The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

A STEAM WHISTLE THAT CLEANsEs AND
DIsINFECTs.- the memory of civilized
man the washing has been one of
the favorite Offices on which the ingenuity
of the budding inventor of domestic APP
planes has sought to expend itself. The
consequence Is that all sorts of fantastic
and useless forms of the washer have had
their short day on the market, and the
faith of the housewife in washing ma
chine that will wash has almost vanished.
Among recent patents is an improved
washer that seems to justify its title. 1t is
simple both in construction and operation.
The clothes are placed in a skeleton cylin-
der, resembling a magnified mousetrap.
THIS cylinder is dropped into blocktin
a,r-tight case, in the bottom of which is q
receptacle for water and soap. The lid
is then shut down, and the washer is
placed on furnace, gas or gasoline stove,
or an electric heater. The water is quickly
heated and the steam is driven through
the clothes. There is neither rubbing nor
boiling. The impurities which are forced
out by the strong steam current TALL to the
bottom of the machine, and are thus re-
moved from further contact with the
linen. The great advantage of the ma
chine is that it does the work
itself, and its inventor claims that
in two hours it will dispose of laundry
work that usually occupies whole day.
Its cleansing and disinfecting qualities are
said to have been SO conciuslvely demon
strated that it is proposed to make large
size for factory and hospital use. In test
made at paint factory quantity OF the
cotton waste which is tied over the nose
and mouth of the men engaged in mixing
and powdering the paint and which uSu-
ally becomes so filled with the poisonous
powder as to be rendered useless was placed
in the washer. In four minutes 1T was alb
solutely clean and as good as new, and the
paris green had dropped to the false bot
tom OF the washer, perfectly available for
future use. Thick canvas bags, incrusted
with dry paint quarter of an inch thick,
were also experimental upon. In six mirl-
utes they were clean. The paint was
saved and the bags were ready, when
dried, to be used again.
THE BICYCLE IN FUTURE WARs.-Mili.
tary authorities have come to the conclu-
sion that the bicycle will play an indispen.
sable part in the wars of the future. Its
sphere, at least in its early military stages
will be that of the Uhlan of the 1870 war
The cycllst, in preliminary operations, will
| act as an impenetrable advance cloud
| or screen for the army, pushing
far ahead into the enemy's theater
of operations, making his power felt long
] before the armies have chance to come
together, paralyzing the enemies com
| munications, making descents now here,
| now there, often rashly and often max.
| ing mistakes. In spite of this he will
| always be able to obtain information for
| headquarters better than By any other
form of scouting, feeling the enemy retir
ing before him when bered, blu,
contesting the ground wherever there i:
a chance for contest. He will ir
TACT pursue exactly the course followed
| by the Prussian cavalry in the early day.
| OF the Franco-Prussian war; always acting
In company with light horse artillery
with the gunners mounted on bicycles