From Our Berlin Correspondent.
Page 8
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A Hygienic Road-sweeper.
Unlike the Italian road-sweeper recently tried at Berlin, a Viennese contrivance for the same object is of truly Brobdignagian proportions. The body, which constitutes the dust-receptacle, has the dimensions of a pantechnicon. Being hygienic, it is, of course, closed in on all sides, the detritus entering by way of the front panel through a huge flexible trunk, dipping down into a housing mounted on casters, and enclosing a chaindriven circular brush. As the sweepings fly upwards, they are caught in a currentof air created by a powerful fan which is rotated at a high
speed by the motor. The detritus passes into a gyrator, which separates air and detritus, the latter falling through a hole in the bottom of the gyrator into an elevator arrangement, whereby it is raised and emptied into bins with a bolding capacity of at least a ton. The sweepings and SIMtion contrivances are mounted between bonnet and body, and give the vehicle a decidedly clumsy appearance. The bins can easily be removed. A special device conducts the partlycleansed air back to the brush, and
keeps a constant tadume of working air circulating for suction purposes. It is possible to switell off the suction machieery, and. by lifting the brushhousire. to work the brush in the usual way.
Motors and Agriculture.
La Commission Agraire of the French Motor Club has expressed, in a very-appropriate ma»ner, its desire for the furthering of the praetical introduction of aiitomobiles into farming operations. and has placed a piece of land in Thiverval, in the Seine and Loire Department, at the disposal of inventors and engineers for testing purpo.ses. Applicants simply let the Commission know when and for what length of time they require the use of the land, and. as far as possible, their wishes in this respect are complied with. Further. the Motor Club is prepared to exercise an official control over each tests, and to furnish an opinion on the results. The use of the land costs nothing, but all testing expenses must be borne by the experimenting parties. The editor of the German Agricultural Society's official organ suggests that France's lead
might be followed, although he candidly confesses that " there is not much to be hoped from the motorplough." Still, apart from the motorplough, the editor thinks that something useful would come of imitating France in this respect. Inventors of agricultural machines are generally at a loss to know u-here to test them, so the scheme, should meet their needs.
Strap-hangers in Berlin.
Practically the same conditions obtain in Berlin as in London. Whereas the road traffic is under strict control --no persons in excess of a definitelyprescribed number being allowed to travel on the vehicles, overcrowding takes place without let or hindrance on the municipal .and elevated-cumunderground railways. The officials stand by while passengers settle amongst themselves how many shall be packed and crushed away in the available spaee. At certain hours of the day, and especially on Sundays during the summer, one experiences the utmost difficulty in leaving the carriages, particularly those of the Hochbahn-Ges.selschaft, which are very long (with seats arranged lengthwise) and are provided with exits at each end. Woe to the passenger who, booked for an intermediate station, takes up his stand half-way down the gangway! If he gets out without considerable vexation and discomfort to himself and his fellow-passengers before the train re-starts, he must count himself happy and lucky. Of course, old strap-hangers appreciate this diffiiculty, and the consequence is that the end-spaces are often packed to suffocation. On a recent occasion, I suffered so much inconvenience by the terrible overcrowding that, being near the door. T left the train—I refer to the elevated-cum-underground—before I had reached my station, preferring to walk the remaining distance. Complaints are rife, but things go on.