The Iron Age 1892-06-09: Vol 49

‘THE IRON AGE — Breech Mechanism fer Heavy Gans. The accompanying cuts illustrate a type of breech mecbanism for 10 and 12 inch breech-loading rifles, designed and developed in the Naval Gun Factory at the Washington Navy Yard, under the direction of the In- spector of Ordnance, Charles O'Neil. By referring to the view which repre- sents the breech when closed it will be seen that two movements are ne- cessary to open it— one, the partial rev- olution of the plug, which is accom- plished by turning the crank actuating the horizontal screw. When the rack is drawn over to the right, a clutch in the crank is shifted to engage a worm shaft or sleeve which operates the worm wheel and vertical shaft seen on the right. This shaft has a gear keyed to it which is cut to match the thread of the breech plug. As it is turned the plug is withdrawn on to the tray shown in the cut. When the plug is wholly run back it automatically raises a latch which holds it to the breech of the gun and the continued movement of the crank swings both tray and plug around to the position in- dicated in the lower engraving. Toclose the breech the oper- ations are reversed. Another type is now being made, which dispenses with the clutch in the crank, and by means of which a continu- ous movement of the crank unlocks and opens the breech. ansessnasiiitinns There were used on the Pennsylva- nia Railway last year for repairs and re- newals 26,583 tons of steel rails, and by the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad in re- pairs and construc- tion 6276 tons of steel rails. In treat- ing with the loco- BREECH MECHANISM FOR HEAVY motives and car equipments the an- nual statements show at the close of 1890 the locomotive equipment of the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company numbered 1572, and during the next year there were 52 new locomotives added, making a grand potal of 1624 locomotives. Tbe summary of car equipment on the three grand di- visions totaled: Passenger equipment, 560, freight, 36,141; maintenance of way, 938; grand total, 39,639 cars. In addi- THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1892, tion, however, to the freight equipment there are in service upon the lines of the company 35,413 freight cars owned by in- dividual and incorporated companies During the year there were built at the shops east of Pittsburgh and Erie 177 locomotives, 89 passenger cars, 29 baggage, The Greatest Dam in the World. One of the largest engineering works of the day will be the construction by the Aqueduct Commissioners of the contem- plated dam at Cortlandt, in the Croton watershed. It will tower above every other structure of its kind ever before at- tempted, and its top will join two hills nearly 2000 feet apart. Back of it will be a monster reservoir, where 44, - 000,000,000 gallons of water will be stored, and New York City will, for 50 years at least, be without fear of a water famine. The dam is to take the place of the one that the Aqueduct Com- missioners proposed building on the Quaker Bridge site. The site is about 34 miles below the pres- ent Croton dam and 1} miles above the Quaker Bridge site. The general dimen- sions of the dam are these: Hight from rock bottom, 285 = ; feet; from the bed of the stream, 180 feet; greatest thick- ness at the bottom, 215 feet ; smallest thickness at the bot- tom, 180 feet; width at bottom, 600 feet ; at top, 1800 feet. Along the top will be a roadway 50 feet wide. The dam proper will rest in a ditch quarried out of the solid rock, and it is planned to resist by sheer weight three times the pressure that it will be possible for the water to bring upon it. The top will always be from 10 to 12 feet above the surface of the water, and no water will ever flow over it. The waste is to be provided for by means of an enor- mous mason work spillway 1000 feet Breech Open. express and mail cars, 2220 freight cars, 6 refrigerator cars and 394 cabin and main- tenance of way cars. The Swedish Government is stated to be revising its tarnff, and among the changes mooted are an increase of 10 shillings per ton in the duty on pig iron and 10 per cent. ad valorem on locomo- tives and mackine tools. E long, 6 feet wide and from 20 to 75 feet deep, capable of carrying off from three to five times as much water as there has been in GUNS. any freshet in the past 50 years. The central part of the dam is to be wholly of masonry,built on the solid rock. When thedam is com- pleted the depth of water behind it will be about 150 feet. Before the work can be commenced the city will have to purchase in the neighborhood of 5C00 acres of land. That, with the changes in bridges and highways which are necessary, will cost about $4,000,000. The dam itself will i cost from $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. 1120 WORLD'S FAIR NOTES. | An Unsatisfactory Month. P May, regarded as a month, was a soggy and rnsatisfactory one at Jackson Park. Althoug,a 6016 men were on the pay rolls of contractors and the exposition company, less work was done duting that month than during any corresponding time since the World’s Fair people took possession of the park. The sun shone but eight days, and during the remaining three weeks work was stopped almost completely on account of rain. The workmen reported for labor every morning, but would drop their tools, gather up their buckets and coats and quit the grounds when they saw the clouds roll up. Their patience was exhausted after being driven from the buildings repeatedly by rain storms. The Mines and Mining Building has been accepted from the contractors for carpenter and iron work. With the ex- ception of the fire-proof paint which is now being spread on the interior of the build- ing this structure is fini-hed. Work done by the 550 men or the Manufactures Building was hardly perceptible, and the same might be said of the progress they made during the month. In the Horticult- ure, Fisheries and Woman’s buildings painters, plumbers and plasterers are add- ing the finishing touches. The Government Building was con- structed on a different plan from most of the other great ¢difices. The floor was laid last, when the building was practi- cally finished. It is about down