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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1957-01-10, Page 6Rubber Tires is Paris Surbway .The rubber tire has at last persuaded Paris that all of its 13,000,000 daily passengers must be carried pneumatically. The 56 -year-old underground railway was the last to surren- der to the rubber tire, After 18 years of argument with the Michelin Tire Company, it agreed in 1.950 to make a test. From 1952 to 1954 an ordinary Metro ear, with enough extra ballast to simulate an average load at all - times, travelled 37,500 miles. The Michelin Metallic F-20 tires with corrugated tread showed only the slighest wear, (They are Balled metallic because four metal metal gauze layers are woven into the rubber") The decision was then reached to change over the entire system to rubber tires, thus bringing it in line with the several million automobiles, buses, scooters, mo- torcycles, and bicycles on the streets. The first train came into public use on Nov, 8, 1956. There had been no doubt that the rubber -tired train had all the advantages. It could get away faster and stop more quickly; . its progress, according to an engineering poet, was like that of "a swan on a lake"; and motors, controls, bolts, car bod- ies, and passengers were not being continuously shaken to pieces. Work was begun on the com- plete trains, which were to in- clude other pleasant features such as more and wider completely automatic doors, psychologically praiseworthy ligthing, and softer seats. The new train carries 650 passengers, of whom only 96 can sit during rush hours, in four coaches, three being equipped with motors, and one a trailer. There is one first-class compart- ment in the trailer, to seat 16 people with 73 standing. While the train was being built, a new roadway had to be laid. The most difficult of the Paris underground lines was chosen, No. 11 from the Chatelet (opposite the Island of the City, where Paris was born) to the Liles Town Holl, in -order that the effect of steep grades and numerous sharp curves could be fully tested, The new track is in wood, a fact which might com- fort the Canadian street -builders of horse -and -carriage days who insisted that wood blocks were the ideal material. The wood used is a form of teak grown in the Cameroon, known as azobe, remarkable for its homogeneity and durability The azobe strip, about a foot wide, is embedded in prestressed concrete. This concrete base steps down on the inside of the track, on both sides, to take a steel rail which comes into use on only two occasions: first, if a tire goes flat, when a small steel wheel normally a couple of Inches up in the air comes down and takes the weight of that part of the car on to the steel rail; and second, when passing through switches. In going through switches, the wheel flanges take over the task of guiding the car, ordinarily the work of small pneumatic tires which stick out at the sides and bear against a guiding strip, just above the roadway, on each side. The trains are driven by elec- tricity, as are the other Metro trains, picked up from the side strip and returned through the auxiliary steel rail, Each car is 49 feet long and 7-8 feet wide, supported by two bogies, each with two axles; thusthere are eight pneumatic tires to each coach. The first train uses two 130 h.p. motors to each driving coach, coupled in series and then in parallel, controlled by an electric camshaft for both drive ing and braking. As braking begin and ends, electric braking Is combined with air braking through an electro -valve. The durability of tires for train work had been tested for 24 years, the first rubber -tired railcars having been put into operation in France in 1932, These tires, however, were used directly on the steel rails; and although there were great ad- vantages from many points of view, their use has gradually dropped. The famous Paris -Strasbourg Express on rubber tires went out of service in 1954; and the only remaining rubber -tired ex- press in France, Paris -Basle, will stop running before the end of 1956. Tests made so far have proved that the present tire will last 125,000 miles before it has to be retreaded, when running on the teak roadway. With the metal gauze construction of the body of the tire, it is possible to retread four times. As an experiment, one wheel of the test car which was used for two years was locked tight and then dragged for 1,640 feet at 28 m.p.h. At the point of contact the rubber was burned