The sun., 1896-01-26
VOTES ON SCIENCE AND IND usrRy
Sosrces or the Information contained IN h column
of,naps stated deaaife'p whsn obtainabie.

Sowrces or the Information contained IN this coun
| of,naps stated dednifcp rhsn obtafnabie.
| In some experiments reported as having been
| made abroad lately on the self-igntion Of cot
ton waste, few facts Of special interest to tex
| tilo manufacturers were developed. A handful
| OF cotton waste was dipped into linseed oil,
| squeezed out, placed IN n wooden box, and the
temperature observed closely by means OF q
Thermometer introduced into tho box: tho tenn
perature surrounding the box was kept at 7o',
in tho box was found to have risen. TO the
height OF la and smoke 90 Issued ~ there nG
nit air, flame burst out OF once,
fectiy excluded. Consumed after Ave or six
hours. In another experiment, in which the
cotton waste was saturated with rape seed oil
the box burned after ten hours. With an outer
spontaneous combustion OF cotton wrapped in
paper; castor oil required twenty four hours
sperm oil. four hours; train oil. two hours. for u
Remnrking upon some Of tho geographical
charts now ayailablc TO tho student Of physical
science. IL is pointed out by u writer that
elsewhere in the world. there Is not majss
tic flow of water as the Gulf Stream, q re.
markablc body having its headquarters in tho
Gulf Of Mexico. from thence flowing north
easterly along tho shores OF tho United States
to the banks of Newfoundland: then, rushing
across the Atlantic Ocean to the riish Isles. II
is divided into two currents, one flowing north
ward to the Atlantic Ocean. tine other south
ward to the Azores. and the velocity Of this
immense flow being also more rapid than that
cf the Ns,ssnpi h a, New Orleans e.; or "ySn Of tho
nomcnal, too, is the fact that, although its bed
and banks are cold water. yet the vast stream
is very warm. and, so great ia the absence of
affinity or commingling between these waters.
that their line OF, junction is distinctly visible
TO the eye. Further. the waters OF this won
touch the bottom Of the sea they are defended
at the bottom and sides by what Mt, has KS been H,
/. non-conductors: consequently. very little heat
Is lost and the warm water is carried thousands
from i1 the Gulf of Mexico to the British Isles.
Foreign manufacturers arc reported rs in
Producing new and effective method of bleach
ing cotton cloth. Two horizontal rollers. ono
made of iron and the other OF carbon. are cm-
ployed in such way rs to serve rs electrodes,
being properly connected witt! u battery or dy-
name, and the two living very clos" 20 each
other. Tho cotton cloth, before Passing he
tween them, Is soaked in salt water. and the
electric current. passing from one roller 10 the
other. dsintcGrat"s the salt, and the chlorine
accumulatcs in the goods: the other element
the water instantly to produce caustic soda.
which is takrn mp by an endless felt blanket
with chlorine, the cloth is rolled up and al.
ing agent to complete its work.
According to an account published In Engi-
nccring Ncrs. it appears to he ascertained as a
fact. based on more than 5000 recorded re-
suits. that Purtlend cement mortar suffers no
surface disintrgration under any condition Of
freezing. but ,hnt in most cases It's strength is
reduced, in some cases by as much as 40 per
cent ROsculalr cement Is disntegratcd when
pv IN wlile CDllp-
sion may br entirely DESTROYED by immersion
in water, which becomes frozen around 1t. Salt
water prevents this disintcCration 10 n largo
extent, hut sec:ns To have an injurious effect
ON the strength. and n" cement below the
dSirrcgratrh ,urfnCc is stated IN lie Increased
III strength when the Rosrndnle cement IS used
y m!yt"r" of "A natural rock cement and OF Port
land cement is FOUL TO give very Snilsfactnry
and It's stGc1gth is increased by the freezing.
Portland cement is injured less propor'ionat"-
Is as the percentage Of cement in the samples
is reduced. Again, though J inc mortar is
ruincd by alternate thawipg and :rcczing, fnir-
brick masonry when the mortar is kept frozen
for some time after laying.
An improved ut-otr band machine IS one
among the recent achievements in practical me-
chanics. II IA built with a hard pine frame of
six-nch square timber, and is fastened TO-
sc,hcr with j"int bolts. Tho top is of rock
maple plank. and tho carriages also OF maple.
The arhur is of two-inch steel running: in ad-
Unstable pivot boxes, the pulley being Of twelve
inches diameter. six inches face. II is four
feet thr"" in"hes from saw 10 pulley, so that
slabs cm be cut up into fCur-foot lengths.
There are two different lengths of long car
ria;u.s. one, the twelve foot carriage. has three
tracks nnd thr"" rolls on long nrho-s. also n
piece of rack at each cnd. witt n. shaft having
II pnioD nn rarh "nd ling in the same thus
machine of eight foot carringc has two tracks
and rolls, and the racks and pinions are not
needed. The carriage rolls are turned and run
,t1nt iray Il..a tn11 11,pv
ninG on the long carriage enables the log TO he
moved along much easier. and the log Is very
much less able 10 turn when moving or when
cutting Oft.
4 simple rule is given in Terrific Industries for
making potash soft soap for engineers luhri-
eating purposes: the method pursued in this
case is to dissolve twenty pounds OF abso.
lutely pure. fine, strong caustic potash in an
iron or carthenwarc vessel with Two gallons Of
soft water. this strong lyc being added to ninc
gallons OF oil heated to about 14O0. F.. pouring
it in small stream and stirring continually
until the two are combined and smooth in APP
pearancc, some ten minutes being necessary.
and the mixture may be done in wooden bar
rel. After being wrapp.d in blankets TO keep
combining and turning into soap. it is placed
In warm room and left for three days. The
result will he l2o pounds of tho finest concen
trated potash soft soap. pure free from adGlter.
ntion. Any OF the vegetable or anmnl oils will
be found serviceable, but pale seal oil Is found
The plan Of winding steam pipes eight
inches in diameter with thrcc-sixtcenths inch
copper wirc thus nearly doubling the bursting
pressure. is pronounced BY competent judges to
bc an important change in engineering: prac-
tice. Further. that the thickness of sheet cop
per forming the riDc may he reduced to the
minimum. and at the same time insuring the
full advantage of wire winding. an improved
system Of Eanu uftcturing steam pipes has been
devised. described as consist ing In simply using
copper of the thinncst possible gauge to form
the interior cor" of the pipe. while the body
proper is composed Of steel wire wunnd closely
around the core. the interstiCcs felne filed in
solid with copper By electro deposition. In
creased strength comes from wire winding.
What is regarded rs II new and valuable
combination of mcchanisms in lock construc
ton Is flAe subject of n recent patent. The
knob is without dial, lcXaEon In shape, prc
senting in appearance an ordinary knob. with
a small push button device in the centre. The
trmllers of This lock nrr lpscribcl ms hcinp mr..