New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-19

United States ho Legisnd; but more vas rec iigec,
and other discoveries we're made about three years
,pce. and new patents obtained IN 1858; and the IL
.rumei Of last entirely really for manufacture when
capital ,hsn be invested.
rr>iox oy .rrSrs.-We had occasion q few
weeks since 10 notice the introduction In this city tie
working of platinum, and lie successful futon upon
arge ,cale by te bydrocXygsn bowPiPe tor p'se;csi
purposes. The prccess is that OF d. Hare ~ho tue
cesd.d in melting at one time - ounces the iassst
quantity OF this metal ever fused At once until the late
operations in this city. The new demand 'or pishum
for the use Of dentists which by aotice 10 The Poss-
ko,psie Tsl,srapA and Dcmocrat upon the artiese %
Tnr TRIBUNE sppesn TO be sn application o. 'es
metal wholly American, has given stimulus 10 the
perfes,rs of the process the resuf Of Vbch is the
ability 70 fuse the metal in masses such never be-
fore were 60 treated The scientific interest and prse
teal importance, as well novelty Of these cpers-
lions, will justify a notice OF the progress made sipss
the publication of the former account when d.. Rob-
sr,s had suc,teded in melting ~ ouIoes al ore tune.
His a.t.Ition has subsequently been directed 70 the
persctrg Of his apparatus. The arrsngemen, OF the
pipes for the safe and uniform supply Of the gssss hss
beer greatly improved and simpided, and one Of the
copper cylinders Of 50 gslors capacity having been
destroyed BY the gases becoming mixed aud exploding
with terrible report, has been provided for
the hydrogen Of the capacity Of 30 gallons. This, with
tie barometer for oxygen holding 50 gallons gives an
sbuLdsrt supply Of the ga es the hydrogen beng con
.umed at the rate Of about two measures to one Of or
ygen. The uyere etpiscs in which the gases meet,
ard from which they ssue in ignition, kept cool by
the same expedient adopted in the 60 sailed ws'er
tuyere Of the bastfurrsce II lie MADE 10 the form Of
truncated core with double walls, between which cur
rel OF wafer is admitted flowing in cold ana pssseg
GU, hot. In other respects the apparatus has been rem
dered admirably effective and simple. On the evening
of the 10 inst were fortunate to be present
al test TO which il to be subjected OF melting %
| ounces Of platinum. For holding the metal, obong
plates Of the very best fire brick material made
with their upper surface slightly followed out go q 70
tive to the cake somewhat of an ingot form, csnve-
nient for its subsequent working. This cake aer be-
ing hammered down and rolled produced sheet % the
metal Of gauge No 25 thickness measuring rs inches
in length and Of nearly uniform width, varying htle
from three inches. The metal is besut uly smooh,
shining ike mirror and remarkably soft and flexible.
lyon this the rough umps aud scraps of metal were
piled, amorg which was Of the Russian platinum
come This on the application Of the heat, was Oh
served to melt and Gov more readily than any Of the
other pieces-perhaps from its containing some oiher
METAL introduced TO give greater hardness than that 81
isated as much as possible in powerful furnace, 10
brought under the jet, which instantly ignises as IL
strikes upon the intensely glowing platinum Butaiscu-
rous to see how th, glow paes uuder the greater
intensity Of those portions which the flame psys.
Beginning at one end Of the hesp, this is first melted
d. wp and the 9th portions brough. in succession
Tito the same fused condition. as ttey moved Along
uIder the Jet In thirteen minutes action Of the blow
pte the whole 50 ounces thus melted into sehd
cake welshaped for subsequent working, though from
the quantity being dsproporoned to the capacity Of
TIE friedrich plate, it was MISTER OF some difficulty
keep il frt OVERLOOKING In this time the sock OF
gases had been only about half consumed. The test
thus proved perfectly successful and the capacity and
fitness Of the apparatus far superior to any other ever
cor structed for this purpose.
The arrangements made by DIR. Roberts for treating
the ores Of platinum already arresng tho eHpotA-
ton TO Europe of the parcels that find their way 10 this
city We noticed in his laboratory large quantity IN
d. TX or the process of solution in order to separate &c
fro m the substance, associated with the plsoum The
crude article to THE city from California ssd
Oregon in the form of grans. sample recently e1-
amned by Pre- f. Eaton yielded 80 per cent Of platinum,
the remainder principally osmium-udiuu-goji p,ls-
dunn rbOdum ttaniierous iron, and number OF other
meias are alio commonly found among the grats.
ELASTIC BALL.VALvE PUP, patented 1857, by 4
Tower Of New. York, was devted for the purpose o
being at the same time lit ar force pump and tie
engine 1t consists of two cylinders standing vertically
on bed plate between which is air reservoir, and
on the top of which cast two projections, used ~
bearing for the working beam or brake. Theren
hollow plurger in each cylinder connected from It's bot
tom with the brake and moving through an Ordinary
sufirg box which so placed that by turning few
screws II nay be made tighter without stepping shs
pump. There is one valve seat directly under each
cylinder, and two in the air reservoir all of which are
raised few inches above the fiat surface around Over
each seat Glands Ipdiarubber ball about two inches
in diameter which prevented from falling sidewsys or
risng too high by being inclosed in wire c'gs.
Every cold particle which is canied through the valve
falls by its weight by the side OF the esysted sea-,
and cannot benceorwsrd choke the pump, and the few
particles which may be arrested in their passage when
the bal comes suddenly down get mbedded 10 the In
diarubber which coses around them and do not inter-
ere with the action Of the valve. This pump caps-
bic of pumping mixture Of grain and water msde 10
the ratio Of three quarts of corn to each gallon Of
water. The working beam is properly nodded f'f the
insertion Of levers at each end. When II IL advisable
10 work the pump by hesm power, one Of the levers
taken away and COT citing rod with one end turned
at tight angles and shaped like that Of the lever sub
stuted for it, The pump mounted on four wheels and
provided with proper hose is turned into small fire.
engine. This machine fuiflls all the requisites Of
pump on board ships or on farms; il 10 carefully and
subsar TALLY built and requires but little care to b
constantly kept in working order.
A DrsTRucTivI WAR EsGIsT.-We mentioned
rome time tiIce that two of ingenious citizens,
MessYr. Wright and Gould, had completed The model
l. oh ha Gr.A a rat a