The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-21

ing fome encient ana economic method OF using pow.
derod coal as fuel for nring boilers, and considerable
preference 10 exhibited for the Sch wartskopfr plAn.
In this. a small rotary brush OF steel wire, needing
only one.horse power to drive II, supplies the DOW.
dered fuel to tho combustion oh amber, and its 40.
ton 10 reported as quite Independent OF the condi.
tion OF the fuel, of the weather. and OF tennpere-
ure. and those. OF course. acc advantages which
render tho apparatus peculiarly satisfactory. A q
practical slowing OF It's ennciency. the fact 10 re.
corded that ~ q sugar refinery In AiHermissen there
was = saving of s9 per cent. of fuel as compared
with ordinary combination on nrc bars. while ut .
oupola furnace in Vienna a saving OF 40 per cent. 10
stated. Another method, known as Prledbere'a,
for some time past in vogue. Is said to re-.
quire considerable mechanical power, as the coal
dust Ia fed by air pressure under n forced draueht,
moisture In the fuel thus hindering the action OF the
plant. Another system. the weRener, has also beeh
resorted TO in Germany: in this the fuel ia fed
into the nro box by means of n small turbine
driven by the draught OF the chimney, 40 that the
operation depends considerably on tho force Of the
wind and the temperature OF the outside air.
Special machinery for grinding coal into q nne duss
ts now q desideratun.
It Is now about thirty years since Tho manufacture
and use OF ramie assumed large proportions In some
OF the European countries, In consequence OF the
scarcity OF cotton in the United statea. The French.
in particular. felt this loss very much, and devoted
their energies to replace the same with ramie. The
outcome OF these endeSvora was tho establishments
OF tho p. A. Favier Company, successors TO Ia
Ramie Franchise. with factory at Yalobre. and spin
ming annually some 2tU tons or yarns, in numbers
up to nineties ia nneness. with dye house and con-
slant enlurRen,on.s generally. Noteworthy, too, are
the mills at Emmendineen, Germany, which lass
year treated \ prodisious quantity OF China grass.
During the past two years particularly there
has been q rapidly Increasing demand for ramio
yarns and fabrics TUNED out In that country. In
addition to the above mentioned mills, there are
.t.-t - 49, -. -
England. and improvements for machinery for
manipulating this fibre into yarns are frequently
being made.
The progress in the manufacture OF iron and steel
In America was set forth iucidiy at the late annual
meeting OF tho American Society OF Mechanical En-
Gineers. by the President, John Fritz. 1t appears
that at Bethlehem, Pa. they now have Iathes which
have taken work weighing 100, 900 pounds, and
pianers that have finished castings each weighing
leo tons; and the fact that shafts o: eighteen or
twenty inches diameter and sixty to seventy fee:
or more in length, lying In VS. can DO turned easily
by one man with a lever three feet long, shows the
high character of the work. In the matter Of forg.
ing, some physical tests of q notable character were
cited. Thus, a test OF puddled bar. reworked-car
axle gave a tensile strength OF a, 600 to %, 900
pounds, an elastic limit of 10. 600 to 20, 900 pouuds.
an elongation of 81 TO 81 per cent, and a contrac.
tiop OF area OF 30 TO ~ per cent; compared with
these data. results arc glvon from hollow forged,
oil hardened, and anusaled nickel steel ~shaftine.
showing q tensile strength Of 8 5000 to 100, 900
pounds, an elastic limit OF co, 900 TO 90, 900 pounds.
an elongation OF 20 TO rs per cent, and q con-
traction OF area OF o5 to 90 per cent. or any size, o
nickel steel SHAFT, as above. would have three times
the elastic strength OF q wrought iron shaft.
The process of making bricks from sand, brought
forward by Prof. E. C. Brico of Washington, 10 no y
said TO have led TO the formation of q company in
cAiifornia-location. &C., not Eiven-with q view to
carrying on the manufacture OF such bricks on an
extensive scale. no other ingredients entering into
their composition than such ~ are contained In
sand or earth. This stone brick, as It is described
or termed, Is produced from powdered stona-fhaa
is, sand, clay. &C., these latter being mixed with q
prepared hux, which acts as Q bond. holding to-
gether the particles Of sand or other material used
as a nlier. the whole being thoroughly annesled by
heating. Among thv various merits claimed for this
kind of brick. the saving OF lime IL conspicuous,
only ten hours being required for their manufac.
ture. instead OF eiSat to thirty days. much re-
duccd consumption OF fuel-scsrceiy any loss from
burning-a crushing strength of from 10000 to
5000 pounds TO the square inch, instead of 20 To-
1000 pounds. ana but three.nfths the cost Of ordi-
Larry bricks.
The idea has been put forth hy English glass work.
ers from time to time that ordinary plato glaas ma
t.riaI is better adapted for au enduring monument
tai structure than the hardest marble or granite
known to stone masons. glass being. in fact. prao-
ticaiIy indestructibiei v ind, rain, heat. and cold
have their well-known erect upon even the hardest
rock, solid granite eventually crumbling away. nor
is the obl.Ierat'cn uncommon Of an inscription on
a stone S.ayeSIone oAly nifty years old. On the
other hand. n Glass structure for such purpose will
present as fresh m appearance q couple OF cen.
turtles after its manufacture, It In asserted, a. on
the day II was erected, ami the Inscription, can be
mai incnsrean!e. Thick plato glass for marine
exposure 10 found to resist the stormiest sea and 10
practically urbreakaole.
Certainly one Of the triumphs Of modern engi-
neering is the canal being built for the purpose OF
carrying he vast amount OF sewage OF Chicago int
the Mississippi River, the main design being that
lie waters OF Lake Michigan shall now through 10
ii me rate OF 1000 cubic feet per second. the in.
tention being TO have the sewage SO diluted that no
possible harm can occur TO the towns by which 10
vii! aow. Among the most striking data of this
Immense work is that OF It's length. viz. twenty
eight miles. Where It passes through aIluviai
ground the width at the bottom Il cog feet: but the
material taken our is OF Q wi ieiy varying character,
rangipg from q soft iaud. so soft that It can be 70.
moved by pumps. TO a mixture OF sand. gravel. clay,
and ooulders, which is cemented 80 nrmiy asin
some caseS 10 require blasting. But much OF the
excavation ia through solid rock. The estimated
quantities to be removed are 4 500. 900 cubic yards
OF wcr soil, 23. 900. 900 cubic yards OF alluvial and
hard soil. and IL 600 900 cubic yards Of solid roek
-nearlv 40, 900, 600 cubic yards of excavation.
The growing Introduction of ductile iron 10 pointed
out by q writer In Engineering a. an Important feat
ure In the mechanical world. Its tensile strength 10
represented to he 69. 900 pounds and more to tho
square inch. and, after being heated to . dull red
and plunged into cold water. It can be nled easily,
showing that II takes no temper. Specimen arc
mentioned which have had portions heated and
drawn out under the hammer after being twiPted
cold, without fracture, and. In another case. .
heavy chain. the links of which were cast open. then
Joined and welded without the use OF nuI also
valve stems. crank shafts. ana other similar.pieces,
finished to pattern In a lathe and exhibiting sur
faces without a blow hole; ntricate'castinss, too,
being reproduced regularly without failure. WHILE.
as is we'll known, a not Uncomfortable percentage OF
losses has atten led other methods for the produc.
ton OF very strong castings.
ono OF tho most Interesting PURPOSES for which
the wonderful strength testing machine at the MAS
sachusetts Institute OF Technology.is made avail.