________________
NOTES AND NEWS
213
One of these watches is a small universe in itself. On the back is the replica of the sky, with gold stars that change with the seasons. The mechanism is automatic; it accounts for leap year and the varying number of days in the months. It shows sunrise and sunset, mean solar time and apparent solar time Comets and meteors alone are not represented.
Aluminium Tram-Car. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, has what is supposed to be the first aluminium street car in the world. The car is built for vision-for the passengers. It has windows without the usual panelled obstructions, and they can be raised or lowered with facility. The vehicle was built with special attention to speed, comfort and safety. The seats are comfortable and one can recline at ease in them. The floor is made of flexylith, a non kid composition. The lights are subdued and arranged in such a way as to give their rays almost indirectly.
The colour scheme of the car is elaborate. The entire body and fittings are of aluminium. It is not much more than half as heavy as a car of the same size built of steel. Because of this light weight it can easily travel at forty five miles an hour and ride smoothly.
A New Comet. Unusual interest attaches to the discovery of a new comet by Mr. Forbes, an amateur astronomer at Rondebosch, a suburb of Cape Town, who has notitied Dr. Wood, the Union Government Astronomer at Johannesburg Observatory. As it happened, Dr. Wood was entertaining a party consisting of Sir Frank Dysen, the Asironomer Royal, and eighty-two other scientists when the message was received from Mr. Forbes. Telescopes were immediately turned on the portion of the sky in which the comet was reported to have been lound, Photographs confirm that it is a new comet.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
