Volume 29 (1874) (428 pages)

August 15, 1374.] MINING AND. SCIENTIFIC PRESS. 89 MECHANICAL ‘PROGRESS Writing Machine. A medal has besn given by ths Emperor of Austria to Rev. Malleny Hanson for an ingen10a8 apparatns known as ‘'ths writing ball,”’ which is described as follows: Ths instrament coarists of a half sphers of gun metal, plerced with radial apertnres to the number of 62, all converging tothe csnter. The half-sphere rests on a frame firmly fixsd to a bed plate, Each of ths holes in ths balf sphcre or balt has a piston gronnd off horizentally at its bottom, npon which is engraved a letter or fignrs. Whsn a pieton has heen pressed in, a spiral spriag rulses it when it has been rsleased, Thee platons, when pressed down, impinge npon a level writing plate, which can be moved throngh the center of tho writing ball. This tahle has fonr wheela rnnning upon rails, which rails again are fixsd to another movablo frame. The plans of the movement of the lower frame inat right angles to that of the npper one, Upon the writing table is arranged a kind of tympan to hold a shest of white paper hy ite edges. Upontho whits paper is laid a sheet of carbonized paper. On pressing one of ths koohs ths lower end of ths piston impresses a type on the paper; the knob then tonches the apring under it, whsreby electrical coutact is established. The pistons corresponding to the letter tn be printed are depressed in their order, and the letters appear on the paper ina lino vertical to the operator. Speed is considorably augmented by the arrangement of the knobs or pistons into groups, eaeily covered by tho whole of ths 10 fingers. After some practice the pistous can be workod at the rate of 10 per second, or three or flve times quioker than ordinary writing with a pen. All kinde of paper can be employed, and of any thickness, hy means of a vertical adjustment of the writing’ ball. If 10 layers of thin paper are employed, with interposed layers of carhonized paper, all 10 pieces receive tho eame impreesion. By passing these 10 impressions with interposed tissue paper throngh rollers, douhle’ the number of copies are obtained, Diver's Outfit. Reports of experiments made in England, to test o new apparatus, are at hand. Hitherto an insaperable difficulty has heen experienced hy divers, in being unahle to communicate verbally with the attendants above, the principle nsnally adopted by divcra being to give preconstructed eignals by so many pulls on a signal line, This, however, appears to have been at length overoome. In the trials jnet completed in Chatham harbor, an experienced diver equipped in an improved diving apparatns, made the descent, and dnring the whole time he was nnder water was enabled by means of the new apparatns to conyerse freely with thoee above, every word spoken by him heing distinctly heard ond understood. It ie stated that the invention wonld be further improved npon, so as to facilitate ita use in all diving operations connected with the harhor works, and for laying stone blocks, ete., in oounection with subaqueous operations, The diver signals the atteudant, who places his ear to a small cone at the top of the tube, whence a message can be dietinetly heard. The diver has the apparatas completely under his control, and hy placing his mouth to the mouthpiece, inside the helmet, and then turning a cock on the ontside, oan communicate iustantly with the attendant. The apparatus can, it is stated, be easily app ied to any description of d:ying dress. The valne of the invention will he readily understood and appreciated by every One interested in the scieuce of diving, from the simple fact of the great confidence a diver will gain from beiug in his isolated position enabled to epeak directly to those in whose hands his life for the time heing is literally placed. Microsoor1o.—The World of Wonder records the following: In the twentieth year of Queen Elizabeth, a blacksmith, named Mark Scaliot, made a lock consisting of eleven pieces of irou, steel and brass, al! of which, together with 8 key, weighed but one grain. He also made a chain of gold, consisting of 43 links, and having fastened to this the hefore mentioned lock and key, he pnt the chain ahont the neck of a flea which drew them all with ease. All these together—lock and key, chain and flea—weighed only one grain and a half. OsWaldus Nothingerus, who was more famous than Scaliot for his minnte contrivances, is said to have made 1,600 dishes of tnrned ivory, all.pertect and complete in every part, yet so small, thin and slender, that all of them were inelnded in a oup turned out of a peppercorn of the common size, Jobnnes Shad, of Meiteband, carried this wonderful work with him to Rome, and showed it to Pope Paul Y., who saw and connted them all by tbe help of a pair of epectacles. They were so small ag to be almoat invisible to the eye, Tus Federation Artistique says that a Venetian founder, named Giordini, has discovered a new process of chafing by the operation of which and at a eingle flow of the liqnid metal, not only large statues, hut groups of the most elaborate complexity, can at once be produced, and with so fine a finish that no supplemental chiseling is required . é . What is the Best Rail ? Atths recent meeting of the Association of