lOlG Transactions of the AjifERicAN Institute. 



is a great pity that manufacturers introduce dyes that are poisonous. 

 For instance, those used on paper collars. These paper collars are 

 covered with sulphate of baryta. All the baryta compounds are 

 poisonous. Then again they are covered with zinc white, and many 

 cases of sore neck are occasioned by this. 



Iron Clads under FmE. 



The A7iglo Brazilian Times gives an account of the behavior of 

 iron clads in an engagement with the Paraguayan batteries. To 

 those who are studying the question whether the best defended ves- 

 sels can resist the power of the best constructed forts, this following 

 description of a rather small engagement may be of some interest : 

 The ironclads first encountered the batteries of the enemy at Fortines 

 Bluif, consisting of fifteen, cannon in redoubts, seven of which were 

 sixty-eight-pounders, one thirty-two, four rifles and four of unascer- 

 tained calibre. . Owing to the curve of the bluff, the fire of the can- 

 noni converged upon the narrowest part of the channel at a very short 

 range. Two successive shots struck and shook the vessels, and did 

 much damage, but the vessels continued to steam up at full speed, 

 finding no boom or torpedoes, as anticipated. The second redoubt 

 raked the two vessels from aheadj while tlie sixty-eight-pounders shook 

 the plating with shots discharged witliin thirty yards. However, only 

 fifteen, shots struck, seven on the " Bahia" and eight on the turret 

 and other exposed parts of the " Alagoas," owing to the haste of the 

 enemy, who evidently supposed the whole division was coming up. 

 The vessels passed up the river without further opposition, and, 

 after bombarding the works of the Paraguayans for about four 

 hours, the vessels returned. In passing the batteries again, 

 the fire was very heavy. A ball entered the wheel turret of the 

 "-Bahia," killing the pilot, by which the vessel would have been 

 unmanageable had not the engineer steered the vessel by means of 

 the twin screw propellers. During the twenty minutes occupied in 

 repassing the "Bahia" she received serious injury; for of the sixteen 

 shots which then struck her on the port side, four smashed and trans- 

 versed the plating almost to the water-line, so that, after anchoring, 

 it was necessary to stop tlie breaches with pitch. No shot had before 

 injured the plating of this vessel, but it could not resist the sixty- 

 eiglit pounders sent at such short range. Tlie "Alagoas" was 

 struck eight times in both passages, and, in ascending, had her 

 eugiae iiisabled four hours. . The " Silvadu " was struck twenty-nine 