now and nearly all of the big slabs of staff that make the building look like a solid mar- ble palace are on. A flag floating from a staff on the dome of the Illinois Building will mark the highest point on the expo- sition grounds. The dome is 237 feet and 8 inches high and the flagstaff 72 feet, making the total hight 309 feet 8 inches. Landscape gardeners tramped all over the grounds in rubber boots most of the month and laid out many curiously shaped flower beds. Their work was de layed less on account of the weather than that in any other department. Eight Workmen Killed at the Park, Considering the number cf laborers who have been employed on the World’s Fair buildings the number of accidents, fatal and otberwise, has been very small. An- ticipating that casualties would be numer- ous an emergency hospital was established on the grounds to care for workmen and visitors who might be injured. The re- ports to May 1 sbow that eight laborers have been killed by falling from the high buildings or by being struck by timbers. Of these s'x were instantly killed and two fatally injured. Twenty men have been seriously burt and 298 have sustained slight injuries, making a total of 326 acci dents reported to the medical and surgical bureau. Th’s is considered a low ratio of accidents in view of the fact that over 6000 men have been working in the park at one time. Oaly one visitor of all the thousands who have gone to the park has been hurt. Break in Fair Freight Rates, Notable reductions in fair freight rates have been made by the Transcontinental Traffic Association in respect of exhibits at the World’s Fair. At a meeting last Thursday afternoon the association de- cided to bring exhibits to the fair at half rates and return them at the same figure. This action was taken at the urgent request of the California State World’s Fair Board, who have been working for months to bring the reduction about. The follow- ing lines are bound by the decision: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé, Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, THE IRON AGE. Great Northern, Missouri Pacific, Denver and Rio Grande, Texas and Pacific, Atlantic and Pacific, Burlington and Missour1 River, Canadian Pacific, Central Pacific, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, Colorado Mid- land, Galveston, Harrisburg and Sin An- tonio, Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, Oregon Short Line, Oregon and California, Rio Grande and Western, St. Louis and San Francisco, Southern Cali- fornia. The roads embrace practically all the lines in California, Oregon, Washing ton, Idaho and Nevada. What effect this reduction of rates on exhibits wiil have on other traflic associations is difficult to pre dict. Chairman Blanchard of the Central Association announced that the lines in that association would do no better than return exhibits free. This was some time ago, after the National Commission had rejected the so-called rate scale secured by Mr. Jaycox. The South and the Fatir. The Southern States will be well rep- resented at the exposition, notwithstand- ing only a few of them have made appro- priations for that purpose. Texas has already provided a fund of $225,000, and is vigorously pursuing a plan which, it is believed, will result in increasing the amount to $1,000,000. It has contracted for a $100,000 bwiilding. Kentucky has an appropriation of $100,000, and will erect a handsome building. Fiorida is confident of raising $200,000, and will reproduce at Chicago old Fort Marion for its head quarters. Arkansas is raising $40,000, and with apparent success, for it has con- tracted for the erection of an $18,000 building. In Alabama the women have undertaken to raise $10,000 or $15,000. The Legislature of Louisiana, now ia ses sion, is petitioned to appropriate $50,000. Mississippi refused to appropriate, and de- clined to allow counties and cities to tax themselves in order to make au exkibit. Private eoterprise, however, may yet save the credit of the State at the exposition. West Virginia has an appropriation of $40,000, and will expend half of it ona building. In Tennessee county appropri- ations and private subscriptions are rclied upon for the funds necrssary for the State’s representation. The North Carolioa Legis- lature appropriated $25,000, and the State Board of Agriculture has provided about $10,000 more. An additional appropria tion is hoped for, and $10,000 from sub- scriptions is expected for a buildiog. Vir- ginia has an appropriation of $25,000, and is trying to raise $50.000 by subscription. A $12,000 building will be erected. Georgia is raising $100,000, and proposes to put up a $50,000 building. Maryland has $60,000, and will spend balf of it or more on a building. The Columbia Board of Trade is engaged in raising $75,000 for South Carolina’s representation, and the next Legislature will be asked to appro priate a like amount. Thus the South is planning to spend about $2.000,000 upon its representation at the great fair. Re- ports indicate that in nearly all of these States the work of collecting and prepar- ing exhibits is progressing satisfactorily, and that among the people the interest in the exposition is universal. Assigument of Space. Perhaps the most important work that now confronts the department chiefs is the assignment of space to exhibitors. With all the applications before them, a careful study will ve made of the floor plans, and then space for exhibitors will be marked off. Director-General Davis has issued an order that no applications for space will be received after July 1. From that date until after the October ceremonies the chiefs will struggle with the problem of getting floor room for double the number of exhibits the buildings can accommo June 9, 1899 date. They have been wrestling with it for several months. All of the buildings are already inadequate to the demands made upon them, and exhibitors, forget- ting that double the space afforded at any previous exhibition hee been provided, are grumbling because they are unable to get all the room they want. From Octo- ber until May 1 the buildings will be in the hands of the exhibitors, seven months being allowed to put the disp!ays in posi- tion and make ready forthe grand