April.
THE WEST SHOKE.
121
IRON AS A TANNING AGENT.
According to the Baltimore Newt. Prof.
Dr. Kapp, of Brunswick, has succeeded in in
venting a process for the tanning of hides which
has produced a complete revolution in tanning
and will, perhaps, be of considerable importance
in a politico-economical point of view. The
new process does away entirely with the appli
cation of tan aud consists simply ui tanning by
minerals which substitute a substance far less
costly than tan, growing daily more rare,
and saves considerable time and 'labor. More
over, the process has been practically carried on
for some time and sufficient, too, to establish its
practical value, which, according to the present
condition of things, is beyond all doubt
Dr. Kapp's invention consists of three parts
first, the process of producing thu m.itin on.
plied by this new moot of tanning ; second, the
process itself, and third, an apparatus for that
purpose. To cure the leather. Dr. Kapp employs
basic Biilphate oxide of iron, prepare,! in a pe
culiar manner, totally different both in appear
ance and its other qualities from the salt of iron
known by a similar name in commerce. To pro
duce that salt he adds the necessary quantity of
nitric acid to a boding solution ot the vitriol ot
iron. The development of gas having stopped
and the oxide of iron being formed, more vitriol
liquid, which, when evaporated, yields dry salt
of the oxide of iron, a clear, deep, orange -colored
varnish.
To cure the hides they are hung in the duly
concentrated solution of the Halt of iron, now
cold, and they are now sufficiently cured, accord
ing to the thickness of the hide," in from two to
four tlays, without bring obliged to move, trans
fer or subject to any other of the mean pro
cesses.
With the preparation now ensuing it is not
necessary to grease the hides nor hang them in a
dry room, or tramp them in a vat or scrape otF
the grease by baud or work in the grain by band.
Of all the operations formerly in use none are
retained in this process but to shave aud perch
them. The manual labor is replaced by making
a solution of the greasing material in which the
hides are steeped, while they arc being dried and
tramped at the same time.
The fats used to grease the leather are dis
solved in the usual manner, and the hides are
steeped into it. Besides the ordinary gross. , you
may apply stearine and paraffine, never before
applied for that purpose. The dissolved grease
combines with the eolation of iron on the libers
of the hide to a soap of iron to he rubbed imo the
leather by a peculiarly OOUltTDOted dram. This
drum consists of one of those tramping vats,
revolving round hollow plugs, which by means
of these same plugs is fastened to a ventilator.
Turning that drum the ventilator is set in motion
at the same time, which during the tramping in
made to ventilate the hides, being tramped and
dried at the same time. Evidently the process
is very simple, requires but little time, and much
cheaper than the model now in vogue. As said
before, Kapp's process has fully stood the tost,
aud will, ere long, entirely displace the old mode
of tanning.
Dr. Pol, Directnrof the Experimental Institute
forlioalher Industry, in the "industrial Papers,"
speaks very favorably of Kapp's process of curing
leather by iron, for the first time represented at
the Berlin Leather Kxositi.m. The tanning
with iron works suUtantially like that with
alum, equal to tan materials, penetrate the hide,
holding the libers apart so they do not re-adhere.
Alum, however, is dissolved in water ami is
washed out by it. Tanned leather is softened
by rain, just like a hide, and stiffens when dry.
Iron is washed out iu the same way. Prof.
Kapp has removed that difficulty, applying a
soap of iron to the leather, by means of which
the salts of iron are made insoluble and stay in
the leather. Dr. Fol bad lioots made of that
kind of leather, now worn by him, which are
still pliable in spite of long usage. At the ex
position named some shoes were made of iron
cured leather by the machines there exhibited.
MAKING SOAP IN CLOSED B0ILBB8.
