The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03
NOTES ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Tho London press comments with varying
opinions on Prof. Khyser's discovery in respect
| of helium. Associated In small quantities wtthf
argon. which in turn occurred with It's appar-
emily insepsrable companion nitrogen. belium
has been found issuing rs a stream into the
air In the gas springs Of tie Black Forest.
the teHV Giisc "yeGs'' IS due. free fhelliami must bs
found ,na1 in I'll the al, pir n nnsjts;o WITH On arT ;So rr aa0sSp tbas
not, favored with assures n the earth. or with
springs which are constantiy pouring 2 stream
trosc6pic lines. says Trof. Kayser. though
very faint, are distinct enough TO show that Its
presence In the air Is n matter OF no doubt.
Prof. Ramsay. the actual liscovcrer of helium
as now known TO the scientific world. states
strate the existence OF helium IA a normal CON
]stitucnt of the air-or, At any rate, that sweep
ing across B~ritain-haS failed entirely.
Some enter prising companies are reported
to he engaged in methods for utilizing in .
practical and economical way, in Hungary
names and localities not stated the earth's
internal heat for power and for the wide range
of domestic purposes. 1t appears that for
many years the artesian wells existing. in
that country have copiously supplied hot
water. which has been used for n variety or
purposes, such Az public baths and builllngst
also for warming greenhouses. winter gar
dsms' been @ei hne cd Hiae; HHWfyaF' IT PAS IS t rfn, e dIoH u
sinking such wells to some 12,o00 or 1000
feet; ths water from such a depth , w%r do,i IL Is
and capable. therefore. of yielding steam for
power, as well as the heat required for warm
ing buildings.
Various plans have, been proposed TO obviats
the slipping Of street cars on curves. the re-
sulting friction and reslstan C. ordinarily.
adding 20 the amount of.power otherwise re-
quired to haul the load, the idea formerly sug-
gested OF leaving the wheels free TO turn on the
axle, somewhat AS do those Of ii Wagon, prov
cent solution OF the difficulty, as proposed, by.
Francis Blanding of Putnam, Conn. consists
In securing the wheels to the axle, as now. but
with the latter cut In two In the middle. SO as
10 allow unequal rotation. OF lie halves. Tho
tiange would Keep each wheel frcn g-ttilg TOO
inner ends Il the severed axle from wearing
each G IN, c1 d9Wn. ts sa' ia, sesti ohu fas fastened ss,iss, 70
sieve enclosing the middle portion OF the axle.
Space to "a considerable extent is given in the
RdlTdy RcricnD to tho process of producing iron
discovered by s. r. Dawson of Des Moines. 10
consists simply in placing wrought iron of good
quality In crucibles and heating It to a pasty
state; IL tempering and iuxing element. the
composition of which is not made known, 10
then added, and the further application of heat
results in melting the mass, which ts rendy TO
he Toured into moulds after standing atouS
fifteen minutes. A square ingot OF TINS metal
measuring about two tb inG ,"n on tRis q te side bs was
ed, tempered. and put In n doGble driving lathe !
70 turn of a Midyale steel ttrs upon which .
The tempering was done at u heat high enough
totally to destroy steel, md the process was .
necessary. The piece was then heated very I
hot and plunged immediately, into cold water,
and put Into the head Of the lathe the tool APP
parcntly did as good work rs the Mushet tool
to he presence OF, several hard spots in tho
tire. and n colo chiscl. was afterward. forged
from lie same iIngot, which stood well in chip.
ming rnSt iron. The advantage claimed Tor such
metal i taS capacity XIX fSF :, being y cast Es n int9 so
greatly to reduce the cost OF forging.
A notable Improvement adopted by the West
End Street Railway Company. Boston, is that Of .
a tiywheel on ono of It's engines, a cross com
pound Rcynolds-Co rliss, with cylinders 81 and
OF inche- in diameter, and IA stroke OF 20 inches
"A wheel not nude OF ~cast-irOn seRments, like
most of those IN use, but OF steel plates conneoJ-
Ing the centre with rim, also OF steel plates, The
centre. or hub. Is east iron, and Is eight feet
In extreme diameter. On each face OF thls
hub il hnltel a disk OF steel an Inch thick, and
from each of these plates radiate sixteen web
th"s" taking the place II the arms employed in
cast iywheels, lnd trussed together =" ms TO
OF plates OF inch thick steel, and Two one inch
cover plates on either Side, making tie total
weight of the wheel IL given a. 100000 pounds,
and the advantage assumed in thi' kind Ot
Abl"llANllulA - llllls at AHf .lllE 9l"A'l hhu1 s
obtained, viz, seventy i've revolutions n min
ute, the circumference flies around mt the ratio
III a little over "A mile q minute, inducing
strains which cast iron wheels would be poorly
"a, Epted 10 carry,
or late years the dwarf palm SO abundant in
Africa has been proiitahly utilized 10y French
artisans. the leaves, II Is stated, furnishing 80
per cent. Ot a hhre which Il extensively used
as a Cheap substitute for horse hair, according to
the following process Tie fibre is extracted
either Ny hand 'Ou,binf on by means Of drums
with needles aud kniyee worked by steam
Tie green hhre Is twisted or urled
Ia IL raw state, and fnds several ppplications.
Tho black sort T. At first dyed In BATH ~ sui
phutc ut ir0a and l%ugWood, thsn twisted aud
again iyrl, IA.s Ahrc, II f. alleged, possesses
gNu ud, ~nnt,gc~ ."',r Animal hbr", which
Iu.U let ~ ms extensive employment. II being
tf,mEt from insect destruction md SOME 10
Irr cent. les expensive than horse hair. There
arr. b. h, ,pil. large work. IN Algeria, whore
~" leaves are bought Ia large VnNuiitlu-, aud
llt .hr' flg. ned .n a rNInlu. .,.! ale. In
OrHt ,tr "a rI.gy l%rcIa.""r dolly r,Lv sixty
hnlr, OF 100 pounds r'.n. il, another, by a
pa tiru!ar process, a i"H prepares tho ma
ierIal black and brilliant, without smell or
dust, at the rate OF hfty tons Jer month, As.
material for the coarser descriptions Of pApslJ