opening May 1, 1893. Miscellaneous News, Chairman Durborow is now having a careful calculation made on the appropria- tions which will be necessary to meet the expenses of the various Government boards connected with the fair, and hopes to be able to lay the exact figures before the committee at its next meeting. He is not in special haste to get the World’s Fair bill before the House until after the Demo- cratic convention at Chicago, because he hopes that the view then obtained by Democratic representatives of the progress being made on the fair will get votes for the bill. The State boards must have their houses finished by a certain time and lay out the grounds under the supervision of Director- General Davis and Chief Burnham. Ex- hibits sold in the buildings cannot be re- moved until the fair closes. Police and other regulations imposed by the Exposi- tion Company will extend to these build- ings, which must be removed immediately after the fair closes. If the State boards do not tear the buildings down Chief Burnham is authorized to remove them. Chief Skiff of the Mines and Mining Department has received a number of val- uable books on ancient and modern proc esses of mining, &c., which will form a nucleus of an extensive mining library to be a part of the mining exhibit at the fair. A special room for these volumes will be provided in charge of a competent librar- ian, and visitors to the exp sition inter- ested in mineral matters will have the opportunity to refer to special books diffi- cult to obtain. This library will a'so con- tain all mining periodicals and papers. George West:nzhouse, Jr., has signed the contract for putting in the incandes- cent electric light plant at the fair. IIe is still trying to get the bond reduced to $500,000. ————E—— Not many persons think of Montana as the third largest State in the Union. Oaly Texas and California have greater area, But Montana will be considered of more consequence in the sisterhood when some of her big irrigation plans are put in operation. Montana has between 20,000, - 000 and 25,000,000 acres of arable land. A larger proportion of that State can be brought under irrigation than any other part of the arid region ; such is the con- clusion of the irrigation inqu‘ry conducted under the direction of the Department of Agriculture, The rivers are large and many. Numerous mountain lakes afford the basis of a great reservoir system. Great open valleys and far reaching plains await the coming of the ditch builder. In the valley of the Yellowstone the land which can be reclaimed is estimated at 765,000 acres. Aaron Vanderbilt, vice-president of the Naval Reserve Association, in a lecture delivered in Brooklyn last week on the subject of ‘‘ The Ocean Steamship,” stated that now there are 30 regular lines of passenger and freight steamers between the United States and Europe and that $250,000,000 is expended annually for passage and freight. June 9, 1892 THE IRON AGE. 1121 ——————"_!"._:::.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.. . .........9.:.n Intercepting Valve for Compound Engines. The mtercepting valve for compound engines here illustrated was designed by F. W. Dean of 53 Szate street, Boston, Mass. It bas been in use for some months on an engine on the Old Colony Railroad and one on the Letigh Valley, the result being asaving of some 30 per cent. of coal To the upper side of the casing A is firmly bolted the secondary casing B, provided with the inner pendeot tubular hub B, which extends into the chamber of the ‘tg ene 3 Vi ean KA oe 4s hme oe toe toes Fig. 1.—Central Vertical Section, Enlarged. INTERCEPTING lower casing and is bored out to form a cylinder having two different diame'ers, the upper portion being the larger. The upper end of the cylinder is clo-ed by a cap, connected with which is the pipe D, the upper part of which is curved and threadei to receive the end of a pipe leid ing from the interior of the converting valve D®, as shown in Fig. 2 The interior of the casing A is formed with a valve seat for the valve E, which is provided with a tubular stem whose outer surface closely fits the smaller bore of the hub B’. The bore of the stem is fitted to form a steam-tight bearing on the tube D, and it extends through the valve, but of somewhat eolarged diameter, and _ is threaded to receive a plug the upper ead of which is somewhat removed from the lower end of the tube D when the valve is raised to its highest position, as shown in Fig. 1. On the upper end of the tubular valve stem is screwed a sleeve like piston, formed with two grooves to receive metal packing rings; the stem is also provided eC EES with a pair of packing rings to work in the lower portion of the cylinder B’, and has cut through it just below the packing rings several rectangular or flat-bottomed radial openings, so located relative to the seating face of the valve and the lower end of the pendent tube D that the openings will not begin to be uncovered by passing below the lower end of the tube until the valve has descended nearly to its seat and its outer periphery is partially inclosed by the annular rais:drib. Surrounding the valve seat, suitable packing rings make a steam-tight j»int between the tube D and the valve stem. Live steam direct from the boiler is ad- mitted through the pipe F, the upper end of which communicates through the iube sheet with the steam space of the boiler, as shown in Fig. 2; but instead of the steam having free access to the chamber through an opening of the size of the pipe, the steam is wire drawn through a very small hole in a plug or bushing, as shown in Fig 1. The tube D has drilled through it, just below its junction with the cap, a small hole, through which steam may pass from the interior of the tube to the chimber above the piston to aid in forcing the valve to its seat. The casing B has formed in its upper part a small vent hole, the lower end of which opens into a groove in the piston when in its highest position, and its upper end communicates with the annular cham- ber formed in the upper packing face of the casing B. The cap is also provided with a vent hole extending from the under side of its flange orits packing face to the interior of the steam passage through the cap