Scientific-American-50-yrs-History-1896.html

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 11-12 7:24 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN pg 58 Scientific American July 25 1896. July 25-19

58 cfrintifir slIntriran. JULY 25, i896.
seen. The destructive tornado of May 27, which tore asunder and scattered the massive masonry of the approaches to this bridge, failed to disturb the equi-librium of the steel arches themselves ; and no finer tribute was ever paid to the skill of the bridge engineer than is offered in the photographic reproduction which we present on another page. The scientific methods of bridge design and construc-tion adopted by Captain Eads have been elaborated by subsequent engineers, until bridge designing is to-day perhaps the most exact branch of the engineering pro-fession. The calculation of the strains in steel trusses is now a matter of mathematical certainty and precision. The various erratic forms of trusses have fallen into disuse, and a standard type of great excellence has sur-vived, one of the latest examples of which is shown in the engraving on another page of the Mer-chants' Railroad Bridge at St. Louis, built in 1890 by the Union Bridge Company, of New York. The Merchants' bridge com-prises three main spans, 517 feet 6 inches long, and six deck spans of 125 feet. The trusses are built entirely of steel and are pin connected, the tension members being steel eye bars, and the compression members con-sisting of built-up lattice posts and chords. The floor beams and stringers are plate steel girders, the latter being riveted at their ends to the bottom of the posts and vertical ties. The distinctive features of this system of bridge construction are the concentration of material in large members, the great width of panel and height of truss, and the method of connecting the members at each panel point by means of a large, carefully turned and fitted steel pin. As compared with the MORS European practice of riveting, the American practice conduces to greater accuracy of de-sign and construction, and greater rapidity of erection. The Merchants' bridge, which contains 11,000,000 pounds of steel, and whose granite piers extend 70 feet below the water, was commenced and completed within thirteen months. The superiority of the pin-connected over the riveted system of bridge construction has been clearly proved in the erection of cantilever bridges, a type which is now extensively used by American and European builders, and of which the great Forth bridge of Sir Benjamin Baker, with its two 1,710 foot spans, is the most monumental example. In its simpler forms, the cantilever is exceedingly ancient. There are bridges in China which are hoary with age whose construction is based upon this principle. The most valuable feature
The trains are operated by a steel cable, and they carry an immense traffic, the total in 1894 amounting to 43,000,000. Great as are the proportions of this bridge, it is likely, before long, to be surpassed by the proposed railroad bridge across the Hudson River, at New York, which is to have a main span of 3,254 feet, carried on twelve steel wire cables, 23 inches in diameter. The suspension towers, which will be built of steel plates and angles, will reach to a height of 587 feet above the water. It is not too much to say that this bridge, which is to carry six railroad tracks, side by side, will be the noblest constructive feat of any age or clime. THE TELEGRAPH. Fifty-two years and two months have passed since
At the beginning of the present century the voltaic battery was invented. The investigators had at once an instrumentality for maintaining a current through a wire, by which the decomposition of water could be brought about, magnets attracted and other pheno-mena produced, and, in 1808, the Munich Academy of Science received from Sommering a communication describing a telegraph containing thirty-five wires, one for each letter of the alphabet and one for each num-ber. At the transmitting end arrangements were pro-vided for passing currents through any one of V-te wires. At the receiving end the electros wore im-mersed in acid, and, completing the circuit, caused the evolution of bubbles of hydrogen. Each tube corre-sponded to a letter or a number. Passing by many other attempts, we find, in 1839, the Wheatstone telegraph, fairly effectual, pro-ducing its signal by means of what are prac-tically galvanometer needles. A bell alarm was used to call the operator. To produce a powerful enough sound, Wheatstone used a relay circuit, the first one in the history of the art. Henry, in 1832, had, as one result of his experiments in electricity, used the elec-tric magnet in a signaling telegraph, and for him is claimed the glory of being the inventor of the first electro-magnetic telegraph. Samuel F. B. Morse was born in Charles-town, Mass., on the 27th of April, 1791, but a little over a mile from Franklin's birthplace. He was educated as an artist, and won high triumphs as such, but was marked as a lover of science from his earliest days. His life was subject to more than the usual vicissitudes of an artist's existence. After traveling ex-tensively in Europe and studying there, we find him sailing on the packet ship Sully, for the harbor of New York, in 1832. Philip Hone, in his interesting diary, states that among the pas-sengers on his ship was S. F. B. Morse, the artist and president of the National Academy of Design. On board the ship Morse had his interest excited by a con-versation in which Dr. Charles T. Jackson was the leader, who spoke of some of the wonders of electricity and of the electrical magnet. This seems to have fixed firmly in Morse's mind the idea that an electric telegraph could be constructed with the electric magnet as a basis. It engrossed his mind throughout the voyage, and dur-ing the six weeks which it lasted he jotted down in his note book different sketches of a proposed system of electrical telegraphy. He practiced his art and experi-mented with the telegraph, the latter, during the next few years, gradually wooing him from his brush *Ea

