Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/753

 Popular Science Monthly

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���The seventh heaven of a bather's delight is to be attained in this floating trolley-car —

according to its inventor. The favorite recreation of letter-carriers is said to be walking.

On the same principle city-dwellers presumably must bathe in trolley cars

��his hoof, learned to hobble around on three legs and even acquired the trick of lying down and getting up without placing any weight on that leg. Four months in the hospital would be an ex- pensive period for an ordinary horse. But this one was valued at $50,000.

Another remarkable case which Dr. Childs handled successfully was that of a horse which had broken three ribs. To-day that horse is back on the street.

These cases are mentioned only to give an idea of the work which is done in the field of veterinary science. Cats and dogs are brought to the hospital with rubber ijands wantonly placed around their tails, legs or necks. The bands cut into the flesh and cause the animals to lose their tails and often their legs.

Cats seem to have a habit of swallow- ing needles. When a cat is brought to the hospital suffering with a cough Dr. Childs looks for a needle. In one instance he operated on a cat to remove what he thought was an ordinary needle. He found a hat -pin nine inches long. But the cat's life was saved. Dr. Childs has distinguished himself as much by his work among small animals, such as cats and dogs, as he has among horses.

��The Trolley- Car Boat for Bathers

A FLOATING, electric passenger car service combining the pleasures of boating with the conveniences of trolley- ing is the daring proposal made in a recent patent. The trolley-boat is in- tended to enliven seashore bathing- resorts, as if they were not lively enough now. The cars used are similar to ordinary trolley cars, but, instead of being mounted on wheels, they have two oblong floats, pointed at their front ends for cutting through the water. At their rear ends are propellers.

The current is supplied by conductors, supported by cross-beams attached to steel poles. Each pole has a weight at the bottom and a buoy in the middle, just submerged in the water. The whole structure is anchored to the sea bottom with chains. The weight maintains the vertical position of the pole; and the buoy, remaining at the same distance below the surface, makes it possible to run the cars at high or low tide.

The car is supplied with a regular trolley-pole, pro\idod with three contact wheels, one pressing against the under surface, and one on either side of the conductor. On the tops of the poles are electric lamps for illumination at night.

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