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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1879)
January, 1879. THE WEST SHORE. '9 COMFOSmuH OH' UKUMZE FOR MA CHINERY. Much industry and research has of late been bestowed in determining what mixture of bronzes is best suited for the various portions of machinery, and to meet the requirements of each special case and purpose. We give the following as the composition of alloys approved of and used by prominent French mechanics: KIIKM II MARINE. Copper. Tin. Zinc. Tough bronze for rods, valves, cocks.eto. .88 12 S Very tough bronze (or eccentric straps, etc DO 10 2 bronze for plummer blocks 86 14 I lliird bronze ; 84 lo f Very hard bronze for sheave brass cooks.. 82 18 2 bvll bronze 78 22 0 Anti-friction bronze (with eight parts antimony) 4 00 0 rHKNCII RAILROADS. (,'ur pillows 82 18 2 Locomotive and tender oil boxes 84 10 2 " slide valves 82 18 2 ''ks 88 12 2 The bronze composed of 80 copper, 14 tin and i zinc is least porous, and therefore is most suitable when pressure is to be resisted. Tub Iron and Steel Product or the World. A French statistician has furnished an estimate of the world's iron product, which shows that in 1870 the wholo amount footed up at 15,785,730 tons of 2,000 pounds. The coal mined is about 20 times the weight of pig iron produced. The ratio of production in the lead ing iron-producing countries is nearly as follows: Croat Britain, -Hi J; United States, 17; Oermany, fiji; France, 10 1-0; Belgium, 3 2-&; ltussia, 3; Austro-Hungary, 2 4-5; Sweden, 2). The iron product of the United States for 187(1 was 2,1190,550 tons, or about 125 pounds for every inhabitant. The estimate gives the total prod uct of all countries of Bessemer steel for 1870 at 2,323,430 tons, of which one-fourth was made in the United States, a little over one-third in lireat Britain, not quite one fifth in (lormany, and one-tenth in France. The total steel made in 1870 would lay 22, 1 16 miles of railway track, allowing 20 pounds to the foot of rail. The present rate of production would put steel rails upon all the railways in the world in less than 10 years. A Maqic Car. Mr. Blackburn, of 14 Vic toria ltoad, Kensington, has invented a remark able vehicle, which requires no horse to draw it. The body is in the form of a dog-cart, and the nrrangement of wheels like a tricycle. The motive power, concealed in the tiody of the vehicle, is obtained by the combustion of ben zoliue, a small jet of which is admitted into a burner about the size of an ordinary chimney lot hat. The steam passes into the cylinders of a small torpedo engine, which rotates a hori zontal shaft. There is no steam given off, for it is reconilensed and passes back into the tubular boiler. The weight of the steam power is about 180 It, On lighting the benzidine the steam requires no attention from the driver during a ride of many boors. The driver, by applying his foot to a pedal, oan regulate the speed ana power of draft. It travels at the rate of about eight miles an hour, and is easily directed in its course. Preservation or Timber roR Mintno and Railroad Purposes. It is remarkable that so little has Iwcn done in this country with the view of preserving timber, particularly for use in mines and for railroad purposes. The mat ter ii oertainly one of great importance, and has an important bearing upon the expenditure of enormous sums of money every year. ooin m railroad construction aud repairing and in mines. A very elaborate aerial of exrimeuU upon the 1'd.Tt nf various nreeervatives has re cently been made in France, the result of which we hone soon to irive. These experiments have been, made with particular reference to pre SttfMl Umber to resist the heat and dampness of dtjlp mines. WHY ARE WE ItlOHT-HANDED? Investigations whioh were very recently car ried through by a French physician, Dr. Fleury, of Bordeaux, have adduced facta showing that our natural impulse to use the memliers on the right side of the body is clearly traoeablu to physiological causes. Dr. Fleury, after examin ing an immense number of human brains, as serts that the left auturior lobe is a little larger than the right one. Again, he shows that, by examining a large number of people, there is an unequal supply of blood to the two sides of the biily. The brachiocephalic trunk, whioh only exists on the right of the arch of the aorta, pro duces, by a difference in termination, an in equality in the waves of red blood which travel from right to left. Moreover, the diameters of the suliclaviau arteries ou each side are differ ent, that ou tho right being noticeably larger. The left lobe of the brain, therefore, being more richly hivmatoaed than the right, becomes stronger; and as, by tho intersection of the nervous liber, it commands the right side of the body, it is obvious that that side will be mhre readily controlled. This furnishes one reason for the natural preferences for the right hand, aud another is found in the increased supply of blood from the subclavian artury. The aug mentation of 1I I we have already seen sug gested; but the reason for it is here ascribed to the relative size ot the artery, ami not to any directness of path from the heart. Dr. Fleury has carried his investigations through the whole serios of mainalia; and he linds that tho right- handed peculiarities exist in all that have arte ries arranged similar to those of man. At the same time such animals, notably the ohimpan- zee, tho seal, and the lieavers, are the most adroit and intelligent. I'ht An Insoluble Cement. - A very valuable cement has been discovered by Mr. A. ('.Km, of which details are published in Umgttf i l oiy IrthiMclm Journal. It consists of a chromium preparation anil isinglass, and forms a solid