Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871

Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12,?by Various

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12,
March 18, 1871, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871 A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures.
Author: Various
Release Date: September 5, 2006 [EBook #19180]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ***

Produced by Laesley Halamek, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Illustration]

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL INFORMATION, ART, SCIENCE, MECHANICS, CHEMISTRY, AND MANUFACTURES.
NEW YORK, MARCH 18, 1871.
Vol. XXIV.--No. 12. [NEW SERIES.]
$3 per Annum [IN ADVANCE.]
* * * * *

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN.
MUNN & CO., Editors and Proprietors.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT
NO. 37 PARK ROW (PARK BUILDING), NEW YORK.
O. D. MUNN. S. H. WALES. A. E. BEACH.
VOL. XXIV., NO. 12 ... [NEW SERIES.] Twenty-sixth Year
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1871.
* * * * *

CONTENTS:
(Illustrated articles are marked with an asterisk.)
*Knots and Splices 175 Influence of Cold on Iron and Steel. 176 Oak Graining in Oil Colors 176 Knots and Splices (Explanation) 177 Hartford Steam Boiler and Insurance Co.'s Report 177 *Improved Spiral Spring for Railway Carriages 178 *Portable Writing and Copying Case 178 How Walking-sticks are Made 178 Flowering of the Victoria Regia 178 Jute 178 Ventilation of the Liverpool Tunnel 178 *Impregnating Wood with Tar, etc. 178 *Boardman's Combined Tool 179 *Belt Tightener 179 Some Things I don't want in the Building Trades 179 *Action of the Reciprocating Parts of Steam Engines 179 *Answer to Practical Problem 179 Reciprocating Parts of Steam Engines 179 Test for White Lead 180 How to Build a Chimney 180 Crystallized Honey 180 Rambles for Relics.--No. 2 180 Silk Culture 181 *Universal Boring Machine 182 *Combined Trunk and Rocking-chair 182 Cosmetics 182 *Smith's Infant Dining-chair 182 The Medicines of the Ancients 182 *Barnes Ventilator for Mattresses 182 Exhibition of the National Photographic Association 182 A Scientific and Technical Awakening 183 The Sherman Process 183 Rubber Tires for Traction Engines 183 Central Shaft of the Hoosac Tunnel 184 A Museum of Art and Natural History 184 Report of Judges, American Institute Fair. --The Allen Engine 184 Lyceum of Natural History 184 Warming and Ventilating Railroad Cars 184 The Mineral Resources of Missouri 185 Scientific Intelligence 185 American Institute of Mining Engineers 185 Consumption of Sugar, Coffee, and Tea 185 Unpleasant Discovery in the Patent Office 185 Substitute for Albumen in Photography (omitted) 185 Louisiana State Fair 185 Test for Purity of Water 185 New Books and Publications 185 Business and Personal 186 Answers to Correspondents 186 Applications for the Extension of Patents 186 Recent American and Foreign Patents 187 Queries 187 Inventions Patented in England by Americans 187 List of Patents 187
* * * * *

THE INFLUENCE OF INTENSE COLD ON STEEL AND IRON.
[Condensed from Nature.]
There has recently been a most interesting discussion at the Literary and Philosophical Society, Manchester, on the above subject.
The paper which gave rise to the discussion was by Mr. Brockbank, who detailed many experiments, and ended by stating his opinion that iron does become much weaker, both in its cast and wrought states, under the influence of low temperature; but Mr. Brockbank's paper was immediately followed by others by Sir W. Fairbairn, Dr. Joule, and Mr. Spence, which at once put an entirely new complexion on the matter.
Dr. Joule says:
"As is usual in a severe frost, we have recently heard of many severe accidents consequent upon the fracture of the tires of the wheels of railway carriages. The common-sense explanation of these accidents is, that the ground being harder than usual, the metal with which it is brought into contact is more severely tried than in ordinary circumstances. In order apparently to excuse certain railway companies, a pretence has been set up that iron and steel become brittle at a low temperature. This pretence, although put forth in defiance, not only of all we know, of the properties of materials, but also of the experience of everyday life, has yet obtained the credence of so many people that I thought it would be useful to make the following simple experiments:
"1st. A freezing mixture of salt and snow was placed on a table. Wires of steel and of iron were stretched, so that a part of them was in contact with the freezing mixture and another part out of it. In every case I tried the wire broke outside of the mixture, showing that it was weaker at 50�� F., than at about 12�� F.
"2d. I took twelve darning needles of good quality, 3 in. long, 1/24 in.