A writer in tho Polttlrrhnic Ktririr calls at
tention to an improvement in soap making de
vised by Mr. E. H. Gibhs, which consists es
sentially in introducing the ingredients into t
strong closed vessel or boiler, and subjecting
them therein to the effects of a high temeraturc
and pressure, the intermixture of the ingredi
ents being secured by mechanical agitation, in
this manner, and with a very simple apratuB,
the process of saponification is effected with
great rapidity and economy, and it is claimed,
with far more thoroughness, aud, as the glycer
ine remains incorporated with the product,
without the waste, that attends ordinary oper
ation with the open kettle.
The apparatus employed in this process con
sists of a cylindrical steam boiler, through the
center of which passes a shaft provided with
wings or other suitable devices. This shaft
set in motion either by hand or by ower, ac
cording to the size of the boiler, serves to keep
the charge in constant agitation during the op
eration of saponification, and thuB to insure Un
complete intermixture and contact of the ingre
dienta. The boiler is charged through a hopper with
the ingredients, grease, tallow, or oil, alkali,
resin, etc., in the usual proportions, and the
hniler being tired, the charge is subjects!, under
constant agitation, to a pressure of from 120 to
l"0 pounds per square inch, which is found to
cflect the complete decomposition of the fatty
nutter and its saponification in the space of six
hours. With a boiler 30 inches in diameter aud
1 1 feet long, it is affirmed that 2,000 pounds of
soap can he made and put in the frames in three
hours, so that where four runs per day are made
from one of these boilers, which we are informed
can be done in case of necessity, (three runs
daily being the average), the apparatus will
make as mnch soap as 24 boilers of the same
size would by the ordinary process with the
open kettle.
It is officially stated that the New York Cen
tral and Hudson River Railroad Company s Jan
nary earnings were $800,000 more than iu any
previous month in the history of the company,
and that the total earnings for the past four
months aggregated 110,000,000.
A CHANCE FOR OUR INDUSTRIES IN
AUSTRALIA.
The Australian International Exhibition of
1879, seems likely to be of considerable impor
tarn. This will be especially true to those
engaged in the industries of this coast, for Aus
tralia is a thriving trade-neighbor of ours. We
should by all means show her what fine manu
factures aud productions we can furnish to hor.
Australian papers state that arrangements
are in progress for the International Exhibition
proposed to Iki held in Melbourne in 1S7H, and
the scheme has the approval of the legislative
Assembly. The Governor, shaking recently
at Maw ell, said that the pro(Mnl could not
fairly be described iu anv quarter as premature,
if regard were had for the wonderful progress
which the Australiau colonies have already
achieved. In IS79 the aggregate public revenue
of the several Australiau colonies will exceed
sixteen millions sterling, while their trade, in
cluding exports and imports, will amount to
nearly ninety millions in value. In other words,
Australasia, as a whole, could alreadv take her
place amonir the 111 or 12 invat nntsMM of the
world m point of value of their trade and gen-
ww uupunsuee, ior mere are only seven or
eight nations with a larger public revenue tbau
sixteen millions. The three powerful colonies of
ictoria. New South Wales and New Zealand
have each a revenue and trade which would
place them on a higher scale than ancient Euro
pean kingdoms, like .Sweden, Denmark, and
Saxony. The single colony of Victoria, with
its yearly revenue of four and one-half millions,
is already equal iu wealth and imiorUnee to
the kingdom of Portugal, while Melbourne is
considerably aWvu Ulbou in wealth and trade.
The success of the exhibition, he pointed out,
Would depend in a great measure upon the cor
dial co operation of tho mother country ami tin
sister colonies of Australasia. His Excellency
further stated that he was in oorTetpondenofl
with the Secretary of State for the o lonies, who
was anxious to give every itossihie assistance,
and that the presence of the Prince of Wales
was all that was needed to render the exhibition
a triumphant success. He expressed himself
confident that his Royal Highness, if invited by
Mh Houses of Parliament, might be induced
to come out to open the exhibition, and he wa
certain he would be received with enthusiasm.
DELICATE TEST EOlt GOLD.
