The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-02

IcAL JACK OF ALL
TRADEs.-There seems to be no end to the
uses to which electrically produced ozone
can be put. Its application to the matur-
ing of wines, spirits, tobacco and coffee, to
bleaching, and to a great number Of cleo
trotherapeutic conditions is already q IA
miliar story, but new use has now been
found for it in the maturing of the sound
ing boards OF pianos The value OF the
pianos of the most eminent makers is
greatly dependent on the employment
throughout the instrument of well-matured
wood, and the sounding board especially
must be of wood so ripe and well seasoned
that its lasting qualities can be assured. 1t
is not surprising, therefore, that large
proportion of the capital of the great piano
manufacturers is swallowed up in the
maintenance of extensive timber-yards, in
which their stock of wood has to be allowed
to reach the desired age and condition.
il is said that ozone will produce
on wood in short time all the
changes which it is usual to rely on age
TO accomplish, and piano manufacture
ers have taken up the matterin the hope
OF being able to greatly curtall a serious
item of their standing expenses. In limo
leum factories, too, where the thickening
of linseed oil was brought about by allow
ing it to trickle over strips of gauze for
several months, the use of ozone now
effects the purpose in a few days. In an
other new process ozone converts crude
potato starch into the soluble variety Ia
very important operation to the distiller)
as well as into dextrine and other gummy
substances. DR.. Frohlich, the German
scientist, believes he is on the verge OF an
other triumph for electricity in the produc-
IF nit ti,a ir NV, oof
ozone.
AN ELECTRIC LAUNCH FERRY SERVICE
An employment of the electric launch
that is sure to be widely followed has been
made in Norway. The city of Bergen,
which is the center of the Norwegian land
and sea commerce. ranges on two sides of
narrow harbor forming an inlet and sur
rounded by rapidly rising ground. Rapid
transit from one side of the harbor to the
other became imperative, and line of
electric ferry boats has been established.
AS the harbor is very narrow-only about
$50 yards-it was found desirable to con-
duct the boats so that they could operate
without turning about to go from one sta
ton to the other. They are consequently
made double-ended, with two screws, one
at each end, both connected directly to the
pounds and is of three-horsepower capacity.
Thirty two cells of storage battery weigh
ing $3.50 pounds are placed in each boat.
The speed of the boat is seven feet six
inches per second-quite enough for thread
ing safely the crowded shipping of the
harbor Each boat covers thirty-seven
miles daily, and the average number OF
passengers carried since the boats have
been in service has been 1900 per day. The
cost of the fleet of eight boats was $4,000,
and of the charging station $12, 800.
AN ELECTRIC SoLUTIoN.-The Philadel.
phians are greatly exercised over the big
statue of William Penn, which surmounts
the tower of their fine City Hall. AS the
figure now stands it faces the old Penn
Treaty Park, the point at which Penn
landed. and the right arm is extended in
that direction. From the entire southern
section OF the city only the back of the
statue is visible, while from the extreme
east and west only profile view of Penn's
features can be obtained. A local en-
gineer has conceived the novel idea that
the way to please everybody would be to