INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. cclxxxi 



effects, first, a saving of fuel equal to the amount which is 

 required to convert this pulverized water into steam ; and, 

 second, a cooling of the chambers equal to the loss of the 

 amount of heat which would have been generated by the 

 combustion of the coal thus saved. To form this spray an 

 atomizer is employed, in which a small body of steam is 

 made to escape from a platinum jet, under a pressure of 

 about two atmospheres, into the centre of a flow of water. 

 With this device, twenty pounds of steam will convert 

 eighty pounds of water into the finest spray. The jets are 

 arranged in the sides of the chambers about forty feet apart. 

 They are supplied with water from a tank above, while the 

 steam is taken either from the steam-pipes already existing 

 between the chambers, or from smaller ones put in their 

 place. The saving in coal effected by the introduction of 

 this simple device is estimated by a large manufacturing 

 company that has employed it for some time to be two 

 thirds of the quantity formerly burned ; or, to estimate it 

 differently, the savings in steam, acid, nitre, and labor dur- 

 ing three months amounted to five shillings per ton of acid. 

 The following bleaching processes are recorded by Braeke- 

 busch, who refers to the fact that the methods generally 

 in use are not satisfactory. (1.) Cotton and linen tissues 

 are brought in contact with oxide of zinc dissolved in lye 

 of potash or soda. In this process there is no bleaching, 

 properly so called. The oxide of zinc combining with the 

 textile fibre merely masks the natural color of the latter, or 

 perhaps forms colorless compounds with the coloring mat- 

 ters present. In connection therewith, it is noted that the 

 alkaline liquids employed may affect the tissues. (2.) It 

 has been proposed to bleach wool and silk by immersion for 

 an hour in a solution of one part common salt, and one part 

 oxalic acid, in fifty parts of water. The influence of the 

 oxalic acid is certain, though unexplained. (3.) Tessie du 

 Motay takes about equal parts of the permanganate of soda 

 and of sulphate of magnesia, and dissolves them in luke- 

 warm water. The tissues, previously freed from grease, 

 are immersed in this bath until they are covered with a 

 brown coating. They are then placed in a bath of sul- 

 phuric acid at four per cent., and rinsed after the brown 

 matter is removed. They may be finally passed through 



