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=ELECTRICITY.=
SMITH'S CELEBRATED TORPEDO, OR VIBRATING
ELECTRO MAGNETIC MACHINE
--This instrument differs from those in ordinary use, by having a
third connection with the battery, rendering them much more powerful
and beneficial. As a curious Electrical Machine, they should be in the
possession of every one, while their wonderful efficacy as a medical
agent, renders them invaluable. They are used with extraordinary
success, for the following maladies.
=Rheumatism=--Palsy, curvature of the Spine, Chronic Diseases,
Tic-doloureaux, Paralysis Tubercula of the brain, heart, liver,
spleen, kidneys, sick-headache.
=Toothache=--St Vitus dance, Epilepsy, Fevers, diseases of the eye,
nose, antrum, throat, muscles, cholera, all diseases of the skin,
face, &c.
=Deafness=--Loss of voice, Bronchitis, Hooping cough.
These machines are perfectly simple and conveniently managed. The
whole apparatus is contained in a little box 8 inches long, by 4 wide
and deep. They may be easily sent to any part of the United States. To
be had at the office of the Scientific American, 128 Fulton st, 2nd
floor, (Sun building) where they may be seen IN OPERATION, at all
times of the day and evening. 2
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GOLD PENS!!--In consequence of the increased facility afforded by
machinery for the manufacture of my GOLD PENS, I am enabled to furnish
them to the Trade, at a much less price than they have heretofore
obtained them through my Agent.
Those purchasing direct of the manufacturer will have the double
advantage of the lowest market price, and the privilege of returning
those that are imperfect. In connection with the above, I am
manufacturing the usual style of PENHOLDER, together with my PATENT
EXTENSION PENHOLDER with PENCIL. All orders thankfully received, and
punctually attended to. A. G. BAGLEY,
sept. 25 tf 189 Broadway, N. Y.
=Engraving on Wood.=
NEATLY AND PROMPTLY EXECUTED AT the Office of the Scientific American,
128 Fulton st, three doors from the Sun Office. Designs, DRAWINGS of
all kinds for PATENTS, &c., also made, as above, at very low
charges. 1
[Illustration: CURIOUS ARTS]
=Labor to make a Watch.=
Mr. Dent, in a lecture delivered before the London Royal Institute,
made an allusion to the formation of a watch, and stated that a watch
consists of 992 pieces; and that 40 trades, and probably 215 persons
are employed in making one of these little machines. The iron of which
the balance wheel is formed, is valued at something less than a
farthing; this produces an ounce of steel, worth 4 1-2 pence, which is
drawn into 2,250 yards of steel wire, and represents in the market,
13_l._ 3_s._; but still another process of hardening this originally a
farthing's worth of iron, renders it workable into 7,050 balance
springs, which will realize, at the common price, of 2_s._ 6_d_ each
746_l_. 5_s_, the effect of labor alone. Thus it may be seen that the
mere labor bestowed upon one farthing's worth of iron, gives it the
value of 950_l._ 5_s_, or $4,552, which is 75,680 times its original
value.
=Mule Boats.=
This kind of conveyance is, we believe, peculiar to the Illinois
River, for we never remember to have seen one belonging to any other
stream. A year or two since, we were perfectly astonished at beholding
the first one that ever arrived in this port; but now they are as
common as the species usually termed _broad horns_, and their
appearance creates about as much surprise and curiosity among the more
aristocratic order of steam and sail. A genuine mule boat is not
unlike an ocean steamer, as they are susceptible of being propelled
both by steam and wind; with this difference, the mule-boat steam is
generated upon the tread-mill plan, and by the united exertions of
some half dozen quadrupeds, generally of the long-eared kind. To this
treading or pulling apparatus are attached cylinder, pitt-man,
boilers, &c., in the shape of some three or more cog-wheels, and
immediately connected with them is a couple of shafts, which give a
rotary motion to a couple of water-wheels, one on each side, and which
usually propel a keel about 100 feet in length, and of about 75 tons
burthen; over it is a roof and covering, usually called a cargo box,
to protect the inside from the weather, and the whole making an
appearance similar to an Ohio river keel boat, with the exception of a
space left her to operate in. The difficulty and danger attending the
management of a boat propelled by steam, is upon the mule boat
entirely dispensed with.
