Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-30

the best mechanical Journals Will be presented by
| the RRcoRD-US together with original con.
trbuted notes OF the results OF mechanical expert
ment and discovery
A late number of Wood and Iron con-
tains quite lengthy article designed to
show that steel, and especially American
steel, as new regularly made by well-estab-
lished and responsible houses, is far bet.
ter material for steam boilers than any iron
| that has ever been made.
John Hicks, Member of Parliament for
Bolton, bore early testimony to the advan.
tages OF steel over iron, maintaining that
although steel boiler costs more per cwt.,
say 30 per cent yet, an entire boiler of the
same length and diameter costs only 90
per cent. more In steel, while ii feet of
heating surface In a steel boiler was as
effective as II feet in an iron boiler, thus
indicating that the cost of the effective
horse power in the former was not more
than in the latter.
The value of iron beams and posts in the
construction of large buildings is becoming
seriously questioned. General Meiggs, of
the War Department, who has given some
attention to the matter, states the superior
advantages of thick wooden pillars. He
says: The safest story post. e., post
supporting floor at reasonable COSTS
one of come hard and not resinous timber.
Posts OF oak, OF fourteen inches square, will
stand safely through almost any fire, until
the powerful force and means Of our city
fire departments are unable to quench the
fire. If wrapped with wire netting, oov-
cred afterwards with plaster, they will
suffer still less; but the naked wooden
q,
center for hours, and the fire will not for
long time char it to depth sufficient to
much injure its strength" 1t is believed
that if round pillars instead of square ones
were used as above, there would be fewer
available points for fire attack.
A Dutch chemist who has made careful
study of the drying of oils has arrived at
the conclusion that linseed oil increases in
weight in almost exact proportion to its
becoming dry. Comparison OF the increase
by weight of the drying oil under the sev.
cral glasses gives the order OF drying as
follows Most rapid under the uncolored
glass, then follow blue. yellow, green and
red, but this order is of no consequence, nor
trustworthy as a constant fact. After $50
DAYS, on the contrary, the gain in weight
is greatest in the following order Under
green, yellow, red, blue and uncolored
glass. In darkness there is no drying, or
it proceeds SO slowly that it may be said
not to 90 on at all. Light is the first nat.
ural drier of oil.
A new and desirable papier mache pro-
cess for covering floors is deserted as fol.
lows "The floor is thoroughly cleaned.
The holes and cracks are then filled with
paper putty, made by soaking newspapers
| in a paste made of wheat -four, water and
ground alum, as follows To one pound of
flour add three quarts of water and q table,
spoonful Of ground alum, and mix thor.
oughly. The floor is then coated with this
paste, and then thickness of manila or
| hardware paper is put on. If two layers
are desired, second covering OF paste is
1 put on the first layer of manila paper, and
| then the second thickness of manila paper
is put on. This is allowed to dry thor
oughly. The manila paper is then covered
with paste, and layer of wall paper of any
style or design desired is put on. After
allowing this to thoroughly dry, it is Gov
cred with two or more coats of sizing, made
by dissolving one-half pound of white glue
in two quarts of hot water. After allowing
this to dry, the surface is given one coat of
| hard oil.fnish varnish, which comes and
is bought already prepared. This is allowed
to dry thoroughly, when the floor is ready
for use. The process is represented te be
durable and cheap, and besides taking the
place of mating carpet, oil-cloths or other
like coverings, makes the floor air. tight,
and can be washed or scrubbed.
Economy in the management of railway
structures favors the adoption of cheap
wooden ones, such as trestles, pile bridges.
ETC., in the construction of roads, the same
to be renewed in due time by more perma-
nent ones. One important consideration in
regard to this is the practical water
way under bridges. In some cases trestles,
few hundred feet in length, have been
introduced at points Of unknown water
way, which have subsequently been re.
duced to complete fill, with the exception
of tile opening. In other cases iron
structures have been undermined by rea-
son of cramped waterway.
In spite of the fact OF numerous existing
lock nuts of merit, none seem to meet all
the requirements for fish-plate bolts.
The simplest found on use is the Verona
lock nut. 1t consists Of split and offset
ring Of steel, tempered to spring, and
having cutting points at the split. 1t aD
pears to be made of guarter-inch square
steel, cut and bent nearly to a ring, but
having an offset of about one-eighth inch,
where the ends nearly meet to form the
ring shape.
At the Chrome Steel Works, at Brook
lyn, the chrome ore is finely ground and
reduced with charcoal powder il crucibles,
the yield being about 45 per cent. of crude
chrome, which contains 30 per cent. OF
chrome and per cent. Of carbon. This
chrome pig is granulated in order to be able
to weigh it more accurately, and is then
mixed with Swedish iron or other pure
wrought iron, and is melted in crucibles in
| charges of 10 pounds, six of which can be
melted in % hours. The hardness of the
steel is dependent upon the quantity OF
quarter to two per cent.
An interesting article by Paul Trasenster
appeared in the last number of the Revue
Universelle des Mines, giving approximate
! ly the quantities of iron and steel produced
in Europe and America. According to
the author, 10, 700, 900 tons Of pig iron
were turned out in 1881, against 49,.
| 3l3, 900 tons in 1850. OF manufactured
iron, 1893, 900 tons were rolled in 1880,
the latest date given, being an increase oi
nearly 100, 900 tons on 1879. The total oi
steel ingots for 1881 is estimated at 5,22O,
| 600 tons. The increased demand is almost
entirely due lin NJ. Trasenster's opinion tc
the growing requirements Of England
France and the United States the latter
however, he believes TO have reached III
I m ,v;rnurn