Popular Mechanics/Volume 49/Issue 1/Monaco-Home of the Ocean's Story
Monaco—Home of the Ocean's Story
Mysteries of the Deep Are Shown at "Bottom of the Sea" in World's Smallest Country
By FRANCIS DICKIE
Part of the Marine Collection and the Nets and Traps of the Late Prince of Monaco, Who Utilized His Gambling-Casino Fortune to Pursue His Deep-Sea Studies
I spent nearly an entire day recently in the company of hundreds of different kinds of the ocean's creatures, at the "bottom of the sea," situated in the smallest country in the world, which covers only about three square miles.
Built upon a hill overlooking the Mediterranean, Monaco is the home of the wonderful Museum of Oceanography, which is one of the outstanding places of interest in Europe, and which not only houses a unique collection of live sea creatures, but a still rarer gathering in bottles of forms of ocean life from immense depths, first made known to the world by the findings of the late ruler, Prince Albert I, who devoted the better part of his years to scientific research.
In the deep, dark basements of the museum has been constructed a reproduction of the bottom of the ocean in great tanks, where are collected hundreds of peculiar fish, great turtles, octopus, tiny sea spiders and other sea life, strange and rare for human eyes to look upon as they move in their natural element. From a spacious entrance hall you descend until you come into a long passageway dimly lighted by electric globes, hidden within the shells of sea urchins, which throw a faint rosy light along your pathway. On either side of several long passageways are glass tanks. As you start along the dusky corridor, the impression of being a part of the ocean's bed is strongly felt. In the long line of tanks there are hundreds of strange and rare crabs, sea anenome, and fish of vivid and varied hues, red, yellow and green predominating.
The tanks are lighted from above. The first sight that startles the visitor is, however, not the fish, but apparent jets of smoke pouring from tiny tubes among the imitation rocks in all the fish tanks. These jets, in reality, are fresh sea water poured out continually in order to keep the creatures alive.
Palace of the Princes of Monaco; the Late Prince, Who Died a Few Years Ago. Was One of the Greatest Authorities in the World on Undersea Life and Owned a Marvelous Collection
One of the strangest forms of sea life contained in these tanks is the Spirographis, a kind of worm which builds out of its own body tubes about a foot long and as thick as small gas hose. The tubes project out from the rocks. From the end of the tubes the worm extends a flowerlike spiral plume that waves backward and forward, gathering minute sea life for its nutriment.
The largest form of marine life contained in the aquarium is the conger eel. The most amazing thing in connection with them is that they swim backward with as much speed as they do forward. But while the live fish and other sea life are, of course, the most interesting, and the visitor emerges from the depths with a feeling of actually having been at the bottom of the sea, the collection of fish preserved in glass bottles on the main floor of the building is much more extensive and represents some very rare findings made in years of cruising and fishing at great depths. For this work special nets were required. In the enormous east hall on the first floor, the entire space is given over to an exhibition of the instruments used in gathering sea life at depths as great as 19,680 feet.
FOLDING AUTO-LUGGAGE TRUNK SERVES AS TRAILER
Trunk Open, and Close View Showing Its Compact Size
Constructed of steel, a folding auto-luggage carrier can be extended to hold such bulky articles as milk cans, tents or produce and, when closed, occupies no more space than a small chest. It easily accommodates 350 pounds of weight, is built for an extra tire and is especially suited to the needs of traveling men, merchants and farmers. The top is readily detachable.
SAILORS' PETS FORM ZOO COLLECTION
Nearly all of the specimens in the zoological gardens at Portsmouth, England, have been collected by sailors. One of the most interesting spots in the gardens is the place where the birds are kept, hundreds of rare species being sheltered in an environment as nearly like their natural surroundings as possible. Beside the stream where the ducks like to paddle is a willow grown from a cutting taken from a tree on the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon was banished, and there are also trees planted by the present king and queen of Britain before they came to the throne. The gardens are cared for by a number of naval pensioners, who are assisted by sailors in their spare time.
AUTO BATTERY FILLER KEEPS WATER AT RIGHT LEVEL
Distilled water is supplied to the automobile batteries whenever needed from an automatic filler recently introduced. It consists chiefly of a glass container to hold the water and a feed line to the batteries. When the water level reaches a certain point, a "capillary attraction arm" is lowered into the tank and the liquid flows into the cells. At high level, the water raises a float and causes the arm to ride free and clear of the water. The tank requires little attention except filling from time to time.
SUGAR FROM WOOD
Dried sawdust, treated with chemicals, yields glucose and other products, but whether the process will be commercially practical for the making of sugar in any large amounts, is doubtful. From other by-products, alcohol suitable for motor fuel is obtained.
SPRAY NOZZLE ON FIRE HOSE TO REDUCE DAMAGE
Nozzle Which Breaks the Force of the Fire Spray So That It Will Do Less Damage to Interiors
Powerful streams of water from fire hose often do more harm than good, especially when the blaze is slight. To remedy this trouble, a member of the Fort Worth, Tex., fire department has devised a nozzle that can throw a spray or a condensed stream. It is said to be more effective when combating a fire at close range and is especially suitable for interior fires.