Civil Engineers, the committec on the ‘*Mannfactnrs of Rails," reperted that the English system of rails, which requires great strength, is not applicahie to this oonntry, where endurancs is the ohisf rsqnisite. Streagth is the first consideration whers ths wear {3 heavy; bnt where the wear is light, ths raila should ba as light as is safe. The greatest amount of metal shonld bs at tha head of the rail, whers there is mors wear; and ths thsory that a hsad 234 inches wids will sndure mors than one 3 inches wide, is erroneous. Low, wids rails are better than high, narrow ones, with the present heavy machinsry. Rails might be made more rigid if ths foandation wers better and thers wers no frest; but, as it ie, a moderately floxible rail is best. A square rail wonld he too flexible, and those with a stem and basc ars much better. It would be advisable to pnt G0 percent. of the mstal in the head were it not for the fact that a double-headed rail wears ont fast. The average wear of an iron rail is eqnal toa pressnre of 4,000,C00 tons dead weight, or 10, 060,000 tons gross weight. The stone ballast of the American roads has been too large; and ona good road a rail would last fully 25 pez cent. longer than on a bad one. In cold weather tho metal is more brittls thau in summer; coneequently the hreakage of rails in winter is greater in proportion. In ths absences of definits figures as to the comparativo value of iron and steel, the committee were of the opinion that a steelrail was 20 per cent. better than a good iron rail, 40 per cent, better than a fair iron rail, and 100 per ceut. snperior to the ordinary rail used on many roads. Masts or Inon.—An exchange, in speaking of tho oonetrnction of the new P.M.S.S. ‘City of Peking,’’ dwells particnlarly upon the masts: These, three in number, are of iron, 138 feetin length, with a diameter from eight to thirty-six inches. They are formed of heavy rolled plate iron, and their constrnction was a work of difficulty, patience and labor. About 50 men were engagod actively in their completion, some of whom were obliged to work iuside. There is barely room for a man inside, and his progress through the iron tunnel was analogous to ascending a tight chimney, with all the advantages in favor of the sweep, inasmuch as the latter can keep his head perpendicnlar, while the workers mnst lie horizontally, and that, although sheds were erected over the masta, water poured on to keep them cool, and air introduced by pipes, the men could not remain iu their iron prison honse more than fifteen minutes. A New Dovagze Sair.—Some years ago there were employed between New York and Brooklyn, a set of steam ferry boats having double hulls, propelled by a paddle wheel placed in the middle, between the hulls, The two vessela were conpled’ together by strong beams, and covered by a hroad deck. Recently, in England, they have launched a new ferry boat, built on the above general plan, iutended to ply across the English channel. At present they run very small boats, and passengers are greatly troubled with sea sickness. The new boat has two hulls, each 17 feet wide and 290 feet long, separated 26 feet, and nnited by a deck or superstructure G0 feet wide and 183 feet long. This makes a broad and comfortable boat for passengers. She will be propelled by a central wheel, with engines of great power. Each hull has a rudder at the bow and steru, making tour rudders in all,— Exchange. Burick-maxine Macuine.— An Englieb exchange, Jron, speaks of a brick-making machine which compresses 1,500 bricks per hour, bnt which is capable of producing, if required, a mneh greater quantity. Ona rovolving horizontal table are fixed eix dies fer compressing the clay. On one side of the table stands a man who fills each die with clay, and a msn on the other side removee the clay after it has been compressed. Each die is fitted with a hinged lid and a sliding bottom, and as the table revolves the die passes under a fixed plate which compresses the clay. The clay ig delivered in a column down an incline from the png-mill, and is cnt into blocks of the required size by avery simple apparatus worked hy a man who fills the dies, Rexovatina Stone Fronts By A Jet or Steam. Hanover church, London, whicb bad heecome incrusted with a thiok mass of hlack smoke, has been restored to its natural color without tooling or druggiug the snrface of the stoue. A workman, whose head and hinds were sheatbed in a protective covering, directed the nozzle of a pipe connécted by tnbing with a hoiler on the pavement below. Ata pressure of 56 pounds to the square inch, the wet steam, aseisted hy the action of wire-and bair brushes, was fonnd effective. At first, strong lyes were nsed, in the form of a wash previous to applying the jet, hut they were fonnd nnneceysary, and wero soon abandoned. A New life-saving invention has recently appeared in Paris, in the shape of a durable garInent, which covers the entire body. It is made of rubber, and is provided with a flexible tnbe, which hae’ a mouthpiece. By’ blowing into the latter, thu personin danger inflates the garment, which baoys him up when in the water. : i Tue firet vessels constructed of iron were built for the cauals of Great Britain. There is extant a publiehed drawing of one, dated