E TELEGRAPH RECEIVER OF 1844—THE FIRST INSTRUMENT RECORDING THE MORSE CODE.
a world famous message was sent over a telegraph line from the Capitol, at Washington, to Mount Clare De-pot, in Baltimore. The precise date was May 24, 1844, and the message sent in the famous dot and dash al-phabet by Prof. Morse contained the following words : " What hath God wrought ! " The message was in-dited by Miss Ellsworth, the daughter of the then Commissioner of Patents, and was intended to express the wonder of the achievement of the telegraph. For this edition of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, marking, as it does, fifty years of the invention and progress of the scientific world, no more appropriate motto could be chosen, for it seems as if the last fifty years definitely showed man's powers and proved adequate to measure his ability. For the first suggestions of the telegraph

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN pg 63. THE PHONOGRAPH. In December, 1877

THE PHONOGRAPH. In December, 1877, a young man came into the office of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, and placed before the editors a small, simple machine about which very few preliminary remarks were offered. The visitor without any ceremony whatever turned the crank, and to the astonishment of all present the machine said : " Good morning. How do you do How do you like the phonograph ? " The machine thus spoke for itself, and made known the fact that it was the phonograph, an instrument about which much was said and written, although little was known. The young man was Edison, and the phonograph was his latest invention. The edi-tors and employes of the SCIEN-TIFIC AMERICAN formed the first public audience to which it ad-dressed itself. Edison, even then, was a well known and successful inventor. The invention was novel, original, and apparently destined to find immediate application to hundreds of uses. Every one want-ed to hear the wonderful talking machine, and at once a modified form of the original phonograph was brought out and shown every-where, amusing thousands upon thousands ; but it did not by any means fulfill the requirements of the inventor. It was scarcely more than a scientific curiosity or an amusing toy. Edison, however, re-cognized the fact that it contained the elements of a successful talking machine, and thoroughly believed it was destined to be come far more useful than curious or amusing. He con-tended that it would be a faithful stenographer, repro-ducing not only the words of the speaker, but the quality and inflections of his voice ; and that letters, instead of being written, would be talked. He believed that the words of great statesmen and divines would be handed down to future generations ; that the voices of the world's prima donnas would be stored and preserved, so that, long after they had passed away, their songs could be heard. These and many other things were expected of the phonograph. It was, however, doomed to a period of silence. It remained a toy and nothing more for years.
piece, by which the speech recorded on the cylinder is reproduced. In this instrument the shaft of the cylinder is provided with a thread of the same pitch as the spiral on the surface of the cylinder, so that the needle of the receiving mouthpiece is enabled to trav-erse the surface of the tinfoil opposite the groove of the cylinder. By careful adjustment this instrument was made to reproduce familiar words and sentences, so that they would be recognized and understood by the listener ; but, in general, in the early phonographs, it was necessary that the listener should hear the sounds uttered into the receiving mouthpiece of the phonograph to positively understand the words uttered by the instrument. In later instruments exhibited throughout the country and the world, the same difficulty obtained, and that carbon monoxide gas had the wondor of combining with nickel, and also less (Wily wit I t Iron at ordinary temperatures, and could miry Limn olt In the state of gas. This dates back only II the discovery yielded the fruits ex It would have fairly revolutionized some indus-

that, long a ft et. they had passed away, heir songs could be heard. These and many other things were expected of the phonograph. I t was, however, doomed to a period of silence. It remained a toy and nothing more for years. The original instrument consists of three principal parts—the mouthpiece, into which speech is uttered ; the spirally grooved cylinder, carrying a sheet of tin-foil which receives the record of the movements of the diaphragm in the mouthpiece ; and a second mouth-
was unmistakably aa, good talker ; mai thatWed to havo rottelled ith; growl II, had after all been refined and improved' until it was capable of faithfully reproducing every word, syllable, vowel, consonant, aspirate and sounds of every kind. During the dormancy of the phonograph, its in-ventor secured both world-wide fame and a colossal fortune by means of his electric light and other well known inventions. He devoted much time to the phonograph, and not only perfected the instrument

JULY 25, 1896. pg 65 top
Scientific American. 65 Iteous with the beginnings of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. New methods of attack have been applied. The elec-tric furnace, in the hands of M. Moissan, has yielded remarkable results. Fluorine, the element which for ,0 many decades resisted isolation, was isolated by him. I Uy the utilization of electricity, rare metallic elements were also reduced from their compounds, and the elec-t ric current was applied by Classen with much success to the problems of analysis by electrolysis of aqueous ,olutions of the double oxalates. The synthesis of car-bon and hydrogen has been effected on the large scale I y the electric furnace, in which carbides decomposable

