Machines Help Map Makers Topographical maps, many of which are sold to the public for as little as ten cents each, are made on specially designed machines costing $30,000 each. There are only three of the machines, which are known as aerocartographs, in the country and they are operated by the U. S. Geological Survey [...]
DOLORES DEL RIO* tells why it's good business for her to smoke Luckies...
"That $50,000 insurance is a studio precaution against my holding up a picture," says Miss Del Rio. "So I take no chances on an irritated throat. No matter how much I use my voice in acting, I always find Luckies gentle."
"Not exactly poor, Bobby. They had money. But they didn't have all the nice things that we have—such as a radio, and electric lights, and a vacuum cleaner. You see, they didn't have electricity, or automobiles, or airplanes. Most of those things hadn't even been invented."
HUGE fortunes in gold and gems lying in the holds of sunken ships are no longer beyond recovery now that a record-breaking descent of 420 feet has proved salvaging sunken treasures safe and practicable.
Gold-laden ships, previously barricaded by unconquerable depths, were literally swept into shallow water by the record depth Max Nohl reached recently preparatory to salvage efforts on the S. S. Lusitania and Merida.
Waterproof Sand Exhibited W/ATERPROOF sand constituted one of the many marvels of modern chemistry exhibited at a Chemical Industries Exposition recently staged in New York, N. Y. In a convincing test demonstration, water was passed through a series of curves in the chemically treated sand without becoming even partially absorbed.
Tiny Watch Worn Like Ring CAPABLE of running for 46 hours without rewinding, a tiny watch developed by a Swiss manufacturer is fitted to a band and worn like an ordinary finger ring. The watch features unbreakable glass.
Frame Suspends Patient For Surgical Operation ALTHOUGH it resembles a medieval torture machine in general appearance, a newly developed operating room frame is said to provide increased comfort for the patient and affords the surgeon free access to the field of operation. The frame is specially designed for fracture and orthopedic operating work. The new [...]
Is the crashproof car a dream? Read this prophetical article.
by Frederick Russell
SAFE because it's unbreakable—is that the picture of the automobile as it will be in the near future?
Many engineers say "yes," pointing to the greatly fortified 1938 car as evidence The majority of them agree that if cars can be built with sufficient strength to withstand today's punishment it should be but a short step to a car that can take a bad spill and not be any the worse for it.
Auto Has Windshield Washer CONTROLLED by a small button concealed on the flange of the instrument panel, a new device for spraying two fine streams of water on the windshield to clear away road splash, mud, rain spots or insects is a featured accessory of an automobile produced by a well-known manufacturer. The entire mechanism [...]
As destructive as a racketeer's bomb, combustible dust exacts its toll of business.
by Volta Torrey
HAUNTING America's castles—those gigantic, concrete structures dotting the shipping terminals—is a public enemy more deadly than all the ghosts of all the medieval citadels known to man.
"Combustible dust" is the name of this insidious foe. It lurks in 28,000 elevators, mills, factories and warehouses, a constant menace to the lives of 1,325,000 Americans and $10,000,000,000 worth of property. It explodes with more destructive violence than a gangster's bomb, haunts industry more persistently than its many victims' ghosts, and mocks inventors' efforts to circumvent, ensnare or confine it.
Boys Build “Pumpmobile” TWO young inventors in Dobbs Ferry, N. Y., combined their resources, consisting of half of a bicycle and a four-wheeled coaster wagon, to produce a novel vehicle which they call a “pumpmobile.” The fork of the bicycle was mounted on the rear of the coaster wagon, locomotion for the combination vehicle being [...]
Thermos Container Insures Constant Milk Temperature Placed over a bottle of milk at the time of its delivery to a customer’s home, a thermos-type container produced by a California manufacturer is said to keep the milk at its delivery time temperature indefinitely. A simple release lever on the top of the container locks or unlocks [...]
MAIL PLANE TO BE LAUNCHED IN MID AIR THE modern demand for long range flying at high cruising speeds has presented a take-off problem for highly loaded airplanes. As one solution to the problem, Major Robert Mayo, of England, has designed a composite aircraft, which consists of a small, fast, heavily-loaded seaplane mounted atop a [...]
Locomotive Tries Milk Fuel DEMONSTRATING its energy value, two tons of dried milk in the form of briquets was used in place of coal to fuel the locomotive of the Dixie Limited at the start of its run from Chicago Depot to Florida. The substitute fuel is said to have burned readily, providing as much [...]
That looks pretty dangerous. Giant Coffee Urn In Service THE U. S. Coast Guard base at New London, Connecticut, has been provided with a coffee urn which is believed to be the largest ever constructed. It holds 60 gallons of water and the handle on its cover is just within reach of an average size [...]
An interest in aviation as a hobby led to the building of the world's largest bombing planes.
TO ANYONE familiar with aviation, the name Boeing calls to mind the engineering of a variety of aircraft from small fast pursuit ships to big four-engined "flying fortress" bombers and commercial transports. A two-decked flying boat with a wing span of 152 feet, which will be capable of carrying as many as sixty passengers and a 107-foot span low-wing monoplane, designed for high altitude and sub-stratosphere flying, are being developed by Boeing at this time.
It is interesting to note that the founding of the Boeing organization and the eventual engineering of these super transports is the result of an accident. Back in 1916, William E. Boeing, who had become interested in aviation as a hobby, and had learned to fly in California, had a crack-up with his plane. In contemplating the possibility that the damaged craft might be repaired in Seattle, he finally decided that an entire new plane should be built. Gathering a small group of interested men, he formed the Pacific Aero Products Company and in a small one room plant production was begun on the first Boeing ship, the B & W seaplane trainer of 1916. An unequal span twin-float biplane fitted with a 125 h.p. Hall-Scott motor, it had a cruising speed of some 60 m.p.h.
Sliding Stock Room Flashlight WITHOUT going to the expense of installing numerous fixed lights throughout length of stock room, illuminating interiors of long rows of deep drawers and bins may be done by stretching a wire overhead, parallel to shelving, and suspending a flashlight from wire, by means of sliding ring
New Electric Shaver Held Like Straight Razor Held in the same position as a straightedge razor, a new electric shaver has a cutter which oscillates in a rotary manner, operating more like a mower than a clipper.
