Volume 29 (1874) (428 pages)

An Illustrated Jour nal of M RY DEWEY «& CoO., Patent Solicitors, SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1874, VOLUME XXIX Number 2 improved Water-Wheel and Pressure Regulator. The accompavying illuetration represents an improvemeut in water-wheels and pressare regulators, recently patented hy J. E. Le Blanc, of Gold Hill, Nevada, throngh the patent agency conaected with this oftice. The improvement cousista in eo coastracting and moanting a water-wheel, and connecting it with the waterreservoir from which the water-preesure is ohtained, that the same hydroetatic presenre can he maintained when the flow of water which snpplies the reservoir is reduced as when it ie abnadant, thns obtaining a greater per cent. of power from tbe water than if the water-preesure were allowed to ran down proportionately with the decrease of flow. By referring to the engraving the details will he understood. Let A repreeent the reservoir or water-pit, in which the stream of water which furniehea the water-power is directed, in order to provide the reqnired hydroetatic pressnre. A tnhe or tunnel, B, is made through the lower part of this reeervoir, so thatthe water in the reservoir will entirely enrronad the tube with an eqaal presanre at all pointa. Connecting with the reservoir at variona pointa around this tabs or tunnel are fonr or more pipea or tubes, U €, the opposite onds of which are snppnrted by an upright plate or enpport, D, the tuhes being arranged in a circle around the tunnel, and snpported likewise in the plate, D, Exch alternate tuhe, C, is provided with a cock, 2; or, if preferred, each tube may he provided with one, a8 moat convenient, eo that the water from all or a portion of the tuhee may be cut off at will. The water-wheel ie eecnred tn a shaft, G, the shaft passing through an opening in the plate or aapport, D, and throngh the center nf the tube or tannel, B, ita ends bearing in enitahle supporta. : : Tbe water-wheel will thus be secured vertieally close np against the plate or enpport, D, as shown. The wheel naed consists of a solid ceutral portion or hab, f, the onter rim of which is made conical or heyeliug, the largest diameter heing next to the plate, D. To thie beveled periphery ia secnred a eeries of radiating huckets or wings, g, which stand obliquely in one direction to the shaft npon which the wheel is secnred, The outer ends of these buckets are made beveling in an opposite direction to the bevel of the hnb, f, and an ontside rim, h, is aecnred arnund thum. The huh or central portion, f, of the wheel is jnst large enough to hring the endeof the tnbea, ¢ c ¢, directly opposite the opening on the narrow side of tbe buckete, sn that when the reservoir ia filled and the water} iesues throngh tho tuhe, C, the streama will atrike the angular bnckete and drive the wheel, Thia conatrnotinn of waterwheel is very economical, aa the preesnre of the water is exerted with great efficiency npon the series of hucketa, and at the outer rim of the wheel, Now, aa,long as the quantity of water from which the power ia derived ia ahnndant,. all of the cocks, Z, may he left open, and the full force of the several streams he directed upon the wheel; bnt when the supply of water ie reduoed, eo that when all the cocke are opened the reservoir will not he full, one or more of the cncke can he closed, thus, ehutting off a qnantity from the wheel, and causing it to rise in the reservoir until the full pressure is ohtained. By thia méane an equal hydrostatic Preeaare can be maintaiaed in the reservoir, which will give a larger per cent. of power thau if the level of the water wére allowed to ron down with a full bead npon the wheel. The wheel can he cased in, if deaired. It can he operated either vertically or hurizon. tally, as moet convenient, ne will he readily eeen by any one convereant with water-wheela, and numerous devicea can be employed for redneing the delivery of the water upon the wheel, in order to maintain the level and presenre in the reservoir, Steam or compreeeed air oan he employed in tbe eame manner, hy connecting a pipe with & reaervoir, A, through which the eteam or air is delivered uponthe wheel,’ Further information concerning this invention can he prncured hy addreseing the inventor as ahove. Giant Powder for Fishing. We all know that giunt powder has heen need in our rivere and lakes for killing fish, and that there is now a law agaiustit, hut ite use for deep sea fishing is eomewhat novel. Mr. A. W. Chaee, of the U.S. Coast’Survey, daring the winter of 1873 made eome experiments off the island of Santa Cataliua with gient powder, which have some points of intereet. They were not nndertaken at firet