charge of the seismograph at Canisius College, in Buffalo, N.Y., for years, declared recently that the shocks of the explosion of the long-range German gun with which Paris is being bombarded, have been recorded on seismographs in America. The shock, he explained, causes the needle to record a small dot on the smoked paper on the cylinder of the earthquake detector. Canisius is one of the best known of the Jesuit Colleges. New Zealand Ferns. Referring to New Zealand ferns at a meeting of the Canterbury Microscopical Society the other day Mr. W. Martin said that the Dominion possessed 200 distinct species, including umbrella ferns, tree ferns, kidney ferns, maidenhair ferns, bracken ferns and nioomvorts. The presence of four genera of tree ferns in the Dominion was evidence that it once had a tropical climate. The largest tree fern in New Zealand was the black one, the commonest the Dicksonia. The silver tree fern, which has its southernmost limit at Banks 1 enmsula, had a conspicuous white under-surface to its fronds. The Maoris sometimes, when going out to meet hostile tribes, broke off the white fronds and left them on the track as guides. Some of the bracken ferns were very beautiful, and a certain New Zealand climbing fern might have a stem 100 feet long. Gigantic Timber Raft. To float 60,000 tons of Oregon timber, with the aid of six Diesel engines, from the United States to Australia, is the scheme, which a syndicate of Australians has submitted to one of the largest timber exporters of Seattle. Senator R. S. Guthrie, who knows the details of the scheme, states that the idea was that of Captain Jorgensen, who brought out the small vessel True Blue, of 14 tons, from England to Australia some years ago. lie was afterwards engaged as master of the steamer South Africa in bringing explosives between Africa and Australia. The" scheme is to float the timber in the form of a huge raft The outside timbers would be bolted, so as to keep the mass firm. The engines would be so placed as to assist steermi: and to aid in propulsion, but the raft would rely mostly on three masts for its progress. Cabins would be built on top of the logs for the accommodation of the crew. The timber if is proposed to import is chiefly for mining purposes. Senator Guthrie thinks that the scheme is possible. He says he remembers that m the old days vast quantities of timber were taken across the Western Ocean from Quebec to Greenock in wooden vessels so old that they had to be lashed together with chains to ensure that they would not tumble to pieces on the voyage. They always arrived at their destination safely.