Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-01
From the Journal of Commerce.


Art, Science, and Mechanics.
MusKRT MANUFAcTUKE.-The Springfield Re
piibiican says that the great improvements made
in the machinery used al the armory in that city,
during the past twelve years, are the result OF
the ingenuity of Mr.. Cyrus Buckland, one Of the
finest mechanics in the world. The manufacture
OF the musket involves 400 separate operations,
and the majority of men employed at these works
perform but one Of these. Such is the system
pursued, that every musket made, IN It's mlnutest
parts, is the fellow Of every other musket, so that
its parts would interchange with those oil It's fellows
with entire facility. A complete percussion mus
kei weighs ten pounds, lacking small traction.
New PArENTs.-Daniel Holiday, of Ellington,
CT, has obtained patent for his improved wind
mill, and Robert M. Able, of Thompsonville, has
monopolized the use and profits OF new hog pen
in the same way.
HUGE PAN--Tbe New York Novelty Works
have just completed an immense copper vacuum
pan, weighing five tons, for the Boston Sugar Re-
timing Company. II is 2 feet and inches deep,
and is welded together in the most substantial
manner. Its entire cost will be about $4,000, and
il is one of the largest in the world.
ORGAN MANuFAcTuRE--A colossal organ has
just been manufactured in Boston, by the Messrs.
Hook, which is an honor 10 that branch Of Ameri-'
can mechanic industry. II consists Of four COM
plete manuals, and an independent pedal organ,
ranging from CCC to ID. II is SO feet in height
and depth respectively. There are 10 stops in
the great organ Is in the swell, 10 in the choir,
10 in the pedal, 6 in the solo, and ID couplers;
making in all, 10 registers, SO ofwhich are sound
ing stops, or twelve more than in any other organ
in this country
Gas AFPARATus.--A patent has been issued to
w. d. Porter, Of the United States army, for an
apparatus TO generate gas from the hydrocarbon
in wood. This invention, it is claimed, enables
persons living at distance from cities, or where
coal cannot easily be obtained, TO manufacture
their own gas cheaply. There can also be at
Isoc ~ l.
ing, as well as for illuminating purposes. The
apparatus can be applied on board Of steamers,
river and ocean, men-ofwar, and large sailing
packets. 3eA
GLASS CAsrINe-The New England Glass Com
pany, at East Cambridge, have just erected a
beautiful brick tower near the main entrance 10
their establishment The structure will be sur
mounted by q beautiful silvered glass globe ten
feet in diameter, supported by an iron shaft six
teen feet in height, above the top of the tower.
| A SPLENDID WORK OF ARr.--It is proposed TO
erect gigantic statue Of Shakespeare in London,
| to be of cost iron, and one hundred feet high.
There TO be three floors the sides of which, it
is proposed shall be adorned with bassi-reliev in
cast iron, representing all the chief scenes IN the
plays of the great dramatist. Light is 10 be admit
ted through the eyes and the top of the head, and
also through openings in the drapery of the statue
| II will probably be one of the most splendid mon
uments TO the genius of that wonderful man, which
art is capable of celebrating.
STEAM FIRE ENGrNE.-The city of st. Louis has
| ordered steam fire engine, 10 cost seven thou
| sand five hundred dollars. II is TO be so con-
structed that steam may be raised from cold water,
sufficient 10 work in five minutes from the time of
| lighting the fire; the engine is 10 be capable OF
| discharging thirty barrels Of water per minute
upon the fire, through either one or four lines Of
| hose, and throwing water two hundred and
| twenty-four feet distant from the mouth Of the
| nozzle ea
Il 81
THE FREsNEL LleHT-The second Ewpel
light on the great northern lakes has recently been
| erected AT Tibbeti's Point, Lake Ontario. The
shaft is of brick work, Al feet high and l2l feet
| diameter al the base.
| NEW PRINTING PREss.-Mr. Stephen Brown,
of Syracuse, has invented an ingenious press for
| printing four different coors simultaneously. The
| Syracuse Jonrnal says that the mixing apparatus
and the principles Of the machine are arranged,
that four different colors can be printed at i'm.
preston, at the rate of about FIVE hundred impress
sions an hour. And not only can different lines
be printed in various lines, but SO perfect is the
invention, that one letter may be printed in two,
three, or four colors; or be printed in one color
and shaded by another, all with the same impress
sion. Ii win be found invaluable 10 printers If il
prove what is represented. fs5 ~.
FuEL-sAyRG LOCOMOTIVE The Cleveland He
| raid relates the remarkable fact of locomotive,
lately built at the Cuyahoga works in that city,
| which was run on the Cleveland and Pittsburg
/ Distance OIL
one hundred and four miles, with less than three
fourths Of cord OF wood, by actual measure
ment. The engine hauled the express train Of
four cars, made tweuty-one trips, and maintained
the daily speed allowed that tram. The engine
weighs twenty-eight tons, and has a sx-ieet
driver.
THE ELECTRIC TRLEeRAPH-The idea of an
electric telegraph is not recent. In SCOTS Ma
gazine for 1853, G. M, Of Renfrew, states that
:. the electric power, Il is well known, may be
propagated along small wire from one place TO
another, without being sensbly abaied by the
length ofits progress" He proposed tina. a set of
wires equal in number TO tie letters OF the alpha
bet be extended between two places, parallel 20
each other, and about one inch apart az every
twenty yards let them be supported not 10
| touch the earth.
A YOUTHFUL ARrIsT.-L. 6. Mead, jr, a lad at
Brattleboro' has executed bust in marble, very
creditable TO his talents artist. A brother OF
this lad died few years since, who had superior
artistic powers, and bid fair greatly 70 excel in
that line. His Illustrations Of Longfellow's Viii
lage Blacksmith, were universally admired.
ART AND NATURE--An ArtesaD well AT Bel
chers sugar refinery in Sc Louis, 10 1900 feet in
depth, and the process Of boring 10 stl going on.
Il is said TO be the deepest well in the world. Al
the depth Of 700 feet vein Of salt and wafer was
struck and at 1 500 quantity Of remarkably pure
water burst forth, aud has been issuing from the
mouth Of the well ever since ~ no
| The SPIRITUAL SHINeLK MACHINE. - The Palmer
| (Mass.) Jonypai Describes the operation Of the
single irving machine said 70 have been invented
| by the spirits, and constructed by Mr.. A. G. Bill
lings, OF Palmer Il is neatly finished, strongly
built machine and II walks into the blocks, which
are fed in from two sides like huge giant IL
does the work admirably, splittingthe blocks into
pieces Of any thicknessidesired for shaving II is
said 70 be capable Of irving thiry-fve thousand
shingles per day.
PArKR PROM NKw MArKRiAI.--A patent for the
manufacture Of paper from wood fibre has been
taken ont BY MessrS. Watt & Burgess u is said
TO be equal 10 any writing paper now selling at 10
cents pound; the cost Of production Is said 10
be somewhat under 500 ton, or more than $50
less than the price ofrag paper now in use. The
Montreal Herald recently acknowledged the re-
ceipt from England Of an excellent sample ofsiraw
paper, better IN many respects than the best news
paper fabric now used in Montreal with a request
for orders The Hsyaid expects soon 10 see great
reduction brought about in the cost Of this great
necessity Of civilized life.
VALUABLE AsTRoNoncAL INsTRUMErT,-Doctor
Brunnow, an accomplished astronomer, and the
author Of n profound work on Spherical Astrono-
my, has been appointed 10 the direction Of the Oh
servniory ofihe University OF Michigan. The OBJ