as offeriag any field of research, bnt for the more ntilitarian purpnse nf obtaining fish for chowder.” At the last meeting of the California Academy af Sciences Mr. Chase read a ehort paper on the subject, in which ‘he communicated enme interesting facts. He was much strnck with the variety and numher of fish procured, and also with some curious facte connected with the euspension of animation in the’ nerve centere of the fish etnnned. He says: I have LE BLANC'S WATER-WAEEL found that the ordinary waterproof fase will burn ahont one foot to every twenty-five aeconds, and hy experiment that a cartridge will expiode in from fonr to aix fathome with from three to four inchea of fuee. I have, however, made no exact experiment ou tbe subject. The shock nf. the explosion is most severely felt downwards, as the resistance is greater; and the different varieties of sea fish found near the rocky ahoree of the ielanda as a rule heing fonnd on or near the hottom, it ie desirahle to expludé your cartridge about midway between the eurface of the water and the rocka henéath, aa you thus reach both the deeplying fish and thoee, like mackerel‘and smelt, which swim hetween. d The modue operandi adopted hy Mr. Chase was to take a small! akiff and row out tn the kelp beda surrounding the island. ,Here in eix or eight fathoma of water, the hottom’ is diatinctly visible. When an unusually large schonl of fish woald swim hy, I would quietly light the fuse and drop the cartridge into the water gently. If the water wae eay eight fathome deep I wnald graduate the fuse for explosion atfonr. The cartridge would alowly aink--generally in a apiral—and 4 few bubhlee of air or smoke arise to the anrface. The fish did not seem, ds a ‘general rule, to he mnch alarmed. (Once J remember a large red fish took the cartridge for something gond to eat, and reached it just in time to allowa amall portion of hia tail to reach the earface.) When the fire reached the fulminate of mercary, there would be a audden white flash, then a quick sharp detonation, the hlow striking the bottom of the skiff as if some one had struck it with a hammer. : Then in a epace of time varying from eight to ten minutes, every fish within a radius of 40 to 60 yards wonld slowly come tn the surface. Thoee within the immediate vicinity of the explosion, of courae, were killed hy harsting the hadder and injury to the large intestiues, and had to be epeared up from the hottom. Those, bowever, at a greater distance, wonld be eimply etunned, and could be taken iu witb anet. Care had to be taken to avoid touching those only elightly stunned until the net wae fairly arouad them, as the slighteet blow would aroase them from their torpor. Iam now ahont to relate what will, perhaps, he called a gennine ‘“‘fieh story;’’ but ae I have, in addition to my own, the testimony of my men to the fact, I give it as it neeurred: I had brought np by an exploeiou 4 uumher of yellow base fish, weighing abont four pounds each. These are delicious in chowder, and so instead of pntting them in alcohol I had them cleaneed, which wae done hy scaling, removing the intestines, end cntting off the fine and tail. The head, however, still remained joined to the back hone. These fish from the time they hed been taken from the water up to the time of cleaning remained apparently lifeless. Nor did the removal of the inteelinea arouse them. They were then taken up to the old barracks, where I wae temporarily camped, and hurg upon nails driven in the clapboarde. Some litAND PRESSURE REGULATOR. tle time after they had been thus diepoeed of, one of the men came in and asked me to go ont to look at the fish. I did ao, and found every individual bass elapping around in as lively a manner as if he had heen freshly caught and hung up. They had, in fact, recovered from the explnaion, and proceeded to die in the common fashion. I took one down and broke the backhone where it joined the head. i Ite struggles ceased inetantly, thus showing that the vital force bad heen arrested in the nerve centera and brain at the time of explosion, and when the effect had passed away that the flah had resumed a galvanic life. It wae prohahly ahout half an hour from the time of explosion when tbia occurrence took place. Ihave not heen able aince, however, to secure the same result, although I must state that the only time sinoe then that I have tried the experiment waa on the Oregon coast, where I brought np a school of salmon, all of which were pickled for Agaesiz. These fish were, however, too cloee to the explosion, as they were killed outright. Mr. Chase found that an ordinary aized redfish, weighing eay five or eix pounds, which happened to be ten or twelve yards from