The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-12-07
fseienes6 and 4asPhetpfes:
fNGIIsH RAILRoAD coSsTRuofIoN.

,rsaIIsH RAILROAD cossrRuofIox.
Mr.. Muir, q name we'll known in
English railway circles, proposes som,
improvements upon the system Of con-
struction now in vogue, and his PLAN
are favorably considered by engineer
and others.
Mr.. Muir's sleeper, it appears from
the description given, is, in plan, par
allelogram-soas TO obtain q large bear
ing surtace-with the corners rounded
to insure tree flow Of, the metal in The
mold. Trapsversely the metal is "a
disposed as to give maximum strength
with minimum weight, the whole body
OF the sleeper being in compression
the practical effect is, that the sleeper
stands a severer test under the falling
bali than is usual with others OF equal
weight.
To secure intrinsic stability, 90 as not
to depend entirely for steadiness on the
tie-bar, horizontal fsnge is carried
round the outside OF the sleeper, q lit
tie above the base. This is intended
to correct the rocking tendency. The
verticle continuation Of the side below
the fange forms a kind of knife-edge,
which prevents sliding in the ballast
On heavy grades, then, the axis Of
the rail is not set, as is commonly done,
on the axis of the sleeper, but within it,
at a line where plane inclined at about
one to twenty to the horizon touching
the outer curve OF the sleeper. Hence
the greater part of the mass OF the
sleeper and it's contained ballast lies
without the rail, to react against the
outward diagonal strain of the passing
load. The tilt OF the rail is also thus
obtained without the undue thickening
of one side Of the sleeper, which tends
to produce unsound castings.
PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY.
A writer in the Artisan gives an &C
count of factory which has belt two
feet wide and about one hundred feet
long, running about one thousand feet a
minute over two large wooden pulleys
In dry weather this belt forms gigan-
tic electric machine, which, probably,
is without an equal. As coon as it is
dark constant shower OF sparks can
be seen running off to two posts, which
stand near it. As the belt slants, these
are from four to fifteen inches long,
forming a remarkable spectacle as they
pass off on both sides. The children
working in the mill stand near the belts
to see their hair fly out in all directions,
every hair luminous and distinct; the
beard and moustaches OF the men show
the same phenomena when standing
loot from the belt. Such a mill can,
furnish electricity in quanti-
ties which no ordinary electric machine
of the very largest sort can begin to
equal.
IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING STEEL
One OF the most recent processes for
the improved production of steel is
said to impart an extraordinary hard
ness and durability to even the poorest
Qualities OF that metal. The steel ia
first heated to a cherry red in a clean
smiths fire, and then covered with
chloride OF sodium Common sslt), the
fire also being purified by throwing in
salt. In this condition and process OF
the steel is worked until it is
brought into nearly the finish form.
At this stage there is substituted for the
-alt a pound of one part, by weight,
OF salt, sulphate of copper, sal amoniac,
and sal soda, together with one.hslf
part, by weight, of pure nitrate OF po-
iassa, the ingredients being Pulverlzed
and mixed. The steel is alternately
heated and covered with this mixture,
and hammered until it is thoroughly
refined and brought into its finished
form. 1t is then returned to the fire
and heated slowly to a cherry red, then
plunged into a bath composed Of one
gallon of rainwater, one ounce and
half of alum, the same of sal soda and
sulphate of copper, one ounce OF nitrate
Of potassa, and six ounces oil salt-the
quantities and proportions 70 be changed
when practically requisite.
GERMAN ARTIFICIAL STONE.
A Beleian engineer claims to have
method by which artificial
stone may be produced OF a quality, in
respect to the hardness and durability,
unsurpassed by anything OF the kind
now known.
According to this method, iron Stag
Is made to flow continuously into
basin-shaped excavation, the very
slopins sides OF which allow the aoating
crust that forms on the top to rise
steadily as the cavity fills, without
breaking, and without becoming at
tsched 10 the sides. When the recep,
tscle is full the top crust ID covered
with sand or ashes, to prevent the too
rapid cooling of the liquid mass below.
In this way the cooling goes on slowly,
and under considerable pressure.
After a weeks time, more or less,
the ashes and crust are cleared of, and
the greater part OF the mass is found to
be COMPACT and OF good quality; Sew
epty per cent Of the total Stag is thus
made into stone, at an expense OF
more than half the amount
lhat can readily be realized for it.
Slags having too much lime in them
cannot be used in this way.
WIRE WEAVING.
Brass and copper wire can now be
woven of so fine mesh that the num-
her of perforations, or holes, az they
are called, exceeds nineteen thousand
in q square inch OF surface, these per-
y, I.;n. oIso on reJular and uni