Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-11-06
STUDY AND WORKSHOP.

! AT recent meeting of the Royal
Microscopical So iety, London, Prof.
Bell, at the request of the President,
gave an account of what he regarded as
the most extraordinary biological fac,
brought to light during the last twenty
five years-the existence of third eve
at the top of the head of certain
lizards.
PROF. J. Fl. LONG, of the Illinois
State Microscopical Society, after re.
peated experiments, says: taking
all things into consideration, l am
forced to believe that we have no alb
solutely certain method of distinguish
ing between butter and some of its
substitutes, and that, of all methods
proposed, the micros opic are, perhaps,
the least liable"
fessional that, in spite of persistent and
skillful attempts to solve the problem,
chemists are obliged to admit ignorance
of the exact composition of so COM
mon substance as the white of an egg;
yet, until they acquire an accurate
knowledge of the constitution of albu-
minons substances, the processes OF
animal economy cannot be explained.
A NEW and interesting form of stereo.
scope consists of two dissolving-view
lanterns placed side by side, each of
which throws magnitied stereoscopic
picture on the screen. In front of thes,
lanterns is n rotating disk, portions OF
which are cut away, alt rnately shutting
off the picture srom each lantern. Ey
so arranging the rotating disk as to
permit each eye to see only the view
from one of the lanterns during its
very brief exposure stereoscopic
effect is produced, the impression OF
each picture remaining upon the retina
of the corresponding eye long enough
to appear to be continuous.
In an interesting paper published in
the Reyue ScientN jue, Professor
Samson compares the steam engine
with the living organism as an ami
mated motor. He concludes that the
animated motor is more economical
than the engine if it is asked, not
which of the two gives most work, but
which gives Ethe kiloyrammeter or
unit of work at least cost price. But
this conclusion applies only to cases in
which q great expenditure of force is
not re luired. For instance, in cases
where twenty horses can do as we'll as
steam engine, it is more economical
to use the horses, and it is all the more
so that less energy is required; but il
fifty horses can do the work of steam
engine it is better--that is, more econ.
omical-to have it done by steam.
A BALANCED float water motor, fol
which 93 per cent efficiency is claimed,
is figured and described in late num-
Der of the English Mechanic. This
motor consists of two horizontal shafts
placed one above the other, and fur
nished each with a pair of wheels, over
which pass pair of chains. Between
these, at certain intervals, are placed
floats, which pass down rectangular
inclosing casing under the pressure OF
water upon them, and thus perform
the Offices of series OF p:stons in a
working cylinder. Arrived at the bot
tom of this easing, the floats pass
around the lower pair of pulleys, per
hitting the escape of the water, and
ascend on the other and open side to
perform the same work over and over
again. The principle of the motor is
based on the proposition that water has
10 force but its weight, and the in.
ventor argues that the machine which
utilities that weight in the most
economical manner must be the best.
The claim of 80 per cent, which is 81
per cent. more than has been hitherto
attained, awakens the editorial incre-
dulity of the Iron Age, which journal,
in its issue of July %, sweepingly con-
dennis the device as one whose "sim-
plicity seems to be the only good feat
are about it," and speaks of the tests
which have been made as though they
were controlled entirely by the in
,entor-"a circumstance by no means
calculated to inspire faith when we
read of an efficiency of 93 per cent. "
AS a matter of fact, the invention has
for some time been undergoing an ex-
haustive test by Mr.. Simon, we'll
known milling engineer, and it is upon
the results of this test that the English
Mechanic bases what seems to be an
Endorsement of the claim. During the
last international inventions exhibition
the motor worked excellently, and
drove dynamos in the steadiest pos
s.ble manner"