The Wonder Book of Knowledge

About this eBook

Editor

Hill, Henry Chase

Title

The Wonder Book of Knowledge The Marvels of Modern Industry and Invention, the Interesting Stories of Common Things, the Mysterious Processes of Nature Simply Explained

Credits

Produced by Chris Curnow, Harry Lamé and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Language

English

LoC Class

T: Technology

Subject

Industrial arts -- History

Category

Text

eBook-No.

41111

Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41111

Release Date

October 19, 2012

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.THE WONDER BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE
2. 2.Preface
3. 3.Table of Contents
4. 4.The Story of the Submarine [1] — Origin of Submarine Navigation. — The American Types. — Twentieth Century Submarines. — Engine Power. — The Periscope. — The Voyage of the “Deutschland.” — Submarine Dredging.
5. 5.The Story of the Panama Canal — The United States to the Rescue. — The Canal and the Navy. — The Great Canal. — The Hydroelectric Station. — Gigantic Obstacles. — Gatun Dam. — Meeting all Emergencies. — A Battle Won. — What is a Geyser? — What Kind of Dogs are Prairie-Dogs? — What is Spontaneous Combustion?
6. 6.The Story in the Talking Machine [3] — What are Petrified Forests? — What Animals are the Best Architects?
7. 7.The Story of the Motorcycle [4] — How is the Weather Man Able to Predict Tomorrow’s Weather? — How does a Siren Fog Horn Blow?
8. 8.The Story in a Watch [5] — How does a Monorail Gyroscope Railway Operate? — Why are Finger-prints Used for Identification?
9. 9.The Story in a Rifle [6] — How It Began. — The Earliest Hunters. — A Nameless Edison. — What They Saw. — The Use of Slings. — Something Better. — A Fortunate Accident. — What Came of It. — A Great Variety. — As to Arrows. — A Shooting Machine. — What It Was. — And Now for Chemistry. — Playing with Fire. — What Two Monks Discovered. — The Coming of the Matchlock. — The Gun of Our Ancestors. — Caps and Breech-Loaders. — From Henry VIII to Cartridges. — A Refusal and What Came of It. — The Beginning of Precision in Mechanics. — The First Government Contract. — Making Barrels. — Taking off 2 ⁄ 1000 of an Inch. — The Making of Ammunition Today. — Handling Deadly Explosives. — Extreme Precautions. — How does an Artesian Well Keep Up Its Supply of Water? — Where do Dates Come From?
10. 10.The Story of Rubber — How was Rubber First Used? — What is a Rubber Camp Like? — How is Rubber Gathered by the Natives? — How is Rubber Smoked? — How was Vulcanizing Discovered? — How did Rubber Growing Spread to Other Places? — How is Rubber Cured on Modern Plantations? — How is Crude Rubber Received Here? — How is Rubber Prepared for Use? — How are Rubber Shoes Made? — How are Automobile Tires Made? — How did the Expression “Before you can say Jack Robinson” Originate? — What is an Aerial Railway Like? — Why are They Called “Newspapers”? — How Did the Cooking of Food Originate? — How Far Away is the Sky-Line?
11. 11.The Story of Rope [7] — Civilized Rope Makers. — Hand Spinning. — Machine-made Ropes. — American Hemp. — Manila and Sisal Fibers. — Wire Ropes. — Pine Tar for Ropes. — Why does Rope Cling Together? — What is Rope Used for? — How did the Expression “A-1” Originate? — How has Man Helped Nature Give Us Apples? — What Kind of a Crab Climbs Trees? — How are Files Made?
12. 12.The Story of Self-Loading Pistols [8] — Colt Pistols. — Machine Guns. — How does the Poisonous Tarantula Live? — How do the Indians Live Now? — How does the Beach Get Its Sand? — How did Nodding the Head Up and Down Come to Mean “Yes”? — Why do We Call a Man “a Benedict” When He Marries?
13. 13.The Story in Firecrackers and Sky-Rockets [9] — What Makes a Chimney Smoke? — What are Dry Docks Like? — Why does a Lightning Bug Light Her Light?
14. 14.The Story in the Making of a Picture [10] — How Deep is the Deepest Part of the Ocean? — Why do We Say “Get the Sack”? — Why do We Call Them X-Rays? — How did the Term “Yankee” Originate? — Why do We Say “Kick the Bucket”? — When does a Tortoise Move Quickly?
15. 15.The Story in a Newspaper [11] — What do We Mean by the “Flying Dutchman”? — Why does a Duck’s Back Shed Water? — Why doesn’t the Sky ever Fall Down? — How are Sand-Dunes Formed? — What do We Mean by an “Eclipse”? — What are Dreams? — What Makes Our Teeth Chatter?
16. 16.The Story in a Honey-Comb [12] — Where do Figs Come From? — What are “Fighting Fish”? — How is the Exact Color of the Sky Determined? — What is a “Divining Rod”?
