The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-05-13
Statistical and Scientific.

Experiments have been made at
Gavres with armor plates made of
chrome steel. The plates were of the
compound variety F; that is to say, they
had chrome steel front and solid
backing of iron. The steel in such
plates is intended to resist penetration
and the iron to prevent fracture. But
! the results at Gavres were not at all
successful. The first proJectile which
hit the plate shattered it. 1t is thought
that the union of the iron with The
steel was not sufficiently intimate,
and that the iron itself was not solid
enough.
Steel-making is an industry of con-
siderable magnitude on the Upper
Yangtze, and the principal place to
which the product is sent for shipment
and distribution is Tientsin. Three
kinds Of steel are recognized by the
Chinese Neutrality-suspicious. which is
produced by adding unwrought to
wrought iron while the mass is heated;
that made by subjecting to fire pure
iron, and that which is called native
steel. The different names for steel
among the Chinese are twan-kang, or
ball steel, from its rounded form;
kwan kang, or sprinkled steel, and
wie-tee, or false steel.
Railroad car-wheels are now kept in
their places without being keyed on.
III former times they were almost sure
to precipitate al accident; besides,
keys would drop out by the constant
jar end be weakened by the axle and
wheel. Axles are turned to fit the
wheel snugly, and are driven in place
by hydraulic pressure. Previous to
being driven the axles are covered
with a thin coat of white lead and oil,
which hardens in short time and
holds the wheel so firmly in place that
pressure of from 100 to 140 tons is
required to remove broken axle from
the wheel in which it is placed.
Experiments have been made with
an electric lamp for locomotives on the
! system of Messrs. SedlacZel and WIKI
ulill, on the North of France Railway.
The lamp is placed in front of the en-
| CINE, so as to light the permanent way.
The experiments have shown that it
burns steadily, even when the train
goes at express speed that the light
does not interfere with the visibility
or the distinctive color of the signals,
! and that neither the engine drivers
nor officials of the train carrying the
light, nor of other and approaching
trains, are dazzled by it. The drivers
are able to see the line distinctly for a
distance of three hundred yards ahead
The Northwestern Lunabernon has
discovered good preservative of wood
in sulphate of vanyta. The wood is
heated in the same manner as with
creosote. The timber is run ON fiat cars
into cylinder six feet in diameter
and eighty feet in length. Steam is
applied, which thoroughly drives out
the sap. a powerful air pump, con-
nected with the cylinder, is set in
operation for the double purpose of
extracting the condensed steam con.
| tanned in the timber and of exhausting
the air to form vacuum. The cylin-
der is then filled with a solution of
sulphate of copper or sulphate of zinc,
and by means of force pump pres
sure of so to 100 pounds to the square
inch is applied. This pressure is kept
up until all the pores of the wood are
charged with the solution.
To detect glycerine in the possible
presence of sugar the liquid in question
is mixed with powdt red slaked lime
and an equal bulk of fine quartz sand
and evaporated to paste on the water
bath. When cold the residue forms a
hard mass, which is pulveIiz ID and
extracted with so to 100 C. C. of mix
ture of equal volumes of absolute alco-
mol and ether in a small stoppered
flask. On allowing the extract to
evaporate the glycerine is obtained
tree from sugar. If two drops of it are
put in dry test tube with two drops
of phenol previously liquified), and
the same quantity of sulphuric acid.
and heated very cautiously over the
flame, but so as to reach 1869. the for
nation of a solid brownish yellow
mass is perceived. When cold little
water is added and few drops OF
ammonia, when the brownish yellow
solid dissolves with q splendid car
mine red color.