A Baltimore dispatch informs us that a carload of antimony, ten tons
in all, was lately received by C.L. Oudesluys & Co., from the southern
part of Utah Territory, being the first antimony received in the East
from the mines of that section. The antimony was mined about 140 miles
from Salt Lake City. The ore is a sulphide, bluish gray in color, and
yields from 60 to 65 per cent. of antimony. All antimony heretofore
came from Great Britain and the island of Borneo, and paid an import
duty of 10 per cent. ad valorem, and there is also some from Sonora.
It is believed that with proper rail facilities to the mines of the
West there will be no need of importations.
* * * * *
SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DURING THE
LAST HALF-CENTURY.[1]
[Footnote 1: Paper read in Section G (Mechanical) of the British
Association.]
By SIR FREDERICK BRAMWELL, V.P. Inst. C.E., F.R.S.,
Chairman of the Council of the Society of Arts.
I am quite sure the section will agree with me in thinking it was very
fortunate for us, and for science generally, that our president
refrained from occupying the time of the section by a retrospect, and
devoted himself, in that lucid and clear address with which he favored
us, to the consideration of certain scientific matters connected with
engineering, and to the foreshadowing of the directions in which he
believes it possible that further improvements may be sought for. But
I think it is desirable that some one should give to this section a
record, even although it must be but a brief and an imperfect one, of
certain of the improvements that have been made, and of some of the
progress that has taken place, during the last fifty years, in the
practical application of mechanical science, with which science and
its applications our section is particularly connected. I regret to
say that, like most of the gentlemen who sat on this platform
yesterday, who, I think, were, without exception, past presidents of
the section, I am old enough to give this record from personal
experience. Fifty years ago I had not the honor of being a member, nor
should I, it is true, have been eligible for membership of the
association; but I was at that time vigorously making models of
steam-engines, to the great annoyance of the household in which I
lived, and was looking forward to the day when I should be old enough
to be apprenticed to an engineer. Without further preface, I will
briefly allude to some of the principal developments of a few of the
branches of engineering. I am well aware that many branches will be
left unnoticed; but I trust that the omissions I may make will be
remedied by those present who may speak upon the subject after me.