The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06


According tn an elaborate article in the London
Times on the production of the new or artificial
silk, q hiph degreo OF iustre is one OF the principal
sharacteristtcs of the article. Another merit which
this product possesses is that OF taking dyes much
more readily than tha natural silk. a fact made
abundantiy evident by the colors and extreme rich.
ness OF tho specimens which have been exhibited
TO the London public. Tho main difference In mp.
pearance between the natural and the artificial
silk may therefore DO said 20 consist In the greater
lustre Of the latter, though II Ia also found that, on
taking n single thread OF each. the artificial breaks
differently from tho natural, and has about eighty
per cent OF It's strength. Tho success which has
heen secured by this new process in France 10 such.
IL is said. that the Introduction OF the Industry in
parts CT England Ia promising, IL being anticipated
that by this means much of the weaving machinery
now unemployed viii be brought into use.
Tho publication OF drinking water by means Of
ozone has now been carried out on a large scale at
oudshoorn. Belgium. for over n year. Tho water
source at this place was polluted, being. when I'M.
treated. absolutely unit for use. At the first con.
tact of tho water and the ozoniGed air the greater
part of the microbes arc killed. a few, however.
Offering resistance, to XIII which seven or nine
minutes OF continued application are required. A
remarkable example of tho power OF ozono for this
purpose is mentioned; namely. that of seventeen
sampl tubes thus treated, sixteen rcmaired ster-
lie. 1t has also been found tnat the osonized water
is very much less linble to reinfectivn than water
which has been merely filtered, and thnt the bene.
ncinl salts in water are scarcely affected by ozone.
while both the color and taste IF tho water are
modified farorably. The only difnculty in the appli-
cation of this process hitherto has been tho want OF
perfectly constructed apparatus to produce the ozone
and in large quantities-n %diflaulty
lately overcome by DR.. Rtpin's process. Tho meth.
cd of treatment in question depends. in respect OF
cost, upon tho amount OF organic material in the
water and tho price OF coal, so that. in the treat.
ment OF Seine water, for example. the expense is
given as less than one horse power per hour for
tho sterilization of nve cuoic meters.
Not only arc paper sails" now produced at q
lower cost than those of canvas. but. owing to q
special treatment,thcy are said to be as soft, flexible.
and untcarable. as those OF which they are pro-
posed to take the place. To the paper pulp used in
this case. says the Rdttrdv Rerte,s. there is added
fat. a solution OF alkali siiicatc. glue. alum. and
potassium bichromatc, ana from this. by means of
a ~paper.making machine. a fairly thick paper Is
Two strips of this are pasted together;
by passing these under considerable pressure,
through rollers, n very thin ana soft sheet of paper
10 formed: this 10 passed through a weak solution
OF suiphurio acid. which has the effect of convert.
ing the upper surface into a species of parchment
washing with a solution of soda, drying, and glaz-
ing following. Care is taken to leave tho edges
free when the strips of paper are fastened together,
so that other strips may he added at the sides.
thus forming a sum Client breadth or sails; to fasten
the strips together. a paste is used. which contains
the samc ingredients as those added to the paper
pulp. while by inserting cords on the sides the .dg.
ing Of the sail is formed. Unfortunately. no ac-
count IA vouchsaf"d OF the practical working of
such sails" when utilized for their purpose:
Attention is called in the Foundry TO a crushed
mass OF castings now lying In a screp yard at
Pittsburgh. viii, III demonstrates the tremendous
pressure of water ut a great depth. II was con
structed for a diving bell, designed for use In Lake
Michigan. was a cube OF about six feet, tapering
slightly at both ends, the material beng phosphor
bronze OF nve-eighths inch thickness. Each plate
was cast with a farge. and the plates were boltcd
together. the bolts placed as closely together as
was consistent with strength, the side plates being
further strengthened by ribs an inch thick and two
inches wide. the entire structure being strongly
braced. The Windows. intended for outlooks,
were three inches square. fortified with iron bars
and set with glass plates an inch thick. The entire
weight OF the uell was 23. 900 pounds. On compile.
tion IL was sent to Milwaukee and towed out Into
the lake some twelve miles. where there was over
200 feet OF water. and was sent down for a test.
On reaching about that depth. strong timbers VIII CHI
had been attached TO It came TO the surface in q
splintered state, and. on the bell being hauled up. Il
was found crushed into a ~shapeless mass. The inch.
thick plate glass bulI's.eyes were pulvcrized. and
the entire body OF the bell. forced inward Until none
OF its original outlines remained. On a basis OF 200
feet depth. tho pressure that crushed this seemingly
invulnerabie structure was se.s pounds per square
inch, or 3a3 ,e2I pounds to each side OF six feet
square, or ! .36l.7 tons total pressure on the cube.
A useful discovery Is announced In L'Echo For.
ciestr by N. Richie. an engineer. /. Is known that
imotive power. instead OF being produced by steam.
can be had directly from the coal transformed into
gas. The defects OF this gas, however, are Its
small per cent. of richness. its cost. and the scarce.
ness of the coal. from which, in certain localities.
H. can be extracted. though even with these disad.
vantages the motive power thus produced is cheap
er than that obtained by ordinary means. Means
have now been found by NJ. Richie for transform.
ing the whole of wood into gas. the latter having,
he says, n power four times greater than that
yielded bv bituminous coal. which can be applied to
the production of numerous ceramic products. such
as glass manufacture, Dessemer h-arths. and like
industries. Owing also TO its richucss in carbonic
oxide. 1t can be made use OF In the manufacture OF
various chemicals. such as oxalic acid. and this at
a much lower cost than at present.
There is . growing consumption OF that curious
mineral wool. the principal uses to
which IL Is applied. as enumerated In Casters
Magazine, being for q non conducting covering
against heat and cold alike. for steam pipes aud
cold storage room walls. as a sound dcadener In
floors OF buildings. and TO effect fire ~provnng. &C.
Bias, furnace Stag forms the raw material for one va.
riety OF this wool. and sandstone for another, yield.
respectively. Stag wool ami rock wool. the lat.
ter being preferable for pipe covering. because OF
the absence from II OF sulphur, which, with mois-
ture present. becomes an active corrodinK agent.
melted In a large cupola. and as 1t tricklcs out OF
the taphole In a somewhat sluggish stream II meets