Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-01-14

multitude OF other purposes.
Compressed air notwithstanding the loss
of power insepsrsble from its compression
and expansion has come to the front thl'
year, especially in this country, where the
Hardie and Hoadley patents for railway
motors have been extensively tested or
the streets of New York City. Both o.
| these attempt to overcome the loss by
a system of heating the air previous to 1T
admission to the cylinders. The Hardie
motor has given such satisfaction that il
is shortly to be applied experimentally tc
the elevated railroads in this city. Com
pressed cir has also undergone a success
idl test on the United States monitor Ter
ror, where it is applied to the manipulation
of the turrets.
The motor cars, or horseless carriages,
have attracted more attention this yeer
than any otner device in the field of me-
chanical engineering always of course ex-
capting the bicycle. Our columns have
kept the public well informed, bota by
cuts and descriptive matter OF the progress
of the industry. The record o. the year
proves that the motor car has come 70
stey, and gives esuse to believe that i
will enjoy popularity sacond only to that
of the bicycle Itself. and commercial
utility far greater. The greatest pertOr-
=
machine in the Paris MaTseIlles race,
waich covered 1913 miles at an average
speed of over l5 miles per hour. in this
country we have had the Cosmopoi'tan
race on Decoration Day aid tlo ttaeA race
At the Providence State Fair. The way
has been opened for the new industry IN
England By the repeal Of the antqIa-ed
laws restricting the use of motors on COM
mon roads. In the inaugural parade $50
called. it was really d racei the winning
car made speed of over 20 miles per hour
for the whole journey from London to
Brighton. At the present the oil motors
are in almost undisputed possession of the
field; but there is every reason to expect
that when the steam engineers have had
time to dovelopo a suitable form OF engine
aGd boiler this supremacy will be dlsput-
ed.
The bicycle will continue to enjoy an
enormous popularity. 1t has undergone
little or no organic change this year IN its
construction; the diamond frame, chain
driven machine continuing TO be the prae.
tically universal type. There Is a ten
dency to raise the gear from 66t to "a or
even 80. The tendency to study the COM
fo-t of the rider is seen in the great atten-
tion which has been paid to tie produe'
u d
called "hygenic" principles. The single
tube tire appears to be displacing the
double tube; and the weight of the aver
age machine remains at about % pounds.
The close of the year 1896 sees no absta-
ment in the craze for naval ship building
which has taken possession CT the nations.
England, France and Russia continue to
make enormous expenditures on their
fleets, and Germany on smaller scale, Is
maintaining her activity of the last few
years. Speaking generally OF the designs
there is q tendency to sacrifice armor TO
armament and speed. This is very no.
ticeahle in the latest battleships of the
English navy, known IS the new Renown
ciass, which with displacement OF near
" l3 coo tons; will have only eight inches
OF armor on che sides, six inches on the
bulkheadS and ten inches Oh the turrets.
On the other hand they will carry nearly
1000 tons of coal and steam about nine
teen knots. 1t will thus be seen that the
dividing line between battieship and ar
mored cruiser is gradually disappearing.
One of the most sensational events of the
year was the speed attained by the tor
pedo boat destroyers, Desperate of the
British navy, and Forban of the French
navy, both of which exceeded thirty-One
knots an hour. The naval progress OF the
United States during the past year has
been altogether unprecedented. The most
notable fact is the completion OF that
powerful trio of battleships, the Indiana
Massachusetts and Oregon, which are uni
versally conceded to be the most powerful
fighting machines ahoat. Each of them
considerably exceeded the contract speed
at its trial, the Oregon touching seventeen
knots al hour The Brooklyn was nearly
TWO knots ahead of its trial speed o. twen-
II knots, and this vessel also enjoys the
distinction of being tho most effective
ship Of her class ahoat. The monitors
MoLadQock and Terror, the ram hatahdln,
and the torpedo boat Ericsson have also
been accepted. In naval strength, the
United States have now moved up 10 sixth
place, and they will eventually be ahead
OF Germany on the list, if the present
activity continues.
We have so recently illustrated the re-
cent development of shot and armor that
it is sufficient to say that the year closes
with the HarVeyized reiorged nicke! steel
plate ana l9e eeqRrssseaa lis srt sfs m s4 mo
lead.
In the merchant marine it Is gratifying g
to record that the American liner st. Pau
has captured the record from Southamp
ton to New York, ner time on two success
sive trips being 6 days hours and "a min
-utes, ana 8 days and 81 minutes, her speed
on the latter trip being zl.0S knots per
hour. This result from ship which was
designed for onlg 20 knots is q distinct
tribute to the skill of the shipbnilders
Mention must be made in this connection
of the placing OF orders by the Japanese
government with Messrs, Cramps aud
with the Union Iron Works for two fast
cruisers 1t is the first event of its kiLd
and full Of promise for the future. Speak
ing generally, there has been a tendency
the past year to build cargo steamers OF
unprecedented size, huge carrying oGpac.
ity and moderate speed, the Pennsy ylvanis
the next largest ship to the Great Eastern
and rivaling her in size, being case In
point The German yards have two ves-
sells in hand for the Atlantic mail service
which are to EurpaSs the Lucania, the
Frederick the Great being 20 feet longer
on the water line and several hundred tons
greater displacement. The world is
watching curiously fer the trial trip of the
Bazin roller ship.
Tho geographical world has welcomed
home this year from Arctic exploration
DR.. Nansen, who failed to drift across the
North Pole, bat penetrated to latitude Sc
degrees IA minutes, which is degrees and
so minutes further north than ever before
attained. The Jackson Harmsworth ex-
pediti0n has mapped out an extensive area
OF Franz Josef Land, aud Lieutenant
Pesry has returned safely from his annual
Arctic TIP. The voyage of Mr.. Broch-
greyink TO Antarctic regions and his earn
est Representations are likely. to result in
one OF more well equipped expeditions.
y
as result OF the years explorations. NJ.
De Morgsn's discoveries at Dashur il
Egypt. the excavation of DR.. Richardson
in Oorinth and Herr Dorpfeld at Athens,
the finding of Trajan's snip of State in
Lake Nemi, and lastly the splendid results
of American investigation in BabyioDia
are only some of the operations of partic-
ularly successful year.
the field Of aeronautics il poorer by the
loss of Liiianthal, who died martyrs
death, victim of his devotion to science.
The most remarkable performances of the
year have been those of Prof Langley g
aerOdrome which carrying its own fuel
and water, has scared and returned to
earth, and also aoTn 1000 yards in a
horizontal direction, without losing its
equilibrium or receiving any damage. Tho
feat of human fight has been successfully
accomplished for varying distances by in
ventors who have followed 10 the steps OF
Lilienthal who was the first to accomplish
it successfully. Experiments in kite fly
ing hays been lndusJIiously prosecuted by
the Blue Hills Observatory, Boston, and
in tnis quondam pastime is likely to be
turned 10 good meteorological account.
BY far the most dramatic even. il the
world OF science occurred when the gear
was vet but few days old. On January
4 at the semi-centennial Of the foun din g
OF the Berlin Physical Society Prof. Roent-