From 75f6a2ac8e2b52f601789765b0ba05d8b53193b2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: John Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2024 22:20:52 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] elastic --- .../__pycache__/datecompat.cpython-312.pyc | Bin 0 -> 1200 bytes .../__pycache__/hidden.cpython-312.pyc | Bin 0 -> 1621 bytes .../datecompat.py | 39 + .../elasticbook.py | 110 + .../elasticmail.py | 174 + .../hidden.py | 4 +- .../pg18866.txt | 5967 +++++++++++++++++ .../test.ipynb | 164 + 8 files changed, 6456 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/__pycache__/datecompat.cpython-312.pyc create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/__pycache__/hidden.cpython-312.pyc create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/datecompat.py create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticbook.py create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticmail.py create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/pg18866.txt create mode 100644 Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/test.ipynb diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/__pycache__/datecompat.cpython-312.pyc b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/__pycache__/datecompat.cpython-312.pyc new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1299e55f1fcb40e8f46ec3786575988feddb3677 GIT binary patch literal 1200 zcmZ8g&uiOu6n|g+u;nOE0E0BZhIJrda6iC0Y4b(lkdcZcmJHo9J@>-4g==F-V=U-w>bR(%cN}4r}YI>l<>~gEJuD4SpHE zn*j)f40!1gwJwd&ne{ne*c~1;;0ZK|06rg*HtM>3#v7s2bwoo5QW?O#ac^NVNO{VL zXT)(j6@IGfX2#^ivE~;9b1vHTcQ=o?nA4 za^jt3PohO>bwJcZ0Sk)KAg39swxMcks`mM!c5_jyP`$+?`SWL&F+iF-|EYuyViH=9D7G>F3Lfm5W5N9mcx#Lh<_hQ~^ zdd0DrvyC{_vdpUK#zNEaI;(no3y>*814B=%dA>@!|Lds zOZ=lhehPvut6Lrh-YU)ZucRj1>nmUq8Z0@U$ z-O{}eTJ2bA>A0}1TMZVc@8FKvw7UPI3ZbuLw{Q1uKUfcM?8_6|*Lv5Y8#@a-OVJm5 z^6XPtdm?Ll^5t+jNr93JR}zlPmC1jQ7N@&Hk`gl02Zf7I3)+){_Q?2kd9UzMcjei5 zE|HOtGP<;s`&)gpI18^^cu8yq1M=p|GG i=@Z*AHXG(=bPiqi%w6`H5}pw994;M6b0kkyjQkIsog$3@ literal 0 HcmV?d00001 diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/__pycache__/hidden.cpython-312.pyc b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/__pycache__/hidden.cpython-312.pyc new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c39186701afa5570434dd5e85e08f722abc9abca GIT binary patch literal 1621 zcmcIkO>7%Q6yCLW*PD1ZPQdx0rC}3rB8S9lQaiCDTtK181-T$gRH}rm_0Bjp*xqG! zU1N&_2hJ#!kO)!_9Aj}wZ%DpN-psr= z-#5>{s_HZc-?#U>_^HHkf6&SJ<44BjDj45!i2Itm#~~gxj{=|rCowe@)jJTwW@AKyInIJw`w}rfW>;H ziV$uj?6x0rut~7%kXfis0dcN_`ik?SD_(TTTZ((pm>1nVpAwWrpA*CcnSuBV0EfWA z0FHt&0T|##5(+((0Ae}cQCh9m1Y=*t&zDpE2^jXpitF0W2>Fy*%9Kj!bTZ?s+o@!# zxRW%?D4X7iOGJh=zGM?zu6{wL*u*g_xQmH7~m8E!<$Yef>NvDzQE%im`v*_P?JKp)r&5B(RIp4obnMLRyb}E*uaS(jE@=^l#eet6nF*f4hRZT4IW|Q z5l0?r;t7pB^29SmJ?`06=E z5=3e1>8dWgl%54V)Vw4tB?twG3r?Ba{+1n|G=4X@dB!$tEeJ*#KqK@3&43g-%;)1zl8I7ZBN%3 zzyp4d;X2^oWsou`2fWUxAU6Oe@)`x~IXFW`jdo6(#2~OsgP(u`G?nWohd&&Af2XIs zdAi?I^s~@o=~1Moyz?a3Q}&-6{&Mg$#0s7q2Iy4fHzjf$I*}eko+%o2tavML&=GLn zJiXV8W#}Z^=Xi0C;h2w$j9S);!}qR1VphhLwjIcC*Dchn;ag-4meAr^-}Zw%&tEKw beBxq8;$s)HA|Jn44)W`l*8%_pZTr6g?gV!@ literal 0 HcmV?d00001 diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/datecompat.py b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/datecompat.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e0cb933 --- /dev/null +++ b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/datecompat.py @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +from datetime import datetime +# https://www.pg4e.com/code/datecompat.py + +# Non-dateutil version - we try our best +def parsemaildate(md) : + + pieces = md.split() + notz = " ".join(pieces[:4]).strip() + + # Try a bunch of format variations - strptime() is *lame* + dnotz = None + for form in [ '%d %b %Y %H:%M:%S', '%d %b %Y %H:%M:%S', + '%d %b %Y %H:%M', '%d %b %Y %H:%M', '%d %b %y %H:%M:%S', + '%d %b %y %H:%M:%S', '%d %b %y %H:%M', '%d %b %y %H:%M' ] : + try: + dnotz = datetime.strptime(notz, form) + break + except: + continue + + if dnotz is None : + # print 'Bad Date:',md + return None + + iso = dnotz.isoformat() + + tz = "+0000" + try: + tz = pieces[4] + ival = int(tz) # Only want numeric timezone values + if tz == '-0000' : tz = '+0000' + tzh = tz[:3] + tzm = tz[3:] + tz = tzh+":"+tzm + except: + pass + + return iso+tz + diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticbook.py b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticbook.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b1e38f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticbook.py @@ -0,0 +1,110 @@ + +# https://www.pg4e.com/code/elasticbook.py + +# Download a book +# wget http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18866/pg18866.txt +# wget http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14091/pg14091.txt +# wget https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-0.txt +# wget https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11/11-0.txt + +# (If needed) +# https://www.pg4e.com/code/hidden-dist.py +# copy hidden-dist.py to hidden.py +# edit hidden.py and put in your credentials + +# python3 elasticbook.py + +from elasticsearch import Elasticsearch +from elasticsearch import RequestsHttpConnection +import time +import copy +import hidden +import uuid +import json +import hashlib + +bookfile = input("Enter book file (i.e. pg18866.txt): ") +if bookfile.strip() == '': + raise Exception("empty string detected, please try again to enter a book file") + +# Make sure we can open the file +fhand = open(bookfile) + +# Load the secrets +secrets = hidden.elastic() + +es = Elasticsearch( + [ secrets['host'] ], + http_auth=(secrets['user'], secrets['pass']), + url_prefix = secrets['prefix'], + scheme=secrets['scheme'], + port=secrets['port'], + connection_class=RequestsHttpConnection, +) + +# set indexname equal to elasticsearch username +indexname = secrets['user'] + +# Start fresh +# https://elasticsearch-py.readthedocs.io/en/master/api.html#indices +res = es.indices.delete(index=indexname, ignore=[400, 404]) +print("Dropped index", indexname) +print(res) + +res = es.indices.create(index=indexname) +print("Created the index...") +print(res) + +para = '' +chars = 0 +count = 0 +pcount = 0 +for line in fhand: + count = count + 1 + line = line.strip() + chars = chars + len(line) + if line == '' and para == '' : continue + if line == '' : + pcount = pcount + 1 + doc = { + 'offset' : pcount, + 'content': para + } + + # Use the paragraph count as primary key + # pkey = pcount + + # Use a GUID for the primary key + # pkey = uuid.uuid4() + + # Compute a SHA256 of the entire document as the primary key. + # Because the pkey is a based on the document contents + # the "index" is in effect INSERT ON CONFLICT UPDATE unless + # the document contents change + m = hashlib.sha256() + m.update(json.dumps(doc).encode()) + pkey = m.hexdigest() + + res = es.index(index=indexname, id=pkey, body=doc) + + print('Added document', pkey) + # print(res['result']) + + if pcount % 100 == 0 : + print(pcount, 'loaded...') + time.sleep(1) + + para = '' + continue + + para = para + ' ' + line + +# Tell it to recompute the index +res = es.indices.refresh(index=indexname) +print("Index refreshed", indexname) +print(res) + +print(' ') +print('Loaded',pcount,'paragraphs',count,'lines',chars,'characters') + + diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticmail.py b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticmail.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5713348 --- /dev/null +++ b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/elasticmail.py @@ -0,0 +1,174 @@ + +# https://www.pg4e.com/code/elasticmail.py + +# https://www.pg4e.com/code/hidden-dist.py +# copy hidden-dist.py to hidden.py (if necessary) +# edit hidden.py and put in your credentials + +# http://mbox.dr-chuck.net/sakai.devel/100/101 + +# python3 elasticmail.py +# Pulls data from the web and puts it into index + +import requests +import re +import hidden +import datecompat +import time +import json +import copy +import hidden + +import dateutil.parser as parser # If this import fails - just comment it out + +from elasticsearch import Elasticsearch +from elasticsearch import RequestsHttpConnection + +def parsemaildate(md) : + try: + pdate = parser.parse(tdate) + test_at = pdate.isoformat() + return test_at + except: + return datecompat.parsemaildate(md) + +secrets = hidden.elastic() + +# Connect to our database +es = Elasticsearch( + [ secrets['host'] ], + http_auth=(secrets['user'], secrets['pass']), + url_prefix = secrets['prefix'], + scheme=secrets['scheme'], + port=secrets['port'], + connection_class=RequestsHttpConnection, +) + +# In our test world - we only get one index :( +indexname = secrets['user'] + +# Start fresh +# https://elasticsearch-py.readthedocs.io/en/master/api.html#indices +res = es.indices.delete(index=indexname, ignore=[400, 404]) +print("Dropped index") +print(res) + +res = es.indices.create(index=indexname) +print("Created the index...") +print(res) + +baseurl = 'http://mbox.dr-chuck.net/sakai.devel/' + +many = 0 +count = 0 +fail = 0 +start = 0 +while True: + if ( many < 1 ) : + sval = input('How many messages:') + if ( len(sval) < 1 ) : break + many = int(sval) + + start = start + 1 + + many = many - 1 + url = baseurl + str(start) + '/' + str(start + 1) + + text = 'None' + try: + # Open with a timeout of 30 seconds + response = requests.get(url) + text = response.text + status = response.status_code + if status != 200 : + print('Error code=',status, url) + break + except KeyboardInterrupt: + print('') + print('Program interrupted by user...') + break + except Exception as e: + print('Unable to retrieve or parse page',url) + print('Error',e) + fail = fail + 1 + if fail > 5 : break + continue + + print(url,len(text)) + count = count + 1 + + if not text.startswith('From '): + print(text) + print('Did not find From ') + fail = fail + 1 + if fail > 5 : break + continue + + pos = text.find('\n\n') + if pos > 0 : + hdr = text[:pos] + body = text[pos+2:] + else: + print(text) + print('Could not find break between headers and body') + fail = fail + 1 + if fail > 5 : break + continue + + # Accept with or without < > + email = None + x = re.findall('\nFrom: .* <(\S+@\S+)>\n', hdr) + if len(x) == 1 : + email = x[0] + email = email.strip().lower() + email = email.replace('<','') + else: + x = re.findall('\nFrom: (\S+@\S+)\n', hdr) + if len(x) == 1 : + email = x[0] + email = email.strip().lower() + email = email.replace('<','') + + # Hack the date + sent_at = None + y = re.findall('\nDate: .*, (.*)\n', hdr) + if len(y) == 1 : + tdate = y[0] + tdate = tdate[:26] + try: + sent_at = parsemaildate(tdate) + except: + print(text) + print('Parse fail',tdate) + fail = fail + 1 + if fail > 5 : break + continue + + # Make the headers into a dictionary + hdrlines = hdr.split('\n') + hdrdict = dict() + for line in hdrlines: + # [('From', '"Glenn R. Golden" ')] + y = re.findall('([^ :]*): (.*)$', line) + if len(y) != 1 : continue + tup = y[0] + if len(tup) != 2 : continue + # print(tup) + key = tup[0].lower() + value = tup[1].lower() + hdrdict[key] = value + + # Override the date field + hdrdict['date'] = sent_at + + # Reset the fail counter + fail = 0 + doc = {'offset': start, 'sender': email, 'headers' : hdrdict, 'body': body} + res = es.index(index=indexname, id=str(start), body=doc) + print(' ',start, email, sent_at) + + print('Added document...') + print(res['result']) + + if count % 100 == 0 : time.sleep(1) + diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/hidden.py b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/hidden.py index 410bdf8..5b10304 100644 --- a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/hidden.py +++ b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/hidden.py @@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ def elastic() : "prefix" : "elasticsearch", "port": 443, "scheme": "https", - "user": "pg4e_86f9be92a2", - "pass": "2008_9d454b1f"} + "user": "pg4e_4cb8bb5508", + "pass": "2404_60cfd956"} def readonly(): return {"host": "pg.pg4e.com", diff --git a/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/pg18866.txt b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/pg18866.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ac93f51 --- /dev/null +++ b/Courses/PostgreSQL-for-Everybody-Specialization/Database Architecture, Scale, and NoSQL with Elasticsearch/pg18866.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5967 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Scientific American, Volume 40, No. 13, +March 29, 1879, by Various + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Scientific American, Volume 40, No. 13, March 29, 1879 + A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, + Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures + +Author: Various + +Release Date: July 18, 2006 [EBook #18866] + +Language: English + + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, VOLUME *** + + + + +Produced by Leonard D Johnson, Juliet Sutherland and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +[Illustration: Issue Title.] + + + + +SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN + + + + +A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL INFORMATION, ART, SCIENCE, +MECHANICS, CHEMISTRY, AND MANUFACTURES. + + + + +NEW YORK, MARCH 29, 1879. + +Vol. XL., No. 13. [NEW SERIES.] + +$3.20 PER ANNUM. [POSTAGE PREPAID.] + + * * * * * + + + + +SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. + +ESTABLISHED 1845. + +MUNN & CO., Editors and Proprietors. + +PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT + +NO. 37 PARK ROW, NEW YORK. + + +O. D. MUNN. A. E. BEACH. + +TERMS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. + +One copy, one year, postage included $3 20 +One copy, six months, postage included 1 60 + +CLUBS.--One extra copy of THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN will be supplied +gratis for every club of five subscribers at $3.20 each; additional +copies at same proportionate rate. Postage prepaid. + +Single copies of any desired number of the SUPPLEMENT sent to one +address on receipt of 10 cents. + +Remit by postal order. Address + + MUNN & CO., 37 Park Row, New York. + + +THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT + +is a distinct paper from the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. THE SUPPLEMENT +is issued weekly. Every number contains 16 octavo pages, with handsome +cover, uniform in size with SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. Terms of subscription +for SUPPLEMENT, $5.00 a year, postage paid, to subscribers. Single copies +10 cents. Sold by all news dealers throughout the country. + +COMBINED RATES.--The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN and SUPPLEMENT will be sent +for one year, postage free, on receipt of _seven dollars_. Both papers +to one address or different addresses, as desired. + +The safest way to remit is by draft, postal order, or registered letter. + + ADDRESS MUNN & CO., 37 PARK ROW, N. Y. + + +SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN EXPORT EDITION. + +The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Export Edition is a large and splendid +periodical, issued once a month. Each number contains about one +hundred large quarto pages, profusely illustrated, embracing: (1.) +Most of the plates and pages of the four preceding weekly issues of +the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, with its splendid engravings and valuable +information; (2.) Commercial, trade, and manufacturing announcements +of leading houses. Terms for Export Edition, $5.00 a year, sent +prepaid to any part of the world. Single copies 50 cents. +Manufacturers and others who desire to secure foreign trade may have +large, and handsomely displayed announcements published in this +edition at a very moderate cost. + +The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Export Edition has a large guaranteed +circulation in all commercial places throughout the world. Address +MUNN & CO., 37 Park Row, New York. + +VOL. XL., NO. 13. [NEW SERIES.] _THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR_. + +NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879. + + * * * * * + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +(Illustrated articles are marked with an asterisk.) + + Africa crossed again 193 + Aluminum 197 + Barometer, aneroid 201 + Bolt, door, improved* 198 + Bread, snow-raised 199 + Buffalo, domestication of the 197 + Carpet beetle, remedy for the 195 + Chimney flues 198 + Clocks, pneumatic 196 + Cooper, Peter, as an inventor 193 + Crusher, ore, novel* 194 + Electricity, statical, phenom. in 194 + Flour, banana 195 + Furnace, imp., for burn'g garbage* 198 + Hardware, English & American 201 + Ice cave of Decorah, Iowa 196 + Inventions, new agricultural 199 + Iron, advance in 201 + Light, albo-carbon 201 + Magnetism, curious facts in 194 + Motor, Gary, the* 196 + Natural science, charms of 200 + Neutral line, Gary's 196 + Notes and queries 203 + Patent laws 192 + Patents, American, recent 194 + Pen, stencil, new* 195 + People, a strange 195 + Phosphorescence 199 + Plants protected by insects 201 + Pleuro-pneumonia 192 + Railway, Vesuvius 200 + Reading and eyesight 199 + Reading, taste for 193 + Regulator, engine, novel* 195 + Spain a field for machinery 193 + Sponges, glass* 200 + Table, ironing, new* 194 + Telegraph, writing 196 + Telegraph, writing, Cowper's 197 + Telegraphy, ocean, progress of 195 + Tiller, steam, new* 191 + Tree, pottery 200 + Vase, Greek, ancient* 199 + + * * * * * + + + + +TABLE OF CONTENTS OF + +THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT + +NO. 169, + +FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 29, 1879. + +Price 10 cents. For sale by all newsdealers. + + +I. ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS.--The Herreshoff Torpedo Boat, recently +built at Bristol, R. I., for the British Government. The novelties in +the placing of the screw, etc. The Peculiar Boiler. 4 +figures.--Improved Hopper Steam Dredger. 2 figures.--The St. Gothard +Tunnel.--The Beacon Tower of Lavezzi. 3 figures. + +II. ARCHITECTURE.--Bath Abbey Church. Full page illustration. + +III. TECHNOLOGY.--The Achison Stone Cutting Machine. 1 engraving.--The +Deep Mines of the World.--Shoemakers' Wax.--Gruber's New Method of +Germination. 1 engraving.--Improved Process for Treating Wood, etc., +for Paper Manufacture.--Bronzing Plaster of Paris Casts.--Sal Soda for +Unhairing Hides and Skins.--Sieburger's Paste.--To Tan Lace Leather +with Softsoap. + +Practical Dyeing Recipes: Blue white zephyr, Scotch blue on worsted, +Scotch green on worsted, jacquineaux on worsted, drab on worsted, gold +on venetian carpet yarn, red brown slubbing, scarlet braid, slate +braid, light drab on cotton, blue on cotton, brown on cotton, chrome +orange on cotton carpet yarn, black on common mixed carpet yarn for +filling, black on cotton and wool mixed yarn. + +Damar Varnish for Negatives.--To Make Vignetters by Means of +Gelatino-Chromate.--Resorcine Colors.--Phosphate Soaps.--Substitution +of Different Metals in Ultramarine Colors.--A Harmless Green for Paper +Hangings.--Siegwart's Bath for Etching Glass.--Composition of French +Bronzes.--A New Enemy to the Tea Plant.--The Bradford Oil Sand. + +IV. CHEMISTRY AND METALLURGY.--Apparatus for Titration, 1 +figure.--Palladium.--Hæmocyanin.--Test for Alcohol in Ethereal Oils +and Chloroform.--Reaction of Tartaric and Citric Acid.--A Peculiar +Observation.--Insolubility of Iodate of Lead.--Mode of Preventing the +Contamination of Water with Lead.--Separating Phosphorus from Iron and +Steel.--Production of Alcohol without Fermentation. + +V. ELECTRICITY, LIGHT, HEAT, ETC.--Some Facts in regard to Telescopic +and Stereoscopic Vision.--The Centenary of the Birth of Sir Humphry +Davy. His boyish days. His first chemical experiments. His first +lecture at the Royal Institution. A very entertaining biographical +sketch.--Light and Heat in Gas Flames.--Nickel Needles for +Compasses.--The Nature of the Elements.--A New Compound Prism for +Direct Vision Spectroscopes. + +VI. MEDICINE AND HYGIENE.--Filaria in the Eye. By CHAS. S. TURNBULL, +M. D.--The Species of Tapeworm now Prevalent.--Nitrous Oxide under +Pressure. + +VII. NATURAL HISTORY, GEOLOGY, ETC.--A Gigantic American Deep-sea +Crustacean, 1 engraving.--Glaciers in the United States.--The Toulomne +Cave.--Archæological Explorations in Tennessee. By F. W. PUTNAM. 6 +figures.--Memorably Cold Winters.--Life at Timber Line. By Professor +C. E. ROBINS, Summit, Colorado.--The Walled Lake in Iowa. + +VIII. ASTRONOMY.--Is the Moon Inhabited? By CAMILLE FLAMMARION. The +various opinions that have been held in regard to the moon. The best +we can do with our present telescopes. The means we possess for +judging of the condition of the moon. Recent changes on the moon. +Photographs of the moon and their defects. Facts that have been +observed by the persevering eyes of astronomers. + + * * * * * + + + + +A NEW STEAM TILLER. + + +Steam is now made to perform almost everything in the way of heavy +labor, to the saving of muscle and energy that may be more profitably +employed; and since inventive genius has devised means of governing +steam with absolute accuracy, there seems to be no limit to its +economical application. + +A recent invention in steam engineering, which exhibits in a marked +degree the controllability and adaptability of steam, is Mr. Herbert +Wadsworth's steam tiller, an engraving of which we present herewith. + +[Illustration: Fig. 1, 2, 3.] + +This machine (Fig. 1) is provided with a steam cylinder, similar to +the cylinder of a steam engine, containing a piston, the rod of which +is attached to a crosshead, A, that slides on ways, B, secured to the +bed supporting the cylinder. + +The tiller, D, as it is carried to starboard or port, slides through a +socket, E, pivoted to the crosshead. + +The motion of the rudder is communicated to the steam cut-off by means +of the shaft, C, crank, J, rod, K, crank, I, and the hollow valve +spindle. When the tiller is amidships the valve handle, H, is at right +angles to the cylinder, and parallel to the tiller. By moving the +lever, H, to right or left, steam is admitted to one end or the other +of the cylinder, which, acting on the tiller through the piston, +piston rod, and crosshead, moves the rudder; and when the rudder +reaches the desired position the cut-off will have been moved the +amount necessary to prevent further entrance of steam. When the rudder +is influenced by the waves or by the expansion or contraction of +steam, the cut-off alters its position in relation to the valve and +automatically arranges the steam passages so that the piston is +returned to its proper position. The details of the cut-off are shown +in Fig. 2; the valve, G, which covers the cut-off, F, acts like a four +way cock. The spindle of the cut-off, F, is connected with the lever, +I, and is moved by the rudder, as already described. By enlarging or +gradually narrowing the ends of the steam ports great rigidity or +elasticity may be given to the hold of this engine, according to the +requirements of the particular vessel. + +Few and simple as are the parts of this machine it is possible, by +balancing the valves and suiting the diameter of the cylinder to the +work to be performed, to overcome great resistances with a slight +effort. The inventor says that this system of valves is considered by +experts to be novel and very valuable. + +In Fig. 3 is shown a pattern of a slide valve suited to special +purposes. Its working is essentially the same as that of the valve +already described. The ports are set side by side, parallel with the +sides of the valve. The supply port is in the middle, the other ports +lead to opposite ends of the cylinder. + +[Illustration: Fig. 4.] + +In Fig. 4 is shown another application of the controlling valve and +cut-off described above. Two oscillating steam cylinders are employed +in working the rudder. They are placed on opposite sides of the chest, +A, and are supplied with steam through the controlling valve, B. The +piston rods of the two cylinders are connected with cranks placed on +opposite ends of the shaft, C, at right angles to each other. Upon +this shaft, half-way between the pillow blocks which support it, there +is a worm which engages a toothed sector, D, on the rudder-post, E. To +an extension of the rudder-post is secured an arm, F, which is +connected with the arm, G, of the controlling valve. By shifting the +lever, H, the supply of steam to the two cylinders may be increased or +diminished, or its direction may be changed, so that the engines will +be reversed or stopped. This engine is remarkable for its simplicity. +The cylinders may be detached and changed if required, one size of bed +answering for three different sizes of cylinder, which may vary only +in diameter, the stroke being the same, so that the castings for +engines of different power are the same except in the matter of the +cylinders and pistons, and all the parts are interchangeable--a +feature of modern engine building that cannot be too highly valued. + +Further information may be obtained from Herbert Wadsworth, 26 +Merchants' Bank Building, 28 State street, Boston, Mass. + + * * * * * + + + + +HOW OUR PATENT LAWS PROMOTE AND IMPROVE AMERICAN INDUSTRIES. + + +On another page we print in full a most suggestive paper recently +read before the Manchester (Eng.) Scientific and Mechanical Society, +by Mr. Frederick Smith, a prominent builder of that city, contrasting +the qualities, styles, and prices of American and English builders' +hardware--a paper which the _Ironmonger_ pronounces one of the most +serious indictments yet preferred against British workmanship in that +department. + +The field covered by the paper--the supplying of house builders' +hardware--embraces a multitude of conveniences, but no real +necessities. Why is it that America has been prolific in novel devices +and clever improvements in this department of manufacture as in so +many others, while England has gone on stolidly copying ancient forms, +changing only to cheapen by the introduction of poor material and sham +construction? Mr. Smith mentions several reasons that English +manufacturers have given him for the state of things he, as an +Englishman, so greatly deplores; but evidently he is not satisfied +with any of them, and very justly; for none of them touches the real +cause--the radically different attitude of the public mind toward +inventions, characteristic of the two countries. + +In England the user of household inconveniences accepts them as +matters of fact; or if he grumbles at them he never thinks of trying +to change them. It is not his business; and if he should devise an +improvement, ten to one he could not get it made. To patent it is +practically out of the question, for if it were not condemned off-hand +as trivial, the patent fees would make it cost more than it was likely +to be worth. The mechanic who makes such things is trained to work to +pattern, and not waste his time on experiments. Besides, if he should +make a clever invention he would not be able to raise the necessary +fees for a patent, or to get any one to help him thereto. The +manufacturer "makes what his customers call for." Why should he spend +his money and spoil his plant to introduce improvements? So things go, +until some pestilent Yankees flood the markets with better articles at +a lower price; and British consumers suddenly discover that they want +something that the native manufacturer cannot make. The need was +there; but invention did not follow. How happened it that the American +manufacturer did not pursue the same uninventive course? What produced +the radically different attitude of the American mind toward +newfangled notions out of which inventions proceeded and flourished? + +No doubt several causes have been at work: freedom of thought and +action; popular education; a blending of races; and the tide of +adventurous spirits naturally resorting to a new and free land. These +have had their influence undoubtedly; but all these have existed, more +or less completely, in other new lands, without that outburst of +creative energy which has made America the nursery of inventions, +great and small. The determining cause, the one condition that +prevailed here and not elsewhere, was the circumstance that almost +from the start new ideas were given a market value in this country. +Unlike all others, the American patent law directly encouraged +independent thinking in all classes. The fees were low and the +protection offered fairly good. Men soon found that it paid to invent; +that one of the surest roads to competency was a patented improvement +on something of general use. If a household utensil or appliance went +wrong or worked badly, every user was directly interested in devising +something better; and, more than that, he was interested in making his +invention known and in securing its adoption. The workman at his bench +had an ever-present inducement to contrive something at once cheaper +and better than the article he was hired to make. He could patent his +improvement, or the wholly original device he might hit upon, for a +few dollars; and his patent would count as capital. It would make him +his own master, possibly bring him a fortune. The manufacturer could +not rest contented with the thing he set out to make, for the meanest +hired man in his employ might suddenly become a competitor. He must be +constantly alert for possible improvements, or his rivals would get +ahead of him. The result is a nation of inventors, at whose hands the +newest of lands has leaped to the leadership in the arts, almost at a +bound. + +There is talk of changing all this; of emulating the conservative +spirit of the Old World; of putting inventors under bonds; of stopping +the rush of industrial improvement--to enable a few short-sighted yet +grasping corporations to get along without paying license fees for +such inventions as they happen to approve of. They profess to want +inventors to go on making improvements. They are willing to ascribe +all honor to the successful inventor; but they are determined not to +pay him for his work. Still more they are determined to change the +attitude of the public mind toward inventors and inventions, if such a +change can be wrought by plausible misrepresentations. The fact that +they were able to inveigle one branch of the American Congress into +assenting to their unjust and mischievous scheme is one of the +anomalies of our recent history. It should be taken as a timely +warning of impending danger to all the industrial interests of the +country. It is outrageous that the inventors of the land, after having +raised their country to the first rank among industrial nations, +should have to defend their constitutional rights against +Congressional invasion; but the fact exists; and the defense should be +made a matter of personal interest and effort not only by every +inventor and manufacturer, but by every honest citizen. + + * * * * * + + + + +PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. + + +The cattle plague, which is creating so much anxiety throughout the +Eastern States, is a contagious fever, affecting cows chiefly, +characterized by extensive exudations into the respiratory organs, and +attended by a low typhus inflammation of the lungs, pluræ, and +bronchia. It has prevailed in Europe for ages, at times developing +into wide-spread scourges, causing incalculable loss. It was