The New York herald., 1878-11-02

Wheatstons'A Bsardsoe's and Brsgus mashines for
Fourteenth-Comparisons OF batteries ana electrical
machines; uuder what circumstances each 10 the
most advantageous aud the kind OF batteries for ship
use.
SireenA-F -Frictioual electricity, with various ma
chimes.
Seuenteenfa-Dsscrbing the apps ratus for the
various movable torpedoes owned by the government
Observation-Disclosures: S,emens and 0tner inven-
Professor Farmer lectures on potentia, branch cur
rents, fuses batteries, magnetic engines. magnsto-
electro machines, electric lights aud cabiea Leo
lures are also delivered on indicators and circuit
0uoya
The chemistry department Is in charge OF Professor
Walter N. Htll who has been ut the station ever
young man, is considered one OF the chemists IN
the country The instruction IN chemistry IL given
posves saca Of wach are rea By
tures. The SUBJECTS discussed thirteen in number,
are .!. taken up . IN nearly tns ioow,ns order
principles Of chemistry, chenica language.
Second-Oxygsn, air.
Th,,d-Hy drosen, water, nitrogen, ammonia, oxides
Fourth-Fiuorins, chlorine, bromins and iodine
Sirtn-Pnospnorus arsenic and an.imony.
Sepenh and Ei0hth-Carbon ana simeon, organic
NinM-rotassium, sodium; calcium and magns-
sum-
I,oeitth-Copper, lead and tin.
Thirteenth-Msrcufy, silver, gold and platinum
diagrams projected by calcium lights which add
greatly 70 their success.
EXPLOSIVES.
The lectures on explosives oy Professor Hill com.
prises twelve briefly mentioned under the following
Esrst-General explosive, reaction and effect; cir.
Gums tsncss Of explosion and modo OF firing.
Second-General condition, detonasion and moae OF
producing the same; composition OF explosive bodies
an explosive mixtures and compounds
Third Fourth and F.fA-Gunpowdsr, It's compo-
silon and relations; Us manufacture, varieties and
results OF expOsion.
lsrth and Ssventh-Nitro-gly glycsrins and nitro-gly-
E.ght1 aud NintA-Picrases, picra,s powder and
fuminates.
TenA-Gun cotton gun cotton mixtures
Ekventh-Expl0sIve mixtures other than gunpow.
a,velttA-Appoatisns Of explosives for torpedo par-
the thirteenth lecture s usually devoscd to either
review or 10 subjeols previously omitted These
NJ illustrated by figures and Ny The
me room being darksned The 0ac.boa In this as
well the other departments 10 hoeraliy used By
the Instructors
The practical work In charge OF Professor Hill
prises the process oi making niEogiycsrins, dyna-
m te and long sapled gun cotton, together with ex.
perimenis with explosives OF all kinds. All explosive
substan ces The island, gun po wder which
Is stored brick building. are psced under the
OF Professor Hill, and their handing, as might be
supposed, entails great care and labor. The method
used for making nitrogIycsrine, which. by the way,
is not considered violent enough Tor torpedo pur-
poses, is Inc as that used At the Hoosac Tunnel
Nilro.Gl cerins worka, at NORTH Adams. Mass, and
esssntiaily consists Of the addition oi kIycerine
to mixture o. strong salphur'D and
standing In icc water, and whiie tnis is
progress the acid mixture IN c.cn vessel agiaed
py pow or u stream OF cold arr The apparatus IN
use al the station been irequsnty proved and
IL gives entire satisfaction. Two small buildings
pioslve. American glycsrins is used, ths German
glycer,nss being apt 20 contain htty matter The
ommorce. The nitric acid all mate at The station,
III view the tact that this article cannot be pur-
chased IN ms country IN IT'S iali strength which y
than l. As Of shscdc gravity. The uang 0i weaker
acids believed at the station to 0s lie cause OF the
many terrible accidents with preparations
containing II, aud 1t mas been conclusvely proved
good glycerne cannot be mate without tho
strongest acids The still for making he mario acid
cylindrical form, and Is SO arranKedln its setting
that the gases from the hot hics pas completely
around II twice, that II - heated uniformly.