THE FIRST PHONOGRAPH.
loy wilier a re ti rst produced. The decomposition of Slew I ly carat er gives acetylene gas, a veritable triumph NvIll 'semis. '1'lle livery flay appliances of the laboratory have been I $1 11111 !Hip ►11( the dreams of old time chemists. Now P111411111 II I )1 /II rr I,1 115 iS procurable for all purposes. Rapid II I 11111 Ion, Int rod need originally by Bunsen, is really I me of Hie n()11)1)1e improvements of the period we treat it, find in I he hands of Gooch and others has been f IV ilvvoluiwd and improved. I mit y seem that the chemist's work is done, but it II , Tile discovery of metallic carbonyls is an Mus-t tilt loll of III ►w great, recent discovery may be. It was Isliind by 111ond t hat carbon monoxide arias had the won-
tries. The same is to be said for calcium carbide and acetylene gas, already alluded to. I. 4 • • 411. THE PHONOGRAPH. In December, 1877, a young man came into the office of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, and placed before the editors a small, simple machine about which very few preliminary remarks were offered. The visitor without any ceremony whatever turned the crank, and to the astonishment of all present the machine said : " Good morning. How do you do How do you like the phonograph ? " The machine thus spoke for itself, and made known the fact that it was the phonograph, an instrument about which much was said and written, although little was known. The young man was Edison, and the phonograph was his latest invention. The edi-tors and employes of the SCIEN-TIFIC AMERICAN formed the first public audience to which it ad-dressed itself. Edison, even then, was a well known and successful inventor. The invention was novel, original, and apparently destined to find immediate application to hundreds of uses. Every one want-ed to hear the wonderful talking machine, and at once a modified form of the original phonograph was brought out and shown every-where, amusing thousands upon thousands ; but it did not by any means fulfill the requirements of the inventor. It was scarcely more than a scientific curiosity or an amusing toy. Edison, however, re-cognized the fact that it contained the elements of a successful talking machine, and thoroughly believed it was destined to be come far more useful than curious or amusing. He con-tended that it would be a faithful stenographer, repro-ducing not only the words of the speaker, but the quality and inflections of his voice ; and that letters, instead of being written, would be talked. He believed that the words of great statesmen and divines would be handed down to future generations ; that the voices of the world's prima donnas would be stored and preserved, so that, long after they had passed away, their songs could be heard. These and many other things were expected of the phonograph. It was, however, doomed to a period of silence. It remained a toy and nothing more for years.
piece, by which the speech recorded on the cylin-der is reproduced. In this instrument the shaft of the cylinder is provided with a thread of the same pitch as the spiral on the surface of the cylinder, so that the needle of the receiving mouthpiece is enabled to trav-erse the surface of the tinfoil opposite the groove of the cylinder. By careful adjustment this instrument was made to reproduce familiar words and sentences, so that they would be recognized and understood by the listener ; but, in general, in the early phonographs, it was necessary that the listener should hear the sounds uttered into the receiving mouthpiece of the phonograph to positively understand the words uttered by the instrument. In later instruments exhibited throughout the coun-try and the world, the same difficulty obtained, and

IMPROVED RECORDING AND REPRODUCING PHONOGRAPH OF 1896.
perfection of articulation was sacrificed to volume of sound. This was necessary, as the instruments were exhibited before large audiences, where, it goes without saying, the instrument, to be entertaining, had to be heard. These instruments had each one mouthpiece and one diaphragm, which answered the double pur-pose of receiving the sound and of giving it out again. Finally it was made known to the public that the ideal phonograph had been constructed ; that it was unmistakably a good talker ; and that the machine, which most people believed to have reached its growth, had after all been refined and improved until it was capable of faithfully reproducing every word, syllable, vowel, consonant, aspirate and sounds of every kind.

DISON AND THE FIRST PERFECTED PHONOGRAPH,

))))))))))))))e-11 )))))))))))

width="1189" />

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN pg 65 A Young Edison and his Phonograph.

THE PHONOGRAPH. In December, 1877, a young man came into the office of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, and placed before the editors a small, simple machine about which very few preliminary remarks were offered. The visitor without any ceremony whatever turned the crank, and to the astonishment of all present the machine said : " Good morning. How do you do How do you like the phonograph ? " The machine thus spoke for itself, and made known the fact that it was the phonograph, an instrument about which much was said and written, although little was known. The young man was Edison, and the phonograph was his latest invention. The edi-tors and employes of the SCIEN-TIFIC AMERICAN formed the first public audience to which it ad-dressed itself. Edison, even then, was a well known and successful inventor. The invention was novel, original, and apparently destined to find immediate application to hundreds of uses. Every one want-ed to hear the wonderful talking machine, and at once a modified form of the original phonograph was brought out and shown every-where, amusing thousands upon thousands ; but it did not by any means fulfill the requirements of the inventor. It was scarcely more than a scientific curiosity or an amusing toy. Edison, however, re-cognized the fact that it contained the elements of a successful talking machine, and thoroughly believed it was destined to be come far more useful than curious or amusing. He con-tended that it would be a faithful stenographer, repro-ducing not only the words of the speaker, but the quality and inflections of his voice ; and that letters, instead of being written, would be talked. He believed that the words of great statesmen and divines would be handed down to future generations ; that the voices of the world's prima donnas would be stored and preserved, so that, long after they had passed away, their songs could be heard. These and many other things were expected of the phonograph. It was, however, doomed to a period of silence. It remained a toy and nothing more for years.
piece, by which the speech recorded on the cylin-der is reproduced. In this instrument the shaft of the cylinder is provided with a thread of the same pitch as the spiral on the surface of the cylinder, so that the needle of the receiving mouthpiece is enabled to trav-erse the surface of the tinfoil opposite the groove of the cylinder. By careful adjustment this instrument was made to reproduce familiar words and sentences, so that they would be recognized and understood by the listener ; but, in general, in the early phonographs, it was necessary that the listener should hear the sounds uttered into the receiving mouthpiece of the phonograph to positively understand the words uttered by the instrument. In later instruments exhibited throughout the coun-try and the world, the same difficulty obtained, and hhhh )))))))))))))))))))e-10 ))))))))))) 11-14 below ))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))e-11 )))))))))))