17. 17.The Story of Electricity in the Home [13] — The Traveler’s Iron. — Electric Cooking Appliances. — Divided into Three Classes. — Electric Toaster. — Electric Coffee Percolator. — Machine Type Percolator. — Two Distinct Types of Heating Elements. — Baking and Roasting. — Why is there Always a Soft Spot in a Cocoanut Shell? — How does a Gasoline Motor Run an Electric Street Car? — How do “Carrier Pigeons” Carry Messages? — What Family has Over 9,000,000 Members?
18. 18.The Story in the Telephone [14] — Essential Factor in American Life. — America Leads in Telephone Growth. — American Telephone Practice Superior. — The First Transcontinental Line. — Wireless Speech Transmission. — The Mobilization of Communication. — Why do They Call Them “Fiddler-Crabs”? — How Far can a Powerful Searchlight Send Its Rays? — What Started the Habit of Touching Glasses Before Drinking? — Why are Windows Broken by Explosions? — What does the Expression “Showing the White Feather” Come From?
19. 19.The Story in Elevators and Escalators [15] — The Escalator. — The Cleat Escalator. — The Moving Platform. — What Happens when Animals Hibernate? — How do Peanuts Get in the Ground? — How did Your State Get Its Name?
20. 20.The Story of Coal Mining — How can We Hear through the Walls of a Room? — What is a Diesel Engine Like? — What does the Sheep-Grower Get for the Wool in a Suit of Clothes?
21. 21.The Story in a Silver Teaspoon [16] — The Blank. — Squeezed. — Rolling. — Clipping. — Annealing. — The Evolution of a Spoon. — The Evolution of a Knife. — How do Chimes Strike the Hour? — How is Electricity Brought into a House? — What was the Origin of Masonic Signs? — What is a Dictograph?
22. 22.The Story of the Wireless Telegraph — What is Forestry Work? — How did the Fashion of Wearing Cravats Commence? — How does the Gas Meter Measure Your Gas? — What is a Game Preserve?
23. 23.The Story of the Building of a Silo [17] — What is a Silo? — The First Silo. — What is Put in the Silo? — Elements of Success or Failure.
24. 24.The Story of the Advance of Electricity [18] — The First Commercial Central Station. — The Old Pearl Street Plant. — Edison and the Electric Light. — In the Trenches. — Edison as a Central Station Pioneer. — Early Growth. — The Waterside Stations. — Electricity a Living Factor. — In the Printing Trade. — Construction. — Loft Manufacturing. — Electric Heating. — Electricity and Safety. — Electricity in Medicine. — Electric Vehicles. — Electricity and the Home. — Decreased Cost of Electricity. — How is Die-Sinking Done?
25. 25.The Story in the Making of a Magazine [19] — How did the Ringing of the Curfew Originate?
26. 26.The Story of America’s First Horseless Carriage
27. 27.The Story in a Sausage [20] — Why do We Call them “Dog-Days”? — How is a Five Dollar Gold Piece Made? — How does a Bird Fly?
28. 28.The Story of the Big Redwood Trees [23] — How did the Expression “Forlorn Hope” Originate? — Why is “Wall Street” Known Around the World? — What Makes a Stick Seem to Bend in Water? — What Causes a Lump in a Person’s Throat? — How are We Able to Hear Through Speaking-Tubes? — Why do We Always Shake Hands with Our Right Hand?
29. 29.The Story in a Billiard Table [24] — What is the Hottest Place in the United States? — What are White Blackberries Like? — Why do They Have a Dog-Watch on Shipboard? — How Much Gold has a 14-Carat Ring? — What is an Electro-Magnet?
30. 30.The Story in a Pin [25] — How are Glaciers Formed? — How Large are Molecules?
31. 31.Pictorial Story Of The Fishing Industry
32. 32.The Story in a Box of California Oranges — What Kind of Steel Knives do not Stain nor Rust? — Why is it Necessary to Keep Unusually Quiet when Fishing? — What were the First Apartment Houses in this Country? — Why do We Call 32° Above Zero “Freezing”? — How is Fresco Painting Done?
33. 33.The Story of a Piece of Chewing Gum [26] — Where did the Ferris Wheel get Its Name? — What is Done to Keep Railroad Rails from Breaking? — How does a “Master Clock” Control Others by Electricity?
34. 34.The Story of the Calculating Machine — How did Men Learn to Count? — Who Invented the First Adding Machine? — Who Discovered the Slide Rule Principle? — The “Difference Engine.” — Work on Some of the Present-Day Models. — How Big is the Largest Adding Machine in the World? — How are Adding Machines Used? — Where does Ermine Come From? — What is the Principle of “Foreign Exchange”? — What do We Mean by “The Old Moon in the New Moon’s Arms”?
35. 35.The Story in a Bowling Alley [27] — How are Artificial Precious Stones Made? — What is a Mexican Bull-Fight Like? — What is the Difference between “Alternating” and “Direct” Current? — What was the “Court of Love”?