HAND-SIZE VACUUM CLEANER SIMPLIFIES HOUSE WORK
Weighing but three pounds, and easily operated with one hand, a small vacuum cleaner now on the market saves getting out the larger unit for such tasks as brushing up crumbs or ashes, and, since it can be applied to curtains, furniture and clothing, it has a wider range of usefulness. The regulating switch is in the handle, and the cleaner runs on either direct or alternating current at modest expense. For cleaning lampshades, table covers, upholstery and other surfaces, it saves the labor and damage often occasioned by the use of a brush, and, of course, prevents the dirt from flying about the room.
LOOPING THE LOOP ON HIS HEAD BERLIN ACROBAT'S THRILLER
Giving the Loop Thriller a New Twist: German Acrobat Rounding the Circle While Standing on His Head in Special Car
While standing on his head in a special car, a German acrobat slides down a runway and loops a loop at the bottom at a high rate of speed. To help him hold his position, he grips a bar inside the car which is held to the track with flanges.
FIRE PREVENTION IN THE HOME SHOWS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Eliminating fire hazards in the home, as far as possible, is especially important in the winter. Edward Reilley, assistant chief of Chicago's fire insurance patrols, warns against risky methods of thawing out frozen water pipes, allowing piles of newspapers or other inflammable material to accumulate in the basement, placing ashes in wooden containers and using flexible hose or like conduits for gas. Rigid pipe should be employed wherever possible, to avoid leaks and the likelihood of explosions and fires. A common practice but a dangerous one is to place tissue paper over electric-light bulbs for shade. The paper is likely to ignite and cause a blaze. In spite of constant warnings, housekeepers will persist in throwing kerosene on fires or kindling to expedite the cooking. Not long ago, a wrong can, one containing gasoline, was used and eight persons were burned to death. Leave the electric wiring to the electrician. If changes have to be made, keep lighted matches or candles out of the closets. Oil-soaked mops are a common cause of fires and should never be left in a place where they are likely to generate heat and ignite. Fires without apparent cause in many cases are due to a pile of oil or paintsoaked rags carelessly thrown into a corner closet or other inclosed space.
BRUSH CLEANS BETWEEN TEETH WITH REPLACEABLE HEAD
Bristles in a recently introduced toothbrush are shaped to clean thoroughly the interstices between the teeth and when the head becomes worn, a new one is quickly attached to the bakelite handle. By adjusting the nut that holds the brush, the bristles may be turned to any angle.
WEIRD ARCHITECTURE HELPS TO SELL ICE CREAM
ALASKA REINDEER HERDS TO SUPPLY FUTURE MEAT
Courtesy Lomen Bros
Seal-Hunting and Fishing in Alaska Are Still Necessary, but Reindeer Meat Has Increased the Natural Supplies of Food
Reindeer raised by Alaskan Eskimos may take the place of the vast cattle herds of the vanishing west as a source of meat, while the success of the herds has converted the natives from fish to meat eaters. The United States government imported the first reindeer from Siberia in 1892, landing them at Teller, later made famous when Amundsen's dirigible, the "Norge," landed there after its flight across the North Pole. In the next ten years, a total of 1,280 reindeer were brought across the Bering sea, and the original 1,200 now have more than 600,000 descendants in the vast herds that feed on the scant moss and grass of the far north. One of the largest reindeer companies operates five cold-storage plants in Alaska, where the animals are slaughtered and the meat prepared for shipment to the states. Besides furnishing meat for other lands, reindeer have proved life-savers for the natives. They are displacing dogs as sled animals, have made it unnecessary to hunt fish and seals for food, and are providing material for fur clothing independent of polar bear and seal skins.
CLOCKS STOP IN HIGH BUILDINGS BECAUSE OF SWAY
When a grandfather clock in a tall Chicago hotel refused to run, the owner was perplexed, for it was in perfect order. A clockmaker explained the apparent mystery. The building stands in an isolated spot where it receives the full force of the winds and sways slightly, especially in the upper stories. When this movement is in the right direction with reference to the swing of the pendulum, the clock stops, the craftsman explained. He said that he had been kept busy adjusting clocks because of this difficulty. Where it was practical, a simple remedy was found simply by turning the piece at such an angle that the vibrations would not affect the pendulum. Another method was to put on a heavier pendulum and adjust the springs so that the slight sway of the building would not stop the mechanism. In skyscrapers the sway is sometimes perceptible to a person standing at the top.
CAFE IN FORM OF LARGE SHOE RECALLS NURSERY RHYME
One of the latest novelties in restaurant architecture in California is a cafe building in the form of a large shoe, to suggest a nursery rhyme. An automatic "Mother Goose" flies in a circle over the structure, which has the advantage of ample lighting and ventilating facilities, because of the peculiar shape of the exterior.
Shoe Cafe Building in California City. One of Its Numerous Oddities in Architecture
FINGERPRINTS ARE DUPLICATED WITH MACHINE
Taking Extra Copies of Fingerprint Records for Police Files; the Duplicating Apparatus in Use
Fingerprint experts of the Baltimore police department are saving considerable time and work by using a rapid duplicator for making copies of the impressions used in keeping track of suspects and identifying criminals. The apparatus is the invention of one of the members of the force, and is said to be superior to older photographic and other methods.
BETTER AND CHEAPER STEEL SEEN IN NEW PROCESS
Not far from the spot where the Bessemer process for making steel was developed in England, is being constructed an experimental furnace to test a new method for refining the product. According to reports, it will result in the production of high-purity steel at less than one-half the cost of the present material, which is far from being chemically pure. No tall blast furnaces will be needed and cheaper grades of coal can be used, while low-grade ore, that cannot profitably be handled by present processes can be smelted.