July 28th, 1787, and a description writtenin Birmingham, England. ‘ ScienTiFIc (Progress. } Sun Spots. In the cnurss of a lecturs,ou ths snn, Mr. Proctor state that it bad been fonnd that ths spots gradually incroase and diminish in number until they disappear, and ths period duriag which they thus waxed ond waned was 11 years. Afterthat it wae noticed that ths magnetic inflnences of the sarth waxed and waned inintensity. The magnetio needle was exposed during the courss of svery day to the swaying motion hy which it sesmed to try to fellow tha snu—a very slight infinence indsed. That change nnderwent variation, sometimes greater and sometimss less, aud it was resolved to watch that progress and the period in which it tcok place, and ths result showed that in a period of eleven years that slight swaying of ths magnetic nesdle nnderwent a ohange, and that change corresponded with the nnmber of spots npon the sun. Whsn the spots on the sun were most numerous it ewayed greatest; and when they were not sonnmerons it swayed less. There is an intimate connection bstween the spots and condition of ths sun and these seemingly terrestrial infinences, The subject had been receiving much attention, and snddenly, in the year 1859, on the surface of ths sun a bright spot mads its appearance, and it was found that the magnetic needle at Kew had made certain ohanges. The whole surface of the earth had been affected by magnetic tremhles, and everything proved that the snn had at that moment spread magnetic influences not alone over the earth, bnt over the entire planeta, A new hond of harmony had been found within the solar system. What were these aurfaces in the snn; were they clonds, were they mountains in the moon, or ruddy mountains of flames? During the eclipse of 1868 that qnestion was anewered, and it was fonnd that they were no mountnins, nor clonds, nor flames, but a mags of glowing hydrogen. This discovery was made by the spectroscope. Expanston.—Prof. Guthrie saya: As arnie, gases expand more than liquids and liqnids more than solids for the same increase of temperature, and so, according to the well-known law of mechanics, we should expect to find the force of exparsion of solids greater than that of gases. Accordingly the force exercised by expanding solids is almost irresistible. Iron rods are bent or snapped when their centers are pulled by contracting metals, A semi-solid mass, as of glass, suddenly cooled, becomes brittle, A drop of hot glass cocled in water becomes solid and rigid on its outside; then the inside cools and shrinks so that the whole, when cool, is in a condition of internal strain or unstable equilibrinm. Disturbed in one place, the whole crumbles to pieces in its endeavor to assume the proper size due to its temperature, The process of annealing depends npon the so gradu1l cooling of a soft body that the parts get to their proper distances, The bursting of pipes in winter time proves two things: first, that ice is lighterthan water; and second, that ice is almost incompressible. Water frozen in a bomb-shell two inches thick will burst it. i Combustion is a chemical process, consisting usnally in a combination of one of the elements of our atmosphere (the oxygén) with the fuel. Tbe main substance of fnel, especially when it is coal, is carbon, and the chemical eqnivalent of this, 12, oombines with 2 chemical cquiyalents, 2x16, or 32 parts by weight of oxygen, which ie equal to 2% parts of oxygen for every part of carbon. A ponnd of coal requires thus 234 ponnds of oxygen for its perfect combustion; as now 1 pound of this gas under ordinary atmospheric pressnre occupies a space of some 12 or 13 oubio feet, or 2% pounds of oxygen a space of 34 oubic feet, which in the air is dilutod with four timee this amount of nitrogen, it reqnires five times this quantity, or not less than some 170 oubio feet of fresh common air to furnish the oxygen required; it is therefore necessary to pass 170 cubic feet of air through the furnace grate in order to secure the perfect combustion of every pound of coal. If lese air is passed, the combnstion is retarded or imperfect; while an excess of air cools the furnace, and is thus conducive of loss. This shows why the regulation of a proper draft is of so great importance. — Manufacturer and Builder. Pyroxitu.—A fuel, burning without smoke, needing no attention after lighting, and said to he ekpecially adapted to heating railway carriages, has heen patented. It consists of a mixture of pniverized charcoal or coal with some material affording oxygen when heated, as nitrate or chlorate of potash, etc. Some cementing subetance, such as gum, starch, or water glass, is employed to form into oakes, which are compressed and dricd at a gentle heat, A speciai anparatus has also heen devised for its combustion, New Mrat Paxrservina Puocrss. — M. Sacc has obtained excellent resnlts by nsing acetate of soda in powdered form. The meat is placed in a barre] and the acetate placed in, when it is left for 48 honrs., Thus prepared, the meat, it is said, will keep for any length of time, and. may be prepared for cooking by soaking for 12 hours in water, to every quart of which a quarter of an onnce of sal’ ammoniac is added. New Method of Lighting Gas. A foreign exchange