THE SUNDAY OKEGOJJIAN, PORTLAND, . NOVEMBER 18, 1906.
51
The Story of the White Horse Mine
CHAPTER VI.
THE boys Dave and Sara, out hunting
for the white horse "Ned." took up
the trail of the animal where they had
lost it the day before, and after riding a
mile further on they once more came
across Us tracks.
The horse was now on a walk, and
from his aimless wanderings it was clear
that he was lost. He had stopped to
feed here and to drink there, but had
headed straight for the mountains in a
general way. The boys pushed on as
fast as possible, hoping all the time to
sight the animal, but at noon he was
still ahead, and they saw by his tracks
that he had struck a gallop again. Some
thing had frightened him Into a run.
The ponies could have run over the
ground mich faster than the lost "horse
was traveling, but here and there he
has passed over rocky ground and left
no trail, and one of the boys had to get
down and search about until it was found
again.
They had brought luncheon with them,
and at noon they eat down and ate . it
and let their ponies feed for an hour.
That the white horse had been alive the
day before they felt certain, and it now
seemed their best policy to push on and
hope to overtake him, even if they had
to make camp for the night without any
thing to eat. That would be no great
hardship for two hearty, healthy boys.
They had taken their first rest in a
dip or basin, with a fringe of brush
growing around the edges of it. In the
center was a fine spring at which they
and their ponies drank.
Sam was the first to get up after
luncheon, and he climbed out of the dip
to take a look around. He had hardly
looked back over their trail when he
took a slide back down the bank and
whispered to his brother:
"Oh, Dave, but there are at least 20
mounted Indians between us and home!"
"You must be mistaken," was the re
ply, but nevertheless the ejder brother
climbed the bank to look for himself.
The sight that met Dave's eyes sent
him down out of sight in a hurry. It
was as Sam had said, only that the
Indians were not following their trail,
nor were they coming towards the hid
ing place. As a matter of fact, it was a
war party going south. They numbered
an even 20, and it was safe to say that
they had heard of the white pioneers in
A COWARD WHO HAD
FEAR OF FEAR
THH talk had turned upon courage,
and Wilson, the club youngster,
waxed eloquent. As Wilson is 6 foot 2,
strong as an ox, and never, known to re
sist anything in the shape of temptation,
the fight-at-the-drop-of-the-hat. don't-know-the-meanlng-of-fear
kind of bravery
naturally claimed his regard.
"Shut up, kid," said quiet Jones, at
last. "There's too much voice and too
little gray matter In your conversation.
You talk as if no man could do a brave
deed unless it came easy, whereas most
of the deeds men call courageous proba
bly have been performed in cold terror.
It takes courage to forget fear, let me
tell you that, baby; a heap more than to
do daredevil specialties If you happen to
be born of the foolhardy kind."
"The bravest deed I've ever heard of."
broke in Grannls. "was done by a man
who was born a coward. I know he was, i
for he told me. All his boyhood he lived
In torments of fear both physical and
mental. But he had a strong will and a
good mother, and he got himself so well
and early in hand that few could have
believed him naturally timid. At college
he was reckoned more than ordinarijy
brave.
"A few years later he happened to take
a brief Winter ride on a rural waytraln.
In the car with him were a number of
men. but only one woman, who sat close
to the big end stove because of the bit
ter weather. The head-on collision that
presently tilted the train pinned this
woman where she sat, with the big stove
slowly sinking toward her. And when
the other men had given up trying to
keep it from falling, my natural coward
slipped Into the aperture and held It up
with his back.
"He still had strength to walk when re
lief came, and the newspapers didn't get
his name, though they tried to make a
tin hero of him without It. And even in
the worst of the resultant agony he per.
slsted to me, who had seen It all, that
his act was not extraordinarily brave,
merely Inevitable, though he couldn't ex
plain why the other men didn't so regard
It."
"You're a fool. Grannls," snapped
Jones, flinging his cigar at the ash tray.
"It wasn't so much heroic as automatic.
The man simply had formed the habit
of doing whatever he feared to do and
doing it quickly. He was more afraid of
fear than suffering-, that was all."
He strode out of the room, frowning,
i and Grannis followed with something de
precating in his manner. When the steps
had quite died away In the distance,
Wilson, a little pale and startled, laid a
surprised hand on the silent listener's
arm.
"Ever go In the swimming tank with
old Jones?" he asked softly. "Well I
did this morning. Got an awful scar on
his back!"
