r. \TKNTS. 



711 



, ndju-tah e so as to show an even whit* 



in the direction of tin- liutoim-t.-r at the 

 nulii. This lusi is divided longitudinally, MI 

 that an ob>.-r\er at A' will see through tin- tube-, 

 <|tial white spaces on I). Mip|M>sing a 

 liquid to lie under examination, it is placed in a 

 >c>.-ei fitting a oompartmenl in the k-ft- 



Fio. 23. 



hand tube. Then slips of tinted glass are placed 

 in the right-hand tube until the color of the 

 liquid is exactly matched. In the case of solids 

 >r textile faln-ies, the process is the same except 

 that the object is so placed that reflected light 

 instead of transmitted light reaches the eye 

 of the observer at A'. Here, then, is a system by 

 which colors can be absolutely compared under 

 constant conditions that render possible the 

 adoption of a standard unit of color in scores of 

 industries now more or less uncertain. The in- 

 ventor has devised a very simple scheme of 

 estimating color by a standard scale, each outfit 

 including a large number of tinted-glass slip 

 properly marked to correspond with a regis- 

 tered scale. Thus if a iluid in a one-inch vessel 

 matches a glass slip marked a it contains 8 

 degrees of series number 500. The system in- 

 cludes the use of several slips in case of need, 

 and the combinations of yellow and blue, mak- 

 ing green, or of rod and blue, making purple, 

 are readily gauged and registered. The tin- 

 tometer is not very generally known in this 

 country, but is apparently entitled to the con- 

 sideration of many different branches of very 

 large manufacturing interests. 



Flexible Metallic Tubes. Many attempts 

 have been made in the direction of flexible 

 tubes, and with more or less success. But the 

 most promising device as yet produced is of 

 Knglish origin. The plan of construction is 

 seen in Fig. 23. A thin strip of copper, brass, 



another. The re-entrant curves of the 



vary with the amount of nVxibility 

 tight joint* being les* flexible than' tho>- t| m t 

 ha xi- more play. To secure tight nc-su- thread " 

 of tine rubber is fed into the . .,f the 



ji'inl-. While the tlllie is ill process of JIIMIIUfacI- 



ure, and this is said to r nder it quite tij;ht for 

 gases and liquids under slight pnv.-uri- mid for 

 steam and water under very heavy pre-vjire e- 

 I>ecially. Tin- liquid under pressure hu- tin , IT. -r t 

 of tightening the joints. '1 he iule weighs alxuu 

 the saint- as dt.es India-rutilx-r tubing of the. 

 same strength, and will, no doubt endure rough 

 usage Letter. The degree of flexibility n:n\ It- 

 judged by a half-inch title which w ill coil around 

 a circle of five inches diameter. 



Itotnry Snow-Plows. Since their invention 

 a few years ago, these plows or -xcavators (for 

 they are not properly plows) have undergone 

 many improvements. The latest model, known 

 as the Jull centrifugal snow excavator, has re- 

 cently achieved such a notable success in breaking 

 a snow blockade on the Union Pacific Railway 

 as to merit especial notice. The first of thcs-e 

 machines vras tried on the Rome, Watertown, 



Fn; 



or gun metal is bent so that its section resembles 

 the letter & This is coiled upon itself so that 

 the parts interlock continuously, forming a tube 

 with overlapping and interlocking joints, which 

 have of necessity considerable play upon one 



FIG. 24. 



and Ogdensburg Railway on March 6, 1889. 

 For 750 feet the track was covered with frozen 

 snow to a depth of from 2 to 7 feet. The ex- 

 cavator went through it. without a halt. After 

 other tests the Union Pacific Railroad bought 

 the machine and sent it to Kansas, where it broke 

 the most formidable snow blockade that has re- 

 centlv occurred in the mountains. The machine 

 (see Fig. 24) is 50 feet long without its tender, 

 which is similar to that of an ordinary locomo- 

 tive. In front of the structure is the 

 rotating screw with its point quite near 

 the ground at one side. This screw is 

 like an immense cone-shaped augur 

 presenting cutting edges of steel with 

 curved helix-like wings, that hurl the 

 enow backward and to one side. Sup- 

 pose this huge bulk to be moving for- 

 ward at a speed of about 8 miles an 

 hour, with the excavator, driven by 800 

 horse-power turning at the rate of SCO 

 revolutions a minute. It would serm 

 that snow in almost any form short of solid ice 

 mii-t yield before such a powerful engine. In 

 point of fact, this plow accomplished work that 

 liad defied all the energies of the railn^d. The 

 cone weighs about tons, and clears a track 11 