During the operation OF conversion the temperature
Is kept as low as possible by cooling uhe pitchers
WIN ana aus. o 20. e0,a ans ar ssd los aE
ton. the washing being performed with he and Of
air stream, whisn serves 70 break u the oily
IQuid and spreads II through the water and this 10
continued until It 10 complets. In The maazne are
more than hity samples OF nitro-ylycsriie mado
no percep,be signs oil change or acid reaction dur
ing the various times they have been in store which
that they are kept without SPECIAL prscauliors and
exposed 70 extremes OF temperatures The proportion
about a. o. IL
giycerine and the strongest acids. Obtained LIZ,
l.S9, 2.03 1.S3 parts o nifoglycerno 10 one vi
giycernc, an average oi l.9s TO Loo
DyNAxIrEa .svgt
Professor Hill has made some wonderful sxperi-
ments with frozen dynamite. In ans connectiOu It
may be OF place 10 state that only one
faIaf accident has occurred al the station. Pro.
lessor Hin has also expsrlmsnted 10 great extent
with various dy pamtes aud THIS article, made unoer
his supsrvisisn, seems 10 be well fitted hr
use =, an explosive asen, 70 con'ai%
dry and easily handled. There nave been repeatct
experiments with nitro.gycerine and dy Mantle upon
u.a nj md IN Ia nj
have used with varying success. Gun cotton
by abels process, IL used, whch Is intended 70
stapled cotton have been made for certain SPECIAL
purposes. Tue Illuminating mercury required IS also
NJ tho stai0n under the direction of
Professor HILL besdes ond OF miscellaneous arti-
cles including the preparing OF battery solutiobs ro-
agents anu otner cnemicais, ose M ana.
signal luses and nring bolt compositions, clays
natural waters, mixed acids, wrought IRONS ana test
ing white ieau. giycsrne ana osner materials, iuil
records oil which are kept so that reference be
made the same at amp time. he SUBJECT OF mak-
ing pcraIs powder ana liquid carbon bloxids on The
largo scaie Tor use motor Tor locomotive tor-
pedoos have also received considerable Atteption.
reasonable amount Of sscreoi is preserved Nil
ters pertaining 10 the station, and no one Will deny
PRACTICAL ADVANTAGES.
How much the Iuture defence Oi our coast may de.
pend tne station beng carefully nurtured NO one
can tell Already neatly two hundred VI our naval
Afforded at this place Tor becoming acquainted with
the past history Of torpedo warfare as vel Ne with
oficers OF hSn raIE gladly avail themselves Of an op
portunity 10 make themselves acquainted win the
hanaing and oi the torpedo In us various torns
not lev Of them become quite cxpeft In its man.
agemcnI The use ei tho Harvey Eng isnl towing
torpedo, which is made here, the Lay and
Ericsson movable torpedo, tue rpar TOR.
pedo, .sbuoy the cnd ol o polc,n
such served Lieutenant Cushing such useiut pur.
pose IN The late civil war, are all carefully STUDIED
ana their use made iamliar all oers Tho
several classes. Ths subject of electric snt
carefully studied 1874 its utility means
q ue n nm mar " al Ia
Tor disclosing tho approach OF msvablo torpedocs,
have been well determined. Tho at present per-
pie King problem oi suvdividng the eecric current
10 produce simultane0usiy many lights In af-
ierent places mas been solved here NJ least as lar
back rs 1875, when Iorty-two dlrerent branch cir.
cuts, each wuh light IN II, was easy Of
attainmeDI Its applicability TO light beacons at 4
Instance from shore WAS shown by Professor Farmer
IN lSI4-5, wnen bright eiectrc light was exhibited
NJ noondsy ON Rose Island, moro than eight thou.
sand Isct dstsut 10y way OF the wire) from the
chine which generated tho slscirciy that iurnshed