Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-11
RICHNESS IN BOOKS.
Wonders of the Phipps Collection in
Carnegie Library.
ONE PUBLISHED 800 YEARS AGO.
Odd Illustrations in One of the Very Old
Publications.
GEMS GATHERED BY PROFESSOR BLAKE

The Phipps scientific collection, purchased
with the $4,000 donation from Henry
Phipps, Jr., is coming into the Allegheny
Carnegie Library at the rate of about !, 900
volumes month. Over 900 volumes have
already been received, 1000 of which are
known as the Blake library, being collected
by the late Francis Blake, the well-known
Pittsburg chemist. 1t is the most valuable
chemical library in this part of the country,
and was the collection of a life
time 1t is, of course, of interest to few
but scientific men and students, but as the
books called for by the average reader are
comparatively few in number and have al
ready been secured, the collection from now
on will be principally of books of refer
ence.
Among the valuable works in the Blake
collection is Dinzler's Polytechnical
Journal complete, something very hard to
get, and especially valuable to patent
solicitors. Accompanying it are $50 patent
specifications in pamphlets, comprising
5000 different papers They were origin
ally sold by the Patent Office at about 25
cents apiece and were preserved by Prof
Blake. There are very few such collections
and their value will increase with time.
Wonders from the Blake Library.
Other works issued by the Government
and collected by Prof Blake are full geo.
logical reports of the different States and
works on metallurgy. Besides these there
are found pamphlets on various subjects of
little value separately, but made almost in
valuable by careful indexing BY Mr..
Blake.
The oldest book in the library is found in
this collection. 1t is printed in black letter
German type, and was published in
1851 by Gerome Froben at Basel,
Switzerland. The subject is mining.
Vom Bergkwerck is the author. The book
contains over 500 pages, folio, and is bound
with parchment back, beechwood sides and
metal clasp. The beechwood is about a
quarter of an inch thick and is the only
part that does not show the marks of age.
The type is about the size of great primer
and was evidently wood letter As the
time it was published was only little over
half a century after the art of printing was
discovered the book must have cost
fortune. Every eight or ten pages there
are full-page illustrations of mining opera
tions that in themselves tell the history of
the tools used in that dav. The draughtsman
executed his work very cleverly, but had no
idea of perspective. A man in the distance
appears in the same size as man near at
hand, and invariably human beings are rep
resented as being twice as large as horses.
Birds in d Blacksmiih's Forge.
One peculsar feature is that every picture,
whether of a mine pit, a blacksmith shop or
a furnace, has a number of birds either fly-
ing through the air, in cages or perched on a
roof or tree-top. In one drawing two doves
are shown just above chimney, but not
withstanding the belehing smoke, they
are represented as having a permanent
claim on their perch. The men in the draw
ings all wear the hoods used by the monks
in that age, from which the conclusion could
be drawn that the monks were the only per-
sons at that time engaged in mining. '-
The only picture that could be used in
nineteenth century book is that of black
smith shop. The tools are almost identical
with those used now, and reflect sad dis
credit on the progress of the brawny smith.
The different parts of the bellows are let
tered and given names that are still in vogue.
The anvil shown is in daily use, and ham,
mers and tongs look like the tools that are
still found in every shop.
In another cut the progress of different
forces used for power is shown. Comment
is made in the reading matter about what
great inventions have been made and the
prediction made that it is possible that
still more wonderful things may be dis
covered. The means of producing power
illustrated are an old hand mill, tread
mill run by goats, another run by men and
wind mill. The explanation of the wav
the different machines are worked is ex-
plicit, and ends with a question about what
the future has in store for producing force.
Great Mines of Information.
of a.,
is work on metals, published in 1861 by
George Bower. 1t is still considered author
ity. Other scientific works of great value
are complete files of the English Mechanic,
Scientific -4D,eyicQ,s. including the rare volume
of 1S47, which was furnished by John
Brashear. Nature, London Engineering, and
q complete set of the publications of the
London Linnean Societ., which are valued
at $1,000. Among the popular
books on useful arts in the
Phipps collection are. t'Workshop
hanging, railway curves, metal workers, the
sugar beet industry, needle work, electricity,
bridges, telescopes, water works, fire
engines, canals and harbors, petroleum and
. big collection on architecture The
selections have been made by John Walker,
William l.. Scaif and John Brashear,
assisted by Librarian Stevenson The latter
was allowed to add some books on folk
lore, comparative religion and other sub
jects not within the purview of the gift. 1t
will be some time before the collection will
be catalogued. Librarian Stevenson thinks
that it will be rich reference library on
scientific subjects and with the books for
popular reading which are now open to the
public, the library after being open only a
few months. will be superior to many that
have been making collections for years.