Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/840

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��Popular Science Monthly

���In recreation hours, Fritz, the dummy, has bouts with the goat, the mascot of the camp

��The instructor in bayonet practice manipulates the dummy's bayonet

���Keeping the Trains from Being Blown Off the Tracks

THERE is a stretch of railway- along the west coast of Ireland where it was formerly not an un- common occurrence for the trains to be blown from the rails by the winds from the ocean. These disas- ters are now prevented by the use of an ingenious form of anemom- eter which rings an alarm-bell when the velocity of the wind reaches 65 miles an hour. Each station on the line keeps on hand a stock of movable ballast, a ton of which is placed aboard every car ar- riving at the station after the bell sounds.

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��How a Fighting Dummy Teaches Men to Use the Bayonet

THIS war is not being fought entirely at long distance. Hand to hand en- counters in which the bayonet is used are something every soldier must be taught to expect. Hence, straw dummies have been used for bayonet practice ever since the war began. But the best dummy thus far produced is one made by Company Sergeant- Major McKenna, of the British Army Gymnastic Staff.

His realistic dummy wheels and is made to retaliate to bayonet charges by wielding a stick which it grasps in its hands. The instruc- tor in bayonet practice manipulates the dum- my's bayonet from be- hind the figure.

When the boys them- selves get tired of ex- changing bayonet blows with Fritz, as the dummy is called, they let their mascot have a bout with him. This mascot happens to be a goat of a bel- ligerent nature. He takes delight in buck- ing the dummy.

���A ball of cotton twine that weighs 80 pounds. There are 40 miles of twine in it, saved during seventeen years

��The Largest Ball of Twine that Has Ever Been Wound

SEVENTEEN years ago, H. L. Springer, 1 of Richmond, California, decided to make a large ball of twine. He is now the proud possessor of what he thinks is the largest ball of cotton twine in the world. Other large balls of twine have been wound by persons who had a great deal of patience, but they generally have been made of all sorts and kinds of string. Mr. Springer's ball is made of cotton twine only. Almost every yard of twine in it came from laundry bundles delivered at his laundry.

The ball has grown to such proportions that it is difficult to handle it. It weighs 80 pounds and meas- ures about two and one-half feet in diam- eter. The string in it would stretch a dis- ance of forty miles.

Needless to say, Mr. Springer is not worry- ing over whether or not the war will cause a shortage of twine. His ball will supply him for many weeks, if he should be forced to use it in his business.

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