The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
NorEs ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

The manufacture Of balloon ropes from sptd,rr.
webs. for the military .aeronautic section ~ Vi.
French Army. In announced aS an accomplished I'M.
dustry. in operation at Clalais. Maudun. near Paris
and il an object Of extreme interest not alone IA
entomologists. The insects are kept diligently A..
tive in . certain routine OF movement. each one la,
ing required to spin some thirty or forty yArds,,
thread before 1t ia allowed to have a rest. Tho
method Of achieving such q result may well h.
characterized as an example Of French ingenuity.
Twelve spiders are placed above a reel. To which
their threads are attached. and the reel. being gently
revolved. winds of the thread az fast a. the nm,
spinners are able to produce II. Eight ~ the sets y,
thread thus brought 10 pass. after being carefully
washed to rid them Of their sticky outer covering.
are then as carefully woven into cords. The latter
are declared tn he both stronger and lighter than
the silken cords which have hitherto been used by
balloonists. the great drawback being their nerc-
sarly extreme cost.
Some enterprisine artists are producing a pleasing
novelty pictures in gold and silver on surfaces ~
papier nacbe, polished wood. &c. The method pur.
sued in this case. according To the philadelphia.
Record. lie a modification Of the well.known process,
~ dusting.on. and. as may naturally be supposed 10
capable o. producing exceedingly attractive pictures,
in grea; variety. Tho workers select the color Of IN.
powders according to their discretion. employing.
for instance, a slightly red bronze for a landsrape
view or street scene in sunlight. and a silver or
aluminium bronze for portraits in light costumes.
&c. BY this means . remarkable depth and relief
are obtainahle. the resulting picture being described
as well nigh indestructible piece Of work. and.
when framed with = narrow strip OF metal CORE.
spending in color and character with that used in
the production of the print. presenting to the eye an
effect Of striking richness.
What may be considered the most unique kind n
refrigerating plant yet contrived. Judging fr1m an
elaborate descriptive article in tho Z,it,chrifi ~ N.
Austrian Union Of Fnpipeera and Arcbttac,. 4. l.
'ated In Vienna. A special point in view has been
not to have the plant reach the freezing state, but 10
insure the maintenance Of such q temperature As
shall sufhce for meats and vegetables or other food
stufs. for some Of which a freezing Temperature
would be Objectionable. The indirect system +,
adopted, cooled air being distributed through the
storage chambers by forced Circulation. rssort
being had to carbonic acid gas. The gas il com.
pressed TO liquefaction and the heat Of compres.
sion removed by water, after which the lique-
fed carbonic acid Ia permitted again to er.
pand to the gaseous state in coils placed in
tanks OF brine. The brine ia thus lowered to the
desired temperature while the expanded gas is ra.
turned TO the compressors 10 complete the cycle,
there being no cir ,ulation OF the brine through pipes
in the storage rooms, but 4 ia led to a series of pans
in a special chamber: while, therefore. the brine
flows from pan 10 pau, the air ia drawn through the
spaces between the pans or trays, and is thus cooled,
A circulating fan at one end OF the chamber in which
'"S N'oAihh u q uia"b II Bill lTOm nj NtOrs
age rooms through the spaces between the trays and
delivers It again into the vaults. A era, hical record
OF the temperature in the storage vaults compared
with that outside shows that one To Ave degrees
centiRrade was maintained. while outside it was bs-
tween -35 and % centiRrade.
The official records show that there are now on nie
at Warrington nearly 500 patents for rotary engincs,
and this class of inventions now averages about
three applications per week. 1t lie claimed for this en-.
Rinei In its perfected state that II will have seven dis.
tinctive advantages. which are already recognized
by mechanical authorities. over the reciprocatirg
form. these being enumerated as follows: First.
absolute control of the steam power BY cut of and
valves; second. minimum Of space occupied, both
for engine and boiler; third. minimum Of cost OF
manufacture: fourth. minimum of steam neces.
sary to develope a given amount OF power: NTH,
minimum of friction and wear. and the avoid.
ance Of all dead working parts; sixth. interchange.
ability OF its eight simple working parts; and last,
but not least. regulation Of speed without loss Of
power or sacrifice OF durability.
The little town of Redstone. n. Il. has reached q
pleasing distinction, industrtally nsidered-th
is. the largest block OF granite ever quarried in the
world has lately been blown there. its dimensions
being 14b feet III length. 30 feet in width and 20 feet
In depth. The blast took as many as 300 pounds Of
powder. and the conclusion shook the entire vii.
lage the cleavage was absolutely perfect, as the
rock split like a block of wood. Previous to this,
the largest block OF granite ever quarried In Amer.
ca was the military monument cut in vinalhavsn
about ten years ago. but as that block was only
81 feet long and 8 feet in diameter at the base 10
was simply d toy compared with the one in Redstone.
Further. If the thing were desirable. Sn obelisk could
be carved from this block Of granite. by the side Of
which the largest obelisk in Egypt would sink into
insignihcauce. In the ruins OF Karnac, near the
edge of the Subian desert. is an obelisk 100 feet
high and IL feet in diameter at the base: this is the
block OF hewn stone in the known world, and
1t has always been . marvel how it was quArried.
The block now taken out at Redstone. notwithstAnd-
ing it's size. could be hewn almost to the edges. 40
perfect and 80 straight Ia the cleavage. II contains
he enormous quantity OF 40. 900 cubic feet OF stone.
1t appear that inventors abroad are close imita.
OF American railroad methods. In q recent
issue Of TrdnIDort ia published the plan for tho
building OF q single-track road between Manchester
and Liverpool. The peculiar mechanical features
OF the road are a single rail. elevated about four feet
from the ground. and mounted on A.shaped steel
trestles. the cars to be carr ed on wheels in the cen.
running ON the single rail, But. while ills 10
styled n single. rail system. there are. in fact, four
other rails. these being guide rails. two on each side
of the trestle work. stability OF the cars 10 mn n.
tanned by thirty.two horizontal guide wheels. The
motive power Ia to he electricity. using trolle 0,
minimum rpeod ninety miles per honr, with capac.
under proper construction. Of Icot 100 miles
per hour.
The Cleveland. o., papers announce the invention
by W. H.. Packer of that place OF a ramie defbrator,
which has proved to be n remarkab! success. and,
It is believed. must revolutionize the manufacture Z
fabrics. Other inventors. il is stated, have been at
work on a machine with the same object in view for
many years past. but Notwithstanding large amounts
OF money have been expended and premiums have
been offered by governments. the necessary quail.
Of success have not been reached. The
Aimplioity of the nav machine "a aaid 20 h. .,,h
that it can be operated by q boy. and the capacity Of
the machine can be increased according to require.
Ramie. which Ia grown so largely in South
America and the Southern States. has long been re-
garded a. a substitute for cotton. fax and silk.
tits acknowledged by meteorological that. even
with the finest thermometers. 1t is very difficult 10
get accurate records OF extreme temperature,
and on this account such observations in general are
to be regarded as only approximately correct. In
this light, therefore. II 10 a matter OF interest to kn-v
that the lowest temperature on the face of the earth,
so far as the record goes, was taken at wercho;ansE.