itself, but established a large factory provided with special tools for its manufacture, in which phono-graphs are turned out in great numbers. The improvements reduced the instrument to about the size of an ordinary sewing machine. In its con-struction it is something like a very small engine lathe ; the main spindle is threaded between its bearings and is prolonged at one end and provided with a drum for receiving the wax cylinder, upon which the sound record is made. Behind the spin-dle and the drum is a rod upon which is arranged a slide, having at one end an arm adapted to engage the screw of the spindle, and at the opposite end an arm carrying a head provided with two glass dia-phragms which may be inter-changed when de-sirable. One of these diaphragms is used when it is desired to talk to the phonograph, and when the speech is to be reproduced t h e other diaphragm takes its place. The cutter by which the impres-sions are made in the wax is attach-ed to the center of the diaphra-gm and pivotally con-nected to a gravi-ty arm attached to the side of the diaphragm cell. The reproducing cell contains a deli-cate glass diaphragm, to the center of which is secured a stud connected with a small curved steel wire, one end of which is attached to the diaphragm cell. The record-ing and reproducing points are formed of chalcedony. The spindle of the phonograph is rotated regu-larly by an electric motor in the base of the machine, which is driven by a current from one or two cells of battery. The motor is provided with a sensitive
fritutifir (antrviran.

speaking diaphragm. No attempt is made in this instru-ment to secure loud speaking—distinct articulation and perfect intonation having been the principal ends sought. The phonograph may be now used for taking dicta-tion of any kind, for the reproduction of vocal music, for teaching languages, for correspondence, and for va-rious other purposes too numerous to mention. The wax cylinder upon which the record is made is provided with a rigid backing. It is very light and a mailing case is provided for safely mailing it. The re-cipient of the cylinder places it on his own phonograph
[JULY 25, 1896.

within a few years—the graphophone, which is similar to the phonograph, operating on practically the same principle, and the gramophone, which has a flat disk instead of a cylinder and makes a record which is a sinuous groove, by means of a laterally vibrating needle. It reproduces sound by the lateral vibrations caused by the following of the reproducing needle in the groove of the record. ■ THE AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE. The first practical locomotive to turn its wheels upon a track in Ameri-ca was the Stour-bridge Lion, an imported English engine. This not-able event took place August 9, 1829. The first en-gineer to run a lo-comotive in Ame-rica was Horatio Allen, who han-dled the throttle on this occasion. It is claimed that the first Ameri-can-built locomo-tive to be put into active service was the Best Friend, which was con-structed by Mr. E. L. Miller, for the South Caroli-na Railroad Com-pany. This occur-red in November, 1830. In the earliest days of American locomotive build-ing the influence of the original English models is traceable in the designs ; but it was not long before the American mechanic began to strike out for himself, and build a machine specially adapted to local conditions. Vari-ous original and radical features were introduced, and with such rapidity, that in the brief interval of sixteen years between the trial trip of the Best Friend and the year 1846, which marks the opening of the half century with which we are dealing, the most iy,mortant elements of the tvnionl A yy►,,,.;,my,

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))e-13 )))))))))))

within a few years—the graphophone, which is similar to the phonograph, operating on practically the same principle, and the gramophone, which has a flat disk instead of a cylinder and makes a record which is a sinuous groove, by means of a laterally vibrating needle. It reproduces sound by the lateral vibrations caused by the following of the reproducing needle in the groove of the record. THE AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE. The first practical locomotive to turn its wheels upon a track in Ameri-ca was the Stour-bridge Lion, an imported English engine. This not-able event took place August 9, 1829. The first en-gineer to run a lo-comotive in Ame-rica was Horatio Allen, who han-dled the throttle on this occasion. It is claimed that the first Ameri-can-built locomo-tive to be put into active service was the Best Friend, which was con-structed by Mr. E. L. Miller, for the South Caroli-na Railroad Com-pany. This occur-red in November, 1830. In the earliest days of American locomotive build-ing the influence of the original English models is traceable in the designs ; but it was not long before the American mechanic began to strike out for himself, and build a machine specially adapted to local conditions. Vari-ous original and radical features were introduced, and with such rapidity, that in the brief interval of sixteen years between the trial trip of the Best Friend and the year 1846, which marks the opening of the half century with which we are dealing, the most iy,mortant elements of the tvnionl A yy►,,,.;,my,

