Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-31
SCIENTIFIC RECORD.

M. Callleret, french teiegrapher, is re.
ported to have di covered new method Of
rotating the electro magnetic gyroscope
with any induction coil. He employs the
thin wire as an inductor, and the thick one
for sending the induction current to the
coil.
Railroad extension is still going briskly
forward. The Railroad Gazette for the
week ending July 9th reported the building
of 2, 100 miles Of new railroad during the
present year. This is gain of 100 per cent.
on the figures Of the same period of 1879.
and OF about 200 per cent. on the figures
OF the years 1878 and 1877.
Captain Charles E. Bridge of New York
has proposed modification of the United
States Signal Code, employing the sounds
of whistle in the place OF the sight signals
by flags or lights. The suggestion appears
to be very practical one, and its adoption
would enable conversation at sea by sound
to be carried on, the ordinary alphabet be-
ing transmitted and received letter by
letter. The plan proposed is much simpler
than flag signals, at present used, and is
capable of far greater usefulness.
Professor Port lately called the attention
of the French Academy to the vital i'm
portance of perseverance in efforts to resus-
citate the apparently drowned. He asserted
that he had restored to life a child, by
persisting in artificial respiration for four
hours, commencing three hours aud half
after apparent death. Another case is
mentioned, where an apparently drowned
person was restored to life after four hours
of artificial respiration, begun an hour after
fba %al-
Such experiences are surprising, and their
presentation especially timely at this sea-
son, when drowning accidents are most
liable to occur.
An earnest effort will be made to induce
the next Legislature of Pennsylvania to
adopt uniform and rational system gov
erning the vexatious subject of expert tes.
timony, the need of which we referred to
some weeks ago. The plan proposed is in
brief something like this In cases where
the aid of medical experts is necessary, the
counsel on each side of the case shall each
select the names of six or more prominent
physicians, from whom the presiding
Judge shall select two names by chance.
The two thus chosen shall sit with the
Judges as dnici curi6 throughout the trial,
and shall enlighten the Court and the jury
by their professional Interpretation Of the
technical aspects of the case. The plan is
by no means free from objections, but is q
step in the right direction.
The Stevens Institute professors con.
clude an elaborate paper in Kan NostronePs
n ,.r,,,,,!aaiae for July on Measurements of
an Incandescent raper Carbon Horseshoe
Lamp, Constructed by I. a. Edison, with
the following not very encouraging SEN
tence "When we remember that with
the arc.light there has been obtained from
/, 200 to l,s00 candle.power per horse
power of mechanical energy applied to the
generator, it is evident that Mr.. Edison's
lamp, as now made, does not escape the
enormous loss which has heretofore been
encountered by all forms Of incaudescent
lamps" The economic results obtained in
their experiments show that the lamp de.
veloped 100 candle.power per horsepower
of electric energy, which would be equiva-
lent to about Y candle-power to each
horse power of mechanical energy applied
to the driving pulley of the electric gen.
orator.
Stanley is at present on the Congo, with
the view of opening up to commerce the
heart of the African continent. His oxpe-
dition is very strong. comprising twenty
white men of different nationalities, and
about one hundred negroes of Zanzibar,
Sierre Leone, and the Congo. He has FIVE
small steamers and number of smaller
boats, with which he has taken his party
and supplies up the river as far as the first
of the series of thirty-two falls on the
river. From this point the task of cutting
road through the wild coast range of
mountains has been begun, when the boats
and supplies will be transported overland
past these distractions to navigation, and
then the great river and its tributaries viii
be navIgable to the very heart OF Africa.
This expedition promises to be the most
important undertaking in its practical re-
suits that has ever been attempted in Afri-
can exploration.
For separating brass and copper turnings
from those Of iron and steel, two German
inventors, named Breuer and Schumacher
are reported to have invented an ingenious
magnetic apparatus, of which the principal
features are as follows: The mixed filings
or turnings fall on a revolving dome or
cylinder, which is magnetized, and to
which, therefore, the iron and steel parti-
cles adhere, while the copper and brass
PARTICLES fall into special reservoir pro-
vided for the purpose. To make sure that
no iron shall escape, two magnetic cylin-
ders are provided, rotating in the same
direction, SO that the iren which escapes
the first shall be retained by the second.
The surface of the cylinder is formed with
fat bands of iron alternating with strips of
copper, and each of che iron bands is in
contact with row of horseshoe magnets.
The adhering iron and steel are antomat-
ically removed by the use Of revolving
brushes.