says a novelty in gaslighting apparatus has been teated on the strset lights of Preston, England, with satisfactory results. The apparatus is described as résembling a small globular inkstand of glass, surmonnted by a tnbe nf ths sams material, with a metallic top; and by screwing off ths burner itean be very easily attached to any lamp, ohandslier pipe, or ordinary gas jet. Ths base or glohniar portion is fillsd with a deep rad colered liquid—a simpls chemical mixture with no combustibls properties, almost without smell, and sn cheap that threepenny worth of it will servs ous lamp for twelvs months. Over this liqnid, and within ths glass tnbe, there is a plate of zinc, with a piece of graphits or gas coal, and hetween these and n thin coiled platinnm wire, fixed over the cap of ths gsneral vessel, into which a gas burner is inssrted, galvanle communication is obtained. Ignition is effected in the following way: A pipe, to hs sorewed to that np which the ordinary gas supply flows, runs through the baes of the vossel to abont the center of the snrmonnting tnbe; pressure bronght to hear npon the gas in this pipe causes, by small collateral openings; a simgnitaneons depression upon ths chemical solution which occnpies a lower level in two side tubes; the gas ocoupies ths vacnum cansed by the displaced liqnid, and theu ascende toa chamber in connection with the hnrner, while the displaced liquid ie pressed into two side tubes, effecting contact with the zinc and graphite, generating galvanic activity, whioh ia communicated to the platinum wire, and exciting the catalytic power of the wire, which, when exposed to the ascending jet of gas, results in immediate, almost instantaneous ignition. The mechanism is of the simpleat oonstroction, and can be applied to any kind or nnmber of gas pipes, either remote from or proximate to the works, to street as well as to office or shop lamps, and the light cau he extingnished as quickly as it can be ignited. CurMistry on THE Sraot.—The papera tell us that a new sensation is to be introdnced on the stage. Au actress fixes a dose of pcison for her rival; then in a French fit of virtue and remorse, gnips the dose herself, directly has a pain, a worse one, & pang, a cramp, and finally couvnisions, during which her face, neck and arms go through the ohanging hnes of white to gray, gray to purple, and purplctohlack; when she very properly dies, This is accomplished by the applicatioa of some wash to the skin, and the turning on at the proper moment of some vapor or gas, whiob acts upon the chemical property of the cosmetio worn. The effect is startling and very sensational. A well-known actress from another theater fainted at the first performance of this death and its variegated complexion. It is not difficnlt to perform, however. The cosmetics contain biemnth or lead, and the floor or pillow npon which ber head rests is sprinkled witha solution of snlphoreited hydrogen. Niraogen ann Pxaxts.—Iu a notice of Deherains work on agrioultnra] chemistry, recently published, the important question ia raised— In what form is nitrogen aseimilated by vlauts? Kuhlmann maintains that nitrates are uot taken np until reduction has taken place, and their nitrogen has entered into an ammonical combination. On the other haud, Cloez holds that ammonical salts are inactive till their mtrogeu has passed into a nitro-componnd. Neitber of these views has as yet been demonstrated. M. Deherain combats the view of M. Ville that plants can nssimilate directly the free nitrogen of the atmosphere; but he bolds that in soils containing decomposing organio matter, the nitrogen of the air forms ammonia in the ahsence of oxygen. Carbonic acid is formed and nascent hydrogen unites with the atmoepherio nitrogen to form ammonia.—Chemical News. ‘Fossizs or THE Deparren.—A German inventor, Dr. Von Steinfels, seems to have hit a happy medinm for disporing of the dead, whioh is at least free from the objections urged against burial, while it does no violence to the feelings which naturally shrink from destroying hy fire the corpse of a beloved friend. It is proposed to place the body in n sarcophagus made of stoue, and to pack aronnd the corpse artificial stone or cement in a plastic state. The latter being allowed to harden, the remains become like a, fossil embedded in the solid rock, and, if need be, the deceased finds his grave and bigs monnment inoneand the same mags —Seientific American, M. Anyeronat has devieed an ingenious apparatus which shows that an electrio current will not pass equally well in two directions. Two glaes tubes are connected together at the ends by arched pieces, and in one the points of a nnmber of small glase pipes are turned in the opposite direction from those in the other tube, The cnrrent instantly passes through the tube in which the pcints are apex toward the negative poles. The tubes are filled with hydrogen, showing the oscillation of the luminons zones with great clearuess. Tux discovery of alcohol in organic liquids is often of great difficalty, owiug to the emall mantity of liquid which the chemist has at his acne, and the absence of any distinguishing test. a Ren Conorina Maren or tuz Broon.—M. Béchamp has isolated the red: coloring matter of blood, which shows the preseuce of iron.