Odd Schools of the World.
Russia possesses a school for policemen
where young men are trained for the
force. The school is situated in St. Pe
tersburg, and in a museum connected
thereto the pupils make themselves fa
miliar with jimmies, drills, chisels, and
other tools used by professional thieves.
A particular branch of the school is the
Russian passport system, which every
budding policeman has to study In detail.
A remarkable educational establishment
is the school for judges opened recently
In Paris. Here make believe trials are
held by the pupils under the supervision
of well-known attorneys. The whole pro
cedure, from the issuing of a warrant
for arrest to the summing up and the
judge's verdict, is carried through in a
businesslike manner.
Slave Ants.
It has lone- been knw ,, n.
that several species of ants maintain and
jceu anotner sort of insects for the sake
of the wax that they exude anu which
the anu use as food. These ants are
said, therefore, "to keep cows." But it
wen uncovered only within recent
years that there are ants that rise on
the backs of others and are thus the
cavaliers of the Insect world.
Within this period a scientist in the
employment of the Smithsonian Institu
tion observed, while traveling in the
Malay peninsula, a species of small gray
ants that were new to him. These ants
were much engaged in traveling; they
lived in damp places, and went in troops.
To the scientist's great surprise he no
ticed among them from time to time an
occasional ant that was much larger
than the others and moved at a much
swifter rate. Closer examination revealed
the Interesting fact that thl larger ant
Invariably carried one of the gray ants
on Its back.
The scientist noted down many Inter
esting facts with regard to their move-
There was no. getting near him
the little valley 15 miles away and were
on their way to attack them.
"We cannot pass them and get home
first," said Dave when Sam asked him
what should be done. "Even If we fol
lowed after them we should be seen and
they would turn and attack us. We will
have to ride on and hope to find a more
secure hiding place In some big ravine.
ments. Ha found that while the main
body of gray ants were always on foot,
they were accompanied by at least one
of their own sort mounted on one of these
larger ants. It mounted and detached
Itself now and then from the line, rode
rapidly to the head, came swiftly back to
tne rear, and seemed to be the comman
der of the expedition.
The scientist was soon satisfied that
this species of ant employs a larger ant
(possibly a drone of the same species,
though he had no means of proving this)
as we employ horses to ride upon; tribugh
as a rule only one ant in each colony
seemed to be provided with a mount.
Some ants maintain others in their
service as servants or slaves. Certain
warrior ants of 9outh America confine
their own physical efforts to raiding and
plundering, while all the ordinary offices
of life are performed for them by slaves.
The little gray ants of the Malay Pe
ninsula appear to be a mors industrious
race,- though they appreciate the great
convenience of having one on "horse
back" among them..
Gravedigging Taught as Trade.
An odd educational establishment Is the
school for gravediggers in Belgium. It
was founded by the directors of the Great
Eve re cemetery and all candidates for
posts as sextons In Belgium must under
go training In the school and pass an ex
amination. There are several schools of housewif
ery in England, the principal of which is
connected with the national training
school of cookery In London, t Every
branch of household management is
taught at this school; the keeping of ac
counts, the principle of domestic sanita
tion, and a certain amount of sick train
ing being included.
"Bob" Ingersoll to Live in Bronze.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Frederick E. Trlebel, the well-known
New York sculptor, has been awarded
the commission for the execution of a
statue of Robert G. Ingersoll by the In
gersoll Monument Association of Peoria.
111. The statue is to cost $10,000 and will
be unveiled in August. 1907, on the anni
versary of Colonel Ingersoll's death.
Witt
7 V
A dancing bear grotesque and funny
Earned for his master heaps of money.
Gruff, yet good-natured, fond of money,
And cheerful if the day was sunny.
Past hedge and ditch, past pond and
wood, .
He tramped, and on some common stood;
There cottage children circling gayly.
He in their midmost footed daily.
Pandean pipes and drum and muzzle.
Were quite enough his brain to puzzle;
But like a philosophic bear.
He let alone extraneous care
And danced contented anywhere.
Still, year on year, and wear and tear,
Age even the gruffest 'bear.
A day came when he scarce could prance.
Had we not been in this dip they must
have seen us from afar off."
The boys waited until the Indians were
well out of sight and then mounted their
ponies and rode out of the dip and still
toward the mountains.
