Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-01
8eli9ioas Mtistdlarlp,


hundred and twenty grains Of spermaceti anhour,
each, is called seventeen candle gas The Hum
mating power is determined by photomefry: ane
il IL possible for gas to vary in illuminating poxc-
from one to sixty candles. ,..lt
The richer the gas, the lower the pressure IN
der which It ought to be burned. Pressure con
denses gas into smaller space; therefore more
gas goes through the meter under high pressure,
than under low pressure, though the index
shows the same quantity, for it measures the vC'-
ume, not the density. Gas regulators will rende-
the pressure of the gas uniform. immediately
alter passing through them, but they can not
compensate for elevation Of burners, nor for any
other disturbing causes, after the gas has left
them The more gas is drawn from the mains
for consumption, the less will be the pressure In
them. Meters are, or can be. generally made 70
give a sufficiently accurate measure Of the gas
passing through them.
Burners effect, to serious degree, the quantity
ofilluminatiOn obtain1ble from given quantity
of gas. Many Of them are liable to burn away,
SO as to give more gas the older they are, ard
thus waste. or cause expense. There are -four
principle kinds of burners-frt, the simple Jet:
second, the agrand third, the ish-tail; fourth,
the batwing. These are made of different sizes,
and of varying powers ofiiluminations.
MANUFACTURE OF ARCHITECTURAL ORSANEsTs.
The manufacture of architectural ornaments,
both for interior and exterior application, is an
interesting branch OF industry, now extensively
carried on in most of cur principal cities. The
materials chiefly used for interior ornaments are
plaster OF paris, papier mache, carton pere, paste
composition, artificial woods, and iron; and those
for exterior ornaments are terra Gotta, Roman ce-
ment, different kinds of artificial stone and ron.
The manufacture depends entirely upon the mui-
tpll'at;on OF copies by means of moulds or dies
and, therefore, the production of the mould O.
Gle IS the first object to be attained. The moulds
m rrrr r.Iu-
made OF plaster, or of mixture Of one par
beeswax to two parts rosin; the rosin gives hard-
ness, the beeswax toughness, and these materials
are mixed in such proportions as win give the &c
sired qualities in the mould. These are melt
and blended together over slow fire, until they
are thoroughly mixed, when they are fit for use
If the wax be poured too hot, it will crack
when cooling.
The models from which such moulds are made
must be formed by hand. They are usually OF
potter's clay, moulded into shape by the aid Q;
small wooden and brass tools The clay is pr
pared By being made free from grit, then moist
ened and beaten with smallet until it ceases
stick to the fingers tools: it is then taken IT,
suitable Jumps, and stuck with little water 10
board, upon which the outline Of the ornament
has been sketced, the rough outline and contoUs
being given by the fingers, which process is
termed emboasting. Next. the cleaning up Is
done with the modelling tools; this consists II
giving the true shape and contour to all the parts
and in giving rough finish TO the whole wor,
Finally, the touching up or finishing of the mode.
Is completed, this consists in bringing out all the
more delicate lines and curis Of foliage, or ex
preston of features, etc.
The uB-MARISE ExPLoRKR.-An invention
termed the sub marine explorer has lately cJine
into use. 1t is a sort of diving bell with dOrhle
walls, the space between the inner and outer wai'
being divided into an upper compartment for
compressed air. and several lower ones for bal
lasting water. IL is made specifically ttls
lighter than the water il displaces at the suriacc.
and when the men wish TO descend they force
water into the lower or ballasting chambers and
when they wish to ascend they turn n valve. aIsJ
allow the compressed air of the upper ch liJer
to enter the lower one and expel the water
The essential point, however, of the invention
is, that by washing the air which they have
breathed, they remove all the carbonic acid anG
replace il with oxygen obtained from the spray OF
water which they wash the air with, so that the
wcrkmen can stay under water without any con-
nection with the surface, for an indefinite length
of time. The reason of this is. that there is air
held in solution by the water and this air Is richie
in oxygen gas than ordinary atmospheric air. the
latter containing only twenty one per cent. Ofox-
ygen, while the formeri asserted 10 contain rs
much as forty -four per cent.