August 15, 1374.] MINING AND. SCIENTIFIC PRESS. 89 MECHANICAL ‘PROGRESS Writing Machine. A medal has besn given by ths Emperor of Austria to Rev. Malleny Hanson for an ingen10a8 apparatns known as ‘'ths writing ball,”’ which is described as follows: Ths instrament coarists of a half sphers of gun metal, plerced with radial apertnres to the number of 62, all converging tothe csnter. The half-sphere rests on a frame firmly fixsd to a bed plate, Each of ths holes in ths balf sphcre or balt has a piston gronnd off horizentally at its bottom, npon which is engraved a letter or fignrs. Whsn a pieton has heen pressed in, a spiral spriag rulses it when it has been rsleased, Thee platons, when pressed down, impinge npon a level writing plate, which can be moved throngh the center of tho writing ball. This tahle has fonr wheela rnnning upon rails, which rails again are fixsd to another movablo frame. The plans of the movement of the lower frame inat right angles to that of the npper one, Upon the writing table is arranged a kind of tympan to hold a shest of white paper hy ite edges. Upontho whits paper is laid a sheet of carbonized paper. On pressing one of ths koohs ths lower end of ths piston impresses a type on the paper; the knob then tonches the apring under it, whsreby electrical coutact is established. The pistons corresponding to the letter tn be printed are depressed in their order, and the letters appear on the paper ina lino vertical to the operator. Speed is considorably augmented by the arrangement of the knobs or pistons into groups, eaeily covered by tho whole of ths 10 fingers. After some practice the pistous can be workod at the rate of 10 per second, or three or flve times quioker than ordinary writing with a pen. All kinde of paper can be employed, and of any thickness, hy means of a vertical adjustment of the writing’ ball. If 10 layers of thin paper are employed, with interposed layers of carhonized paper, all 10 pieces receive tho eame impreesion. By passing these 10 impressions with interposed tissue paper throngh rollers, douhle’ the number of copies are obtained, Diver's Outfit. Reports of experiments made in England, to test o new apparatus, are at hand. Hitherto an insaperable difficulty has heen experienced hy divers, in being unahle to communicate verbally with the attendants above, the principle nsnally adopted by divcra being to give preconstructed eignals by so many pulls on a signal line, This, however, appears to have been at length overoome. In the trials jnet completed in Chatham harbor, an experienced diver equipped in an improved diving apparatns, made the descent, and dnring the whole time he was nnder water was enabled by means of the new apparatns to conyerse freely with thoee above, every word spoken by him heing distinctly heard ond understood. It ie stated that the invention wonld be further improved npon, so as to facilitate ita use in all diving operations connected with the harhor works, and for laying stone blocks, ete., in oounection with subaqueous operations, The diver signals the atteudant, who places his ear to a small cone at the top of the tube, whence a message can be dietinetly heard. The diver has the apparatas completely under his control, and hy placing his mouth to the mouthpiece, inside the helmet, and then turning a cock on the ontside, oan communicate iustantly with the attendant. The apparatus can, it is stated, be easily app ied to any description of d:ying dress. The valne of the invention will he readily understood and appreciated by every One interested in the scieuce of diving, from the simple fact of the great confidence a diver will gain from beiug in his isolated position enabled to epeak directly to those in whose hands his life for the time heing is literally placed. Microsoor1o.—The World of Wonder records the following: In the twentieth year of Queen Elizabeth, a blacksmith, named Mark Scaliot, made a lock consisting of eleven pieces of irou, steel and brass, al! of which, together with 8 key, weighed but one grain. He also made a chain of gold, consisting of 43 links, and having fastened to this the hefore mentioned lock and key, he pnt the chain ahont the neck of a flea which drew them all with ease. All these together—lock and key, chain and flea—weighed only one grain and a half. OsWaldus Nothingerus, who was more famous than Scaliot for his minnte contrivances, is said to have made 1,600 dishes of tnrned ivory, all.pertect and complete in every part, yet so small, thin and slender, that all of them were inelnded in a oup turned out of a peppercorn of the common size, Jobnnes Shad, of Meiteband, carried this wonderful work with him to Rome, and showed it to Pope Paul Y., who saw and connted them all by tbe help of a pair of epectacles. They were so small ag to be almoat invisible to the eye, Tus Federation Artistique says that a Venetian founder, named Giordini, has discovered a new process of chafing by the operation of which and at a eingle flow of the liqnid metal, not only large statues, hut groups of the most elaborate complexity, can at once be produced, and with so fine a finish that no supplemental chiseling is required . é . What is the Best Rail ? Atths recent meeting of the Association of Civil Engineers, the