82 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Aug. 1, 1884. 



now, it comes down to little more than one farthing, or 

 one-third of a penny, as stated, -when cost of preparation in 

 making on a large scale is included. I have not yet tried 

 this soup. In reference to the others specified in my last, 

 I should add that I found it advantageous to use a double 

 vessel — a water-buth constructed on the glue-pot principle. 

 Such vessels are .sold under the name of " milk-scalders." 



The reason of this is, that with our ordinary fireplaces 

 the heat is so great that the liability to char the bottom of 

 the thick porridge is a source of trouble. Rumford's fire- 

 places were so skilfully constructed, and used with just as 

 much wood fuel as was required to do the work demanded, 

 and thus this difficulty scarcely existed. I have little 

 doubt that one of the reasons why the thin broth of our 

 workhouses and pri.sons takes the place of his thick soup 

 is, that the liquid stuff demands no skUl nor attention from 

 the officials who superintend and the cooks who prepare it. 

 Their convenience is, of course, sacred. 



The feeding of the Bavarian soldiers is stated in detail 

 in Vol. I. of " Rumford's Essays." Space will permit me 

 only to take one example, and that I must condense. It 

 is from an official report on experiments made " in obe- 

 dience to the orders of Lieut.-General Count Rumford, by 

 Sergeant Wickelhof s mess, in the first company of the 

 first (or Elector's own) regiment of Grenadiers at Munich." 

 JuxE 10, 1795. — Bill of Fare. 

 Boiled beef, with sonp and bread dumplings. 

 Details of the Expense. 

 First for the boiled beef and the soup. 



lb. loths. Creutzers. 



2 beef 16 



1 sweet herbs 1 



Oi pepper OJ 



6 salt Ot 



1 14i ammunition bread cnt fine 2J 



9 20' water 



Total... 13 10 Cost ... 20i 



The Bavarian pound is a little less than l^lb. avoirdu- 

 pois, and is divided into 32 loths. 



All these were put into an earthenware pot and boiled 

 for two hours and a quarter ; then divided into twelve 

 portions of 26y't7 loths each, costing 1| creutzer. 



Second for the bread dumpling. 

 lb. loths. Creutzers. 



1 13 of fine Semel bread 10 



1 of fine flour 4i 



6 salt Oi 



3 water 



Total... 5 19 Cost... 15 



This mass was made into dumplings, which were boiled 

 half an hour in clear water. Upon taking them out of 

 the water they were found to weigh 5 lb. 24 loths, giving 

 15^ loths to each portion, costing 1| creutzer. 

 ""The meat, soup, and dumplings were served all at once, 

 in the same dish, and were all eaten together at dinner. 

 Each member of the mess was also supplied with 10 loths 

 of rye bread, which cost ySj of a creutzer. Also with 

 10 loths of the same for breakfast, another piece of same 

 weight in the afternoon, and another for his supper. 



A detailed analysis of this is given, the sum total of 

 which shows that each man received in avoirdupois weight 



daily : lb. oz. 



2 2^ of solids 



1 2-;^ of " prepared water " 



3 Sy'^j total solids and fluids. 



•which cost 511 creutzers, or twopence sterling, very nearly. 



Other bills of fares of other messes, officially reported, 

 give about the same. This is exclusive of the cost of fuel, 

 &.C., for cooking. 



All who are concerned in soup-kitchens or other economic 

 dietaries should carefully study the details supplied in 

 these essays of Count Rumford ; they are thoroughly prac- 

 tical, and, although nearly a centuiy old, are highly 

 instructive at the present day. With their aid large basins 

 of good, nutritious soup might be supplied at one penny 

 per basin, leaving a profit for establishment expenses ; and 

 if .such were obtainable at Billingsgate, Smithfield, Leaden- 

 hall, Covent-garden, and other markets in London and the 

 provinces, where poor men are working at early hours and 

 cold mornings, the dram-drinking which prevails so fatally 

 in such places would be more effectually superseded than 

 by any temperance missions which are limited to mere 

 talking. Such soup is incomparably better than tea or 

 cofiee. It should be included in the bill of fare of all the 

 coffee-palaces and such like establishments. 



THE TRANSMISSIOX OF POWER. 



By a. Berixger. 



IF we admit that the local conditions are equally 

 favourable to the four systems (viz , electricity, water 

 under pressure, compressed air and telo-dynamic cables), 

 that is to say, if we set on one side particular considerations 

 which may render one or the other system more suitable 

 in a given case, the comparison of prices shows that 

 electricity and telo-dynamic cables are the most favourable 

 agents for the transmission of power. Between these two 

 we must choose the cable as effecting the cheap transmission 

 up to a distance of 1 kilometre, but for greater distances 

 electricity is preferable. 



We note, in passing, the interesting result that a 

 hydraulic motive power transmitted by electricity to a 

 distance of 20 kilometres costs less than the same power 

 produced on the spot by a large improved steam-engine, 

 even if we calculate the water-power at 03 fr. per 

 horse-power daily. It follows that a powerful waterfall 

 will supply, within a radius of four leagues, power cheaper 

 than that produced by steam-engines of 100 to 200 horse- 

 power, and within a far wider radius it will compete 

 advantageously with small steam-engines or with gas. 



Although cables are very suitable for distributing power 

 in the country to a few separate places, they are quite out 

 of the question when it is required to effect unlimited sub- 

 divisions, e.g., in a distribution of power from house to 

 house in a town. In this case the three other systems 

 remain alone in the field. 



For instance, if less than 1 kilometre electricity has only 

 the advantage of a few centimes over air and water, but 

 its advantage increases for longer distances. Thus the 

 hourly cost per horse-power for i kilometre is 0'2-t franc, 

 for 1 kilometre 0-2.5 franc, and for 12 kilometres 0'37 franc, 

 whilst water and air reach this price for H to 2 kilometres. 



Transmissions by water and air are therefore far sur- 

 passed by electric transmission, and if we wish to produce 

 power by steam in a central establishment and distribute 

 it from house to house within a radius of 10 kilometres 

 electricity alone could furnish an economical solution of the 

 problem. 



We must here remark that such a distribution of power 

 can only be, for the present, useful in the small trades, for 

 if more than 10 horse-power is required, a special motor is 

 more advantageous. 



If we divide the region to be supplied with power into 



