The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-18
roFns on scrIEScE am rDUsrRr.

/ tne increasing prncuce OF uuAAluk plnSt Iurnaco
Enses in gas engines. The main difioulty in the use
| Of such gases IN internal combustion engines seems
to have been due to the dust with which they are
laden; but means for washing the gases and freeing
them OF this undesirable constituent have now been
perfected. Thus Il IL found that. after going through
several coke "serubbers' and being washed By .
spray Of water. the gases actually contain less than
one grain Of impaipable dust to the cubic foot, and
this IL said not to produce any i'll effect in the cylin-
ders. Further. the stAtementt IL made. remarkable a.
It may seem. that - many a. 1000 horse-power
hours can be positively developed from the gases
resulting from the smelling Of one ton Of pig iron.
The potent fact thus involved IL made evident at
once in view of the productive capacity Of the nearly
200 blast furnaces in the United States. exceeding
weekly 243. 900 tons, and. assuming that this. by
electrical means, could-to the extent OF so per cent.
Of mechanical energy obtainabls from their waste
gasea-be delivered to points Of utilization, such IN
amount Of power would be immensely valuable.
In one Of the streets in the neishborhood Of the
famous London Bridge there has for some time been
carried on an industry peculiar even TO that city Of
curious and crowded occupations. namely. an eel
skin leather factory. Here arc prepared and manu-
featured an interesting variety of articles from the
skin Of the common eel. By means of numerous
complicated processes the skins in question arc
manipulated until they resemble and would be easily
taken for leather. although Of . more glutinous and
pliable nature. In one speciality this strange sub
hIAnCe " u upO lOnR. tnln btElph NJ ptAitou NeEy
closely together for vhiplhshSs and 20 cover portions
OF the handles Of moro expensive whips. Certain
kinds of lashes and harness lnces are also made from
such skins, combining n~eIibility and toughness.
The statement il made by . writer in La Natrrs
that silk dealers and the manufacturers Of fabrics
are really the only persons who are acquainted with
artificial silk. The general public are. in = word,
unable to perceive any difference between it and the
natural product. which latter it fully equals in tex
ture and brilliAncy. It is simply not quite so strong
As natural silk. and is, therefore. made especially
available for fabrics OF which the warp consists Of
ordinary silk Of an inferior quality. also for ribbons
with u cotton warp and for all kinds of fancy goods,
Likewise for dress materials. theatrical costumes.
&c. Since, therefore, this industry can furnish un-
limited quantities Of the product at some so per
cent. less than cost OF silk. the applications of IL
must continue TO be quite numerous. Use of II to .
considerable extent has for some time been made
by manufacturers in the production of the silk
straw" that is so much in favor for women's bon
nets in France and elsewhere. the threads being
juItaposed and held by an elastic sizing In such a
way - to constitute fat ribbons q few millimetres
in width. Another notable advantage named is that.
by proper precautions and using special processes.
dyers give this artificial product all the richest
shades OF color.
Prof. hlssng Of the State College. Pennsylvania.
gives an interesting explanation OF the difference
between anthracite and bttumiuouS coal. so far ~
the gases are concerned. his opinion being based on
the supposition OF all coal beds having been orig
inally formed on = horizontal or fat bed. The an
thracite beds. he assumes, were placed under enor-
nous pressure. or side pressure. by the contraction Of
the earth's crust during the cooling stage thus forming
the coal basins as now seen at the foot OF the noun
tains; such an enormous pressure resulted In fore
ing the explosive and other gases out OF the anthra-
cite beds to the seams and crevices of the veins and
10 the assures. seams. and pores of the rock strata.
This compression has been so great that gases in the
anthracite region are sometimes found with the
mighty pressure of II 900 pounds to the square inch.
On the other hand. the bituminous beds have not been
subjected to such . disturbance and pressure. and
the coal. therefore, retains the gases which 1t con-
tanned originally. White damp. Prof. Ihlseng shows.
is produced by imperfect combustion. while black
damp is produced by perfect combustion. and
destroys life by being devoid OF sustaining ele-
ments.
Amechanical achievement Of some importance Is
being accomplished at Adelaide. West Australia. viz.
the making of about nine miles OF steel pipe, from
fifteen inches to twenty six inches in diameter. after .
new design OF rivetless, longitudinal joint. Each sec
ton is twenty-siI feet long. with but four pieces, two
locking bars and two plates. Each plate is cut with
square ends after passing through q tram of leveling
rollers, following which q planer with four cutters
on = sliding table cuts the two longitudinal edges
parallel, and sixteen rollers, eight on each side, car
RED by the bending rolls, upset the edges in = dove
tail OF uniform width and depth. Thence the plate
goes through a hydraulic press. which upturns the
edges. after which 1t passes through rolls that bend
1t into a half circle. two of these being placed in
grooves. in locking bars, and temporarily clamped
together. The Pipe is next subjected to hydraulic
pressure of htty tons per inch on an expanding man
drel. the grooves closed and the usual asphalt coat
ing applied. The pipe Is jointed in the trenches with
steel rings and lead
The English papers chronicle the construction of
= large steel structure derrick pontoon. intended
to facilitate the discharge and distribution OF sea
borne coal. being able to handle daily in this
way some 5000 tons. The pontoon measures 500
feet in length, ~ in width and 12H in depth,
and its outfit OF machinery is OF such an ingenious
and powerful character that it can claim TO be the
only craft OF its kind in the world. 1t Is ship-shaped
at the ends, with . poop at each end. and has four
lines Of rails running nearly its entire length. On
one side-thAt presenting itself to the river where
the steam GOLFERS lie-Are nine hydraulic grabs, with
weighing machi mes attached. running on one pair OF
rails; and with these grabs. on . collier arriving
alongside. the coal is hurried out of the holds,
weighed and registered. then swung round. dis
charged into nine corresponding chutes travelling on
another pair of rails, and from the chutes the coal
is shot out on the opposite side Of the pontoon into
bArges.
A new kind OF safety paper for banks. &C.. Ii an
nounced. though the inventors name does not Ap-
pear, 1t is q foreign idea, ono feature OF the in
vention consisting in printing or otherwise impress
ing on tho paper employed . plurality Of sets Of
lines or marks. one or more Of which sets are indel-
ible and the remaining sets delible; these lines or
marks are made so fine and so closely alternating or
relatively disposed that. in ordinary observation
with the naked eye. no single line or mark Ii distin-
guishable. Again. the indelible lines or marks are
made OF . color differing from though compile
mentary to that of the delble lines or marks, 60
that. owing to their close juxtaposition. they will
convey tho impression OF q color differing from
those OF either of the sets of lines or marks. Thus,
any chemical action or erasure on such paper would,
1t is claimed. DO at once dtscernibls. and the shade
made by the two color combinations would be hard
70 duplicate.
In an article on the subject by Mr.. skertchley.t the
well-known Australian geologtat, the scanty distr.
button of tin ore in the different countries OF the
earth is pointed out. Curously enough. while the
known gold fields Of the world cover more than one