imported +into England in 1839, and again three years later; and it was +estimated that within twenty-five years thereafter the losses by +deaths alone in England had amounted to $450,000,000. In 1858 the +disease was carried to Australia by an English cow, and, spreading to +the cattle ranges, almost depopulated them. + +In 1843 an infected Dutch cow brought the disease to Brooklyn, where +it has since lingered, slowly spreading among the cattle in Kings and +Queens counties. In 1847 several head of infected English cattle were +imported into New Jersey, and, spreading among a herd of valuable +cattle, made it necessary for them all to be slaughtered, the only +certain method of stamping out the disease. In 1859 four infected cows +were imported into Massachusetts from Holland; the plague spread +rapidly, and was stamped out only by persistent effort, the State +paying for over 1,000 slaughtered cattle. Since 1867 the disease has +not been known there. Meantime the pest had invaded Eastern +Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, where it has since prevailed in +isolated localities. The absence of large herds of moving cattle in +these districts, except for speedy slaughter, has prevented the +disease from developing into a general plague. + +The recent action of the British Council in forbidding the importation +of American live cattle is likely to prove of inestimable benefit to +this country, in forcibly calling attention to the grave risk that the +presence of the disease on Long Island and elsewhere constantly +entails. Fortunately the drift of the cattle traffic is eastward, and +as yet there has been no propagation of the poison in the great cattle +ranges of the West. Unless summarily arrested, however, the disease +will surely reach those sources of our cattle supply, and occasion +losses that can be estimated only in hundreds of millions of dollars. + +The experience of all countries into which this disease has gained +access appears to prove that there is only one way of getting rid of +it--namely, the immediate killing of all infected cattle, and the +thorough disinfection of the premises in which they are found. + +The disease is purely infectious, and is never found in regions where +it has not gained a foothold by importation. Palliative measures have +in every instance failed to eradicate the disease, and are only +justifiable, as in Australia, after the plague has reached dimensions +utterly beyond the reach of any process of extermination. + +Professor Law, of Cornell University, one of our best informed +veterinary surgeons, most emphatically opposes every attempt to +control the disease by quarantining the sick or by the inoculation of +the healthy. "We may quarantine the sick," he says, "but we cannot +quarantine the air." To establish quarantine yards is simply to +maintain prolific manufacturers of the poison, which is given off by +the breath of the sick, and by their excretions, to such an extent +that no watchfulness can insure against its dissemination. Besides, +the expense of thorough quarantining operations would amount to more +than the value of the infected animals whose lives might be saved +thereby. Inoculation is still less to be tolerated at this stage of +the pest. + +The Professor says: "Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, and England, +have been treating the victims of this plague for nearly half a +century, but the result has only been the increase of disease and +death. Our own infected States have been treating it for a third of a +century, and to-day it exists over a wider area than ever before. +Contrast this with the results in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where +the disease has been repeatedly crushed out at small expense, and +there can be no doubt as to which is the wisest course. As all the +plagues are alike in the propagation of the poison in the bodies of +the sick, I may be allowed to adduce the experience of two adjacent +counties in Scotland when invaded by the rinderpest. Aberdeen raised a +fund of £2,000, and though she suffered several successive +invasions, she speedily crushed out the poison wherever it appeared by +slaughtering the sick beasts and disinfecting the premises. The result +was that little more than half the fund was wanted to reimburse the +owners for their losses, and the splendid herds of the county were +preserved. Forfar, on the other hand, set herself to cure the plague, +with the result of a universal infection, the loss of many thousands +of cattle, and the ruin of hundreds of farmers. Finally the malady was +crushed out in the entire island by the method adopted by Aberdeen and +other well advised counties at the outset." + +And again, "Cattle have been inoculated by the tens of thousands in +Belgium and Holland, and of all Europe these are the countries now +most extensively infected. France, Prussia, Italy, Austria, and +England have each practiced it on a large scale, and each remains a +home of the plague. Australia has followed the practice, and is now +and must continue an infected country. Our own infected States have +inoculated, and the disease has survived and spread in spite of it, +and even by its aid. Whatever country has definitively exterminated +the plague (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holstein, Mecklenburg, +Switzerland, Massachusetts, and Connecticut), that country has +prohibited inoculation and all other methods that prevail on the +principle of preserving the sick, and has relied on the slaughter of +the infected and the thorough disinfection of their surroundings. So +will it be with us. If any State adopts or allows any of these +temporizing measures, that State will only repeat the experience of +the past alike in the Old World and the New, will perpetuate the +disease in the country, will entail great losses on its citizens, will +keep up the need for constant watchfulness and great expense by the +adjoining States for their own protection, and will indefinitely +postpone the resumption of the foreign live stock trade, which, a few +months ago, promised to be one of the most valuable branches of our +international commerce." + +We are persuaded that the position taken by Professor Law, and other +similar-minded veterinary surgeons, is the only safe one. The disease +can be stamped out now with comparatively small loss. If trifled with, +and tolerated, it cannot but result in a great national calamity. + + * * * * * + + + + +SPAIN A FIELD FOR MACHINERY AND PATENTS. + + +From a too lengthy communication to admit in full to our columns, a +resident of Madrid communicates to the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN some facts +relative to the fertility of the soil of Spain, her necessity for +improved agricultural and other implements, and closes with the +assertion that it is a good field withal for patents. We cull from the +letter as follows: + +I have lived, says the writer, for a number of years in this beautiful +country, so little understood by foreigners, so little appreciated by +its own inhabitants. The Spain of romance, poetry, and song, is the +garden as well as the California of Europe. But it stands in great +need of the health-giving touch of the North American enterprise. We +have here the same mineral treasures, the same unrivaled advantages of +climate, that made Spain once the industrial and commercial emporium +of the world. + +But Spain is awakening. She is endeavoring to shake off her lethargy. +The late Exhibition of Paris has proved this; and those who are +familiar with the past history and present condition of Spain have +been astonished at the result of this effort. A new era has commenced +for the country, and it is everywhere evident that a strong current of +enterprise and industry has set in. But it is with nations, as with +individuals, when they have remained long in complete inaction, brain +and muscles are torpid and cannot at first obey the will. Spain needs +the assistance of other nations hardened and inured to toil. + +The plows now used to till the land are precisely such as were those +left by the Moors in the unfinished furrow, when with tears and sighs +they bade farewell to their broad fields, their mosques and palaces, +whose ideal architecture is still the wonder of the world, to go forth +as outcasts and exiles in obedience to the cruel edict that drove them +away to the deserts of Africa. + +I doubt whether there is an American plow in Spain, much less a steam +plow. Sowing and reaping machines are here unknown, and grain is tread +out by oxen and mules just as it was in Scripture times, and cleaned +by women, who toss it in the air to scatter the chaff. Everything is +primitive and Oriental here as yet. + +Spain could supply all Europe with butter and cheese, and, on the +contrary, these articles are imported in large quantities from +England, Holland, and Switzerland. The traveler crosses leagues and +leagues of meadow land where not a tree is to be seen, nor one sheep +pasture, and which are nevertheless watered by broad rivers that carry +away to the ocean the water that would, by irrigation, convert these +fields into productive farms. There are many places in Spain where the +wine is thrown away for want of purchasers and vats in which to keep +it. In the Upper Aragon, the mortar with which the houses are built is +made with wine instead of water, the former being the most plentiful. +Aragon needs an enterprising American company to convert into +wholesome table wine the infinite varieties there produced, and which +our neighbors the French buy and carry away to convert into Bordeaux. + +We want American enterprise in Galicia and Asturias, where milk is +almost given away, to convert it into the best of butter and cheese; +and also in those same provinces, where delicious fruit is grown in +such abundance that it is left on the ground for the swine. + +Spain needs many more railroads and canals, all of which, when +constructed, are subsidized by the government; the railroads at the +rate of $12,000 a kilometer, and many more additional advantages are +offered for canals. + +With regard to commerce with Spain, we have to lament the same +indifference on the part of the Americans. I have, for instance, an +American double-burner petroleum lamp. All who see it admire and covet +it, but they are not to be had here. If we except one American in +Madrid, who brings mostly pumps and similar articles on a very small +scale, we have no dealers in American goods here. Wooden clothes pins, +lemon squeezers, clothes horses, potato peelers, and the hundreds of +domestic appliances of American invention, elsewhere considered +indispensable, are in Spain unknown. + +We had confidently expected that the new Spanish law on patents would +draw the attention of American inventors toward this country, that +to-day offers a wide field for every new practical invention, but I am +sorry to see that, with the exception of Edison and a few others, the +Americans have not yet availed themselves of the easy facility for +taking patents for Spain, where new inventions and new industries are +now eagerly accepted and adopted. And while the Americans are thus +careless as to their own interests, the French take out and negotiate, +in Spain, American patents with insignificant variations. + +Let American inventors be assured that any new invention, useful and +practical, and above all, requiring but little capital to establish it +as an industry, will find a ready sale in Spain. + +I could enlarge to a much greater extent upon the indifference of +American inventors, merchants, manufacturers, and business men, as to +the market they have in Spain in their respective lines, and upon the +importance of building up a trade with this country, but to do so +would require more space than I think you would feel justified in +occupying in your columns. + + * * * * * + + + + +PETER COOPER AS AN INVENTOR. + + +The successes of Peter Cooper's long and useful life are well known. +Not so many are aware of his varied experience in the direction of +failure, particularly in the field of invention. More than once he has +found his best devices profitless because ahead of his time, or +because of conditions, political or otherwise, which no one could +foresee. He possessed the rare qualities, however, of pluck and +perseverance, and when one thing failed he lost no time in trying +something else. Before he was of age he had learned three trades--and +he did not make his fortune at either. + +In a familiar conversation with a _Herald_ writer recently, Mr. Cooper +related some of his early experiences, particularly with reference to +enterprises which did not succeed. His father was a hatter, and as a +boy young Cooper learned how to make a hat in all its parts. The +father was not successful in business, and the hatter's trade seems to +have offered little encouragement to the son. Accordingly he learned +the art of making ale. Why he did not stick to that calling and become +a millionaire brewer, Mr. Cooper does not say. Most probably the +national taste for stronger tipple could not at that time be overcome, +and ale could not compete with New England rum and apple-jack. The +young mechanic next essayed the art of coachmaking, at which he served +a full apprenticeship. At the end of his time his employer offered to +set him up in business, but the offer was not accepted, through fear +of losing another's money. He felt that if he took the money and lost +it he would have to be a slave for life. So he quit coachmaking and +went to work for a man at Hempstead, L. I., making machines for +shearing cloth. In three years, on $1.50 a day, Cooper had saved +enough money to buy his employer's patent. Immediately he introduced +improvements in the manufacture and in the machine, which the war with +England made a great demand for by excluding foreign cloths. At this +time Cooper married. In due time the family numbered three, and the +young father's inventive faculty was again called upon. + +"In those days," said Mr. Cooper to the reporter, smiling as the +remembrance came to his mind, "we kept no servants as they do +nowadays, and my wife and myself had to do all that was to be done. +After our first child was born I used to come into the house and find +my wife rocking the cradle, and I relieved her from that while I was +there. After doing that for a few days I thought to myself that I +could make that thing go of itself. So I went into my shop, and made a +pendulous cradle that would rock the child. Then I attached a musical +instrument which would sing for it, and at the same time the machine +would keep the flies off. The latter was very simple; by hanging +something to the cross bar, as the cradle swung under it, backward and +forward, it would create wind enough to drive away the flies. The +machine was wound up by a weight, and would run for nearly half an +hour without stopping. I took out a patent for it, and one day a +peddler came along with a horse and wagon, as they do in the country, +and saw the cradle. He struck a bargain with me and bought the patent +right for the State of Connecticut, giving for it his horse and wagon +and all the goods he had with him. They afterward made some there, but +nothing like as good as mine. It was a beautiful piece of furniture," +said Mr. Cooper regretfully, as he thought of it as a thing of the +past. "They afterward substituted springs for the weight movement, but +that kind was not so good." + +About this time the war with England ended and the market was spoiled +for the shearing machines. Then, we believe, Mr. Cooper tried his hand +at cabinetmaking, but that failed, and he set up a grocery store where +the Bible House now stands. While selling groceries Mr. Cooper made an +invention which ought to have made his fortune, but it did not. The +story is best told in Mr. Cooper's own words: + +"It was just before the Erie Canal was completed, and I conceived a +plan by which to tow boats by the use of all the elevated waters on +the line of the canal. To demonstrate that that was practicable I made +with my own hands a chain two miles long, and placed posts 200 feet +apart in the East River from Bellevue dock down town about a mile. +These posts supported grooved wheels to lay the chain in, forming an +endless chain. The whole was moved by an overshot waterwheel placed at +the Bellevue dock. A reservoir twelve feet square and three deep held +the water to turn the wheel." + +At the suggestion of Governor Clinton Mr. Cooper tightened his chain +and pulled up the end post just before the grand trial of his device +was to come off. He succeeded in getting stone enough to anchor the +post, however, and the experiment went off swimmingly. The boat was +hooked on to the chain, and the passage back and forward--two +miles--was made in eleven minutes. + +"I ran that boat some ten days," says Mr. Cooper, "to let people see +what could be done, and carried nearly a thousand people. Part of the +time I ran two boats. Once I counted 52 people in one boat. I made the +whole chain myself and planted the posts. As I could find no wheels to +suit me I made the moulds and cast the wheels myself out of block tin +and zinc. It was no small job, I can tell you." + +This was unquestionably a grand invention. In itself it was a perfect +success; but it was not used. Mr. Cooper tells why: + +"It demonstrated completely that the elevated water power along the +line of the canal and every lock in the canal could be made use of to +drive the boats. Governor Clinton gave me $800 for the privilege of +buying the right to the plan in case he should want to use it on the +Erie Canal. In making the canal he had promised the people along the +route that as soon as it was finished they could sell their horses to +tow the boats, their grain and fodder to feed the horses, and their +provisions for the passengers. On reflection he thought that if he +took all that away from them he would have to run the gantlet again, +and he could not afford to do that. There never was anything done with +the plan until a few years ago, when Mr. Welch, president of the +Camden and Amboy Railroad and Canal, invented exactly the same thing +and put it in practice on his locks on the canal. He found it saved +half the time and great expense. He went to Washington to take out a +patent for it, and when he got there he found that I had patented the +same thing fifty-three years before. My patent had run out, so he +could use the plan on his canal. It has also been used on one lock on +the Erie Canal. If they could have used that chain on the whole length +of the Erie Canal it would have saved many millions of dollars." + +This would not be a bad place, were there room for it, to speak of +"undeveloped" and therefore worthless inventions; and the assumption +that if an inventor does not make his invention immediately profitable +it must be good for nothing, and should be dispatented. But the moral +goes without telling. + +Mr. Cooper's next attempt at invention was made about the same time, +but in quite a different direction. It was during the struggle of the +Greeks for independence, and wishing to do something for their +assistance, Mr. Cooper undertook to make a torpedo boat for them. Mr. +Cooper says: + +"It was a small one that could be taken on board ship and used to +destroy any vessel that came to destroy them. It was fixed with a +rotary steam engine and a screw wheel to propel it. It was intended to +be guided from the ship or the shore. There were two steel wires fixed +to the tiller of the rudder, and the operator could pull on one side +or the other and guide the vessel just as a horse is guided with +reins. It was so arranged that at night it would carry a light with +its dark side toward the object to be destroyed, and by simply keeping +the light in range with the vessel it would be sure to hit it. The +torpedo was carried on a little iron rod, projecting in front of the +torpedo vessel a few inches under water. Contact would discharge the +torpedo and bend this iron rod. This would reverse the action of the +engine and cause the torpedo vessel to return right back from whence +it came, ready to carry another torpedo." + +Unfortunately the torpedo boat was not ready in time to go with the +ship carrying the contributions for Greece. It was stored in Mr. +Cooper's factory (he had then turned his attention to glue) and was +destroyed by the burning of the factory. It seems to have been quite a +promising affair for the time. Mr. Cooper says: + +"I experimented with it at once to see how far it could be guided. I +made a steel wire ten miles long and went down to the Narrows to test +the matter. I had steel yards fastened to one end of the wire, and to +the other end the torpedo vessel as attached. It got about six miles +away when a vessel coming into the harbor crossed the wire and broke +it. Although the experiment was not complete it showed that for at +least six miles I could guide the vessel as easily as I could guide a +horse." + +Mr. Cooper's work as the pioneer locomotive builder in this country; +his later inventions and improvements in the manufacture of railway +iron and wrought iron beams for fireproof buildings; his application +of anthracite coal to iron puddling, and his other successes are +almost as widely known as his philanthropic efforts for the education +and advancement of the industrial classes of this city. + +After all, we are not sure but the story of his long and varied and +always honorable career, told by himself, would not be worth, to young +people who have to make their way in life through many difficulties, +more even than the advantages of the noble institution which bears his +name. + + * * * * * + + +TASTE FOR READING.--Sir John Herschel has declared that "if he were to +pray for a taste which should stand under every variety of +circumstance and be a source of happiness and cheerfulness to him +through life, it would be a taste for reading." Give a man, he +affirms, that taste, and the means of gratifying it, and you cannot +fail of making him good and happy; for you bring him in contact with +the best society in all ages, with the tenderest, the bravest, and the +purest men who have adorned humanity, making him a denizen of all +nations, a contemporary of all times, and giving him a practical proof +that the world has been created for him, for his solace, and for his +enjoyment. + + * * * * * + + +AFRICA CROSSED AGAIN. + +Information has been received by way of Lisbon, March 12, that the +Portuguese explorer, Pinto, has succeeded in traversing Africa from +west to east, and has reached Transvaal. The latitude of his course +across is not mentioned. + + * * * * * + + + + +CURIOUS FACTS IN MAGNETISM. + + +At the meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences February 17th, the +article in the March number of _Harper's Magazine_, entitled "Gary's +Magnetic Motor," was incidentally alluded to, and Prof. C. A. Seeley +made the following remarks: The article claims that Mr. Gary has made +a discovery of a neutral line or surface, at which the polarity of an +induced magnet, while moving in the field of the inducing pole, is +changed. The alleged discovery appears to be an exaggerated statement +of some curious facts, which, although not new, are not commonly +recognized. If a bar of iron be brought up, end on, near a magnetic +pole, the bar becomes an induced magnet, but an induced magnet quite +different from what our elementary treatises seem to predict. On the +first scrutiny it is a magnet without a neutral point, and only one +kind of magnetism--namely, that of the inducing pole. Moreover, the +single pole is pretty evenly distributed over the whole surface, so +that if iron filings be sprinkled on the bar they will be attracted at +all points and completely cover it. Now, if while the bar is covered +by filings it be moved away from the inducing pole, the filings will +gradually and progressively fall, beginning at the end nearest the +inducing pole and continuing to some point near the middle of the bar; +the filings at the remote end will generally be held permanently. When +the bar is carried beyond the field of the inducing pole it is simply +a weak magnet of ordinary properties--_i. e._, of two poles and a +neutral point between them. + +A plausible and simple explanation of this case is that the inducing +pole holds or binds the induced magnetism of opposite name, so that it +has no external influence; the two magnetisms are related to each +other as are the positive and negative electricities of the Leyden +jar. Let the inducing pole be N.; the S. of the bar will be attracted +by it and bound, while the N. of the bar becomes abnormally free and +active. On moving the bar from the pole the bound magnetism is +released and a part becomes residual magnetism. Now when the residual +balances the free magnetism which is of opposite name, we are on +Gary's neutral line. In a restricted sense there is a change of +polarity over the half of the bar contiguous to the inducing pole; on +the other half there is no change of pole in any sense. Experiment +with a shingle nail in the place of the filings, _à la_ Gary, +bring the nail to the induced bound pole, and it may be held, except +at the neutral line. Now if one will read the magazine article with +such ideas as these he will feel pretty sure that the writer of it has +used words recklessly, that Gary has not made an original discovery, +and that the "neutral" line, whatever it be, has only an imagined +relation to the "principle" of the motor. + +The Gary Motor as a perpetual motion scheme, of course, is not worthy +of serious notice from a society devoted to science. It has no +noteworthy novelty of construction or conception. Mr. Gary is +afflicted with the very old delusion of the cut-off or shield of +magnetism, which is to cost less than what comes from it. His cut-off +is a sheet of iron, which we know acts simply as an armature. + + * * * * * + + + + +A NEW PHENOMENON IN STATICAL ELECTRICITY. + + +M. E. Duter, in a paper read before the French Academy in December, +showed that when a Leyden jar is charged with either positive or +negative electricity its internal volume increases, and that this +effect is a new phenomenon, unexplainable by either a theory of an +increase of temperature or of an electrical pressure. The experiment +was performed by means of a flask-shaped Leyden jar with a long tube +attached to its neck, and containing a liquid which served as the +inner armature. The author's attention had been called to the fact +that this phenomenon had been observed ten years ago by M. Gori. + +His researches, just made public, leave no doubt of the accuracy of M. +Duter's view, that the glass of the jar really expands. According to +the theory of elasticity, the effect of an internal pressure in a +hollow sphere is in the inverse ratio of its thickness. M. Duter, +therefore, had three flasks made of the same volume, but of +thicknesses of 4 mm., 0.8 mm., and 0.5 mm. respectively. They were +filled with water and enveloped by tin foil. Each carried a capillary +thermometer tube, in which the variations of the height of liquid +served to measure the changes in volume due to electrification. He +found that these changes were imperceptible in the thick glass, very +marked in the flask of mean thickness, and rose to 30 mm. in the +thinnest. The variations in volume were very nearly in inverse ratio +of the square roots of the thicknesses. + + * * * * * + + + + +A NEW ORE CRUSHER. + + +The accompanying engravings represent an improved ore crusher, which +is said to be very effective and economical in the use of power. + +[Illustration: Fig. 1.--BROWN'S ORE CRUSHER.] + +[Illustration: Fig. 2.--HORIZONTAL SECTION.] + +A short vertical cast iron cylinder, A, having in one side a discharge +opening, H, contains all of the movable parts. + +The upper portion of the cylinder is lined with chilled iron plates, +L, and an inclined chute, X, leads to the discharge opening, H. + +A rigid shaft, B, carries the circular crusher, C, and moves in a ball +and socket joint at the upper end, and extends eccentrically through +the boss of a bevel wheel, G, at its lower end, and rests on a step +supported by a lever that may be adjusted by the screw, R. The wheel, +G, is driven by the pinion, P, on whose shaft there are a pulley and a +fly-wheel. + +The double gyratory motion of the crusher, C, causes it to approach +all portions of the lining, L, crushing whatever lies between. + +It is said that this machine is capable of crushing 10 tons of the +hardest ore per hour. Its weight is 6,500 lbs.