and tube, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby any steam leaking from the chamber and passing the lower packing rings into the groove can escape into the tube D, in- stead of finding its way past the upper packing riogs into the chamber above the piston. The area of the annular lower end of the piston in the upper chamber B’ is approxi- mately equal to the area of the lower end of the pipe D, so that the pressure of steam in the chamber will nearly counterbalance the pressure of steam in the pipe tending to move the valve downward, and so main- tain the valve in its elevated position until steam enough has passed through the |small opening in the upper part of the pipe D into the chamber above the piston |to overcome the upward pressure in the chamber. The valve then moves down- ward as fast as the steam can pass through | the opening until it has nearly reached its 'seat, when the openings in the valve stem will permit, the escape of steam from the pipe D into the chamber A, and the valve ; Will seat without jir. of r i »Q OON Oz On \O we ( LIC oO oOo {')) Fig. 2.—Transverse Vertical Section through Smoke Boo. VALVE FOR COMPOUND ENGINES. By admitting the live steam from the boiler to the ebamber through the small | orifice in the bushing of the pipe F, the /upward movement of the valve E, which |is started promptly by the steam in the ; chamber, which is substantially at boiler . | pressure in its continued upward move- ment, will be somewhat retard«d by the restricted supply of steam which can pass through the orifice, and as some steam will remiin in the chamber above the piston, which can escape enly as fast as it is forced ‘through the orifice into the pipe D, the upward movement of the valve will be ar- rested without slam or jar. The construction shown and described insures the opening of the valve E before the pressure of exhaust steam in the high- pressure exhaust passage accumulates above the receiver pressure, and thus re- lieves the high-pressure piston of the early back pressure, as the valve being acted upon by the steam in the chamber at sub- stantially boiler pressure, is made to open promptly, when the converting valve is 1122 THE IRON AGE. closed and a passage is opened from the interior of the tube D to the atmosphere, and is also opened in advance of an ac- cumulated back pressure on the high pressure piston. The cap is connected by a pipe with the converting valve, and as a consequence it follows that when the converting valve is closed the steam in the tube D is free to escape into the open air, and as the con- verting valve is closed as soon as the high- pressure cylinder begins to exhaust it fol- lows that before the pressure of the exhaust can accumulate above receiver pressure the pressure above the valve E will have been relieved and the pressure in the chamber will have commenced to raise the valve E to open communication to the receiver. i Submarine Boats. George C. Baker has recently put afloat in the Detroit River a submarine torpedo boat which promises so well that Captain Folger of the Ordnance Bureau of the Navy has been on to inspect the work- ing of the craft, and it is expected that the forthcoming annual of the Office of Naval Intelligence will publish an illus- trated and detailed account of it. This Detroit boat recently experimented with is 40 feet over all, 9 feet beam and 14 feet deep, built of 3 inch oak planks so laid on as to form a spheroidal hull. The cross sections of the boat are ellipses, the longitudinal sections are parabolic. On top there is a small conning tower which allows ingress and egress, and also is fitted with deadlights, so that the helmsman can look out. The boat is driven by a steam plant and an electric plant, the former being used for surface propulsion, the latter for under- water work. The steam plant is peculiar in having a smoke stack which can be telescoped and the stack hole covered when not needed. The electric plant consists of an exception- ally large storage battery working a 50 horse-power motor. The Detroit boat has been under water nearly three hours, during which time the two men in her suffered no inconvenience Experiments are to be further extended for the purpose of ascertaining her speed and maneuvering powers both at the sur- face of the water and beneath it, and the practicability of firing from her in either position an automobile torpedo of the Whitehead or the Howell type. A submarine torpedo boat, it must be borne in mind, is not always intended to do its work below the surface of the water; the property of submergence is only to be made use of under exceptional circumstances. It may be not uninteresting to give some brief information concerning the progress, development and importance of submarine boats. The idea of a submersible boat for war purposes has been before the world for over 200 years, and during this long period of time almost every conceivable method of submersion and propulsion has been tried. The earliest detailed attempt recorded is that of Cornelius Debbrel, who in 1624, during the reign of James I of England, constructed a submarine boat to carry 12 rowers. He claimed to have dis- covered a liquid which would destroy im- pure air and supply the good air needed for breathing. Nothing ever came of Debbrel’s efforts, as he died before perfect- ing them. From this time until within the last hun- dred years little progress was made in sub- aqueous boat building. Instead, attention was diverted to the inventing and per- fecting of the diving bell and that instru- ment was brought into successful use. In 1776 a young man named David Bushnell of Yale College constructed the first submarine boat designed for ——— a vessel under water. This boat was usec in an attempt to blow up the English man- of-war Eagle, and failed because of mis- management. craft. In appearance it resembled two turtle backs screwed together and was so small that only one man, who had air enough to last him 30 minutes, could oc- cupy it. This man had to work by hand the screw which propelled the boat, to pump in and out water for descending to desired depths, and to let go 200 pounds of ballast to rise rapidly to the surface. The explosive mine, containing 150 pounds of powder, was