A Queer Invention

Quite an important and rather queer invention was explained to the House Comraittee on Commerce, the other day, by Mr. M. J. Adams. of St, Paul, Minn., designed to establish permanent channels in rivera. He asks for an appropriation to thoroughly test the usefulness of the invention, although it is said to have silready been tried by the Eriglish and French Governments, and proved successful. Tho invention consiste of a line of tubes, with valve-openiugs, laid in the center of the bed of the river, from one end to the other, irrespective of distance. Thís pipe remains permanent; into it water is forced by a pump at its head, while a gate at the extreme end secures the iressure. This inventiQn the opening of the valvo at any place needed forcing the water out with such power as to abrado the snnd or mud in the neighborhood of the tubo, kooping it in suspension until the current carrie it away to low places or sloughs. The committee took great interest in the inven tion, and requested Mr. Adams to again appear before it. He has been engaged on this subject for the past nine vears. and has obtained three pateuts. -