36. 36.The Story of the Addressograph [28] — The Birth of Mechanical Addressing. — Builds First Addressograph. — The Beginning of a Great Industry. — Answering Demand for Greater Speed. — Invents Embossed Metal Address Plate. — A Card Index that Addresses Itself. — Electric Motor Increases Speed. — Attachments Increase Utility of Addressograph. — Small Users not Overlooked. — The Addressograph—Its Place in Business. — What is “Dry Farming”? — What is a “Drying Machine” Like? — How does the New York Stock Exchange Operate? — How did the Term “Cowboys” Originate?
37. 37.The Story in a Chemical Fire Extinguisher [29] — How is Gold Leaf Made? — What is the Natural Color of Goldfish? — When was “Liquid Fire” First Used in Warfare? — How did the Greyhound Get His Name? — Why is It Called “Battery Park”? — How do we Know that the Earth is Round? — What were “Ducking Stools”?
38. 38.The Story in Photo-Engraving [30] — Color Engravings. — Where are Milk-Pails Filled from Trees? — How did the Wearing of a Crown Originate? — Why do Lobsters Change Colors? — How do Fishes Swim? — Where do Pearls Come From? [31] — What is Cork?
39. 39.The Story in a Giant Cannon — Origin of the Cannon. — Modern Cannon. — How Cannon are Now Made. — Built-Up and Wire-Wound Guns. — Ammunition. (See page 402 .) — Two-Handed Elevating Gear. (See page 402 .) — Range Finder and Predictor; Home and Distant Station Instruments. (See page 403 .) — Armor-Piercing Projectiles, Capped and Uncapped. (See page 403 .) — Range Finder with Chart Attachment. (See page 404 .) — Eighteen-inch, Thirty-caliber Torpedo Gun. (See page 404 .) — Firing Gear for Guns. (See page 405 .) — Fuses. (See page 405 .) — What is a Deep-Sea Diver’s Dress Like? — Why do We Smile when We are Pleased? — Why do Some of Us have Freckles?
40. 40.Pictorial Story of the Steel Industry — Mining Ore, Island of Cuba. (See page 413 .) — Loading Ore, Island of Cuba. (See page 413 .) — Pig Iron Casting Machine. (See page 414 .) — Open-Hearth Furnace Stock Yard. (See page 414 .) — Open-Hearth Furnaces. (See page 416 .) — Charging Floor of Open-Hearth Furnaces. (See page 416 .) — Blast Furnace Storage Plant. (See page 417 .) — Blast Furnaces. (See page 417 .) — Drop Forge Die Shop. (See page 419 .) — View of a Section of Projectile Forge Shop. (See page 419 .) — Forging Hollow Heavy Shaft. (See page 420 .) — Oil-Tempering Heavy Shaft. (See page 420 .) — Armor Plate Machine Shop. (See page 423 .) — Forging Armor. (See page 423 .) — Special Car Built for the Shipping of Large and Heavy Material. (See page 424 .) — The Largest Steel Casting in the World. (See page 424 .) — Battleship Turret. (See page 425 .) — Nickel Steel Field Ring Forged without Weld for a 5,000-Horse-power Dynamo. (See page 425 .) — Turret for Two Twelve-inch Guns for United States Battleship “Alabama.” (See page 426 .) — Conning Tower and Entrance Shield for United States Battleship “Massachusetts.” (See page 426 .) — What do We Mean by “Deviation of the Compass”?
41. 41.The Story in the Making of a Pair of Shoes [46] — Shoemaking by Machine. — What is “Standard Gold”? — What are Cyclones? — What Metals can be Drawn into Wire Best? — How are Cocoanuts Used to Help Our Warships? — How did the Dollar Sign Originate?
42. 42.Pictorial Story of Fire Apparatus
43. 43.The Story of the Taking of Food From the Air [52] — What is a Drawbridge Like Today?
44. 44.The Story of a Deep Sea Monster [54] — What is an Armored Railway Car Like? — What is an “Electric Eel”?
45. 45.The Story of Salt [56] — Why do We Call it “Denatured Alcohol”? — What is the Difference Between a Cruiser and a Battleship?
46. 46.The Story of the Growth of the Motor Truck [57] — What is a Diving Bell? — How are Harbors Dredged Out? — How is a Razor Blade Made?
47. 47.The Story of the Tunnels Under the Hudson River [58] — What Causes Floating Islands?
48. 48.Pictorial Story of the Airship
49. 49.The Story of an Automobile Factory [59] — How do Big Buildings Get their Granite?
50. 50.Railroad Scenes from Shop and Road
51. 51.The Story of an Up-to-Date Farm [68] — The Reaping Hook or Sickle. — The Cradle. — Early Attempts to Harvest with Machines. — The First Successful Reaper. — Development of the Reaper. — The Self-Binder. — The Twine Binder. — Other Machines Follow. — What Causes an Echo?
52. 52.The Story of the Motion-Picture Projecting Machine [69]
53. 53.The Story of Leather [70] — What is a “Glass Snake”?
54. 54.The Story in Diamond-Cutting [71] — Why do We Get Hungry?
55. 55.The Story in the Modern Lifting Magnet [72] — Why is the Thistle the Emblem of Scotland? — How are Animals Identified on Cattle Ranges? — How is Glue Made? — Why does a Hot Dish Crack if We Put Ice Cream in It?
56. 56.Footnotes
57. 57.Index
58. 58.Acknowledgment
59. 59.Transcriber’s Notes

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