Tárogató, 1938-1939 (1. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1938-11-01 / 5. szám
TÁROGATÓ 13 Worlds in the Making That sounds like a big order, but it is an everyday practice among the factory workers of Willesden, England. Over one thousand globes are made here each month, and they vary in size, from one to sixty inches in diameter. We are told that it is necessary for a globe to go through eight different processes before it is what we woud call—finished! A casual observer might be inclined to call this not only interesting, but easy work. Interesting it certainly must be, but not so easy as it looks. The maps must be accurate in contour, and drawn to scale, the latitudinal and longitudinal lines must not vary for a fraction of an inch, distances, names of countries, courses of rivers, and mountain ranges must be accurately followed, and of course the distinctive colours of every separate part must be plain to see. Not so simple after all—as most of us will agree, yet these girls and many more like them work day after day making accurate models of the queer old world we live in, poising them, to a nicety on their stands, thereby showing the position of our earth in the solar system, then packing them up and sending them out to do their part in teaching both grown folk and youngsters a few of the things we ought to know. In the ancient days when even clever men believed the earth was flat, some very queerlooking maps were in existence. Even after most people knew that the earth was a sphere, early examples of globes were, to say the least, astonishing. One of the first was produced by a man named Behaim, in 1492. On it, the Old World appears, in most grotesque form, and America is not shown át all! CYCLING ACROSS THE SAHARA. An Englishwoman has crossed the Sahara twice in twelve months. Last year Miss Florence Blenkiron set out with her friend, Miss Theresa Wallach, on a motor-cycle with sidecar to make the journey from London to Capetown. They did it. In September Miss Blenkiron began a return journey by herself on her motor-cycle, and again she conquered the Sahara. She reached South Algeria this month, and then, having done enough for glory, left her cycle behind and made the rest of the journey to Algiers by motor-coach. The motor-cycle having done so much could do no more. It was left behind when the hard part of the task was over, and the Sahara may claim it for its own. The honours of the contest remain with the lady, and the Sahara may hide its diminished head. It is fast losing its terrors, and the day is coming when none will fear It, But when we think of the vast journey of thousands of miles from end to end of what in our own time was called the Dark Continent, and remember its forests, rivers, swamps, and jungle, we can still feel astonishment at a wonderful feat. —Children’s Newspaper. THE COLOUR OF THE SEA. Climatic and atmospheric conditions may influence the colour of ocean waters causing them to appear many shades of green, blue, grey, brown, and black. But forces other than the brilliant rays of the setting sun, or the dark storm-clouds affect the shade of bodies of water. The Red Sea has a dull red hue which comes from plant life. Millions of miscroscopic plants, known as algae, grow in this sea, and tint the water. Fantastic bluewhite clouds form an Illusive sheen over the Dead Sea. These are caused from the excessive evaporation which is necessary because the sea has a heavy inflow, and no outlet. PRESERVING OLD DOCUMENTS. A machine is now in use to preserve old documents which may be exceedingly brittle, by using two sheets of transparent material on each side of the old document, and applying both steam and 1,500 pounds pressure. This gives a satin soft “sandwich,” with the preserved document visible under the transparent covering. TURNING BANANA SKINS INTO YARN. Italy and Germany have turned milk into wool, and now Britain has found that banana skins may be made into a woven fibre similar to wool, and the yarn mixed with continuous rayon filament is said to give a remarkably attractive product. And banana skins are cheap; the waste bins of the city will provide enough to make a lot of cloth. OUR ENGLISH SECTION.
