The age-herald., 1897-10-10

half its ultimate strength, shell plates which are exposed to the fire or gases of consumption, or on which amy fang ing is to be done, to have from 60,000 to 65,OO0 pounds' tensile strength, with an elastic linl1c half the ultimate strength 1; plates for the flreIbox, such as are ex- posed to the direct action of the fire alnad hanged on ths greater portion of their periphery to have 55, 600 to 62.000 pounds tensile strength, with an elastic limit half the ultin1alte strength. In regard to ellong,al.Gon, the committee discards any diaStinction dn respect ito thickness, and makes the elongation 24 per cent. for shell plates of the highest tensile streng h above given, 2 per cent. for those of medium tensile strength and 90 per cent. for tire-box and ffange plates-aIll on eight inches. For Tive.s the use is rec commended as essential of either good charcoal iron or a soft, mild steel hay ing the same physical and chemical prop critics as in the firebox platte.
 The name of Eureka gas is given to a naw illurntrlant expected to rival ac5 y- lene. This gas, as described in InRen- tion, and originated by M. Hector de FaIVi of Monlte ffascone, Italy, Is obtained as follows: Lime as pure as possible is employed as @. base, celophony and cal cium carbide being added-1,o 600 palits of the mixture ready for use consisting of 300 of quickllme, 50 of colophony and 50 of calcium of ,carbide-and there is said ito bc mo liability of explosion by mixing with air; mo heatfing Of water and no special burner is needed. One thousand pants of the mixture give sixty Etres of gas at a pressure of thi1i,y-fiye InIlA- metres of water; and the photometric intensity of the flame is stated to be 92.4 candle hours, which the same amount of calcium carbide employed sngly would give only IS candle hours. Thus, it Is as- 1rfr. 9t1 ri7f
 CT than ace'ty1ene, or dhat at equal cost 1t will give half as much more light.
 Engineering skill is lil1ely ito play am important pali. alt VladiVostock, a prom fnent Russian port and the terminus of the Siberian railway but where for four months the port is blocked up with ice, rendening shipping traffic impossible. For many years ithe Russian authorities have been epdeavoring to overcome these rlatural difficulties, and some time ago ice-breaking ships were introduced to braak open the ice, an operation, how ever which has proved practically use less. It is now reported that "a certain engineer has proposed a. plan for re- claiming the na1ToWeisIt pant of the Tar tar strait between S,aghallien and the Russian mainland. The theory of such an under aking is tllat if this is done, the cold current which enters the Japan seal from the Arctic via Bellring Strait will be checked, and the passage Of the warmer tide,, coming from the south through Tshuuia Strait will make the water on the coast Of Japan as warm as VIadivostock, and the 1albher VIII be warm ain the year round The expectation is entertained tlhait this remarkable engi- nee1dng work will be entered upon after the completion of the Siberian railway.
 A report issued by the Russian gov ernment on the production of platinum in that country shows that Russia stands first in the world in the yield of that metal, the amount reaching some forty times the product obtained by all the rest of the world. It appears that in the year 1880 the qu9ntity produced was reckoned ait nearly 5000 kilos; in 1895 1t reached more than 4,400, the amount in- creasing up to the last year, when it diminished on account of the unfavor- ably wet weather in summer. Curiousry enough though this strange metal is found in the southern Ural, the manner of its being worked up is unknown in Russia; this is done in Germany to which country the platinum is exported in crude state, and whatever Russia requires of the worlSed-up ardcle( it has ito buy back of Germany The price at present. manned is 300 marks, or about $225 for one kilo of crude platinum in Russia. Srnall quantities of the still rarer metal, iridium, are found in mining for platinum.