A Great Prison Whistle

1896

Warden Sage, of Sing Sing prison, is having constructed an immense and powerful steam whistle to be used to alarm officers and citizens in case of an escape, an uprising in the prison or fire. It will also signal the beginning of work in the shops in the morning and the shutting down at night.

The whistle is known as a Fitts patent twelve-inch three-barred steam gong, and is the largest in use. It is composed of three cylindrical bells or barrels placed one above the other. These barrels are fastened to the steam conductor, which passes through them. The entire whistle is eight feet in height, and, contrary to ordinary whistles, the barrels or resonators are inverted. Each barrel has a different tone, thus producing a blended sound, without ear-splitting effects.

It is asserted that under favorable atmospheric conditions the whistle can be heard at a distance of thirty miles. Even under unfavorable circumstances the alarm should be heard seven to ten miles away.


New Use for Corncobs

Frank Shafer took to Lacon, Ill., recently, a sample of sirup which a number of experts pronounced genuine maple sirup. It was nothing more nor less than corncob sirup, made as follows: Twelve clean cobs were put in a gallon of water and boiled until soft. Then the juice was strained off and a gallon of dark brown sugar solution added. This is boiled a little while, resulting in a fine quality of sirup, hardly distinguishable from the maple product. — Chicago Times-Herald.