New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-07

deranged in descending the long road over substan-
TALLY what is called the Gulf Summit the Erie
Railrued; the animals urged with the utmos; IN
genuity without avail after the frs, nile two and
the wheels were finally tied fast and dragged with
considerable force the only means Of descending
Bvrr's SOLAR CoMFAss.-An invention presented
10 the Franklin Institute in 1885, improved aud again
rtported On in 1870, receiving medal at the London
Fair in 1851, and used in public surveys for fifteen
wears. can but with extreme difficulty be termed 4
invention The Solar Comp seems however to have
but recently been prepared to attract the attention
deserves, and very brief notice may not be inspire
pirate.
The Compass is the invention OF Mr.. VIM A. Bu1
Of Mount Vernon. Michigan and seems to occupy
kind of intermediate place between the ola ktleh-
house compass and the Theodole Of the present day.
II i, dcigned for extensive land surveys, and greatly
suTeror to the Theodolte in the facility with whch
Is used. As compared with the more ordinary compass,
in all mineral regions aud in localities where the alb
creations Of the needle are a source of frequent Diff
cu'tv, il appears almost indispensable.
il NAV be described as a magnetic compass, with
every facility for eveng and dustment, and provided
additionally with movable arcs and simple mechanism
by which whenever the sun is visible, and It's deehna-
ton known (which may b. found in any nautical
almanac the tine of day, the latitude Of the place,
the argyle made by any point with the true meridian
ard consequently the correct bearing thereof may be
determined by inspection with the minutest accuracy.
Is easy adius .rt and entire reliability enables II TO
supply the want long felt by the practical surveyor
As minated above it has met the approval of several
Of the highest authorities aud it will undoubtedly hnd
nj ,he hands Of those for whom il is designed all the
admiration and patronage it seems SO completely TO
have earned.
BARLow's SAW AND S,w-sHARPENING TOoLs.-Mr
Nelson Barlow of this ,ity is the inventor OF Saw for
either crosscutng splitting or bevecuting any kind
Of wood with all the rapdty and ease of the ordinary
SAWS and yet leaving nearly perfect planed surface
circular saw on this plan il now on exhibition in this
ctv. and the surface produced exceeds IN perfection
anything We hal supposed practicable. The saw ex-
libted is also triAe thinner requires little "set,
and consequently makes a thinner "kerf," or takes
away less Of the wood in cutting, than the ordinary
varieties.
Saws are usually set by bending the alternate teeth
lateay in opposite directions; no such set put IN
this saw at ALL The general outline of the teeth is
that known as the gulet," "brer, aud the pecu-
ality consists in following ont or growing the cut
ting face Of every tooth of every alternate one, IN
lire extending from the point inward. This form en-
abes the tooth to act gouge 30 as to cut smoothly
rather than to tear away the material, and by slightly
spreading the acute edges at each side sufficient
width Of kerf is attained to relieve the body OF the
saw The grooves formed and renewed by clamp
in small steel cutter-whee upon the tooth and turn
ing by crank attached. The edges are spread bya
bow or two transmitted through steel set or punch
Of suitable shape, and the sides are erased or
smoothed in the usual manner by touching lightly
with stone while running
Previous attempts to widen the points Of saw.teeth
have generally failed, think from the teeth anchor
ing in the wood. The gouging propensity, or rather
the clean cutting action due to the peculiar form,
Sc, ms to prevent any such evil and II the thin edges
can be made to endure the Improvement is destined to
come rapidly into favor AS an example OF lis apphca-
ton for rapid work, one of the many "kindlng-wood
firms may be nsanced using one OF these SAWS to
cross-cu with great satisfaction and the possible per-
lection attanable exhibited at the time OF our
visit by splitting small piece of satin wood which
we presented, land cutting through knots as Well as
clear places in spruce with smoothness nearly equal
that left by the carpenters plane.
THE volcanic REPEATISG FIRE-ARh.-There has
lately been commenced in New Haven, on an extensive
scale the manufacture Of rifed arm. the claims Of
which to complete superiority may best be realized
from description.
Az the novelty consists the ball than in the
gun itself this may first be described. II Incomplete
cartridge oased water tight in metal. The bail is in
the cylindro-conoidal or Mimic form, with deep
cavity in the backside in which is inserted both the
powder and the percussion cap. coating OF cork IN
tervenes between the cap and the thin metal which
forms the outer covering the soness and elasticity OF
which material removes all possibility of exploding the
powder by any ordinary violence.
The rife or stol is provided with thin case ex-
tending the whole length under the barrel. This, by
n si,nple movement is filed with balls which
pressed backward by coiled spring. The barrel Is
omen at each end and il chambered somewhat larger
at the breech to receive ball easily BY forward
movement of suitable lever just front of the trigger,
the breech pin is drawn directly backward, and ball
is carried up and placed in line with the bore. Next,
by drawing the same lever back to It's original posi-
ton the breech pin Is forced TO its place. driving the
ball into the barrel and at the same time puncturing
BY point on its end quite through both the metallic
covering and the cork, and pressing fairly upon the
percussion portion of the enclosed cartridge The gun
il now loaded, and on pulling the trigger the hammer
strikes fair upon the hinder end Of the breech pin and
transmits sufficient shock to discharge the piece.
Ii. movement of the lever described in charging
the rifle also pushes back the hammer, or in other
words cocks the gun but in the smallest pistols it IS
found easier to place the thumb on the hammer and
draw it back while some Of the fingers work the lever
beneath. The mechanism by which the whole is ac-
complshed is very simple and apparently durable the
movement of the breech pin being effected by oggle
Joint which SO nearly straight at the time Of the dis
charge that the reaction produces little strain The
breechpn fits very tightly and it has been proved BY
trial that the pressure and inertia OF the hammer alone