the explosion, would remain thoroughly stunned ahout twenty-five or thirty minutee; then, reviving,'would die from asphyxia, in o aimilar manner ae if caught with hook audline, He procured many curione varieties of the emaller fish auch na are eeldom caught, as they will not teke bait. The hrilliant red mullet, for inetance, will not tonch bait, and livea in hollowa in tbe rocks or around the kelp, where uets could not he dragged. This fishis far baudenmer than the gold fish for our aqaariums, Mr. Chaee thinka that hy this eimple expedient many valuatle specimene for the naturalist may he taken from the sea, Minino activity prevails in Amadnr county. Academy of Sciences. .The regalar semi-montbly meeting of the Califoraia Academy of Sciences was held on Monday evening last, President Davidsoa in the chair, Wm. B. May and O. H. Wakelee were eleoted rssident members. Donations to the cabinet were annonnced as follows: Ore from the Little Giant” miue, Sau Jaan, Colorado. The durk line iu the epecimens is enid to yield $20,000 per ton. Also, specimens of argentiferone galena and of silver aseociated witb heavy spar. T. J. Butler, of Reddiug, preseated a epecimen of what he supposes to be kuolin, from the banks of Pitt river, Shaeta connty; a piece of lava from the etronghold of Captain Jack; also, specimeue of copper, coal and iron from the same repion, G. W. Harford presented a peir of slippere used by the fichermen of the Japanese island, Strick. H. Edwarde presented numernne natural history specimens, principally entomological. A number of pamphlete aud hooke were presented to the library. The President donated a series of photographe of the hieroglyphic insecriptioas on wooden blocks, ct Easter, islaud. He alao read a letter from Mr. Croft, giving all the information within his knowledge of the origin of the insoriptions. It will be remembered that some time eince Mr. Croft wrote from Papeite, giving an accouut of certain blocks of wood upon which strange hieroglyphics were carved. He endeavored by every meana to get a translatiou of aome of these cbaracters, hut he found it exceedingly difficult. At laat he fotind a aative ot Eaeter island, who said he could translate the hieroglyphice, and promised to do eo. When this man wae examined, however, he failed tn translate them satisfactorily, giving at different times three differeut renditiona of the eame paesege, A paper hy Henry Kdwarda waa recrived, heing the fitth of a eeriea on ‘ Pacific Conet Lepidoptera.”’ The Preeident read a memérial hy Henry Edwarde on George Robert Crotch, the naturaliet, lately deceaeed. Mr. Crotch, during a short visit to thie coast, added some 200 or 300 specimens to the local collectiona. Mr, Edwarde remarked of him that he was an ahle natnraliet, a true and generous friend, and an accomplished and genial gentlemaa. His death was due to consumption, which had been hastened hy his persisting in working in the room of comparative zoology at Cambridge, without fire, thus bringing on a cold which settled on his lungs. Mr. A. W. Chase, of the United States Coast Survey, read a paper on the use of Giant Powder, for vhtaiuing specimene of fish at sea, detailing experiments made by him at Cat#tlina ieland. 4 Professor Davideon annonnced that at a futnre meeting he could commuuieate in detail the reeults of the sonnding expedition to Japan from San Diego. Commander Belknap has forwarded to him all the informatioa neceesary. The President atated that George H. Munford haa telegraphed to him, etating that he ia muking arrangementa by which he hnpee to he ahle to accede to the requeat to transmit musical aounde from the office in New York to the rooms in the academy. Professor Davidson communicated tn the academy aome of the results obtained in ascertaining altitudee by leveling, vertical angles and harometric measures. he experiments were condacted hy himself and Charles A. Schott, of the Coast Survey, and they laeted seven days. The altitude of Ross Mount was ascertained from Bodega Head, hy the procesa known as douhle zenith distances, to he 598.74 metres; hy leveling, 598.53 metres; and by harometer, 598.80. The barometer used was the Smitheonian, It wae found over the wbole series of ohservatione that séven o’clock in the morning was the hest time to use the hirometer. At one o'clock in the afternonn the difference noted in the barometer, on the average, amounted to 37 feet. The heat radiated from the earth did nut appear to affegt the atmiosphere on the line of eigat hetween the Head and Ross Mount, the air heing almost ennstant in its temperature. Close to the grouud, how-' ever, the temperature changed considerahly. In this respect, varying results might he expected in other localities,

