Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-29
PRACTICAL ITEMS.

A COLONY OF Russian refugees has been
established in Middlesex county, Va, where
| tract of 500 acres has been secured and
| nearly 100 persons have been located.
TWELVE years ago Mr.. Joseph Morgan
started cattle raueh in Forl county, Ks,
on borrowed capital He recently sold
49, - -
Tar scfenIihe expedition which left
Princeton june 7sih, setGred 1900 pounds of
valuable fossils, which save been classified
and added 20 The college, museum. The col
lectious were made in Wyoming, Nebraska
and Dakota.
HoLLoH steel shafting is being made in
France by casting the metal round core oil
lime. the iBgot being finally rolled into
shafting, the lime core going with it, and di-
minishing in diameter in the same proper
ton as the metal, even when the total diam
eter is reduced 10 one-fourth of an inch.
ALL the bays, creeks and rivers Of the
gulf coast counties abound in the finest
oysters and fish; and oranges, figs, grapes,
peaches and melons are grown in great per-
lection, to supply the home and New Or
leans markets. The Mobile and New Or
leans railroad affords fine facilities for
transportation.
THE Sumter County (Fla.) Advance ssys
that number of prominent caeitalists met
in Washington recently and took steps 10
organize the Florida Ship Canal Company,
with capital of 5000 600. The object is
to constrf.e a ship canal across the PENN
sula of EJarids, from the Calf of Mexico TO
tine Atlantic ocean. We presume it is the
old Florida canal scheme revived.
A PATENT has just been taken out in Ger
many for an engine, the piston of which 10
driven backward and forward by small
charges of gunpowder supplied at each end
by an automatic arrangement. The ignition
is effected by the motion of the piston, which
draws in flame of gas or spirit, the access
being regulated BY side valves, which also
open outlets for the escape Of the gases OF
combustion.
ALABAMA is as large as England and yet
has only 100000 of people to Eogland's
21,000,000. California, with less than ,000,-
900 of people, is very little smaller than
France with 30000,000. If Texas were SET
tied as thickly as Massachusetts, it would
hold more than the present population OF
the whole United States; and if the United
States had as many inhabitants to the square
mile as England has, its population would
equal, very nearly, the population OF the
whole globe.
NOrd-Est, Prof Lsjoux points out fraudu-
lent substitute for gycerins, which has been
introduced into the French market. The
ordinary physical character of the liquid
closely resembles fine specimen of glycer-
inc; If, however, has bitter taste, due 10
an impure sulpbate of magnesium, and con-
tains glucose. Cumulative analysis show
ed that the preparation was simply sat-
urated solution of sulpha,e of magnesium,
with 100 grsmmes of glucose TO the liter, 10
disguise the taste of the salt.
ONE gallon of distilled water weighs ten
pounds; gallon OF water weighs
1882 pounds; one and eight-tenths cubic
feet of water weighs 100 pounds; thirty six
cubic feet weigh one ton, and equal 224 gal
Ious; one cubic foot contains six and one
fourth gallons. In pipes the square OF the
diameter in inches equals pounds weight OF
water per yard. Example: A tbref-inch |
pipe holds nine pounds per yard. Ole one |
huudredth inch of rain is about one ton |
weight to the acre. A nominal horse power |
for boiler requires one cubic foot of water |
per hour.
Boston shops are supplying, for the most |
part, cotton m machinery for the new factories |
in the South, while manufacturers in the |
cities of Erie, Buffalo, Rochester, Cleveland, |
Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, Milwaukee, |
Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, and other |
centers are filling orders for machinery of |
every description for working up the fine |
timber of the South. Not long ago, thirty /
carloads OF machinery, OF various kinds |
principally for wood working-were at the |
depot of the Louisville and Nashville rail-
road, at Louisville, on one day, all TO be
distributed in the South, along the lines of |
that road.
WHEN railroads were fret being intro |
- a
dicted that hsrsefesh would inevitably |
become valueless. The possibility, since |
realized, that the new means of trsnsporta-
ton would multiply uses for horse flesh that /
never existed before, and 10 an extent hardly |
10 be credited, was by such croakers never
taken into account. The idea th at Improved |
mechanism in temporarily displacing hand |
labor, must necessarily be destructive 10 |
labor interests, is one that is constantly being |
entertained and as constantly disproved.
Though designed primarily for apparently
opposite purposes, the effect of improved |
m achinery is to multiply the uses and pre-
pare the way for the higher employment of
labor.
AN Ingenious method of instantly stop
ping machinery when in motion is said TO be |
in operation at the Dominion Bolt Works,
Toronto. A wire rope, coiled around the
stem of the Unbelievable of the engine, car
ries a weight which is held in place by rest,
and the whole arrangement is go placed that |
the passing of an electric current along q
wire releases this rest and causes the weight |
to fall. The tension thus thrown upon the
wire rope acts upon the Unbelievable, cuts
off the supply of steam, and consequently |
stops the machinery. Buttons, with connec-
tons, are placed in different parts of the
works, and on pressing any one OF these the /
passage OF an electric current acts as above
mentioned.
PROF FORBES has been experimenting
with wire to determine the thickness required
far carrying different electric currents with
out everlasting, and announces a result
that if you carry a definite amount of cur
rent through wire OF certain diameter
without heating it over temperature OF
1902 then, in order TO carry current twice
as great without overheating, the wire used
ust be twice the diameter or four times The
section. This is an important matter, if true,
for the size OF conductors is a very impor-
tant element in the cost oil plant Tor cleo
trio lighting, and conductors liable TO be
over. heated greatly Increase he cost Of the
current, besides being dangerous.
The Commercial Bulletin truthfully says |
that when mechanics az grand body be-
come more thoroughly impressed with the
conviction that the way TO advancement
both as to personal position and none
tary returns lies through the mastery Of
science in the application Of principle to
their daily work, we may anticipate some
Joint movement on their own part to esisb
lish means for acquiring technical knowl-
edge. For instsnee, the laws OF expansion
and contraction, as applied to many cast
lpgs. and even to the wrought iron and steel
Industries, would prevent much waste in the
foundry and a. the forge from the effect of
uneouaI expansion and contraction, and
also occasion fewer inequalities In the quail