The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-03-28

Fires-Modern Moters-Paper Material
"A New Engineering Feat-Moonlight
Measures-Machinery Belts of Steel.
The urgent need of greater accuracy in the
indications of the average clock gives import
ance to the suggestion of j. Jorgensen, Lon
doner, that both public and private clocks can
be synchronized at slight expense through either
the gas or electric mains of the town. The gas
works, for instance, may have the regulator
clock, which is connected to the gas main by
simple attachment that has been invented. A
simple mechanism is attached to each clock
entered in the system. and is connected by
small tube to the nearest gas pipe. At any con-
venient time Of day or night, lever at the
regulating station is pulled for fraction Of
second. This slightly reduces the pressure In
the mains and causes every connected clock
throughout the town to be set at precisely the
same time. With electric mains and connections
the clocks are similarly set at uniform time once
daily by breaking the circuit or reducing voltage.
-
The famous ape man, Pithecan hropus erectus,
was found about sixteen years ago by DR.. Eugene
Dubois, in the gravel beds of the Bengawan
river, near Trinil, in Java. The recent explora-
lions in the same locality by DR.. J. Elberts, the
German geologist, seem to indicate that Java
had still earlier inhabitants, who built fires,
cooked deer, pigs and ancient buffalos and ele
phants and had pottery and stone arrow-heads.
These people, whose bones are not reported
among the remains found. are supposed to have
lived 10000 years ago.
Some tall mercury columns are used in meas
uring great pressures. One in a well at Butte
Cables, France, is 1850 feet high and records
up to 600 atmospheres; one at St. Etienne, in q
mine, is 1880 feet. recording $50 atmospheres;
and that on Eiffel tower is 1000 feet, recording
44O atmospheres. England's highest, at the
Technical College, Manchester, is 175 feet.
sss
A burning cliff which recently aroused fears of
volcanic explosion at Lyme Regis, England,
has called renewed attention to a kind of earth
fire. not connected with volcanoes, of which
few earlier examples have been known. The
phenomenon was observed nearly twenty years
ago in another cliff of shale about three miles
from the same spot, and still earlier the smolder
ing fires in cliff of blue clay the eastern side
of Weymouth Bay attracted much attention.
The primary cause of such outbursts seems to
be the oxidation of iron pyrites, which is often
abundant in shales and dark clays. The heat
generated may become sufficient to set fire to
some of the sulphur distilled out, yielding smoke
and sulphurous fumes, and the bitumen of some
shales may add other inflammabe material. A
British geologist suggests that spontaneous COM
bustion in the latest case has been directly due
to the effect on the decomposing pyrites of
extreme atmospheric changes, the heavy rains
that have followed fairly hot summer, or
possibly to the action of the sea.
A*s
Comparing the reciprocating steam-engine
with the new power generators-especially with
which are its only real competitors-A. Berthier,
leading French engineer, finds little to choose
from the standpoint of cost and safety. The
motor using gas from poor fuel Or refuse, though
inferior in some respects, is very satisfactory in
requiring only gas generator, with pipe sys-
tenn of low pressure and low temperature and
noauxiliary apparatus. The steam turbine, with
reduced friction and absence of alternating
motion and delicate mechanism, is doubtless less
exposed to deterioration but, like piston mo-
tor it requires boilers, high-pressure piping and
auxiliary neutrality-suspicious., condensers,
economizers, etc.-increasing repairs and acct
dent risk.
Alta grass of which 100000 tons yearly are
already exported from Algeria. is used in France
for coarse wrapping paper, but in England for
printing paper. Aloes from North Africa, seven
high-g grade papers.
In bridges and other structures of iron or steel
1t often happens that some one of several parts
in tension does not support its share of the load,
and instead of the usual expensive and trouble
some plan of taking down the parts and forging
them in blacksmith shop, Hasenkamp, Ger
man engineer, proposes making the adjustments
in length with the structure intact. His plan is
to use HERMIT for heating the part in place
ninminum. q readily iGnited and @ burns with
an intense heat-which may reach 5000 F.
through the affinity of the aluminium for the
oxygen of the iron oxide. Clamps are fastened
-tasthe steel part on each side of the spot to be
heated. These clamps are connected by bolts
and when the right temperature is reached turn
ing the nuts shortens the steel permanently to
the extent desired. The operation, requiring
but few minutes, does not interfere with traffic.
~
A novel means of measuring moonlight is
furnished by the selenium cell, through its well
known variations of electric resistance in light
of different intensity. By this method the light
of the full moon has been lately determined to
he little more than one-fifth CID of a standard
candlepower and about nine times the light of
the half moon. The gibbons disc proves to be
brighter before than after full moon. The
selenium cell is not perfectly reliable as a test
for light of varying color, but it has been found
sufficiently accurate and sensitive to indicate
the central phase of lunar eclipse within one
minute of the computed time.
"a
Steel bands or BELTS as a substitute for ordi-
nary leather belts or rope drives, have been
introduced by factory of Charlottenbure, Ger
many. Such belts may be reduced to about one
sixth of the size required for leather belts, they
do not Stretch, pulleys may be made narrower
and in some cases shafts may be smaller. Either
ordinary pulleys or pulleys with a special cover
ing to increase friction may be used. A belt
inches wide and = inch thick transmitted 200 to
$50 horsepower at belt-speed of 5.4OO feet per
minute and tests have shown that steel belts
may run 1900 feet per minute.