Faraday's researches ujkui the nature of thin
films of gold and other metals, and upon the
iu of finely divided particle of gold diffused
through various liquids, are reviewed by the
Jnrrtrr: Availing himself of the well-known
reducing power of phosphorus, he floated small
(articles of it Upon the surface of weak solu
tions of chloride of mid, In the course of 24
hours he found that the surfaces of the Liquid)
wen- covered with films of metallic gold, w hich
were thicker near the nieces of uhosuhoras.
jHissessing tho full golden reflective power of
the mital, but becoming ho thin bv gradations
as to bo scarcely iereeptible. T hey acted as
thin plates upon light, producing the concentric
rings of colore round tnu phosphorus at their
tirst formation, though their thickness then
could scarcely lw the 1-l'KHh, perhaps not
me i-.HNjin oi a wave undulation ot light. Hy
treating very dilute solutions of cold with
phosphorus, he obtained the metal diffused
through tnu liquid in extremely hue particles
producing a Iteautiful rubv color. These nnrti
cles, when in their finest state, often reins in
unchanged tor mouths, and have all the apjtenr
ance of solutions, but they never are such, con
taining in fact no dissolved but only diluted
gold. 'Phe particles are rendered evident bv
gathering the rays of the sun, or a limp, into a
cone by a lens and sending the jiart of the cone
near the focus into the fluid; the cone becomes
visible, aud thotiah the illuminated narticl.
canuat Ihj distinguished, because of their
minuteness, yet the light they reflect is golden
in character and seen to lw abundant in nronor-
tion to tho quantity of gold present. Portions
of gold, so diluted as to show no trace of gold
by color or apiwarance, can have the presence
of the diffused Bolid particles rendered evident
ty tne sun in this way.
THE EVAPORATIVE POWER OF LOCO
MOTIVE BOILERS,
This important mechanical Subject was dis
cussed recently by au English society of mechan
ical engineers. The etlort was to set at rest
certain widely diverging opinions which existed
among practical men with reference to the
evaporating efficiency of the various element
of a locomotive boiler, such as tho area of the
rtre-grate compared with the totri heating sur
face, the ratio between the tub surface and the
tire-box surface and the rate of combustion per
square foot of the tirv-grate. The results of the
discussion seem to be as follows: That no fixed
rule could Ih; established as the beat for the
relative profMrtions of the tire-grate, firo-boi
and tube surfaces: that lemdlt .ti tnl. ).,!
nothing to do with economic effect: that the
iinmeter of the tube was abo mntt.r of uii.
fereuce; that economy of fuel did not depend
niton the rate of tiriuir: that when the oosntitv
of fuel burnt was moderate, say 60 pounds or
fill pounds per square foot of grate pet hour, the
combustion was nearly perfect, while with hard
oiiog mere was coiisu.raPlo loss from onrltoinc
xiilc passing away uucouauiued, and thai a
lam increase of hoatim: surface in nmtni tion
to coal burnt only slightly increased the eco
nomic effect, w hich, within 'the limits of pr&ti
tioe in locomotive engines, was nearly in pro
portion to the fourth root of the heating surface.
In au Addendum the action of the blast pipe
was discussed. It was contended that. thotufa
I povrtrful agent ill affecting rapid combustion,
it was, r ,'c, a very extravagant one; yet in
general, in the case of locomotive engines, this
extravagance was not oliargoaPle to it. since
there was a larnc unatititv of steam which was
available and would otherwise bo wasted. A
formula was riven for csdonlatinii the power of
J oi iiiiii, as an agent lor creating a
draft, based upon oxiieri incuts made in ISM
and 1858, When applied to the blast-pipe of
the loeomotive, this showed that, on an average.
me power requires 10 lorco uie air ami gases
through the lire-grate and tulen was only eltti
.-i) oi me potential Hwer of tlie steam escap
ing throtutn the blast nine. In conclusion, it
was pointed out that a largo increase of effect
would be obtained by subdividing the exhaust
steam iuto a number of small p ts instead of
relying upon one large one, and that, under
SrtaiU ci re ii ins lancet, this increase o jMiwer
duo no oi groat tunny.