committec on the ‘*Mannfactnrs of Rails," reperted that the English system of rails, which requires great strength, is not applicahie to this oonntry, where endurancs is the ohisf rsqnisite. Streagth is the first consideration whers ths wear {3 heavy; bnt where the wear is light, ths raila should ba as light as is safe. The greatest amount of metal shonld bs at tha head of the rail, whers there is mors wear; and ths thsory that a hsad 234 inches wids will sndure mors than one 3 inches wide, is erroneous. Low, wids rails are better than high, narrow ones, with the present heavy machinsry. Rails might be made more rigid if ths foandation wers better and thers wers no frest; but, as it ie, a moderately floxible rail is best. A square rail wonld he too flexible, and those with a stem and basc ars much better. It would be advisable to pnt G0 percent. of the mstal in the head were it not for the fact that a double-headed rail wears ont fast. The average wear of an iron rail is eqnal toa pressnre of 4,000,C00 tons dead weight, or 10, 060,000 tons gross weight. The stone ballast of the American roads has been too large; and ona good road a rail would last fully 25 pez cent. longer than on a bad one. In cold weather tho metal is more brittls thau in summer; coneequently the hreakage of rails in winter is greater in proportion. In ths absences of definits figures as to the comparativo value of iron and steel, the committee were of the opinion that a steelrail was 20 per cent. better than a good iron rail, 40 per cent, better than a fair iron rail, and 100 per ceut. snperior to the ordinary rail used on many roads. Masts or Inon.—An exchange, in speaking of tho oonetrnction of the new P.M.S.S. ‘City of Peking,’’ dwells particnlarly upon the masts: These, three in number, are of iron, 138 feetin length, with a diameter from eight to thirty-six inches. They are formed of heavy rolled plate iron, and their constrnction was a work of difficulty, patience and labor. About 50 men were engagod actively in their completion, some of whom were obliged to work iuside. There is barely room for a man inside, and his progress through the iron tunnel was analogous to ascending a tight chimney, with all the advantages in favor of the sweep, inasmuch as the latter can keep his head perpendicnlar, while the workers mnst lie horizontally, and that, although sheds were erected over the masta, water poured on to keep them cool, and air introduced by pipes, the men could not remain iu their iron prison honse more than fifteen minutes. A New Dovagze Sair.—Some years ago there were employed between New York and Brooklyn, a set of steam ferry boats having double hulls, propelled by a paddle wheel placed in the middle, between the hulls, The two vessela were conpled’ together by strong beams, and covered by a hroad deck. Recently, in England, they have launched a new ferry boat, built on the above general plan, iutended to ply across the English channel. At present they run very small boats, and passengers are greatly troubled with sea sickness. The new boat has two hulls, each 17 feet wide and 290 feet long, separated 26 feet, and nnited by a deck or superstructure G0 feet wide and 183 feet long. This makes a broad and comfortable boat for passengers. She will be propelled by a central wheel, with engines of great power. Each hull has a rudder at the bow and steru, making tour rudders in all,— Exchange. Burick-maxine Macuine.— An Englieb exchange, Jron, speaks of a brick-making machine which compresses 1,500 bricks per hour, bnt which is capable of producing, if required, a mneh greater quantity. Ona rovolving horizontal table are fixed eix dies fer compressing the clay. On one side of the table stands a man who fills each die with clay, and a msn on the other side removee the clay after it has been compressed. Each die is fitted with a hinged lid and a sliding bottom, and as the table revolves the die passes under a fixed plate which compresses the clay. The clay ig delivered in a column down an incline from the png-mill, and is cnt into blocks of the required size by avery simple apparatus worked hy a man who fills the dies, Rexovatina Stone Fronts By A Jet or Steam. Hanover church, London, whicb bad heecome incrusted with a thiok mass of hlack smoke, has been restored to its natural color without tooling or druggiug the snrface of the stoue. A workman, whose head and hinds were sheatbed in a protective covering, directed the nozzle of a pipe connécted by tnbing with a hoiler on the pavement below. Ata pressure of 56 pounds to the square inch, the wet steam, aseisted hy the action of wire-and bair brushes, was fonnd effective. At first, strong lyes were nsed, in the form of a wash previous to applying the jet, hut they were fonnd nnneceysary, and wero soon abandoned. A New life-saving invention has recently appeared in Paris, in the shape of a durable garInent, which covers the entire body. It is made of rubber, and is provided with a flexible tnbe, which hae’ a mouthpiece. By’ blowing into the latter, thu personin danger inflates

