Scientific American Supplement, No. 481, March 21, 1885 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 130 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 481, March 21, 1885.

Scientific American Supplement, No. 481, March 21, 1885 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 130 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 481, March 21, 1885.

Distinctions were showered upon him.  In 1860 he was made a Councilor of State, and represented the French Admiralty in Parliament; from 1869 to 1875 he was a Deputy, and in 1877 he was elected a Life Senator.  He was a member of the Academy of Sciences and of other distinguished scientific bodies.  Of late his name has been little connected with ship design; but his interest in the subject was unabated.

In 1870 M. Dupuy devoted a large amount of time and thought to perfecting a system of navigable balloons, and the French Government gave him great assistance in carrying out the experiments.  It does not seem, however, that any sufficient success was reached to justify further trials.  The theoretical investigations on which the design was based, and the ingenuity displayed in carrying out the construction of the balloon, were worthy of M. Dupuy’s high reputation.  The fleet that he constructed for France has already disappeared to a great extent, and the vessels still remaining will soon fall out of service.  But the name and reputation of their designer will live as long as the history of naval construction is studied.—­The Engineer.

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THE USE OF GAS IN THE WORKSHOP.

At a recent meeting of the Manchester Association of Employers, Foremen, and Draughtsmen of the Mechanical Trades of Great Britain, an interesting lecture on “Gas for Light and Work in the Workshop” was delivered by Mr. T. Fletcher, F.C.S., of Warington.

Mr. Fletcher illustrated his remarks with a number of interesting experiments, and spoke as follows: 

There are very few workshops where gas is used so profitably as it might be; and my object to-night is to make a few suggestions, which are the result of my own experience.  In a large space, such as an erecting or moulder’s shop, it is always desirable to have all the lights distributed about the center.  Wall lights, except for bench work, are wasteful, as a large proportion of the light is absorbed by the walls, and lost.  Unless the shop is draughty, it is by far the best policy to have a few large burners rather than a number of small ones.  I will show you the difference in the light obtained by burning the same quantity of gas in one and in two flames.  I do not need to tell you how much the difference is; you can easily see for yourselves.  The additional light is not caused, as some of you may suppose, by a combined burner, as I have here a simple one, burning the same quantity of gas as the two smaller burners together; and the advantage of the simple large burner is quite as great.  It is a well-known fact that the larger the gas consumption in a single flame, the higher the duty obtained for the gas burnt.  There is a practical limit to this with ordinary simple burners; as when they are too large they are very sensitive to draught, and liable to unsteadiness and smoking.  I have here

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Scientific American Supplement, No. 481, March 21, 1885 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.