away through the first metal gauze layer, but three layers remained. The smell of burning rubber was sufficient to warn train and station staff. Rubbish Cas,es reaps Trutu le Rubbish -70 ) tons of it—is causing a stink in Mexico City, in more ways than one. For fif- teen years this rubbish has piled up in mountains on the land of three Mexican citizens. But now the city authorities want to take it away and bury it, the land- owners are appealing to the courts to stop them for they say the rubbish is rightfully theirs. It may sound like nonsense — but it's true! In the past Mexico City refuse has been unhygienically piled up in outlying districts such as Az- capotzalco. But as the city ex- pands and homes and schools are built in the area, the city fathers have decided that waste matter should be buried in pits farther out instead of being left exposed. Notice was served on the joint • land -owners that these moun- tains of refuse would be remov- ed. But the landowners, highly indignant, took the case to court. They explained that the only reason they allowed the govern- ment to use their ground for dumping was that the refuse, as it decayed through the years, would become suitable for fer- tilizer. Now, after fifteen years of pa- tient waiting, the land -owners claim they liave at least 70,000 tons of humus refuse. They say that the city ,authorities, by re- moving the dumps, would be de- priving' them of their livelihood. Meanwhile, until the case is decided, residents of the area get wafts of nauseating smells every time a strong wind blows. up. Keeping up with the Joneses would be easier if they didn't change directions so often. —Ken Irwin in Corydon &Swallowing' His Way Through College James Ball, 21„le working his way through college by swallow- fag swards. The self-styled "youngest sword *wallower in :the world” is a sophomore at Fort Hays State College, • 'where he ;is Majoring in speech and radio. To pay his way he gives, per-, formances and spends' his summer vacation 'traveling with the kayat American Shows, Above, right, he `wallows the 26 -inch blade he displays at right TRAVELLING "SNOW"... HOUSE — The Governor General wasn't wearing parka and muk-luks when he called- on pretty Eskimos Paulette Aneroudluk and Annie Wetaituk in this igloo built by the Department of Northern Affairs. No melting snow dripped down to sizzle on the frying pan in this colorful northern house- keeping scene for the igloo was at the Ottawa Men's Press Club Ball, 1,000 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The Northern Affairs' igloo has become the fastest -travelling snow -house in Canada. Designed by an Eskimo and built in Ottawa of plastic styrofoam it was displayed first at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto this year where it proved one of the hits of the big "Ex". E .a'' ItSti J eJave AnC,Dews. Dessert is the crowning touch to any meal. Omit it, and a dis- appointed look follows 'round the table even though the lunch or dinner has been hearty. But make a hit with that last course and you score out of all propor- tion to the trouble yeti took. * * * CUSTARD SPONGE PUDDING 2 squares unsweetened chocolate 2 cups milk 4 tablespoons flour xis cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons melted butter 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 134 teaspoons vanilla 3 egg whites Add chocolate to milk and heat in double boiler. -When chocolate is melted, beat with rotary egg beater until. blended, Combine flour, suger, and salt, Add butter anc1 mix well; then add egg yolks. Add hot choco- late mixture gradually, blend- ing thoroughly. Add vanilla. Beat egg whites until they will stand in soft peaks; then stir gently into chocolate ,mixture.' Turn into greased 8 -inch round baking .dish. Place in an of hot water and bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or cold, with cream. Serves 6 to 8. * TAPIOCA CREAM 1 egg white 2 tablespoons sugar •1 egg yolk 2 cups milk / cup sugar / teaspoon salt 2 tablepsoons minute tapioca 1 square unsweetened chocolate 1 , teaspoon vanilla. Beat egg white until foamy throughout; add.2 tablespsoons suger, 1 at a time , and con- tinue beating with rotary egg beater until mixture stands in very soft peaks. Set aside, Mix egg yolk with a small amount of the milk in sauce- pan. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, minute tapioca, remaining milk, and chocolate. Place over medium heat. Cook until mix- ture .comes to a boil, stirring constantly — 5 to 8 minutes.. (Do not over -cook ... mixture thickens as it cools.) Pour small amount of hot mixture gradu- ally on egg-white meringue; blend. Add remaining . mixture, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Cool, , stirring' once after 15 to 20 minutes. Chill. Serves 4 to 5, * * * CHOCOLATE MERINGUE ' PIE lA4 cup sugar (or % cup honey) x/2 cup ,flour . . '/a teaspoon salt 23/z cups milk 2 squares unsweetened chocolate 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 2 teaspoons butter 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 baked 9 -inch pie shell 3 egg whites 6 tablespoons sugar Combine sugar, flour, and salt in top .of double , boiler, mix- ing very thoroughly. Add milk gradually, stirring well. Add, chocolate. Place over boiling water and cook until chocolate is melted and 'mixture is thick and , well, blended, stirring con- Stantly. Then , continue cooking 10 • minutes, . stirring occasional- ly. Pour small amount 'of mix- ture , over • egg yolks, stirring. vigourously; return to double boiler and 'cook 2 minutes' longer. Add butter and 'vanilla, 'Cool.Turn into pie simeil. ;Beat egg whites until foamy throughout; add sugar, 2 table- spoons at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is blended. Then continue beating until mixture will stand in peaks. Pile lightly on filling. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 15 minutes, or until the meringue is delicately browned. * * * CUSTARD BREAD PUDDING 11/ squares unsweetened chocolate 2Y2 cups milk 2 eggs • % cup sugar 1/ teapseon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups cubed stale bread Add chocolate to milk and heat in double boiler. When chocolate is melted, stir until blended, Beat eggs until foamy; add sugar and Salt. Then add chocolate mixture gradually, 'stirring viborously., Add vanilla. Place bread in greased baking. dish; pour mixture over it and let stand 10 minutes, Mix ,well before baking. Place dish in pan of hot water and bake in mod- erate oven (350°.F.) 50 minutes, or until pudding is firm. Serve warm or cold with cream. Serves 6. * * 'N CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE 2 squares unsweetened chocolate "2 cups milk z/,a eup sugar / cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoonful vanilla 4 egg yolks, beaten until thick and lemon -colored 4 egg whites, stiffly beaten Add chocolate to milk and heat in double boiler. When chocolate is melted, beat with rotary egg beater until blend- ed. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; add small amount of choco- late mixture, stirring until smooth; return to double boiler and cook until thickened, stir- ring constantly; then continue cooking 5 minutes,stirring oc- casionally. Add butter and ,va- nilla; cool slightly while beat- ing eggs. Add egg yolks and mix well. Fold into egg whites. Turn into greased baking dish. Place in pan until souffle is firm. Serve immediately with Chocolate Sauce or with cream. Serves 8. The baking dish may first be buttered and dusted with granu- lated sugar to give interesting finish and texture. MERRY MENAGERIE eeeee akilifttNN 1P•t0 w,a.x.H.:. rr..;.m.. "Talk about a busman's holiday ,y., on his day off he goes on a picnic!" Holy Roguery A church is • just about the last place you would .connect with Grime, yet recently a gun and some clothing used, in an at- ternpt at bank robbery were found hiddeta in a London church. Churches themselves suffer from .the attentions of thieves. One thief never left a church he had looted without kneeling be - fere the altar to ask pardon for his crime, One, morning he was caught in the act while doing this, far a piece of the altar fell on him. It did Piot do him, any serious injury but pinned him to his knees until the police came! In Cremona, about twenty years ago, a priest was at the al- tar when he suddenly staggered, his face convulsed. By a tremen- dous effort .of will he completed the ceremony and then collapsed. Sulphuric acid had been put into the altar wine, but the sacristan who prepared the wine denied any knowledge of it. Later is was found that a col- league of the sacristan had poi- soned the wine to get him into trouble. Get Sea Breezes By The Package An ingenious method of man- ufacturing sea air. has been in- vented by a Yorkshire business- man. His synthetic ozone makes it possible to 'switch on sea breezes in the home and will also be used to help sufferers from asthma and other chest troubles who cannot travel to the seaside. This home-made