300 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 324 



^ — Mr. Samuel Cabot, 70 Kilby Street, Boston, in a letter to 

 Building, states that the cause of the white efflorescence on bricks 

 has been recently investigated by him, with the result that there 

 are at least three different substances which cause it. Of these, 

 carbonate of soda is most common upon new work, after the lime- 

 stains have been removed. This is due to the action of the lime 

 mortar upon the silicate of soda in the bricks. Silicate of soda 

 seldom occurs in bricks unless the clay used is a salt clay. The 

 only other white efflorescence of importance is chiefly composed of 

 sulphate of magnesia. This is due to pyrites in the clay, which, 

 when burned, gives rise to sulphuric acid, and the latter unites with 

 the magnesia in the lime mortar. The conclusions thus far arrived 

 at are, (i) the "efflorescence " is never due to the bricks alone, and 

 seldom to the lime alone ; and (2) to avoid it, the bricks should be 

 covered with an oily preservative capable of keeping the salts from 

 exuding. Linseed-oil cannot fill the requirements, as it is injured 

 by the mortar. Mr. Cabot wishes to investigate the matter still 

 further, and will be obliged to any architects who will send him 

 samples of this substance (say a quarter-ounce) that may come 

 under their observation. 



— The directors of the Old South studies in history and politics 

 have included in their new general series of Old South Leaflets 

 a leaflet containing Washington's inaugurals, — the address deliv- 

 ered in New York, April 30, 1789, when Washington first took the 

 oath, and his address to Congress in 1793. This leaflet will be 

 especially interesting at this centennial time, the first inaugural 

 address being nowhere else so easily accessible. The account of 

 the inauguration from Irving's " Life of Washington " is appended, 

 and there are some useful notes. These Old South Leaflets, fur- 

 nishing so many original papers to the people in such attractive 

 form for only five cents, are a great means of education in history 

 and politics. Washington's farewell address, which, as Senator 

 Sherman recently said, ought to be spread everywhere broadcast 

 among the people, is included in the series, and this deserves new 

 attention now at the time of the Washington centennial. Lincoln's 

 inaugurals are given in another leaflet, and it is useful to compare 

 these with those of Washington. The leaflets are published by D. 

 C. Heath & Co., Boston, New York, and Chicago. 



— Some time ago P'au-let, the director of the Nanking arsenal, 

 was commissioned to procure from abroad the requisite machinery 

 for the establishment of a foundery for smelting iron in Kueichow. 

 The machinery, which weighed 1,780 tons, reached Shanghai in 

 three separate consignments, whence it was forwarded by boat to 

 Nanking. Owing to the rapids and shallows in the river between 

 Ch'ang-t^, in Hunan, and its destination, it had to be placed on 

 frames and transhipped piece by piece. The first consignment 

 reached its destination early in August of last year, and the re- 

 mainder followed closely afterwards. A number of workmen and 

 artisans accompanied it, and, arrangements having been made for 

 putting it together and setting it up at once, it was expected that 

 the furnaces would be in working order within the year. The 

 undertaking being on a very large scale, the funds raised by the 

 issue of shares have not yet sufficed to cover the expenditure, 

 and the governor has been asked to take steps to meet the urgent 

 demand which exists for more money. Kueichow, the governor 

 explains, is an extremely poor province, and its only natural pro- 

 duction is iron. Accordingly, permission was obtained from the 

 Throne for sending officers abroad to procure machinery for estab- 

 lishing a smelting-furnace in the Ch'ing district, within the pre- 

 fecture of Chen-yiian, and thus develop the only resource the 

 province possesses. The great difficulty of inaugurating such an 

 enterprise, says the Indian Engineer, is shown by the fact that two 

 years have elapsed before the machinery could be procured from 

 abroad. It has now, however, arrived, and been put up, and the 

 greatest part of the difficulty is over. The quality of the coal and 

 iron obtained in the district is excellent, and the seams in the hills 

 are exceedingly rich. The only drawback experienced has been 

 the difficulty of raising the money at once by shares, which is. no 

 doubt, due to the fact that the mercantile classes have suffered 

 severely in the past from the insecurity attaching to scrip issued by 

 similar companies, and will not be enthusiastic in subscribing to 

 the present undertaking until they see the furnaces actually at work. 



and the iron turned out. The purchase of the machinery, the erec- 

 tion of the buildings, and other expenses, have hitherto been de- 

 frayed by loans contracted from merchants, or by temporary appro- 

 priation from the likin revenue, to be repaid on the receipt of the 

 money from the shares, which, it is expected, will shortly be forth- 

 coming, now that there is every prospect of the founderies being 

 brought into full operation. 