cement, which is not only insoluble in hot aud cold water, but even in steam, while neither acids nor alkalies have any action upon it. The chromium preparation and the isinglass or gela tin do not come iuto contact until the moment the cement is desired, ami when applied to ad hesive envelopes, for which tho author holds it to lie esecially adapted, the one material is put on the envelope covered by the Hap land there fore uot touched by the tongue), while the isin glass, dissolved in acetic acid, is sppliod under the Hap. The chromium pnqieratiim is made by dissolving crystallized chromic acid in water. You take : Crystallized chromic acid, 2.5 gram mes ; water, 15 grammes ; ammonia, 15 gram mes. To this solution about 10 drops of sulphuric acid are added, and finally .'HI grammes of sulphate of ammonia and 4 grammes of fine white iiapcr. In the ease of envelopes, this is applied to that portion lying under the flap, u-hile a solution prepared by dissolving -isinglass in dilute acetic acid (one wrt arid to seven parts water) is applied to the flap ol tne envelope Th Utter is moistened, anil then is nreteW the chromic prepsratinn, when the two unite, forming, as ws have said, a firm and insoluble cement. To Tum Oak Blt. Aooording to the Rtrw lmiMrlU, Cans, oak may be dyed 1. 1. , L uul made lo resemble cUmy, by the fol lowing means: Immerse the wood for 4H hours in a hot saturate"! solution oi aium, muu twin i...k .t ,.v.r with a logwood d iimi, as fol lows: Boil one part of the best logwood with 10 parts of water, llltor tnrougn nuen, sou evep ..... .t a .....lle linat until the volume Is re- i'i"i- n duecd one-hall. To every quart of this add from 10 to 15 drops of a saturated solution of ,ndigo. After applying this dye to the wood rub the latter with a saturated ami filtered so-1...;..- ,J ..rdivns in hot i-.in..lllraUl. acetic lUil'IM ' " -"W . ill, acid and repeal the operation until a black of ... j... ,. ..I iniauailv is obtained. Oak stained iu (his manner is said to be a clone as well as a iplendid imitation of eoooy. Mil k IN MKDIOINK. Milk and lime-water are now frequently pro scribed by physicians in oases of dyspepsia and weakness of the stomach, and in some cases are said to prove bensllciaL Many pereona who think good breed and milk a great luxury fre quently hesitate to eat it, for the reason that milk will not digest readily; sourness of the stomach will often follow. But experience proves that lime-water and milk are not only food and modiolus at an early period of life, but also at a later, whan, as in the case of Ib fenta, the functions nf digestion and aaaimula tion have hoeu seriously impaired. A stomach taxed by gluttony, irritated by improper food, inflamed by alcohol, enfeebled by disease, or otherwise unlit tod for its duties, will resume its work, and do it energetically, on an exclusive diet of bread and mill and lime-water. A gob let of cow's milk may have fnnr tableapoonfubj of lime-water added to it with good effect. The way to make lime-water is simply to procure a few lumps of unslaked lime, put the lime la a stone jar, add water until the bins is slaked and of about the consistency of thin cream ; the lime settles, leaving the pure and clear lime-water at the top. Crest oare should he taken not to get the lime water too strong, Keep to the direction as to the consistency, and when the water rises iHiur it fl without obtaining any of the lime. ..,(,, St tiAK, - Is nut sugar an objectionable article of food' Alls. No. Sugar is a onrho hydralo, and bears a close relationship to fat, only the latter i tains about two and a half limes as much force-giving quality. Ii la objected to sugar that it deranges digestion, obstructs the liver, spoils the teeth, anil In many ways rloee harm no doubt of it. Taken on an empty stomach, and in great quantities, sugar is Injun mis; hut as a part of our food, and used in moderation, sugar Is not only harmless but v. ry beneficial. Children should he allowed a reasonable amount of sugar as a part of their meals, but candies, aa generally sold, made partly of sugar or glucose, and many poisonous Ingredient, shouhl never Hnd their way into the stomachs of our little ones. Ho, too, the syruM made by ths action of sulphuric eeid on corn starch, or the refuse in oorn starch fac tories, making a beautiful golden-drip syrup, it a very dangerous article, spoiling both slnnuveh and teeth. In using sugar or syrups, choose only the pun si and best sorts, otherwise munh harm will come from them. Aa you value t. -Ih, stomach, aud health, never use those articles of liH.il manufactured in the chemist's shop; If you do, you must expect to suffer lha consequencee. Half ths ills of lifs would he avoided by oarefal attention to the wise choice and adaptation of food to daily needa lr, lloihnot. A Lohomotivk in a Lji i' in A loonsno tive went through a bridge on the Kiowa creek, i'i miles seat of Denver, Col., last spring, and instantly disappeared in Ike quick sand lied of the creek, Issllling all attempt) to recover it For the peat aix months the search fur ths missing locomotive baa been kept up. resulting in suooesa a few dart ago, when It waa found burled 40 feet deep la the quicksand. The and hail beeu removed for a greet number of yards around the scene of the iflseppearf no of the engine, a hydraulic ram being used, ike locomotive being found at last after a search of six months. The instant i one of the saoat I'anrrr ok I oisaiis After buying the stiver for ootaego, paying lor the transportation, and allowing for wastage la tne process of coinage, since tne comnwncemenl of outrage of tne standard dollar the Uovernment has profiled, between the legal Waiter value and lbs real value of bullion which It wmtaina. In the amount of about 1 1. ,!.