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ACIDITY. The complete manner in whith the oil is Not one sample of water, either of those extracted from the teed water is shown by recently received or those obtained in De-| the fact that steam taken direct from the vember, showed any acidity, but, on the main boilers, where this device ts applied, contrary, the water Was in each case faintly | has been used for cooking without impart- alkaline, that from the hotwell being more ing the slightest flavor of oil, even when the strongly so than that from the boiler. engines were lubricated with crude petrole- COPPER IN BOLUTION. um. This is an pi aa advantage in dis- A polniion of coppee'l walle for combark: ne water tor drinking and culinary pur- sop, containing only one in one million ‘This extractor is now in Use on the fol- parts, showed distinctly the prgsence of even | Jowing steamships: Walla Walla, ‘Talla- oe ake quantity of copper without re- | hassee, Chattahoochee, Nacoochee, Finanee, sorting to any concentration of the solution, | and is being applied to other steamships in and as no indication was obtained from any | the course of construction, sample of water from the troopships, this The extractor, us shown in the engrav- metal ty certainly not present to any appre | ing, consists of a vessel of suituble dimen- ciable extent. ‘lhe condenser tubes in the} gions and strength, fitted with transverse Serapis and Crocodile are mostly copper, | partitions extending alternately from the only 400 out of 14,400 in the latter vessel | top and botton:. ‘The grease rises to the Baring been replaced with tinned tubes. top of the water, and is removed through the ; 4 upon these results he makes the fol-| oi] discharge. ‘Ihe solid matter is precipi- Ow. ng obser vations: tated, and may be removed from time to 1. That the alkaline conditions of the] time. ‘The air discharge valve is operated by water of these ships clearly shows that the | a float as the upper purt of the extractor be- acidity is not the cause of the deteriora- | comes filled with air and the level part of tion of the boilers. the water falls. “2, ‘That the absence of copper in eventhe| ‘There are two varieties of these extractors minute proportion to which [ have tested | made, one with a py-pass for allowing the the water shows that no injurious action | water to pass sround the partitions without from any solution of this metal by the water | going over and under them, the other with- in passing through the condenser can take | out the by-pass. This apparatus is highly place, as the copper is not dissolved to any | recomended by engineers who are familiar extent. with its merits. Further information may be obtained by We have seen that the theory of galvanic] aduressing Messrs. Motley & Sterling, action, though possible, is very improbable, | agents, 86 John street/New York City. and that the alkaline con lition of the water negatives the theory of acidity, but does not the perished zinc from the boiler afford some ENGINEERING INVENTIONS, evidence as to the action that takes place? 5 On carefully examining this subject Sveccws ea: ee ae ene Coe e have changed to an oxide, similar to that: | which isan improvement on a patent granted ‘ormed on the surface of the molten metal | to the ame inventor October 18, 1881, No when exposed to the atmosphere, and if 80, | 948,524. The ubject of this invention is to both shohld be subject to the same tests. avoid the downward pressure upon the slide * * * * * =, he fr: 5 ° i ig The theory of oxidation by free oxygen in ee etedeneelling ee the water provides an answer to the point that the corrosive agent, whatever it may be, In a_gravity steam engine patented by 4 : Mr. Robert L. Stevens, of Albany, Oregon must be thoroughly diffused throughout the] the power to rotate the shaft is obtained by LIFE SAVING SERVICE. % 2 ‘The appropriation made by Congress tor the Life Saving Service in the legislative, ex- ecutive ann judicial bill is entirely inade- quate to the demands of the bureau. Last eur # bill was passed authorizing the build- ng of forty new stations. Under the ad- vice of the superintendent an appropr was made of $50,000 for the construction of ten of them, that being about the tull num- ber: that could be opened and started last year with the facilities at hand. This year he wished to build und open ten more of the new stations for which $50,000 was asked, but the House pasacd the bill without ap- propriating a cent for the purpose. ‘There 4s pressing need for six new stations be- t’een Cape Henlopen and Cape Charles on the Atlantic coast for which sites are already selected ‘There is aleo great demand for the immediate establishment of stations at Frankfort, Pentwater and South Haven, Mich, An attempt will be made to have the Senate Committee on appropriations make- the allowance. Engineering. ae CURROUSION LN STEAM BOILERS. The question ot corrosion in steam boilers. Bays Engineering, is one that commands the attention of most engineers. It is a source of anxiety, causes trouble and delay, and not unfrequently danger to those in charge. ‘Yo the Navy, steainship owners and steam users, it means great expense, not only in the act- ual cost of repairs, but in loss of efficiency, etc. * * * * * he rapidity of the internal corrosion of boilere working at high pressure and sup- plied with water from surface condensers, assuming, as it doez, the-acute form known as “pitting,” has enveloped it with a certain Amount of mystery; and the short lives of the boilers of some of the vessels of H. M. Navy, led to the appointment of the late Admiralty Boiler Commission to inquire in- to the subject, before whom much evidence of value was given and several theories ad- vanced