designed to be attached to the bottom of the enemy’s wooden ship, after which a clock- work arrangement, set by the operator, was to ignite the charge. Nothing practical ever resulted, though it is universally conceded that Bushnell’s boat contained the germs of nearly all the subsequent attempts to make efficient sub- marine boats. The next noteworthy attempts were made by Robert Fulton about the year 1800. Hetook the essential features of his boat from Bushnell, but made her larger, adding reservoirs containing com- pressed air which enabled him to remain longer under water. One of Fulton’s boats, the Nautilus, made a speed under water of about 2 knots, and the longest time she ever remained submerged was four hours. With this craft Fulton was successful in blowing up a small vessel in the harbor of Brest, France, by attaching to her bottom a torpedo of 20 pounds of powder. But he failed of his purpose when he made an attempt upon an English man-of-war, because the ship moved away and the Nautilus could not find her. Fulton was succeeded by numerous in- ventcrs in nearly every civilized country, aud though each met with more or less success nothing very practical resulted. In the civil war between the North and the South a quarter of a century ago, the attention of both sides was drawn to sub- marine boats, and several futile efforts resulted. However, the Confederates con- structed a cigar shaped craft 35 feet long, 3 feet beam and 5 feet deep, known as a David. Nine men constituted the crew, eight working the propeller and one steer- ing. Two side rudders were used for sinking and raising the boat when in motion. The boat was also sunk and raised by taking in and pumping out water. In February, 1864, this craft with a spar torpedo sticking from her snout went down the river, her small conning tower just clear of the water. She suc- ceeded in sinking the Union corvette Housatonic, but was herself with all hands totally lost. After the close of our war the inventors of submarine boats interested foreign gov- ernments in the matter of submerged nav- igation, and notably was this the case in Russia, where, perhaps, more was done toward developing such craft than any- where else. Large sums of money were expended and many trials made, though nothing very satisfactory resulted. In other countries something was attempted, but no successes are recorded. The idea seems throughout to have been admitted that submarine boats, if success- ful, would beeome most valuable and com- paratively inexpensive weapons for harbor defense; but, generally speaking, naval officers have distrusted them, undoubtedly for the very good reason that their compli- cated machinery, and what it will do, are decidedly uncertain factors up to the present. Successful proof of the safety of the submarine boat will dispel all idle fancies, for there can be no doubt as to the great war value of such an instrument of destruction. Passing over many attempts, some of whick showed much ingenuity and gave fair promises, the Tuck, the Goubet, the June 9, 1892 Nautilus and the Nordenfeldt call for a few words. Tuck, designed by J. 8. Tuck of the United States, is an iron cigar-shaped boat It was not a comfortable | of 30 feet in length by 6 feet in diameter, The motive power is supplied by a 14 horse- power Westinghouse engine, with the steam stored up in soda condenser reser- voirs, A speed of 8 knots is said to have been made. The Goubet, a French boat, is built of iron 16 feet long, 3 feet 34 inches beam, and about 6 feet deep. The boat is pro- pelled by a Simens motor, the current be- ing supplied by storage batteries. This Goubet has been greatly improved upon; as now constructed its length is 18 feet, its breadth 5 feet. Oxygen is supplied for breathing. Last year, 1891, many inter- esting experiments were made with this boat, and a French commission of naval officers was ordered to report on her efti- ciency. While commending her, they yet found she could not be sufficiently well controlled under water to make her ac- ceptable as a submarine torpedo boat. The Nautilus, a 60 foot boat, differs from others of the submarine type in the manner in which submersion is eff-cted. Four cylinders are fitted on each side, so that they can be worked in pairs; the dis- placement is thus altered by pushing these pairs out beyond the side to increase or drawing in flush to decrease the displace- ment, In 1883 the Nordenfeldt submersible boat first attracted attention. The prin- cipal features are steam propulsion, sub- mersion by two propellers placed in spon- sons amidsbips, armament Whitehead tor- pedoes, and good coal endurance. These boats have met with greater favor than any others. Turkey, Greece and one or two other third-rate powers have pur- chased them, A great point in favor of Nordenfeldts is their size, the latest pat- tern of boat being 125 feet long and 160 tons displacement. In fact, she 1s a regu- lar torpedo boat, so fitted that she can go down out of sight when needed. Nordenfeldt the inventor of his boats advocates length and size and the use of steam. When he shuts off his smokestacks to go under water he makes use of the latent steam to drive him along, and has found that he could go 14 knots before re- quiring to open up the boat. In spite of the successes of the boats there is a serious objection to steam under water. Its power is too limited, is too dangerous and is too uncertain. . We. come now in closing this sketch to a hasty consideration of the Gymnote, a French submarine torpedo boat that gives better promises than any other. The shape is that of a Whitehead torpedo. Length, 59 feet; diameter, 6 feet; displacement, 130 tons. The boat is steered, propelled and lighted by electricity. The motor is of 60 horse-power, driven by a battery of nearly 600 alkaline accumulators. So sat- isfactory were her trials that a new boat 131 feet long and 250 tons displacement has been constructed and will be put to the test the coming winter. Thus far in the development of the sub- marine boat the Gymnote has done much the best work on record, though her speed is not sufficiently fast to make her quite satisfactory. From experiences gained in her trials it was decided that the succeed- ing boats built on her