the Customs border, between the United 

 States and Canada, a strong agitation 

 having arisen to cluirgc duty on the cur- 

 rent for the protection of local industry. 

 Power has been carried all the way from 

 Niagara to To'l'onlo. It is proposed to 

 carry power from the Zambesi River, 

 some 700 miles to the gold mines of Jo- 

 hannesburg. We «hould inquire why Tas- 

 mania does not develop her water-power ? 



The earthquakes in San Francisco and 

 Jamaica have given prominence to the 

 advantages of "ferro-concrete," or struc- 

 tures of light iron framing, carefully 

 proportioned to resist tensile strains, 

 embedded in well-made and properly- 

 seasoned concrete, so as to withstand 

 compression strains. This combination, 

 if propei-ly designed, is both fireproof 

 and earthquake-proof, and, by reason of 

 its fire-resisting properties, it is receiv- 

 ing attention all over the world. 



A great bridge, 2,80Oft. in length, has 

 been built over the St. Lawrence, at 

 Quebec, in Canada, with a central span 

 of 1,800. This is the greatest span yet 

 attempted. A generation ago few would 

 have dreamed that it would ever be want- 

 ed. It would about repre.&ent a connec- 

 tion over the Derwent from Queen's 

 Battery to Montagu Point. 



In no part of the world are the ocean 

 waves KO long as in Australian seas on 

 account of the large unbroken expanse 

 of deep ocean facing our shores. It is, 

 therefore, interesting to record some ac- 

 curate measurements that have been 

 made of ocean waves by M. Bertin. The 

 longest wave measured was 2,500ft. from 

 crest to crest, and its pexiod 23 seconds. 

 The depth of this wave was estimated at 

 50ft. Waves longer than this may be 

 met in the southern seas, but they are 

 rare, and the common span of a long 

 wave is about 500ft., and the period 10 

 seconds. When a wave coming from deep 

 water strikes an elevation in the sea bot- 

 tom its character is quite altered, and 

 green seas are known to have risen to 

 the height of 100ft. 



A great engineering woi-k has just been 

 completed by English contractors in 

 Mexico — a railway with harbours at 

 either end across the Isthmus of Tehuan- 

 tepec. fhis line is about 190 miles long, 

 from the Pacific to the Caribbean Sea. 

 It was projected when the cutting of the 

 Panama Canal seemed abandoned, and 

 it has been completed, with the object of 

 direct competition, by low freights, 

 against the Panama route. The use of 

 the most modern appliances for tran- 

 shipment has been adopted at the ter- 

 minal harbours. This enterprise is of 

 interest to Tasmania, because it opens 

 the wealthy gulf ports of the United 

 States to the Tasmanian apple trade, and 

 it facilitates carriage to the whole Atlan- 

 tic seaboard, pending completion of the 

 Panama Canal. 



The work undertaken by the United 

 States on the Isthmus of Panama had 

 been under the £>er«onal care of President 

 lioosevelt. The difficultiefi and disap- 

 I>uinliii('nts alieadv encountered would 

 have iliscouraged almost any other living 

 man, l)ut now the work is really progress- 

 ing, and the engineers working on the 

 Isthmus feel confident that success is 

 within sight. The plan finally adopted 

 is for a canal with locks at a level of 

 85ft. above the sea, and at a cost of 

 i;30,0(M),(10(J sterling. It is estimated that 

 the work will require eight years. A 

 canal at sea level would possibly have re- 

 quired twice the time and double the 

 money. The completion of this canal is 

 most important for the supremacy of the 

 Anglo-iSaxon race in the Pacific. 



With regard to railway construction, 

 the popularity of the motor coach ap- 

 pears established. In Germany, it has 

 suggested the convenience of stopping 

 along the railway at customers' resi- 

 dences alo.ng the line, as a tram would 

 do. This system, called the "Halte sys- 

 tem," has much to recommend it in new 

 countries in course of development. The 

 constniction of railway carriages for ex- 

 press service, made entirely of steel, has 

 proved to be a great protection against 

 the results of railway accidents, these 

 vehicles being proof against fire, and al- 

 most proof against any break up. 



In naval construction, the British 

 Dreadnought has marked a new epoch, 

 and placed all former specimens of naval 

 architecture almost out of date. She 

 carries ten 12in. guns, and can steam 

 at least 21 knots. A cruiser has just 

 been launched, of the "Invincible" class, 

 to steam 25 knots, and carry eight 12in. 

 guns; she "will probably steam 26 knots, 

 or more. 



Against such craft, torpedo boats and 

 destroyers will be of little use. A tor- 

 pedo boat has, even at lyght, to over- 

 haul such a fast cruiser before launch- 

 ing a torpedo, and, at 2,000 j'ards, an 

 18in. Whitehead (with all the gyrosoopes 

 in the world) is only running at 22 knots. 

 The cha.nce oi a stern chase is, there- 

 fore, very small indeed. 



The new American 21in. torpedoes, 

 with turbine machinery, can do 36 knots 

 at 1,200 yards; but even at that speed 

 the fast cruiser would only be vulner- 

 able if approached at close range. It, 

 therefore, appears that, except for at- 

 tacks on battle fleets at anchor, or 

 against ironclads crippled after an en- 

 gagement the submarine, or submersible 

 boat, has already taken the place of the 

 destroyer for up-to-date coast defence. 



The gun trials of the Dreadnought are 

 reported to have shown that, in her de- 

 sign, the extreme offensive power obtain- 

 able with 12-inch guns has been reached, 

 so that the new English battleships are to 