— According to the report of the Massachusetts Railroad Com- 

 mission, there are twelve times as many persons killed and injured 

 at level crossings in that State as in the whole of Germany, though 

 there are nearly twice as many of these crossings in the latter 

 country. 



— The Engineering and Mining Joiernai is au'thority for the 

 statement that at Aitken, Minn., on April 2, at 4.45 o'clock, it be- 

 came so dark that lights were necessary in business- houses, and 

 the air was filled with snow that is represented to have been as 

 black and dirty as though it had been trampled into the earth. 

 Six ounces of snow and one-fourth ounce of dirt and sand were 

 found in the bottom of a dish. The dirt is very fine, something 

 like emery, and contains particles that have a metallic lustre. This 

 dirty snow fell to the depth of half an inch. The atmosphere at 

 the time presented a peculiar greenish tinge. There was a little 

 wind blowing at the time from the north-west, though there 

 seemed to be a considerable wind higher in the air. Solid chunks 

 of ice and sand are reported to have been picked up in various 

 places. 



■ — A series of articles on submarine boats is now appearing in 

 Engineering, Among the earlier forms mentioned is one in- 

 vented during the American war of independence by David Bush- 

 nell of Connecticut, for employment against the British ships of 

 war. It was like a walnut, somewhat flattened, and was sunk and', 

 raised by letting in and forcing out water. One oar served for 

 sculling ahead or astern ; and another, on the screw principle,, 

 placed above the operator, regulated the descent and ascent.. 

 When on the surface, an automatic tube supplied the air necessary 

 for one person for half an hour's submersion, and another expelled 

 it when foul. The manhole was covered with a hinged hat-like 

 covering provided with glazed eyelets, and a manometer and com- 

 pass were illuminated by phosphorus. The torpedo, containing 

 150 pounds of powder, clock-work, and firing spring, was,secured 

 on the top of the boat. A wooden screw manipulated ingeniously 

 through a tube from the interior was meant to be screwed into the 

 bottom of a hostile ship. A line connected this screw with the 

 torpedo, which, when released, floated up by its own buoyancy against 

 the ship's bottom. The boat was then to beat a rapid retreat, 

 and rise again to the surface when at a safe distance. The clock- 

 work, when the time for which it was set had run out, unlocked 

 the striker, causing the explosion. The whole arrangements were 

 well conceived, and, as Washington said, an effort of genius, but 

 requiring too many things in combination for much result to be 

 anticipated from them when emplayed against a watchful enemy. 

 The boat, manned by Sergeant Lee, who had been previously well 

 drilled in its use, sallied out against Lord Howe's flagship, lying off 

 Governor's Island near New York, and succeeded so far as to get 

 under her without being detected. The screw, however, would 

 not act ; and, the sergeant losing his head and his bearings, the 

 attempt signally failed, as did two subsequent ones. Some time 

 afterwards the vessel conveying the boat up the Hudson River 

 was chased and sunk by a British man-of-war, and thus closed 

 the brief career of the first diving-boat designed and used for ag- 

 gressive belligerent purposes. 



— The Nationalist, a monthly magazine soon to be issued by 

 The Nationalist Club of Boston, Mass., will have as contributors^ 

 Col. T. W. Higginson, Edward E. Hale, Rev. W. D. P. Bliss, 

 Cyrus Field Willard, Edward Bellamy, Rabbi Solomon Schindler, 

 Sylvester Baxter, John Ransom Bridge, Laurence Grbnlund, Rev. 

 Albert Lawson, Gen. A. F. Devereux, Henry Willard Austin, Mrs> 

 Mary Livermore, Mrs. Maud Howe Elliott, Mrs. Abby Morton 

 Diaz, Miss Frances E. Willard, Miss A. A. ChevaiUier, and many 

 others. The declaration of principles of the Nationalist Club reads 