--_Musée de +l'Industrie._ + + * * * * * + + + + +RECENT AMERICAN PATENTS. + + +Enos Richmond, of Troy, N. Y., has invented a steak tenderer, having +a plunger studded with chisel-pointed rods, and arranged in a case in +connection with an elevating spring. A blow upon the knob at the top +of the plunger forces the chisel-pointed rods through holes in the +casing into the meat, the casing resting on the surface of the steak. + +Messrs. A. W. Southard and Volney R. Sears, of Falls City, Neb., have +patented an improved invalid bedstead, which is provided with +ingenious mechanism for placing the invalid in different positions. + +An improved spring attachment for carriage tops, which is designed to +prevent the rear bow from being bent by the weight of the top when +turned back, has been patented by Mr. Robert E. McCormick, of +Doylestown, O. + +Mr. Espy Gallipher, of Schellsburg, Pa., has devised an axle journal +having a groove lengthwise upon its upper side which extends back upon +the surface of the axle and communicates with an oil cup. A sliding +rod occupies a portion of the groove; when this rod is drawn out it +permits the oil to fill the groove; when it is pushed into the groove +in the axle, the oil is ejected and a further supply is cut off. + +An improved pill machine, invented by Messrs. W. N. Fort and R. R. +Moore, of Lewisville, Ark., is adapted to the manufacture of pills in +large quantities. The machine has mechanism for grinding and mixing +ingredients, a grooved wheel and trough for forming the pills, and a +device for applying powder. + +An improvement in millstone adjustments has been patented by Mr. +Stephen P. Walling, of South Edmeston, N. Y. This invention consists +in a screw applied to the end of the mill spindle on which the stone +is rigidly held, so that the running stone may be forced by the screw +away from the stationary stone and held against the action of a spring +at the opposite end of the spindle, the object being to prevent the +stones from becoming dulled by contact with each other. + +An improved attachment for sewing machines for soaking or waxing the +thread as it passes the needle, has been patented by Mr. Pedro F. +Fernandez, of San Juan, Porto Rico. The invention consists in a frame +secured to the arm of a sewing machine by a thumb-screw, and provided +with a clamping device for holding wax or soap. + +A novel combination of a toggle and springs and levers for operating a +drag saw has been patented by Mr. Harvey Hughes, of Wheat Ridge, Ohio. +The saw, while properly guided, is free to move up or down without +affecting the leverage. + +An improvement in filters, which consists in re-enforcing the felt +disk with a backing of wire cloth to enable it to resist heavy water +pressure, has been patented by Mr. B. P. Chatfield, of Aiken, S. C. + +A basket having light sheet metal sides attached to a wooden bottom by +crimping the edges over a rib on the periphery of the bottom, has been +patented by Mr. Samuel Friend, of Decatur, Ill. The handle and lid may +be easily removed to permit of packing and storage. + +An improved cross bar for fastening doors, patented by Mr. Richard +Condon, of La Salle, Ill., has a spring acted portion which engages a +socket on the door casing, and is retained in that position by a +spring catch. + + * * * * * + + + + +A NEW IRONING TABLE. + + +The accompanying engraving represents a convenient and inexpensive +table recently patented by Mr. Albert H. Hogins, of Morrisania, N. Y. +It is more especially designed for ironing, but it may be used for +other purposes when closed up. The top is made in two tapering +sections, A B. The section, B, is narrower than the other, and is +pivoted at its wider end to a bar, E, which slides into a socket +formed in the table. The table has five legs, one of which, D, is +attached to a sliding rail that supports the narrower end of the +movable part of the top. The table is provided with a drawer in one +end and with a tray, C, for containing blankets, etc. + +[Illustration: HOGINS IMPROVED TABLE.] + +The convenience and practicability of this table for general laundry +use, will be apparent without further explanation. The board, B, when +drawn out will be used for ironing skirts, shirts, and other garments +requiring a board of this character, and when the table is closed +together and fastened by the hooks, it may be used in ironing larger +articles. When closed it presents the appearance of an ordinary table +and may be used as such. + +Further information may be obtained by addressing the inventor as +above. + + * * * * * + + + + +A NOVEL ENGINE REGULATOR. + + +The accompanying engraving represents two different styles of +regulator, invented by Mr. Stenberg, in which the effect of +centrifugal force is utilized. In a vessel, A, of parabolic shape is +placed a disk, C, which floats on glycerine contained by the vessel, +and is attached to the walls of the vessel by an annular membrane, so +that it may rise and fall in a vertical direction as the glycerine is +carried with more or less force toward the edge of the vessel by +centrifugal action. The inner surface of the vessel, A, is provided +with radial grooves, by which the rotary motion of the vessel is +communicated to the glycerine. To the center of the disk, C, is +attached a vertical rod, which extends downward through the hollow +shaft and is connected with governor valve. An increase of speed +throws the glycerine toward the periphery of the valve, and, raising +the disk, C, closes the steam valve; a diminution of speed permits the +glycerine to fall back, when the disk descends and the valve opens. + +[Illustration: STENBERG REGULATOR.] + +The disk, C, has a small aperture for the admission and escape of air, +and the apparatus is adjusted by pouring lead into the groove in the +disk. + +The regulator shown in Fig. 2 operates upon the same principle, but it +is adjusted by means of a spring. + +This apparatus is manufactured by Blancke Bros., Magdeburg.--_Musée de +l'Industrie._ + + * * * * * + + + + +A STRANGE PEOPLE. + + +Botel Tobago is an island in the South Seas which has lately been +visited by a party of United States naval officers. They were +surveying a rock east of the South Cape of Formosa, and called at this +island. They found a curious race of Malay stock. These aborigines did +not know what money was good for. Nor had they ever used tobacco or +rum. They gave the officers goats and pigs for tin pots and brass +buttons, and hung around the vessel all day in their canoes waiting +for a chance to dive for something which might be thrown overboard. +They wore clouts only, ate taro and yams, and had axes, spears, and +knives made of common iron. Their canoes were made without nails, and +were ornamented with geometrical lines. They wore the beards of goats +and small shells as ornaments. + +Such is the account of these strange people given by Dr. Siegfried, in +a letter read at the last meeting of the Philadelphia Academy of +Natural Sciences. + + * * * * * + + + + +REMEDY FOR THE NEW CARPET BEETLE. + + +Noticing a statement made by Mr. J. A. Lintner, to the effect that the +Persian insect powder would probably prove unavailing as a remedy +against the ravages of the new carpet beetle (_Anthrenus_), W. L. +Carpenter, of the U.S.A., was led to institute some experiments with +this well known insecticide, the results of which he communicates to +the current number of the _Naturalist_. A small quantity of the powder +was introduced, on the point of a penknife, under a tumbler beneath +which various insects were consecutively confined. The movements of +the insects brought them in contact with the poison, which readily +adhered to their body; in endeavoring to remove it from their +appendages a few particles would be carried to the mouth and thence to +the stomach, with fatal effect. The results were briefly thus: A honey +bee became helpless in 15 minutes; a mad wasp in 8 minutes; a small +ant in 5 minutes; a large butterfly resisted the effects for over an +hour, and apparently recovered, but died the next day; a house-fly +became helpless in 10 minutes; a mosquito in 15; and a flea in 3 +minutes. In experimenting on beetles, an insect was secured as nearly +the size of the carpet beetle as could be found. It was easily +affected, and became helpless in 12 minutes. + +In these, and experiments with various other insects, the scent from +the powder did not produce any bad effect on those subjected to its +odor where actual contact was not possible; but when carried to the +mandibles the effect was to produce complete paralysis of the motor +nerves. The experiments prove that all insects having open mouth parts +are peculiarly susceptible to this popular insecticide. As a result, +the writer does not hesitate to recommend the powder to housekeepers +as an infallible agent in destroying the carpet beetle and preventing +its ravages. The Persian insect powder liberally sprinkled upon the +floor before putting down a carpet, and afterward freely placed around +the edges, and never swept away, will suffice to preserve a large +sized carpet. No ill effects from its use need be feared by the +householder, since the drug is poisonous to no kinds of animals except +insects. + + * * * * * + + + + +BANANA FLOUR. + + +The banana has recently found a new use in Venezuela. It has the +property of keeping the soil moist round it, in a country where +sometimes no rain falls for months; so it has been employed to give +freshness, as well as shade, to the coffee plant, whose cultivation +has been greatly extended (Venezuela produced 38,000,000 kilogrammes +of coffee in 1876). The Venezuelans can consume but little of the +banana fruit thus furnished, so that attention is being given to +increasing its value as an export. At the Paris Exhibition were +samples of banana flour (got by drying and pulverizing the fruit +before maturity) and brandy (from the ripe fruit) The flour has been +analyzed by MM. Marcano and Muntz. It contains 66.1 per cent of +starch, and only 2.9 of azotized matter. + + * * * * * + + + + +NEW STENCIL PEN. + + +The accompanying engraving shows new form of stencil pen invented by +Mr. J. W. Brickenridge, of La Fayette, Ind. In Fig. 1 the entire +apparatus is shown in perspective; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of +the pen; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of the driving +apparatus. In this instrument compressed air is used as a motive force +for driving the perforating needle. The inverted cup, shown in detail +in Fig. 3, has its mouth closed with a flexible diaphragm, which is +vibrated rapidly by a pitman having a convex end attached by its +center to the middle of the diaphragm. The pitman is reciprocated by a +simple treadle motion, which will be readily understood by reference +to Fig. 1. + +[Illustration: BRICKENRIDGE'S PNEUMATIC STENCIL PEN.] + +The cup has a small aperture covered by a valve to admit of the +entrance of air when the diaphragm is drawn down. The pen, shown in +detail in Fig. 2, has a cup and flexible diaphragm similar to the one +already described. The diaphragm rests upon the enlarged end of a bar +which carries at its lower end a perforating needle. The pen is +connected with the driving mechanism by a flexible tube. The needle +bar is pressed lightly against the diaphragm by a spiral spring. + +When the treadle motion is operated the impelling diaphragm is +rapidly vibrated, and through the medium of the air contained in the +flexible tube it communicates motion to the pen diaphragm and +consequently to the needle bar and needle. If, while the needle is +reciprocated in this way, the pen is moved over the surface of the +paper, a line of fine perforations will be made. With this instrument +stencils may be made for making multiplied copies of maps, drawings, +and manuscripts. + + * * * * * + + + + +ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF OCEAN TELEGRAPHY. + + +At the celebration in this city of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the +formation of the company for laying the first Atlantic cable, Monday, +March 10, the projector of the enterprise, Mr. Cyrus W. Field, spoke +as follows: + +NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS: Twenty-five years ago this evening, in this +house, in this room, and on this table, and at this very hour, was +signed the agreement to form the New York, Newfoundland and London +Telegraph Company--the first company ever formed to lay an ocean +cable. It was signed by five persons, four of whom--Peter Cooper, +Moses Taylor, Marshall O. Roberts, and myself--are here to-night. The +fifth, Mr. Chandler White, died two years after, and his place was +taken by Mr. Wilson G. Hunt, who is also present. Of my associates, it +is to be said to their honor--as might have been expected from men of +their high position and character--that they stood by the undertaking +manfully for twelve long years, through discouragements such as nobody +knows but themselves. Those who applaud our success know little +through what struggles it was obtained. One disappointment followed +another, till "hope deferred made the heart sick." We had little help +from outside, for few had any faith in our enterprise. But not a man +deserted the ship: all stood by it to the end. My brother Dudley is +also here, who, as the counsel of the company, was present at the +signing of the agreement, and went with Mr. White and myself the week +after to Newfoundland, to obtain the charter, and was our legal +adviser through those anxious and troubled years, when success seemed +very doubtful. At St. John's the first man to give us a hearty +welcome, and who aided us in obtaining our charter, was Mr. Edward M. +Archibald, then Prime Minister of Newfoundland, and now for more than +twenty years the honored representative of Her Majesty's Government at +this port, who is also here to-night. It is a matter for grateful +acknowledgment that we were spared to see accomplished the work that +we began; and that we meet now, at the end of a quarter of a century, +to look with wonder at what has been wrought since in other parts of +the world. + +Our little company came into existence only a few weeks before the +Western Union Telegraph Company, which is entitled to share in our +congratulations, and has kindly brought a connecting wire into this +room, by which we can this evening communicate with every town and +village from the Atlantic to the Pacific; and by our sea cables, with +Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and +South America. While our small circle has been broken by death but +once, very different has it been with the Atlantic Telegraph Company, +which was formed in London in 1856, to extend our line across the +ocean. At its beginning there were eighteen English and twelve +American directors, thirty in all, of whom twenty-nine have either +died or retired from the board. I alone still remain one of the +directors. + +Many of the great men of science on both sides of the Atlantic, who +inspired us by their knowledge and their enthusiasm, have passed away. +We have lost Bache, whose Coast Survey mapped out the whole line of +the American shores; and Maury, who first taught us to find a path +through the depths of the seas; and Berryman, who sounded across the +Atlantic; and Morse; and last, but not least, Henry. Across the water +we miss some who did as much as any men in their generation to make +the name of England great--Faraday and Wheatstone, Stephenson and +Brunel--all of whom gave us freely of their invaluable counsel, +refusing all compensation, because of the interest which they felt in +the solution of a great problem of science and engineering skill. It +is a proud satisfaction to remember that while the two Governments +aided us so generously with their ships, making surveys of the ocean, +and even carrying our cables in the first expeditions, such men as +these gave their support to an enterprise which was to unite the two +countries, and in the end to bring the whole world together. + +Others there are, among the living and the dead, to whom we are under +great obligations. But I cannot repeat the long roll of illustrious +names. Yet I must pay a passing tribute to one who was my friend, as +he was the steadfast friend of my country--Richard Cobden. He was one +of the first to look forward with the eye of faith to what has since +come to pass. As long ago as 1851 he had a sort of prophet's dream +that the ocean might yet be crossed, and advised Prince Albert to +devote the profits of the great London Exhibition of that year to an +attempt thus to unite England with America. He did not live to see his +dream fulfilled. + +But though men die, their works, their discoveries, and their +inventions live. From that small beginning under this roof, arose an +art till then scarcely known, that of telegraphing through the depths +of the sea. Twenty-five years ago there was not an ocean cable in the +world. A few short lines had been laid across the channel from England +to the Continent, but all were in shallow water. Even science hardly +dared to conceive of the possibility of sending human intelligence +through the abysses of the ocean. But when we struck out to cross the +Atlantic, we had to lay a cable over 2,000 miles long, in water over +2 miles deep. That great success gave an immense impulse to submarine +telegraphy then in its infancy, but which has since grown till it has +stretched out its fingers tipped with fire into all the waters of the +globe. "Its lines have gone into all the earth, and its words to the +ends of the world." To-day there are over 70,000 miles of cable, +crossing the seas and the oceans. And, as if it were not enough to +have messages sent with the speed of lightning, they must be sent in +opposite directions at the same moment. I have just received a +telegram from Valentia, Ireland, which reads, "This anniversary +witnesses duplex working across the Atlantic as an accomplished +fact"--by which the capacity of all our ocean cables is doubled. + +Who can measure the effect of this swift intelligence passing to and +fro? Already it regulates the markets of the world. But better still +is the new relation into which it brings the different kindreds of +mankind. Nations are made enemies by their ignorance of each other. A +better acquaintance leads to a better understanding; the sense of +nearness, the relation of neighborhood, awakens the feeling of +brotherhood. Is it not a sign that a better age is coming, when along +the ocean beds strewn with the wrecks of war, now glide the messages +of peace? + +One thing only remains which I still hope to be spared to see, and in +which to take a part, the laying of a cable from San Francisco to the +Sandwich Islands--for which I have received this very day a concession +from King Kalakaua, by his Minister, who is here to night--and from +thence to Japan, by which the island groups of the Pacific may be +brought into communication with the continents on either side--Asia +and America--thus completing the circuit of the globe. + +But life is passing, and perhaps that is to be left to other hands. +Many of our old companions have fallen, and we must soon give place to +our successors. But though we shall pass away, it is a satisfaction to +have been able to do something that shall remain when we are gone. If +in what I have done to advance this enterprise, I have done something +for the honor of my country and the good of the world, I am devoutly +grateful to my Creator. This has been the great ambition of my life, +and is the chief inheritance which I leave to my children. + + * * * * * + + + + +CORRESPONDENCE. + + + * * * * * + + +THE GARY MOTOR. + +_To the Editor of the Scientific American:_ + +In your article on the "Gary Motor," issue of March 8, page 144, you +say: "There is no neutral line in the sense that polarity changes when +Mr. Gary moves his piece of sheet iron with its attached shingle nail +across the pole or near the pole of a magnet." "The most delicate +instruments fail to detect such a change of polarity," etc. Mr. Gary's +claim of a neutral line is of course absurd, but you are wrong in +saying that the polarity does not change under the conditions +described in the _Harper's Monthly_ article. Mr. Gary is perfectly +correct in claiming a change of polarity in that experiment, although +his other claim of deriving from this change of polarity a continuous +motion without consuming energy are manifestly absurd. + +[Illustration: Gary Motor A.] + +[Illustration: Gary Motor B.] + +The change of polarity is easily explained. If a bar of soft iron, +whose length is two or three times the distance between the poles of +the horseshoe magnet, be placed in front of the latter as in the +sketch, and at some distance, poles will be induced, as shown by the +letters N S. Now let the bar approach the magnet. When within a short +distance consequent points will be formed and the polarity at the ends +will be reversed, the bar having four poles, as in the second sketch. +The bar of soft iron must have certain dimensions depending on the +size and power of the horseshoe magnet. By using a powerful +electro-magnet in place of a permanent one, a soft iron bar of +considerable size may be used, and the change of polarity exhibited by +showing the repulsion in one case for the south pole and in the other +for the north pole of a heavy permanent magnet. When in the proper +position a very small movement of the soft iron bar is sufficient to +produce the change. + +WM. A. ANTHONY. + +Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., March 2, 1879. + + * * * * * + + +GARY'S NEUTRAL LINE. + +_To the Editor of the Scientific American:_ + +I have just read the article in the issue of March 8, on the Gary +Motor, and cannot refrain from offering a suggestion on the subject. +When I read the article referred to in _Harper's_, I formed the same +opinion of the so-called invention that the writer in the SCIENTIFIC +AMERICAN has expressed, and, in the main, such is my opinion still. I, +however, tried the experiment by which Gary claims to prove the +existence of his neutral line, and soon found the same explanation +that the writer in the AMERICAN has given. I then, curiously enough, +modified the experiment in precisely the manner he suggests, placing +the magnet in a vertical position, and using first a piece of sheet +iron and then an iron wire under it. This was before seeing the +article in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. My experiment is well illustrated +by the writer's diagram, except that the nail should be at the end of +the iron wire, where its polarity is of course most strongly marked. +But the result is not as he states it. For, as the wire is brought up +toward the magnet, the nail drops off before the wire touches the +magnet. When the sheet iron is used, the point at which the nail drops +off is farther from the magnet than in the case of the wire, and when +it is brought nearer it will again pick up the nail, which then +continues to cling until the iron touches the magnet and afterwards. +Thus the existence of a line in which the soft iron, or induced +magnet, does not attract the nail, and above and below which it does +attract it, is demonstrated. That the polarity of the induced magnet +is reversed when it crosses this line may be demonstrated as follows: +When it is held beyond (or below) this line (Fig. 1), the negative +pole of the permanent magnet, the positive being kept at a distance, +may be made to approach the iron and touch it, without causing the +nail to drop. (Fig. 3.) But when contact occurs, the whole of the iron +must possess the polarity of that part of the magnet which it touches, +namely, negative. Hence in the position indicated in Fig. 1, the +polarity of the induced magnet does not correspond with that of the +permanent magnet, but is as indicated by the letters. On the other +hand, if the positive pole alone be made to approach, the nail will +drop; but when it is very near, or in contact, it again holds the +nail, and the iron is now positive; and if the negative pole also be +now brought into contact, the polarity of the soft iron will +correspond with that of the magnet, as shown in Fig. 2. + +[Illustration: Gary's Neutral Line A.] + +[Illustration: Gary's Neutral Line B.] + +[Illustration: Gary's Neutral Line C.] + +These experiments should be performed with the soft iron under both +poles of the magnet, and the ends of the former should extend somewhat +beyond the poles of the latter, or the nail is liable to jump to the +magnet as the "neutral" line is crossed. The position of the letters +in Fig. 1, of the previous article, represents the polarity of the +induced magnet to be the same as that of the permanent, which is true +only within (or above) the line described; and this, together with his +statement that no such line can be discovered, appears to indicate +that the writer relied upon his knowledge of the laws of magnetism to +state what would be the result, without testing it experimentally. It +is probable that this reversal of polarity is susceptible of +explanation by the known laws of magnetic currents, but if it has +hitherto escaped observation, its discovery is certainly deserving of +notice, and may lead to valuable results. Of the fact, any one may +easily convince himself by the simple experiments above described. + +G. H. FELTON, M.D. + +Haverhill, Mass., February 28, 1879. + + * * * * * + + +PNEUMATIC CLOCKS. + +_To the Editor of the Scientific American:_ + +In the description of the pneumatic clock, copied from _La Nature_, +and published in your journal of date 1st of March, the invention is +credited to me. Such is not the case. By an arrangement between Mr. +Wenzel, Mr. Brandon of Paris, and myself, patents have been obtained +in France, England, etc., for the clock, and issued in my name; but +the honor of the invention belongs exclusively to Hermann J. Wenzel, +of San Francisco. + +Yours faithfully, + +E. J. MUYBRIDGE. + +San Francisco, Cal., February 27, 1879. + + * * * * * + + +THE ICE CAVE OF DECORAH, IOWA. + +_To the Editor of the Scientific American:_ + +Some years ago I visited the "Ice Cave" of Decorah, Winneshiek county, +Iowa, and having since been unable to receive any explanation of the +wonderful phenomenon exhibited by it, I write, hoping that you or some +correspondent may explain the paradox. + +The thriving town of Decorah lies in a romantic valley of the Upper +Iowa River, and the cave is almost within its corporate limits. +Following the left bank of the stream, one soon reaches the vicinity, +and with a hard scramble through a loose shale, up the side of a +precipitous hill, forming the immediate bank of the river, the +entrance is gained--an opening 5 feet wide and 8 feet high. These +dimensions generally describe the cave's section. From the entrance +the course is a steep decline--seldom less than 40°. At times the +ceiling is so low that progress on hands and knees is necessary. About +125 feet from the entrance the "Ice Chamber" is reached. At this spot +the cave widens into a well proportioned room, 8 by 12 feet. The floor +is solid ice of unknown thickness, and on the right hand wall of the +room a curtain of ice drops to the floor, from a crevice extending +horizontally in the rock at the height of one's eyes. Close +examination discovers the water oozing from this crevice, and as it +finds its way down the side it freezes in the low temperature of the +chamber. Singularly this one crevice, and that no wider than a knife +edge, furnishes this, nature's ice house, with the necessary water. It +was a hot day in August, the thermometer marking 80° in the shade +when the visit was made, and comparatively the cold was intense. In +common with all visitors, we detached some large pieces of ice and +with them hurriedly departed, glad to regain the warmth of the outside +world. + +The most remarkable fact in connection with this wonder is that the +water only freezes in the summer. As the cold of actual winter comes +on the ice of the cave gradually melts, and when the river below is +frozen by the fierce cold of Northern Iowa, the ice has disappeared +and a muddy slush has taken the place of the frigid floor. I would add +that the ice chamber forms the terminus of the cave. Beyond a shallow +crevice in the crumbling rock forbids further advance. The rock +formation of this region is the Portland sandstone. + +Why should the temperature of the ice chamber be such as to freeze the +water trickling into it? And above all, why should the ice disappear +with the cold of winter? + +Mansfield, O. H. M. W. + + * * * * * + + + + +THE WRITING TELEGRAPH. + + +On the evening of February 26, 1879, the writing telegraph of Mr. E. +A. Cowper, of London, was exhibited in operation before the Society of +Telegraph Engineers, in that city. It is a curious and remarkable +invention. By its use the handwriting of the operator may be +transmitted, but a double circuit, that is, two telegraph wires, are +used. The operator moves with his hand an upright pointer or stylus, +with which he writes the message on paper. The stylus has two arms +connected with it, one of which arms, when the stylus makes an upward +movement, causes a current to be sent over one wire, while the other +arm causes a current to pass over the other wire when the stylus is +moved laterally. These two motions are, at the receiving end of the +line, made to operate on the needles of galvanometers, and the latter +are by silk threads combined or connected with a delicately suspended +ink tube, from which a minute stream of ink falls upon the strip of +paper below it; the arrangement being such that the combined motions +of the galvanometers so move the ink pen as to make it correspond to +the motion of the stylus at the sending end. The apparatus is said to +work very well, and it is expected that it will form a useful adjunct +to the art of telegraphy. We present herewith a facsimile of writing +done by this new instrument, which has been worked with success over a +line of forty miles length. It is hardly probable that it can compete +in rapidity with some of the telegraph instruments now in use; but for +many purposes it is likely to become important, while in point of +ingenuity it is certainly a great achievement, and the author is +deserving of the highest credit. + +[Illustration: Writing Telegraph.] + + * * * * * + + + + +A RARE GEOLOGICAL SPECIMEN. + + +Rev. R. M. Luther, while absent in attendance upon the Missionary +Convention, held in Addison, Vt., obtained through the kindness of the +Rev. Mr. Nott a rare and curious geological specimen from the shores +of Lake Champlain. It is a slab of limestone, about eleven inches long +by six inches wide, which seems to be composed almost entirely of +fossils. There is not half an inch square of the surface which does +not show a fossil. There are many varieties, some of which have not +been identified, but among those which have been are many remains of +the Trinucleus conceniricus, some specimens of Petraia, fragments of +the Orthis, a number of Discinæ, several well preserved specimens of +Leptenæ, and impressions of Lingula. The latter is the only shell +which has existed from the first dawn of life until the present time +without change. The specimens of existing Lingula are precisely +similar to those found in the earliest geological formations. There +are also in the slab several rare specimens of seaweed, remains of +which are seldom found at so early an age in the geological history of +the world. The slab belongs to the lower Silurian formation, the first +in which organic remains are found. It is probably from the Trenton +epoch of that age. If geologists can be trusted, at the time the +little animals, whose remains are thus preserved, were living, the +only part of this continent which had appeared above the primeval +ocean was a strip of land along the present St. Lawrence River and the +northern shores of the great lakes, with a promontory reaching out +toward the Adirondacks, and a few islands along what is now the +Atlantic coast line.