The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-25
sC1ENT1ro ITEMS,


Eoae,N is about % be attempted By wealthy
who has been for several years expert
meniing With new form Of vessel, and who has
now nsatured his PLANS of the same. lie is to
begin thc construction of O l1rge ship, nearly
three hTudrcd fect in length, upou his new sys-
tem-~nc OF tho most striking pccul'nrites Of
wlEf is that The section OF the ship is a perfect
ciTtic of points
III, hull taDers to the ends The engines for
this steamship are % be about six hundred horse
pOEcr they are 10 be- constructed with cy liuders,
ard are spcCnl, designed with Wow 10 the saving
Of weight AID space. Steel enters largely into
the composition, and they will be supplied with
al the 10 est Improvements 10 marine engines.
No expense is 10 be spared 10 insure the success,
OF this novel enterprise and 10 is even announced
that @ second vessel of considerably larger
power and dimensions, will shortly be com
mencCd by the same parties.
MANUFACTURE OF STEEL IN FRANCE.
II Is stated that English wurkmen have cxl-
mined the specimens Of steel produced by thi,
process, ana they pi OnounOe II equal 60 English
steel. Il has been made into chi,es, knives,
grayers, and other cutting tools. Several tons Of
steel have been made by NJ. Frenzy, from pig
hou which he had supposed was totally inca
yable OF being employed in the manufacture
Of steel
sTEEBtSG SCREW rRprEILEBs.
A series OF experiments has lately been made
by the EDgii.h Admiralty tp test a new steering
screw propeller. The peculiarly Of this pro-
pellcr consists of having a ring forming uni
yersal bal OF sOcketjO mt, placed within the OON
Of The screw, which is thereby Connec ed with
the main shaft. The entire weight OF the screw Is
borne by the shaft, and by means Of the tail or
spindle Of the screw projecting from the box
working IN the ruddcr Whatever may be the
movement Of the rudder, IL communicates an
equal movement to the screw, which, therefore,
becomes not only the propClling but also the
guiding power of the ship.
The gain in speed, by employing this new de-
haa haa q, hsaf -fitFr
or equivalent 90 mile and a half per hour. This
gain is obtained by avoiding the retarding effect
OF the Tudder as II was found that to keep the
vessel in her course the helm never varied more
than fiOm three ~ five degrees BY working the
screw astcrn, and putting the helm over ferty
degrees, the vessel can be turned in about half
the time above stated, and n O rudder of only
one-third its length, measuring from the screw
itself. The screw can be applied in the dead
wood Of the ship, and lifted as i'm the ordinary
way, so that the vessel may be governed by either
the rudder or screw, or both.
NANUFACtUnE or CoLoRED GLASS.
The distinguished French chemist, NJ. Chev-
reul who has devoted so much attention TO the
subject Of color, has lately published a memoir
on painted windows, In which there arc many
points which deserve the attention of artists and
Others who are interested in the. curious phe-
nomena attending the manufacture of colOred
glass tor Ornamental and other purposes.
II Is familiar fact, that old stained glass
windows have much richer effect than modern
ones, and NJ Cheyreul, speaking of this supe-
Tiority attributes 10 10 what moderps regard as
defects. In the first place, much OF the ancient
glass is of unequal thickness, aud so presents
convex and concave parts, which ieiract the light
differently and produce an agreeable effect.
In the next place, the Old cOlOred glass Is not q
coJorless glass, 10 which has been added the
particular cUlOring material, such protOXide of
cobalt, &C.. old glass contains good deul OF
oxide OF non, which cOlors II green, and 10 this
must be attributed the peculiar effects OF antique
glass, cOlOred by cobalt and manganese. NJ.
ChtyIeul appears to thiuk that modern stained
glass is too transparent to produce the best
effects. NJ. Regnuuit, another well-knOwn chem
list, has recommended that all this kind of
stained glass should be cast 10 avoid the mo-
notonOus effect of plain surfaces on the light;
and also that foreign substances should he
mixed with the glass, In order 30 diminish its
transparency.
GIGANTIC HAMMER.
a steam bapmeT Of immen ia. ,1,i ;.ower is
employ cd at the Government works, Wool wich
England. The hammer. bar and face weigh four
tons, and the cylinder in which this bar works,
with its glands, nearly six tons. The cy Under is
supper ted on two frames, each of nine tons, and
each Of these again rests on q bed-plate of tue
same weight. Through these d-plates projects
the anvil, which is a mass of wrought iron, faced
with steel, and imbedded in a block Of cast-iron,
weighing upwards of twenty-one tons.
In the casting of this block twenty. five tons of
metal were placed in the cupola furnace of the
works. In the space of five hours the metal was
thoroughly fused, ana IN q quarter of an hour 10
was run into the mould with perfect success,
The immense block ,hus f rmed measures at the
base six feet seven inches, By nine feet two
inches, ana is four feet ten inches In height. The
anvil proper is let in'O the top, the base resting
on two layers Of heavy logs about fourteen feet
square.
One of the advantages of this hammer consists
in the placing Of the cylinder, which is 30 bolted
between the support Of the frames that instead
OF forcing them asunder, II tends, by its
pressure, TO keep them more firmly in their
places. In the management of the hammer, also,
great perfection has been attained It can be
made to pound with prodigsus force q mass of
glowing iron, or to crack a nut In the gentest
manner. The hammer can likewise be worked
with great diversity of power; the stroke can be
given with q force exactly corresponding with
the weight of the hammer, and this force can be
diminished at pleasure, or increased by the ap-
plication OF the steam above or below the piston.
II can be made to descend like the heavy sledge,
or 10 deliver from two to three hundred strokes a
minute.
RAILWAY BREAKS.
il has been proposed to apply electromagnetic
ism to the stOppage of railway cars when in mo-
tion. According 70 this idea there should be an
electro magnet placed between the wheels on
each side Of every rail car. The magnet would
have a slight movement up and down between
two gIooved blocks affixed TO the car, or through
hollow cy Under, in case straight maguet be-
used. When out Of action the two poles of the
magnet would be supported either by buffer
spring or by steelyard weight so that a dis
lance not exceeding an inch would exist between
the poles Of the magnet and the tram rail. In
he tender Of the engine should be carried a VOL
tale battery, from one pole Of which should
proceed al series of connectable chains, linking
each electro magnet 70 The next, throughout the
whole line, one end of the chain now made con-
tiIuous being brought to the battery TO be con-
Dected with the opposite pole whenever desired.
Above the battery is 70 be placed an electric dial
and connecting handle for the use OF the driver,
80 as TO enable him at any moment TO close or
break the circuit, or so graduate II as 10 permit
him 10 govern the connection between any nun.
Der Of plates. Some OF the advantages claimed
for this plan are, that the break would at all
timGs be at the command of the driver of the
engine; its action would be instantaneous and
be also capable OF graduation in arrestng the mo
meuum it would impede the motion of the car
not by friction on the rail, but by adhesion with
the Tail-the arresting force would thus bS
brought to bear on all points-the car being foI
the under.cuTent made essentially part and
parcel Of the line.
Ruskfn on Denmark.