The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-30

or train of aspower greatly in excess
of the rated output of motors The
use of liquid air mixed with combustl-
bles to form high explosive has been
suggested. Such an explosive could be
made at the time of use, and if 1t were
left unexploded, either by accident or
design, it would soon become harmless
by the evaporation of the liquid gas.
For the projection of high explosives
there should be distinct place for
liquid air, as it can be rapidly con-
verted into compressed air at six tons
to the square inch. Compressed air is
now used for propelling mobile torpe-
does, or find torpedoes. Dirigible tor
pedoes depend for power either Oh
compressed air or the electric energy
of storage battery. A storage bat
terry would be probably from five to
ten times as heavy as liquid air In a
receptacle, for equal available energy.
Prof. Thompson is inclined to think
that liquid air may presently be used
for submarine boats and flying ma
chimes. In the submarine boat 1t could
be evaporated by the heat of the sur
rounding water, and after furnishing
power it would ventilate the boat. Be-
fore it's final discharge it could be
burned with oil in fuel machine to
give further power.
Among the many theories by which
English papers seek to explain the
success with which American locomo-
tive builders are competing with those
of Great Britain is one to the effect
hot x,-I,a Ts,lz
panies order engines here they simply
tell the work which the machine is to
perform, without specifying details of
constructions; SO that the American
builder can supply, quickly and cheap
ly, engines of one of few standard
types. An American engineering jour
nal declines emphatically to accept
this view and declares that the Amer
lean locomotive is making its way all
over the world, simply because steel
and iron cost less in this country than
in Europe, and because our Workmen,
though better paid than their cousins
over the way, do more and better work
for the same money American loco
motive works will book orders for
English or French or German locomo-
as for distinctly American machines.
These works can make any detail of a
locomotive that can be made in foreign
works, and if the purchaser wishes
foreign details to be worked in, they
will be surely furnished.
''The substitution of aluminium for
copper in electrical work has been
talked of and in some cases under
taken," according to the Engineering
and Mining Journal aluminium is
to be used in some street railroad work
now in progress in Kansas City, and i'll
some other places proposals for the
metal have been asked for. Making
due allowance for the relative con-
ductivity, tensile strength and weight,
aluminium is at present prices the
cheaper metal of the two, and for many
purposes in electrical work it's use in
place of copper is quite practicable.
That the substitution will be made to
any appreciate extent is not proba
bic, however, or indeed possible be-
cause the supply of aluminium is not
large enough. No better OPP
portunity to extend the use of alum
mum will probably occur for a long
time, and the manufacturers will prob
ably utilize it to the best of their abil
ity.'
One of the indirect results of the
many recent fires in hotels and other
large buildings is an unusual activity
in the departments devoted to the sup
plying of the various appliances for
protection against fire. Many business
buildings, for instance, have for the
first time had supplied to every floor
portable, automatic fire escape, con-
sisting of a rope, with a loop at one
end, which works through a pulley
hung alongside window The loop is
slipped over the shoulders and fas-
tened under the arms. and the person
holding it can lower himself with ease.
Another appliance which has been
greatly in demand is the fire extin-
guisher. which is put in a prominent
place, usually at the head of a stair
case. 1t contains a liquid which in
stantly kills fire. and it is always ready
for use. Through its nozzle tipped hose
it throws a powerful stream, said TO
be forty times as effective as water at
a distance of fifty feet. 1t can be used
by man, woman or child, and requires
no special skill. Another element of a
fire prevention equipment is the hand
grenade, through the use of which
many million dollars worth of proper
ty has been saved. The favorite liquid
for these grenades is aqua ammonia,
and any one who has this at hand can
easily make an effective hand grenade
for himself. Among instances in which
this liquid has done good service is
one where the fire had originated,
probably from spontaneous combustion.
in a pile containing several tons of
| cottonseed. The interior of the pile
was almost a solid body of live coal,
when half gallon of ammonia COM
| pletely smothered it. Carbonic acid
gas is also a good extinguisher, and
further down on the list come alum and
water and plain salt and water
| H. Schaw proposes to blast with high
| pressure steam. instead of. the usual
| inflammable explosives, which are so
dangerous. in fiery mines Mr.. Schaw
suggests that a cartridge of water
lodged in a shot hole should be con-
| verified into steam at a pressure of
about 80 pounds a square inch by
means of low tension electricity, and
| the cartridge should be made of such
strength that it would burst at about