--_Bennington (Vt.) Banner._ + + * * * * * + + + + +COWPER'S WRITING TELEGRAPH. + + +The most recent of the brilliant series of telegraphic marvels which +has from time to time, and especially of late, engaged the attention +of the world, is the "telegraphic pen" of Mr. E. A. Cowper, the well +known engineer of Great George street, Westminster. This ingenious +apparatus, which constitutes the first real telegraph, was publicly +shown by its inventor at the meeting of the Society of Telegraph +Engineers on Wednesday, February 26. + +There had been no lack of copying telegraphs hitherto. We have +Bakewell's, Casselli's, Meyer's, and D'Arlincourt's, so recently tried +at our General Post Office by Mr. Preece. All of these instruments +telegraph an almost perfect copy of the writing or sketch submitted to +them by means of synchronous mechanism. But the process is necessarily +complex and slow; whereas by the new device a person may take the +writing pencil in his hand, and himself transmit his message in the +act of writing it. + +The principle which guided Mr. Cowper to a solution of the problem +which he has successfully overcome, is the well known mathematical +fact that the position of any point in a curve can be determined by +its distance from two rectangular co-ordinates. It follows, then, that +every position of the point of a pencil, stylus, or pen, as it forms a +letter, can be determined by its distance from two fixed lines, say +the adjacent edges of the paper. Moreover it is obvious that if these +distances could be transmitted by telegraph and recombined so as to +give a resultant motion to a duplicate pen, a duplicate copy of the +original writing would be produced. But inasmuch as the writing stylus +moves continuously over the paper, the process of transmission would +require to be a continuous one; that is to say, the current traversing +the telegraph line, and conveying the distances in question (or what +comes to the same thing, the up and down, and direct sidelong ranges +of the stylus) would require to vary continuously in accordance with +the range to be transmitted. + +Mr. Cowper effects this by employing two separate telegraphic +circuits, each with its own wire, battery, sending, and receiving +apparatus. One of these circuits is made to transmit the up and down +component writing of the pencil's motion, while the other +simultaneously transmits its sidelong component. At the receiving +station these two components are then recomposed by a pantograph +arrangement of taut cords, or levers, and the resultant motion is +communicated to the duplicate pen at that place. The plan adopted by +Mr. Cowper to transmit each continuously varying component is to cause +the resistance of the circuit to vary very closely with the component +in question. Fig. 5 shows how the apparatus is theoretically arranged +for this purpose. P is the writing style, which is held in the +writer's hand in the ordinary way, while he shapes the letters one by +one on paper pulled uniformly underneath by means of clockwork. To P +are attached, at right angles, two arms, a a, one for each circuit; +but as it is only necessary to consider one of the circuits, say that +sending up and down motions, we will confine our attention for the +present to the arm, a. One pole of the sending battery, B, is +connected to the arm, a, the other pole being connected to earth. Now +the arm, a, is fitted with a sliding contact at its free extremity, +and as the pencil, P, is moved in writing, a slides lengthwise across +the edges of a series of thin metal contact plates, C, insulated from +each other by paraffined paper. Between each pair of these plates +there is a resistance coil, C, and the last of these is connected +through the last plate to the line, L. It will be seen that as a +slides outward across the plates the current from the battery has to +pass through fewer coils, since a short-circuits a number of coils +proportional to its motion. But the fewer of these coils in circuit +the stronger will be the current in the line; so that the extent of +the motion of the arm, a, in the direction of its length, that is to +say, the direct component of the motion of the pencil along the line +of the arm, a, is attended by a corresponding change in the current +traversing the line. If the pencil makes a long up and down stroke +there will be a strong current in the line, if a short one there will +be a weak current, and so on. A precisely similar arrangement is used +to transmit the sidelong motion of the pencil along the line, L. + +[Illustration: Fig. 5.] + +The current from the line, L, flows at the receiving station through a +powerful galvanometer, G, to earth. The galvanometer has a stout +needle, one tip of which is connected to a duplicate pen, P, by a +thread, t, which is kept taut by a second thread stretched by a +spring, s'. The current from the line, L', flows through a similar +galvanometer, G', to earth. The needle of G' is also connected to the +pen, P, by a taut thread, t', stretched by means of the spring, s. +Now, since the needle of each of these galvanometers deflects in +proportion to the strength of the current flowing through its coil, +the points of these two needles keep moving with the varying currents. +But since these currents vary the motions of the sending pen, the +receiving pen controlled by the united movements of the needles will +trace out a close copy of the original writing. We give on another +page a facsimile of a sentence written by Mr. Cowper's telegraph. + +[Illustration: THE COWPER WRITING TELEGRAPH.] + +The receiving pen is a fine glass siphon, drawing off aniline ink from +a small glass holder. There are thirty-two coils, C, in each circuit, +with a corresponding number of contact plates, c, so as to get +accuracy of working. A few Daniell's cells are sufficient to operate +the apparatus, and writing has been already sent successfully over a +line 40 miles in length. The writing may be received either of the +same size or larger or smaller than the original, as the case may be. +At present the writing must not be too hurried, that is, unless the +characters are bold and well formed; but further improvement will, of +course, quicken the working of the apparatus. + +The engravings, Figs. 1 to 4, illustrate the actual apparatus. Fig. 4 +is a plan of the sending instrument, with the writing pencil, a, the +traveling paper, b, the light connecting rods or arms, d (which +correspond to a in the theoretical diagram above), the series of metal +contact plates over which these arms slide, the resistance coils +connected to these plates, and the battery and line wires. It will be +seen that each arm, d, is connected to its particular battery, and +each set of contact plates to its particular line. Fig. 3 is an +elevation of the sending instrument, in which a is the pencil as +before, c c the contact plates over which the arms, d d, slide, f f +the coils, and b the traveling slip of paper. + +Fig. 2 is a plan of the receiving instrument, in which h h are the +light pivoted needles surrounded by coils of fine insulated copper +wires, i i, and controlled in their zero position by the +electro-magnets, j j j j, placed underneath, the whole forming a pair +of galvanoscopes or current detecters, one for each line. It will be +understood that the varying currents from the lines are allowed to +flow through the coils, i i, so as to deflect the needles, and that +the deflections of the needles follow, so to speak, the variations of +the currents. The electro-magnets are magnetized by a local battery; +permanent magnets might, however, take their place with a gain in +simplicity. + +Now the writing pen, k, is connected to the nearest tip of the needle, +h, of each galvanoscope by threads, n n, which are kept taut by the +fibers, o_{1} o_{2} o_{3}, the springs, o, and the pins, o_{4}. In +this way the motions of the needles are recombined in the motion of +the duplicate pen upon the paper, p. + +Fig. 1 is an elevation of the receiving instrument, in which i i are +the coils as before, j j j j the controlling electro-magnets, k is the +writing siphon dipping with its short leg into the ink well, m, and l +is the bridge from which the writing siphon is suspended by means of a +thread and spring. The long leg of the siphon reaches down to the +surface of the paper, p, which is pulled along beneath it in contact +with the film of ink filling the point of the tube. When the siphon is +at rest its point marks a zero line along the middle of the paper, but +when the receiver is working, the siphon point forms each letter of +the message upon the paper as it passes.--_Engineering._ + + * * * * * + + + + +ALUMINUM. + + +The splendid exhibit of the French aluminum manufacturers at the late +Exhibition has again called attention to that metal, which is so +admirably adapted to many purposes on account of its great lightness +and its stability under the influence of the atmosphere. While +aluminum industry has heretofore been thought to be confined to France +solely, we are now told by Mr. C. Bambery, in the Annual Report of the +Society of Berlin Instrument Makers, that for some years past aluminum +has been extensively manufactured in Berlin. + +Three firms especially (Stückradt, Häcke, and Schultze) are engaged in +this branch of industry. + +The articles manufactured principally are nautical instruments, as +sextants, compasses, etc. The German navy is supplied throughout with +aluminum instruments. As a proof of the superiority of German +aluminum, it may here be mentioned that the normal sets of weights and +balances used by the International Commission for the regulation of +weights and measures, which lately was in session at Paris, were +obtained from Stückradt, in Berlin, and not from any of the firms +at Paris, the reputed seat of aluminum industry. + +Aluminum is, in Berlin, generally used pure, and cast pieces only are +composed of aluminum containing about 5 per cent of silver. + +Nevertheless the use of aluminum will remain limited, even in case the +cost of manufacturing it could be materially reduced, until some +method shall have been discovered by which aluminum may be soldered. + +This difficulty has, in spite of all efforts, not yet been overcome, +and for some purposes, to which the metal would otherwise be well +adapted, it remains so far unavailable. Here then is a chance for some +ingenious mind. + + * * * * * + + + + +AN IMPROVED DOOR BOLT. + + +The accompanying engraving represents, in perspective and in section, +an improved door bolt, recently patented by Mr. Thomas Hoesly, of New +Glaras, Wis. + +The principal features of this bolt will be understood by reference to +the engraving. On the plate or body are cast two loops or guides for +the bolt, and the plate is slotted under the bolt, and a lug projects +into the slot and bears against a spring contained by a small casing +riveted to the back of the plate. The end of the bolt is beveled, and +its operation is similar to that of the ordinary door latch. Two +handles are provided, one of which is of sufficient length to reach +through the door, and a pawl or dog accompanies the bolt, which may be +attached to the door with a single screw, and is to be used in locking +the door. The bolt is very simple and strong, suitable for shops, +out-buildings such as barns, stables, etc., and some of the doors of +dwellings. + +[Illustration: HOESLY'S DOOR BOLT.] + +Further information may be obtained by addressing the inventor, as +above. + + * * * * * + + + + +CHIMNEY FLUES. + + +Messrs. W. H. Jackson & Co., of this city, whose long experience in +treating refractory flues gives weight to their opinion, communicate +to the _American Architect_ the following useful information: + +To secure a good draught the chimney should be of sufficient size, +should be carried up above surrounding objects, should be as straight +as possible throughout its length, and should be as smooth as possible +inside, to avoid friction. As a draught is caused by unequal +temperatures, the chimney should be so arranged as to avoid a rapid +radiation of heat. If in an exterior wall there should be at least 8 +inches of brickwork between the flue and the exterior surface. For +country houses it is much better to have the chimneys run up through +the interior, as the flue is more easily kept warm, and the heat that +is radiated helps to warm the house. The most frequent cause of a +"smoky chimney" is the insufficient size of the flue for the grate or +fireplace connected therewith. The flue should not be less than one +eighth the capacity of the square of the width and height of the grate +or fireplace. That is, if the grate has a front opening 20 inches wide +and 26 inches high, the flue should be 8 in. × 8 in.; or, with an +opening 36 inches wide and 32 inches high, the flue should be 12 in. × +12 in.; and, to get the best result, the opening into the flue from +the grate or fireplace should be of a less number of square inches +than the square of the flue, and never larger, as no more air should +be admitted at the inlet than can be carried through the flue. Where +there is more than one inlet to the same flue, the sum of all the +inlets should not more than equal the size of the flue. A number of +stoves may be connected with the same flue, one above another, if this +rule is observed. + +A square flue is better than a narrow one, as in two flues containing +the same number of square inches the square flue would have the +smallest amount of wall surface, and consequently less friction for +the ascending currents, and less absorption of heat by the walls. +Chimneys should be closely built, having no cracks nor openings +through which external air may be drawn to weaken the draught. If they +could be made throughout their length as impervious to air as a tube +of glass, with interior surface as smooth, one cause of smoky chimneys +would be removed. A downward current of air is frequently caused by +some contiguous object higher than the chimney, against which the wind +strikes. This higher object may sometimes be quite a distance from the +chimney, and still affect it badly. A good chimney top constructed to +prevent a down draught will remedy this difficulty. Each grate or +fireplace should have a flue to itself. Under very favorable +conditions, two grates or fireplaces might be connected with the same +flue, but it is not a good plan. We have known grates and fireplaces +connected with two flues, where they have been built under a window +for instance, and, owing to there being insufficient room for a flue +of suitable size, a flue has been run up on each side of the window. +This is a very bad plan, and never can work well; it requires too much +heat to warm both flues, and if the room in which the grate or +fireplace is situated should be pretty close, so that there was no +other entrance for air, there is danger that it would circulate down +one flue and up the other, forcing smoke out of the fireplace into the +room. + + * * * * * + + + + +IMPROVED FURNACE FOR BURNING GARBAGE. + + +The refuse matter and garbage of large cities is in the main composed +of animal and vegetable offal of the kitchens; of the sweepings of +warehouses, manufactories, saloons, groceries, public and private +houses; of straw, sawdust, old bedding, tobacco stems, ashes, old +boots, shoes, tin cans, bottles, rags, and feathers; dead cats, dogs, +and other small animals; of the dust and sweepings of the streets, the +condemned fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish of the markets, all of +which compose a mass of the most obnoxious and unhealthy matter that +can be deposited near human habitations. + +The inventor of the furnace shown in the accompanying engravings aims +to produce a change of form and of chemical nature and a great +reduction in bulk of all such refuse and garbage within the limits of +the city where it accumulates, without screening, separating, +preparing, or mixing, without the expense of using other fuel, without +any offensive odors being generated in the operation, and to produce +an entirely unobjectionable residuum or product that may be made +useful. + +[Illustration: Fig. 1.--FOOTE'S FURNACE FOR BURNING GARBAGE.] + +As a rule organic matter largely preponderates in the refuse, being as +high in some instances as 94 per cent. There is always more than +enough to generate sufficient heat to fuse the earthy or inorganic +portion, which is mainly composed of sand, clay, and the alkalies from +the coal and vegetable ashes, etc. + +By producing a high degree of heat in the combustion of the organic +portion of the refuse with a forced blast or forced draught, the +non-combustible elements are fused, and form a vitreous slag, which is +entirely inodorous and unobjectionable, and which may be utilized for +many purposes. + +The upper section or cone of the consuming furnace is built of boiler +iron, and lined with fire brick resting upon an iron plate, which is +supported by iron columns. + +The hearth is made of fire brick, and is in the form of an inverted +cone, being smaller at the bottom and larger at the top, as shown in +Fig. 2. + +The sides of the hearth are perforated near the bottom with arches for +the tuyeres or blast pipes, and also in front for the special blast +pipe and the tapping hole. The top of the furnace is closed with an +iron plate, provided with a circular opening, through which the hopper +enters the top of the furnace. + +At the left in the larger engraving is seen an elevator, operated by a +steam engine, for conveying the garbage and refuse to a platform, +whence it is projected into the furnace by an inclined plane or chute. + +Gas or smoke conductors convey the gas from the top of the furnace to +the furnace of the boiler and to the heating oven, where it is used in +heating air, which is conveyed through the iron pipes passing through +the heating oven into a wind box, from which it enters the furnace at +several points near the bottom by means of the tuyere pipes. + +[Illustration: SECTION OF FURNACE.] + +The consumption of the garbage is effected near the bottom of the +furnace, where the air is forced in, and is continued as long as the +blast is applied, and while burning at the base it is continually +sinking down at the top, so that it is necessary to keep filling all +the time. The odoriferous gases and the hot products of such +combustion are forced upward through the superimposed mass, and escape +to the fires of the boiler and heating oven, and, being largely +composed of carbonic oxide and the hydrocarbon gases distilled from +the animal and vegetable offal of the garbage, are thoroughly +consumed; and it is said that by this means not only are all the +offensive odors destroyed, but the heat generated is utilized for +making steam and heating the air used for blast. + +The refuse in its descent through the high furnace is exposed to the +drying action of the hot gases of distillation and the hot products of +combustion, its temperature increasing in its descent the nearer it +approaches the tuyeres, and becomes completely desiccated and +combustible when it reaches the blast. The high heat in this way +obtained by the combustion of the organic portion melts all of the +inorganic portion, forming a vitreous slag or glass, which may be +allowed to run continuously, or by closing the tap may be allowed to +accumulate, and can be drawn off at intervals. If there is an adequate +supply of clay and sand in the refuse to combine with the ashes, the +slag will run hot and free. The combination of silex or alumina and an +alkali in proper portions always yields a fusible, easy-running +compound. + +The molten slag, as it runs from the furnace, may be discharged into +tanks of cold water, which will pulverize or granulate it, making it +like fine sand, or as it pours over a runner, through which it flows, +if struck with a forcible air or steam blast it will be spun into fine +thread-like wool. + +The furnace once lighted and started may be kept running day and night +continuously for days, months, or years, if desired; but if it becomes +necessary to stop at any time, the tuyere pipes may be removed and the +holes all stopped with clay, so as to entirely shut off the supply of +air, and it will then hold in fire for many days, and will be in +readiness to start again at any time the pipes are replaced and the +blast turned on. + +This furnace is the invention of Mr. Henry R. Foote, of Stamford, +Conn. + + * * * * * + + + + +AN ANCIENT GREEK VASE. + + +The vase shown in the accompanying engravings must not be classed with +ordinary ceramic ware, as it is a veritable work of art. It is the +celebrated cup of Arcesilaus, which is preserved in the collection of +the library of Richelieu street after having figured in the Durand +Museum. It was found at Vulsei, in Etruria. It was made by a potter of +Cyrene, the capital of Cyrenaica, founded by Greeks from the island of +Thera. It is remarkable that Cyrene, removed from the center of +Grecian manufacture, should possess a manufactory of painted vases +from which have come so many works of art. The traveler, Paul Lucas, +discovered in the necropolis of Cyrene, in 1714, many antique vases, +both in the tombs and in the soil. One of them is still preserved in +the Museum at Leyden. The Arcesilaus, who is represented on this vase, +is not the celebrated skeptical philosopher of that name; it is +Arcesilaus, King of Cyrenaica, who was sung by Pindar, and who was +vanquished in the Pythian games under the 80th Olympiad (458 years +B.C.). + +The height of this vase is 25 centimeters, its diameter 28 +centimeters. The paste is very fine, of a pale red. It is entirely +coated with a black groundwork, which has been generally re-covered +with a yellowish white clay, baked on. + +According to M. Brongniart, this piece has been subjected to the +baking process at least two or three times, thus indicating that the +ceramic art had made considerable progress in Cyrene even at that +remote epoch. + +The following description of this vase is given in the catalogue of +the Durand Museum: The King Arcesilaus is seated under a pavilion upon +the deck of a ship. His head is covered with a kind of hat with a +large brim, and his hair hangs down upon his shoulders. He is clothed +in a white tunic and embroidered cloak or mantle, and he carries a +scepter in his left hand; under his seat is a leopard, and his right +hand he holds toward a young man, who makes the same gesture, and he +is weighing in a large scale assafoetida, which is being let down +into the hold of the ship. We know that he deals with assafoetida +because one of the personages (the one who lifts up his arm toward the +beam of the scale) holds in his right hand something resembling that +which is in the scale, and the Greek word traced near it signifies +"that which prepares _silphium_." Assafoetida, the resinous +matter of the silphium, is used largely by the Greeks in the +preparation of their food. The Orientals to-day make frequent use of +it and call it the delight of the gods; while in Europe, because of +its repulsive odor, it has long been designated as _stircus diaboli_. + +[Illustration: Fig. 1.--ANCIENT GREEK VASE.] + +[Illustration: Fig. 2.--TOP OF GREEK VASE.] + + * * * * * + + + + +SNOW-RAISED BREAD. + + +Somebody thinks he has discovered that snow, when incorporated with +dough, performs the same office as baking powder or yeast. "I have +this morning for breakfast," says a writer in the _English Mechanic_, +"partaken of a snow-raised bread cake, made last evening as follows: +The cake when baked weighed about three quarters of a pound. A large +tablespoonful of fine, dry, clean snow was intimately stirred with a +spoon into the dry flour, and to this was added a tablespoonful of +caraways and a little butter and salt. Then sufficient cold water was +added to make the dough of the proper usual consistence (simply +stirred with the spoon, not kneaded by the warm hands), and it was +immediately put into a quick oven and baked three quarters of an hour. +It turned out both light and palatable. The reason," adds the writer, +"appears to be this: the light mass of interlaced snow crystals hold +imprisoned a large quantity of condensed atmospheric air, which, when +the snow is warmed by thawing very rapidly in the dough, expands +enormously and acts the part of the carbonic acid gas in either baking +powder or yeast. I take the precise action to be, then, not due in any +way to the snow itself, but simply to the expansion of the fixed air +lodged between the interstices of the snow crystals by application of +heat. This theory, if carefully followed out, may perchance give a +clew to a simple and perfectly innocuous method of raising bread and +pastry." And stop the discussion as to whether alum in baking powders +is deleterious to health or otherwise. + + * * * * * + + + + +NEW AGRICULTURAL INVENTIONS. + + +An improved gate, invented by Messrs. P. W. McKinley and George L. +Ellis, of Ripley, O., is designed for general use. It is operated by +cords and pulleys, and can be opened without dismounting from the +horse. It is constructed so that it cannot sag, and is not liable to +get out of order. + +An improved apparatus for pressing tobacco has been patented by Mr. F. +B. Deane, of Lynchburg, Va. It consists mainly in the construction of +a suspended jack, arranged to travel over a row of hogsheads, so that +a single jack gives successively to each hogshead the desired +pressure. + +An improved combined harrow and corn planter has been patented by Mr. +M. McNitt, of Hanover, Kan. In this machine the opening, pulverizing, +planting, and covering teeth are combined with a single frame. + +A machine, which is adapted to the thrashing and cleaning of peas and +seeds, and for cleaning all kinds of grain, has been patented by Mr. +J. J. Sweatt, of Conyersville, Tenn. + +Mr. Amos M. Gooch, of Farmington, W. Va., has patented an improved +corn planter, which drops the fertilizer simultaneously with the seed, +and is provided with a device for pressing the soil around the seed, +leaving over the seed a portion of loose earth. + +An improved machine for harvesting cotton has been patented by R. H. +Pirtle, of Lowe's, Ky. This machine carries two vertical cylinders +armed with teeth or spurs, and two inclined endless belts provided +with teeth. The teeth of the cylinders and the belts remove the cotton +from the plants, and deliver it to a receptacle carried by the +machine. + +Messrs. Julius Fern and Samuel Bligh, of Oneonta, N. Y., have patented +an improved power for churning and other purposes where little power +is required. It consists in the combination of a drum and weight, a +train of gearing, and a pallet wheel arranged to oscillate a balanced +beam. + +An improvement in the class of feed cutters in which two or more +knives work between parallel bars attached to the cutter box, has been +patented by Messrs. J. N. Tatum and R. C. Harvey, of Danville, Va. The +improvement consists in arranging the knives so that one begins and +finishes its cut in advance of the other. + +Mr. William Bradberry, of Darrtown, O., has invented an improvement in +reciprocating churns. The aim of this inventor is to utilize the +resistance of the milk as a source of power. To accomplish this a +peculiar combination of mechanism is required, which cannot be clearly +described without an engraving. + + * * * * * + + + + +READING AND EYESIGHT. + + +M. Javel, in a recent lecture, tries to answer the question, "Why is +reading a specially fatiguing exercise?" and also suggests some +remedies for this fatigue. First, M. Javel says reading requires an +absolutely permanent application of eyesight, resulting in a permanent +tension of the organ, which may be measured by the amount of fatigue +or by the production of permanent myopy. Secondly, books are printed +in black on a white ground; the eye is thus in presence of the most +absolute contrast which can be imagined. The third peculiarity lies in +the arrangement of the characters in horizontal lines, over which we +run our eyes. If we maintain during reading a perfect immobility of +the book and the head, the printed lines are applied successively to +the same parts of the retina, while the interspaces, more bright, also +affect certain regions of the retina, always the same. There must +result from this a fatigue analogous to that which we experience when +we make experiments in "accidental images," and physicists will admit +that there is nothing more disastrous for the sight than the prolonged +contemplation of these images. Lastly, and most important of all in M. +Javel's estimation, is the continual variation of the distance of the +eye from the point of fixation on the book. A simple calculation +demonstrates that the accommodation of the eye to the page undergoes a +distinct variation in proportion as the eye passes from the beginning +to the end of each line, and that this variation is all the greater in +proportion to the nearness of the book to the eye and the length of +the line. As to the rules which M. Javel inculcates in order that the +injurious effects of reading may be avoided, with reference to the +permanent application of the eyes, he counsels to avoid excess, to +take notes in reading, to stop in order to reflect or even to roll a +cigarette; but not to go on reading for hours on end without stopping. +As to the contrast between the white of the paper and the black of the +characters, various experiments have been made in the introduction of +colored papers. M. Javel advises the adoption of a slightly yellow +tint. But the nature of the yellow to be used is not a matter of +indifference; he would desire a yellow resulting from the absence of +the blue rays, analogous to that of paper made from a wood paste, and +which is often mistakenly corrected by the addition of an ultramarine +blue, which produces gray and not white. M. Javel has been led to this +conclusion both from practical observation and also theoretically from +the relation which must exist between the two eyes and the colors of +the spectrum. His third advice is to give preference to small volumes +which can be held in the hand, which obviates the necessity of the +book being kept fixed in one place, and the fatigue resulting from +accidental images. Lastly, M. Javel advises the avoidance of too long +lines, and therefore he prefers small volumes, and for the same reason +those journals which are printed in narrow columns. Of course every +one knows that it is exceedingly injurious to read with insufficient +light, or to use too small print, and other common rules. M. Javel +concludes by protesting against an invidious assertion which has +recently been made "in a neighboring country," according to which the +degree of civilization of a people is proportional to the number of +the short sighted shown to exist by statistics; the extreme economy of +light, the abuse of reading to the detriment of reflection and the +observation of real facts, the employment of Gothic characters and of +a too broad column for books and journals, are the conditions which, +M. Javel believes, lead to myopy, especially if successive generations +have been subjected to these injurious influences. + + * * * * * + + + + +PHOSPHORESCENCE. + + +M. Nuesch records, in a recent number of the _Journal de Pharmacie_, +some curious observations regarding luminous bacteria in fresh meat. +Some pork cutlets, he found, illuminated his kitchen so that he could +read the time on his watch. The butcher who sent the meat told him the +phosphorescence was first observed in a cellar, where he kept scraps +for making sausages. By degrees all his meat became phosphorescent, +and fresh meat from distant towns got into the same state. On +scratching the surface or wiping it vigorously, the phosphorescence +disappears for a time; and the butcher wiped carefully the meat he +sent out. All parts of the animal, except the blood, acquired the +phenomenon over their whole surface. The meat must be fresh; when it +ceases to be so, the phosphorescence ceases, and _Bacterium termo_ +appear. None of the customers had been incommoded. It was remarked +that if a small trace of the phosphorescent matter were put at any +point on the flesh of cats, rabbits, etc., the phosphorescence +gradually spread out from the center, and in three or four days +covered the piece; it disappeared generally on the sixth or seventh +day. Cooked meat did not present the phenomenon but it could be had in +a weak manner, from cooked albumen or potatoes. No other butcher's +shop in the place was affected. The author is uncertain whether to +attribute the complete disappearance of the phenomenon to the higher +temperature of the season, or to phenic acid, or to fumigation with +chlorine. + + * * * * * + + + + +THE CHARMS OF NATURAL SCIENCE. + + +The Earl of Derby, in an address at the Edinburgh University, said: +"Of the gains derivable from natural science I do not trust myself to +speak; my personal knowledge is too limited, and the subject is too +vast. But so much as this I can say--that those who have in them a +real and deep love of scientific research, whatever their position in +other respects, are so far at least among the happiest of mankind.... +No passion is so absorbing, no labor is so assuredly its own reward +(well that it is so, for other rewards are few); and they have the +satisfaction of knowing that, while satisfying one of the deepest +wants of their own natures, they are at the same time promoting in the +most effectual manner the interests of mankind. Scientific discovery +has this advantage over almost every other form of successful human +efforts, that its results are certain, that they are permanent, that +whatever benefits grow out of them are world-wide. Not many of us can +hope to extend the range of knowledge in however minute a degree; but +to know and to apply the knowledge that has been gained by others, to +have an intelligent appreciation of what is going on around us, is in +itself one of the highest and most enduring of pleasures." + +THE VESUVIUS RAIL WAY.