to account for tuis corrosion... _», Of these theories the following have re- ceived the greatest credence, and which we may perhaps briefly consider: GALVANIC ACTION. This theory has its origin in the hypothe- sis that a great, or rather infinite, number of galvanic circles are formed by the metal- lie contact of the iron of the boiler with par- ticles of copper or brass from the condenser tubes, air pumps and feed pipes, carried in with the feed-water, xs the two elements, and the water acidulated or alkaline a8 the exciting agent. ‘This theory will not, how- ever, bear strict investigation, inasmuch as the particles of copper or brass would, by their weight, gravitate to the bottom ot the boiler, where the greatest part of the corro- sion would ensue; again, although the par- ticles might possibly lodge and rest on the tops of the furnaces and tubes, they would not support themselves on the underside of the same, where pitting is found to go on a8 much in the ease of tubes and more in fur- naces than on the top. ‘These conditions are sufficient in them- selves to negative or at least throw doubt on the truth of this theory, without out taking into consideration the equivalent wear that must ensue in the air pumps, teed pipes and condenser tubes; nor can this theory «be readily applied to the corrosion that takes place in steam chests and superheaters ; and the reliable analyses hereto appended for reference, and which are copied from the Blue Book of the Boiler Commission, show the presence of nothing likely to account for galvanic action. Had the particles of cop- per or brass been deposited within the boil- ers they would have appeared in one or other of these analyses. In fact, these analyses are somewhat re- markable, as showing the presence of noth- ing that could account for the corrosion and the rapidity with which it is effected, and we may dispose ot the theory of galvanic act- ———_——qV38© 2 —— WEATHER REPORT FOR FEBRUARY, Mean barometer, 30.245. Highest barom- eter, 30.670 on the 2nd, Lowest barometer, 29.760 on the 6th. Monthly range of tem- perature .910inch. Mean relative humidity, 79.1. Highest temperature, 72 on the 16, Lowest temperature, 5 on the 1. Monthly range of temperature, 67 degrees. Greatest daily range of temperature, 33.4 on the 17. Least daily range of temperature, 7 2 on the 28. Mean of maximum temperatures, 36.2. Mean of minimum temperatures, 19.1. Mean daily range of temperature, 17.1. Prevail- ing direction of wind, West. ‘Total move- ment of wind, 7,027 miles. Highest velocity of wind and direction, 28 miles southwest on the 16 and 28 miles west on the 25. Num- ber of foggy days, 1. Number of-clear days, 4. Number of fair days 7. Number of . cloudy days on which no rain or snow fell, 1. Number of cloudy days on which rain or snow fell, 15. ‘otal number of days on which rain or snow fell, 20. Depth of une melted snow on the ground at thi end of the month, a trace. Dates of solar halos, 10 and 27, Dates of lunar halos, 13, 19,21... Dates of frost 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, and 23, MEAN COMPARABIVE TEMPERATURE, 30.1 | 1878... * * * * 10 70.18 ' ; s JamEs B. NEWLIN, Seargent, Signal Corps, U.8.. Intelligence of the death of Ca tain. ‘Thomas Zealand has been received in Ham- jon as untenable, by referring to the cuse of TRE eater pia herae . ceurred at. ayes mentored bye oe Cc. Bane in N the son of the late Captain Zeal is evidence, who stated that the vessel was ee . ) fitted with Rowan’s water tube boilers, or- brother of the late Captain Edward Zealand, dinary working pressure at sea 120 pounds, had no copper within the boiler, had iron feed pipes and iron air pumps, the steam pipes being of copper and the condenser tubes brass; but pitting went on with such rapidity that in about nine months a great part of the tubes had to be renewed. From this it is evident thatthere being no brass in the air pump er copper pipes to be scored, particles of that metal could hardly have been carried into the boilers. ‘Tho next theory that has been advanced to account for thé corrosion is that hydro- chloric acid is produced within the boiler by decomposition of the water, its hydrogen combining with the chlorides contained in the sea water. If such was the case the wa- ter would become strongly acidulated, and if itattained snfficient strength to cause pitting it would have solvent action on zinc placed therein. Such is not, however the result of practice, as it will be seen by the analyses above referred to, that the water has gen- erally and probably always, except in an isolated case or two, an alkaline reaction. Further, iron when heated with pure water exerts no decomposing action, at least to 400 deg. Fahr., and it has, moreover, been es- tablished by careful experiment that iron, when heated with water alone to 356 deg. Fahr., yielded no trace of hydrogen. * * * * * THE WASS GREASE, AIR & MUD EXTRACTOR. water, and from the laws herein stated it! weights that are hung upon the ends of will be evident that wherever the water is | reciprocating piston-roeds moved by steam or quiescent and coolest, as that portion of the | compressed air to shiff the weights in the boiler below the firebars, and where the cir-| proper order for obtaining a continuous culation is restricted, as amongst the tubes, | rotary movement. there the pitting will be greatest, as on the 1 tops of furnaces and combustion chambers, Mr. William H. Reece, of Springfield, Mo., and auch, there is reason to believe, is the has patented an oiler for engine cylinders, general experience. which secures a stendy and uniform supply ‘This paper . has dealt. more particulirly ot oil to the engine, and also provides for with the extent of the aerifivation of the wa- the