EkHuHS IN UfUNl Sl ltVKVOKs' CoMI'ASNhX
A coiresfKUident of The Kwiinrtriii.t ami Min
ir Journal mentions some minor sources of
error in taking readme from the compass wlnl
Buneyiug. After noticing certain inexplicable
vagaries of a compass needle, and testing the
metal of the instrument, and afterward exam
ining the nlwerver's pickets to determine
whether anything of iron or steel was on Ins
Hreon, the csuso of variation was discovered
in me iranio oi me magnifying glass. 1 04
frame was of vulcanite, or hard rubber, pol
ished to a high gloss; this frame was liable f.
liecome electrihed by the slightest frictioo, such
as is caused by carrying in the tocket. Fur
ther investigation showed that from a variety of
similar causes, all ordinary frames of magnifiers
are apt Co give like trouble, and new fines had
to he specially made which were freo from the
detect, l ho impure metal of cases, nvcU and
other lwrta may give rise to this attraction; an
iron nng is sometimes inserted to fix the glass
in the frame. Sometimes the oleerver may un
consciously carry the iron in his hat, in the wire
that stiHcnsthe hnm. Aluminium, etiitecinlly
wnen nammcred, naa the blaming proerty
Finally, there is a story of a land surveyor win
had the apissarance of his comiiaaa improved by
nickel plating, which was applied to almost the
entire instrument nail, socket ami sights
the effect, of the needle being the same aa if tb
brass had been coated with iron.
Hini'Eln Small Tools. It is said that
the engravers and watchmakers of Germany
harden their tools in sealing wax. The tool is
heated to a whiUnesa anil plunged into the wai
withdrawnMter an instant and plunged in
again, the process being repeated until the steel
is too cold to enter the wax. The steel is said
to become, after this process, almost aa hard as
the diamond, and when touched with a little)
oil or turpentine, the tools are eicellent for en
graving, and also for piercing the hardest
Coal-Tah Colohk. -Iu a recent lecture, ii
Lmdon, Prof. Armstrong reverted to the nre
posed extensive production of coloring matters
from coal tar, from which great thing! were
prophesied some yc:irs ago. It was found that
though analine wan yvlded n.oi . ,.d tur m Imt
small quantities, Mhfnl wnsyiehled plentifully,
and that, by the addition of nitric acid to it,
uitro-U'inol teas formed, and this, when sub
mitted to the action of reducing agents, win
converted into aniline. I pus a OUOap ami
plentiful source of aniline from coal tur was
MUM 20 years HO discovered. from this
aniline we have dyes of violets, reds, yellow,
green, hlue ami many newly-discovered shailcH.
Binoe England has so large a supply of coal, it
might have Ik'Cii exK'ctwl that she would soon
have be independent of the supply of animal
and vegetable dyes from abroad ami have been
the greatest color-producing country in the
world. This bus, however, not been roalircd
and England is gradually falling further and
further iK'hind Germany and France. The
reason is given by prof. Armstrong as follows:
" tlnr iiiauu fact u rem do not nttenqd to amnio!
the co-oHration of skilled chemists. If they
were to seek them in England, they would pot
obtain them, as there are so few that have had
the requisite training to conduct tho work.
We have in England no school where instruc
tion is given in tho particular kind of chemical
work that is required." This result Prof.
Armstrong attributed partly to the indifference
of English Universities to the practical wants of
the country.
AN ENGLISH IMPROVEMENT IN BLAST
ING CARTRIDGES.
