Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-04

| Some experiments lately made at the
n0val Polytechnic School al Munich show
! lat the strength of camCl-halI betting
caches G.3l5 pounds per square inch, while
Z Lat of ordinary betting ranges between
l2,0 and $500 pounds per square mon.
The camcl-hair belt IS unaffected by acids.
Tests made with much care show that
the addition of q fraction of per cent. of
aluminium greatly improves the quality. Of
c1 4 iron. rendering castings more SOLID
and free from blow holes, removing the
tendency 90 chill. increa-i ng the strength,
elasticity. and fuidity of the metal, and
decreasing shrnkage.
A prize Of $4,000 is offered by the MUM
cipal Council Of Paris to the inventor of an
elcctuc-mo;cr giving entire satisfaction,
and five prizes of $500 each TO the five in
vcutors whose meters have given the most
satisfaction. Should meter only be SUIT
able for measuring one kind If current
only half the prize viii be gwen. The city
* tS have the right 10 manufacture for IT'S
own use, free of royalty. any Of the meters
20 when prizes are awarded.
The manufacture of the new six-inch
gun, of which one hundred have been
ordered for British land and sea service,
has been stopped until cartrdgc-case OF
solid drawn metal can be devised which
pounds of smokeless powder, and which
can be used over and over again. This the
authorities have not yet been able TO do,
and the machinery engaged III the manu-
facturc of these guns Is All standing IDLE,
as well as the guns already manuiac-
tured.
A method is described for preserving
cast iron from liability to rust, AT the same
time in,urlng II pleasing surface. In ac-
compli.hing this the casting Is first tho
roughly cleaned, washed in dilute acid,
and when dry the surface IS we'll rubbed
with metallic brush or file and then
painted several coats with raw petroleum,
care being taken that each coat be tho
roughly dried before the next Is applied.
On the last coat becoming dry II is 90 be
we'll rubbed with stl6-hWr brush, the re-
suit being an attractive dull polish, capa-
bile of resisting high degree of heat and
not susceptible To- any attack 10y rust.
This condition may be indefinitely pre-
served and improved by the occasional APP
phcation of q single coat of petroleum,
followed 10y brushing.
The difference in the yield Of leather
characterlXiug various hides rs very mark
cd. Upper leather hides Viii, NJ is calcu-
lated, WELD from y 10 80 per cent. of
leather. foot measurement. Plump hides
sprcady hides being the reverse OF this.
Green satcd sole-icatncr hides from the
stock-vards yield at least 20 per cent dry
salnhle leather for cach one hundred
pounds of hide. Texas and native steers
i'm short-haired, plump, summer condition
give from IS 20 so per cent. IN acid sole,
and about so per cent for nou-acld, but
the Colorado hides, being more spreadv,
do not turn ont quite so we'll as the Texas.
Dry hides, If plump and not weighted with
long trim. should WELD $50 per cent. acid
solc-leather To each 100 pounds Of dry
hide some tanners reaching 100 pounds.
The great elevator built ON the quay at
Lulea 10y the Swedish-Norwcgiau Railway
Company for loading iron ore direct into
ships has now been finished, and its opera
tiun is reported to be a success, the elcNa-
tor raising three trucks simultaneously IN
two minutes. the same being then moved
along the rails 20 shoots leading INTO
the hold of the ship and emptied.
The whole arrangement Is SAID TO be so
perfect that ship of some $500 tons
may be loaded in "a dav. In the engine
room are two engines of 6O-hOrse power
each. steam being supplied by three boilers.
The engines pump water into two accumu-
lators, whence II flows through under
ground pipes 10 the elevator, which It viii
raise with load of 100 tons on 1.-THE
hydraulic pressure being equal 10 twenty
atmosphcrcs. or at the rate OF 500 pounds
per square men.
In recent letter on the subject Of con-
tinuous car-hcating Professor LAMA makes
the statement that, according 10 expert
meuts thus TAR, only small percentage on
the steam generated by a locomotive IS re-
quired Tor heating purposes IN this line
The pipe supplying the steam from the
IN rl than
one and one halt inches III diameter, while
that of the radiating pipes IN the cars
should be two inches the connections
between the cars should he rubber, rs all
metal Joints Will leak in course of time,
however careful the original Workmanship
NAV have been. Again, direct steam must
be used, all plans for effectively employ
ing the exhaust IN tins way having ialled'
The principal difficulty met with on intro
ducinc this system was to get rid of the
water formed 10y condensation, but salts
factory traps are now supphed.
Investigations have been made by DR..
Lawson to test NJ. Barriero's proposed en-
ployment of refuse cOcoanut-tbre for the
automatic closing of shOt-holes. Accord
ing TO this, quantity of the powdered re-
fuse is taken before II rs quite dry and sub
iectcd 20 a heavy pressure. under which 1t
forms "A sort Of brittle mill-board. In his
Investigations DR.. Lawson took a plate
of this substance eighteen inches square
and three fourths of an inch thick,
and using il as one side Of a water
tiqht box, fred three shots with bullet
one half inch in diameter through II with
out single drop Of water issuing through
the bullet-holes, the material closing up
automatically behind the bullet. Ia an
other instance bullet one inch in dame
ter was fred through the material. This
was at first followed by jet of water, but
in no longer than a few seconds OF time the
flow diminished in volume, and IN the
course of one minute had completely
ceased.
"Mr. Theodore Wores, an American
artist, has taken Japan very literally IN