)))))))

July 1896. Scientific American-History of the bicycle.
pg-69-top

pg-69-bot
est s on the strength of the material used, the liability df breakage has been greatly reduced. The use of interable parts and automatic machinery has iso tended to standardize the product. Great ad-',: !Ices have also been made in the rims, and at the I resent day in this country the heavy steel rim has ven place to the wooden rim, which, as now con-icted, has considerable strength. lhanges in the frame have been notable. The origi-ha I Rover frame, which was not strong enough, was ,4►( )11 practically abandoned, and, after a time, the dia-1111)11(1 frame took its place. At first, however, the frames were built on dissimilar lines, every manufac-t 11 rer having a model of his own. Soon the frames of the wheels began to have a resemblance. and at last the almost versa' straight line pentagonal dia-III(111(1 was adopted. Gradually the top r of this frame was raised until to-day, i 1 the latest machines, it is parallel with he ground. In its frame the bicycle is i41W a veritable mechanical and engineer-achievement. The bearings received 1114 WV and more attention, until now a ‘‘ heel with ball bearings will travel thou.- • Ials of miles without showing any ap-previa ble wear either to the balls or to the hearing cones. There has been a I 1'11( I I MI improvement also in the sizes of I he w heels ; at first even in the modern .111.e1 y the wheels were of different sizes, 1.111 w they are almost universally of I :Litie size. In the old velocipedes, le I ratite was rigid, then springs were:in-1 1'1 H1111'0(1 into the saddle and the different I )111.1s of the frame, and rubber was intro-1111144i into the tires. Then the cushion lire was introduced, which made riding 1114 )re (.11joyable. Finally the pneumatic ► \v; Ls resurrected from the old patent re-1'1 k, t hus furnishing the ideal spring be-t ‘‘ eel) the rider and the ground, mini-the jar due to inequalities of the nd giving the maximum of ease and comfort 1.. the rider. In 1845 R. W. Thompson patented in 1,;10.4111 lid time first pneumatic tire, but it was only in I -0-41) I hat, it was adapted to the bicycle by an Irish et eritiary surgeon named Dunlop. The cushion tire, 1 w 11 ich there was a hollow space in the rubber, was Lnown as far back as 1870, but it became very popu-lar only when the pneumatic tire began to be intro-du•ed. It soon succumbed, however, to the pneu-
illustration of a tandem velocipede, which was proba-bly the earliest known example of the tandem. The back seat was intended to be used either as a side saddle for women or a man's saddle. The inventor also had in view the placing of two side saddles over the rear wheel, thus foreshadowing a modern type of spe-cial machine. The advantages connected with a tandem are so great that it is little wonder they have achieved a wonderful popularity. Geared up to high speeds, they are able to cover the ground with great ease. Not only are the two riders able to carry on conversation, but the absence of vibration, and the power which it has against a head wind, have all conduced to make
few years have rendered it a valuable aid for business purposes. It makes the slow fast, and now telegraph messengers, postmen, lamplighters, building and street inspectors, " walking delegates," policemen, firemen, coast patrollers, express messengers, doctors, and others are all using the bicycle in their respective avocations. The experiments used to demonstrate the applicability of the bicycle for war purposes have been entirely suc-cessful, so that this opens up a new field of usefulness. Bicycles propelled by electricity or one of the petro-leum products have been made, but are not in use to any extent. Au emineDt physician has said that not within two hundred years has there been any one thing which has so benefited mankind a3 the invention of the bicycle. Thousands of men and women are now devoting half their time to this healthy recreation and are strengthening and developing their bodies and minds, and are not only reap-ing benefit themselves but arc preparing the way for future generations which will be born of healthy parents ; and in brief this epitomizes the hygienic side of the bicycle.

THE BICYCLE OF 1879,
the tandem popular. Gradually came the demand for higher and higher speeds ; so the number of riders was increased until now, for pacing and racing purposes, we have six7or even seven riders mounted on a single pair of wheels. A sextuplette wheel truly represents an engineering achievement, as the truss may have to support a thousand pounds. Such a wheel is geared to 153, so that every revolution of the pedals carries the wheel 3814 feet.

• THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE GENERA-TION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE OPERATION OF MOTORS DURING THE PAST FIFTY YEARS.

