WATERPROOFING. 



WATERSHED. 



Mi 



tfa* required agent 2nd, one ounce of dry white-lead U rubbed down 

 in half a pint of water ; one ounce of pounded alum U dins. ' 

 another lull- pint of water ; and thew two solutions, together with i . > 

 flui.l drachms of acetic actd, are mixed together, and allowed to nettle. 

 When the cloth had been immened in the supernatant liquor resulting 

 from either of the above Rotations, it is passed through a solution of 

 uuU-klime, and a third time through a solution of Iwiled Irish mow, 

 which acts as a mucilage. One more example will suffice: Boil luilf 

 an ounce of Russian isinglass in a pound of soft water till dissolved ; 

 dissolve an ounce of alum in two pounds of water ; dissolve a quarter 

 of an ounce of white soap in a pound of water ; strain these solutions 

 separately through linen, and then mix them all together. Heat this 

 liquid till it simmers, and apply it with a brush to the wrong side of 

 the cloth, on a flat taMr. When dry, the cloth is brushed lightly 

 with water. The intention of this process is to render the cloth im- 

 pervious to water, but not to air. 



The rar/acr-application of a species of waterproof varnish has been 

 the subject of many patents. Messrs. Mills and Foinn.in introduced a 

 composition, formed of 100 Ib. of linseed oil, 40 Ib. of pipeclay, and a 

 mall quantity of burnt umber, white-lead, pounded pumice-stone, and 

 one or two other substances. These ingredients wore melted together 

 and ground to a smooth paint-like state, and then applied to the surface 

 fabric \\ith large knives, the cloth being stretched over wooden 

 frames. When one surface was thus coated and dried, the other was 

 similarly treated. This was not intended aa a waterproof composition 

 for ordinary clothing, but rather for tarpauling, awnings, coach top- 

 covers, boat-cloaks, and other coarse materials. Mr. Newberry's patent 

 is for a mode of applying waterproof composition in such a way as to 

 leave one side of the woven fabric free from its influence, thereby 

 presenting to the eye a texture nearly resembling that of ordinary cloth. 

 The method consists in saturating the cloth with the waterproof com- 

 position, and exposing one surface only; in such a way, that the 

 atmosphere, or artificial heat, may harden the composition on that 

 surface into a dry membranous film ; while the other side, after being 

 kept moist during the drying of the first, is cleansed from the com- 

 position by means of spirit of turpentine. Mr. Newberry describes 

 three modus of effecting this object. In the first mode the cloth or 

 woven fabric is stretched over a frame, and after being saturated with 

 the composition, is allowed to float on a layer of oil till the upper 

 surface U dry; after which the lower surface is cleansed from the 

 composition. In the second mode the cloth is stretched double, or in 

 two plies, over a frame, saturated with the composition, and then lei*; 

 to dry on the exterior surfaces, the contact-surfaces remaining uioiit 

 until the time of removal In the third mode recourse is had to a 

 roller, on which the cloth is coiled, and a flat table of slate, stone, 

 varnished wood, or other substance non-absorbent to the comp 

 The table is coated with a layer of the composition, and th. 

 being uncoiled and laid down upon it, is pressed and rolled tijl every 

 part becomes wetted by the composition beneath. In this <vay the 

 upper surface may be cleansed while the lower is in contact with the 

 table, and the Utter is then exposed to a drying process. 



The application of a layer of cement, gum, or varnish between two 

 other substances, with a view to render the inner one impervious to 

 water, has been practised under many different modifications, including 

 that which is known by the name of the inventor, Macintoiih. Mr. 

 Weise of Bennondsey devised a peculiar kind of fabric, which seems 

 to belong to the class now under consideration. This fabric was to 

 be used either as a material for hats and bonnets, in lieu of the uau: J felted 

 beaver, or as a cloth for other garments. The materials consisted of 

 beaver-fur, musk-fur, hare's wool, Spanish wool, flax, down, anc'l waste 

 silk, any or all of which were to be combined, according to the kind of 

 fabric required. The materials were carded, roved, and spun into 

 yarn, in the manner of cotton ; and this yarn was soaked in a solution 

 of caoutchouc, or Indian rubber, to fender the interstices beUvoen its 

 fibres waterproof. The yarn was then woven into a textile, fabric; 

 and in order to render the meshes impervious to water, the cloth was 

 drawn over a heated cylinder, whereby the resinous composit ii in was 

 so far melted as to flow into them. The last part of the procteM was 

 to raise a pile pr nap on the surface by means of teazles or brut lies. 



In Mr. Macintosh * patent of 1824, the use of a cement between two 

 layers of cloth wan introduced. The cement, or thick clastic varnish, 

 was made by dissolving caoutchouc in a small quantity of coal -oil. the 

 proportions of the ingredients varying according to their qualiti This 

 lion led to the remarkable series of processes for waterproofing 

 noticed under CAODTCHOCC MANUFACTURE. 



The attempt* to render Itatlur waterproof depend in general on the 



ilhng up of the small pores which have previously admitted th 



umm ; the Mibstance imbibed being such as will repel or resist water. 



lany such method* have been proposed at different times, of -which it 



will be enough to mention a few. Melt over a slow fire a quart of 



unseed o;l, a pound of mutton suet, three-quarters of a pound of 



yellow bees' wax, and half a pound of common resin, or smaller 



quantities in the like relative proportions; and with this mixture 



saturate U>< : new boots or shoes, while the latter is 1it;h tly 



*"" '1 is to melt two ounces of yellow bet'-wiix, 



noes "i liiirgmidy pit' Ii, :ind two ounces of turpentine, in n pint 



f linseed oil, and with thii mixture to saturate the warmed hath.ir. 