lines should be larger. Without, therefore, in any way disparaging the Baker boat perfecting at Detroit, the opinion is hazarded that a larger size would produce better results. The Baker boat is but 40 feet long to the Gymnote’s 60 feet and the improved Gym- note’s 131 feet. In tonnage of displace- ment the figures are: Baker, 75 tons; Gym- note, 130 tons, and improved Gymnote, 250 tons. That submarine navigation is but a question of a year or two longer is indis- June 9, 1892 putable, and that such a means of progres- sion will prove of incalculuble benefit toward making a harbor unsafe for an enemy goes without further saying. S» much has been already accomplished and the uses of electricity and electric machinery are becoming so thoroughly understood that a brilliant field for the in- ventive genius lies close at hand. Possibly Mr. Baker has secured the prize, possibly the new French boat, and possibly the submarine boat remains yet in the minds and hands of the great unknown. But the boat must come and come quickly. —_—_ The Howard Non-Corrosive Metals. These are new metals which began to be placed on the market a little more than a year ago, and which are rapidly coming into general use for a variety of purposes, The silver metal, as described by the manu facturers, is a beautiful white metal, capable of taking and retaining avery high polish. In strength, they claim, this metal siands ahead of the best gun metal, the tensile strength of castings in green sand being 50,000 pounds to the square inch. Cast in iron molds and rolled it shows a strength of from 95,000 to 98,000 pounds to the square inch. The metal is readily worked in the lathe, and can be turned easier than bronze or German silver, but is tougher than brass. It can be easily brazed or soldered, and is well adapted for rolling and drawing. Its non corrosive qualities are remark- able, as, according to tests by the makers, it rivals the noble metals in its resistance to tarnish and corrosion. The atmosphere and sea water have verv little effect upon it, and whatever dirt or discoloration ap- pears on the surface is easily washed off with a damp cloth. The metal will not smut, it is claimed, and will not discolor hands or gloves as brass will, and besides never shows any corrosion. The gold metal, while its strength and non-corrosive qualities are not quite equal to the white metal, has an 18 karat gold color, and resists corrosion as well as six or eight karat gold. It is easy to see how these metals, com- bining remarkable strength and cheapness with their non corrosive qualities, can be applied to avery large variety of uses. One of the first to suggest itself was the manufacture of horse bits, for which the metal has taken a decided hold. Its strength, non-corrosive qualities and beauty of finish make it a formidable com- petitor of steel for first-class goods in this line. In yacht work the metal has another field, which it has begun to occupy, as the manufacturers report that it takes but one-tenth the labor in cleaning, anu there is no rust or corrosion to eat or discolor sails or wood work, while its strength can be depended upon under all conditions, In the line of house hardware, in plumb- ing work and wherever ornamental metal trimmings are required its uses are appar- ent. Besides the qualities and uses enumer- ated, the metal is very smooth, and makes journal bearings which are far superior to bronze. Cheap grades are being used for boxes, and are giving the best satisfaction. In addition to the manufacture of the Howard non-corrosive metals, the company make Babbitt metals of very high grade. The Pope’s Island Mfg. Corporation of New Bedford, Mass., are sole manufact- ures of these metals, and make them into all kinds of castings, as well as a variety of finished goods. The company were in- corporated about a year ago under the laws of the State of Massachusetts, and the pressure of business has become so great in this time that they are about to increase their capital and make very large additions to their plant. THE IRON AGE. A Great Railroad Transformation. One of the most interesting incidents of recent years in the realm of railroad en- gineering has just occurred in the trans- formation of the Great Western Railway of England from broad to standard gauge. This line, originally constructed from Lon- don to Bristol, and afterward extended to Plymouth, Penzance and other points, was designed and constructed by the famous engineer Brunel, the author of the Thames tunnel, the Great Eastern steamship and other colossal works, and son of the de- signer of the old Bowery Theater in New York. He made it, equally with them, on a gigantic scale. It was in the early days of railroading, and much uncertainty ex- isted as to the best gauge of track-laying. Many experiments had been tried, and lines had been built of many varying gauges, from 3 feet upward. Brunel’s opinions on the subject were positive, and he unhesitatingly laid the rails of the Great Western at the extraordinary dis. tance of 7 feet apart. This was by far the widest gauge ever employed for ordinary railroad work. Brunel’s idea was, of course, to give his trains greater stability, and, by the employment of larger and heavier engines and cars, to obtain greater speed and carrying capacity. Like others of his remarkable achieve- ments, however, this work did not meet in practice the expectations he had formed of it in theory. Instead of following his example, other roads were built of what is now called standard gauge—4 feet 7 inches. On these the trains were found to be as safe and stable as on the Gieat Western, to attain as high a rate of speed and prac- tically to possess as great a carrying capac- ity, while the cost of construction and operation was much less. Nevertheless the gauge of the Great Western has re- mained unchanged until the past month, a remarkable relic of early ideas in engi- neering. Some years ago it was seen that it would be to the advantage of the company to conform to the standard gauge which had been adopted on every other road in Eng- land. Accordingly, on that portion of the line from London to Exeter a mixed gauge was established; that is to say, a third rail was placed between the two regular rails so