After awhile they came upon the tracks
of the white horse again. Again he had
settled down to a walk. They followed
THE CONFESSION OF A
CANNIBAL CONVERT
TT CATHOLIC missionary priest, lately
r returned from his. labors in Central
Africa, is fond of relating his struggles
in reclaiming the cannibal. One In
stance of his success goes to show how
the man-eating black will put a curb on
his perverted appetite if the proper In
fluence is brought to bear.
These particular cannibals took rather
kindly to Christianity, and it was not
difficult to persuade them to come into
the fold and abandon their grosser super
stitions. But to wean them wholly from
cannibalism was another thing. It was
easier to teach them to forgive their ene
mies than to abstain from eating them.
The man-eating custom was not merely
a cultivated physical taste, but an ap
proved tradition associated with their
tribal social rites, and the most tractable
and kindly among them would occasional
ly turn backslider in this respect.
The missionary had gained such influ
ence with them that they had abandoned
their deplorable feasts In the village
where he lived; but he knew that can
nibal dinners were given from time to
time in other settlements, and when one
of his converts was absent over night
without assigning a good' reason for it,
the inference that he had fallen from
grace was irresistible.
The missionary's pet convert shared
this falling with the others; but all the
evidence went to show that he had long
resisted his inclinations to the fleshpots.
and was living the simple vegetarian, life.
But suddenly he disappeared from his
teacher's ken, and was gone for several
nights. On his return the priest taxed
him with a relapse to evil ways, and
lectured him severely. The black man
listened respectfully, and then said apolo
getically: "Yes, father, I was tempted to return
to the ways of my people. They had a
great feast in the village on the big
river, and I could not stay away. It is
true that my evil appetite came back. I
saw the savory dishes prepared, and the
Car
JKOSSSTCETTX
BROTH
the tracks for three miles and then got
among the hills and presently came to a
gulch or ravine with a creek rushing
down its center.
Riding along the' bank for a few rods
they found the lost horse had descended.
Down they went after him, and after
riding up the stream for several hun
dred feet, the water above their ponies'
knees, and the bed of the creek strewn
with many big rocks, they came to a cove
of about an acre in extent.
This cove was on the left bank, and
was as pretty a spot as on could have
found for a hundred miles around. It
was sheltered on three sides by high
hills, while the stream hemmed it in on
the fourth, and the green grass was
full of wild flowers. The Indians might
have known of the place, but the boys
felt sure that no white person had ever
visited it before.
As Dave and Sam left the bed of the
stream for the grass they caught sight
of the stray horse that had given them
so much trouble. He was standing in
about the center of the cove and facing
two large gray wolves. The three were
so earnestly engaged that they neither
saw nor heard the arrival of the boys.
The purpose of the wolves was to get
behind the horse or at least one of them,
while the other engaged his attention, in
front. If they could have succeeded in
this, the one in the rear could have soon
hamstrung the animal and brought him
down.
Old "Ned" was too wary for them,
however. He kept turning as the wolves
turned, and If one got behind he lashed
out with his heels so savagely that there
was no getting near him.
The boys watched the horse defend
himself for about ten minutes and then
Dave lifted his rifle' and whispered:
"Sam, you take the one on the left
and make a sure shot of it- I will ac
count for the other."
As the rides cracked the two wolves
fell dead, and after lifting his head and
staring at the boys for a moment the
lost horse uttered a whinny of recog
nition and came trotting up to rub noses
with the ponies.
The lost was found, but night was
coming on and the boys figured it out
that they were at least 25 miles from
home. It was sure that they must pass
the night where they were, but they
were not so badly off. They could camp
down under one of the trees, and having
matches with them, and there being at
least a dozen rabbits in sight, they would
not suffer from hunger.
They hobbled out the horses, built a
fire and roasted a couple of rabbits, and
as they were eating Sam asked:
"Do you think the Indians found our
home and attacked it?" .
"I think they did," replied Dave, "but
father would be on the watch to beat
them off. Unless they crept up and took
him by surprise he could hold the cabin
against the whole band."
(To Be Continued.)
steam was sweet In my nostrils. I saw
my kinsman take their share of the flesh,
and they beckoned me to Join them. T
was about to do so. and then, father,"
and the cannibal convert drew himself
up proudly "then,, father; I remembered
it was Friday." -
An Auto Driver With Grit.
Des Moines Capital.
