New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-05-07
eCIENCE AND ART.
American Institute Polytechnic Asseci"-
ton.
At the regular meeting, April "a, S. d. Till
MAN csQ., occupied the chair.

tion.
At the regular meeting, April "a, S. d. TILL
MAN, esq, occupied the chair.
wINDMILLs.
Mr. T. b. FIELD Of Nantucket, Mass, exhibited the
model Of windmill Its novelty consisted in the zee Of
balanced sails moving horizontally, around a common
axis each sail having also Independent rotation. by
which the edge is presented TO the wind, when moving
against IT, and the face when moving with IT,
The CHAIRMAN remarked that the model displayed
some ingenuity but the objections made to feathered
paddle wheels would apply TO this The shape OF
the sails might be improved by substituting, for the
gular the triangular FORM by which the base 81
the sail would have the slowest and its apex the swirl
est notion thus the extent Of the surface Of sail vary
Ing inversi as its velocity the force Of the wind would
be more equabe upon the whole length Of the arm The
wing Of the bird is constructed on this principle IL is
narrOvcst at the point OF greatest notion me WIZ
mill is If use where "A small power IN required, winch
need not act continuously. IL Is clumsy but cheap ana
convenient because 1t requires no repenishng super
ntendence when its sails are made 50 "a TO close rs INC
wind increases in velocity. Hence considerable lngeuu
ity has been show IN making the windmill automatic
or self.adjustng in high winds. MI FRANCIS PEABODY.
prominent ctzen Of Salem has made many
periments for the purpose OF perecng vino turhne
wheel which be used for farm purposes ana on me
praries Of the West where wate,poweI ana io'i l'r
making steam cannot be readily obtained.
| THOMAS BLANCHARD.
The recent death Of Blanchard alluded 10 by Dr.
RnwTII. who recouned some OF the achievements OF
this disting uished American inventor lie described
one Of the useful Of his lsborsayng machines
the lathe for turning Irregular forms which copies IN
reduced size II required very small marble bnft OF
Webster was exhibited IN al unfinished stale e. tnASh
nom tho machine, ~ illustrate the perfection OF the
work up TO the line whore IT ceased.
Mr. SETsOS also spoke Of Blanchard as the Inventor
OF the tack machine.
The CHAIRMAN added that the loss Of prominent lit
erary men called forth euOgics from their coempo
rarie. and II very proper for this Association 10
notice the demise of eminent mechanics lie who has
given new forms TO matter new directions 70 force
by which tie material condition OF man hes heen m
proved has done real service 20 his rare which may
continue In fn effect long sfter The inventor forgot
ten The absolute progress Of civilization depends on
disc0very and invention. 1t impossible 10 carr!
on war like the one in which We are now engeRed
without the aid Of the great inventions brought forth
first In our own country. Let lis always trace true
power 10 1t true source and pay becoming 'rou'' 10
the memory Of a great inventor
The following scientific summary was presented by
the Chairman:
I IMPROVED BAUME SCALE
| This improved scale, made IN Thu. country,
and used by the dealers in coal oil and petroleum con
sis Of hollow glnss tube about one foot long closed
al both ends, and 20 weighted as 70 sink vertically when
set in oil, t. "a scale which has range sufficient to
include oils and the lighter liquid products Of crude
petroleum. The lowest point on this scale cor
responds With lson the ordinary lydromeer marking
counting inverted that IS. The lighter the liquid the
higher the number while The common by droineter the
specific gravity OF sucD H4uIl WOId u" ,Bhht" DF
decimal fraction The comparative graduation on these
scales will be understood when II ~ stated that ~ On
the Bsume corresponds with 100 on the common
hydrometer, which marks the specific gravity OF a
lo uid having 7.l0hs the weight Of water Below this
scale il incrcural thermometer having The point
Of its scale at the point where the mercury indicates
Temperature Of GO Fahrenheit the standard Of heat az
which ell measurements OF the density Of liquids are
made. From this point the scale IN graduated above
and below every unit corresponding with ten degrees
Fahrenheit This scale denotes the number to be added
to the hydrOmeteT measurement when IL lie made al d
temperature below co Fahrenheit, below the zero
point of this attached scale and tie number 10 be de-
Quoted when the measurement IL made ~ temperature
higher than GO Fahrenheit. For example, II, Ia meas
uring oil the Baume scale stands at 81 and It's tenn
perature is 3l2 marked by 8 being times 10 degrees
below the COO Fahrenheit this number Is added 70 So
and tho oil il said 10 be measured BY ~ at the standard
temperature; IT, the other hand this OIL should be
measured by a. while the temper allure II a 20 fahren
heit three must be deducted Tor the excess OF
temp@raturs-tlus we have ~ rs It's measurement at
GO Fahrenheit hemOst correct method II 10 psce In
water at to- glass tube open at the top containing
the oil ~ be tested-the Baun6 number measuring this
viii need no correction for temperatures yet the I'M
mense trade in pet oenn requires the use u Tie
improved scale described
GUN TEST.
NJ DECKER thinks il possible 10 determine whether
gun has been fired and very nearly the number OF tines
BY examining the chemical changes produced BY the
combustion OF tho gunpowdeT. which leaves both on
tLe interior and exterior of the gun de-
post The OF gan that has been uhed different
nom one that has never been fired.
Il
new planet was discovered on tho I'd OF February
last by ". PoYsOs Director of the Observatory ut
Madras. IT IL the oOlh of the seres. and has received
the name OF sappho.
THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHUR.
| N. p. BIAsCM gives, IN the Monitor SeienfU9ne.
interesting statistics IN relation 10 the production
Of sulphur in Italy. The annual yield rs about 5ovD
tuns, valued at 80 900 franco The greatest Part 10
obtained In Sicily. where II exists In gypsum bfd,
layers Of which extend over small portion OF the
island rom Mount Btns ~ TTapsni also IN cal
CARES and cays more or less mari In the hrst case
the sulphur exists in state Of mixtures sometimes In
sma parallel veins. and more rarely in the form OF
crystals These often associated with oelsssne or
sulphate OF stronum In clay on the contrary, II Is
found In globular which is also the in sim
ular bearings In Continental Italy. Great improve
ments have been made In the method OF extracting sui
phur rom the oalcueous gangue II lie always obtained
by liqneiaeDon. by burning portion Of the The
operation, formerly performed In small furnaces. now
effected by simply heapng the stones and covering
them with earth, as In charcoal burning This mode
dimnishes the former losses occasioned BY the produc
ton OF sulphurc acid that the yield Of sulphur Ia
increased one nth Formerly the burning could not
be carried on near dwellings and gardens and it was
often fatal to workmen. Now the operation Ii almost
harmless and not confined 10 any place or period Of
the year. The sulphur from Romagna and the Marches
IL refined at Rmini and IL chiefly used for sulpburic
scid and lately for the treatment Of the vine Its price
varies considerably, In cakes IL is about sl3 per fun