The Locomotive - Lighthouse Survival Blog

1901.] THE LOCOMOTIVE. 127
that cause cancer, and to produce cancer by injecting them into healthy animals. These
organisms are not bacteria or yeast cells, but protozoa. There has long been a differ-
ence of opinion as to whether cancer is due to alterations in nutrition or to a parasite.
Now that the latter has been proved, cancer must be regarded as a preventable disease,
and it remains to discover the method of its propagation. It must be remembered, of
course, that Dr. Gaylord's discovery, like all others, rests on a long line of careful
researches, carried on in many countries. There are innumerable names connected with
the development of the germ theory of disease, but the forerunners of Gaylord, who
especially deserve mention in connection with cancer, are Scheuerlin, Kubasoff, Russell,
Sanfelice, and Plimmer. — Popular Science Monthly.
A correspondent of Steam Engineering tells a story of a city smoke inspector,
who stopped at a certain steam plant in Boston, to see if the smoke ordinance was being
violated. "He was invited to take a seat until the chief could go with him to the
roof, and word was quietly passed around to fire heavily, and then not to fire again
until further orders. This was done, and the inspector was conducted, in a leisurely
fashion, to the roof. By the time they reached it, only a thin thread of smoke was
coming from the chimney. Of course the iuspector had to light one of the chief's
cigars, and as the scenery was quite pretty and the air breezy and cool, he was too comfortable
to be in a hurry about going clown. The chief, of course, could not take the
initiative. Suddenly a coal passer stuck his head through the hatchway, saying, 'The
steam is going down like blazes, sor, and Mike wants to know can he fire up, now.'
What the chief replied is not on record."
Laid Down His Life for His Friend.
William Phelps of Richmond, Kentucky, died a hero. His heroism was displayed
without; hope of reward, in the face of almost certain death and amid surroundings
bereft of all the enthusiasm, the cheers of comrades and the excitement of battle that
lead to great deeds when the flag is to the fore and an enemy is to be overcome. This
man deliberately made way for a comrade when the two were imprisoned in a boiler
into which steam had been accidentally turned. There was room for but one to escape
and Phelps said, "You go first Jim, you are married." "Jim" went first and William
died in horrible agony, but with a smile, and with the words " It was Jim's right to go
first; he is married."
William Phelps was a negro. He was a laboring man, and presumably had not
received greater advantages than thousands of his fellows in the South. He was strong
and full of the love of life implanted in all of us. Opportunity came to him to go first
and escape comparatively unhurt. Deliberately he chose the path of absolute selfsacrifice,
and thousands who read his story will think of the text, "Greater love hath
no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend." When we read of bad
negroes who are ostracised not only by the whites but by many of their own kind, who,
maddened by drink or brutalized by despair, commit crimes against humanity that
deserve and almost always receive condign punishment, let us hesitate before we impute
instinctive brutality to the race, remembering rather that there is no man in current
history who showed a whiter soul than did William Phelps of Richmond, Kentucky,
when he said, "You go first, Jim." — Unknown Contemporary.
[The accident here referred to occurred some time ago in the Cerealine mills at
Indianapolis, Ind. We are glad to print the foregoing tribute to the dead negro, and
we regret that we are iinable to identify t lie paper in which it first appeared, so as to
give that paper fuller credit for it.
—
Editor The Locomotive.]
Between 1895 and 1900 the production of Portland cement increased from one to
seven million barrels per year.