Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-01-11

A USEFUL INVENTION, hON ~ OhS EN
FOEL.-An invention is heralded through the
columns of the New York World that presages
n revolution in domestic economy, and exclteS
the hope that fuel may be eeonomlzed to the
lowest poipt. Should it turn out what 1t is
represented to be the labors of the coal digger
and wood getter will be greatly diminished and
the expenses of every household considerably
reduced. Professor John johnson, of Saoo,
Maine, has obtained papers from the patent
Office securing the inventors right to this dis
cOyery, which threatens destruction to stoves,
furnaces and CRATES. Mr.. Johnson's heater
promises to ''euabe the housewife to warm her
apartment in few moments by lighting
match and giving herself no further trouble
about fuel, dirt or damage. She may, indeed,
take the contrivance under her arm and carry
it to any room in the house, having only to
place it on the floor. and without any supervi
sion, it begins at once to bring the atmosphere
OF the room up to an agreeable degree OF heat
by steady currents of warm, wholesome air.
This heater consists of an air tight sheet
iron cylinder with cluster OF tubes running
through it from top to bottom, and which are
open at both ends. The bottom OF this heater
is Ia the centre, cup shaped, and holds little
water, and just below it is o gas burner or
lamp. This constitutes full description of
the invention. The water put into the cup at
the bottom is just sufficient to fill the in
ner space of the cylinder with steam at
ordinary atmospheric pressure: in the small
est size of heater this quantity amounts
to little more than a tablespoonful 1t
being an accepted anxiom that a cubic inch of
water will make a cubic foot of steam (satura-
!ed) at barometric pressure. The water Is sealed
I'D hermetically when the cylinder is made, and
nothing remains for the owner but to light the
gas let under it. Immediately the steam rises
into the cylinder, heating all the radiating sur
face, and the excess passing into the little con-
denser at the top is recOnyerted into water,
and runs back into the cup. Thus goes on,
self regulating, process as simple as the opera
ton of solar heat. If the hand Is placed over
the apertures at the top, dlstluct currents OF
warm air will be felt issuing from the tubes,
caused by the heat of the surrounding vapor.
This is diffusion. If the hand be held at the
distance of foot from the exterior jacket,
pleasant radiant heat will be felt. This, then,
is radiation, and the two agencies are co-opera-
ting in the work OF changing the atmosphere
of the apartment, and will so continue 0d an
.fnitun,, so long as the flame or other source
of heat is supplied"
Should this invention ful6l the expectations
it had raised, it will prove one of the most
valuable discoveries Of modern times. Its bene
fetal effects will be felt and enjoyed by every
household. Heat will be rs cheap and abundant
as water and gas. We see no more reason to
doubt the success OF improvements and advan-
ces IN the direction named, than In any other
direction. Ii Professor johnson has really
achieved the success claimed for him, he will
not only grow rich and deserve his wealth, but
he will take high rank among the benelac
tors OF mankind. -Rich Wh{g.
PERFECT PRINTING.--lt has been doubted
whether an absolutely perfect copy Of a classi-
cal author has ever been printed, A wealthy
amateur tried to make 4 perfect copy Of SOS
LuciadOs," of Camoens, and, with the aid of
the accomplished printer Didot, got up q
magnificent edition of it at an enormous ex
pense, which was not to contain a single error
All thought that he had succeeded, but when
the book was printed an error was discovered
in some Of the copies, by one OF the letters of
the word "buzitunO" being displaced by some
accident while working the sheets The same
experiment was made by famous firm in
Glasgow Scotland. Every precaution was Ia
ken to insure typographical accuracy. Six ex-
perienced proof readers were employed, who
devoted many hours to each page; and when
they had done with it, it was posted up in the
hall Of the University, with a notice offering a
reward of Gfty pounds TO any person who dis
covered an error. Each page was thus pOSted
for two weeks before it went to press. Ne cr
ror was discovered, but when the work was
printed, several errors were detected, one OF
which, was in the first line of the first page
PEOPLE about to marry who wish to know
the proper age, arc referred to the following
prccedents: Adam and Eve, 0; Shakespeare,
Is; Ben. johnson, 81 franklin, "a Mo
Burke, Scott, &c; Tycho, Brahe, (ByrOnl
Washington. Bonaparte, 27; Penn and
Sternc, % Linneus and Nelson %; Burns,
30; Chaucer, Hogarth and Peel, 80; Words
worth aod Davy, 33 Aristotle, Sc; Sir Will
liam Jones and Wellington, 81 /; Wilbertorce,
35; Addison. A; Wesley and Young, At
swift, 49; Button, SIS Old Parr, last time,
l20 These are good precedents, ranging from
Adam and Eve, before they were year old,
10 the veteran p,rr