Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889

Scientific American Supplement,
No. 717, September 28, 1889

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Title: Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889
Author: Various
Release Date: February 12, 2006 [EBook #17755]
Language: English
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[Illustration]

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT NO. 717

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 28, 1889.
Scientific American Supplement. Vol. XXVIII., No. 717.
Scientific American established 1845.
Scientific American Supplement, $5 a year.
Scientific American and Supplement, $7 a year.
* * * * *

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
I. CIVIL ENGINEERING.--The Girard Hydraulic Railway.--One of
the great curiosities of the Paris exposition, the almost frictionless
railway, with sectional illustrations of its structure.--8 illustrations.
11451
II. ELECTRICITY.--Early Electric Lighting.--Electric lighting in
Salem in 1859, a very curious piece of early history. 11458
Electric Motor for Alternating Currents.--A motor on an entirely new
principle for the application of the alternating current with results
obtained, and the economic outlook of the invention. 11458
Portable Electric Light.--A lamp for military and other use, in which
the prime motor, including the boiler and the lamp itself, are carried on
one carriage.--1 illustration. 11458
The Electric Age.--By CHARLES CARLETON COFFIN.--A short
resume of the initial achievements of modern electricity. 11458

III. GEOLOGY.--The Fuels of the Future.--A prognosis of the future
prospect of the world as regards a fuel supply, with a special reference
to the use of natural gas. 11457
IV. MISCELLANEOUS.--Preservation of Spiders for the Cabinet.--A
method of setting up spiders for preservation in the cabinet, with
formulæ of solutions used and full details of the manipulation.--1
illustration. 11461
The Ship in the New French Ballet of the "Tempest."--A curious
example of modern scenic perfection, giving the construction and use
of an appliance of the modern ballet.--5 illustrations. 11450
V. NAVAL ENGINEERING.--Crank and Screw Shafts of the
Mercantile Marine.--By G. W. MANUEL.--This all-important subject
of modern naval engineering treated in detail, illustrating the progress
of the present day, the superiority of material and method of using it,
with interesting practical examples.--1 illustration. 11448
Experimental Aid in the Design of High Speed Steamships.--By D.
P.--A plea for the experimental determination of the probable speed of
ships, with examples of its application in practice. 11449
Forging a Propeller Shaft.--How large steamer shafts are forged, with
example of the operation as exhibited to the Shah of Persia at Brown &
Co.'s works, Sheffield, England.--1 illustration. 11447
The Naval Forges and Steel Works at St. Chamond.--The forging of a
piece of ordnance from a 90 ton ingot of steel, an artistic presentation
of the subject.--1 illustration. 11447
VI. PHOTOGRAPHY.--The Pyro Developer with Metabisulphite of
Potash.--By Dr. J. M. EDER.--A new addition to the pyro developer,
with formulæ and results. 11462
VII. PHYSICS.--Quartz Fibers.--A lecture by Mr. C. V. BOYS on his
famous experiments of the production of microscopic fibers, with
enlarged illustrations of the same, and a graphic account of the entire

subject.--7 illustrations. 11452
The Modern Theory of Light.--By Prof. OLIVER LODGE.--An
abstract of a lecture by the eminent investigator and expositor of Prof.
Hertz's experiments, giving a brief review of the present aspect of this
absorbing question. 11459
VIII. PHYSIOLOGY.--Heat in Man.--Experiments recently made by
Dr. Loewy on the heat of the human system.--Described and
commented on by Prof. ZUNTZ. 11461
IX. SANITATION.--On Purification of Air by Ozone--with an Account
of a New Method.--By Dr. B. W. RICHARDSON.--A very important
subject treated in full, giving the past attempts in the utilization of
ozone and a method now available. 11460
X. TECHNOLOGY.--Alkali Manufactories.--Present aspect of the
Leblanc process and the new process for the recovery of sulphur from
its waste. 11457
Dried Wine Grapes.--The preparation of the above wine on a large
scale in California, with full details of the process adopted. 11461
The Production of Ammonia from Coal.--By LUDWIG MOND.--A
valuable review of this important industry, with actual working results
obtained in carrying out a retort process.--2 illustrations. 11454
Nature, Composition, and Treatment of Animal and Vegetable
Fabrics.--The history of fabrics and fibers in the vegetable and animal
world, their sources, applications, and treatments. 11453
Walnut Oil.--By Thomas T. P. BRUCE WARREN.--An excellent oil
for painters' use, with description of a simple method for preparing it
on a small scale. 11462
* * * * *

THE NAVAL FORGES AND STEEL WORKS AT ST. CHAMOND.
With the idyls and historic or picturesque subjects that the Universal