--The Italian Ministry of Public Works, in union +with the Ministry of Finance and the Prefecture of Naples, has issued +the concession for the construction of the Vesuvius Railway. The line +will run along that part of the mountain which has been proved, after +the experience of many years, to be the least exposed to the +eruptions. The work is to be commenced immediately, and it is believed +that it will come into use during the present year. A sufficient +number of carriages are being built to convey 600 persons during the +day. The line is to be constructed upon an iron bridge, built after a +patented system. + + * * * * * + + + + +THE POTTERY TREE. + + +Among the various economic products of the vegetable kingdom, +scarcely any hold a more important place than barks, whether for +medicinal, manufacturing, or other purposes. The structure and +formation of all barks are essentially very similar, being composed of +cellular and fibrous tissue. The cell contents of these tissues, +however, vary much in different plants; and, for this reason, we have +fibrous or soft, woody, hard, and even stony barks. To explain +everything which relates to the structure of bark would lead us into +long details which our space will not permit. Briefly stated, the bark +of trees (considering, now, those of our own climate) consists of +three layers. The outermost, called the "cortical," is formed of +cellular tissue, and differs widely in consistency in different +species; thus, in the cork oak, which furnishes man with one of his +most useful commercial products, the cortical layer acquires +extraordinary thickness. The middle layer, called the "cellular" or +"green bark," is a cellular mass of a very different nature. The cells +of which it is composed are polyhedral, thicker, and more loosely +joined, and filled with sap and chlorophyl. The inner layer (next the +wood), called the "liber," consists of fibers more or less long and +tenacious. It is from the liber that our most valuable commercial +fibers are obtained. In some plants the fibrous system prevails +throughout the inner bark; but what we wish to refer to more +particularly at present is a remarkable example of the harder and more +silicious barks, and which is to be found in the "Pottery Tree" of +Para. This tree, known to the Spaniards as _El Caouta_, to the French +as _Bois de Fer_, to the Brazilians as _Caraipe_, is the _Moquilea +utilis_ of botanists, and belongs to the natural order _Ternstroeiaceæ_. +It is very large, straight, and slender, reaching a height of 100 feet +before branching; its diameter is from 12 to 15 inches; and its wood +is exceedingly hard from containing much flinty matter. Although the +wood of the tree is exceedingly sound and durable, the great value of +the tree to the natives exists in the bark for a purpose which, to say +the least, is a novel one in the application of barks--that of the +manufacture of pottery. The Indians employed in the manufacture of +pottery from this material always keep a stock of it on hand in their +huts for the purpose of drying and seasoning it, as it then burns more +freely, and the ashes can be gathered with more ease than when fresh. +In the process of manufacturing the pottery the ashes of the bark are +powdered and mixed with the purest clay that can be obtained from the +beds of the rivers; this kind being preferred, as it takes up a larger +quantity of the ash, and thus produces a stronger kind of ware. Though +the proportions of ash and clay are varied at the will of the maker, +and according to the quality of the bark, a superior kind of pottery +is produced by a mixture of equal parts of fine clay and ashes. All +sorts of vessels of small or large size for household or other +purposes are made of this kind of ware, as are also vases or +ornamental articles, many of which are painted and glazed. These +articles are all very durable, and are able to stand almost any amount +of heat; they are consequently much used by the natives for boiling +eggs, heating milk, and indeed for culinary purposes generally. A +brief glance at the structure of the bark will show how it comes to be +so well adapted for this purpose. The bark seldom grows more than half +an inch thick, and is covered with a skin or epidermis; when fresh, it +cuts somewhat similar to a soft sandstone, but when dry, it is very +brittle and flint like, and often difficult to break. On examination +of a section under the microscope, all the cells of the different +layers are seen to be more or less silicated, the silex forming in the +cells when the bark is still very young. In the inner bark the flint +is deposited in a very regular manner, the particles being straight +and giving off branches at right angles; that of the porous cells of +the bark, however, is very much contorted, and ramifies in all +directions. In the best varieties of the tree, those growing in rich +and dry soil, the silex can be readily detected by the naked eye; but +to test the quality of the various kinds of bark, the natives burn it +and then try its strength between their fingers; if it breaks easily +it is considered of little value, but if it requires a mortar and +pestle to break, its quality is pronounced good. From an analysis of +this singular bark, that of old trees has been found to give 30.8 per +cent of ash, and that of young 23.30 per cent. Of the different layers +of old bark, the outer gave 17.15 per cent, the middle 37.7, and the +inner 31. The wood of the tree, in comparison with the bark, is +relatively poor in silex, the duramen of an old tree giving only 2.5 +per cent of silex. + + * * * * * + + + + +GLASS SPONGES. + + +The natural history of sponges had, up to the middle of this century, +been comparatively neglected. Until 1856, when Lieberkuhn published +his treatise on sponges, very little or nothing had been written on +the subject. Later, Haeckel did much to determine their exact nature, +and it is now universally admitted that sponges form one of the +connecting links between the animal and the vegetable kingdom. + +Sponges, generally considered, consist of fine porous tissue, covered, +during life, with viscid, semi-liquid protoplasm, and are held in +shape and strengthened by a more or less rigid skeleton, consisting +chiefly of lime or silica. The tissue consists of a very fine network +of threads, formed probably by gradual solidification of the threads +of protoplasm. The inorganic skeleton is formed by larger and smaller +crystals and crystalline threads. In the various families of sponges +the quantity of inorganic matter varies greatly; some sponges are +nearly devoid of an inorganic skeleton, while other families consist +chiefly of lime or silica, the organic tissue being only rudimentarily +developed. + +As observed in their natural state, sponges are apparently lifeless. +When, however, a live sponge is placed in water containing some finely +powdered pigment in suspension, it will be noticed that in regular, +short intervals water is absorbed through the pores of the tissue and +ejected again through larger openings, which are called "osculæ." +Following up these into the interior, we find them divided into +numerous branches, the walls of which are, under the microscope, found +to be covered with minute cells, fastened at one end only and +oscillating continually. By means of these cells the sponge receives +its nourishment. + +Sponges with very rigid inorganic skeletons may be divided into two +classes--calcareous and silicious--according to whether the skeleton +is chiefly composed of lime or silica. + +Our engravings represent two species of the latter kind, which are, on +account of the peculiar appearance of their skeleton, called glass +sponges. + +Fig. 1 represents the "sprinkling pot sponge," _Eucleptella +aspergillum_. It is generally found in very deep water throughout the +Pacific. Specimens were found over fifty years ago, but, as they had +to be brought up from depths between 500 and 800 fathoms, they +remained very scarce and sold at fabulous prices. + +[Illustration: Fig. 1.--SPRINKLING POT SPONGE.--(_Eucleptella +aspergillum_.)] + +The skeleton is formed by small crystals and long threads of vitreous +silica, cemented together, during life, by protoplasm. They are +arranged in longitudinal and annular bands so as to form a long curved +cylinder, about nine to twelve inches long, the walls of which are +about one inch in thickness. The threads and bands are interwoven with +the greatest regularity, and when the skeleton is freed from the +adhering organic matter, it looks extremely beautiful. + +The mode in which the intersecting bunches of crystals are connected +is shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by a +perforated cover, which probably has given rise to the name of the +sponge. The upper portion of the cylinder is surrounded by a few +irregular, annular masses of organic tissue, which adheres loosely +only to the skeleton. The lower end is formed by a bunch of long +threads, rooting firmly in the ground. + +[Illustration: Fig. 2.--SPONGE CRYSTALS MAGNIFIED.] + +Up to about ten years ago the price of specimens of this sponge was +very high. At that time, however, a colony of Eucleptellas was found +near the cities of Cebu and Manila, in the East Indies, in a depth not +exceeding 100 fathoms, and since they have appeared in larger +quantities in the market. It is remarkable that, contrary to their +habits, these organisms have immigrated into regions to which they +were totally unaccustomed. Yet it must be regarded as a greater +curiosity that they have been accompanied to their new abode by a few +animals living in equally deep water and never met with before at +depths less than three or four hundred fathoms. Among these animals is +a _Phormosoma_ (water hedgehog), noted for its long spines. + +Glass sponges are not confined to tropical regions. They are met with +in latitudes as high as the Färöe Islands, where the beautiful +_Holtenia Carpentaria_ abounds. It is represented in Fig. 3. Its +cup-shaped skeleton is similar in structure to that of the +_Eucleptella_; numerous crystalline needles protrude from the surface +of the upper part. Lately some specimens of _Holtenia_ have been found +on the coast of Florida. + +[Illustration: Fig. 3.--HOLTENIA CARPENTERIA.] + +Glass sponges serve as dwellings for numerous animals, especially +crustaceæ. A small shrimp inhabits the tubes of the _Eucleptella_, a +male and a female generally living together. They are shut up as in a +prison in their crystalline home, as they are generally too large to +pass through the meshes formed by the bundles of crystals. It was +formerly believed that these skeletons had actually been built by the +shrimps, and we can find no explanation for this curious circumstance, +other than that the shrimps entered these habitations while very small +and became too large to leave them. + + * * * * * + + + + +PLANTS PROTECTED BY INSECTS. + + +Mr. Francis Darwin, in a lecture on "Means of Self-Defense among +Plants," delivered lately at the London Institution, said that one of +the most curious forms of defense known is afforded by a recently +discovered class of plants, which, being stingless themselves, are +protected by stinging ants, which make their home in the plant and +defend it against its enemies. Of these the most remarkable is the +bull's-horn acacia (described by the late Mr. Belt in his book "The +Naturalist in Nicaragua"), a shrubby tree with gigantic curved thorns, +from which its name is derived. These horns are hollow and tenanted by +ants, which bore a hole in them, and the workers may be seen running +about over the green leaves. If a branch is shaken the ants swarm out +of the thorns and attack the aggressor with their stings. Their chief +service to the plant consists in defending it against leaf-cutting +ants, which are the great enemy of all vegetation in that part of +America. The latter form large underground nests, and their work of +destruction consists in gathering leaves, which they strip to form +heaps of material, which become covered over with a delicate white +fungus, on which the larvæ of the ants are fed, so that literally they +are a colony of mushroom growers. The special province of the little +stinging ants, which live in the thorns of the acacia, is, therefore, +to protect the leaves of the shrub from being used by the leaf-cutters +to make mushroom beds. Certain varieties of the orange tree have +leaves which are distasteful to the leaf-cutters, this property of the +leaves thus forming a means of defense. Other plants are unaccountably +spared by them--grass, for example, which, if brought to the nest, is +at once thrown out by some ant in authority. The bull's-horn acacia, +in return for the service rendered by the stinging ants, not only +affords them shelter in its thorns, but provides them with nectar +secreted by glands at the base of its leaves, and also grows for them +small yellow pear-shaped bodies, about one twelfth of an inch in +length, at the tip of some of its leaflets, which they use as food. +These little yellow bodies are made up of cells containing protoplasm +rich in oil, and afford the insects an excellent food. When the leaf +unfolds, the ants may be seen running from one leaflet to another, to +see if these little yellow bodies are ripe; and if they are ready to +be gathered they are broken up by the ants and carried away to the +nest in the thorn. Several small birds, also, build their nests in the +bull's horn acacia, thus escaping from a predatory ant which is +capable of killing young birds. The trumpet tree, another plant of +South and Central America, is also protected by a standing army of +ants; and, like the above mentioned acacia, grows for its protectors +small food bodies containing oil, but instead of secreting nectar in +its leaves it harbors a small insect (coccus), whose sweet secretion +is much relished by the ants. Dr. Beccari mentions an epiphytal plant +growing on trees in Borneo, the seeds of which germinate, like those +of the mistletoe, on the branches of the tree; and the seedling stem, +crowned by the cotyledons, grows to about an inch in length, remaining +in that condition until a certain species of ant bites a hole in the +stem, which then produces a gall-like growth that ultimately +constitutes the home of the ants. If the plant is not fortunate enough +to be bitten by an ant it dies. These ants, then, protect their plant +home by rushing out fiercely on intruders, and thus are preserved the +sessile white flowers which, in this plant, are developed on the tuber +like body. + + * * * * * + + +ADVANCE IN IRON.--At a meeting of the Philadelphia Iron Merchants' +Association, March 11, prices of all descriptions of merchant iron +were advanced fully 5 per cent. + + * * * * * + + + + +THE ANEROID BAROMETER. + + +The aneroid barometer was invented by M. Vidi, of Paris. It consists +essentially of a circular box, the face of which is made of thin +elastic metal, rendered more elastic by being stamped and pressed into +concentric circular wave-like corrugations. This box is nearly +exhausted of air, and its elastic face supports the pressure of the +atmosphere, and yields to it with elastic resistance in proportion to +the amount of pressure. Thus, if the atmospheric pressure increases, +the face is pressed inward; if atmospheric pressure diminishes, the +elastic reaction of the metal moves the face outward. These movements +are communicated to an index by suitable and very delicate mechanism, +and registered in largely magnified dimensions, by the movements of +this index upon the face of the dial. + +Aneroid barometers are now made of pocket size, compensated for +temperature, and with double scales, one reading the height of the +barometer column, the other the elevation obtained. I have, says Prof. +W. M. Williams, used one of these during many years, and find it a +very interesting traveling companion. It is sufficiently sensitive to +indicate the ascent from the ground floor to the upper rooms of a +three-storied house, or to enable the traveler sitting in a railway +train to tell, by watching its face, whether he is ascending or +descending an incline. + +Such slight variations are more easily observed on the aneroid than on +the mercurial barometer, and therefore it is commonly stated that the +aneroid is the more sensitive instrument. This, however, is a +fallacious conclusion. It is not the superior sensitiveness of the +movements of the instrument, but the greater facility of reading them, +that gives this advantage to the aneroid, the index of which has a +needle point traveling nearly in contact with the foot of the +divisions; the readings are further aided by a needle point register +attached to a movable rim, which may be brought point to point against +the index, thus showing the slightest movement that human vision may +detect. A magnifying lens may be easily used in such a case. + +It should be understood that the aneroid barometer is not an +independent instrument; it is merely a device for representing the +movements of the mercurial barometer. It is regulated by comparison +with the primary instrument, and this comparison should be renewed +from time to time, as the elastic properties of the metal may and do +vary. + +An adjusting or regulating screw is attached to the back of the +instrument, and is usually movable by a watch key. + +Besides this, the magnified reading of course magnifies any primary +error, and is largely dependent on the accuracy of the mechanism. + + * * * * * + + + + +THE ALBO-CARBON LIGHT. + + +We need hardly remind our readers that numerous unsuccessful attempts +have been made at various times to enrich ordinary coal gas by the aid +of volatile oils. Upon the present occasion we have to place before +them particulars of a process having the same object in view, but +which is so far dissimilar in that it deals with a solid substance +instead of a liquid oil. The invention has been brought into its +present practical shape by Mr. James Livesey, C. E., of No. 9 Victoria +Chambers, Westminster, in conjunction with Mr. Kidd, with whom it +originated. The process consists in the employment of a substance +called albo-carbon, which is the solid residuum of creosote. This +material is moulded into the form of candles, which in large lamps are +placed in a metallic vessel or receiver near the gas burner. The +albo-carbon is warmed by the heat of the burning gas, the heat being +transmitted to the receiver by a metallic conductor. Upon the +albo-carbon being raised to the necessary temperature it volatilizes, +and as the coal gas passes over it to the burner its vapor becomes +mingled with the gas, and greatly raises its illuminating power. Of +course when first lighted the coal gas only is burned, but in a few +minutes the albo-carbon communicates its enriching vapor to it. The +only alteration necessary to the present gas fittings is the +vaporizing chamber, which is of simple construction, although at +present the details of the various arrangements necessary for the +different kinds of lights have not yet been fully worked out. This +invention is now being tried experimentally in the eastern section of +the Westminster Aquarium, where we recently examined it, and found it +to afford a marked improvement upon the ordinary system of gas +illumination, although a smaller number of burners is being used. +Tried alternately with ordinary coal gas, the higher illuminating +power of the albo-carbon light was very remarkable. It appears that +there are 200 burners fitted at the Aquarium with the new light, and +these successfully take the place of 500 ordinary gas burners +previously in use. The illuminating effect is stated to be doubled, +with an additional advantage as regards economy. The reduction of cost +arises from the smaller quantity of gas consumed with the albo-carbon +process than without it, and the very small cost of the enriching +material. According to our information, 1,000 cubic feet of ordinary +gas as generally used will, by the albo-carbon appliance, give as much +illumination as 3,000 cubic feet without it, and the cost of the +material to produce this result is only 1s. 6d. Experiments have been +made with this light by Mr. T. W. Keates, the consulting chemist to +the Metropolitan Board of Works, who reports very favorably upon it, +as does also Dr. Wallace, of Glasgow, who has obtained some very +satisfactory results with it. It is claimed for the albo-carbon +material that it is perfectly inexplosive, safe and portable, that it +causes no obstruction and leaves no residuum, and that the receivers +can be replenished almost indefinitely without any accumulation taking +place, so perfect is the evaporation of the albo-carbon. On the whole +the display at the Aquarium speaks greatly in favor of the new process +of gas enrichment, which, other things being equal, bids fair to find +its way into practice.--_Engineering._ + + * * * * * + + + + +ENGLISH AND AMERICAN HARDWARE. + + +Mr. Frederick Smith, Manager of the Union Land and Building Company +(limited), recently read a paper on the above subject before the +Manchester Scientific and Mechanical Society. Mr. H. Whiley, +Superintendent of the Manchester Health Department, presided. The +following is the text of the paper, as given in the London +_Ironmonger_. The lecturer said: + +A spectator in any of our courts of justice will generally be struck +with the amount of hard swearing which is given to the court, under +the name of evidence. He will find one set of witnesses testifying, +under oath, to one thing, and another set, also under oath, to the +very opposite. Some prove too much, some too little, some are of a +totally negative character, proving nothing, and some are of no +character at all, and therefore are willing to prove anything. To some +extent the same phenomena are to be observed in reference to the +question of foreign competition. On the one hand the manufacturers +hold up to our affrighted vision the picture of our mills stopped, our +machine shops standing empty and idle, our hardware trade slipping +through our fingers, our ships rotting in our own and in foreign +ports, and our greatness as a producing nation for ever passed away. +On the other hand, the journalists who take the labor side of the +question, the trades-union leaders, and a large number of the workmen +themselves, hold that we have little or nothing to fear from our +foreign rivals; that the depression, like those atmospheric ones of +which our American cousins are constantly warning us, will pass away, +and leave us with better times to follow. I will, therefore, as far as +possible, keep out of the region of speculation, give you a few facts, +show you some examples, and leave you to draw your own inferences. +Some two or three years ago ordinary axle pulleys of English make were +difficult to get; the price was scandalously high, and the quality as +scandalously low. Out of a dozen probably four would not turn round +without sticking, and the casting was--well, simply vile. I show you a +sample rather above the average, and the retail price for this +inferior article was 22s. per gross. All at once the Americans deluged +the English market with the pulley which I now show to you, and it +needs no explanation of mine to satisfy the mechanical minds present +of the superiority of the transatlantic article; but when we also bear +in mind that the price of the American was from 25 to 33 per cent less +than the English pulley, you can understand how the builders exulted, +and how the Volscians of the Birmingham district were fluttered. Then, +and not till then, would the English maker condescend to believe that +it was possible to improve upon the wretched things which he had +foisted upon his customers, and he at once commenced to copy the +American pulley. He has not yet succeeded in producing such a +beautiful casting, but I venture to say that he has improved the +quality more in the last eighteen months than in the previous eighteen +years. + +Now take the ordinary door furniture. For generations the English +builder and householder has had to be content with the stereotyped, +with all its aggravating propensities. First, the little screw (so +small as to be scarcely perceptible to touch or to sight) shakes loose +from its countersunk depression in the spindle, gets lost, and lets +the knob go adrift; or next, the knob itself, formed of a bit of sheet +brass, turns round on its shank and the door cannot be opened, or the +shank, not having a sufficient bearing on the spindle, works loose, +and the whole thing is out of repair. It is the same thing to-day as +it was when it tormented my grandfather; for, of course, no +improvement could be made until Uncle Sam sent us his cheap, strong, +serviceable, and sensible "Mineral Knob." + +The English maker says: "But look at the many devices which we have +invented for door furniture." Granted, and some of them very good, but +none of them so good as this--for the money. Plenty of them well +adapted for extraordinary use, but none of them cheap enough and +strong enough to be placed in competition with this in fitting up the +dwelling of the ordinary Englishman. The spindle and furniture of a +lock is the portion which is liable to and receives the most rough +usage. + +I have here an ordinary cheap set of china furniture of English make, +which I dare not drop lest I should break it, but as you see, I dare +throw its Yankee competitor the whole length of this room. The retail +price of this English set is ninepence--the price of the American is +less than sixpence. The English spindle is fitted with the usual +little screw, the knob is loose, the roses are china, and liable to +break with the least strain or blow. The American set, as you see, has +a long shank; the form of the knob is a very oblate spheroid, giving a +good grip and free play for the fingers between the knob and the door. +The rose is japanned iron, and has small studs or teeth projecting on +its inner side effectually preventing it from turning round with the +spindle; the screw is strong, and is tapped through the spindle +itself, insuring both security and perfect steadiness. Several small +washers are supplied with each spindle, enabling the slack to be taken +up perfectly, and at the same time preventing the spindle from +sticking with any ordinary amount of friction. + +I will now show you a cheap American rim lock. First, you will notice +that both sides are alike. Next, that by pulling the latch forward it +can be turned half round, and is thereby converted from a right hand +to a left hand, or _vice versa_, in an instant. This is an important +point to a builder, but our lockmakers do not seem to know it. Several +attempts have been made to introduce locks of this kind, but the fancy +prices put upon every article which departs, in ever so slight a +measure, from the antediluvian patterns mostly used, practically +prohibits their adoption. The carcass of the lock is of cast iron; the +casting, like all the small American castings, is simply perfect; +bosses are cast round the follower and keyholes; the box staple is one +piece of metal, neat and strong. + +But there is another point, and, to my mind, the most important one. +Whatever opinions may be held as to the relative quality of this lock, +whether it is better or worse than an English one, it is at least an +honest article. It makes no pretensions to be any better than it is. +It does not entrap the unwary purchaser by pretending to be a +first-class article, when at the same time it may be a swindle. + +I will now show you an ordinary 6 inch rim-lock of English +manufacture. At a short distance it looks like a superior article; the +follower and keyhole appear as if they were bushed with brass. But let +us take it to pieces, and see what we can find. The follower is a +rough casting, not turned at the bearings, and is in no sense a fit. +The screw holes are not countersunk, but merely punched in; the key is +of the roughest and worst fitting description; the inside is as rough +and cheap as possible; the key is cut so as to deceive the purchaser +into the belief that there are twice as many wards in the lock as is +really the case, and the bushes prove to be thin plates of brass +riveted on, and not bushes at all. In short, the whole article is a +vile fraud, and the maker was a swindler. This is strong language, but +I think you will agree with me when I maintain that it is not stronger +than the circumstances warrant. + +But there are still its defects of bad design and useless workmanship. +The lock is of the usual form given to the English rim-lock, that is, +it has a flange which requires to be let into the edge of the door. I +have fixed hundreds of them, and have never yet been able to see a use +for this flange. It is one great obstacle to the general introduction +of a reversible lock; it adds to the labor of fixing without adding to +the security of the door, for if the door is to be forced from the +outside, the box staples give way first; if from the inside, the +unscrewing of the box staple is all that is necessary to give egress; +if the door requires easing, it effectually prevents it being done--in +fact, it is a nuisance, and nothing but a nuisance. But our lockmakers +do not appear to give these things a thought; their doctrine seems to +be, "As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be." + +Again, notice that the edges of the iron which lie against the door +and the sham bushes are ground bright. Here is labor wasted, for as +soon as the lock is fixed these polished portions are hidden for +ever. Next, take the box staple. As is usual, it is fearfully and +wonderfully made up of sheet iron, square iron, and brass; the outcome +of which is that the showy brass striking piece comes unriveted, the +door comes unfastened, and the tenant's temper comes unhinged. Why, in +the name of common sense, could they not substitute a neat malleable +casting? In our own houses I have long since discarded the ordinary +box staple for draw-back locks, and find it cheaper to buy a cast iron +staple, and throw away the one supplied by the English lockmaker. + +Bear in mind that I have shown neither of these locks as samples of +high-class goods, but as samples of the furniture fixed in the houses +of the working and middle classes of this country; and when I tell you +that the American lock, fitted with the mineral furniture, is at least +25 per cent cheaper than the English abortion I have shown to you, you +will begin to realize what our English markets have to fear from the +Americans. + +Here is a common, cheap English mortise lock, and you will naturally +ask why the outside of this lock is ground bright, when it is buried +in the door and never seen except it has to be taken out for repairs. +I have asked the same question, and for 20 years have paused for a +reply. This lock is not reversible, the follower is not