In New York State, some time ago,
Louis Lleber was running an automo
bile in a rocky, hilly country at a
speed of 60 miles an hour. He was
alone in his big machine. After he
had been swinging around curves, near
dangerous precipices for some time, he
suddenly turned a corner and saw an
other big car coming, containing a
driver and two girls, ull of whom he
recognized. The road was narrow and
escape for all of the party was impossi
ble. Lieber decided quickly that if
anyone were to die it must be himself,
doubtless feeling that he was to blame
for the speed and the resultant situa
tion. He swung his machine out of
the road and into a rocky hillside, dash
ing himself to death before he could
possibly come in contact with the other
machine. The other car contained two
daughters of R. Fulton Cutting, a well
known citizen of New York. The Cut
ting girls and their driver escaped from
the situation with slight bruises. Lie
ber did not die Instantly, and after re
gaining consciousness Inquired "if the
ladles were safe." He died before
reaching the nearest village. He gave
evidence of the possession of a heroic
spirit. He realized that the occupants
of the other car had no responsibility
and should suffer none of the conse
quences of the situation. His con
duct contrasts beautifully with the'
selfishness that is often manifested
when human beings are thrown into
sudden danger. . All honor to Louis Lle
ber. He was a profeslsonal chauffeur
who did not hesitate to die to save the
lives of others.
The first Japanese newspaper was pub
lished in 1S63. only 43 years aeo, and It con
tains some news translated from some of
the Dutch papers. Today Japan has 1500
dally newspapers and periodicals.
Some Very Queer Tricks With Figures
NOW, Uncle -Bob," said Lucy, "I have
a new pencil and ;a whole pad of
paper, and if you please, I'd like a new
puzxle."
, "Very well, then," said Uncle Bob, "do
Just as I tell you. You and Fred each
write on your paper a row of figures."
So Lucy wrote 8, 6, 3, 2, 1, 4; and Fred
wrote 4, 3, 7, 9. 8, 6, 1, 4.
"Now, then1," went on Uncle Bob, "add
up those digits in your head and sub
tract the sum from your original num
ber." So Lucy, added up her digits and found
they came to 24. Subtracting this from
her original number, she had 863,190;
while Fred, whose digits added up 43,
subtracted, and had a remainder of 43,
798,672. "Now strike out one figure from your
answer," said Uncle Bob, "and write
on another slip of paper your answer with
that figure omitted."
In a moment Lucy had struck out the
figure 6 and handed her uncle the slip
of paper, on which was written 83,190.
After a brief glance at it. Uncle Bob
said quietly, "You struck out the figure
"
"So I did," said Lucy, opening her eye
In amazement.
Meantime Fred had struck 8 out of bis
answer, and offered for his uncle's In
spection the figures 4,379.672.
"You, crossed off 8," said Uncle Bob.
. "I did so," said Fred. "Please try it
again."
So they tried it again, and this time
when the children were about to present
their lines of figures to him for inspec
tion. Uncle Bob said, "You may write
T"
THE HAPPY DAYS OF
BOYHOOD
YES, SIR! Boyhoods happy days, of
course. We know about that We
haven't forgotten the joy of sleeping in
an unfinished loft in Winter when our
breath froze to the bedding and we had
to thaw -us out with a hot flatiron
every morning.
Morning, too! We got up at 4 A. M.,
pitch dark. 84 below zero and still going
down! We had to get up. hustle out and
feed and milk the lowing herd, curry the
rear elevation of the family mule, wake
the rooster up to crow, thaw out the
pump, chop four cords of wood and
shovel away the snow to make room for
the sun to rise!
Sometimes we went to school in the
Winter not often. Only on the days
when it was too cold and stormy to go
outdoors. Then we sat on a nice, cool
board about 50 feet away from the stove
and gayly blew at our fingers and picked
Icicles from our hair. And. as we sat, we
listened to a wooden Image with a
teacher's license as he handed us misin
formation and permanently crippled our
Intellects.
Then came the merry Springtime! Rise
at 2:S0 A. M. More lowing herd! The
herd owing to the supply of fodder being
low. Then the hired man. who had hiber
nated in the forest, came forth seeking
whom he might make happy with nis
presence. And we. being In need of
extra joy. were allowed to sleep with this
woolly hireling, who snored like the boom
of the sad sea waves. He was a good
fellow, this hired man. He taught us to
chew tobacco and swear.. These gentle
pastimes procured us more violent lick
ings than any other joy In our whole
young Ufa.