The ' Journal of the American Institute ' gives the two following : ]. 



Boil together for half an hour one quart of linseed oil, two ounces of 

 resin, and half an ounce of white vitriol, to which add four ounces of 

 spirits of tiirprntinr and two ounces of white oak sawdust, and 

 this mixture to the leather by means of a brush. 2. Apply a coating 

 of t.dlnw to the leather; and after this has dried, coat it again with a 

 mixture of one part of copaiba balsam with two of naphtha. Another 

 mixture for this purpose consists of six ounces of caoutchouc boiled 

 for two hours in two quarts of linseed or neats'-foot oil Lastly, a 

 mode has been much recommended of applying a hot mixture of two 

 parts tallow and one part resin, with which' the leather may be com- 

 pletely saturated, the resin imparting an antiseptic quality to the 

 tallow. 



One of Mr. Sievier's contrivances is for rendering leather at once 

 elastic and waterproof. A thin she .- is cemented to a thin 



sheet of solid caoutchouc by a caoutchouc solution, and kept under 

 pressure for five or six days. The compound fabric thus formed is 

 nearly inelastic, because the leather has temporarily suspended the 

 elastic power of the caoutchouc; but by the application of a tempera- 

 ture about equal to 180 Fahr., the caoutchouc partially collapses, and 

 the leather assumes a corrugated surface, similar to Morocco leather. 

 | The leather, rendered thus elastic and waterproof, is then manufactured 

 into boots and shoes or other articles. 



WATERSHED. It hag been observed, in the article RivKBS, that 

 the margin of a river-basin generally lies contiguous to the basin 

 of another river, and therefore constituting the boundary-line of two 

 basins, the waters descend on both sides into their respective basins ; 

 and hence the whole line of these margins, it has been stated, is called 

 a waters/ltd properly, the water-parting. 



It might be supposed that this is simply a matter of nomenclature, 

 relating to a single and definite elementary phenomenon of physical 

 geography. Hut this is far from being the case. The term we are 

 explaining, originally introduced in the sense just described, has been 

 extended, apparently, to every physical locality in which tributary 

 streams having their confluence in a river-basin issue from, or descend 

 on the face of, sloping land, without reference to those on the 

 side of a ridge, or on the counter-slope ; and this extensive application 

 often obscures, in geographical description, the original sense of the 

 ti/rui. Of these various applications, examples will be found in the 

 '/itations which follow. 



The Rev. 0. G. Nicolay, in the ' Manual of Geographical Science ' 

 (vol. i., Terminology, pp. 422-3), enters into the following elaborate 

 and critical discussion of the manner in which thin term is to be under- 

 stood : " The tendency of water to seek its level makes the position 

 and quantity, as well as character, of the waters of the globe, 

 dependent on its contour; every conical projection, every ridge, in 

 short, every elevation of what sort soever it may be, becomes a water- 

 shed ; and that knowledge of the height, slope, and direction of the 

 various watersheds of the earth's surface the first step to its p 

 contour. The word watershed, in geographical definition, implies the 

 line by which any waters arc divided from each other, and the water- 

 shed of any country is no doubt such a line ; but aa every slope sheds 

 water, and many rivers have their rise on slopes below the main water 

 shed, some further division of the word some classification of the 

 districts to which it is applicable appears highly desirable. As this 

 does not seem to have been ever attempted, the following is offered as 

 a suggestion. 



" That there is a line in every country which may be termed its 

 principal watershed, will not be disputed ; every country has some one 

 district, usually in the direction of its greatest length, more elevated 

 than another, from the sides of which the waters collected from snows, 

 dew, rain, and springs pour down, until they are received into the 

 basin of some inland water, or at last into the sea; this may, there- 

 fore, be properly termed its primary watershed ; but as the mom 

 of the world cannot be satisfactorily considered, except in their i , 

 connection, the highest ranges extending through the greatest length of 

 the continental masses, the term primary watershed should be co 

 to these; beyond them others of less considerable elevation are found. 

 the slopes of which are presented towards the primary watershed and 

 form with it deep hollows, into which their united waters are poured, 

 while from the opposite slope the waters collected descend in a differ- 

 ent direction. These may, not inaptly, be termed secondary watersheds, 

 as paying the tribute of part of their waters to the primal ; 

 forming the inferior limit to the principal river basins ; while others 

 rising beyond may bo called tertiary. It will be observed that this 

 classification affords not only a on of the elevated land, 



but also of the waters of the globe, as appertaining to any of its parts ; 

 rivers having their rise in tlie primary watersheds may also receive a 

 similar designation, as may their basins; others may be termed 

 :iry or tertiary, according to their position and the watersheds 

 to which they belong." 



In Dr. Duke's records of travel and geographical works, the term 

 " water-parting" is substituted for " watershed," for which change he 

 assigns the following reason : " The line of division and sepi 

 between the contiguous basins of two rivers, called by the ancients 

 dirorlio aguarum, the parting (or flowing in opposite directions) of the 

 waters, is in Ci-ini.-in rill., I </,> Wauenchcidc, which means literally tin; 

 English geographers, following the example of geologists, have 

 adopted the expression ' watershed,' which is evidently a corrupt 



