July 13, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



47 



an ear-piece at the other end. The revolving plate is so 

 constructed that when the tube is allowed to remain in 

 its normal position it closes the side opening so that 

 there is no communication between the speaking tube 

 and the ear-tube, but when the latter is raised to place 

 it to the ear it opens the communication with the speak- 

 ing tube. 



Life-Saving Jacket. — Mr. S. y. Valdivielso has 

 patented a life-saving jacket. This garment is formed of 

 waterproof material in the shape of a jacket having a hood 

 which covers the head with the exception of the mouth, 

 nose, eyes, and ears. The jacket, hood, and sleeves are 

 all made of double cloth hermetically joined, so that when 

 inflated by means of tubes it forms an air bag all round 

 the body, the jacket being attached to the waist by a belt 

 and metal rings. The front of the garment has four 

 waterproof receptacles to carry water, meat, a lamp, and 

 a trumpet. The back has a waterproof receptacle for 

 containing documents, jewellery, etc. When not in use 

 this garment is used as a handbag, but when in use it 

 will sustain the wearer in the water, leaving his hands 

 and all body movements free. 



Signalling. — Mr. P. R. Derriman has patented a 

 visible signalling code. According to this invention, four 

 / signal lamps or flags are employed, these being arranged 

 so as to be raised and lowered in rapid succession, and 

 thus be visible and invisible at the distant station. The 

 system is arranged so that the four signals being used in 

 succession in various preconcerted orders, will indicate 

 the letters of the alphabet, not more than three signals 

 being required for any one letter. Of these groups of 

 signals representing the alphabet, about one hundred sets 

 are set out in a key book in four sections of twenty-five 

 each, and to each is affixed, in the key book, a number 

 whereby the same may be referred to a code of such 

 phrases and signals as are most commonly required for 

 use. These code numbers are capable of being increased 

 to several thousand if desired. 



Guns. — Mr. W. Anderson has patented an apparatus 

 for loading guns. The apparatus is as follows. The 

 barrow, carrying the shot, has upon it two standards, at 

 the upper end of which are recesses in which are carried 

 the trunnions of a tray, in which the shot is laid. The 

 shot is held steady in the tray by a movable stop upon 

 the handle, which is removed before the shot is elevated 

 to the gun. This elevating apparatus consists of a 

 curved rack held between guide rollers, so that a circular 

 movement can be imparted to it by a pinion which gears 

 with the rack teeth. The curved rack has at its rear 

 end an outer cradle, which receives the shot to be ele- 

 vated, and also the tray in which the shot is carried 

 upon the barrow. As the barrow comes to its place 

 against the lifting apparatus, the trunnions on the inner 

 tray pass up inclines upon the sides of the outer tray 

 and drop into recesses ; then the curved rack being put 

 in movement the shot and trays are carried up in a 

 circular course to the position required. When on the 

 barrow, the shot is carried with its point inclined up- 

 wards at a considerable angle, but as in elevating the 

 movement is over a curved course, the axis of the pro- 

 jectile becomes nearly horizontal, and it is then properly 

 aligned to enter the gun. 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION NOTES. 



National Association for the Promotion of Tech- 

 nical Education. — On Saturday afternoon the second 

 annual meeting of this Association was held at the rooms of 

 the Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi. Lord Hartington, 

 who presided, in his opening address referred to the Bills 

 dealing with technical education in the House of Commons. 

 The Bill of last year had been supported generally by the 

 Association as being a step in the right direction, although 

 they had desired to press on the Government and on the 

 House several important amendments. The Bill of the pre- 

 sent session, while it would, he believed, remove some of the 

 objections which they hadihad to the measure of last year, con- 

 tained proposals which he feared would revive some of the 

 old controversies on the subject of education generally, and 

 especially upon the religious question and the question of 

 denominational and voluntary schools, which he feared would 

 endanger the passing of any measure this session, and would 

 be prejudicial to the cause of technical education. He 

 trusted, however, that the effect of the discussion which had 

 taken place might be to secure the passing of some measure 

 without much further delay. The Committee of the Associa- 

 tion still felt that there was a wide field open to the exertions 

 of the Society by the establishment of branches in all the 

 commercial centres by the circulation of information, and 

 especially by the promotion of discussion as to the scope 

 and character of the technical education which required to 

 be provided. There were very few open opponents to the 

 extension of technical education. There were very few who 

 actually disparaged or denied its necessity, but still they 

 were very far from having obtained a proper recognition of 

 its necessity and importance. If we could rely on the old 

 agencies and the old methods to secure that supremacy in 

 later times they might rest in peace, but if they were threat- 

 ened by a new and a formidable competition in all parts of 

 the world, then, if other nations have discovered by means of 

 a better system of technical education how to make the 

 labour of their populations more valuable, and if they had dis- 

 covered methods of competing with ourselves, which were 

 better than our own, then he thought the Association, by 

 calling public attention to it, and by endeavouring to point 

 out the way in which we could retrieve, if we had lost, our 

 commercial prosperity, was one which was doing a good 

 work, and one which deserved the support of the country. 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



Award to Professor Virchow. — The Scientific Society 

 has adjudged the Boerhaave gold medal for anthropology to 

 Professor Virchow. 



Bristol and Gloucestershire Arch/f.ological So- 

 ciety.— This Society will hold its thirteenth annual meeting 

 at Gloucester on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of this month. 

 The opening meeting will be held on Monday morning ; in the 

 afternoon the cathedral wi'l be visited, and in the evening 

 papers will be read on "The Annalia Dubrensia," by Mr. F. A. 

 Hyett; "The Masons' Square and Masons' Marks," by Mr. H. 

 Jeffs ; and on " St. Oswald's Priory," by Mr. H. Medland. On 

 Tuesday Mr. J. Bellows will deliver an address on " Roman 

 Gloucester," and the Rev. W. Bazeley an address on " Medi- 

 aeval Gloucester." Parties will be organised to visit the 

 Roman remains, and the churches, priories, and other medi- 

 aeval remains. An expedition will also be made to Llanthony 

 Priory and Hempstead Church. In the evening the following 

 papers will probably be read : — " The Hospitals of St. Mar- 

 garet and St. Mary Magdalene," by the Rev. S. E. Bartleet, 

 M.A. ; on " The Grey Friars, Gloucester," by Rev. W. H. 

 Silvester Davies, M.A. ; on " Scrivens' Conduit," by Mr. H. 

 Medland ; and on "Gloucester Tokens of the 17th Century," 

 by Mr. J. P. Wilton. On Wednesday an excursion will be 

 made to Brockthorpe, Haresfield, Standish, Hardwicke, and 

 Elmore. In the evening there will be a conversazione in the 

 temporary museum. On Thursday the final meeting will be 

 held, and an excursion will be made to Churchdown, Badge- 

 worth, and Prinkwash. 