W e read that imnrovements .teviaed bv
Englishmen have for their object thoaffordimiof
greater security, ease and facility than hereto
fore in manipulating, transporting, and storing
iniiinijiUB, ami consist in malting cartridges
BUM or to ho filled with gunpow der or other
MOivalaut explosive matter, in the ontinrv
manufactured state or iu any state of manufac
ture, hollow, with au Inner tube or tubal pass
ing through them, ami by means of such
tubular or hollow space or ptveea, passing ono
mm iwsss Mnnn sucn cartridges; and also,
hen it is nnuired to increase tin. eh.eu.,
afforded hy ono such loaded cartridge, stringing
nu oi murv oi sucn carmiigea together on ttio
said fuse or fuses. Also iu turning up, looping,
or otherwise treating the fuse or fuses so intro
duced for the purtHisc ol seciiriuc mul m im- tb
cartridge or cartridges strung thereon. The
cartridge is to bo made id any convenient mate-
rial, tabular Ot any desired shape iu section,
and of nu inner and outer tube nr chamber
arranged concent riojilly one within the other, or
othorwnoj, ami (orating U'lweeu them a hollow
receptacle for the reception of the gunpowder or
any ether explosive equivalent; and the ends of
such chamber or hollow receptacle are to lie
formed of or secured by annular disc or other
shaped pieces, so secured to tho walls of tho
hollow receptacles that when completed and
chargcil tho explosive material shall not fall out;
or other convenient modes of securing the ends
may be employed, hut in nil eases so arranged
that the fuse or fuses pass easily, aud so a hoi
low cartridge Ihi formed ready for stringing oua
fuse or f lines.
A Bnctat Cut. Mr. Johnson, a traveling
musician, being iu Garlaml, Colorado, and anx
ious to depart, manufactured a velocipede, with
which he propoeed to travel into Texas. Hav
ing become iiosscssod of two tw o-wheeled vohw).
ijiodes, such as were in common use a few years
ago. he proceeded to foitttl them together to
run on a railroad. Wooden axles were con
Mulcted so that the machine could Ih adapted to
any gauge of truck; a broader trend was placed
on the Wheels, to which were added flanges
Blade of whisky hnrrel hoops; lovers were
fitted to give means for using the hands as well
as the feet to gain motive power. The whole
arrangemant was given a coat id red paint, and
it was placed on the track at Gurlaml ivaily for
M h e. The machine weighs about 40 pounds
nnd is easily humllcil. The operator sits oil a
seat, resting across whnt were the two sents of
the old velooi pedes. Johnnon mounted his
novel traveling apparatus at Garland, and pro-
Deeded without accident, traveling at the rafo
of IB miles per hoar. Altering the gauge of his
car t suit that of (he Atchison, Top. ka A Santa
I'e railroad, he started for the East. Johnson
is mi old railrond man. and nlwnvs provides
himself with a time-card, n thnt he can keep
nit of the way of the regular train. Ilispia-atu-is
so light that it can Ik mm cd from thu
mill iu n moment
Pmr.K rOR KiMKAiu hk-h OoiCUUniia Oxvnits.
- -The influence of the animal organism of
breathing pure oxygen gas of density corre
sjwniling to ordinary atmospheric pressure, has
not hitherto been adequately determined. Thu
Royal Society of Gottmgen, says Xnturr, there
fore offer a priwi for new researches on the sub
ject, made Uith on homoitliermsl, ami, as far as
possihie, on poikilothermal animals, hi these
researches, while certain uxternally visible
phenomena in the animal will have to m con
sidered, siiecial attention is desired to 1w iriven
to the nature of the blood and the exchange of
material (excretion of carbonic acid and nature
of urine). I he oxygen used should to carefully
freed from all foreign matters apt to occur in
manufacture, whilu a limited (ami NirhsNi
hardly avoidable) admixture of atmospheric
nitrogen would not compromise tho results. In
the Nlathematical class, the Gottingen society
desires (and offers a prire for) new researches in
the nature of the uuKilariHd light-ray, " fitted
to bring the conceptions of natural light of any
origin near (in definiteness) to those which
theory connects with thu various kinds of polar
ised light."
