144 



NEW ENGLAND EARMER. 



times the period it took to raise the temperature 

 from that of melted ice to the steam point, all the 

 water will be in a state to flash at once into 1700 

 times its original bulk. A cubic foot of water, 

 converted into steam, occupies 1700 times the space 

 it formerly occupied, if not compressed; and two 

 cubic feet of water converted into steam, occupy a 

 space of 3400 feet. The pressure exerted by such 

 an expansive force is tremendous. If frozen water 

 has burst cannons, is it to be wondered at that heat 

 and water burst boilers 1 Every engineer should 

 be thoroughly acquainted with all the known chem- 

 ical and mechanical properties of water and steam. 

 The observations of eminent practical engineers are 

 very valuable ; they are situated to observe the 

 phenomena of steam, and there may be many not 

 generally known. — Scientific American. 



MAKING HOOKS AND EYES. 



The New York Evening Post has a letter from 

 a correspondent in Connecticut, from which we 

 copy the following : 



Upon the premises we were shown the works 

 of the Waterbury Hook and Eye Company, where 

 a capital of $16,000 is employed in the manufac- 

 ture of hooks and eyes. Here were arranged long 

 rows of little machines about the size of small 

 washstands, under which a constant shower of 

 feminine conveniences was pouring down, but from 

 what cause or what agency it was difficult to con- 

 jecture. Upon a closer inspection, a large spool 

 of wire was perceived revolving slowly in the rear, 

 growing shorter inch by inch in mechanical har- 

 mony with the machinery, while iron fingers cu- 

 riously articulated were ready to grasp the severed 

 fragment, and pass it along from change to change 

 until it finally dropped into the receptacle beneath, 

 a perfect hook or eye, ready for use. 



For a moment it seemed as if each machine was 

 instinct with life and intelligence. The power of 

 speech seemed to be all that was wanting to com- 

 plete the delusion. There were but four or five 

 men in the room, who passed around occasionally 

 from one stand to another, to oil the machinery, 

 to supply new wire when the previous spool was 

 consumed, or to empty the vessels when filled by 

 the silvery shower. The whole performance more 

 resembled the voluntary process of nature than the 

 result of mechanical art.' 



The duty of the superintendent of one of these 

 machines seemed to me curiously alike to that of 

 the gardener who plants his peachstone, which, 

 after many days, sprouts, grows into a tree, 

 blooms, and finally bears peaches, which, when 

 ripe, drop from its branches, and are gathered for 

 use. 



PAGE'S ELECTRO MAGNETIC ENGINE, 



It will be recollected that Congress gave $20,000 

 to assist Prof. Page in perfecting Ids application 

 of Electricity to Locomotion; and it appears from 

 the following testimony of "Prof. James J. Mapes, 

 consulting Engineer," that steam may yet have to 

 give up to lightning, in the matter of steamboats 

 and railroads. He says: 



"After combatting against the friends of Elec- 

 tro-Magnetism for many years, I do not willingly 

 give up my preconceived notions on this subject, 

 and it is only after due investigation that I am 

 constrained to say that I)r. Page has fully suc- 



ceeded in demonstrating the practicability of his 

 invention. 



Admitting the success of Dr. Page's engine to 

 be attained, its advantages are numerous and in- 

 valuable. 



The cost will be less than a steam engine of the 

 same power. 



The weight will be but one-quarter, if boilers 

 and contents be taken into account. 



The expenses of firemen and engineers are dis- 

 pensed with. 



Buildings, and stocks of goods and vessels, may 

 be more cheaply insured than when steam engines 

 are used, as there could be no risk from explosion 

 or fire. 



The expenses of Dr. Page's engine are only ac- 

 tive while the machine is positively in action, 

 whereas, an ordinary steam engine continues its 

 expenses whenever the fire is burning. 



Dr. Page's engine, if used ten times during the 

 day, of six minutes each time, would have but one 

 hour's expenses for the day ; whereas, a steam 

 engine, under similar circumstances, would be 

 subject to nearly or quite the full expenses for fuel 

 for twenty-four hours, or equal to the expenses of 

 continuous work. 



RUSSIAN SHEET IRON. 



Russian sheet iron is manufactured by Mr. W. 

 Devees Wood, at the McKeesport Iron Works, a 

 few miles above Pittsburg, on the Monongahela 

 river. It is described as a beautiful article, with 

 a smoother surface, a finer gloss, and a richer 

 color, than any sheet iron made in Russia. — Ex. 



The process of making Russia sheet iron has 

 long been kept a secret. A few years ago, a per- 

 son made application to Mr. Burke, then Commis- 

 sioner of Patents, to see if he could not be pro- 

 tected in its manufacture, as he had discovered the 

 secret. In England he could have secured a pa- 

 tent ; our patent laws afforded no protection to the 

 introduction of a new art. Mr. Burke mentioned 

 in his report, that it would be well if some protec- 

 tion could be afforded to the introduction of such 

 a useful art; we entertained the same views, and 

 do still. We know nothing about the manufacture 

 of the iron, except what is stated in the above ex- 

 tract, but we have been told frequently that the 

 process was a very simple one, when understood. 

 — Scientific American. 



Improvement in Permanent Moulds tor Casting. 

 Mr. Nathan Mathews, of the firm of Edwards, 

 Morris & Co., of the city of Pittsburg, Pa., has 

 invented and taken measures to secure a patent 

 for a most excellent improvement in moulds for 

 casting. There is a great deal of difficulty attend- 

 ant upon the casting, in permanent moulds, of ar- 

 ticles requiring dovetails, and similar tongues and 

 recesses in them, owing to the difficulty of separ- 

 ating the article from the mould; this Improve- 

 ment obviates this difficulty in a great measure. 

 The parts of the mould which form the cores of 

 the dovetail of a circle plate of a lock, or door 

 knob, made of glass, porcelain, stoneware, &c, 

 can be withdrawn easily, and so can all the other 

 parts. The improvement will effecta great saving 

 in the casting of such articles, both as it respects 

 the producing them more sound, and the saving 

 effected by obviating the damaging of work. — Sci- 

 entific American. 