There is no firing up, or blowing up; all that is necessary, when
wishing to commence a journey, is to start, and when tired of going,
all that is to be done is to stop the mules; in giving a lick ahead,
they are all made to bounce at once, and in giving a lick back, they
are turned around and made to pull the other way: and should the wind
prove favorable, by means of a mast, with which they are all
provided, sails can be hoisted, and the the double power of mules and
wind be put in requisition. This description of boat is getting to be
quite fashionable on the Illinois and tributaries, and some two or
three extend their trips to this city. They are a great benefit in low
water, as they are of exceeding light draught, and the running of them
is attended with but trifling expense. We learn that several new ones
are in a state of completion, on the line of the Illinois, intended as
regular traders up the Sangamon river, and from the head of navigation
on the Illinois to this city. There is nothing like enterprise, or a
mule boat on the Illinois, in a low stage of water, to get
along.--[St. Louis New Era.
=Discovery of Glass.=
'As some merchants,' says Pliny, 'were carrying nitre, they stopped
near a river which issues from Mount Carmel. As they could not readily
find stones to rest their kettles on, they used for this purpose some
of these pieces of nitre. The fire, which gradually dissolved the
nitre, and mixed it with the sand, occasioned a transparent matter to
flow, which in fact was nothing less than glass.'
=Pumping the water out of Lake Michigan.=
It is well known to our readers that, by an arrangement with the
English bond holders, the State of Illinois has given over to them the
unfinished canal, from the waters of Lake Michigan, at Chicago, to the
Illinois river.--They are about completing it, but the principal
difficulty now is, to supply it with water, owing to the level of the
lake being _eight_ feet below the bottom of the canal. To overcome
this, the present company, after various propositions, finally
bethought themselves of raising the water of the lake, so as to supply
the canal. They went to Messrs. Knapp & Totten, of this city, and
furnished them with a data to calculate whether it could be done, and
what force and what machinery would accomplish it. These gentlemen
soon furnished an answer to build some powerful machinery for that
purpose,--a steam engine and _eight_ pumps of four and a half bore and
six feet stroke. We are glad to hear that this eminently scientific
firm have been selected to execute this order. Their shop and
mechanical force are not excelled by any establishment in the United
States.--[Pittsburg Gaz.
=The Self-Regulating Ventilator.=
[Illustration:]
Explanation:--This is a cheap and simple but scientific apparatus for
regulating the air-vent of a common, cheap stove, according to the
temperature of the atmosphere in the room in which it is located. The
draught door is a plain iron door, hung by a common hinge joint at the
upper end; and to the front of the hinge is attached a piece of brass
wire, which extends vertically nearly to the top of the room, and is
connected at B to a horizontal brass wire C D. This is the only
apparatus required, but must be so adjusted as to allow the door to be
closed, or nearly so, when the temperature is about right. If the
temperature rises above that point, the horizontal wire will
immediately expand so as to allow the door to close. But as soon as
the temperature begins to fail, the wire contracts and opens the vent.
On this principle the apparatus will readily find a medium, and there
remain, varying only occasionally to accommodate itself to the
variations of the quantity of fuel in the stove. The entire expense of
this apparatus, exclusive of the stove, will not exceed 50 cents. It
is generally conceded that a large portion of cases of colds, coughs,
&c. are occasioned by irregularities of the temperature of
sitting-rooms but with this plan of regulation this evil may be
avoided without any material expense.
=New Paper Mill.=
Mr. C. C. P. Moses has erected a line brick building, 75 by 38 feet,
three stories high, on the site of the old foundry, at Dover, N. H.,
$12,000 to $15,000. The rooms are constructed and furnished in a
complete manner for carrying on the paper making business in all its
departments. The works are nearly completed, and will be in operation
in five or six weeks.
=New Mill at Lowell.=
The Merrimack Company have in progress of erection the largest mill in
Lowell, and which is calculated to employ from 300 to 400 operatives.
The building is nearly finished, and the machinery is to embrace the
latest improvements in this or any other country.
=Machine Shop.=
A new machine shop is about commencing operation in Norwich: about
half a mile northeast from the railroad depot. The building is 100 by
40 feet, and is calculated to employ 60 hands in the manufacture of
steam engines and manufacturing machinery. The work at this shop will
be finished in the best style and at moderate prices.
