Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-03-27
VI iscei.aneOus.

psHasCUs BI ADS Amon:, the arts which
have now become ,,t must be ciasscd the
manufacture Of the celebrated Damascus
sword blades. In uidcu times, they were Of
the highest rcpute ~ Europe and the East !;
their elasticity was - great that they could
Se bent into a ciruulIr form without break
ing, at yncc springing back 10 their original
shape when rclcascd. while their edge rns Is
keen ar fazpr, 20 that iron and even steel
would divide under the force Of a blow,
without the blade being injured. The mode
Of manufacture was kept a profound secret
bv the arinorcrs of Damascus. although from
the Ieculiar wavy appearance Of regular
dark and bright lines which they presented,
there j. little doubt that they were construc-
ted Of alternate layers of iron and steel weld
81 together bv method the exact description
Of which is now lost. Recently, sword blades
closely resembling the old Damascus seine
tars have hccn made Al SOlingcn in Ger
mauy.-ltr markings on their surface near
" resemble thy minute and graceful slradinSs
Of fne watcrcti ,iik. and are due to the meth
Ud of fahricating tine blade, aud also to the
combined metals 0r which il is composed.
These bladcs arc said "a quite equal the old
Damascus one Ia temper and elasticity
fiev are made Ia the following manner
! tacut i first formed Of alternate bars or
wires Of iron and stecl-Such bundle Is
then drawn out, doubled and twisted several
tunes and formed into ribbon. thin
blade Of tie bet cutting English steel Is then
taken and between tNO OF these forged nib
h0ue OF iron and steel the three are welded
t,guther, aud fIrincd into sword blade.
TSe interior thin English blade gives the
sword desirable and perfect cutting edge,
while the combined twisted iron and steel of
which the outside LAYERS are composed, I'M
lsrt u It peculia- toughne-s, as well as the
beautiful wavy surface for which it Is also
much praised. When ground and polished
no ryavv lines are recognized, but BY dipping
the blade for short period into dilute sui
phuric acid portion Of the iron on the sur
face is dissolved. while the fine steel bars be
oJnie black, and appear in dark lines contra
distinguished from the white wavy lines OF
the irou bars.
After the blades are forged in this manner,
4 e,reat deal Of their excellence depends upon
lie mode OF temlcring them. Much OF the
-,Ilrsrioritv Of the old Damascus blades i sup
p,sed to have depended ON this. One mode
IN which tbi. i. reported to have been effec-
led consisted IN heating the hardened blade
tya blue color. und handing it L. a rider
st Gallon, waving thc blade against the
odd north ,rird hich Was required g. H.
Blowing uH the ti.u- rr the operation c,uli
10, h. performed This we Look upon a.
more postical thau =ci.ntihc, for It would he
-.aroelv l.Issibls t. temper thin piece Of
-te.I IN tiis manr.r during the coldeet days
Of " inter, however keenly the north wind
might blow. Il is stated that the Russian
General Anncsc fl redi5coyerod she process of
producing Damascus steel by melting ] / lbs.
&c charcoal iron IN crucible with l-l2th of
graphite, l-52d of iron scslee and about Lea
Of fueible fux, such as dolomitc These
substances were submitted 20 intense heat in
Il blast furnace for about five hours, when
the scoria was skiuned of and the molten in
20. af steel thus formed was drawn under
the hammer, and submitted TO several re-
hestings and hznnerings s.-0f steel thus
made, il il stated that Gen. AnonscOf made
several blades like those of Damascus, having
tho same light and dark wavy lines which
we're produced after the blade was formed BY
pouring dilute sulphuric acid over it.-LOn-
den Reri0C
AxusINo RAou.-We have seen horse races,
-e-ub race, and etoeplc ckases but yester-
day Il the first time We ever saw dog race
that is, a dos racing against a horse. \
b,v va. driving a dog around the streets
hIichcd to a sled. ON which the driver. pre-
csciuus urchim oi dozen or fifteen years,
w"s seated very complacently. Up drove a
'ast Young man, pretending to have a fast
teani s'ri challenged the juvenile Ia race.
Not'ni- raantcd. of they went, neck and
iir'-S- Tor " 'a1i''ent 80 two. hut finally the
'io.. -if',7i and came in ahead. lt was a
Eyry Amusing r'cc. and attracted ounsid.rs-
hlc n'a crowd Portland Argus, 1871.
'.Arrah, ,iarlint, cried Jamie O'Fal-
sg4n 10 hi- loquaciOus sweetheart. who had
given him no opportunity Of even answering
her remarks during 2 two-hours ride behind
l'is iittle hay naSs ia bis oyster wagon arc
&c sfther Knowing why yer cheeks arg ike
NJ ponies there -
" Shurc, and its beeause they're red, is
it2'' quoth the blushing Bridget.
:. Faith and a better reason than that, ma
rourneen. Because there's one Of them each
side of q waggin' tongue ~