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| Ancient Chinese containers used to measure volumes of wine and grain were built not for weight accuracy but for sound accuracy. To prove that a container was properly filled, it had to sound the right note when it was struck. If the container did not give off the right note, it was not properly filled. Dionysius the first was a tyrant who ruled Sicily about 400 B.C. In a prison near Syracuse were a huge number of Greek and Carthiginians captives. In order to be able to eavesdrop on their whispered conversations, he constructed a remarkable accoustic opening in the prison's wall. Shaped like an ear, it was 75 feet above ground. The human voice was magnified about fifty times and words were ofter repeated. Dionysius sat by this unique loudspeaker and as the words of his slaves would reach his ears, he would mark the whisperer for death. The screwdriver was invented to help knights get in and out of their armour. French shepherds invented stilts. They used them to herd sheep in marshes near the Bay of Biscay. In February of 1862, the American tall ship 'Dreadnought' sailed from Liverpool, England, for the United States. Somewhere in the mid-Atlantic it was struck by a furious storm. Waves smashed against the vessel, ripped its rudder off and carried it away. Without a rudder the ship couldn't be steered. At about the same time the carpenter got killed and Captain Samuel Samuels suffered a broken leg. For three days the vessel was tossed about by the will of the wild ocean. The nearest harbour was Fayal, in the Azores, a collection of islands southwest of Portugal. But the ship was pointed in the wrong direction and couldn't be turned around. The captain hit on an idea; maybe the sails could be turned around. Samuels ordered that they throwback every sail that was set. It worked; the ship sailed backwards for 280 miles in 52 hours. They reached the Azores safely. After 51 hours of rest, recreation and repairs they left for New England. When Spanish missionaries in early California wanted to show the way from mission to mission, they planted mustard plants along the pathways. Some of the plants reached a height of ten feet. The covered wagons that American settlers used to travel west were built like boats so that they could be floated across rivers. Silver keeps milk fresh. American settlers travelling westward kept a silver dollar intheir milk to keep it from going sour. Years ago, every spring, Saint Thomas Anglican Church in Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada floated away on the floods. Sometimes it ended up in the least desirable place for the congregation. Then one day someone came up with an idea; drill holes between the rolls of pews. The spring flood waters now flow through the holes while the church stays in place. During the rest of the year the holes are plugged up. During World War Two bronze scissors were used in ammunition plants to prevent accidental explosions from sparks. Years ago vandalism became a problem in city subways when thieves stole light bulbs. Then, General Electric invented a light bulb that screws in counterclockwise; opposite to the regular light bulb. Thus, a stolen subway light bulb can only be used in a subway socket. Checkout our main web site: http://www.historyshorts.com |
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