Test mK Alcohol. -A very sensitive res
:-. r.t for ileohol- wid onn that ii verv mimiiln in
its mode of application, savs the English 4
thanif, has been found by SI. .laoipuemart, It
is a solution oi nitrate oi mercury, oPUiurtf Uy
treating the metal wfth a little nitric acid of
average concentration. The action is rigorous
and rapid, the mercury is hrought in part l
the minimum of oxidation, and it a little am
monia be added to the mixture after reaction, a
dark precipitate is obtained, which is darker
the more of alcohol there is in the prodnct sus
pect Methylic alcohols and similar liquids do
not give a dark precipitate with ammonia.
AftinoinBsKoiirnMu. For measuring highta
not eiceeding one-quarter mile above the sea by
means of ths ansroid, Admiral Fitarey proposed
the fuUowing method: Divide tbs difference
between tbs reeding at the upper and lowsr
stations by 0.011 ; tbs (jootient is tbs approxi
mate bight in feet.
ItriitonitKJisioN at SliKKKiKi.p. Tho Iron
Bauer's Rttteutkm A few dnva amount'
the old. st scissors insinifuettirers' iu Shellield,
w hose holiness lies chii lly w ith UuMOU houses,
ceiled upon a welldxnown Arm in Bond ttreet,
ami urn principal mtonrn ! lnm thnt tin y Hero
going t" exhibit nt the Pnris Kxhibition, and
the WMted him to make thorn n set id elnlio
rately wotked scissors, something that would
show tho progress thnt had been RUdtof lato
years iu this siteeial Jirnnch of industry. "I
colli. lot do it,' wan the answ er. ' Ohl lion.
si nce," saidthegenfh iuniiof llond street; "you
reinoiiiiier tliose splendid goods you mn.lo us
re than 90 years ngo, and which we hud at
the Kxhibition of iH.'d. Ileru thuy are ;" ami
he produced from a drawer some of the most
cwmiisitclv beautiful scissors that had ever left
a Sheflield workshop. The manufacturer looked
u I ton them with almost paternal affection, and
then said, "I could imt umku you such goods
now if my life depended upon their production."
The result of the inlerview was thnt these old
scissors were brought back to Shellield to be
polilhed up, mid they will do duty again in the
Paris Kxhihitiou; and we venture to predict
that they will command no small amount of
admiration.
Tlir OUR ok (UnnoAM, In reply to an
assertion by Mr. Huntington that the Pennsyl
vania railroad P '.".m pormile, Mr. Thos.
A. ott stated iK'fore a Committee of Congress
thnt this was simply untrue, ami added: "If
ymi will bike up the roort of that road for the
last I'tsen year, yon w ill sue that the cost was f.'IH,
000,00000 MO miles of road, orl900fJ0tmUtVA
very moderate cost for ou it of the I test construct
ed lad MOjnped niadslhsvingad'nible track and
stel rails) in the Unitinl States, if not in tho
World." Thechespnens tf railntail construction
iu these hart! times i very clearly nhown hy the
fsct that the Chicago ft Alton Cointany, which
is not one that will put tip with snythiug less
than a first-. Uss structure, has lets contract
for the extension id its Missouri linn to Kansas
City at the rate of $l,',0KI jmt mile, excepting
tho bridge ovrr the Missouri, the bridges to lie
iron ami the rails stetd. As the company can
get money at alxuit & , it will only nted to
make slsiut l,00( a year net earnings to jwy
interest on this cost.
Tut Psanran ann m Bncften, A dis
patch from Washington ssys that President
Ifaree, in company with Allwrt hierstalt, the
artist, who is now visiting the Kiocutive Man
sion, spent a considerable p.. Mum of an after
niHin at the Washington headquarters of the
Hayden survey of the Territories, and evinced
great interest in the exhibit made by the Pro
fessor aud his assistants of tbs methods and
results of ths scientific- work of ths various
espaditions.
MaKurarrt ataa' IUiLwava.--Krupp'i vast
cannon and rail manufacturing establishment in
Germans, aays the Itaitimy Aai, illuatratee the
adaptability of the staem mad to private indue
trial uses, as it contains over .17 miles of railway,
with 34 locomotives and 700 cars. Of station
ary engines and boilers there are no less than
SIM, representing 25,000 noma power.