The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-17

snem - Tar west a the mouth II the
NO 0rsnds. suggests tAs inference tLat
sven buoyant object which kss been drop
ged into the ocean during the present rso-
logical epoch BY prehistoric or historic
spmisrdA. Portuguese or Africans hss
Iouno 10 way TO America and been strand
ca somewhere between the 9th psrsfIel
soutn Of the SOth parallel north. In the
nrtnern part Of the Atlantic ocean ina
currents run the other way. and tho mails
nsvc peen delivered from America 10 En-
rope. In the Pacific ocean the isiiv ,nstls
delivered on the west coast ~ Sr,sr,cs
from Mount Elias southwark hrve ifo-
ceeaed from about the Goth parallal ncrth
" sne vicinity Of the Malay pcninsula mia
arcniPciaEo, thence have Travelled thrrnrh
the China scA and the japanese sss -
PICK up matters designed for the western
circular percussion table Of peculiar
.nesnanism is In operation at the Argent
mine. Tasmania, the machine cons,stinr ~
cast-iron table thirteen feet in diam
. uss convex In form, turned smooth on the
smart underneath The separation ~ Ina
minerals frtm the gangue IS b. means OF
WAFER currents supplied by a curved water
PIPE, revolving slowly over the surface Of
tne tabie, receptacles ut the outer rim Of
tne table receiving the several grades OF
concentrates. The ore Is fed onto the table
WIN water and runs In a curved dlrcc-
uon toward the outer edge of the table.
~ its way the stream Is reduced In We.
iocity and depth to about one third. ow-
Ing to the greater surface covered caus-
ing separation OF the lighter and heavier
particies the former leave the table at
once, while the latter are further sepa-
rated py passing under the stream OF wa
Ter from the rotating. curved water pipe
wnicn, assisted by the vibrations Of the
table, with gradually increasing energy
ana velocity. separates the various mate
rials according to their specific gravity and
washes them into the rotating delivery re-
ceptacles. and thence into circular troughs
wnich collect the different sorts. The
GARY capacity OF this machine is from
twelve to fifteen tons.
Quite an ingenious device has been con.
trived by T. W. Haley. a we'll known
mechancian In Milford. Me-, viz, a sell
iuoricating bearing which It is believed
possesses superior qualities to anything
yet proposed In this line. 1t consists OF a
compound in metal and graphite com
pined in such manner as to hold the
graphite In solution. this latter feature
being the chief point OF originality in
the invention. All ~ metals that are
used fuse at a much lower temperature
than will vitrify glass. which requires 1000
degrees Fahrenheit. The metals employed
are thoroughly mixed while in a powdered
form. and combine before the glass becomes
liquid, and are then pressed into the Jour
nal; this makes hard and self lubricating
bearing, and one which can not be melted
out by any friction that could occur, as Il
will stand red heat, glass alone making
journal that will run with less oil than
Rabbit metal, but 1t Is no brittle. The
Haley journal is made Of glass, lead and
graphite, which secures Standardization:
for light shafting' little antimony is
used, and for large shafting powdered
aluminium and brass are added.
According to a paper recently read by
NJ. Laveezzai before the Paris Society of
Civil Engineers the system OF traction by
means of compressed gas motors-origuat-
ing al Dresden and subsequently operated
in other European cities-is peculiar in
some respects, when compared with other
attempts of this class. The motor used is
Of the Otto type, having two cylinders.
and located under the seat on one side Of
the car. For ignition electricity Is used,
and to change speed or direction gearing
is employed; two different speeds are
available at will. The speed lever and re-
versing lever are both fitted on the car
platform, and when the former is In mid
position the engine runs free, though. as
at the same time its gas supply is throttled,
It's speed falls 70 eighty revolutions per
minute: pushing the lever to right or left
places either the high or low speed In
gear with the engine, simultaneously fully
opening the gas valve and causing the en-
CINE to run at its normal speed of 900
revolutions per minute. The gas is carried in
three reservoirs, two Of which are fixed
under the opposite seat to that connecting
the motor: these reservoirs have a ca
pacity OF about tlhrty-fiv cubic feet. and
are charged initally TO pressure Of $40
to 40 pounds per square inch. The cool
ing water is carried in tubes placed In the
roof OF the car. At the compression stations
small gas engine is used to drive the
pumps which charge reservoirs connected
to a stand pipe near the track, and when
car is to be charged its tank is con-
nected to this and the valve opened.
Attention is drawn by the Boston Jour-
nal of Commerce to some recent improve
ments made abroad In extracting fbres
from the various fibrous plants Of the
class known as ramie, rhea, or China
grass. The inventor In this case-whose
name or location is not given--has found
tlat by the use Oh dclusS, as hitherto EN-
ployed. such fibres are reduced in strength
or caused to decay thus rendering them
practically useless for manufacturing pur-
poses, To overcome this and other OBJ
jections, the method now proposed includes
provision for a number of baskets, made
of galvanized wire or other suitable ma
terial. to hold the fibre In place; and the
next operation is TO place a sufficient num-
Der of these baskets. after their having
been filled with the raw fibre. In a high
pressure kier. now In common use. Hav-
ing covered the baskets with water, and
added the chemical ingredients, consisting
Of two or more of the following. viz: soap.
Fare alkalI. petroleum OIL and bicarhonate
Of soda. after the kier Is made tight, live
steam Is forced In and allowed to work
UP TO aud at fifty to fify-fiye pounds per
square inch for suitable length Of times
usually from four to five hours. On this
being accomplished the fibre is ready to
be taken out and washed. For future oper-
atoms this process is claimed 10 render
special service.
Another mode Of ffreproofing wood has
been brought forward-this time at Hur-
bingham, where the British Non-lnflam-
mable Wood company has given an exhibit
-. Ia.