bushed, and +the inside is rough and cheap. Contrast it with this neat American +lock, and notice again the bosses to receive the wear; notice also +that the bolts are brass; the latch-bolt is, of course, reversible--I +never saw an American lock which was not. The body of the lock is cast +iron; and, seeing that there are no strains upon a mortise lock, it is +quite as good as if it was of wrought iron. There is no unnecessary +grinding, but the iron is japanned, and the japan is as much superior +to the English compound as is the lacquer ware of the Japanese to that +which is executed in Birmingham and palmed upon the ignorant buyer as +Japanese work. In fact, as you can see for yourselves, the English +japan looks almost like gas tar beside the American. This American +lock is a two-lever, and there is no sham about the key, which is made +of some kind of white metal and is small and neat. This lock is only +2½ per cent higher in price than the English. + +Before leaving these locks, let me say a word or two upon the +relative wear upon their different portions, and their relative +safety. The English maker appears to ignore the fact that +nineteen-twentieths of the wear of a lock is upon the latch, spindle, +and follower; the amount of actual wear upon the rest of the lock is +comparatively slight. Let any of you consider the number of times you +open and close a door, compared with the times you lock it. Our +drawbacks and large rim locks are used about once a day; the great +bulk of our mortise locks are not used, except as latches, once a +week. One argument used by our manufacturers against the American lock +is that, being made by machinery, there is necessarily a great +duplication of parts, and a consequent lowering of the standard of +security; while their own locks, being made by hand, are not alike, +and therefore cannot be so easily opened. + +Let any of you put this argument to proof, by trying how many front +doors you can open with one key in a row of workmen's dwellings such +as are found in Manchester, ranging up to £25 rentals, and the result +will astonish you. If our own manufacturers made their locks +sufficiently well to give this security, there would be some force in +what they say; but so far as security is concerned, they might as well +make their locks by machinery as make them in the way they do. + +I now show you two thumb latches, one of American and one of English +make. Notice the general finish of the American latch; the shape, the +mode of construction, and everything about it proves that brains were +used when it was designed and made. The English "Norfolk latch," on +the other hand, is ill designed, uncomfortable in hand, clumsily +finished, the japan hangs about it in lumps, the latch is clumsy, the +catch is clumsier, and the keeper, a rough piece of hoop iron, seems +as if designed to "keep" the latch from doing its duty. In this case +the American latch is 25 per cent cheaper than the English one; and +the English latch is of the same pattern as the one that was in use +when I was a boy, only that it is a greatly inferior article. + +I will now introduce you to the well known nuisance which we have been +accustomed to use for fastening our cupboard doors--the cupboard +turn--and without further comment, ask you to compare it with this +neat and simple latch of American make, costing about 5 per cent more, +twice as efficacious, and five times as durable. In this case no +improvement has been made in the English fastener. It is just as it +was when I went to the trade, about 28 years ago, and although many +attempts have been made to improve it they have added so much to its +cost as to prevent the improved articles from coming into general use. + +The difference between the English and American inventor and designer +seems to consist in this--that while an Englishman devotes all his +energies to the improvement of an existing shape, the American throws +the old article under his bench and commences _de novo_. + +I think I have made out a case against the English hardware +manufacturer, but when I have pointed these matters out to merchants +and ironmongers, I have been met with various reasons for this +manifest inferiority. I do not know how far these excuses may be +valid, but one man says that the reason, as regards locks, is somewhat +as follows: The locksmiths of the district wherein they are made in +many cases work at their own homes; one man making one part of a lock, +while other men make other parts. This goes on generation after +generation, and the men become mere machines, not knowing how the +entire lock is constructed, and not caring to know. Another attributes +it to the influence of the trades-unions, and says that if a +manufacturer wants a different kind of lock, the price for the work is +immediately put higher, even though the actual labor may not be +increased. A third says it is due to the drunkenness of the hands, and +their consequent poverty and physical and social demoralization, which +prevents them from rising to such an intellectual level as will enable +them to see the evils of their system, and adopt the right means to +remove them. A fourth boldly says, "We make these goods because our +customers want them." How far the reasons assigned by the first three +are correct I am unable to say, but for the fourth, the extent to +which the builders of England have patronized the Americans is a +complete answer. + +This defense, "Our customers want them," is as old as the hills, and +has been used to cover every kind of deception and inferior article +ever manufactured. Our Lancashire manufacturers use it when they are +charged with sending china clay and mildew (and call it calico) for +the mild Hindoo and the Heathen Chinee to dress themselves in. Our +butter merchants use it when they make up grease and call it butter; +and our hardware merchants use it when they send us sham locks, and +call them brass bushed, etc. + +It is the duty of the manufacturer to invent for his customers, and it +is preposterous to say that the builder would prefer that embodiment +of fraud--the English rim-lock, which I showed to you--to the American +lock, which, at any rate, was an honest article, especially when the +latter had the great advantage of being considerably cheaper. I am +afraid that the swindling and greed of our merchants is having the +effect of thrusting us out of the markets of the world, including our +home markets; and when it is too late, these men who are making the +name of English goods a byword and a reproach, even among the Hindoos, +the Chinese, and the untutored savages of the South Sea Islands, will +find that "honesty is the best policy." + +We have been accustomed to hear a deal of buncombe talked about the +honesty of the Englishman, and the want of honesty of the Yankee; +about the enterprise of our manufacturers and the skill of our +workmen; but if what I have shown to you is to be taken as a specimen, +it is time we set our house in order. Since commencing the paper I +have read the discussion between Messrs. Chubb and Hill, and am at a +loss to know why Messrs. Chubb entered into the arena. If all the +English makers tried to reach Chubb's standard we should keep our +markets, at least so far as high quality is concerned; and to see +Messrs. Chubb acting as champions of the English lockmakers is +something like seeing Messrs. Horrocks taking up the cudgels for those +people who manufacture china clay and call it calico, the proportion +of fiber in the material being just a little greater than that found +in hair mortar. + +In conclusion, I wish it to be understood that I bring these facts +before you in no exultant spirit. I am an Englishman, and the future +welfare of myself and my children depends very much upon the future of +English manufactures; but we cannot be blind to the fact that the +apathy and conservatism of our manufacturers, the greed of our +Merchants, and the ignorance and drunkenness of our workmen, are +weighing us so heavily in the race for trade that a member of our own +family, whose leading business should be to produce food for us, is +outstripping us with the greatest ease. Our boasted supremacy as a +manufacturing people is leaving us, and leaving us under such +humiliating circumstances--and if the men of Birmingham and the +district are content to dwell in their present "fools' paradise," it +is the duty of every lover of his country to speak as plainly as +possible to them. + +Of course I am prepared to be told that as I am not a lockmaker my +opinion is worthless; but I have been about 28 years as man and boy, +employer and workman, in the building trade, and if I have not got to +know something about builders' hardware during that period, I have +made but a poor use of my time. I do not know if I have added to your +stock of knowledge, but deeming the subject an important one, I have +done the best I could in the time at my disposal. + +In the discussion which followed the opinion of the members present +was unanimously in favor of the American articles shown to them. + + * * * * * + + +A high Indian official reports that the people of Cashmere are dying +of famine like flies, and at the present rate of mortality the +province will be nearly depopulated by the end of the year. + + * * * * * + + + + +TO INVENTORS. + + +An experience of more than thirty years, and the preparation of not +less than one hundred thousand applications for patents at home and +abroad, enable us to understand the laws and practice on both +continents, and to possess unequaled facilities for procuring patents +everywhere. In addition to our facilities for preparing drawings and +specifications quickly, the applicant can rest assured that his case +will be filed in the Patent Office without delay. Every application, +in which the fees have been paid, is sent complete--including the +model--to the Patent Office the same day the papers are signed at our +office, or received by mail, so there is no delay in filing the case, +a complaint we often hear from other sources. Another advantage to the +inventor in securing his patent through the Scientific American Patent +Agency, it insures a special notice of the invention in the SCIENTIFIC +AMERICAN, which publication often opens negotiations for the sale of +the patent or manufacture of the article. A synopsis of the patent +laws in foreign countries may be found on another page, and persons +contemplating the securing of patents abroad are invited to write to +this office for prices, which have been reduced in accordance with the +times, and our perfected facilities for conducting the business. +Address MUNN & CO., office SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. + + * * * * * + + + + +BUSINESS AND PERSONAL. + + +_The Charge for Insertion under this head is One Dollar a line for +each insertion; about eight words to a line. Advertisements must be +received at publication office as early as Thursday morning to appear +in next issue._ + +Valves and Hydrants, warranted to give perfect satisfaction. Chapman +Valve Manuf. Co., Boston, Mass. + +Brown & Sharpe, Prov., R. I. Best Gear Teeth Cutters and Index Plates +at low prices. Send for catalogue. + +Wanted--Galvanic Battery, Induction Coil, Electro-Magnet. Address, +with description and price, Box 1700, Boston, Mass. + +New Steam Governor.--Entire right for $3,000. For circulars address E. +Towns, Cisne, Ill. + +Gutta Percha, pure and sheeted, for sale in quantities to suit. +Anderson & Reynolds, Salem, Mass. + +The new fragrant Vanity Fair Cigarettes. New combinations of rare Old +Perique and Virginia. + +Wanted--Second-hand Corliss Engine, 100 to 125 H. P. Address P. O. Box +1208, New Haven, Conn. + +17 and 20 in. Gibed Rest Screw Lathes. Geo. S. Lincoln, Hartford, +Conn. + +"Downer's Anti-Incrustation Liquid" for Removal and Prevention of +Scales in Steam Boilers, is spoken of in highest terms by those who +have given it a thorough trial. Circulars and price lists furnished on +application. A. H. Downer, 17 Peck Slip, New York. + +Mr. W. B. Adams, one of the most extensive contractors and decorators +in this city, says he has used nearly fifty thousand gallons of H. W. +Johns' Asbestos Liquid Paints, and after an experience of twenty years +with white lead and other paints, he considers them not only superior +in richness of color and durability, but owing to their wonderful +covering properties, they are fully 20 per cent more economical than +any others. + +New Pamphlet of "Burnham's Standard Turbine Wheel" sent free by N. F. +Burnham, York, Pa. + +Gaume's Electric Engine. 171 Pearl St., B'klyn, N. Y. + +Engines, ½ to 5 H. P. G. F. Shedd, Waltham, Mass. + +Clipper Injector. J. D. Lynde, Philadelphia, Pa. + +Diamond Drills, J. Dickinson, 64 Nassau St., N. Y. + +Eagle Anvils, 9 cents per pound. Fully warranted. + +Case Hardening Preparation. Box 73, Willimantic, Ct. + +Vertical Burr Mill. C. K. Bullock, Phila., Pa. + +Sheet Metal Presses, Ferracute Co., Bridgeton, N. J. + +Mundy's Pat. Friction Hoist. Eng., of any power, double and single. +Said by all to be the best. J. S. Mundy, Newark, N. J. + +Auction Sale.--The Machinery and Property of the well known Hardie's +Machine Works, 62 and 64 Church St., Albany, N. Y., will be sold March +26, at noon. No postponement. + +To Manufacturers or Capitalists.--A rare chance to control a valuable +agricultural patented implement. Address S. A. Fisher, Maplewood, +Mass. + +Reflecting Telescope, 6½ inches aperture, well mounted, price +only $70. J. Ramsden, Philadelphia, Pa. + +See Hogins' Laundry Table, illustrated on page 194. State, Canada, and +entire right for sale. + +Emery.--Best Turkey Emery in bbls., kegs, and cases in quantities to +suit. Greene, Tweed & Co., 18 Park Place, N. Y. + +The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Export Edition is published monthly, about the +15th of each month. Every number comprises most of the plates of the +four preceding weekly numbers of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, with other +appropriate contents, business announcements, etc. It forms a large +and splendid periodical of nearly one hundred quarto pages, each +number illustrated with about one hundred engravings. It is a complete +record of American progress in the arts. + +Gold, Silver, and Nickel Plater wants situation. Address Plater, +Oakville, Conn. + +Amateur Photo. Apparatus, including instructions; outfits complete. E. +Sackmann & Co., 278 Pearl St., N. Y. + +Outfits for Nickel and Silver Plating, $5 to $200. Union Silver +Plating Company, Princeton, Ill. + +Send for Circulars of Indestructible Boot and Shoe Soles to H. C. +Goodrich, 40 Hoyne Ave., Chicago, Ill. + +For Sale.--Brown & Sharp Universal Milling Machine; Bement Profiling +Machine; first-class 2d hand Machine Tools. E. P. Bullard, 14 Dey St., +New York. + +For Sale.--7 foot bed Putnam Planer, $350. A. A. Pool & Co., Newark, +N. J. + +Bevins & Co.'s Hydraulic Elevator. Great power, simplicity, safety, +economy, durability. 94 Liberty St. N. Y. + +A Cupola works best with forced blast from a Baker Blower. Wilbraham +Bros., 2,318 Frankford Ave., Phila. + +Shaw's Noise Quieting Nozzles and Mercury Pressure Gauges. T. Shaw, +915 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. + +For Solid Wrought Iron Beams, etc., see advertisement. Address Union +Iron Mills, Pittsburgh, Pa., for lithograph, etc. + +H. Prentiss & Company, 14 Dey St., N. Y., Manufs. Taps, Dies, Screw +Plates, Reamers, etc. Send for list. + +Presses, Dies, and Tools for working Sheet Metal, etc. Fruit & other +can tools. Bliss & Williams, B'klyn, N. Y. + +Nickel Plating.--A white deposit guaranteed by using our material. +Condit, Hanson & Van Winkle, Newark, N. J. + +Hydraulic Elevators for private houses, hotels, and public buildings. +Burdon Iron Works, Brooklyn, N. Y. + +The Lathes, Planers, Drills, and other Tools, new and second-hand, of +the Wood & Light Machine Company, Worcester, are to be sold out very +low by the George Place Machinery Agency, 121 Chambers St., New York. + +Hydraulic Presses and Jacks, new and second hand. Lathes and Machinery +for Polishing and Buffing Metals E. Lyon & Co., 470 Grand St., N. Y. + +Solid Emery Vulcanite Wheels--The Solid Original Emery Wheel--other +kinds imitations and inferior. Caution.--Our name is stamped in full +on all our best Standard Belting, Packing, and Hose. Buy that only. +The best is the cheapest. New York Belting and Packing Company, 37 and +38 Park Row, N. Y. + +Pulverizing Mills for all hard substances and grinding purposes. +Walker Bros. & Co., 23d & Wood St., Phila., Pa. + +Portland Cement--Roman & Keene's, for walks, cisterns, foundations, +stables, cellars, bridges, reservoirs, breweries, etc. Remit 25 cents +postage stamps for Practical Treatise on Cements. S. L. Merchant & +Co., 53 Broadway, New York. + +Needle Pointed Iron, Brass, and Steel Wire for all purposes. W. Crabb, +Newark, N. J. + +Manufacturers of Improved Goods who desire to build up a lucrative +foreign trade, will do well to insert a well displayed advertisement +in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Export Edition. This paper has a very large +foreign circulation. + +Band Saws, $100; Scroll Saws, $75; Planers, $150; Universal Wood +Workers and Hand Planers, $150, and upwards. Bentel, Margedant & Co., +Hamilton, Ohio. + +The best Friction Clutch Pulley and Friction Hoisting Machinery in the +world, to be seen with power applied, 95 and 97 Liberty St., New York. +D. Frisbie & Co., New Haven, Conn. + +C. M. Flint, Fitchburg, Mass., Mfr. of Saw Mills and Dogs, Shingle and +Clapboard Machines. Circulars. + +Blake's Belt Studs; strongest, cheapest, and best fastening for +Leather or Rubber Belts. Greene, Tweed & Co., New York. + +No gum! No grit! No acid! Anti-Corrosive Cylinder Oil is the best in +the world, and the first and only oil that perfectly lubricates a +railroad locomotive cylinder, doing it with half the quantity required +of best lard or tallow, giving increased power and less wear to +machinery, with entire freedom from gum, stain, or corrosion of any +sort, and it is equally superior for all steam cylinders or heavy work +where body or cooling qualities are indispensable. A fair trial +insures its continued use. Address E. H. Kellogg, sole manufacturer, +17 Cedar St., New York. + +The unprecedented demand for Kinney Bros.' New Cigarette, Sweet +Caporal, is a good recommendation as to their merit. + +Wheels and Pinions, heavy and light, remarkably strong and durable. +Especially suited for sugar mills and similar work. Pittsburgh Steel +Casting Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. + +Deoxidized Bronze. Patent for machine and engine journals. +Philadelphia Smelting Co., Phila., Pa. + +For Sale.--4 H. P. Vertical Engine and Boiler (New York Safety Steam +Power Co.'s make), as good, and in some respects better, than new. +Address H. M. Quackenbush, Herkimer, N. Y. + +Wood-working Machinery, Waymouth Lathes. Specialty, Wardwell Patent +Saw Bench; it has no equal. Improved Patent Planers; Elevators; Dowel +Machines. Rollstone Machine Company, Fitchburg, Mass. + +Galland & Co.'s improved Hydraulic Elevators. Office 206 Broadway, N. +Y., (Evening Post Building, room 22.) + +The only economical and practical Gas Engine in the market is the new +"Otto" Silent, built by Schleicher. Schumm & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. +Send for circular. + +Dead Pulleys that stop the running of loose pulleys and their belts, +controlled from any point. Send for catalogue. Taper Sleeve Pulley +Works, Erie, Pa. + +_Vick's Illustrated Monthly Magazine_ is one of the most beautiful +magazines in the world. Each number contains a chromo of some group of +flowers, and many fine engravings. Published monthly at $1.25 per +year. Address James Vick, Rochester, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + + + +[Illustration: Notes and Queries] + +NOTES & QUERIES + + +HINTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. + +No attention will be paid to communications unless accompanied with +the full name and address of the writer. + +Names and addresses of correspondents will not be given to inquirers. + +We renew our request that correspondents, in referring to former +answers or articles, will be kind enough to name the date of the paper +and the page, or the number of the question. + +Correspondents whose inquiries do not appear after a reasonable time +should repeat them. + +Persons desiring special information which is purely of a personal +character, and not of general interest, should remit from $1 to $5, +according to the subject, as we cannot be expected to spend time and +labor to obtain such information without remuneration. + + * * * * * + +(1) S. Q.--The speed of a circular saw at the periphery should be from +6,000 to 7,000 feet per minute. The number of revolutions per minute +will of course vary with the diameter of the saw. + +(2) T. J. F. asks (1) for the best way to fasten emery on a wooden +wheel, to be used in place of a solid emery wheel. A. Cover the wheel +with leather devoid of grease, and coat the leather surface, a portion +at a time, with good glue; immediately roll the glued surface in emery +spread out on a board. 2. How can I fasten small pieces of looking +glass on iron? A. Use equal parts of pitch and gutta percha together. + +(3) W. C. asks: 1. What is the power of the simple electric light +described in SUPPLEMENT NO. 149? A. When supplied with a strong +current it is equal to 5 or 6 5-foot gas burners. It is designed for +temporary use only. 2. What is the cost of manufacturing the +dynamo-electric machine in SUPPLEMENT NO. 161? A. The one shown in the +article referred to cost about $35. + +(4) L. D. asks: 1. Which is the better conductor, silver or copper? A. +Silver. 2. And the comparative resistance offered to the electric +current by water and the above? A. Taking pure silver as 100,000,000, +the conductivity of distilled water would be 0.01. + +(5) H. J. F. writes: In SUPPLEMENT 162 a simple electric light is +described. I wish to light a room 20×20×10 feet. 1. How large is the +bell glass? A. 2½ inches. 2. Can I use battery carbon? A. Use a +carbon pencil made for electric lamps. 3. How can I make tray water +tight after putting wire through? A. With gutta percha. 4. I have one +large cell Bunsen and one Smee. How many more and of what kind shall I +get? A. One of the batteries described in SUPPLEMENTS 157, 158, 159, +will do, probably 8 or 10 Bunsen elements would be the best. + +(6) W. B. F. writes: I tried to make an electric pen, like the one +described in your SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, of February 22d, 1879, using a +Smee's battery, a circuit breaker, and an induction coil, but it did +not work. Is there anything wrong, or is a condenser different from an +induction coil? A. A condenser consists of a number of sheets of tin +foil separated from each other by larger sheets of paper. One half of +the tin foil sheets are connected with one terminal of the primary +coil, the other half with the other terminal; the tin foil sheets +connected with one terminal alternate with those of the other +terminal. The condenser is essential to the working of the coil. For +complete directions for making induction coils, see SCIENTIFIC +AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT NO. 160. + +(7) J. De F. asks: 1. Knowing the resistance of a wire of given +conductivity, length, and diameter, will the resistance of any other +wire be in proportion inversely? A. Yes. 2. Is there heat enough +developed in the secondary coil of an induction coil to prevent the +use of paraffine as an insulating material? A. With proper battery +power, no. 3. How high in the list of non-conductors does paraffine +stand? A. It is one of the best. 4. Will a cotton insulator soaked in +paraffine answer as well as silk? A. No, because it renders the +covering of the wire too thick. 5. Can you recommend any insulating +material for making induction coils which will dry rapidly? A. +Alcoholic shellac varnish. Rosin to which a little beeswax has been +added is an excellent insulator; it must be applied in a melted state. +6. What is the composition of the black material covering the +Leclanche porous cell? A. Gutta percha. 7. Is the magneto-electric +machine described in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT patented? A. +To which do you refer? Most, if not all of them are patented. + +(8) B. V. F. writes: With reference to item 8, on page 139, of +SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, March 1, 1879, I think there is some mistake +about the coal you think required to heat 1,000 cubic feet space. I +burn some 8 tons coal to heat, in the whole year, such part of my +house as must exceed 25×20×18=9,000 cubic feet. We keep up a moderate +heat at night. Ventilate more than most families do; take part only of +the cool air, and only in part of the coldest weather, from the +cellar, which at such times is opened into the main entries. House +wood, back plastered, and stands alone. If 100 lbs. coal would heat +1,000 feet one day, I ought to burn 900 lbs. a day, or nearly 14 tons +in December and 14 more in January. A. We are glad to receive these +data, which correspond quite closely with some obtained by recent +accurate experiments. The estimate given in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN +also agrees well with experiments on the use of hot air heaters for +very small buildings or rooms. Of course, the larger the space to be +heated, the more economically it can generally be done. + +(9) W. M. S. asks: Will the coil described in SUPPLEMENT NO. 160 do +for the electric pen described in a recent number of the SCIENTIFIC +AMERICAN? If not how must it be changed? A. It is too large; make it +one half the size given. + +[Illustration] + +(10) B. G.--In reply to your inquiry as to Mr. Stroh's telephone +experiment, we give the following, which we clip from the _English +Mechanic_: A singular experimental effect, of special interest just +now from its possible bearing on the theory of the source of sound in +the Bell telephone, has just been observed by Mr. Stroh, the well +known mechanician. If a telephone, T, with the circuit of its coil +left open, be held to the ear, and a powerful magnet, M, be moved +gently up and down along the length of the magnet, as shown by the +arrow, and at a distance of an inch or two from it, a faint breathing +sound will be heard, the recurring pulses of sound keeping time with +the up and down motion of the magnet. The sound may be aptly compared +to the steady breathing of a child, and there is a striking +resemblance between it and the microphonic sounds of gases diffusing +through a porous septum as heard by Mr. Chandler Roberts. We +understand that Professor Hughes is investigating the cause of this +curious sound by help of the microphone. + +(11) "Enterprise" asks: What part of its volume will iron expand in +passing from a temperature of 60° to melting temperature? A. The +cubical expansion of iron for each degree (C.) between 0° and 100° is +0.00003546 of its volume, its volume being 1. This ratio however, +increases somewhat at higher temperatures, since the mean coefficient +of expansion for each degree between 0° C. and 300° C. is 0.00004405. +The question you ask has probably never been settled. You may form an +approximation by the use of the above ratios, knowing the melting +point of the iron. + +(12) P. L. O. asks for a good chemistry for a beginner to study +without a teacher. A. Fownes' "Chemistry;" Gorup-Besanez, "Inorganic, +Organic and Physiological Chemistry." + +(13) L. E. M. asks: What is the best method of keeping fine guns from +rusting, and what oil should be used? A. For the outside, clear gum +copal 1 part, oil of rosemary 1 part, absolute alcohol 3 parts. Clean +and heat the metal and apply a flowing coat of the liquid by means of +a camel's hair brush. Do not handle until the coat becomes dry and +hard. For the inside of the barrel a trace of refined sperm oil is as +good as anything, but an excess should be avoided. + +(14) A. H. B. asks how much weight, falling 10 feet, will be required +to produce one horse power for five hours? A. One horse power for 5 +hours = 33,000 × 300 = 9,900,000 foot pounds--so that the weight +required is 9,900,000 ÷ 10 = 990,000 lbs. + +(15) A. D. R. asks: 1. In renewing a Leclanche battery, do the zincs +have to be amalgamated? A. They are usually amalgamated. 2. Will two +cells large size Leclanche battery give any light, using the simple +lamp described in SUPPLEMENT NO. 162? A. No. + +(16) H. L. J. writes: In a recent issue of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN you +state that the floating of solid iron on melted iron is on the same +principle as the floating of ice in water. I do not quite understand +how it can be. Please explain. A. Solid iron, at an elevated +temperature, floats upon molten iron for the same reason that ice +floats upon molten ice-water--because it is specifically lighter. You +will find the subject discussed at length in Tyndall's "Heat as a Mode +of Motion." + +(17) J. W. will find full directions for canning corn, etc., on p. 394 +(4), vol. 39, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. + +(18) "Amateur" writes: I wish to make some small bells that have a +clear ring. What metal or metals can I use that I can melt easily? A. +Use an alloy of tin and antimony. See SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT +NO. 17. + +(19) H.--A nutritious mixed diet is unquestionably the best, care +being taken to avoid an excess of meat. + +(20) W. F. writes: I have made an engine, and would like to find out +what size of boiler it will require. The cylinder has 2¼ inch bore and +3 inches stroke. A. It depends upon pressure and speed to be +maintained; probably a vertical tubular boiler, 15 inches diameter, +and 32 to 36 inches high, would suit you. + +(21) R. G. (Salt Lake).--Please send full name. + +(22) J. M. G. asks: If two persons each pull one hundred pounds on +opposite ends of a rope, what will be the strain on the rope? A. The +strain on the rope will be 100 lbs. + +(23) W. M. M. asks: In laying off a mill stone in furrows, what +draught is given? What amount of the space of a stone is given to +furrows and what to grinding surface? A. There is considerable +difference in the practice of various millers, and we would be glad to +receive communications from those experienced in the art of dressing +millstones. + +MINERALS, ETC.--Specimens have been received from the following +correspondents, and examined, with the results stated: + +S. (New Orleans.)