Water will also take mp INTO solution with il.
carbonic acid in preference TO oxygen there
fore, when the workmen, by means of pump
with rose head, throw spray of water through
the air in their chamber, the water gives up is
oxygen and absOrbS carbOnic acid and other impu
rites leaving the air good. and ft to support life
or combuston-a principle easy to be under
stood.
ALuMNous SroSTs-The class Of precious
stones comprised under the term aluminOus are
of great beauty ard of peculiar artistic valUe
Sapphires Of all kinds, rubies, tOpazes, chrysa-
beryls, turquises and tOurmalins come under IL
designation With the exception of the turquo;s
these are the hardest Of all substances after the
diamond. The sapphire is the hardest of the
aluminous stones; It is pure alumina, as the dia-
mond is pure carbon. When absolutely pure, II
is Of beautiful blue color; when colorel By
minute quantities of other substances il is called
the oriental ruby, topaz, emerald, or amethyst,
according its color is red, yellow, green or vio-
let. When hair brown il is called adamantine
spar. The term oriental ruby or topaz are ap-
propriate; the ordinary gems Of these names being
alumina in excess, instead of pure alumina. The
terms oriental emerald and amethyst being sill
cious.
The sapphire of fine deep blue color is valued
at about fifteen dollars the carat. The value OF
the oriental ruby increases with its weight ia .
more rapid ratio than the diamond; il and a
diamond of the first water are of equal value
carats. An oriental ruby of six carats Is worsh
FIVE thousand dollars. Above the weight %
twenty carats the oriental ruby is called the car
buncle, and this is the most precious Of all known
substances. Gems Of this size are extreme
rare. The oriental emerald, topaz, and ameths &
are all more valuable than other stones OF the
same name. An oriental emerald of first quali
is extremely valuable, being worth thirty-h 6
dollars carat-those of inferior quality rangins
from that 10 three dollars and half. The oriei.-
tai topaz and amethyst are not so valuable as tie
other varieties of the sapphire.
The chrysaberyl, next 20 the different species Oi
sapphire, is the hardest Of all known substance
1t is yellowish green. and in the interior of tic
stone, viewed in certain directions, is an undula-
ting. blush, opalescent play Of light, which 5
very beautiful, and forms one Of lis chief at,ra
tiUns to the jeweler Crystals fit for jewelrv are
exceedingly rare and highly valued
ENGINE WHErIs.-There is, perhaps, an e.
ment in the application Of power, more capll
eious than the adhesion Of the wheels of an e..
gine upon the rails. Gases on record in which
the adhesion was known 10 have been two -fiith
of the insiStant weight-an amount which Won
enable an engine, with all its weight on the dri'
ing wheels, to ascend a gradient of over t~o
thousand feet per mile In other cases, engine
wheels will slip, when the known resistance e.
the train is less than one-twelfth of the NeiEi
upOn ulchn.
Twelve tons upon single pair of wheels arc
considered as the maximum limit for the Mario =
guage; but on adhesion Of only one ton
which in some cases is all that can be OIL
tained-would not permit the engine TO draw one
half its full load. IL is question, also whethe
the permanent way is not unduly strained by the
instantaneous application at one point ofa weight
as great as six tons II four coupled wheels
carrying four tons each, were employed, this ex
cessive concentration Of weight would be avoided
and Que rhird more adhesion would be gaiDed
The only objection which can be urged agains
coupling the wheels, is, of course, the difficult,
of preserving exactly equal diameters for all
without which more or less additional fricticr
would be incurred The taw crank pins of esc
pair Of wheels should be placed, as matter n
course, at the same angle with each cther-say q
right angle in both pair of wheels; from want o
care, however, in fitting, proper accuracy IN ~
respect is not obtained always, and the couplin-
rods are often strained, and considerable power q
lost in consequence. The possibility Of bad work
manship cannot be charged, however, as n taull