the garment, which baoys him up when in the water. : i Tue firet vessels constructed of iron were built for the cauals of Great Britain. There is extant a publiehed drawing of one, dated July 28th, 1787, and a description writtenin Birmingham, England. ‘ ScienTiFIc (Progress. } Sun Spots. In the cnurss of a lecturs,ou ths snn, Mr. Proctor state that it bad been fonnd that ths spots gradually incroase and diminish in number until they disappear, and ths period duriag which they thus waxed ond waned was 11 years. Afterthat it wae noticed that ths magnetic inflnences of the sarth waxed and waned inintensity. The magnetio needle was exposed during the courss of svery day to the swaying motion hy which it sesmed to try to fellow tha snu—a very slight infinence indsed. That change nnderwent variation, sometimes greater and sometimss less, aud it was resolved to watch that progress and the period in which it tcok place, and ths result showed that in a period of eleven years that slight swaying of ths magnetic nesdle nnderwent a ohange, and that change corresponded with the nnmber of spots npon the sun. Whsn the spots on the sun were most numerous it ewayed greatest; and when they were not sonnmerons it swayed less. There is an intimate connection bstween the spots and condition of ths sun and these seemingly terrestrial infinences, The subject had been receiving much attention, and snddenly, in the year 1859, on the surface of ths sun a bright spot mads its appearance, and it was found that the magnetic needle at Kew had made certain ohanges. The whole surface of the earth had been affected by magnetic tremhles, and everything proved that the snn had at that moment spread magnetic influences not alone over the earth, bnt over the entire planeta, A new hond of harmony had been found within the solar system. What were these aurfaces in the snn; were they clonds, were they mountains in the moon, or ruddy mountains of flames? During the eclipse of 1868 that qnestion was anewered, and it was fonnd that they were no mountnins, nor clonds, nor flames, but a mags of glowing hydrogen. This discovery was made by the spectroscope. Expanston.—Prof. Guthrie saya: As arnie, gases expand more than liquids and liqnids more than solids for the same increase of temperature, and so, according to the well-known law of mechanics, we should expect to find the force of exparsion of solids greater than that of gases. Accordingly the force exercised by expanding solids is almost irresistible. Iron rods are bent or snapped when their centers are pulled by contracting metals, A semi-solid mass, as of glass, suddenly cooled, becomes brittle, A drop of hot glass cocled in water becomes solid and rigid on its outside; then the inside cools and shrinks so that the whole, when cool, is in a condition of internal strain or unstable equilibrinm. Disturbed in one place, the whole crumbles to pieces in its endeavor to assume the proper size due to its temperature, The process of annealing depends npon the so gradu1l cooling of a soft body that the parts get to their proper distances, The bursting of pipes in winter time proves two things: first, that ice is lighterthan water; and second, that ice is almost incompressible. Water frozen in a bomb-shell two inches thick will burst it. i Combustion is a chemical process, consisting usnally in a combination of one of the elements of our atmosphere (the oxygén) with the fuel. Tbe main substance of fnel, especially when it is coal, is carbon, and the chemical eqnivalent of this, 12, oombines with 2 chemical cquiyalents, 2x16, or 32 parts by weight of oxygen, which ie equal to 2% parts of oxygen for every part of carbon. A ponnd of coal requires thus 234 ponnds of oxygen for its perfect combustion; as now 1 pound of this gas under ordinary atmospheric pressnre occupies a space of some 12 or 13 oubio feet, or 2% pounds of oxygen a space of 34 oubic feet, which in the air is dilutod with four timee this amount of nitrogen, it reqnires five times this quantity, or not less than some 170 oubio feet of fresh common air to furnish the oxygen required; it is therefore necessary to pass 170 cubic feet of air through the furnace grate in order to secure the perfect combustion of every pound of coal. If lese air is passed, the combnstion is retarded or imperfect; while an excess of air cools the furnace, and is thus conducive of loss. This shows why the regulation of a proper draft is of so great importance. — Manufacturer and Builder. Pyroxitu.—A fuel, burning without smoke, needing no attention after lighting, and said to he ekpecially adapted to heating railway carriages, has heen patented. It consists of a mixture of pniverized charcoal or coal with some material affording oxygen when heated, as nitrate or chlorate of potash, etc. Some cementing subetance, such as gum, starch, or water glass, is employed to form into oakes, which are compressed and dricd at a gentle heat, A speciai anparatus has also heen devised for its combustion, New Mrat Paxrservina Puocrss. — M. Sacc has obtained excellent resnlts by nsing acetate of soda in powdered form. The meat is placed in a barre] and the acetate placed in, when it is left for 48 honrs., Thus prepared, the meat, it is said, will keep for any length of time, and. may be prepared for cooking by soaking for 12 hours in water, to every quart of which a quarter of an onnce of sal’ ammoniac is added. New Method of Lighting Gas. A foreign exchange says a novelty