An Illustrated Jour nal of M RY DEWEY «& CoO., Patent Solicitors, SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1874, VOLUME XXIX Number 2 improved Water-Wheel and Pressure Regulator. The accompavying illuetration represents an improvemeut in water-wheels and pressare regulators, recently patented hy J. E. Le Blanc, of Gold Hill, Nevada, throngh the patent agency conaected with this oftice. The improvement cousista in eo coastracting and moanting a water-wheel, and connecting it with the waterreservoir from which the water-preesure is ohtained, that the same hydroetatic presenre can he maintained when the flow of water which snpplies the reservoir is reduced as when it ie abnadant, thns obtaining a greater per cent. of power from tbe water than if the water-preesure were allowed to ran down proportionately with the decrease of flow. By referring to the engraving the details will he understood. Let A repreeent the reservoir or water-pit, in which the stream of water which furniehea the water-power is directed, in order to provide the reqnired hydroetatic pressnre. A tnhe or tunnel, B, is made through the lower part of this reeervoir, so thatthe water in the reservoir will entirely enrronad the tube with an eqaal presanre at all pointa. Connecting with the reservoir at variona pointa around this tabs or tunnel are fonr or more pipea or tubes, U €, the opposite onds of which are snppnrted by an upright plate or enpport, D, the tuhes being arranged in a circle around the tunnel, and snpported likewise in the plate, D, Exch alternate tuhe, C, is provided with a cock, 2; or, if preferred, each tube may he provided with one, a8 moat convenient, eo that the water from all or a portion of the tuhee may be cut off at will. The water-wheel ie eecnred tn a shaft, G, the shaft passing through an opening in the plate or aapport, D, and throngh the center nf the tube or tannel, B, ita ends bearing in enitahle supporta. : : Tbe water-wheel will thus be secured vertieally close np against the plate or enpport, D, as shown. The wheel naed consists of a solid ceutral portion or hab, f, the onter rim of which is made conical or heyeliug, the largest diameter heing next to the plate, D. To thie beveled periphery ia secnred a eeries of radiating huckets or wings, g, which stand obliquely in one direction to the shaft npon which the wheel is secnred, The outer ends of these buckets are made beveling in an opposite direction to the bevel of the hnb, f, and an ontside rim, h, is aecnred arnund thum. The huh or central portion, f, of the wheel is jnst large enough to hring the endeof the tnbea, ¢ c ¢, directly opposite the opening on the narrow side of tbe buckete, sn that when the reservoir ia filled and the water} iesues throngh tho tuhe, C, the streama will atrike the angular bnckete and drive the wheel, Thia conatrnotinn of waterwheel is very economical, aa the preesnre of the water is exerted with great efficiency npon the series of hucketa, and at the outer rim of the wheel, Now, aa,long as the quantity of water from which the power ia derived ia ahnndant,. all of the cocks, Z, may he left open, and the full force of the several streams he directed upon the wheel; bnt when the supply of water ie reduoed, eo that when all the cocke are opened the reservoir will not he full, one or more of the cncke can he closed, thus, ehutting off a qnantity from the wheel, and causing it to rise in the reservoir until the full pressure is ohtained. By thia méane an equal hydrostatic Preeaare can be maintaiaed in the reservoir, which will give a larger per cent. of power thau if the level of the water wére allowed to ron down with a full bead npon the wheel. The wheel can he cased in, if deaired. It can he operated either vertically or hurizon. tally, as moet convenient, ne will he readily eeen by any one convereant with water-wheela, and numerous devicea can be employed for redneing the delivery of the water upon the wheel, in order to maintain the level and presenre in the reservoir, Steam or compreeeed air oan he employed in tbe eame manner, hy connecting a pipe with & reaervoir, A, through which the eteam or air is delivered uponthe wheel,’ Further information concerning this invention can he prncured hy addreseing the inventor as ahove. Giant Powder for Fishing. We all know that giunt powder has heen need in our rivere and lakes for killing fish, and that there is now a law agaiustit, hut ite use for deep sea fishing is eomewhat novel. Mr. A. W. Chaee, of the U.S. Coast’Survey, daring the winter of 1873 made eome experiments off the island of Santa Cataliua with gient powder, which have some points of intereet. They were not nndertaken at firet as offeriag