The advancement of science during the past fifty years has been so great that many are inclined to believe that we have found out more within this period ',than all that was known before. While this conclusion may not be strictly correct, there can be no doubt that the vai'.k the principles, the truth of which has bctifer-, conclusively demonstrated during this, period, is greater than that of all discov-eries previously made. This is true even of the purely theoretical develop lent of science, but when we come to consider the question of the practical application of the knowlege thus acquired we can, without hesitation, say that the last half of the nineteenth century has not only produced greater Ad-v4,ncement than any previous period of equal length, but more than all the centuries that have gone before it. This may seem an extravagant statement, but any one who will consider the difference between the present state of advancement and the condition of the world fifty

BOT--itself, but established a large factory provided with special tools for its manufacture, in which phonographs are turned out in great numbers. The improvements reduced the instrument to about the size of an ordinary sewing machine. In its construction it is something like a very small engine lathe ; the main spindle is threaded between its bearings and is prolonged at one end and provided with a drum for receiving the wax cylinder, upon which the sound record is made. Behind the spin-dle and the drum is a rod upon which is arranged a slide, having at one end an arm adapted to engage the screw of the spindle, and at the opposite end an arm carrying a head provided with two glass dia-phragms which may be inter-changed when de-sirable. One of these diaphragms is used when it is desired to talk to the phonograph, and when the speech is to be reproduced t h e other diaphragm takes its place. The cutter by which the impres-sions are made in the wax is attach-ed to the center of the diaphra-gm and pivotally con-nected to a gravi-ty arm attached to the side of the diaphragm cell. The reproducing cell contains a deli-cate glass diaphragm, to the center of which is secured a stud connected with a small curved steel wire, one end of which is attached to the diaphragm cell. The record-ing and reproducing points are formed of chalcedony. The spindle of the phonograph is rotated regu-larly by an electric motor in the base of the machine, which is driven by a current from one or two cells of battery. The motor is provided with a sensitive
fritutifir (antrviran.

with

in wnien tnere was a nollow space in tne ruooer, was known as far back as 1870, but it became very popu-lar only when the pneumatic tire began to be intro-duced. It soon succumbed, however, to the pneu-matic. It is to the pneumatic tire that we are indebted for a large part of the popularity which cycling now enjoys, and it may be regarded as one of the most im-portant improvements. By these gradual steps the bicycle has been brought to its present state of perfec-tion. An impressionable Italian has well defined the bicycle as " a poem in metal." In connection with the bicycle, it is necessary to take notice of the tricycle, which was at one time very popular. The mechanical difficulties connected with the tricy-

THE " ROVER OF 1880.
cle were less than those connected with the bicycle. The large, cumbersome vehicles which traveled over our streets some years ago are now rarely seen. There appears, however, to be a considerable demand for tri-cycles built upon the lines of the modern bicycle, and f lie machines which have been produced within the lust few years are comparable in design and workman-ship with the bicycle itself. There have been a num-ber ()I' special forms of bicycle, which, from time to CI ow, lave been put on the market, and many of which have been very successful. The tandem is the best ex WHO special forms of bicycle. As far back as April lo, Imo, the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN published an
au .support a thousand pounds. Such a wheel is geared to 153, so that every revolution of the pedals carries the wheel 3814 feet. Ladies' wheels early attracted attention after the saf?ty was in use, and to-day the lady riders are num-bered by hundreds of thousands. The lady's wheel presented a more difficult problem than the ordinary bicycle, as the diamond frame was necessarily aban-doned. A lady's wheel is now produced of strength equal to that of a man's wheel, with a slight increase of weight. As far back as 1875 we find the Starleys bringing out a high wheel for women. The rear wheel no longer tracked with the driver it ran upon the end of an axletree which protruded twelve or fifteen inches to one side of the machine, so that a two-track bicycle was the result. This permitted the fair driver to ride side-saddle position. It seems almost impossible that the lady's wheel could be the outcome of this mechan-ical atrocity, and we may rather look for its origin in the " Rover." The first drop-frame or lady's machine was patented in the United States in 1887. When it is considered in its economic aspect, it will be seen the bicycle has wrought a veritable revolution, rehabilitating many industries and causing the downfall of others, while travel is diverted into new chan-nels. It is estimated that at present there are 4,000,000 bicycle riders in the United States, while New York City alone possesses 200,000 riders. There are at least 250 reputable wheel manufacturers in the United States, besides a host of smaller concerns that cannot be strictly called manufacturers. Over $60,- 000,000 are invested in the plants, which give employment to more than 70,000 persons. It is estimated that the wheels turned out this sea-son will exceed 1,000,000. A whole army of workmen are engaged in making bicycle sundries and in re-pairing. The wheel has brought prosperity to num-berless country hotels and road houses which had become almost extinct since the decline of coaching. One great benefit conferred by wheeling is the agita-tion in favor of good roads. This has been of untold value to the country at large. " The wheel took a holiday to join in the sport and recreation of men, but the yoke of business is upon it and it cannot escape the bondage. It took the race untold ages to capture the magic circle and harness it to human need, and it is too precious for man to give it a long tether." For many years the cycle has been a plaything of man, but the developments of the last

This may seem an extravagant statement, but any one who will consider the difference between the present state of advancement and the condition of the world fifty years ago will come to the conclusion that it is substan-tiated by the facts. The steamship, the railroad, the telephone, the telegraph, the electric light, the electric motor, electric railways, and all the numerous collateral industries that have been brought into existence there-by, have been developed within this period. It is true that the telegraph, the locomotive and the steamboat were invented previous to this time, but their reduction to a thoroughly successful form and their extensive practical application has taken place almost wholly since 1845. Although progress in every department of science has been very great, that which overshadows everything else is the wonderful development of electricity, specially within the last twenty years. Previous to 1850, this science was in a very crude state. Even the 'most eminent physicist of those days knew little about the fundamental laws of the subject, and some of them held views that in the light of our present knowledge were absurd in the highest degree.