No memory is more loaded with Joy
germs than the Spring crop working. Can
we ever forget the plowing? How we
held the plow when we had to reach up
with a pike pole to get the handles, how
we drove the old plug team, with the
lines round our neck; how when the
clevis broke the mares walked away with
our frail body dragging behind by the
ears? When darkness came we stabled
the plugs and went forth to milk the
brindile heifer. The heifer kicked us
across the barn floor and an old cow ob
ligingly kicked us back again. Then when
the milking was over, what fun to turn
in and teach a fool calf to drink! This
acting as dry nurse to a bandy-legget)
calf was one of the most unmixed joys of
all. We tied the calf short, set the bucket
In front of him, got astraddle of his
neck, stuck two fingers in his mouth and
with the other hand jammed his head
into the pall. And all the time we were
emptying out abuse on calves in general
and this lop-eared idiot In particular. This
went on until dad came in and with
loving patience horsewhipped us all about
the place.
Then when we had carried In the wood,
brought 40 gallons of water from the
spring and eaten about eight pounds of
solid food we went Joyfully upstairs and
And when his master looked askance
On dancing bear who would not dance.
To looks succeeded blows; hard blows
Battered his ears and poor old nose.
From bluff and gruff he waxed curmud
geon; He danced indeed, but danced in dudgeon.
Capered in fury fast and faster
Ah, could he once but hug his master
And perish In one Joint disaster.
But deafness, blindness, weakness grow
ing, Not fury's self could keep him going.
One dark day when the snow was snow
ing, His cup was brimmed to overflowing;
the lines of figures as you have them,
or you may write them backward, and
you need not tell me which. "
Lucy reversed her line of figures and
gave it to her uncle; but Fred gave his
just as he had it on his own paper.
It seemed to make no difference; for
Uncle Bob told them instantly what fig
ures they had crossed out.
Then they tried It a third time, and to
puzzle them still further. Uncle Bob told
them that they might jumble their figures
all up and. as long as they kept the real
figures they had. they might offer them
to him in any rotation.
This time Lucy's original row had read
9, 2. 3. 6. 4. 8. 1.
The sum of these digits was 33, and
consequently, after subtracting, she had
9.236,448. She struck out one of the 4's
and mixed up the others, so that they
stood 863.942. This row she handed to her
uncle, who immediately told her that she
had crossed off a 4.
Fred had taken a short number this
time. He had put down only 6, 3. 2, 1, 4.
These digits amounted to 16. After sub
tracting, he had remaining 63.198. He
crossed out the 9, and. mixing up the
others, gave his unole the row, 1683.
Uncle Bob looked at It abstractedly.
Then he closed his eyes. "I eeem to see
a 0 floating in the air," he said. "I think,
my boy, you crossed off a 0."
"So, sir!" cried Fred triumphantly.
"Ah, wait." said his uncle, placidly; "I
spoke too hastily. I see there la a tail
to the 0 which had escaped my notice.
It was a 9."
"Yes, sir, I did." said Fred, laughing.
"Please tell us how to do it."
"I wish for once you children would
guess a puzzle yourselves." said Uncle
came down again immediately to break
fast. We often dream and wake to weep for
the days gone by when the hay was ripe.
We recall the old swamp that always had
to Be cut by hand. We recall little stones
that we rasped the edge of our blades on.
We recall the pretty snakes we stepped
on with our bare feet. We remember
it all with solemn gladness.
Well, well! How It all comes back to us!
ALL NIGHT IN A CAVE.
Curious Plight of a Girl Chased by
a Bear.
Cross Fork (Pa.) Cor. Phlltdalphla Record.
Sadie McMackin. the 15-year-old daugh
ter of a farmer residing In the New Ber
gen district, lately had a terrifying expe
rience. She had gone alone, at 4:30
o'clock In the afternoon, to fetch the
cows from a natural pasture in a sugar
maple grove, nearly a mile from the
house. Among the eight cows that consti.
tuted the drove, were two black heifers,
both under size. The girl caught the sound
of the bell on the wether cow, and started
on a short-cut across the corner of deep
woods that ran for miles beyond the ma
ple grove.
When in the thick of the timber she
spied what she at first supposed to be one
of the undersized black heifers browzlng
among the bushes. An Instant later, how
ever, when she was barely only a rod
away, the animal straightened up and
the girl found herself face to face with
a monster black bear.
The bear, himself affrighted by the
sudden appearance of the girl, raised on
his haunches and began chattering his
teeth a defiant attitude assumed by the
animals when cornered.