any field of research, bnt for the more ntilitarian purpnse nf obtaining fish for chowder.” At the last meeting of the California Academy af Sciences Mr. Chase read a ehort paper on the subject, in which ‘he communicated enme interesting facts. He was much strnck with the variety and numher of fish procured, and also with some curious facte connected with the euspension of animation in the’ nerve centere of the fish etnnned. He says: I have LE BLANC'S WATER-WAEEL found that the ordinary waterproof fase will burn ahont one foot to every twenty-five aeconds, and hy experiment that a cartridge will expiode in from fonr to aix fathome with from three to four inchea of fuee. I have, however, made no exact experiment ou tbe subject. The shock nf. the explosion is most severely felt downwards, as the resistance is greater; and the different varieties of sea fish found near the rocky ahoree of the ielanda as a rule heing fonnd on or near the hottom, it ie desirahle to expludé your cartridge about midway between the eurface of the water and the rocka henéath, aa you thus reach both the deeplying fish and thoee, like mackerel‘and smelt, which swim hetween. d The modue operandi adopted hy Mr. Chase was to take a small! akiff and row out tn the kelp beda surrounding the island. ,Here in eix or eight fathoma of water, the hottom’ is diatinctly visible. When an unusually large schonl of fish woald swim hy, I would quietly light the fuse and drop the cartridge into the water gently. If the water wae eay eight fathome deep I wnald graduate the fuse for explosion atfonr. The cartridge would alowly aink--generally in a apiral—and 4 few bubhlee of air or smoke arise to the anrface. The fish did not seem, ds a ‘general rule, to he mnch alarmed. (Once J remember a large red fish took the cartridge for something gond to eat, and reached it just in time to allowa amall portion of hia tail to reach the earface.) When the fire reached the fulminate of mercary, there would be a audden white flash, then a quick sharp detonation, the hlow striking the bottom of the skiff as if some one had struck it with a hammer. : Then in a epace of time varying from eight to ten minutes, every fish within a radius of

40 to 60 yards wonld slowly come tn the surface. Thoee within the immediate vicinity of the explosion, of courae, were killed hy harsting the hadder and injury to the large intestiues, and had to be epeared up from the hottom. Those, bowever, at a greater distance, wonld be eimply etunned, and could be taken iu witb anet. Care had to be taken to avoid touching those only elightly stunned until the net wae fairly arouad them, as the slighteet blow would aroase them from their torpor. Iam now ahont to relate what will, perhaps, he called a gennine ‘“‘fieh story;’’ but ae I have, in addition to my own, the testimony of my men to the fact, I give it as it neeurred: I had brought np by an exploeiou 4 uumher of yellow base fish, weighing abont four pounds each. These are delicious in chowder, and so instead of pntting them in alcohol I had them cleaneed, which wae done hy scaling, removing the intestines, end cntting off the fine and tail. The head, however, still remained joined to the back hone. These fish from the time they hed been taken from the water up to the time of cleaning remained apparently lifeless. Nor did the removal of the inteelinea arouse them. They were then taken up to the old barracks, where I wae temporarily camped, and hurg upon nails driven in the clapboarde. Some litAND PRESSURE REGULATOR. tle time after they had been thus diepoeed of, one of the men came in and asked me to go ont to look at the fish. I did ao, and found every individual bass elapping around in as lively a manner as if he had heen freshly caught and hung up. They had, in fact, recovered from the explnaion, and proceeded to die in the common fashion. I took one down and broke the backhone where it joined the head. i Ite struggles ceased inetantly, thus showing that the vital force bad heen arrested in the nerve centera and brain at the time of explosion, and when the effect had passed away that the flah had resumed a galvanic life. It wae prohahly ahout half an hour from the time of explosion when tbia occurrence took place. Ihave not heen able aince, however, to secure the same result, although I must state that the only time sinoe then that I have tried the experiment waa on the Oregon coast, where I brought np a school of salmon, all of which were pickled for Agaesiz. These fish were, however, too cloee to the explosion, as they were killed outright. Mr. Chase found that an ordinary aized redfish, weighing eay five or eix pounds, which happened to be ten or twelve yards from the explosion, would