THE BICYCLE OF 1896.
fusing the succeeding twenty-five years (from 1850 to 1875) great advancement was made in the way of de-velopment of electrical theories, and the demonstration of the laws that govern electro-magnetic actions. Since 1875 the progress has been more in the direction of practical applications of electric energy than in the ex-pansion of theoretical knowledge, and this is just con-trary to the general impression in relation to the sub-ject. Any one who has doubts as to the correctness of this statement, however, can have them dispelled by a careful study of the masterly treatise on electricity and magnetism by Prof. James Clerk Maxwell, the first edition of which was published in the early seventies,

))))))))))))))

July 1896. Scientific American-History of the Sewing Machine. Howe, {I have an New Howe Turret lathe I can not identify I Use nearly every week.
pg-72-top JULY 25, 1896.

in use is five hundred thousand ; placing the average value of these at one hundred and fifty dollars, the aggregate represents seventy-five millions. The num-ber of electric elevators in use is not known, but as there are over six hundred in New York City alone, it is evident that the total must run up into thousands, and represent an investment of ten or fifteen millions. There are over twelve thousand miles of electric rail-roads, using over twenty-five thousand trolley cars. This represents more than ninety per cent of all the street railways in the country. The combined capital of these roads is over seven hundred millions. There are over twenty-seven hundred central stations, from which light and power are furnished. The investment is this line is over three hundred millions. There are nearly eight thousand isolated plants, valued at more than two hundred millions. These several industries represent a total investment of nearly fourteen hundred millions, of which nearly two-thirds is invested in those branches in which the electric motor, in one form or another, is used. This two-thirds of the industry has been developed with-in the last ten years. It is estimated that nearly four per cent of all the people in the United States make their living in one way or another out of the electric industry. As an indication of the manner in which we have :outstripped European countries in the electric field, we may mention the fact that there are over eight times as many electric railways in this country as in all the rest of the world combined.

THE SEWING MACHINE. Fifty years have passed since Elias Howe applied at Washington for a patent on his sewing machine, and placed on file the working model which is herewith illustrated. On the tenth day of September, 1846, the patent was granted. That day may justly be written down as the birthday of the sewing machine—the practical modern machine as we know it to-day—and the year 1896 is therefore the semi-centennial anniversary of one of the greatest labor-saving devices of modern times. In according to Elias Howe the title of father of the sewing machine, one is not unmindful of the earlier
the fact remains that Elias Howe did independently in-vent a practical sewing machine, which contained the three essential features of a needle with the eye at the point, a shuttle operating beneath the cloth to form the lock stitch, and an automatic feed ; that he had sufficient faith in his machine to cover it with a patent ; and that his unconquerable perseverance enabled him to convince the world of its commercial utility and es-tablish its reputation as one of the most beneficial in-ventions of the age. The inventor of the sewing machine was born in 1819
found himself quite unable to purchase even the ma-terial to build a working machine. Fortunately for him and the world at large, he was able to induce a former schoolmate, George Fisher, to provide $500 for the expenses of constructing a machine, and to board Howe and his family while it was being built, in con-sideration of which he was to acquire a half interest in the patent when it should be taken out. The work was finished by April, 1845, and in July lie sewed two com-plete suits of clothes for himself and Fisher. Then came the heartache and disappointment. The tailors were suspicious of the machine ; and even after a public exhibition, in

THE ELIAS HOWE MACHINE, SEPTEMBER 10, 1846. Earliest model filed in Patent Office.
at Spencer, Mass. His father was a farmer and miller, whose means were so small that Howe was put to work at bread winning when he was yet a mere child. At twenty we find him a machinist in the shop of a Mr. Davis, of Boston, Mass., where he was first started
which the machine easily beat five of the swiftest sewers of a clothing manu-factory, he received not a word of en-couragement. Howe went back to the garret of George Fisher's house and built an-other machine, for deposit in the Patent Office, this being his second machine and the one shown in our illustration. In all the annals of the Patent Office it would be difficult to find a " strong-er " patent than this. So completely did it embody the essential features, that it carried its author safely through such a tempest of litigation as never fell upon a patentee before or since. Judged by comparison with later ma-chines, the product of skilled and intel-ligent mechanics, this early effort of Howe's, with its piece of cloth stuck on the pins of a " baster plate," is a somewhat clumsy affair ; but it sewed, and it did so according to principles which will probably continue to gov-ern the construction of sewing machines to the end of time. By a study of the cut it will be seen that a curved, eye-pointed needle was carried at the end of a vertical vibrat-ing lever, and that it took its thread from a spool situated above the lever. The tension on the thread was se-
cured by means of a spring brake, whose semicircular ends bore upon the spool, the pressure being regulated by a vertical thumb screw. The work was held in a vertical plane by means of pins projecting from the edge of a thin metal " baster plate," to which an intermittent motion was given by t lie t,Vc 1 h of a pin-ion. Above the "baster plate" was I lip shut I le race, through which the shill I le, parrying. I In second thread.

teeeesssttt.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

July 1896. Scientific American-History of the Sewing Machine. pg-73-Singer-Top-

Wheeler-Wilson-Sewing Machine-On Bottom.