Miss McMackin believed the bear was
about to attack her and turned to run.
She was within sight of a dug-out shanty
used for the storing of the camp kettle
and other sugar-making accouterments,
having upon it a heavy door fastened by
a large wooden latch. The girl ran for
refuge to this cavelike apartment, snatch,
ed the door open and popped Inside, jerk
ing the door shut behind her.
The bear by this time, doubtless, was
scampering away, for when the girl
peered out through a knothole in the door.
Bruin was nowhere to be seen. She then
made the discovery that she was a pris
oner in the stuffy little cave, for the
heavy wooden latch on the outside had
fallen Into place, and held the door firm.
There was no way of reaching the latch
on the Inside. It was as dark as a dun
geon, and her stirring about had disturbed
a colony of bats,- whose ugly forms, in
their short-circuit flight, bumped against
her head and hands and face. She shout-
! ed. but her voice could not penetrate the
heavy door of the cave, and for nearly
four hours she was a prisoner in the
cave. At the end of that time a search
ing party came close enough to the cave
for Sallle to make herself heard, and she
was released. The girl, however, was in
a state of fright bordering on hysterics,
owing to the fright of the bats and fear
of reptiles In the cave.
He tottered, toppled on one side.
Growled once, and shook his head and
died.
The master kicked and struck In vain.
The weary drudge had distanced pain
And never now would wince again.
The master growled; he might have
howled.
Or coaxed that slave's last growl was
growled.
So, gnawed by rancor and chagrin.
One thing remained he sold the skin.
What next the man did Is not worth
Your notice or my setting forth;
But hearken what befell at last:
His Idle working days gone past.
And not one friend and not one penny,
Stored up (If ever he had any
Friends, but his coppers had been many),
All doors stood shut against him. but
The workhouse door which cannot shut.
There he droned on a grim old sinner.
Toothless and grumbling for his dinner,
Unpitled quite, uncared for much
(The rate-payers not favoring such).
Hungry and gaunt, with time to spare
Perhaps the hungry, gaunt old bear
Danced back, a haunting memory.
Indeed I hope so. for you see.
If once the hard old heart relented.
The hard old man may have repented.
Bob; but I suppose you never will, so
I'll tell -ou. It's very simple when you
know how.
"Well," he continued, "after the line Is
written down, and the sum of the digits
Subtracted, and a single figure crossed
IT, you have a row of figures handed to
you. You must mentally add these and
subtract their sum from the next multiple
of 9. That sounds complicated; but it is
not at all. If the sum of the figures
given you adds up to 23, the next multiple
of 9 Is 27, and the number you're In search
of Is 4. If the row of figures adds up to
39, the number struck out was 6, because
thffi added to 39 makes 45, which Is the
next multiple of 9. Do you understand?"
"Yes," said Lucy, wrinkling her fore
head; "you Just add the figures given you
and subtract that sum from whatever
comes next higher in your 'nine times'
multiplication table."
"That'e right," said her uncle, "and the
only time the rule won't work lis when the
number crossed out is either a 9 or a 0.
As you can see for yourselves, if the digit
added up to 45. you wouldn't know
whether a 9 or a 0 had been crossed out.
because either of those added to 45 would
result in a multiple of 9."
"Oh," said Fred, "that's why you made
up that yarn about the tall to the 0."
"Yes." said Uncle Bob, "and though you
may work that little ruse once, if you
are cornered a second time it is better to
own up frankly that it was either a 9 or
a 0, and you don't know which. Never act
as if you were adding the figures or cal
culating a result. The charm of these
tricks is to appear to be using a sort of
clairvoyance or second sight. This imV
orMutM vnur surilAno. miifh mnrn than A.
I mere arithmetical calculation."
RESULTS FROM FOWER OF
AN OCEAN SWELL
PROBABLY the greatest single effort
that Is capable of being directly
observed and estimated Is that of a
great storm wave breaking against
an obstacle. It has. proved diffi
cult to construct masses of ma
sonry for lighthouses and jetties of
such side and weight that the impact of
water under such circumstances will not
displace them. Instances of the power
of waves, and descriptions of some at
tempts to measure or calculate It, are
given in La Nature by R. Bounin. Says
this writer:
"The power of waves Is . . . the
sum of two efforts, one dynamic and d,ue
to the orbital movement of the water par
ticles, the other static, and dependent on
the height of the center of gravity of the
mass raised above Its normal position.