that a standard-gauge train might be run over the line. There- after, as far as Exeter, some broad-gauge and some standard-gauge trains were run, and it was possible for the engines and cars of any other road to be run over the line to that point. Beyond Exeter, how- ever, the road remained broad gauge, with the exception of a short space of line be- tween Truro and Penzance and some short branches built in recent years. All through trains necessarily remained broad gauge, and indeed the bulk of the rolling stock has been of that type down to the present time. To make the actual change of gauge, both in the tracks and in the rolling stock, was a stupendous job. There are about 200 miles of road and 300 miles of track. It is one of the greatest lines in Eagland, with numerous trains and heavy traffic, which could not be suspended or interrupted for any considerable time. Most of the sta tions and the switches and sidings had to be reconstructed also. Preparations for the conversion began a long time ago. The alterations in the stations, sidings, &c., at Taunton and Newton Abbot alone cost in each place $250,000, from which the great expense of the entire undertaking may be perceived. Wherever the road was built on the cross-tie system, as on American roads, a third rail was put down, as had already been done from London to Exeter. But a considerable proportion of the road was built on the longitudinal sleeper sys- tem. the rails being spiked to huge timbers 1123 runniog in the same direction. On this part of the road the change of gauge was a more difficult task. The crossbars bind- ing together the longitudinal timbers were partly cut and a trench was dug at the point where the new rail must be laid. Then when the change was actually made, the old rail and the timber to which it was spiked was taken up and relaid in this trench. The date selected for the begin- ning of the work was Friday, May 20. On that day the last broad-gauge train was run through from London to Penzance. Ono Saturday and Sunday the entire system beyond Exeter was closed to traffic, the mail trains being run by special arrange- ment from Exeter to Plymouth over the lines of the Southwestern Railway on Sat- urday and Sunday. Before sunrise on Saturday, May 21, 5000 men, distributed along the line, simul- taneously began to work. One thousand of them were regular employes on the road in the sections where the work was to be done. The others were brought from other parts of the Great Western system, from London, Chester, Birmingham, Wooster and elsewhere. Eight special trains carried them from different parts of England to Exeter on Thursday, and on Friday they were scattered by the last of the broad-gauge trains all along the road from Exeter to Falmouth. They were sent down in gangs of 60 and housed in the stations, freight sheds and tents. They were required to provide their own food, but the company supplied them with unlimited quantities of oatmeal and water for drink. From before sunrise on Satur- day morning to the hour of darkness that evening they were hard at work. On Suaday morning they were at it again, and before dark Sunday evening everything was done. Every yard of the entire line was transformed to standard gauge, all the sidings and switchings and stations and platforms were adjusted, and on Monday morning the full service of trains began running again just as usual, only on a standard gauge. Before Tuesday night all the men were back at their homes. So much for the tracks. The conversion of the rolling stock was, or is, a different and more difficult task. A sufficient sup- ply of new standard gauge stock was pro- cured in advance for the operations of the line. At Swindon 25 miles of broad-gauge sidings were specially constructed to hold the old rolling stock, which comprised nearly 4000 cars and engines. All this old rolling stock was made up as rapidly as possible in special trains, which were sent in almost constant procession on Wednes- day, Thursday and Friday to the sidings at Swindon. Many of the cars and engines had to be kept in use until a late hour, and could only be set free and hurried away to Swindon on Friday evening. The last broad-gauge train run over the line consisted of the last remaining empty cars. It left Penzance a few minutes after 9 o’clock on Friday evening and passed through Exeter early Saturday morning. It carried one of the inspectors of theroad, who notified each station as he passed it that the line was clear of all broad-gauge stock and that operations toward changing the gauge might be begun at once. Prep- arations for starting the narrow-gauge traffic from the western end of the line had also been made by conveying to Penzance a sufficient amount of narrow-gauge roll- ing stock. This was simply loaded upon broad-gauge platform cars and carried down there as so much freight. As fast as the broad-gauge trains were run upon the sidings at Swindon workmen began con- verting them to narrow gauge, and within a few weeks all the rolling stock that is worth keeping longer in use will be thus changed. This is the largest gauge-changing work ever accomplished in England, and the ex- pense of it has been enormous, probably | ! | | f 1124 THE IRON AGE. June 9, 1893 $$ between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000. All the roads of importance in England and Scotland now conform to the standard gauge. I Advantages of the Nicaragua Canal. A convention to promote the Nicaragua Canal ente: prise, held in St. Louis last week, wes attended by numerous delegates from various Siates. One of the prime movers in the enterprise, Judge M. M. Estee, said: ‘*We are going to have the biggest locks ever made. There will ve only six of them, and « ship can go throngh a lock and be raised from one level to another in 45 minutes, and, supposing on!y one ship went through at a time, we could thus put 37 ships through in a day and 11,000 in a year. If the ships that go through this canal should be of the same size as those which pass through the Suez Cana!, more than 20,000,000 tons will pass through ina year. A ship can go through our éanal, a distance of 170 miles, in 28 hours, and it takes one 24 hours to go through the Suez Canal. Sh'ps will go into the harbor