July, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. 201 SCKNES IN THE YOSKMITE VALLEY. Our engraving gives a faint impression of some of the ins j as tic objecti in the Yosemito valley, Cab The scene ii in the canyon of the Merced river, which branches out an angle from the Yosemite vallev nmiwr Tn the foreground is teen the trail leading up the Merced canyon, and which brings the viaitor ere long to a near view of the wonders which are peculiar to thii branch of the Yotemite. The trail rises rapidly and follow! the courao of thu Merced river. So sharp is the ascent that in two miles an olova tion is attained 2,000 ft higher than the en trance to tho canyon. In reaching the lower level the Merced river plunges over uumerous cascades and makes two grand falls, which are among the greator attractions of the Vosemite, according to Whitney, not ouly on account of their hight and the large body of water in the river during moat of tho seaaon, but also on ao count of tho stupendous sccuery in the midst of wnieh they are placed. The first of these two grand cataraota is Ver nal fall, which ia shown in the oeuter of the engraving. Whitney plaooa the hight of this fall, at the averago stage of the water in June and July, at 400 ft The rock behind tho fall ia a perfectly square out mass of granite extonding across the oanyon. The rook uuar tho bottom of the fall ia steeply incliuod, so that a precise definition of the place, when the perpendicular part oeaaes, is very dillioult amid tho blinding spray and foam. Alongaide of the headlong roaring stream from Vernal fall tho trail leads up to the base of the fall from whioh thu visitor may ascend by laddera. At the aummit of the fall the view down the oanyon, aa well as in the opposite direction, is extremely tine, 1 be ays tem of ladders by which this summit is reached, in the winter time ia covered by masses of icioles wonderful to behold. Aloft in the skv, above the center of the en graving, is tho "oap of liberty," a most notable object It ia a mats of rook, isolated, and nuarlv iHirneiidicular n all sides, rising pur haps 2,000 ft above its base. The oap of liberty has a striking resemblance to the object its name indicates. It ia ao marked that it is often recognised as it is viewed from various elevated points about the valley. It is an embodiment of grandeur, and its impress is lirmly lixed uixii the mind of tho lieholder. The visitor who ascends the canyon of the Merced above Vernal fall meets something grand and impressive every time the view changes. About a mile from Vernal fall, but hidden from view by tho lofty bluff in the en graving, is Nevada fall, which is pronounced by Whitiiey aa in overy respect one of tho grandest waterfalls in the world, whether wo consider its vertioal hight, the purity and volume of the river whioh forma it, or the stapendous scenery by whioh it is environed. Loatoirnr or Hun Wowmm, Tta great thinkors and hard brain workora are long lived is asserted, with a considerable array of facta, in a volume bv Dr. Heard. Me presents a list of some 500 of the moat eminent names in bis torv. including a number like l'asral, Morsrt, Keats and others, who died young, and linds the avenue am of the AO0 to have been over 04 . ..7 1 . . 1 rears, as mis is lar ueyoon me av : armors, mechanics and business men, hn con- eludes that the wear and tear of brain work ia not so oxhauttinii as is commoiily supixwsl The Loudon Spectator, however, reviewing this theorv. maintains that exoeasive mental toil must shorten life, and did evidently shorten it in the case of many of the 600 cited, but they had oriihnallr more vigorous constitutions and a larger amount of vital foros, and, by virtue of v.i ntw.rinr vitality which cxnlains. in part. also, their superior brain power, they were able to continue hard work even to obi age, Ufore breaking down under the preeaare ; though the same vital foroe woubl have prolonged life for many years if they had not exhausted it pre maturely. A Mountain or Oust dun. Near the foot of lleaver lake, in the National l'ark of Yellow ttone, a recent party of explorers oame upon a remarkable mountain of obsidian or volcanic glass, which rises iu columnar oliffs several hundred ft in hight. At it was desirable to thst w.v the ...,. I -. 1 tr, ..... - ...I through thu steep glaaay barricade. This thov effected by buildiug huge tires on the glass to thoroughly heat ami expand it, and then dash ing tho cold watur of the lake against the heated surfneo so to suddenly cool and break it A PUWIMVL TaSTON Maciiin. ft and T. h'airbanka ft Co. have completed two or threo large testing inauhinea lately ordered by the 1 I o eminent to lie used in testing the strength of iron and steel. These mauhlnea are very compactly built, oooupying but about llva ft square ou the floor, and about ten ft high -all nf iron d at.,n1 ,! w..t..l.o,. In...- ....... .1. The metal to be tested it clamped securely be tween two heavy iron collars, which are drawn apart by two heavy screws turned gradually by hand with a combination of gear wlieelt, The testers am really weighing-machines also, hav- Vv MM 1 VIKW IN THE CAN YON OF THE MEIUEH YGMKMITK VALLKV. up by shrinkage. Large fragmsuts were in this way deUehed from tho solid side of the mouutain, then broken up small by aledga hammers and picks not however, without severe lacerations of the bauds and fa. es of the men from llying splintais. In the Grand canyon of the Gibson river, the explurers also found prec ipice of yellow, black and handnd obsidian, huudreda of ft high. The natural glass of these localities has from time immemorial lieen dressed by tho Indians to tip their spear and arrows. "C'lKKHtn are high, llrm ami in demand, with scare. I) any obtainable," as the small hoy aaid when n gaxed wistfully at I', a- ri 1 lose watcher's delicivas "Karly June's." ing levers, beams, oise, etc.. ami aa fast a the power is applied to the metal to lie teateu, in noise on the scale beam is muted automatically, indicating ths nunilwr of pound of strain ep idn d At a trial a liar of steel an Inch awl an eighth will and live si tths thick stood a strain of over 41,000 the. before It wa pulled apart, and before it broke It waa rwluowl in width an eighth of an Ineh, ami In thlckn nearly a sixteenth. Ho heavy and powerful are the machine that than wa no perceptible r torn I whan the steel parted. Ths on tested aa above is going to Cinoinnatii and jast to laat It strength, a heavy bar of steel was placed In it Jaws, and 100,000 ft, strain (ml upon it without any vleibU effeol. Sc. Mttbura ( VI.)