The record-union., 1899-07-15
Science Mention.
and Discovery.

4uieS rare near LOndOH cofHeS
.on. every side. In Richmond Park,
.oi instance, Penn ponds hold more
~aterlowl than have been seen there
~ twenty years. There were counted
- .ne upper pond at one time recently
oroods of wild ducks, the largest
inperlng eleven ducklings, two pairs
uaDchicks Con the lower pond) and
.iearty twenty waterhens out on the
open water. Besides these there were
eMo pair of coots AS coots are very
shy pirds and, unlike the waterhen, dis
Aihe human society, their return is
someWhat remarkable. Green wood
peeKers are numerous and the herons
nave had a good hatch. One of these
was fishing on Chiswick Eyot as early
as 40 one evening recently. A pair OF
hinghshers have again nested in the
grounds of Chiswick House, and pair
OF golden eyes have arrived on the lake.
inese are doubtless tame birds which
nave come from elsewhere.
A rustless metal has been patented by
Pennsylvania, composed of ingred-
tents in proportion as follows: Iron,
100 pounds chrome, one-half pound;s
tungsten. one-quarter pound, and nickel
one-quarter pound, with a small guam
tity of salt
M. Berthelot has examined many
classical specimens of ancient mirrors
in different localities. They seem to
have been made by blowing thin
walled bulb of glass and pouring melt"
ed load into a watch glass shaped por-
tion of the thin bulb and manipulating
it so as to spread the metal into a lin
ing layer, about one-tenth of a mili-
meter thick, The glass had to be made
very thin, so as not to crack or con-
tract with the melted lead.
newly patented carriage top has
spring rollers set in brackets around
three sides of the top, on which the
curtains are wound, the new method
of attachment being much handler than
the buttons formerly used.
To indicate the number of calls sent
to the central office on tele-
phone new registering device has
push rod which makes the connection
with the main office and moves the
hand on an indicating dial at the same
time.
The 'long bridge" across the Poto-
mac at Washington, D. c., is soon to be
torn down to give place to a modern
steel structure to be erected by the
Pennsylvania Railroad AS a historical
structure this bridge is perhaps one of
the best known in the country Dur
ing the civil war it was considered the
connecting link between the North and
the South and was crossed by thou
sands of troops. The bridge was built
IN 1888 and has been many times re-
paired.
Charles Tripler of liquid-air fame, is
quoted as saying in the course of a
recent lecture: THE great utility and
ultimate economy of liquid air will be
IN the fact that it can be used at or
dlnary temperatures with as great or
greater effect than steam 1t requires
a heat of 2122 degrees to get steam
power out of water. but if liquid air is
used, no application of heat is neces-
sary in order to develop a far greater
pressure than is possible with steam. If
used in ordinary temperatures it will
develop immeasurable force. Nothing
could possibly be more economical
Pointing to the two carboys of LIQUID
go OAA tAC SldSc. Hc SdlQ- CllS
amount of liquid air were put into the
engines of the Campania those engines
would either go round or go through
the ship" Commenting on this The
American Machinist" remarks: THE
same may be said for liquid nitroglycer-
Inc, and the statement means nothing
whatever as to the economy or useful
ness of liquid air as a motive power.
Whether Tripler is simply ignorant or
a conscious humbug, is open to uues-
tion. 1t is obvious that his statements
must be explained on one or the other
hypothesis
Mechanism has been installed for
ringing the chime of bells in the steepIe
of st. Patrick's Cathedral in New
York City. There are nineteen bells
ranging in weight from 300 to 1000
pounds, and heretofore no means have
provided for ringing them. The air
compressor is an eight by eight inch
horizontal, double acting, single-stage
machine, with normal speed of 100
rotations per minute. 1t is driven by
an electric motor geared to it with a
speed ratio of five to one. vertical
air receiver is placed near the COM
pressor and the air is conveyed to the
beifry through two inch pipe, where
there is another receiver. There is also
an intermediate receiver, thus furnish
ing large air storage capacity. The
mechanism for striking the bells con-
slsts of horizontal air cylinder con-
nected to the tongue of each bell. The
bells are hung around the belfry in
two tiers the larger and heavier ones
being arranged in the lower courses,
and system of steel I-beams is ar
ranged to provide support for the op-
Grating cylinders. The cylinders for
the larger bells are 4ss inches in diam
eter, those Of the next size inches.
and the smaller ones 2 inches in diam
eter. The bells have double clappers.
balancing each other. and SO hung that
only a small movement is required for
striking the bell The piston rod of the
air cylinder is attached to a central
stud projecting below the center of
the clapper. The piston takes air only
one way of the stroke being returned
by the weight of the clapper, aided by
a spiral spring. The bells are to be
operated from a keyboard. arranged
similar to the keyboard of a piano.
The keyboard is in electrical connec-
ton with magnets controlling the
valves Of the air cylinders.
Under the title 'L'Homme ct la
SINCE" the Marquis de Nadaillac. in
the Revue des Questions Scientif-
iques," criticises the alleged descent of
man from the anthropoids HE points