The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-16
FROM CONSuLS
Come Interesting Stories Of Affairs
Abroad -ManuIacturc of Artificial
SiIk-NIerchant Marine of France.

.iDrOuu = NlInlilotNuTt w Artliitiai
Silk-NIerchant Marine ofFrancc.
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Feb. IA
very curious report comes TO the state
department from Consul Frankenthal,
al Berne. Switzerland. on the manufac-
ture OF artificial silk from gclatinc
The consul says that his information Is
from Professor Hummel. of YORKSHIRE
College. in Leeds, England who is now
the inventor of the process. and who has
submitted specimens OF his product to
Swiss silk manufacturers. The accur-
acy OF the statements contained in the
report must be gauGsd by this stan
card.
The Eelatinc 10 be turned into silk IS
heated at q certain temperature, which
Keeps 1t continually in liquid form.
The reservoir containing this liquid has
l. a cover. with innumefablc small open
inSs. through which the Selatine oozes
in very fine streams. These tiny
threads are discharged on an endless
strip OF linen cloth. running over pull
leys. When this strip has travelled far
enough to dry thc gelatinc the threads
are picked up automatically and wound
upon spools.
The whole operation IS said 10 require
very little attention, single workman
overseeing enough machines to produce
1000 yards NJ thread per day-cuual
to the production Of 1900 CocOons.- To
make the gclatinc threads proof against
being dissolved in warHi water or any
other solution. they are lightly wound
on drums. and subjected TO the fumes
OF formal behyde in close room Tor
several hours. Coloring matter added
in very small proportions 10 the liquid
Eelatine produces any shade OF thread
desired. This artificial silk IS said to
be extremely brilliant, and very uniform
in thickness,
The greatest drawback to lis useful
ness is its low tensile strength. But
this. it is said. can b. overcome by
mixing the geIatine fibre with real silk.
fine linen or cotton. The statement Is
made that this silk can be produced At
81 10 per pound. COlld1iOn silk now
costs about So 80 per pound. while nat
ural silk Is worth Sc %.
Consul Skinner. at MarScilcs, sends
to the state department an abstract OF
the annual report OF IN" MarSeilles
chamber OF commerce TO the minister OF
commerce on the state OF The French
Merchant marine. II appears from this
report that the subject OF the merchant
marine is being considered in France
with quite az much interest as Is the
same subject In The United States. The
chamber reports gain In the tonnage
entered Mt Marseilles of 163.9i3 tons for
1891, but state this is far from re-
assuring. Comparison Is made with
the statistics OF Gcnoa, Antwerp and
Rotterdam. whence the following gains
Of 1887 over 1896 are reported: Genoa.
$4,000 tons: Antwerp. GiGG99 tons; R9t-
terdam, 7Sl coo tons.
Tho gradual disappearance Of the
French flag from commerce Is declared
to be in spite OF the law OF 1898. which
the public powers recognized 10 be alb
solutely Inefficient"
Consul ThaCakara writes from Havrc
on the same subject. giving tn" report
OF the parliamentary committee mp
pointed by The French chamber Of depu.
t!es 10 Investigate the problem OF up
building the French merchant marine,
This report says In part that the COM
mittce recognizes the state OF the mer-
chant marine as critical. especially In
regard TO Its ability to successfully COM
pete with that OF other nations" Fur
Their. the report says: Its relative in
ferlorlty already demonstrated. be.
comes more and more apparent each
day. and with each advancing stride
made by the steamship lines OF other
countries.
This state Of affairs. Il prolonged
would lead to the most disastrous social
political and military results: and II is
but natural the government should
give attention to the best methods OF
ameIforatfng such serious condition
OF affairs. the remedy OF which. In the
very nature OF things. cannot cmanate
from prlvat" sourcea."
The committee. after considering var
!ous plans. finally decided on revision
ot the bounty laws. n section OF the new
law being quoted by the consul. II IL
very involved schedule OF b8Hntles
The frat article provides for q ship
4 ping bounty IN n compensation for the
charges imposed upon merchant vessels
IN training anamea who may b. drafted
into the national navy. The bounty Il
computed In ccntlmcs per ton for var
iouH classes OF vesscls. ranging from
1000 tons 10 5000 tons and above. This
bounty II for steamships That on 8IIl.
ing vessels Is half the amount In every
case.
Article 2 provides a bounty TO dr.
rclop tho maritime industrieG OF France