--The powder consists of a mixture of zinc oxide and +finely powdered resin. A quantitative analysis would be necessary to +determine the proportions. + +Any numbers of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT referred to in these +columns may be had at this office. Price 10 cents each. + + * * * * * + + +COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED. + + Life Preserving Stone. By J. D. W. + On Ventilation. By D. W. + What is Mental Action? By N. K. + Panama Railroad or Canal. By G. R. P. + A Problem. By K. + On the Gary Motor. By G. F. M. + Magnetic Motor. By G. W. W., W. A. A., G. H. F. + House Warming. By H. B. F. + The Injector. By M. A. B. + Columbus' Problem; Cure for Diphtheria; The Mullein + Cure for Consumption. By R. W. L. + A Visit to Tula. By L. R. + On Vacuum in Pumps and the Atwood Machine. By P. J. D. + On the Patent Bill. By R. + + * * * * * + +[OFFICIAL.] + + + + +INDEX OF INVENTIONS + +FOR WHICH + +LETTERS PATENT OF THE UNITED STATES WERE GRANTED IN THE WEEK ENDING + +February 18, 1879, + +AND EACH BEARING THAT DATE. + +[Those marked (r) are reissued patents.] + +A complete copy of any patent in the annexed list, including both the +specifications and drawings, will be furnished from this office for +one dollar. In ordering, please state the number and date of the +patent desired, and remit to Munn & Co., 37 Park Row, New York city. + + + Air heater, W. Pickhardt 212,499 + Anchor, A. F. White 212,340 + Animal trap, S. J. Bennett 212,430 + Axle box, vehicle, P. K. Hughes 212,382 + Axle, carriage, C. H. Kendall 212,387 + Axle for wagons, trussed, J. Herby 212,378 + Axle, vehicle, C. H. Kendall 212,386 + Barrel cover, C. Brinton 212,350 + Bed bottom, J. Flinn 212,451 + Bed bottom, spring, W. B. Crich 212,443 + Bedstead, sofa, A. N. Hornung 212,312 + Bedstead, wardrobe, H. P. Blackman 212,348 + Belt hook templet, E. Card 212,353 + Boot and shoe laster, L. Graf 212,460 + Boot and shoe sole polisher, etc., O. Gilmore 212,372 + Boot and shoe sole edge trimmer, C. H. Helms 212,311 + Boot fronts, cutting in, C. H. Colburn 212,357 + Boot, India-rubber, G. Watkinson (r) 8,587 + Bottle filler, W. S. Paddock 212,494 + Bread board, H. Van Doren 212,334 + Brick, shed for drying, C. H. Roselius 212,511 + Bridge gate, A. Stempel 212,329 + Broom corn tabler, G. W. Foulger 212,454 + Button F. E. Williams 212,418 + Calculator, tax, P. F. Pettibone 212,498 + Car coupling, G. R. Hamilton 212,462 + Car coupling, S. A. Haydock 212,464 + Car coupling, J. Worrall 212,529 + Car heaters, coupling for pipes of railway, J. W. Graydon 212,376 + Car heater, railway, J. W. Graydon 212,375 + Car heating pipe coupling, railway, J. W. Graydon 212,374 + Car ventilation, J. Knipscheer 212,475 + Cars, heating, J. & J. W. Russell 212,403 + Cars, supplying water to wash stands on, D. H. Jones 212,385 + Carbureter feed regulator, W. H. Reed 212,502 + Card machine burr conveyer, W. C. Bramwell 212,435 + Carpet beater, J. L. Leach 212,476 + Carriage, C. H. Palmer, Jr. 212,397 + Carriage bow, F. H. Niemann 212,491 + Carriage, child's, F. H. Way (r) 8,583 + Carriage top prop, J. P. Simpson 212,519 + Carriage canopy top, D. Gleason 212,458 + Cartridge, W. W. Hubbell 212,313 + Chair foot or leg rest, M. E. Keiran 212,474 + Chimney, locomotive engine, H. R. Walker 212,414 + Chuck, lathe, J. H. Vinton 212,413 + Churn power motion, W. F. Witherington 212,527 + Cigarette, C. C. Millaudon 212,392 + Coat, reversible, N. H. Lund 212,479 + Cock and faucet, etc., self-closing, J. Broughton 212,436 + Coffee pot, teapot, etc., stand, D. H. Murphy 212,395 + Coffee roaster, R. Davis 212,445 + Corset, W. Thomas 212,411 + Corset steel, E. M. Smith 211,520 + Dental plugger, W. G. A. Bonwill 212,434 + Door securer and combined tool, P. E. Rudel 212,512 + Door sill and carpet strip, S. M. Stewart 212,521 + Drip pan and self-oiler for bearings, R. B. Eason 212,449 + Egg cup and opener, D. H. Murphy 212,394 + End gate, wagon, W. H. Parkin 212,398 + File, bill, E. H. Owen 212,493 + Files, recutting, M. J. Murphy 212,490 + Filter, J. W. Lefferts 212,477 + Firearm, breech-loading, H. Goodman 212,459 + Firearm lock, Kaufmann & Warnant 212,473 + Fire extinguisher, D. T. Perkins 212,322 + Fires in buildings, extinguishing, C. Barnes 212,346 + Fluid motor, Chase & Bowker 212,356 + Fountain tip, H. G. Fiske 212,368 + Furnace, G. B. Field 212,366 + Game apparatus, W. T. Ebert 212,304 + Garter, etc., clasp, L. Lobenstein 212,390 + Gate, McKinley & Ellis 212,482 + Gate, G. W. Pyle 212,501 + Glassware, decorating, H. Feurhake 212,365 + Glassware shaper and finisher, Atterbury & Beck 212,421 + Glazier's tool, W. H. G. Savage 212,515 + Governor and friction brake for machinery, speed, T. A. Weston 212,337 + Grain drill, C. F. Davis (r) 8,589 + Harness breeching strap, H. Holt 212,467 + Harrow, toothless, J. W. Mulvey 212,393 + Harvester, W. A. Wood 212,528 + Harvester cutter, B. Pratt 212,323 + Harvester, grain binding, J. F. Appleby 212,420 + Harvester reel, B. Moreland 212,318 + Harvesting machine, Dutton & Tornquist 212,303 + Hat formers, web tender for, R. Eickemeyer 212,450 + Hay binder and elevator, P. H. Nichols 212,319 + Hay elevator, H. Barlow 212,427 + Hay tedder, E. J. Knowlton 212,388 + Headlights, signal for locomotive, W. Kelley (r) 8,591 + Heat regulator for furnaces, A. C. Norcross (r) 8,582 + Hoisting bucket, F. H. C. Mey 212,317 + Hoisting drums, etc., friction brake and clutch for, T. A. 212,338 + Weston + Hoisting machine, T. A. Weston 212,339 + Horse toe weight, G. C. Clausen 212,440 + Hydrant, J. Snell 212,408 + Hydrant, street, G. C. Morgan 212,486 + Hydraulic motor, W. S. Puckett 212,500 + Injector, steam boiler, G. R. Buckman 212,438 + Keg trussing machine, E. & B. Holmes 212,381 + Kettle, H. C. McLean 212,483 + Kitchen cabinet, C. A. Adams 212,343 + Lamp, J. H. Irwin 212,470 + Lamp burner, E. B. Requa 212,401 + Lamp, fountain, C. Stockmann 212,522 + Lamp shade holder, Brown & Taplin 212,437 + Lamp, street, J. Stewart 212,410 + Lamp wick, H. Halvorson 212,309 + Life preserver, T. Richards 212,402 + Life preserver, R. E. Rose 212,404 + Lock, W. E. Forster 212,452 + Lock gate, D. Risher, Jr. 212,506 + Mechanical movement, C. B. Hitchcock 212,380 + Metal tube maker, A. Ball 212,425 + Middlings separator, J. Schoonover 212,406 + Milker, cow, A. C. Baldwin 212,423 + Millstone adjustment, S. P. Walling 212,525 + Millstone curb or hoop, J. S. Detwiler 212,361 + Miter machine, J. J. Spilker 212,409 + Mop head, H. Murch 212,489 + Needle eye polisher, George & Payne 212,455 + Oil cup, F. Lunkenheimer 212,480 + Ore concentrator, E. W. Stephens 212,330 + Ore roaster, C. E. Robinson 212,508 + Oven bottom and slide, J. Jewett 212,471 + Oysters, board bank for fattening, F. Lang 212,389 + Package or box filler, Bolton & Strieby 212,349 + Paper cutter, J. M. Jones 212,384 + Paper folder, R. M. Hoe 212,466 + Paper machines, method and apparatus for producing a vacuum in 212,362 + the suction box of, Dunn & Hollister + Paper machines, wire guide for J. W. Moore 212,485 + Paper making, treating pulp stock, S. & J. Deacon 212,447 + Paper scorer and cutter, G. L. Ingram 212,314 + Paper scorer and cutter, W. F. Lodge 212,315 + Permutation lock dial screen, Corbett & Miller 212,359 + Picture exhibitor, A. L. High 212,465 + Pill machine, Fort & Moore 212,453 + Pipe wrench, S. W. Hudson 212,468 + Pipe wrench with cutter, Franklin & Gilberds 212,369 + Plant protector, E. R. Frederick 212,306 + Plants, etc., poison distributer for, G. Townsend 212,412 + Planter and drill, check row, G. J. Hyer 212,469 + Planter, corn, J. A. Roderick 212,509 + Plow, E. Walker 212,524 + Plow attachment, A. O. Bement 212,429 + Plow cutter, A. Aldrich 212,419 + Plow, sulky, J. R. Whitney 212,341 + Printer's roller, T. M. Fisher 212,367 + Printing machine, L. C. Crowell 212,444 + Pumping engine, duplex, G. F. Blake (r) 8,585 + Radiator for steam heaters, Covert & Snyder 212,360 + Railway crossing, Bernard & Perkins 212,432 + Railway switch, C. F. Gessert 212,456 + Ratchet mechanism and clutch for machinery, T. A. Weston 212,336 + Rocking chair, J. W. Hamburger 212,461 + Rotary engine, A. B. Haughey 212,463 + Rubber mat, E. L. Perry 212,497 + Sad iron holder, A. Failor 212,363 + Safety pin, I. W. Stewart (r) 8,592 + Salt cellar, W. Sellers 212,518 + Sandpaper roll, O. Gilmore 212,371 + Sash cord guide, Clarkson & Kesler (r) 8,586 + Sash fastener, J. Benson 212,431 + Sash fastener, G. W. Cary 212,354 + Sash fastener, J. B. Morris 212,487 + Saw, circular, G. Schleicher 212,516 + Saw handle, E. R. Osgood 212,396 + Saw, jig, G. W. Gary 212,355 + Saw mill, gang, H. D. & E. N. Wickes 212,526 + Saw mill head block, J. T. James 212,383 + Sawing machine, scroll, N. P. Selden 212,326 + Scales, platform, F. Fairbanks 212,364 + Scales, weighing, G. L. C. Coulon 212,300 + Scarf pins, etc., making ball heads of, J. N. Allen 212,297 + Scythe snath fastening, P. E. Rudel 212,513 + Sewer trap, J. P. Cahill 212,352 + Sewing implement, A. J. Lytle 212,481 + Sewing machine, C. O. Parmenter 212,495 + Sewing machine attachment, J. B. Sulgrove 212,523 + Sewing machine plaiter, White & Bowhannan 212,417 + Sheet metal vessel bottom, F. W. Moseley 212,484 + Shoe, Searl & Bly 212,517 + Skate, C. T. Day (r) 8,590 + Skylight, J. Friend 212,307 + Slate frame, E. Butler (r) 8,588 + Sled propeller, G. F. Shaver (r) 8,593 + Smelting furnace, iron, P. L. Weimer 212,415 + Sole edge burnisher, T. P. Young 212,342 + Spoke tenoning machine, A. J. Roberts 212,507 + Sprinkling can, G. F. Payne 212,321 + Stamp, postage and revenue, K. Wheeler 212,416 + Staple machine, W. M. Collins 212,441 + Staples in paper, etc., device for inserting metallic, G. W. 212,316 + McGill + Stave crozer and chamferer, H. H. Dunlevy 212,448 + Steak tenderer, E. Richmond 212,505 + Steam boiler, fire tube, J. Cowhig 212,301 + Steam brake for locomotives, etc., W. L. Card 212,439 + Steam piping for heating, etc., B. F. Osborne 212,420 + Steam trap, I. W. Merrill 212,391 + Stove and furnace grate, S. Smyth 212,407 + Stove, cooking, G. H. Hess 212,379 + Stove, cooking, J. Jewett 212,472 + Stove, oil, Fleming & Hamilton 212,305 + Stove oven door and shelf, C. W. Brieder 212,351 + Strainer, gravy, J. Scheider (r) 8,584 + Strap for garments, adjusting, T. O. Potter 212,400 + Street motor, J. T. Cord 212,442 + Surveying instrument leveler, G. N. Saegmuller 212,405 + Swing, J. Ryan 212,514 + Telephone apparatus, speaking, E. Gray 212,373 + Telephony, electric, Black & Rosebrugh 212,433 + Telephony, electric, A. M. Rosebrugh 212,510 + Thill coupling, D. C. Bacon 212,422 + Thill coupling, C. E. Gillespie et al. 212,308 + Thill coupling, M. F. Ten Eyck 212,333 + Thill supporter, vehicle, H. O. Rector 212,325 + Ticket, passenger, J. H. Purdy 212,324 + Tiles for use as stands, frame for holding ornamental or fancy 212,335 + pottery, C. A. Wellington + Tiles, decorative, J. G. Low 212,478 + Tiles, paving blocks, etc., composition for drain, W. H. Haight 212,377 + Tire upsetter, B. K. Taylor 212,332 + Tobacco, curing, A. P. Poladura 212,399 + Tobacco cutter, Bauer & Seitz 212,347 + Tobacco flavoring compound, D. Sternberg 212,331 + Tobacco manufacture, J. T. Harris 212,310 + Tobacco presser, F. B. Deane 212,446 + Traction engine, J. Cooper 212,358 + Truss, J. R. Alexander 212,344 + Type distributer, A. C. Richards 212,503 + Type setter, A. C. Richards 212,504 + Umbrella, M. Girbardt 212,457 + Umbrella runner, W. H. Belknap 212,428 + Undershoe or slipper, G. Gardner 212,370 + Vehicle seat lock, W. G. Allen 212,345 + Vehicle spring, M. H. Crane 212,302 + Vehicle spring bolster, J. G. Snyder 212,328 + Velocipede, E. C. F. Otto 212,492 + Wash boiler, F. J. Boyer 212,299 + Washing and bath tub, J. B O. Shevill 212,327 + Washing machine, J. W. Patterson 212,496 + Water meter diaphragm, W. B. Mounteney 212,488 + Whip holder, Curtis & Worden (r) 8,581 + Wire measurer and cutter, G. A. Baron 212,426 + Wire, winding tubes and rods with, A. Ball 212,424 + Wrench, C. B. Billings 212,298 + + * * * * * + + +TRADE MARKS. + + Boots, shoes, and brogans, W. F. Thorne & Co. 7,037 + Cigars, Sullivan & Burk 7,035 + Cigars, cigarettes, and smoking and chewing tobacco, B. Hilson 7,038 + Cotton gins, Printup, Brother & Pollard 7,042 + Fertilizers for flowers, W. H. Bowker & Co. 7,041 + Grain fans, J. Montgomery 7,032 + Hair goods for ladies' wear, M. E. Thompson 7,040 + Hoes, Semple & Birge Manufacturing Company 7,039 + Medicine for the cure of neuralgia, and the like diseases, + J. S. Nicolds 7,033 + Roofing paper, carpet paper, or paper felt, and building paper, + Watson & Janes 7,043 + Soap, Gallup & Hewitt 7,036 + Spool cotton, J. & J. Clark & Co 7,031 + Table cutlery, John Russell Cutlery Company 7,034 + + * * * * * + + +DESIGNS. + + Carpet, T. J. Stearns 11,029 + Combined sleigh bell and terret ring, H. M. Richmond 11,027 + Crocheted body for shawls, L. Howard 11,028 + Oil cloth, C. T. & V. E. Meyer 11,024 to 11,026 + Statue, A. Bartholdi 11,023 + + * * * * * + + +ENGLISH PATENTS ISSUED TO AMERICANS. + +From February 18 to February 21, inclusive. + + Bed bottoms, etc.--C. D. Flynt, Brooklyn, N. Y. + Berth.--D. Huston, Boston, Mass. + Lead smelting furnace.--G. T. Lewis, Philadelphia, Pa. + Locks.--A. P. Thomas _et al._, Baltimore, Md. + Railway joint.--P. T. Madison, Indianapolis, Ind. + Spikes for railroads.--R. Bocklen, New York city. + Ventilating buildings.--F. S. Norton, New York city. + + * * * * * + + + + +ADVERTISEMENTS. + + INSIDE PAGE, EACH INSERTION 75 CENTS A LINE. + BACK PAGE, EACH INSERTION $1.00 A LINE. + +(About eight words to a line.) + +_Engravings may head advertisements at the same rate per line, by +measurement, as the letter press. Advertisements must be received at +publication office as early as Thursday morning to appear in next +issue._ + + + * * * * * + + +A RARE OPPORTUNITY, ON EASY TERMS. + +To be sold at Auction, at Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday, the +first day of April, 1879, the Taylor Iron Works, complete and in +operation, together with all stores, stock, and work on hand on day of +sale. + +The above is a large, first-class engineering establishment, complete +within itself for all kinds of work, comprising iron and brass +foundries, boiler shop, machine shops, pattern and millwright shops, +with a large stock of patterns for local machinery, and Taylor +presses. Connected with the works is a large, well-stocked engineer +and mill supply store. All departments have the best of modern tools +in thorough repair. Buildings comparatively new, and conveniently +arranged on large grounds. The business was established 1844; has +always done a large business and maintained a high reputation. The +present works, built since 1866, have ample facilities to work 200 +men. At present about 100 men are employed. For further particulars +apply to the works or to JOHN F. TAYLOR, Sharon Springs, N. Y., who +will meet parties at Albany, N. Y., by appointment, or New York, if +preferred. + + * * * * * + + +LARGEST ASSORTMENT IN THE WORLD + +of Plays, Dramas, Comedies, Farces, Ethiopian Dramas, Plays for Ladies +only, Plays for Gentlemen only. Wigs, Beards, Moustaches, Face +Preparations, Burnt Cork, Jarley's Wax Works, Tableaux, Charades, +Pantomimes, Guides to the Stage, and for Amateurs Make up Book, Make +up Boxes, New Plays. SAM'L FRENCH & SON, 38 East 14th St., Union +Square, New York. + +CATALOGUES SENT FREE!!! + + * * * * * + + +50 _Latest Style_ CARDS. _Bouquet, Lawn, Floral,_ etc., in case, _name +in gold_, 10c. SEAVY BROS., Northford, Ct. + +[Symbol: Right index] RARE OPPORTUNITY. [Symbol: Left index] + +The proprietor, advanced in years and desirous of retiring from active +control of business, would _sell at a bargain_, or convert into a +joint stock company and retain an interest himself, a Foundry and +Machine Shops, with all their machinery and fixtures complete, and now +crowded with custom work, having cost upwards of sixty thousand +dollars, and the only ones of magnitude for 120 miles on the +Mississippi River, on various points of which may be seen specimens of +work of these shops at Stillwater, Winona, McGregor. Dubuque, Fulton, +Lyons, Clinton, Muscatine, and on many of the boats. For particulars, +address the proprietor at Clinton, Iowa. + + A. P. HOSFORD. + + * * * * * + + +FOR SALE--GEAR CUTTER. + +Been in use only eighteen months; will cut gears, both +Spur-Bevel-Miter and Spiral, from four feet to one inch in diameter. +Is complete with counter-shaft and several cutters. Machine made by +Pond, of Worcester. Index made by Browne & Sharpe. Cost $900. Will +sell for $250. + +Address J. G. STOWE, 126 Main Street, Cincinnati, O. + + * * * * * + + +THE TRIUMPH NON-CONDUCTOR + +weighs but 1½ lbs. to the square foot, and saves daily four pounds of +coal. (Asbestos saves but 2 lbs.) Price 15 cts.--5 cts. cash and 10 +cts. after satisfactory trial. Agents wanted. For circulars showing +WHY fuel is wasted and HOW 25 to 50 per cent., can be saved; also, HOW +to construct reduction works for mineral ores of half the present +weight and cost, to do three times the work with the fuel now used, +and save 98 per cent. of assay; also, the opinions of distinguished +engineers, address B. F. SMITH, New Orleans, La. + + * * * * * + + +PHOTO VISITING CARDS--Now all the rage in Paris. One dozen beautiful +gilt edged (round cornered) Cards with your name and photograph, only +60 cents; 2 dozen, $1. Full particulars and a 50-page book free. E. +NASON & CO., 111 Nassau St., New York. + + * * * * * + + +"BELL" TELEPHONES. _Any_ one can make in fifteen minutes. Send three +3c. stamps for "Where to get the Parts, Prices (Total $3.60 per pair), +and how put together." + +A. H. DAVIS, 30 Hanover St., Boston, Mass. + + * * * * * + + +CATARRH. A SURE CURE. Samples by mail, 10c. GEO. N. STODDARD, Buffalo, +N. Y. It cures others. _It will cure you_. Sample will prove. + + * * * * * + + +ANY NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES + +to buy what you want or sell or exchange what you don't want, in the +_Property Journal_. Send 5c. for copy. + +ANDERSON & CO., 252 Broadway, New York. + + * * * * * + + +NOVELTIES, NOTIONS, + +WATCHES, CHEAP JEWELRY, STATIONERY PACKAGES. + +Agents and country stores supplied. Illustrated circular _free_. J. +BRIDE & CO., Manufacturers, Salesroom, + +297 B'way, New York. Address letters to P. O. Box 2773. + + * * * * * + + +FOR UNIVERSAL LATHE DOGS, DIE DOGS, ETC., +send for circular to C. W. LE COUNT, S. Norwalk, Ct. + + * * * * * + + +ICE-HOUSE AND COLD ROOM.--BY R. G. +Hatfield. With directions for construction. Four engravings. +SUPPLEMENT NO. 59. Price, 10 cents. + + * * * * * + + +SEND FOR OUR PRICED AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUES. + +Part 1st--MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENTS, 160 pages; contains list and +prices of Drawing Instruments, Drawing Materials, Pocket Compasses, +Surveying Compasses, Engineers' Transits and Levels, Surveying Chains, +Tape Measures, Pocket Rules, and Books relating to Drawing, +Engineering, and Mechanics. + +Part 2d--OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS, 144 pages; contains list and prices of +Spectacles, Eye Glasses, Lenses, Spy Glasses, Telescopes, Opera and +Field Glasses, Graphoscopes, Stereoscopes, Camera Obscuras, Camera +Lucidas, Microscopes, Microscopic Preparations, and Books on Optics +and Microscopy. + +Part 3d--MAGIC LANTERNS AND SLIDES, 112 pages; contains list and +prices or Magic Lanterns for Toys, for Public and Private Exhibitions, +Sciopticons, Stereopticons, Scientific Lanterns, and accessory +apparatus to be used with them; Magic Lantern Slides, both colored and +uncolored. + +Part 4th--PHYSICAL INSTRUMENTS, 188 pages; contains list and prices of +Instruments to illustrate Lectures in every department of Physics and +Chemical Science, Air Pumps, Electric Machines, Galvanic Batteries, +Barometers, Thermometers, Rain Gauges, Globes, Spectroscopes, Auzoux's +Anatomical Models, and Books relating to Scientific Subjects. + +JAMES W. QUEEN & CO., +Optical and Philosophical Instrument Makers, +924 CHESTNUT ST., PHILADELPHIA. + + * * * * * + + +WOOD-WORKING MACHINERY, + +Such as Woodworth Planing, Tonguing, and Grooving Machines, Daniel's +Planers, Richardson's Patent Improved Tenon Machines, Mortising, +Moulding, and Re-Saw Machines, and Wood-Working Machinery generally. + +Manufactured by + +WITHERBY, RUGG & RICHARDSON, +26 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Mass. +(Shop formerly occupied by R. BALL & CO.) + + * * * * * + + +THE DRIVEN WELL. + +Town and County privileges for making DRIVEN WELLS and selling +Licenses under the established AMERICAN DRIVEN WELL PATENT, leased by +the year to responsible parties, by + +WM. D. ANDREWS & BRO., +NEW YORK. + + * * * * * + + +MINING MACHINERY. ENGINES. BOILERS, PUMPS, + +Coal and Ore Jigs, Dust Burning Appliances. Drawings and advice free +to customers. Jeanesville Iron Works (J. C. Haydon & Co.). Address +HOWELL GREEN, + +Supt., Jeanesville, Luzerne Co., Pa. + + * * * * * + + +IT PAYS to sell our Rubber Hand Printing Stamps. Goods delivered in +any country. Circulars free. + +G. A. HARPER & BRO., Cleveland, O. + + * * * * * + + +FOR TEN DOLLARS CASH, + +we will insert a seven-line advertisement one week in a list of 269 +weekly newspapers, or four lines in a different list of 337 papers, or +ten lines two weeks in a choice of either of four separate and +distinct lists containing from 70 to 100 papers each, or four lines +one week in all four of the same lists, or one line one week in all +six lists combined, being more than 1,000 papers. We also have lists +of papers by States, throughout the United States and Canada. Send 10 +cents for our 100 page pamphlet. Address GEO. P. ROWELL & CO., +Newspaper Advertising Bureau, 10 Spruce Street, New York. + + * * * * * + + +MACHINERY AT VERY LOW PRICES. + +2d hand Lathes, Drills, Planers, Hand Tools for Iron Work, new +Woodworth Planing Machines, Resawing, Tenoning, Moulding Machines, +Scroll Saws, Portable Steam Engine. Jos. R. Blossom, Ass'e, Matteawan, +N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +THE GEORGE PLACE MACHINERY AGENCY +Machinery of Every Description. +121 Chambers and 103 Reade Streets, New York. + + * * * * * + + +60 Chromo and Perfumed Cards [no 3 alike], Name in Gold and Jet, 10c. +CLINTON BROS., Clintonville, Ct. + + * * * * * + + +ROOF PAINTING. + +For $5, by Post Office Order or express, I will send the recipe for +making Langhorne's English Gum Coating Paint and other mineral paints, +with full instructions for roof and sidewall painting. This paint is +used by the U. S. Government. Address M. LANGHORNE, + +708 E Street, Washington, D. C. + + * * * * * + + +FOR SALE.--LETTERS PATENT OF +Wilhide's Celebrated Noiseless Self-setting Rat and Mouse Traps. +Thoroughly introduced. Traps sold by all dealers. Address Owners and +Manufacturers, + +J. T. WILHIDE & BRO., York Road, Carroll Co., Md. + + * * * * * + + +IMPORTANT FOR ALL CORPORATIONS AND MANF'G CONCERNS.--BUERK'S +WATCHMAN'S TIME DETECTOR, capable of accurately controlling the motion +of a watchman or patrolman at the different stations of his beat. Send +for circular. + +J. E. BUERK, P. O. BOX 979. BOSTON, MASS + +N. B.--The suit against Imhaeuser & Co., of New York, was decided in +my favor, June 10, 1874. A fine was assessed against them Nov. 11, +1876, for selling contrary to the order of the court. Persons buying +or using clocks infringing on my patent will be dealt with according +to law. + + * * * * * + + +SPARE THE CROTON AND SAVE THE COST. + +DRIVEN OR TUBE WELLS +furnished to large consumers of Croton and Ridgewood Water. WM. D. +ANDREWS & BRO., 414 Water St., N. Y., who control the patent for +Green's American Driven Well. + + * * * * * + + +A New and Valuable Work for the Practical Mechanic and Engineer. + +APPLETONS' + +CYCLOPÆDIA OF APPLIED MECHANICS. + +A DICTIONARY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND THE MECHANICAL ARTS. + +Illustrated by 5,000 Engravings. + +_Edited by PARK BENJAMIN, Ph.D._ + +This valuable work is now being published in semi-monthly parts, at +fifty cents each. Active agents wanted. For terms and territory +address GEO. W. DAVIS, care of D. APPLETON & CO., New York. + + * * * * * + + +CAVEATS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADE MARKS, ETC. + +Messrs. Munn & Co., in connection with the publication of the +SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, continue to examine Improvements, and to act as +Solicitors of Patents for Inventors. + +In this line of business they have had OVER THIRTY YEARS' EXPERIENCE, +and now have _unequaled facilities_ for the preparation of Patent +Drawings, Specifications, and the Prosecution of Applications for +Patents in the United States, Canada, and Foreign Countries. Messrs. +Munn & Co. also attend to the preparation of Caveats, Trade Mark +Regulations, Copyrights for Books, Labels, Reissues, Assignments, and +Reports on Infringements of Patents. All business intrusted to them is +done with special care and promptness, on very moderate terms. + +We send free of charge, on application, a pamphlet containing further +information about Patents and how to procure them; directions +concerning Trade Marks, Copyrights, Designs, Patents, Appeals, +Reissues, Infringements, Assignments, Rejected Cases, Hints on the +Sale of Patents, etc. + +_Foreign Patents_.--We also send, _free of charge_, a Synopsis of +Foreign Patent Laws, showing the cost and method of securing patents +in all the principal countries of the world. American inventors should +bear in mind that, as a general rule, any invention that is valuable +to the patentee in this country is worth equally as much in England +and some other foreign countries. Five patents--embracing Canadian, +English, German, French, and Belgian--will secure to an inventor the +exclusive monopoly to his discovery among about ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY +MILLIONS of the most intelligent people in the world. The facilities +of business and steam communication are such that patents can be +obtained abroad by our citizens almost as easily as at home. The +expense to apply for an English patent is $75; German, $100; French, +$100; Belgian, $100; Canadian, $50. + +_Copies of Patents_.--Persons desiring any patent issued from 1836 to +November 26, 1867, can be supplied with official copies at reasonable +cost, the price depending upon the extent of drawings and length of +specifications. + +Any patent issued since November 27, 1867, at which time the Patent +Office commenced printing the drawings and specifications, may be had +by remitting to this office $1. + +A copy of the claims of any patent issued since 1836 will be furnished +for $1. + +When ordering copies, please to remit for the same as above, and state +name of patentee, title of invention, and date of patent. + +A pamphlet, containing full directions for obtaining United States +patents sent free. A handsomely bound Reference Book, gilt edges, +contains 140 pages and many engravings and tables important to every +patentee and mechanic, and is a useful hand book of reference for +everybody. Price 25 cents, mailed free. + +Address + +MUNN & CO., +Publishers SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, +37 PARK ROW, NEW YORK. + +_BRANCH OFFICE--Corner of F and 7th Streets, +Washington, D. C._ + + * * * * * + + +PRACTICAL DRAUGHTSMAN'S BOOK OF +INDUSTRIAL DESIGN +AND MACHINISTS' & ENGINEERS' +DRAWING COMPANION. + +Forming a Complete Course of Mechanical, Engineering, and +Architectural Drawing. From the French of M. Armengaud the elder, +Professor of Design in Conservatoire of Arts and Industry, Paris, and +MM. Armengaud the younger, and Amoroux, Civil Engineers. Rewritten and +arranged with additional matter and plates, selections from and +examples of the most useful and generally employed mechanism of the +day. By William Johnson, Assoc. Inst. C. E. Illustrated by fifty folio +steel plates, and fifty wood cuts. A new edition, 4to....$10 + +Among the contents are: Linear Drawing, Definitions, and Problems. +Sweeps, Sections, and Mouldings, Elementary Gothic Forms, and +Rosettes. Ovals, Ellipses, Parabolas, and Volutes. Rules and Principal +Data. Study of Projections. Elementary Principles. Of Prisms and other +Solids. Rules and Practical Data. On coloring Sections, with +applications. Conventional Colors, Composition or Mixture of Colors. +Continuation of the Study of Projection--Use of Sections--details of +machinery. Simple applications--spindles, shafts, couplings, wooden +patterns. Method of constructing a wooden model or pattern of a +coupling. Elementary applications. Rules and Practical Data. + +THE INTERSECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SURFACES, WITH APPLICATIONS.--The +Intersection of Cylinders and Cones. The Delineation and Development +of Helices, Screws, and Serpentines. Application of the helix--the +construction of a staircase. The Intersection of Surfaces--applications +to stop cocks. Rules and Practical Data. + +THE STUDY AND CONSTRUCTION OF TOOTHED GEAR.--Involute, cycloid, and +epicycloid. Involute, Cycloid. External epicycloid, described by a +circle rolling about a fixed circle inside of it. Internal epicycloid. +Delineation of a rack and pinion in gear. Gearing of a worm with a +worm wheel. Cylindrical or Spur Gearing. Practical delineation of a +couple of Spur wheels. The Delineation and Construction of Wooden +Patterns for Toothed Wheels. Rules and Practical Data. + +CONTINUATION OF THE STUDY OF TOOTHED GEAR.--Design for a pair of bevel +wheels in gear. Construction of wooden patterns for a pair of bevel +wheels. Involute and Helical Teeth. Contrivances for obtaining +differential Movements. Rules and Practical Data. + +ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF SHADOWS.--Shadows of Prisms, Pyramids, and +Cylinders. Principles of Shading. Continuation of the Study of +Shadows. Tuscan Order. Rules and practical data. + +APPLICATION OF SHADOWS TO TOOTHED GEAR.--Application of Shadows to +Screws. Application of Shadow to a Boiler and its Furnace. Shading in +Black--Shading in Colors. + +THE CUTTING AND SHAPING OF MASONRY.--Rules and Practical Data. Remarks +on Machine Tools. + +THE STUDY OF MACHINERY AND SKETCHING.--Various applications and +combinations: The Sketching of Machinery. Drilling Machines; Motive +Machines; Water wheels. Construction and Setting up of water wheels. +Delineation of water wheels. Design of a water wheel. Sketch of a +water wheel. Overshot water wheels. Water Pumps; Steam Motors; +High-pressure expansive steam engine. Details of Construction; +Movements of the Distribution and Expansion Valves; Rules and +Practical Data. + +OBLIQUE PROJECTIONS. + +PARALLEL PERSPECTIVE. + +TRUE PERSPECTIVE.--Elementary principles. Applications--flour mill +driven by belts. Description of the mill. Representation of the mill +in perspective. + +EXAMPLES OF FINISHED DRAWINGS OF MACHINERY. + +[Symbol: Right index] The above, or any of our Books, sent by mail, +free of postage, at the publication price. + +Our new and enlarged CATALOGUE OF PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC BOOKS--96 +pages, 8vo.--sent free to any one who will furnish his address. + +HENRY CAREY BAIRD & CO., +INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHERS and BOOKSELLERS, +810 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. + + * * * * * + + +STEAM PUMPS. +HENRY R. WORTHINGTON, +239 Broadway, N. Y. 83 Water St., Boston. + +THE WORTHINGTON DUPLEX PUMPING ENGINES FOR WATER WORKS--Compound, +Condensing or Non-Condensing. Used in over 100 Water-Works Stations. + +STEAM PUMPS--Duplex and Single Cylinder. + +PRICE LIST ISSUED JAN. 1, 1879, WITH A REDUCTION EXCEEDING 30 PER +CENT. + +WATER METERS. OIL METERS. