The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
VOTES ON SCIENCE N INDUSTRY.

NOTES ON SCIENCE AMI INDUSTRY.
The recent announcement Of the remarkable prof.
cot undertaken by the West Australian Government.
namely, 70 lay some 92s miles Of water pipe, made
Of steel spiral imbodded in concrete, has received
much attention. in view OF the peculiar kind Of Pipe
TO be thus utilized. In the manufacture of this pipe.
the sheet steel. after being cut into strips of a width
varying with tho required diameter Of the pipe, Is
riveted or welded into q continuous strip of tho re-
quired length this strip 10 then fed automatically
into The pipe.mSking machine. and during its passage
through II the rivet holes are punched, and the laps
OF the edge of the strips are brought together under
pressure, and held during the process OF ryetng.
The nvets arc all Bot by compression. The edge 10
slightly recessed. throwing the lap on the outside.
In this way the inside diameter Of tho pipe is main.
tanned evenly throughout tho entire length. To
render the pipe wRtertight on leaving the machine.
special hydraulic cement 10 inserted between the laps
before riveting.
Asystem of portable or field electric railway has
been brought ont in Germany with complete sue
cess. Al described by q correspondent Of the Boston
TrdRscript the track consists Of easily transported
rail frames, made oftwo rails OF the usual field railway
pronle, and connected together by. say. Ave crossbars,
the middle crossbar extends n few inches beyond the
rails on either side, and TO its ends In bolted an iron
yoke, or frame, in shape an inverted o, the top OF
which Ia high enough TO DO well clear Of tho cars.
Tho overhead conductors supported at the centre Of
the upper horizontal part OF the yoke; the yokes arc
placed closer together at curves. and ut the sharpest
curves It may be necessary to At every rail franc
with . yoke, in order TO keep the overhead conductor
sufnciently near the centre Of tho track. The gen.
Grating station 10 htted in the usual way with
. dynamo. and two feeders are led from the station
TO ono end Of the track. ono being connected TO the
end Of the overhead conductor and tho other to the
rails. For running tho trolley wire . special truck
has been devised. On IL arc . pair of ladders. lean
| inG toward anch other and hekueen than on the
floor Of the truck is q reel containing wire. and at the
top. where their upper ends meet. 10 supported q
guide pulley. BY means Of this struck along neld line.
It II found. can be run out in n surprisingly short
space OF time.
Anew process for making petroleum brquettes-
ono by which petroleum refuse Ia worked up in such
. manner as to assume the form OF q solid substance,
easily handled. and constituting q cheap and con-
venient fuel-hAa been brought forward by q Bava-
rian inventor. Joseph Kohlendorfer of LAndshut. In
this process about 10 per cent. of soda I've, with 10
Per cent. of any kind of fatty matter. such rs tallow,
is treated in n boiler. either by superheated steam or
the exclusion of air. and enough petroleum refuse 10
added to the heated mass to mako up 100 parts. This
mixture is then heated. under constant stirring for
about one hour, the time varying with the mode and
intensity of heating. Attention is paid to prevent
the temperature from reaching the boiling point Of
petroleum. as In such case q large quantity Of froth
results. In this ~incipient state OF sAponifcation the
mass acquires the property Of taking up large guam.
tities Of huid rock oil. and. IL this Incorporation pro.
Goods too Plowly or remains incomplete. It may be
fastened by the addition of q little soda I've. The
mixture 10 run into moulds and allowed to cool, when
1t may be cut into pieces Of any desired form.
The production Of phosphorus BY means OF cleo
trio furnaces in various ways has now proved com
merciAlly practicable. and 10 Justly considered ar
important chemical achievement One OF the meth
nha n~.,.A tn ~ IA 40 80 I---~a II. ns-.
L Leleux process. consists In simply heating . mix
ture OF phosphate OF lime and coke in q suitable cleo
: the furnace. the two ingredients TO be nrst finely
powdered. and the mixture to be completely homo
geneous. On the mass becoming pasty under thu
: action ofthe heat. all the openings Of the furnace ar
hermetcallyseale except that for the passageofphos
: phorus vapor. this being distilled and collected in tn,
usual way. According to another process the Boub
: nque-iron phosphide 10 ID ecomposed by electrolysis
. this salt being produced by tho simple fusion o
. phosphatss Of lime with q salt of iron.
80 usually guarded an authority as the Londoi
Revisc assures housekeeper Of the practical value O
!, newly devised ice machine. on . small scale. 70
- the household-ono which will furnish. in 2fteel
minutsS. o small cake Of pure ice. admirable 10
domestic purposes. The device consists of q doubl
z sheet and metal cylinder. covered on the outsid
with q protective layer Of asbestoa for the purpose @
{ insulation. and hung in sockets by two centra
4 pivots. The receptacle 10 filled with distilled waite
3 up to within q half inch OF the top. and, after tn
rubber washer and metal cover are adjusted, 1t
q tightly closed with . screw. Tho cylinder 10 the
d turned around once. and the other cover unfastened
this permits the filling of the space between tn
double wall Of the outer cylinder with chemical
= used for generating the cold temperature, viz, a
ammonium salt and water. After turning the cylinde
around rapidly for some fifteen minutes. tho inns
10 receptacle Is Withdrawn from the cylinder. held for
minute in hot water. and. upon being opened. a piec
OF ice exactly the shape OF the inner wall will slid
out without any trouble. Another round cylinder
provided for the quick cooling Of any fluid.
Travellers over the line of railway from the City
a Mexico to tho city Of Vera Cruz are said to be great
impressed with some of the engines they sec In III
on that route-double- headers as they are terme,
:" The Mexican Railway Company has already as man
as dozen. adding them from time to time to 1
70 stock a. business has demanded. Each OF thel
RI mammoth constructions weighs 100 tons, and
capable of hauling 100 tons up a four and one.ha
NJ per cent. grade. They arc OF Scotch manufactur
r. built by the FAirlee Company of Glasgow. and hay
IN now been in the service of tho road about ten year
Tho fact is mentioned as omewhat singular tn
these double-heSders arc used by no other road
S.Hs North America.
to A Was Done Unto Him..
IT,. L A.. 1u.-sI