in gaslighting apparatus has been teated on the strset lights of Preston, England, with satisfactory results. The apparatus is described as résembling a small globular inkstand of glass, surmonnted by a tnbe nf ths sams material, with a metallic top; and by screwing off ths burner itean be very easily attached to any lamp, ohandslier pipe, or ordinary gas jet. Ths base or glohniar portion is fillsd with a deep rad colered liquid—a simpls chemical mixture with no combustibls properties, almost without smell, and sn cheap that threepenny worth of it will servs ous lamp for twelvs months. Over this liqnid, and within ths glass tnbe, there is a plate of zinc, with a piece of graphits or gas coal, and hetween these and n thin coiled platinnm wire, fixed over the cap of ths gsneral vessel, into which a gas burner is inssrted, galvanle communication is obtained. Ignition is effected in the following way: A pipe, to hs sorewed to that np which the ordinary gas supply flows, runs through the baes of the vossel to abont the center of the snrmonnting tnbe; pressure bronght to hear npon the gas in this pipe causes, by small collateral openings; a simgnitaneons depression upon ths chemical solution which occnpies a lower level in two side tubes; the gas ocoupies ths vacnum cansed by the displaced liqnid, and theu ascende toa chamber in connection with the hnrner, while the displaced liquid ie pressed into two side tubes, effecting contact with the zinc and graphite, generating galvanic activity, whioh ia communicated to the platinum wire, and exciting the catalytic power of the wire, which, when exposed to the ascending jet of gas, results in immediate, almost instantaneous ignition. The mechanism is of the simpleat oonstroction, and can be applied to any kind or nnmber of gas pipes, either remote from or proximate to the works, to street as well as to office or shop lamps, and the light cau he extingnished as quickly as it can be ignited. CurMistry on THE Sraot.—The papera tell us that a new sensation is to be introdnced on the stage. Au actress fixes a dose of pcison for her rival; then in a French fit of virtue and remorse, gnips the dose herself, directly has a pain, a worse one, & pang, a cramp, and finally couvnisions, during which her face, neck and arms go through the ohanging hnes of white to gray, gray to purple, and purplctohlack; when she very properly dies, This is accomplished by the applicatioa of some wash to the skin, and the turning on at the proper moment of some vapor or gas, whiob acts upon the chemical property of the cosmetio worn. The effect is startling and very sensational. A well-known actress from another theater fainted at the first performance of this death and its variegated complexion. It is not difficnlt to perform, however. The cosmetics contain biemnth or lead, and the floor or pillow npon which ber head rests is sprinkled witha solution of snlphoreited hydrogen. Niraogen ann Pxaxts.—Iu a notice of Deherains work on agrioultnra] chemistry, recently published, the important question ia raised— In what form is nitrogen aseimilated by vlauts? Kuhlmann maintains that nitrates are uot taken np until reduction has taken place, and their nitrogen has entered into an ammonical combination. On the other haud, Cloez holds that ammonical salts are inactive till their mtrogeu has passed into a nitro-componnd. Neitber of these views has as yet been demonstrated. M. Deherain combats the view of M. Ville that plants can nssimilate directly the free nitrogen of the atmosphere; but he bolds that in soils containing decomposing organio matter, the nitrogen of the air forms ammonia in the ahsence of oxygen. Carbonic acid is formed and nascent hydrogen unites with the atmoepherio nitrogen to form ammonia.—Chemical News. ‘Fossizs or THE Deparren.—A German inventor, Dr. Von Steinfels, seems to have hit a happy medinm for disporing of the dead, whioh is at least free from the objections urged against burial, while it does no violence to the feelings which naturally shrink from destroying hy fire the corpse of a beloved friend. It is proposed to place the body in n sarcophagus made of stoue, and to pack aronnd the corpse artificial stone or cement in a plastic state. The latter being allowed to harden, the remains become like a, fossil embedded in the solid rock, and, if need be, the deceased finds his grave and bigs monnment inoneand the same mags —Seientific American, M. Anyeronat has devieed an ingenious apparatus which shows that an electrio current will not pass equally well in two directions. Two glaes tubes are connected together at the ends by arched pieces, and in one the points of a nnmber of small glase pipes are turned in the opposite direction from those in the other tube, The cnrrent instantly passes through the tube in which the pcints are apex toward the negative poles. The tubes are filled with hydrogen, showing the oscillation of the luminons zones with great clearuess. Tux discovery of alcohol in organic liquids is often of great difficalty, owiug to the emall mantity of liquid which the chemist has at his acne, and the absence of any distinguishing test. a Ren Conorina Maren or tuz Broon.—M. Béchamp has isolated the red: coloring matter of blood, which shows the preseuce of iron.