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Truss] + +THIS NEW +ELASTIC TRUSS + +Has a Pad differing from all others, is cup-shape, with Self-Adjusting +Ball in center, adapts itself to all positions of the body, while the +BALL in the cup PRESSES BACK the INTESTINES JUST AS A PERSON WOULD +WITH THE FINGER. With light pressure the Hernia is held securely day +and night, and a radical cure certain. It is easy, durable and cheap. +Sent by mail. Circulars free. + +EGGLESTON TRUSS CO., CHICAGO, ILL. + + * * * * * + + +THE +HANCOCK +INSPIRATOR + +TESTIMONIALS. + +OFFICE OF THE HANCOCK INSP. CO., +LONDON, ENG., Feb. 11, 1879. + +I have just received an order from the English Government for 22 +Number 15 Inspirators--making 24 machines in all for the Government +this month. + + B. H. WARREN, Agent. + + * * * * * + + + OFFICE OF H. S. MANNING & CO., 111 Liberty St., +NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 1879. + +GENTLEMEN: We have authority from Mr. Martin, Chief Engineer Union +Ferry Co., Brooklyn, to state that they have 17 Inspirators at work on +17 of their boats, feeding their main boilers, and all giving +satisfaction, and to refer any one to him. Yours truly, + + H. S. MANNING & CO., Agents. + +[Symbol: Right index] ILLUSTRATED AND DESCRIPTIVE CIRCULARS SENT ON +APPLICATION TO + +HANCOCK INSPIRATOR CO., +52 CENTRAL WHARF, +BOSTON. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Corrugated Iron] + +THIS NEW + +MOSELEY IRON BRIDGE AND +ROOF CO. +CORRUGATED IRON + +Buildings, Roofs, Shutters, Doors, Iron Sashes, Skylights, etc. + +5 Dey Street, New York. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Crusher] + +THIS NEW + +BLAKE'S STONE AND ORE BREAKER AND CRUSHER. + +For breaking hard and brittle substances to any size. Endorsed by the +leading MINING, MANUFACTURING, and RAILROAD corporations in the UNITED +STATES and FOREIGN COUNTRIES. FIRST PREMIUM wherever exhibited, and +hundreds of testimonials of the _highest character_. + +A NEW SIZE FOR PROSPECTING AND LABORATORY USE. + +[Symbol: Right index] ALL STONE CRUSHERS not made or licensed by us, +containing vibratory convergent jaws actuated by a revolving shaft and +fly-wheel, are infringements on our patent, and makers and users of +such will be held accountable. Address + + BLAKE CRUSHER CO., NEW HAVEN, CONN. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: RIVAL STEAM PUMPS. + $35. and UPWARDS + JOHN McGOWAN & Co. + CINCINNATI, OHIO. ] + + * * * * * + + +PULMOCURA +AN ABSOLUTE AND UNFAILING REMEDY FOR +CONSUMPTION + +and all other diseases of the LUNGS AND THROAT. Mailed free on receipt +of $1. A. A. MARTIN, Pulmocura Man'f'g Co., sole depot for the U. S., +60 East 12th St., cor. Broadway, New York. + + * * * * * + + +Soft, Strong, +and Smooth +Iron or Brass +CASTINGS +Plain, Galvanized, +Bronzed or Nickled +to order promptly. + +Also patterns and models. Light work a specialty. + +LIVINGSTON & CO., Iron Founders, Pittsburg, Pa. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Horse Shoe] + +NEW STEEL HORSE SHOE + +With Level Spring Platform--Continuous Calk. The best in the world. +Cures Tender and Contracted Feet, Corns, Interfering, Quarter-crack +Lameness, and all evils resulting from the use of the common shoe. +Responsible men can make money selling this Shoe. Send for pamphlet. +Trial set with nails, $1.00. To measure, place foot on paper, and draw +pencil around. + +The JOHN D. BILLINGS PATENT +HORSE SHOE COMPANY +265 Broadway, New York. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Steel Stamps. + N.Y. STENCIL WORKS, 87 Nassau St., N.Y.] + + * * * * * + + +LAP WELDED CHARCOAL IRON + +Boiler Tubes, Steam Pipe, Light and Heavy Forgings, Engines, Boilers, +Cotton Presses, Rolling Mill and Blast Furnace Work. + +READING IRON WORKS, +261 SOUTH FOURTH ST., PHILA. + + * * * * * + + +PHOSPHOR-BRONZE +BEARINGS, +PUMP-RODS, +AND +SPRING WIRE. + +[Illustration: Phosphor-bronze] + +Apply to +THE PHOSPHOR-BRONZE SMELTING CO., Limited, +2038 Washington Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. + + * * * * * + + +LATHES, PLANERS, SHAPERS + +Drills, Bolt and Gear Cutters, Milling Machines. Special Machinery. E. +GOULD & EBERHARDT, Newark, N. J. + + * * * * * + + +THE BEST STEAM PUMP in AMERICA +THE DEANE +Made by HOLYOKE MACHINE CO. + +More than 4500 in use. + +Send for reduced Price List. +Deane Steam Pump Works +85 LIBERTY ST., + NEW YORK. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Gear Wheels] + +Small Tools of all kinds; GEAR WHEELS, parts of MODELS, and materials +of all kinds. Catalogues free. + +GOODNOW & WIGHTMAN, 176 Wash'n St., Boston, Mass. + + * * * * * + + +FINE PAMPHLETS printed for 75c. A PAGE per 1,000. 1,000 Fine 9×12 +Circulars, $2.50. Price list or estimate and samples for stamp. 250 +Bill Heads, $1. + +"LOCAL" PRINTING HOUSE, Silver Creek, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +$77 a Month and expenses guaranteed to Agents. +Outfit free. SHAW & CO., AUGUSTA, MAINE. + + * * * * * + + +LEFFEL WATER WHEELS. + +[Illustration: Water Wheel] + +With recent improvements. + +PRICES GREATLY REDUCED. + +7000 in successful operation. + +FINE NEW PAMPHLET FOR 1877 + +Sent free to those interested + +JAMES LEFFEL & CO., + Springfield, O. + +109 Liberty St., N. Y. City. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Medal] + + Paris, 1878 + Australia, 1877 + Phila., 1876 + Santiago, 1875 + Vienna, 1873 + +J. A. FAY & CO'S +WOOD WORKING MACHINERY + +was awarded at the Paris Exposition over all competitors THE GOLD +MEDAL OF HONOR. Also highest award at Phila., Santiago, Australia, and +Vienna. It is + +ORIGINAL IN DESIGN, SIMPLE IN CONSTRUCTION, +PERFECT IN WORKMANSHIP, SAVES LABOR, +ECONOMIZES LUMBER, AND INCREASES +PRODUCTS OF THE HIGHEST STANDARD +OF EXCELLENCE. + +Railroad, Furniture, and Agricultural Implement Shops, Planing Mills, +etc., equipped at short notice, and the lowest cash prices. Send for +Circulars. + +J. A. FAY & CO., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. + + * * * * * + + +L. F. STANDISH & CO., +SCREW MANUFACTURERS, +Builders of Small Machinery and Fine Tools. + 26 Artisan St., New Haven, Ct. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Emery Wheel.] + +Emery Wheel. + +NEW YORK BELTING AND PACKING COMP'Y. + +The Oldest and Largest Manufacturers of the Original + +SOLID VULCANITE +EMERY WHEELS. + +All other kinds Imitations and Inferior. Our name is stamped in full +upon all our standard BELTING, PACKING, and HOSE. + +Address NEW YORK BELTING AND PACKING CO., + NEW YORK. + +JOHN H. CHEEVER, Treas. + + * * * * * + + +THE SEVENTH +CINCINNATI +INDUSTRIAL +EXPOSITION + +Opens for the reception of goods AUGUST 20TH. + +Opens to the public SEPTEMBER 10TH, and continues open until OCTOBER +11TH, in the + +NEW PERMANENT BUILDINGS +ERECTED FOR THE PURPOSE. + +Machinery Tested and Fully Reported upon. + +Send for Rules and Premium Lists after April 1. + + H. McCOLLUM, Sec'y. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Amalgamating.] + +THE FORSTER-FIRMIN +GOLD AND SILVER +AMALGAMATING COMP'Y + +of Norristown, Pa., will grant state rights or licenses or easy terms. +This system works up to assay, and recovers the mercury rapidly. + +Apply as above. + + * * * * * + + +THOMAS'S CONCENTRATED DYE +Stuffs. (138 Recipes SENT GRATIS.) (See SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN +SUPPLEMENT, March 15, '79.) Address + + N. SPENCER THOMAS, Elmira, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Rotary Pressure Blower.] + +BAKER ROTARY PRESSURE BLOWER. +(FORCED BLAST) + +Warranted superior to any other. + +WILBRAHAM BROS. +2318 Frankford Ave. + PHILADELPHIA + + * * * * * + + +"THE 1876 INJECTOR." + +Simple, Durable, and Reliable. Requires no special valves. Send for +illustrated circular. + + WM. SELLERS & CO., Phila. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Cold Rolled Shafting.] + +The fact that this shafting has 75 per cent. greater strength, a finer +finish, and is truer to gauge, than any other in use renders it +undoubtedly the most economical. We are also the sole manufacturers of +the CELEBRATED COLLINS' PAT. COUPLING, and furnish Pulleys, Hangers, +etc., of the most approved styles. Price list mailed on application to + + JONES & LAUGHLINS, +Try Street, 2d and 3d Avenues, Pittsburgh, Pa. +190 S. Canal Street, Chicago, Ill., and Milwaukee. Wis. + +[Right index] Stocks of this shafting in store and for sale by + +FULLER, DANA & FITZ, Boston, Mass. +Geo. Place Machinery Agency, 121 Chambers St., N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +VEGETABLE AND FLOWER SEEDS + +WE SELL EVERYTHING FOR THE GARDEN + +Descriptive Catalogues of 175 pages sent Free + +PETER HENDERSON & CO. +_35 Cortlandt St., New York._ +FLOWER AND FRUIT PLANTS + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Engraving.] + +L. SMITH HOBART, President. JOHN C. MOSS, Superintendent. + +TYPE-METAL RELIEF PLATES. +A SUPERIOR SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD-CUTS +AT MUCH LOWER PRICES. + +Persons desiring illustrations for Books, Newspapers, Catalogues, +Advertisements, or for any other purposes, can have their work done by +us promptly and in the best style. + +OUR RELIEF PLATES are engraved by photo-chemical means; are mounted on +blocks type-high ready for use on any ordinary press, and will wear +longer than the common stereotype plates. + +They have a perfectly smooth printing surface, and the lines are _as +deep, as even,_ and _as sharp_ as they could possibly be cut by hand. + +ELECTROTYPES may be made from them in the same manner as from +wood-cuts. + +COPY. The engraving is done either from prints or pen-drawings. Almost +all kinds of prints can be re-engraved directly from the copy, +provided they be in _clear, black lines_ or stipple, and on _white_ or +only slightly tinted paper. + +Pen drawings, suitable for engraving by us, must be made with +_thoroughly_ BLACK ink, on _smooth, white_ paper. They should usually +be made twice the length and twice the width of the plates desired. + +When such drawings cannot be furnished us, we can produce them from +photographs, pencil sketches, or designs of any kind accompanied with +proper instructions. Photographs taken in the usual way, and of any +convenient size, we can use. + +CHANGE OF SIZE.--Wood-cut prints of the coarser kind may often be +reduced to half their lineal dimensions, while others will admit of +very little reduction, and some of none at all. + +Most lithographic and steel-plate prints will admit of no reduction. + +Very fine prints of any kind may be _enlarged_ moderately without +detriment. + +Any prints which cannot be satisfactorily reduced or enlarged may be +_redrawn_ and thus brought to any desired size. + +In all cases of reduction and enlargement, the relative proportions +remain unchanged. + +PROOFS.--Whenever desired, we will furnish tintype proofs of the +drawings made by us, for approval or correction, before engraving. A +printed proof is furnished with each plate. + +TIME.--We cannot usually engage to fill an order for a single plate in +less than from three to six days; larger orders will require longer +time. + +ESTIMATES will be promptly furnished when desired. That these may be +definite and correct, the copy to be used--whether print, photograph, +sketch, or drawing--should always be submitted for our examination, +together with a distinct statement of the size of plate wanted, and of +any other details to be observed. + +TERMS.--To insure attention, all orders must be accompanied by an +advance of half the price charged, the balance to be paid on delivery. + +ELECTROTYPING AND PRINTING.--We have recently added to our +establishment excellent facilities for making electrotypes, and also +three power presses specially fitted for printing plates of all sizes +in the finest manner. + +ARTIFICIAL LIGHT.--We have just introduced this most important +facility, which enables us to prosecute our work _in cloudy weather_, +and to push forward hurried orders _in the night_. + +REFERENCES.--Our plates are now used by the principal publishers in +this city, and by most of the leading houses in every State in the +Union. + +OUR GENERAL CIRCULAR contains a few specimens of the various kinds of +our work, and will be sent on receipt of stamp. We have just prepared +five special circulars, as follows: + + No. 1. Portraits and Figures. + No. 2. Buildings and Landscapes. + No. 3. Machinery and Apparatus. + No. 4. Maps, Autographs, and Ornamental Lettering. + No. 5. Reproductions from Wood-Cuts, Steel-Plate Prints, and + Lithographs. + +These will be furnished at _ten cents_ each. + + * * * * * + + +ADVERTISEMENTS. + +INSIDE PAGE, EACH INSERTION--75 CENTS A LINE +BACK PAGE, EACH INSERTION--$1.00 A LINE. + +(About eight words to a line.) + +_Engravings may head advertisements at the same rate per line, by +measurement, as the letter press. Advertisements must be received at +publication office as early as Thursday morning to appear in next +issue._ + +ADJUSTABLE INCLINE PRESSES. + +STILES & PARKER PRESS CO., Middletown, Conn. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Illustrated Guide.] + +136 pages beautifully illustrated, mailed to all applicants inclosing +10 cents. Regular customers free. + +BLISS' ILLUSTRATED AMATEUR'S GUIDE to the FLOWER and KITCHEN GARDEN, +with colored chromo; 216 pages, price 35 CENTS. + +Address +B. K. BLISS & SONS, +P. O. Box 4129, New York City. + + * * * * * + + +TO LARGE CONSUMERS OF FINE LIGHT MALLEABLE IRON CASTINGS, we can offer +special inducements in the way of VERY SUPERIOR QUALITY GUARANTEED, +and at fair prices. Being ourselves large consumers and requiring the +most perfect castings, other work is insured the same attention. + +MALLORY, WHEELER & CO., +NEW HAVEN, CONN. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Lawn Mower.] + +THE PHILADELPHIA LAWN MOWER +_Stands_ "_Head of the Class._" Descriptive Circulars and Price Lists +sent on application. GRAHAM, EMLEM & PASSMORE, Patentees and +Manufacturers, 631 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa. + + * * * * * + + +SHAFTING PULLEYS, HANGERS, ETC. +a specialty. Send for Price List to +A. & F. BROWN, 57-61 Lewis Street, New York. + + * * * * * + + +AIR COMPRESSORS, +HOISTING ENGINES and OTHER +MINING MACHINERY; +MANUFACTURED BY +GRIFFITH & WEDGE. ZANESVILLE, OHIO. + + * * * * * + + +MILL STONES AND CORN MILLS. + +We make Burr Millstones, Portable Mills, Smut Machines, Packers, Mill +Picks, Water Wheels, Pulleys, and Gearing, specially adapted to Flour +Mills. Send for catalogue. + + J. T. NOYE & SON, BUFFALO, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +HOW TO SELL PATENTS.--This little book fully explains how all patents +can be sold for good prices. Price 25 cents. L. D. SNOOK, Barrington, +Yates Co., N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +POND'S TOOLS, + +Engine Lathes, Planers, Drills, &c., + +DAVID W. POND, Worcester, Mass. + + * * * * * + + +EDMUND DRAPER, +Manufacturer of First-class Engineers' Instruments. +Established in 1830. 226 Pear St., Phila., Pa. + + * * * * * + + +J. LLOYD HAIGH, + +Manufacturer of + +[Illustration: Wire Rope.] + +every description, for Railroad and Mining Use, Elevators, Derricks, +Rope Tramways, Transmission of Power, etc. No. 81 John St., N. Y. Send +for price list. Plans and Estimates furnished for Suspension Bridges. + + * * * * * + + +THE DINGEE & CONARD CO'S +BEAUTIFUL EVER-BLOOMING +ROSES +THE BEST IN THE WORLD. + +OUR GREAT SPECIALTY is _growing_ and _distributing_ these BEAUTIFUL +ROSES. _We deliver_ STRONG POT PLANTS, suitable for _immediate_ bloom, +_safely by mail_ at all post-offices. 5 SPLENDID VARIETIES, _your +choice_, all labeled, for $1; 12 for $2; 19 for $3; 26 for $4; 35 for +$5; 75 for $10; 100 for $13. + +[Symbol: Right index] Send for our NEW GUIDE TO ROSE CULTURE--60 pages, +elegantly illustrated--and _choose_ from over FIVE HUNDRED FINEST +SORTS. Address + +THE DINGEE & CONARD CO., +ROSE GROWERS, WEST GROVE, CHESTER CO., PA. + + * * * * * + + +HOW TO SELL PATENTS. + +We send our 100 page book of instruction, containing valuable +information, free. + +Send us your address. GEO. C. TRACY & CO., Cleveland, O. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: NO MORE + RHEUMATISM + OR GOUT + ACUTE OR CHRONIC + SALICYLICA + SURE CURE.] + +Manufactured only under the above Trade-Mark, by the + +EUROPEAN SALICYLIC MEDICINE CO., +OF PARIS AND LEIPZIG. + +IMMEDIATE RELIEF WARRANTED. PERMANENT CURE GUARANTEED. Now exclusively +used by all celebrated Physicians of Europe and America, becoming a +Staple, Harmless, and Reliable Remedy on both continents. The Highest +Medical Academy of Paris report 95 cures out of 100 cases within three +days. Secret--The only dissolver of the poisonous Uric Acid which +exists in the Blood of Rheumatic and Gouty Patients. $1.00 a Box; 6 +Boxes for $5.00. Sent to any address on receipt of price. ENDORSED BY +PHYSICIANS. SOLD BY ALL DRUGGISTS. Address + +WASHBURNE & CO., +ONLY IMPORTERS' DEPOT. 212 BROADWAY, COR. +FULTON ST., NEW YORK. + + * * * * * + + +19TH ANNUAL STATEMENT OF THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY OF THE U. S. + +HENRY B. HYDE, PRESIDENT. + +FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1878. + + + AMOUNT OF LEDGER ASSETS, JAN. 1, 1878 $32,477,991.87 + Less Depreciation in Government Bonds, and + Appropriation to meet any depreciation in + other assets 369,553.27 + -------- + 32,108,438.60 + INCOME 8,217,943.24 + -------- + $40,326,381.84 + +DISBURSEMENTS. + + Paid Policy Holders for Claims by Death, + Dividends, Surrender Values, Discounted + and Matured Endowments and Annuities 4,935,171.43 + Other Disbursements as per extended + statement 1,195,841.88 + -------- + NET CASH ASSETS, December 31, 1878 $34,195,368.53 + +ASSETS. + + Bonds and Mortgages $12,437,584.93 + Real Estate 6,834,904.96 + United States Stocks 5,638,768.54 + State, City, and other Stocks authorized by + the Laws of the State 6,201,978.16 + Loans secured by United States and other + Stocks 928,000.00 + Cash and other Ledger Assets as per extended + statement 2,154,131.94 + ------------- + $34,195,368.53 + Market Value of Stocks over Cost 129,796.41 + Accrued Interest, Rents, and Premiums, as + per extended statement 1,128,927.42 + ------------- + TOTAL ASSETS, DEC. 31, 1878 $35,454,092.36 + + TOTAL LIABILITIES, including legal reserve + for reinsurance of all existing policies 28,560,268.00 + ------------- + TOTAL UNDIVIDED SURPLUS $6,893,824.36 + ------------- + + +RISKS ASSUMED IN 1878, 6,115 POLICIES, ASSURING $21,440,213.00 + +N. B.--For the details of the above statement, see the Society's +"Circular to Policy Holders," and other publications for 1879. + + JAMES W. ALEXANDER, VICE-PRESIDENT. + E. W. SCOTT, Superintendent of Agencies. + SAMUEL BORROWE, SECRETARY. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Bolt Cutters.] + +BOLT CUTTERS. + +Send for Catalogue of Schlenker's Automatic Bolt Cutters and Screw +Cutting Machines. + +HOWARD IRON WORKS, BUFFALO, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +BIG PAY to sell our Rubber Printing Stamps. Samples free. Taylor Bros. +& Co., Cleveland, O. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: LA CAISSE + GENERALE + OF + PARIS, FRANCE.] + +FIRE INSURANCE EXCLUSIVELY. + + PAID UP CAPITAL $1,458,007.78 + NET SURPLUS, DEC. 31, 1876 530,056.86 + CASH ASSETS IN U. S. JAN. 1, 1878 427,881.28 + NET ASSETS IN U. S. JAN. 1, 1878 220,000.00 + +TRUSTEES IN NEW YORK: + + LOUIS DE COMEAU, ESQ., of De Rham & Co. + CHAS. COUDERT, JR., ESQ., of Coudert Bros. + CHAS. RENAULD, ESQ., of Renauld, Francois & Co. + JULIEN LE CESNE, RESIDENT SECRETARY. + T. J. TEMPLE, MANAGER FOR THE MIDDLE STATES. + +_WESTERN UNION BUILDING, N. Y._ + + * * * * * + + +THE +ECLIPSE ENGINE + +[Illustration: Eclipse Engine.] + +Furnishes steam power for all _Agricultural_ purposes, _Driving Saw +Mills_, and for every use where a first-class and economical Engine is +required. Eleven first-class premiums awarded, including Centennial, +'76. Refer to No. 7, issue of '77, No. 14, issue of '78, of SCIENTIFIC +AMERICAN, for Editorial illustrations. + + FRICK & CO., Waynesboro, Franklin Co., Pa. + +When you write please name this paper. + + * * * * * + + +THE CAMERON STEAM PUMP, + +Also known as the "SPECIAL" PUMP, is the standard of excellence at +home and abroad. For Price Lists, address CAMERON PUMP WORKS, + +Foot East 23d Street, New York. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Foot Lathe.] + +SHEPARD'S CELEBRATED +$50 Screw Cutting Foot Lathe. + +Foot and Power Lathes, Drill Presses, Scrolls, Circular and Band Saws, +Saw Attachments, Chucks, Mandrels, Twist Drills, Dogs, Calipers, etc. +Send for catalogue of outfits for amateurs or artisans. + +H. L. SHEPARD & CO., +333, 335, & 337 West Front Street, + CINCINNATI, OHIO. + + * * * * * + + +Established 1844. +JOSEPH C. TODD, + +ENGINEER and MACHINIST. Flax, Hemp, Jute, Rope, Oakum and Bagging +Machinery, Steam Engines, Boilers, etc. I also manufacture Baxter's +New Portable Engine of 1877. Can be seen in operation at my store. A +one horse-power portable engine, complete, $125; two horse-power, +$225; two and a half horse-power, $250; three horse-power, $275. +Manufactured exclusively by + +J. C. TODD, +10 BARCLAY ST., NEW YORK, OR PATERSON, N. J. + +Send for Catalogue + + * * * * * + + +STEEL CASTINGS, + +From ¼; to 10,000 lbs. weight, true to pattern, sound and solid, of +unequaled strength, toughness and durability. An invaluable substitute +for forgings or cast-iron requiring three-fold strength. Send for +circular & price list. + +CHESTER STEEL CASTINGS CO., Evelina St., Phila, Pa. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: STEEL WIRE OF EVERY DESCRIPTION + & STEEL SPRINGS. + CARY & MOEN + 234 W. 29. ST. + NEW YORK CITY] + + * * * * * + + +SHAFTS, PULLEYS, HANGERS, ETC. +Full assortment in store for immediate delivery. +WM. SELLERS & CO., + 79 LIBERTY STREET, NEW YORK. + + * * * * * + + +THE LEHIGH VALLEY EMERY WHEEL CO., +WEISSPORT, Carbon Co., Pa. + +Manufacturers of Wheels and Machines. + + * * * * * + + +CENTENNIAL AND PARIS MEDALS. +MASON'S FRICTION CLUTCHES AND ELEVATORS. +"New and Improved Patterns." 20 per cent. off list. +VOLNEY W. MASON & CO., Providence, R. I., U.S.A. + + * * * * * + + +RUFFNER & DUNN, PATENTEES + +and Sole Manufacturers of the Excelsior Steel Tube Cleaners. Price +$1.00 per inch. Send for circular. + +SCHUYLKILL FALLS, PHILA., PA. + + * * * * * + + +WOODWORTH SURFACE PLANERS, $125. Planers and Matchers, $350. S. C. +HILLS, 78 Chambers Street, New York. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Columbia Bicycle.] + +THE COLUMBIA BICYCLE, +Made by THE POPE M'F'G CO., +89 Summer Street, Boston. + +A practical road machine, easy to learn to ride, and when mastered one +can beat the best horse in a day's run over an ordinary road. Send 3c. +stamp for price list and 24-page catalogue with full informat'n. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Bradford Mill Company Cin. O.] + +BRADFORD MILL CO. +Successors to Jas. Bradford & Co., +MANUFACTURERS OF +FRENCH BUHR MILLSTONES, +PORTABLE CORN & FLOUR MILLS, +SMU MACHINES, ETC. + +Also, dealers in Bolting Cloths and General Mill Furnishings. + +Office & Factory, 158 W. 2d St. +CINCINNATI, O. +J. R. Stewart, _Pres._ W. R. Dunlap, _Sec._ + +[Symbol: Right index] PRICE LISTS SENT ON APPLICATION. + + * * * * * + + +SECOND-HAND BOILERS AND MACHINERY FOR SALE.--Boilers from 30 to 70 +horse power, 15-horse power portable Engine, one 60-inch Lathe, two +Upright Drills, Blowers, etc., etc. For prices, etc., address JAMES F. +MANN, Utica, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +WETHERILL & BROTHER, +PHILADELPHIA. +PURE WHITE LEAD + + * * * * * + + +ROCK DRILLS. +NATIONAL DRILL AND COMPRESSOR CO., +95 LIBERTY ST., NEW YORK. +AIR COMPRESSORS to be run by Steam, Water Power, or Belt. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Foot Power.] + +BARNES' FOOT POWER MACHINERY. + +13 Different machines with which Builders, Cabinet Makers, Wagon +Makers, and Jobbers in miscellaneous work can compete as to QUALITY +AND PRICE with steam power manufacturing; also Amateurs' supplies. +MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL. + +Say where you read this, and send for catalogue and prices. + +W. F. & JOHN BARNES, +Rockford, Winnebago Co., Ill. + + * * * * * + + +NAT'L BOLT & PIPE MACHINERY CO., + +Mfrs. of Hand and Power Bolt and Pipe Cutters, Bolt Pointers, Bolt +Headers, Hot and Cold Pressed Nut Machinery, Taps and Dies, etc. Send +for Cir. Cleveland, O. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: ELEVATORS + HAND POWER AND HYDRAULIC + FREIGHT AND PASSENGER + SHAFTING PULLEYS & HANGERS + S. GRAVES & SON ROCHESTER N.Y.] + + * * * * * + + +BOILER COVERINGS. +WITH THE "AIR SPACE" IMPROVEMENTS. +THE CHALMERS-SPENCE CO., FOOT E. 9TH ST., NEW YORK. Sole owners of the +Air Space Patents. + + * * * * * + + +THE TANITE CO., +STROUDSBURG, PA. +EMERY WHEELS AND GRINDERS. +LONDON--9 St. Andrews St., Holborn Viaduct, E. C. +LIVERPOOL--42 The Temple, Dale St. +GEO. PLACE, 121 Chambers St., New York Agent. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: ROCK DRILLING MACHINES + AND + AIR COMPRESSORS + MANUFACTURED BY BURLEIGH ROCK DRILL CO + FITCHBURG MASS. + SEND FOR PAMPHLET.] + + * * * * * + + +PATENTS AT AUCTION. + +Regular Monthly Sales. For terms, address N. Y. +PATENT EXCHANGE, 67 Liberty Street, New York. + + * * * * * + + +HOLLY'S IMPROVED WATER WORKS. + +Direct Pumping Plan. Combines, with other advantages, over older +systems, the following: 1. Secures by variable pressure a more +reliable water supply for all purposes. 2. Less cost for construction. +3. Less cost for maintenance. 4. Less cost for daily supply by the use +of Holly's Improved Pumping Machinery. 5. Affords the best fire +protection in the world. 6. Largely reduces insurance risks and +premiums. 7. Dispenses with fire engines, in whole or in part. 8. +Reduces fire department expenses. For information by descriptive +pamphlet, or otherwise, address the + + HOLLY MANUFACTURING CO., Lockport, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +EVERY MAN +HIS OWN +PRINTER. + +[Illustration: The Excelsior.] + +THE EXCELSIOR + +$3 PRESS + +Prints labels, cards etc. (Self-inker $5) 9 Larger sizes For business, +pleasure, young or old Catalogue of Presses, Type, Etc., for 2 stamps. + +KELSEY & Co. +MERIDEN, CONN. + + * * * * * + + +PYROMETERS. For showing heat of ovens. Hot Blast Pipes, Boiler Flues, +Superheated Steam, Oil Stills, etc. + +HENRY W. BULKLEY, Sole Manufacturer, +149 Broadway, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +MACHINISTS' TOOLS. + +NEW AND IMPROVED PATTERNS. +Send for new illustrated catalogue. + +Lathes, Planers, Drills, &c. + +NEW HAVEN MANUFACTURING CO., + NEW HAVEN, CONN. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Sanitary Closet.] + +HERMETICAL SANITARY CLOSET +GUARANTEED ABSOLUTELY WATER & GAS TIGHT +SEND FOR CIRCULAR +JOHN S. LENG, 4 FLETCHER ST. N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +CIGAR BOX LUMBER, +MANUFACTURED by our NEW PATENT PROCESS. + +THE BEST IN THE WORLD. +SPANISH CEDAR, +MAHOGANY, +POPLAR. + +Also thin lumber of all other kinds, 1/8 to 1/2 in., at corresponding +prices. All qualities. Equal in all respects to any made, and at +prices much under any to be obtained outside of our establishment. +Send for price list. + +GEO. W. READ & CO., + 186 TO 200 LEWIS STREET, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +BOGARDUS' PATENT UNIVERSAL ECCENTRIC MILLS--For grinding Bones, Ores, +Sand, Old Crucibles, Fire Clay, Guanos, Oil Cake, Feed, Corn, Corn and +Cob, Tobacco, Snuff, Sugar, Salts, Roots, Spices, Coffee, Cocoanut, +Flaxseed, Asbestos, Mica, etc., and whatever cannot be ground by other +mills. Also for Paints, Printers' Inks, Paste Blacking, etc. JOHN W. +THOMSON, successor to JAMES BOGARDUS, corner of White and Elm Sts., +New York. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: Watson Pump.] + +THE WATSON PUMP, FOR ARTESIAN, OR DEEPWELL +PUMPING, PISTON ROD, PLUNGER & WELL +ROD IN DIRECT LINE MACHINE SIMPLE, EFFICIENT. +JAMES WATSON. 1608. S. FRONT ST. PHILA. + + * * * * * + + +FARM LAW. ADDRESS OF HON. EDMUND H. BENNETT, delivered before the +Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. This is an essay embracing +complete and practical information, valuable not only to the farmer +but to every one. Showing how to Buy a Farm: Bargains that are not +Binding; Boundaries, and where they are in Streams, Ponds, Lakes, or +on the Seashore; what a Deed of a Farm includes; Rights in the Road. +Farm Fences: their Legal Height, etc. Railway Fences. Stray cattle; +Cattle on Railways; Impounding Cattle. The Farmer's Liability for his +Animals. The Law on the Dog. The Farmer not Liable for his Dogs. Water +Rights and Drainage; Damming; Diverting the Course of a Stream. +Surface Water; Underground Water. Trespassing, in Summer and in +Winter. Hunting and Fishing. Fruit Trees on Boundary Lines, etc., etc. +Contained in SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT 166. Price 10 cents. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: WROUGHT IRON. + BEAMS & GIRDERS] + +THE UNION IRON MILLS. Pittsburgh, Pa., Manufacturers of improved +wrought iron Beams and Girders (patented). + +The great fall which has taken place in the prices of Iron, and +especially in Beams used in the construction of FIRE PROOF BUILDINGS, +induces us to call the special attention of Engineers, Architects, and +Builders to the undoubted advantages of now erecting Fire Proof +structures; and by reference to pages 52 & 54 of our Book of +Sections--which will be sent on application to those contemplating the +erection of fire proof buildings--THE COST CAN BE ACCURATELY +CALCULATED, the cost of Insurance avoided, and the serious losses and +interruption to business caused by fire; these and like considerations +fully justify any additional first cost. It is believed, that, were +owners fully aware of the small difference which now exists between +the use of Wood and Iron, in many cases the latter would be adopted. +We shall be pleased to furnish estimates for all the Beams complete, +for any specific structure, so that the difference in cost may at once +be ascertained. Address + + CARNEGIE, BROS. & CO., Pittsburgh, Pa. + + * * * * * + + +ICE AT $1.00 PER TON. +The PICTET ARTIFICIAL ICE CO., +LIMITED, +Room 51, Coal and Iron Exchange, P. O. Box 3083, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration: H. W. JOHNS' + ASBESTOS] + +LIQUID PAINTS, ROOFING, BOILER COVERINGS, Steam Packing, Sheathings, +Fire Proof Coatings, Cements, &c. SEND FOR DESCRIPTIVE PRICE LIST. + +H. W. JOHNS M'F'G CO. 87 MAIDEN LANE, N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +$10 TO $1000 Invested in Wall St. Stocks makes fortunes every month. +Books sent free explaining everything. + +Address BAXTER & CO., Bankers, 17 Wall St., N. Y. + + * * * * * + + +The "Scientific American" is printed with CHAS. ENEU JOHNSON & CO.'S +INK. Tenth and Lombard Sts., Philadelphia, and 59 Gold St., New York. + + * * * * * + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: + +[Symbol: right Index] and [Symbol: Left index] are used where the text +had a picture of a hand with the index finger pointing right or left, +respectively. + +Table of Contents: Article named "Buffalo, the domestication of" page +197 was not included in the original. + +Table of Contents: Article named "Steamship, ocean, large" page 196 +was not included in the original. + +Table of Contents: Article named "Specimen, a rare geological" page +196 was not included in the Table of Contents. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Scientific American, Volume 40, No. +13, March 29, 1879, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, VOLUME *** + +***** This file should be named 18866-8.txt or 18866-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/8/6/18866/ + +Produced by Leonard D Johnson, Juliet Sutherland and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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