220 



RECREATION 



our vision was not a pleasant one. The 

 flume passes between 2 walls of rock, and 

 then out along the solid rock forming the 

 side of a mountain ; beneath us was the 

 dark shadow of a deep canyon. Only a mo- 

 ment of fear and dismay and we were past 

 the place, the boat flying swifter than any 

 toboggan ever speeded. The point just 

 passed was one of the most perilous in con- 

 struction as the workmen could find no 

 foothold and were let down by ropes to do 

 their drilling in the solid rock for the flume 

 anchorages. Now it is as safe as human 

 skill can make it, but still there are possi- 

 bilities that a bolt might give way or a 

 cleat snap, and let the whole structure, with 

 its voyageurs, plunge downward thousands 

 of feet into some black abyss. 



Some mornings, in the higher altitudes 

 icicles hang from the flumes, and ice is piled 

 up beneath in columns and arches that spar- 

 kle like gems in the sunlight. The water 

 is not turned on in the flume when the tem- 

 perature is cold enough to freeze it. If one 

 is proof against the inclination to follow his 

 glance bodily he may peep over the side of 



the swiftly flying boat down into the depths 

 of a canyon and see the foam of a river, or 

 a falling cascade. 



The whole trip is a delightful panorama 

 of swiftly changing scenes. It has the fas- 

 cination of traveling in fairyland. After the 

 first 15 miles of the journey the snow dis- 

 appears and groves of arbor vitse and su- 

 gar pine take its place. These in turn give 

 place to tangled thickets of manzanita and 

 chaparral. During our 2 hours' trip we 

 have passed through many successive 

 changes of climate evidenced by the differ- 

 ent scenes presented to view. Think of rid- 

 ing in a small craft in a great trough whose 

 rushing waters carry you through the air, 

 through forests, across canyons, shooting 

 around precipices and crags, flying over cat- 

 tle ranches, orchards and vineyards, darting 

 over gardens and houses, t© land in a valley 

 amid the most beautiful tropical scenery im- 

 aginable ! 



These flumes are nothing specially new as 

 lumber conveyers ; but they are decidedly so 

 as routes for a pleasure trip. 



CAN THE EYE FOLLOW A BULLET'S FLIGHT? 



BY RODNEY WEST. 



Some years ago while watching a target 

 through a telescope an observer noticed a 

 fog colored projectile traveling to the tar- 

 get, and as it struck the target instantly 

 vanishing and revealing the new bullet hole 

 just then made. The rifle used in that in- 

 stance was a Sharp's patched, 40-90 cali- 

 ber. An account of it was published at the 

 time, but no extensive experiments were 

 made, and the occurrence was soon forgot : 

 ten. It is not easy to believe that it is 

 possible to watch the flight of a rifle bullet, 

 so the account probably passed with most 

 people for a romance. 



It has remained for 2 or 3 Adirondack 

 riflemen to prove that it is possible under 

 right conditions to watch the flight of a rifle 

 ball; to do it with the naked eye; and to 

 show the bullets during flight to all ob- 

 servers who have fair eyesight. The dis- 

 covery was made as follows : 



Some gentlemen were at an hotel at Min- 

 erva, on October 15th, 1904, target shoot- 

 ing. H. J. Callahan was out at one side, 

 watching the target, which was about 150 

 yards from the firing point. About 3.30 

 p. m.. when the sun shone at just the right 

 angle, he first noticed a silver streak as 

 each shot was fired, traveling from the gun 

 to the target, and spoke of it. He said, 



"I'm sure I can see those bullets fly as 

 you shoot them." 



The sun glinted on the brightened bullet, 

 falling on it at just the angle required, and 

 so made it visible, like an instant glimpse 

 of a distant bright telephone wire in the 

 sunlight. At first Mr. Callahan was not 

 believed. Others took his place, and soon 

 all the shooters had observed the flight of 

 a number of bullets. 



Callahan placed them where they could 

 see for themselves. They were soon thor- 

 oughly convinced and continued to watch 

 the flight of the bullets till the light changed 

 and the shooting stopped. 



The rifles used were 30, 45 and 38, the 

 bullets from all of which were readily seen 

 even by those who did not a moment before 

 believe such a thing possible, and would 

 not believe such a statement by any one 

 even if sworn to. 



On October 27th I was invited to call at 

 the hotel and view the second series of 

 experiments kindly made for my benefit. 

 Though thoroughly unconvinced by what I 

 had heard 2 days before, I went, and on 

 placing myself properly I saw the third 

 bullet fired, as well as a dozen or so be- 

 sides. The guns used on the second day's 

 trial were a 38-40 and a 38-55. Factory 

 ammunition was used in both experiments. 

 The 38-55 was the prettiest bullet to watch. 

 It "showed a curious^streak of light in a 

 manner all its own. 



