New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-07-09
THE MECHANICS CLUB.

THE MECHANICS CLUB.
The regular .eui.rnonthly meeting OF the Mech An
les Club at the room, of the American Institute, on
June 25rh, was very thinly attended on ac-
count, probably, of the Ratification Meeting in the
Tubeipace; but the class of subjects discussed were
all Of peculiar interest, especially to tho better class
Of citizens.
Mr. l.. II. PAGf exhibited a very consider able i'm
mover EFT in window fasteners, "s-sll lock- which
rot only supports but eff.ctualy confines the sash A.
anv elevation wi is LETT Ii consists ess' ntaly
Of levers with curved ends, lightly grooved across
ub' Gin better hold on the smOoth Wool, by ono OF
which levers the sash is prevented from slnkiog. and
by the other from rising. The whole ~ set nip the
frame Instead of the SASH and both levers are at once
detached by pressing Oh a thumt'piece which siS 'ty
rro cts like The old fashion ed wpGO Espring. hen
q, er.d FL greater security, the thumb pie &c Il de-
tacLed by slight pull aid may be carried IN tn,
pocket as a key it being from the f'',m q the con
pection. very difficult to move the levers with any
Otter iDstum-nt.
Mr.. L. L. BREIsAcH. q German citizen, exhibited q
model and explained the nature Of Peter kcfsrs APP
rarotus tor manufacturing wood gas. " here Wool
plenty aDC cheap, u In thls country, coum DO
oisi,d ike coal with profit; but the ordioery gas
TeiOr,s the volatile products were not durable lney
not kept heaed for q sufficient time - peril ct
the uIi,n OF tho carbon and the hydrogen. Wo)a
eas fi.th made, aud purified by the oidinNy pro-
csses superior to coal gas CD account OF is c'n-
taiI ipg no sulphur Coal gas il splts Of all prec9u-
tiOis gives faint smrll in burning indu es hea iache
III very delicate persons, and changes IN, color OF
kcoS IL enpoyt for Citing in rome species OF mao
ufuc,ure. But wood gus the Other hand, would
rot keep ts carbon cngs so feeb'y to the hydrogen
that it soon fal end leaves the gas pure hydro
gen. xcel,nt for heating purposes, but giving no
rent.d completely 'ovrrcame the difficulty, ana he
urgeo certainly q strong ar. uur ht, the fact that
tie cepal OF Switzerland and thirteen olher consld.
erabe t"wns in Europe are now hgtted by rs ala
.;.I e., Tho relo ia
size sppearaI ce but the gas in escaping Is co IL
Ia 1ed TO navel backward and forward IN long pas
bf top aud then to repeat tho process ~ the
Bottom the object belt to circulate the fluid for
consider able time while .xp~ ed TO Is quite high TEN
I.rbiuic, the ppes being all red hot. The City ~
Works at Phlsdelphe co nmencing to use tns ap-
parntu- but with this excep riOn, DO WOOD ga, was
ow u.ed in An erca ilunnatipg Purposes. Tue
tine allowed him being short, he pro used the CON-
parave the value Of the charcoal the pyro-
lgDesus acid and other products, on futdre occa-
SION. ~ ,
The ubjtct cf Locks and Lockpickiog, which had
been adjourned to his eveoiDg, vas mex taken up
onc an mely interesting aud Instructive paper on
the history ,rd progress Of Locks was real oy MI
Vm H. iurfrR OF this city, wcll kao~n a. the in-
ytbt1f Of several Of the most important MOD 'rn
improven tDs 10 locks END treprooi safes Toe an
cleI "A relied mainly species OF moral saieS ara
suRn's house auO property were sacred ne ilust IN.
ttua,ys Locks til, H. rs nos, were only M a1dional
prOt cilot. La early ages marks ana Seas were cur
poy 3D. not to prevent ell entrance Dut 10 peay .ue
TACT Homer refers 10 aGother Ingenious vice. aud
ie,r.sents tN ures Of q as guarded 0y strings
ii. d H. a difficult H. Ut which secured tue door. Ode
VERY obvious protection agains actual yoleace was
veiy heavy stone used for +ced against door.
The z, spes reIresebt ueo az eGpIoyed d. tne sepu
chre e Christ Bue the Old Te-tanen refers TO un-
liking door with key, and uiany OF the houses 10
Pompti show mortiseo III which locks had evidently
b, Cd the metal of which lad long since cor
roced or dtcsyed. form OF wooden lock was eul,
ployed al this DAY BY tie merchants of Egypt aud
5, ria which there stroDg Teasors tor beievag nas
been employ ed without improvement or cdange
for coo years. Ii a comm N sight 10 see
d Lstive merchant travelling in Palestine armed
With knife asd pistol with wooden key a's) in his
vest larger thsn either. In the highly CIVILIZED eoun
tre. locks bac bee rapidly vancics out only since
aDouf two hundIeo ytafs 20. Locke, IN general may
be divioed into two class's Frs Those IN wn ch mdhy
ODE taceJ Presented 10 stop the Key Ia 10
fl n touch the bolt and second, those ID woich
hing, or SLIDING Obe'aeies were to be removed before
tie bolt would bulge, how. strong Was acted on:
Tie fret are termed ward locks aud hough PROVIDED
with distress insiy, complex keys could be picked oy
nty ske.too or even crooked wire, which mght
hal to be bent to AVOID the Oh taces AL the
keys which appear in ancient palnti1gr belong 20 war;
lU. which style only cd for thu most oidi,
lazy purposes. A general name for the secoad aho
better class il that of tgmber" locks Tunblers are
levers or Plus wtcn catch in the bolt ADD must os az
lifted at olce. One ar. Baron IL Enslaud, improved
on ibis simple icea by 70 constructing the tunb ers
that lifting too high was as bad as not hans
at all. Ibis charge had elevated lock making
70 high place among the arts aid had led 10 iai'
piov.menis Of which there would probably never DE
aIy end. The Etglsh Bramah lock, picked by hr.
HOODS an American, who thereby won large prize
1T tie great Fair i'll London in 1851, had sixteen Ii'
bl.rs all Of Which uele required to be elevated 70
different nights. Thirty Ca! wee aljw'd, and Dir.
Eotbs picked it BY what is termed the tentative OF
dthcntely feeling process, in SIXTEEN day. oay Que
toird Of which time be ia the room Win tee oe.
OF 100 men, equally ipl erious and equally fam ltr
both with the BURNERS gei orally aud with the coasuuo
ton Of that particular kind u ock probably not ten
would pors.ss fingers sufficiently delicate ana no. I'VE
tie patti, nee necessary TO accomplish the oolec.'
within few years cetector had been las'ute 1,
which Eel and increased the difficulty the MON I'
tuulbler was ffted to high by any nslum n, out
woulc not cply NOT di.lodg. it, but might eho the
b,IeIar when be had attained the proper hight. Il
~as IDLE d'penc the secrecy Of l'nk, when sny
burglar coud purchase oue Of the same general
atlia and examine fot hm:el:. II vas daosetous,