The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-05
NOTES ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


among Vienna nronauts, both military and other
wse in regard to the merits Of Stencils novel n.y.
ing machine. recently invented At HAMBURG Iho
apparatus resembles stork IN the form OF Its CON
siructio The expanded wings. measuring nineteen
feet in length and FIVE in breadth. are made OF hol
low steel ribs covered with very light linen. The
propellinp power Ia supplied 10y an unusually pow
erfu electric motor the machine being steered by
bird.lko tail, consisting Of two adjustable SPADES
the motor. the propollinR power OF when Is calch
lated to last three hours weighs eight pounds whle
the whole machine does not exceed seventeen
pounds in weight. The wings will sustain man
weighing $50 pounds. The whole apparatus -
stated to be easy to handle and to not only
rapid ascent. but safe descent The availability
Of this machine having been proved in several sue
cessful trials the inventor 1, perfecting flying
mach ne. which consists of an aluminium raven
covered with silk.
Amethod By which ist OF recently generated nv.
drogsn can be isnited with absolute certainty and
without risk or loss Of time. 10 described by G. o.
Hopkins. in tho Journd OF the American Ch'mied1
Soct,ty. IA soon the action begins the escaping
gas Is collected in test tube, and when the latter
to be full OF gas. II Is to be removed
three tect from the generator aud the hydro
gen in II ignited. An immediate attempt is then to
be made to Light the set OF hydrogen with the hydro
Hamo contained in the test tube. and II the as
explosive IL will explode in the test tube and leave
no nhme-N, however, n name remains III thc test
tube with which the jct can DO ignitod tits certain
that the gas h the generator Ia no longer explosive
by adopt NJ the prrcaution. therefore. OF mover
lighting tho hydrogen Jet except with the hydrogen
fame thus obtained absolute safety can b. insured
In fact attempts may be made to ignite the jctby
this method A. often az thought proper and. ~ the
hydrogen 10 properly generated the gas will 0eig'
| nited In less than minute.
That figures give amazing emphasis to tho fact OF
modern indust al proIress is seen In the following
4 array Of estimates; The total coal consumption in
Great Britain during tho last year IL officially set
down at ib7 5000 o tons OF which $4,000 900 tons
were used in the production OF power for industrial
purposes, 4H.o0oCoO tons for obtaining heat in that
line aud % 900 900 tons Tor domestic uses. TAX ng
the nrt two items IN ds;a 1t IA calculated that Tor
| tho production Of power railways cousumedlO No..
oro to IL 900 900 tons c"as:ing steamers 'oooouo
to 5000. OoO. mines 1000 900 to 700 600 AMI fac.
tories 900 900 to 4OOo) tons while In the pro
| ducton OF heat. blast furnaces required iGnOn,ooO
TO IL 600 900 tons. steel and malleable iron works
10 900 900 TO 1000 900 tons other met llurgical
works 1000 900 to 2,OOO,OCo chemical works.
pottsries and glass works 100000 to 100000.
and raa works from 5000. oUO to $1,000 900 tons
| Some Of these round numbers are. Of course IN
degree approximate.
| ono OF tho most impractieable engineering
schemes apparently. is that Of tunnelling the Bos
| phorus There Is 40 enormous tame between the
two sides Of the Bosphoru-. and the delay caused
by the opening and shutting OF the bridge OF ats.
! which forms now the only me ans OF communication.
| Ia a great drawback. A railroad company is now
constructing its lines on both pde., hut this Is OF
little avail until tho lines can be connected Tun.
nelng by the ordinary way is h. ndered by the fact
| that the water 10 extremely deep. with twenty or
thirty feet Of mud at the bottom In order ~ solve
tho problem. 1t is proposed to suspend or Goat q
tunnel about thirty.1ys feet below the surface OF
the water. allowing uninterrupted passage to yes.
| sels Of tho lArges; tonnage. Tho Golden Horn has
| no tide The tunnel Is to be = wroughtpn tube
about ten feet in diameter and 100 feet long. and
| the gradient at each end would be nifty. II would
weigh About 600 tons: AI.mum weight OF
any tram. 400 tons; concrete aud lining TO over.
come the buoyAncy Of the tube, !, 200 tons. and
water displacement :, 200 tons.
Alta meeting Of the Iron and Steel Institute, Man.
chester En-. Last August. an interesting paper was
real by Prof. wiborg Of STOCKHOLM. on the use OF
timely divided ore obtained by concentrating process
by the introduction Of ma. nctic and other methods
OF separation. tn power u enri hing iron ores by
tho removal Of undesirable constituents has been
greatly Increased, and the waste In working IN ;he
ease OF magnetic minerals consderab!y dim ni-hed
The advantages were. however. largely quAlinol by
the circumstance that the concentrate was usually
obtained as q powder. thus Limiting its utility; tho
question, consequently, as to how much material
could be best applied becoming ono OF primary
importance. In view OF this. Prof. wiborI has
himself designed a furnace for the convcgsi IN Of
puvrrulcnt ores into spongy iron capable OF eplac.
ing scrap IN the usual opon hssrth furnace. and II
appear, nom the experimental trials which have
been made thus far that the process Is practical
success
Turning TO account the successful experiment OF
pneumatic tires on bicycles. an Italian. Sgnor Encc
del Pablo Of ind ne. has recently invented = Ns y
Ingenious sole Tor mems boots. on the pneunati
principle. Under the ball II h, foot and alta hot
to the sole. {. placed tube ot lndiarubbcr. some
what suG IN horseshoe shape. with three openings
one at each end and one ia the middle. these open
ings being in communication with the outside air b!
means OF Uhannel leading iroa the horseshoe tub
to the heel when the foot is lifted in marching
the horseshoe tube Is filled with AR, and, when IL
placed upon the ground. II is supported specie
~ ArIush on the air finding exit and cgress hroug
the holes. thus there is d.mInuton Of shock and
pcrceptiblo relief from the :ay OF the feet after
long march. In ERSlaad they have long mad
4 pneumatic boots to be used by runners on rae
tracks At the tip end 81 the bot is placed the al
CHAMBER. and above tais is a sort OF sack made o
| Kid. into which the racer clips his feet
The application Of liluiaed carbouic acid gas t
the ent. adjustment OF underground fires. or hres il
mines. has been explained by Mr.. George Spencer
a before the Institution OF Mining Engineers. say
Natur,. II seems that at colliery with which Nj
= spencer was connected, FIRE occurred in n hesdin.
result OF fall o roof and sides on steam pipe
The heading was built on with as little delay POI
sible, but. notwithstsn l!ng all Efforts to shut on
/ tho air. sufficient reached tho seat OF fire to kee
II burning slowly; IL was therefore decided TO appl
. carbon dio,iio. aud FOR this purpose six cylinder
" ~ lilunel gas were successfully used II isnot a
sunicd that such method 10 success fully 81
piled to all fires, but for instance in case Of fire
shipboard. the use OF carbon dioAide might prov
l. invaluable being quickly applied. and saving muc
~ damage BY water.
Hopes are entertained by experts in the elcetr
. lighting industry that valuable substitute Z,
h platinum has been found In an alloy OF nickel al
steel by varying the proportions OF either mata
an alloy results with almost any desired oooicien
Thus. when only small proportion Of nickel Is eu
ploycd. n coefliceut OF expansion between that
J" IRON and thai OF nicRel 4, obtained; with. say - y
cent Of nickel. the cocf!cient OF expansion Of bra
il reached. A tho proportion OF nickel is then 1
O. creased. the coeicient Of expansion progresses u