at Greytown and will sail 9 miles along the canal to the first lock, which will lift them up 31 feet, and along this level they will sail 14 mi'es, where they are raised 30 feet more, and sail now on a level of 61 feet above the sea. After a few more miles there is a third lock, which raises them 45 feet higher, and now they are 106 feet above the harbor at Greytown and are on the same level of the San Juan River and the big Lake of Nicaragua. They can then sail right along up this river into the lake and cross it, a distance of over 130 miles, to the western side o! the lake, and they are then only 17 miles from the Pacific Ocean. They bere go into our canal again, and by similar locks to those on the east drop down to the sea level. There are three locks on the west side, and, of course, we can raise ships from the Pacific to the level of the lake in the same way as we do tt ose to the level of the lake from the Atlantic. Our canal will have a bed wider than that of the Suez Canal, and its bottom will be 80 feet wide at the narrowest point. Its top will vary from 80 to 288 feet, and the bed of the Suez Canal is only 72 feet. We have only 27 miles of solid excavation to make, and there are only 70 miles along the whole route where we have to change the chan. nel from what it is now. We have fully 100 miles of free navigation where we will not have to do a stroke of work, and we can widen the canal to 100 feet without very great cost. When that canal is com- pleted New York will be 7000 miles nearer Callao, and we will be able to put our cotton into the ports of China and Japan by ship- ping it direct from New Orleans, instead of sending it around by the Suez, as we do now. ——$————— ar One Hundred Miles an Hour. The railroad of the future, as described in a lecture before the New York Electric Club by Dr. Wellington Adams, the en- gineer, entirely eclipses anything now ex- tant. A train of cars is promised that will go from St. Louis to Chicago at the rate of 100 miles an hour over a route in an air line, which has already been sur veyed and the right of way principally se cured. The measured distance is 282 miles. The motive power will be elec- tricity, applied by the trolley system. ‘‘Tne car will weigh only 15 tons, and will carry 40 passengers. Every car will be a motor car and passenger coach com- bined. The passenger compartment will be in the middle section of the car. The forward end of the car will have the shape of a half cone, and will come down toa point near the ground and between the center of the tracks. The motor man will stand in the front compartment. There will be a pilot wheel on each side of the car at the front and rear, and a driving wheel 6 feet in diameter at the front and rear. The shape of the front of the car is calculated to decrease the atmospheric re- sistance, and it will also serve as a Cow- catcher. At the rear of the car will be a compartment for mail and baggage. On eich driving wheel will ve a motor weigh- ing 6132 pounds, and capable of 200 horse power at a speed of 500 revolutions of the wheel per minute.” A continuous over. lapping rail will be used, with all cross- ings overhead. The expenditure contem- plated is $6,000,000. Eog neers are very skeptical as to the whole scheme. EE Portable Hydraulic Riveter. The main body of this riveter and cylin- der are made of steel and cast in one piece and carry the lower die for holding or forming one head of the rivet. The second or upper die is carried in a steel arm that is journaled at one end in such Portable Hydraulic Riveter. a manner that the die surfaces will be parallel to each other when forming the rivet. The cylinder is set back and at an angle to the center line of dies. This ex- poses the parts holding the dies the great- est amount possib’e, and admits of rivet- ing a great variety of work. This plan also presses the arm down almost in a straight line and prevents any side press- ure on the piston. The valves are so con- structed that they will guide the water under pressure to the top of the piston and force the piston down. When re- versing the valve lever the water from the top of the piston will be discharged, and the pressure applied underneath the pis- ton, the piston will rise and the water above the piston will be at the same time | discharged. The machine is swiveled at the back and revolved with a worm wheel for bringing the riveter in the different positions required. The main am is also made of steel and is also swiveled at the top in such shape as to leave the upper parts exposed for forming one of the uni- ver-al joints for pipe connections, The riveter is connected by means of pipes and universal j ints, for the purpose of mov- ing it about in any direction or position. The universal j>ints consist of two stuff- ing boxes, in which revolvé pipes with collars, one collar being seated in the gland so as to prevent the pipe from being pushed out by the water pressure on the end of the pipe. These universal joints are | easily packed and oil can be applied on all weariog surfaces. This riveter is con- structed entirely of steel and bronze, and is especially designed for use in riveting heavy plates where it is not convenient to transfer such heavy work to a stationary machine. In shops where hydraul ec plants are already installed, the same power can be used for operating this machine. It is manufactured by Wickes Bros. of | Saginaw, Mich. a The Chapin Iron Mine. The following news telegram, savs the | Cleveland Leader of the 2d inst, was re- ceived yesterday from Milwaukee: * For a considera ion of $3,000,000 Ferdinand and William Schlesinger of this city to- | day concluded the purchase, from William K, Vanderbilt of New York and M. A, Hanna of Cleveland, of the Chapin [ron | Mine, near Iron Moun’aio, Mich., and the Mevominee Transit Line, which includes six steamers engaged in the ore trade be. tween Escanaba and Lake Erie ports. The 'Schlesingers were forced to dispose of the (Chapin Mine and other properties to Van- derbilt and Har na last year becau-e of the stringency of the money market and are now obliged to pay a big bonus to get them back.” President L. C. Hanna of the Menomi- nee Transit Company stated yesterday that the Menominee boats had not been in