Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/215

 Popular Science Monthly

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��A Luminous Life-Belt for Rescue at Night

TWO electric Hash lamps wrapped in a casing inipcr\icnis to water can he attached to an\' one o{ the several t\ pes of life-prescr\ers and be made to liglit a iierson in the water at nij;ht antl thus facilitate rescue. Furthermore, the lamps may be so constructed that in case it is desirable to throw overboard any type of buoyant life-preserver, the lights may be switched on immediately before cast- ing on the water, so that a person in danger of drowning can see his way.

The preser\er may be fitted with one or more lamps, as desired. Surrounding the holder is an impervious sack or pocket, preferably of rubber, and pro- videti with an elastic beaded mouth adapted to be tightly fitted around the lamji-holder below the lens in such man- ner that water will not enter. On the sides of the pocket are formed loops acting as securing means for straps provided with buckles and tongues. Once the straps are firmly clasjicel around the preserv^er the lamps are held rigid. An open space is allowed so that the lamp switch may be operated.

���The life-belt consists of a preserver with one or more lamps rigidly fastened in position

Where landings are particularK- dan- gerous at night motor-boat parties ii.ive used the luminous life-belt to illuminate the water and determine the safest place to dock. The belt is thrown oxerboartl when the boat approaches a landing place and serves admirably as a buoy light.

��Seeing Yourself as the Oil Well Sees You

��T'

��^HIS photograph of an oil derrick is about as unsolvable a puzzle pic- ture as is often seen. Were it not for the

���Wc leave this to you. Is this photograph upside down or not?

grass and shadow of the lake bank in the foreground it would be impossible to tell which was the top and which the bottom of the picture. Or, if the picture of the smaller or more distant derrick to the right is considered alone, r.o one can tell the realit>' from the reflection. The reason for this absolute perfection in re- flection is that the lake is of oil.

In the great southern California oil fields, where gushers are being struck which flow from ten thousand to sixty thousand barrels of oil a da\', and flow continually even,' minute of the day and e\ery minute of the night, the only possible way to sa\-e the oil is to quickly throw up an emergency earthen dam across some convenient ravine and turn the oil flow into the reser\"oir formed.

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