regulation of the supply according to ter in steam boilers, rather than by the pro- requirements, ‘Lhe invention consists in cess by which pitting ensues therefrom. the combination, with an oil recepticle, of a * * * * pressure-cup operated periodically by the In conrelusion, the study of this subject engine to force a regulated supply of oil points to the remedy for the evil being to from the reservoir. supply the boilers with water free from air Mr. Samuel Wilson, of Dallas, Towa, has or gases in solution, and asoil or grease | patented an improved fishing wheel having within a boiler can do no good, they should | nets embraced in tour or more sectons each be kept out; if this was done, boilers would, net having an opening made from the doubtless, last very much longer, and be periphery or near if, and from which there more profitable to their owners. is an escape passage from the center of the The first practical application of the ap- wheel, leading to a chute connecting with a paratus shown in the engraving was on the | cage net, all so arranged that the wheel steamship Walla Walla, ona voyage from being located ina fishery to be rotated by New York, to Portland, Ore., and while it the water flowing against it by another operated extremely well during that experi- wheel attached to the shaft outsige of the ment, it-has since been improved so as to fishway, the months of the passages into the muke it almost automatic. nets ot the wheel will open at the rear of the It removes the air usually forced into the wheel to the fish ascending the stream, to be boiler with the feed water, thus, it is claimed, entered by them as they attempt to pass removing the cause of pitting the internal | under the wheel. As that side of the wheel surfaces of boilers and tubes by removing | Tises the fish will be caught, carried up, and the free oxygen from the water. The re- shunted out into the chute, by which they moval of the sir from the water also pre-| will be delivered into the trap cage. vents priming, and in condensing eugines it effectsa great saving, by excluding the air from the boiler and the cylinder, thus pre- The steamer St. Laurent has arrived at serving the vacuum ; and in addition to these Havre from New York. On the 14 instant advantages it insures even feeding ina bat- she was struck by a heavy sea. which tery of boilers, and in.all the cases the appa- smashed and carried away everything on rats indicates whether the pumps are in deck. Captain Delaplaine and one of the action by the continual working of the air | Quartermasters were carried overboard and relief. drowned. Captain Delaplaine, who bad This apparatus extracts all grease and for-| commanded the St. Laurent for about two eign matter which would otherwise enter years, was an officer of the French Navy and the boilers of H. M. ships Serapis and Croc- | the boiler and be deposited as scale, or|® Knight of the Legion of Honor. He wys odile, which are well worth quoting, and would form a surface scum which needs con- thirty-one years old, married, and leaves are aa follows: tinual blowing. several children. prevailed some twenty yeurs ago. Until quite recently be has been at Winnipeg, where he invested a considerable portion of his means. Only some two or three weeks ago he left for British Columbia, and the first news concerning him was a telegram received by his relatives here informing them of hig death from heart disease. De- ceased was never married. He was a man of retiring dispositon, but possessed of a kindly and genial natore and was much es- teemed by all acquainted with him. St. Thomas ia in trouble again. The project of the C. S.R. R. t> build a new vridge over tue Niagara river below the Falls is meeting with strong opposition. This isa project that affects St. ‘Thomas, badly affects it, and leading citizens are agitating to have a public meeting held to pass resolutions favorable to the project, and also to send a strong deputation to Ottawa tv urge the Government to grant the charter. Without the bridge it would be useless tor the C. S. R.to double track their road, The present Suspension bridge at the Falls and the Luternational bridge at Buffalo can scarcely take over What freight is now car- ried on the roads with their present capacity. If the charter for this bridge is not granted part of the traffic of the Michigan Central will have to go over the Luke Shore road. Another theory that has been received with favor is that of decomposition of the lubricants used for the cylinders and slides. The resulting fatty acids dissolving the brass of the condenser tubes, and passing into the boiler, convert the water into a solution of copper, which acts chemico-galvanically or electro-chemically upon the water and the iron, causing corrosion. In well authenti- cated experiments it was found that water taken from marine boilers was not discolored by the absorption of sulphurated hydrogen as, showing thereby that it held no copper fo solution. Theae two latter theories are further met and may be considered as disposed of by the remarks of Mr. Wetson, Admiralty chemist, Portsmouth, in his evidence before the Boiler Commission on samples of water taken from THE NEW BABY. What an excitement follows the news of a new arrival in a neighborhood in the form of anew baby—especially among children and ladies of uncertain age. They soon dis- cover that they are nearly dying to see the littlecherub and forthwith go to the drug- gists fora dozen boxes of Swayne’s Pills, which purity the blood, remove all obstruc- tions, and bring therich color ot health to the pale cheek. Uilike others, they never gripe or produce nausea. An invaluable medicine for all the various diseases flesh is heir to. Your druggist keeps them on sale.