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Telegraph Apparatus.—Mr. Chas. Durant, of New York city, is the inventor of several improvements of a practical nature, intended to light en and facilitate the labors of telegraph operators. The present improvement relates to the relay machines, and its object is to do away with the trouble commonly e:fperienced in regulating the adjustments of the instrument. In this patent Mr. Durant, among other things, claims “ So com bining a relay machine and one or more batteries, or other electrical supply, with a telegraph instrument, that when, by the operation of the • instrument, the main telegraph circuit is opened or closed, another circuit, communicating with the same relay machine will be correspondingly opened and closed, and the attractive power developed in the relay magnet will be thereby modified. Effects of Discharges of Artillery upon Climate.— A correspondent from Missouri suggests that continued discharges of artillery induce rain storms. He cites the observations of several gentlemen who stated that during the wars of Napoleon heavy battles were uniformly followed by heavy rain storms. He suggests also that perhaps the change in climate of the Plains (referred to on page 214, current volume) along the line of the Pacfic Railroad, may be effected by the concussive effect, similar to that produced by the discharge of cannon, caused by the passage of trains over the hitherto undisturbed plains. All we can say on this matter is, that until a direct connection between atmospheric concussion and the fall of rain has been established, we must regard it as merely a conjecture. Method foe Crossing Streets.—Messrs. Adam and Nicolas Barth, of New York city, have submitted to us a plan for street crossing, which is perhaps worth consideration. It employs the principle of the elevator, with horizontal elevated rails to convey the platform from side to sid