ozone is manufactured from a special species of seaweed found in Scotland. It is processed into large tablets which are then in- serted into a machine similar to a hair dryer. Air is sucked in at the back of the machine, forced through the tablets and then blown out at the front in the form of tonic sea breezes. Anyone owning one of these machines will be able to operate a switch and have health -giving sea air blowing through the home at any time it is required. The ozone gives the user a tre- mendous appetite, says the in- ventor. He sometimes comes home after a heavy meal at a restaurant, switches on the ozone in his study and, half an hour later, feels hungry again. REBEL'S FARE in Hungary: For freedom fighters, bread A Tale Of Two Lunches By KENNETH GILMORE • NEA Staff Correspondent Washington — (NEA) — This is a tale of two lunches and the world's troubles. The last lunch took place in Washington in a popular Italian restaurant. The swarthy man across the table shoveled a fork full ,of. French fries in his mouth, .finish- ed off his martini and described the .Hungarian revolution as fol- lows: "Just a bunch of Fascists and bandits roaming the streets and countryside, killing, • looting and stirring up trouble." The lunch before that was less leisurely, less' fancy, The rebel leader .munched .on a crust of bread and ..offered' me a piece: This was in Sopron, .• Hungary, a few hours before the Russians advanced. In' broken English he said: 'Please believe me, our •cause is real, We're not Fascists like, the Russians say. We're just people fighting against oppression." Back in Washington I got a, phone call. The Russian embassy attache in Washington asked me' to meet, hie , for .lunch. 1 nearly refused the offer after_. having witnessed' Soviet "tyranny fxi Hungaty. But a desire to find out how closely Russian embassy members tollciwed the MV scow 'line . pre- vailed. Furthermore, .I had a naive hop that perhaps this one Rus- sten Might privately admit to some of Russia .s murderous mis- takes, " • • He was • one of the press 1ttaches 'ivho had •beeil most cow operative in answering my in- crusts, quiries in the past. And on social occasions at various embassies I had talked to him about every- thing from TV to Tolstoi. Once or twice after cocktails he had opened up a bit. Not this time. It was as if an iron Curtain had slammed down on the table between us. "One thing I can tell you for sure," he declared waving his fork, "the .rebellion 'in Hungary was not spontaneous. It was di- rected by a small group of well organized Fascists. And Russia had to protect Eastern' Europe from having a Hitierite state in its midst. "I •tell .you it could not have been a popular uprising," he re- peated. "They were well organ- ized. These bandits had a lot of arms and ammunition. They must have come from the outside." Although he would not say so, he was implying .that America had • provided the weapons. And again. 1 remembered lunch with my rebel friend. As we stood in the melting snow 'at high noon he begged me to let the American public know how badly the free- dom fighters needed arms. "We have hardly any ammuni- tion• left," he said pointing to a truck where a meager supply of bullets was being distributed. "What we have were taken from the Hungarian Army supply de- pots during the first days of the revolution. "What we want more than any- thing else are bazookas to stop the Russian tanks. We just have a few old cannon. "I have plenty of young men and women who are ready to die, but that's about all." Between bites .of apple pie in Washington the Russian replied: "The Hungarians were misled by the Fascists. Those who took up arms didn't fellow what they were doing. They were confused." And I recalled the bitter re- mark blurted out by a teen-age peasant boy standing by the rebel leader. "We detest the Russians who rule our country. The soldiers steal our crops and rape our zt omen." The waiter brought on the cof- fee in Washington:1 asked about the thousands of refugees who had come to Austria across the border. "They are scared of the Fas- cists. They fun away ;but most of them ' will come back soon when everything settles down." How about the Communist re- fusal to allow U.N. observers' in Hungary? "They would just cause tension and make matters worse," said the Russian. Then he smiled. "Now tell me about this Middle East situation," he said, "Why did Israel, Britain and 'France in- vade Egypt?" RUSSIAN'IMRE tn`'Washingtont for- enbass'y guests, delicacieti