Ja-n. 23, 1885.] 



KNOWLEDGE • 



71 



in every 50 feet ; or, in default of that, should be ]>i-ovided 

 with a special and effective flushing apparatus. An insuf- 

 ficient fall is conducive to tlie colkction of filth, as the 

 sewage cannot psss away into the main drains as tjuickly 

 as it ought to. The pipe may be constructed out df non- 

 corrodible metal, such as " Barffed," or glazed iron-ware. 

 Barffed iron consists of iron coated with a layer of the 

 magnetic oxide of iron ; it is induced through the agency 

 of superheated steam, and is so called after its inventor. 

 Professor Baiff. The layer of magnetite is dull dead-black 

 in colour, and we cannot imagine why it has not been 

 more extensively employed since its introduction into this 

 country some few years ago. There cannot be anything 

 more suitable for the jireservation of out-door iron-work, 

 domestic utensils, ic. We shall have occasion to review 

 Professor Bavff's system in greater detail when we come to 

 treat of household furniture. But to return to our subject. 

 The drain-pipes may be made of stoneware, and in this case 

 its joints onght to be made gas-tight, and encased in a bed- 

 ding of concrete. A caution is here necessary, on account 

 of " scamped work " ; the house-drain is, of course, 

 entirely out of sight, and advantage is taken of that cir- 

 cumstance by both workmen and builders. Faulty work- 

 manship here is of two principal varieties, viz. : — (1.) 

 Builders who are not well acquainted with the subject of 

 drain construction, and there are many such, may make 

 use of unsuitable materials wherewith to joitit the stone- 

 ware-pipes, e^.,clay. Xow, clay is not permanently water- 

 proof, because it is liable to sulfer from thermal changes to 

 such an extent, that in time it becomes cracked and 

 decrepitates; its compressibilily, too, when fr«shly 

 applied, is stieh that the weight of the over- 

 lying earth very often suffices to squeeze it out 

 of the joints of the pipe, with the result of a dan- 

 gerous leakage ; it is, moreover, prone to the incursion 

 of the roots of trees and shrubs in its extra domestic 

 course, which are attracted by the moisture, and may even 

 find their way through the clay -joint into the duct, and 

 eventually block up the drain. (2) Stone pipes with bad 

 joints are very often used, and the defects are glossed over 

 by incomplete cementing; the joints are carefully sealed 

 at the top, but left almost unattended to underneath. The 

 result of this is that superficial inspection is thwarted until 

 the foul discharge becomes too evident to be mistaken ; the 

 ground is impregnated with unwholesome and poisonous 

 matters, and the atmosphere of the house thus open to 

 direct contamination. 



(iv.). The house-drain leads into the main general 

 sewer, and it is, therefore, of the first importance that it 

 should be isolated therefrom by a suitably-trapped con- 

 trivance. If this principle is not carefully observed in 

 practice, the sewer-gas from the main may enter the 

 domestic drain, and find its way therefrom, through defec- 

 tive arrangements or accidental circumstances, into the 

 house. It is impossible to estimate the harm that is liable 

 to, and very often does, arise from this source ; the disease- 

 germs from a, far-distant area are readily imported and 

 disseminated in the very midst of an otherwise well-regu- 

 lated and healthy home ; and since it has been demonstrated 

 that the most virulent of maladies are those which arise 

 through ferment-producing germs of infinitesimal size, 

 whose growth and multiplication are specially favoured 

 through the conditions provided by the sewers, it is obvious 

 that too much care canm t be bestowed upon the complete 

 isolation of the household drains from the common district 

 sewers. 



In our next communication we shall conclude the subject 

 of house-drainage and its accessories, and pass on to the 

 consideration of the principles of chimney-flue construction 



and the arrangement of fire-places. It will then bo time 

 for us to furnish a sciial, illustrated, and teclmical, descrip- 

 tion of the nunierona valuable examples which have been 

 introduced to meet the requirements of the principles we 

 have already enunciated. 



{To he continued.) 



eiiitoiini tgossiip. 



I DO not quite understand why the Gold Medal of the 

 Eojal Astronomical Society has been awarded to Dr. 

 Hnggins this year. His wonderful and impeiishable work 

 on the Motions of Stars in the line of sight, and his 

 Spectral Photography of the Stars and Comets, were per- 

 formed just sullicieutly long ago to induce the astronomer 

 who views the queation from the outside to incjuire why 

 he, who is /acik priticeps among our British spectroscopists, 

 was not thus rewarded before. Having waited so long, he 

 could now have further done so, until some recognition of 

 recent splendid American astronomical work had been 

 made. 



Let no country cousin who reads the advertisements of 

 the Crjstal Palace imagine that he can obtain the day's 

 amusement which the Comiiany announce for the advertised 

 shilling. I went in there an afternoon or two ago, and 

 remaii ed from 3.20 to -3. -30 (or shall I say from 15.20 to 

 17.30 ?), only to fii;d that I was rigidly confined to an 

 inspection of a series of Lowther Arcade stalls ! A panto- 

 mime was, I heard, being performed in the transept, but 

 the whole place was most carefully enclosed in canvas, so 

 that nothing could be seen withovit the extra payment of 

 2s. 6d., Is. 6d., or Is. Close to the theatre was Dr. Lynn's 

 Thauma, " admission 6d." At the end of the IniildiDg was 

 the Aquarium, 6J. more, and so on — everything, as I have 

 said, save these Arcadian stalls, being charged extra for. 

 The sculpture find other courts were closed — I fancy for 

 the purpose of varnishing the floors. In short, I felt that 

 I n( ver in my life had wasted a shilling more than I had 

 on that occasion. 



All who recollect the blatant profession of high educa- 

 tional aims with which the public were originally ad- 

 dressed in connection with the great glass structure at 

 Sydenham will be able to appreciate the miserable policy 

 which dictates this " Bartlemy fair" arrangement. It would 

 be far moie honourable on the part of the management to 

 charge half-a-crown at the doors, and admit their visitors 

 for that sum to all their show, than to entrap people into 

 paying to enter a place in which every separate item of 

 amusement is made the subject of a fresh extortion. It is 

 as contemptible as the Directors must, and will, find it to 

 be suicidal, to treat their visitors in such a fashion. 



I HAVE from time to time addressed cautions and intima- 

 tions to correspondents through the legitimate channel (I 

 mean our Correspondents' Column) with, however, seem- 

 ingly but indiflerent success. I will reiterate some of them 

 here, in the hope that they may meet with more attention. 

 First, it is useless for people to write asking Mr. Proctor to 

 lecture : his lectures are definitely at an end. Next, I 

 neither sell nor buy numbers of Knowledge : booksellers 

 or newsagents will supply single copies, as will Messrs. 

 Wyman, who also receive annual subscriptions. Sellers 

 of back numbers must advertise them. Thirdly, no corre- 

 .spondents whatever arc answered by post ; all such will find 



