Mar. i6, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



263 



to enter the article to be inflated, and on being released, 

 instantly closes and prevents the return of the air. The 

 valve is formed of two jaws, hinged together about the 

 middle, the first portion remaining open when the 

 valve is not operated upon, while the back portion 

 closes by the action of a spring suitably employed, 

 which on the front portion of the valve being pressed 

 together by the action of the mouth will allow the orifice 

 of a tube leading to the article to open. 



Softening WAXER.^An apparatus for softening water 

 has been patented by Mr. C. E. Gittens, 100, Fenchurch 

 Street, London. The object of the invention is to effect 

 by automatic apparatus the softening of water as it is 

 supplied to a cistern. For this purpose the water, as it 

 issues in a stream from a ball supply cock, is caused to 

 draw along with it a smaller stream of the solution which 

 is being used to soften the water. The stream of mixed 

 water and solution is received into a settling cistern at 

 one side of the water supply cistern, in which it is 

 allowed to settle and only to pass off into the main 

 cistern by an overflow outlet. This settling cistern 

 is divided into two compartments by a vertical 

 partition — the supply enters into one compartment and 

 passes off from the top of the other — there being a small 

 opening at the bottom of the vertical partition to allow 

 water to pass from one compartment to the other. 



Miner's Safety Lamp. — Mr. A. Schanschieff, of Gipsy 

 Hill, London, S.E., has patented a miner's safety lamp. The 

 battery is a single fluid battery, and consists of a cylin- 

 drical vessel closed at the top by a cover which carries 

 the plates. When it is desired to divide the battery into 

 more than one cell, this is done by radial partitions, and 

 the plates are arranged so as to enter the radial cells. 

 By this means a sufficient surface can be obtained for 

 an electric lamp without the plates occupying much of 

 the length of the cylindrical vessel, so that the latter can 

 have a considerable quantity of fluid put in before 

 reaching the bottom of the plates. The vessel is only 

 partly filled with fluid, so that when standing up one way 

 the plates are out of the liquid, and the battery out of 

 action. It is put into action by simply reversing the 

 position. In order that no possible sparking should cause 

 an explosion, all the contacts are arranged inside the 

 closed battery cell. 



Manufacture of Aluminium Alloys. — A process for 

 the manufacture of alloys of aluminium with other metals 

 has been patented by A. Mann, 3, Melrose Villas, Twicken- 

 ham. The invention consists in obtaining a chloride of 

 aluminium by mixing the, sulphate of alumina with any 

 metallic chloride which will undergo double decomposi- 

 tion when mixed with such sulphate, and subjecting such 

 mixture to a regulated heat in a suitable furnace, whereby 

 an interchange of elements is brought about, so that 

 if a mixture of sulphate of aluminium and chloride of 

 sodium be used, a chloride of aluminium with a sul- 

 phate of sodium will be produced. The chloride of 

 aluminium so obtained is afterwards mixed with any 

 re-agent having a stronger affinity for chlorine than 

 aluminium, and the powder so produced is mixed with 

 pieces of any metal, such as copper, and melted in ordinary 

 crucibles or in a reverberatory furnace, whereupon 

 the required alloy with aluminium is obtained. 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION NOTES. 



Technical Schools in Russia. — In compliance with the 

 special command of the Czar, M. Deljanoff, the Minister of 

 Public Instruction, presented to the Council of the Empire, on 

 the 5th inst., a bill for the establishment of technical schools 

 throughout the country. 



Exhibition of Works in Wood. — It is announced that 

 an exhibition of works in wood will be held in May and June 

 next in the Carpenters' Hall, London-wall, under the auspices 

 of the Carpenters' and Joiners' Companies. Medalg and 

 prizes in money will be offered for models, drawings, and 

 specimens in wood connected with the trades of carpenters 

 and joiners. Particulars as to the various descriptions and 

 classes and the amount of money prizes can be obtained at 

 Carpenters' Hall. 



Shoreditch. — A deputation was introduced by Mr. Stuart, 

 M.P. and Mr. Cremer, M.P., to Mr. Anstie, Q.C., at the offices 

 of the Charity Commission on the 7th inst., their object being 

 to seek a grant from funds at the disposal of the Charity 

 Commissioners in aid of the establishment of a school for 

 technical education in Shoreditch. It was represented that 

 the small cabinet-making industry of the locality offered a 

 peculiarly suitable field for technical education. Mr. Anstie 

 expressed a hope that something in the direction indicated 

 might ultimately be established. 



National Association for the Promotion of Tech- 

 nical Education. — On the loth instant a deputation, con- 

 sisting of the Executive Committee of this Association and a 

 number of gentlemen interested in technical education, 

 waited on Viscount Cranbrook at the Education Department. 

 After Lord Hartington and several others had spoken. Lord 

 Cranbrook, in reply, said that he felt the question had 

 assumed a prominence which made it necessary that it 

 should be carefully considered by the Government. Before 

 the Government could do anything they must be well in- 

 formed as to the circumstances of the colleges, the fees, and 

 the nature of the instruction that was given. He reminded 

 the deputation that the Science and Art Department spent 

 annually ;^400,ooo in the encouragement of science and art, 

 and that without the purse of the Chancellor of the Ex- 

 chequer he was absolutely powerless. The great work of 

 technical education must, however, be fostered as far as 

 possible, and he would be very happy to submit to the 

 Government in a sympathetic spirit the case which had been 

 laid before him. 



•i-i»»^^5it- 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



Natural Science Scholarship at Oxford. — An ex- 

 amination will be held on Tuesday, June 26th, 1888, and the 

 following days, for the purpose of electing to one Open 

 Natural Science Scholarship, worth ^80 per annum, at 

 Corpus Christi College. The examination will be held in 

 common with Merton College, and will begin on Tuesday, 

 June 26th, at 10 a.m. See Scientific JNews, vol.ii., 191. 



Royal Meteorological Society. — The ninth annual e.x- 

 hibition of Instruments, which will be held at the Institution 

 of Civil Engineers, 25, Great George Street, Westminster, in 

 conjunction with the Society's meeting, on Wednesday, the 

 2ist instant, will be a very interesting and instructive one. 

 The exhibition is to be devoted to apparatus connected with 

 atmospheric electricity, including lightning conductors, pho- 

 tographs of lightning, and damaged objects, etc. A most 

 valuable collection of some fifty photographs of flashes of 

 lightning from all parts of the world will be shown, as well 

 as some curious and interesting effects of damage by lightning, 

 including the clothes of a man torn off his body by lightning, 

 etc. The exhibition will remain open till Friday, the 33rd 

 instant. Persons not Fellows wishing to visit the exhibition 

 can obtain tickets on application to Mr. W. Marriott, Royal 

 Meteorological Society, 30, Great George Street, S.W. 



University College, London. — The annual genera' 

 meeting of University College was held at the college of 



