IMPROVED STEAM ENGINE. 181 



careful to keep the acid mixture and the fecula, or potatoes, well 

 stirred together, and to make the additions in such small quanti- 

 ties, as to interrupt the ehullition as little as possible. Two or 

 three minutes aftci- the last addition has been made, the starch is 

 completely saccharized ; the vessel must then be taken oti'the fire ; 

 without which piecaution the saccharine matter would very soon 

 become scorched. The mixture is then allowed to cool gently, 

 and during this time the hydrochloric acid is poured upon the ani- 

 mal charcoal by small portions at a time, and stirred with a wooden 

 spatula ; and this part of the process is finished, by mixing this 

 charcoal in the saccharine liquid and acid, when the sulphuric acid 

 acts with as much energy as in the former process. 



This mixture is then boiled to a rather thick consistence, and is 

 passed through a color-mill. The mill is previously washed, by 

 throwing into the hopper the remainder of the acid liquid or vine- 

 gar, and then pure water ; and these washings are put into the 

 blacking ; finally, the other ingredients are added, together with a 

 sufficient quantity of water, to increase its volume to 17 litres and 

 a half, as in the former process. 



The blacking thus obtained is absolutely the same as the other : 

 the fineness of the black, which enters into the composition, is 

 even more equal. 



We also find, in commerce, many other kinds of blacking, form- 

 ed of resins, gum-lac, spirit of wine, (alcohol,) lamp-black, ivory- 

 black, and other substances, in great number, and in various pro- 

 portion ; but they are very little used. P. 



[Diction7iaire Technologique. 



IMPROVED STEAM ENGINE. 



Notwithstanding the very great improvements made in the pro- 

 cess of generating and applying steam power to boats and other 

 machinery, yet perfection in these j)rinciple3 appears not to have 

 been attained, inasmuch as every year shows some advance in pre- 

 vious inventions and discoveries. From a communication in the 

 New Orleans Argus, it appears that Mr. Lainhart, now of that 

 city, formerly of Baltimore, has after four years of assiduous labor, 

 succeeded in offering to the public a steam engine, which is thus 

 described : 



It consists of a generator placed over a grate, which receives 

 four ounces of hot water from the boiler at each revolution of the 

 paddles ; this water is immediately converted into steam, passes 

 into the cylinder, from thence into the condenser, and from thence 

 again into the boiler. As the generator does not contain at most 

 but six gallons of steam at once, and as it has a safety-valve, and 

 is more than three inches thick, it is almost impossible that n 

 could burst, and in case it should, no damage would result fiom it, 

 on account of the small quantity of steam it contains, and as to the 

 water in the boiler, it is only heated to !212 degrees of Farenheit, 