remain thoroughly stunned ahout twenty-five or thirty minutee; then, reviving,'would die from asphyxia, in o aimilar manner ae if caught with hook audline, He procured many curione varieties of the emaller fish auch na are eeldom caught, as they will not teke bait. The hrilliant red mullet, for inetance, will not tonch bait, and livea in hollowa in tbe rocks or around the kelp, where uets could not he dragged. This fishis far baudenmer than the gold fish for our aqaariums, Mr. Chaee thinka that hy this eimple expedient many valuatle specimene for the naturalist may he taken from the sea, Minino activity prevails in Amadnr county. Academy of Sciences. .The regalar semi-montbly meeting of the Califoraia Academy of Sciences was held on Monday evening last, President Davidsoa in the chair, Wm. B. May and O. H. Wakelee were eleoted rssident members. Donations to the cabinet were annonnced as follows: Ore from the Little Giant” miue, Sau Jaan, Colorado. The durk line iu the epecimens is enid to yield $20,000 per ton. Also, specimens of argentiferone galena and of silver aseociated witb heavy spar. T. J. Butler, of Reddiug, preseated a epecimen of what he supposes to be kuolin, from the banks of Pitt river, Shaeta connty; a piece of lava from the etronghold of Captain Jack; also, specimeue of copper, coal and iron from the same repion, G. W. Harford presented a peir of slippere used by the fichermen of the Japanese island, Strick. H. Edwarde presented numernne natural history specimens, principally entomological. A number of pamphlete aud hooke were presented to the library. The President donated a series of photographe of the hieroglyphic insecriptioas on wooden blocks, ct Easter, islaud. He alao read a letter from Mr. Croft, giving all the information within his knowledge of the origin of the insoriptions. It will be remembered that some time eince Mr. Croft wrote from Papeite, giving an accouut of certain blocks of wood upon which strange hieroglyphics were carved. He endeavored by every meana to get a translatiou of aome of these cbaracters, hut he found it exceedingly difficult. At laat he fotind a aative ot Eaeter island, who said he could translate the hieroglyphice, and promised to do eo. When this man wae examined, however, he failed tn translate them satisfactorily, giving at different times three differeut renditiona of the eame paesege, A paper hy Henry Kdwarda waa recrived, heing the fitth of a eeriea on ‘ Pacific Conet Lepidoptera.”’ The Preeident read a memérial hy Henry Edwarde on George Robert Crotch, the naturaliet, lately deceaeed. Mr. Crotch, during a short visit to thie coast, added some 200 or 300 specimens to the local collectiona. Mr, Edwarde remarked of him that he was an ahle natnraliet, a true and generous friend, and an accomplished and genial gentlemaa. His death was due to consumption, which had been hastened hy his persisting in working in the room of comparative zoology at Cambridge, without fire, thus bringing on a cold which settled on his lungs. Mr. A. W. Chase, of the United States Coast Survey, read a paper on the use of Giant Powder, for vhtaiuing specimene of fish at sea, detailing experiments made by him at Cat#tlina ieland. 4 Professor Davideon annonnced that at a futnre meeting he could commuuieate in detail the reeults of the sonnding expedition to Japan from San Diego. Commander Belknap has forwarded to him all the informatioa neceesary. The President atated that George H. Munford haa telegraphed to him, etating that he ia muking arrangementa by which he hnpee to he ahle to accede to the requeat to transmit musical aounde from the office in New York to the rooms in the academy. Professor Davidson communicated tn the academy aome of the results obtained in ascertaining altitudee by leveling, vertical angles and harometric measures. he experiments were condacted hy himself and Charles A. Schott, of the Coast Survey, and they laeted seven days. The altitude of Ross Mount was ascertained from Bodega Head, hy the procesa known as douhle zenith distances, to he 598.74 metres; hy leveling, 598.53 metres; and by harometer, 598.80. The barometer used was the Smitheonian, It wae found over the wbole series of ohservatione that séven o’clock in the morning was the hest time to use the hirometer. At one o'clock in the afternonn the difference noted in the barometer, on the average, amounted to 37 feet. The heat radiated from the earth did nut appear to affegt the atmiosphere on the line of eigat hetween the Head and Ross Mount, the air heing almost ennstant in its temperature. Close to the grouud, how-' ever, the temperature changed considerahly. In this respect, varying results might he expected in other localities,