Theory and observation seem to show
that the total power of waves is divided
equally between these static and dynamic
effects.
"If a body of water meets the wall of a
structure, there is a shock, and this is
most violent at the water surface, dimin
ishing with the depth. ... At the mo
ment of meeting. Jets of water rise some
times to very great heights. . . . Thus
at the old Eddystone lighthouse) the waves
sometimes rose to a height of 75 feet,
overtopping the cupola that surmounted
the lantern. At the Jetty at Cherbourg
breakers 115 feet high have been seen.
. . . When these fall with accelerated
speed they often, even in deep water, un
dermine the structure and cause it to fall.
This is notably the case with sea walls.
. . . and it is also true of the piles of
rock that serve as the foundations of
jetties. There are also produced at the
moment of shock, reflex waves, which, by
their Interference with those coming up
behind, neutralize some and augment the
intensity of others, resulting in concen
trated shocks of great power.
"The maximum power of waves is a
subject that has long been studied, with
out being positively settled. It is a very
complex one, like that of the effect of
wind on structures. This power is un
doubtedly very great, however, in certain
casos. Thus, at the breakwater of the
port of Wick, on the northeastern coast
of Scotland, a monolith of concrete weigh
ing 1350 tons was displaced in 1S71, during
a storm, and overturned on the support
ing rock masses. In 1877. at this same
breakwater, another monolith of 2S00 tons,
that replaced the former, was also dis
placed. At the Cherbourg Jetty in lS3ti.
during a storm, blocks of stone weighing
four tons were thrown Into the sea be
low, and huge concrete blocks were moved
20 meters (66 feet), some being completely
overturned. During the building of the
Dhuheartoch lighthouse, in 1R72. 14 stone
blocks weighing two tons each and locked
together . . . were thrown into the sea
from a height of 50 feet above Its Ievpl.
. . . Many other Instances of this kind
could be given.
"Starting from such facts, attempts
have been made to calculate the power
of the waves that displaced these masses,
but the results have not been conclusive.
Such calculations depend on hypotheses
regarding friction and the strength of ce
ments, and on formulas of the strength
of materials whose application appears to
be doubtful In the case of such enormous
forces."
In 1S12, the writer goes on to say. the
English engineer, Thomas Stevenson, at
tempted to measure these forces with an
Instrument that he devised for the pur
pose, consisting of pistons acting on pow
erful springs. This was able, however,
only to give the maximum pressure of a
wave at a given moment and on a very
small element of surface. More recently,
Captain Galllard, of the United States
Army, has constructed improved instru
ments with which he has measured botli
the static and the dynamic effects of
waves, chiefly in Lake Superior. His con
clusion Is that the effect of a mass of
water on a vertical wall is the same as
that of a current of water with the same
surface as that struck, having the speed
of propagation of the wave plus that of
the orbital motion of its particles. The
writer suggests also that a careful meas
urement of the length, height, speed and
periodicity of waves would enable us to
make, a comparative table of their power,
though this could not be given absolutely
In pounds or tons. Something like this
Is now being done by the French Light
house Administration. Mr. Bounin goes
on to say:
"We thus see how difficult It Is to get
at the power of waves exactly. Stevenson,
at the conclusion of his numerous experi
ments, stated that the maximum pressure
at Skerryvore lighthouse. Scotland, in
violent tempests, was 30 tons to the
square meter. ...
"Mr. Quinette de Rochmont. Inspector
General of Roads and Bridges. In his
work on maritime engineering, estimates
that on the coast of France and Algeria
the pressure Is not over 20 tons. Waves
producing pressure of 15 to 18 tons lire
rare, he says, and occur only on the rocky
coasts of the Atlantic. He adds that when
the wave breaks on a gentle slope its
power would appear not to exceed elKht
to ten tons to the square meter. Finally,
In most of our ports, damage to masonry
structures may be caused by pressures
of four to six tons. These figures, of
course, apply only to the case of direct
shock, for in oblique shock, which Is more
frequent, the force of the water Is much
less."
Those Bank Sleeping Rooms.
"' Springfield (Mass.) Union.
One Chicago bank is instituting a new
feature in connection with its offices, the
Installation of a sleeping-room for direc
tors. But why a sleeping-room? Surely
recent events indicate that bank directors
have every opportunity to sleep. Now let
some wide-awake institution fit up a waking-room
for its directors. Wide-awake
and not sleepy directors are what the
public demands.