=Ornamental Kites.=
[Illustration:]
This month being considered as one of the best for flying kites, we
may indulge our young friends with an article on that subject. The
principle on which kites are made to ascend by the action of the wind,
is too well understood, even by children, to require explanation. We
shall merely introduce and describe some fancy models of kites, which
are not often seen. The pattern, fig. 1, which is the figure called a
star, is very easily made. The frame consists simply of the strips, or
rods of light wood; spruce timber, willow twig's--and interlocked, as
shown in the cut; so that each rod shall pass alternately over and
under the other rods at each intersection. These rods being lashed
together at the points, the whole frame is covered with white or
yellow paper, and the twine is attached to three of the angles of the
star.
The eagle, fig. 2, is but little more difficult; a rod extends from
the beak to the tail, and is crossed by another which extends from tip
to tip of the wings. The rods being lashed together, a small thread is
drawn from the place of the head of the eagle, to the two extremities
of the wings, and thence to the leeward end of the centre rod. This
thread should be white or light blue, and will not be visible when
aloft; but the form of the eagle should be made of black, dark or
brown paper. The paper eagle must be sewed to the several threads, and
two or more threads may extend from the wings to the centre rod to
support the feathers of the wings. The eagle kite appears curious,
but is not so elegant as
The Rose, fig. 3. To construct this figure there must be four light
rods of wood, made to cross each other in the centre, being there
lashed together, and thus constituting eight arms. From the end of
each arm, a thin strip of light wood or reed, is bent in a curved form
to the next arm on either side: the bow being lashed to the arms. This
frame is covered with white paper, which is to be afterward colored
with rose color, with the yellow centre. The twine must be fastened to
four of the arms, and the tail of the kite should be covered with
green paper, which by the contrast, will have a pleasing effect.
=Rochester Edge Tools in England.=
Some time since, a Mr. Ash, an extensive manufacturer of Mechanics'
Tools at Sheffield, England, sent to this country for patterns of the
latest improvements, and amongst the rest, ordered a variety from
Messrs. Barton & Belden of Rochester, which were promptly forwarded.
On their arrival there, it seems that their make gave such universal
satisfaction, that they were immediately copied, and the fact that
they came from this country made prominent, by stamping upon them
'Rochester Pattern.'
=An Animal Curiosity.=
Travellers state that there is on the island of St. Luce a cavern, in
which is a large basin twelve or fifteen feet deep, at the bottom of
which are rocks. From these rocks proceed certain substances that
present at first, sight beautiful flowers, but on the approach of a
hand or instrument, retire like a snail, out of sight! On examination,
there appears in the middle of a disk, filaments resembling spiders'
legs, which moved briskly round a kind of petal. The filaments, or
legs, have pincers to seize their prey, when the petals close, so that
it cannot escape. Under this flower is the body of an animal, and it
is probable he lives on the marine insects thrown by the sea into his
basin.
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The first clock that ever measured time was made for the Caliph of
Bagdad. This art was afterwards lost for several centuries.
=Skate Runners.=
At Drontheim, in Norway, they have a regiment of soldiers, called
Skate Runners. They wear leg gaiters for travelling in deep snow, and
green uniform. They carry a short sword, a rifle fastened by a broad
strap passing over the shoulder, and a climbing staff seven feet long,
with a spike in the end. They move so fast in the snow that no cavalry
can overtake them, and it does little good to fire cannon balls at
them, as they go two or three hundred feet apart. They are very useful
soldiers in following an enemy on a march. They go over marshes,
rivers and lakes at a great rate.
=A Receipt to make Peach Wine.=
Take four or five bushels of ripe juicy peaches, mash or bruise them
in a tub, and pour them into a barrel, large enough to contain them,
and place it in a cool place. At the bottom of the barrel, before
putting in the peaches, some clean straw must be placed to prevent the
pumice from filling up the spigot. The head of the barrel must be
covered. In about three days the Peach Wine is ready for use. Draw it
off, from the spigot, and if care and attention have been adopted, a
delicious beverage will be produced.
=A Novel Enterprise.=
An expedition, which promises the most important results both to
science and commerce is at this moment fitting out in England, for the
purpose of navigating some of the more important unexplored rivers in
South America It is to be under the command of Lord Ranelagh. Several
noblemen and gentlemen have already volunteered to accompany his
lordship, and the enterprising and scientific band, it is said, will
sail as soon as the necessary arrangements shall be completed.