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American.

11 veil I ict against other infringers, and they were obliged pii y royalties, (at first $25 on each machine), which 111 I hemselves ultimately gave him a princely in-e(11111.. l le also established a factory in New York, and, 1111 v hig bought up the remainder of his patent, he corn-1111.111'1.41 to) manufacture his own machine. His patent %%Air-4 extet )(led for seven years, in 1860 ; but another ap-11 ieat i o> r I, in 1867, was denied. He was decorated with I e (Toss of the Legion of Honor by France, in 1867, 11 III died on October 3 in the same year. NI' x t, to Howe, the name of Allen B. Wilson Hsi ims notice as the inventor who has done 1111, 1111 ►St to give us the present perfected sew-Imigelline. To him we are indebted for hose two most ingenious and beautiful I ii..ees Of mechanism : the rotating hook and 11.. four-motion feed. He claims to have ved the idea of a sewing machine in l'il; II is first machine was built during the Inig of 1849, while he was in the employ ..1 M 1.. Barnes, of Pittsfield, Mass., a cabi-11,1 maker. In the same year he built a ;o3)(1 better machine, and "up to this lime says, " I had never seen or heard of a -..%%ing machine other than my own." He I IN 11 ►ne-half interest in the invention to N. Chapin, of North Adams, and " II, weeds takes out his first patent, I lovii bears date November 12, 1850. The illod(.1 of this machine, now in the Patent IrI1II. IS shown in the accompanying illus-11,11 sun. It formed a lock stitch by means of I'd needle on a vibrating arm above plate, and a reciprocating two-pi .110,41 sl ttle traveling in a curved race be-1.0% Ihe plate. The feed motion was ob-1 11111.1 I by the two metal bars which are seen above the shuttle race. The 11 o∎ ■•1- 1)ar, called the feed bar, had teeth on 111 111)114'r face, and by means of a transverse k 1 r m of ion it moved the cloth, which was pllivi•i1 between the two bars, the desired III: 1,1 Hee as each stitch was made. 1551 Wilson patented his famous ro- which performs the functions of a shuttle • eiting tile upper thread and throwing its loop over re,' llor bobbin containing the under thread. This I the construction of the machine by getting iloi I If 1111' reelprocating motion of the ordinary shuttle, III 1 4.4 1.1 Hi t to make a light and silent running emiliently adapted to domestic use. 111 1552 M r. Wilson patented his four-motion feed,
the first twenty years its yearly sales rose to over 50,000; but, while it is specially adapted to certain classes of work, it has never won the popularity of the shuttle lock stitch. To Mr. James E. A. Gibbs the world is indebted for the single thread rotating hook machine. Mr. James Parton, in his historical review of this industry, writ-ten in 1871, says: " Twelve years ago, Mr. James E. A. Gibbs, a Virginia farmer, saw in the SCIENTIFIC
transmit the power from the hand wheel to the two countershafts for working the vertical needle and the shuttle. Singer was also the first to introduce foot power in place of the hand-driven crank wheel. He was a man of astonishing energy and fertility of resource, and he was the originator of the system of sale by agents, which has done so much to introduce the sew-ing machine into the domestic circle. Before passing on to a consideration of the statistics of the sewing machine, mention should be made of the application of this remarkable invention to the shoe and leather industries, where it has worked something like a revo-lution. The hand sewing of the uppers has given place to the quicker work of the ma-chine ; and this in turn led to the invention of the justly celebrated McKay machine for sewing on the soles of shoes, which was first introduced in 1861. According to Mr. Fred-erick G. Bourne, president of the Singer Manufacturing Company, " it is stated that as many as 900 pairs of shoes have been sewed on one machine in one day of ten hours ; and that over 350,000,000 pairs of shoes have been made on the McKay ma-chine up to the year 1877 in the United States, and probably an equal or greater number in Europe." This machine used a waxed thread and made a chain (stitch. The Goodyear, a later machine, makes the lock stitch with a waxed thread, and sews on the sole in the same way as it is done by hand. One could wish to dwell at length upon many of the remarkably ingenious applica-tions of the sewing machine to the various trades, and make mention of the glove stitcher, the buttonhole machine, and many others, but we must pass on to general sta-tistics. In 1856 the owners of the original sewing machine patents formed the famous " sewing machine combination" for the establishment, of a common license fee, and for the protec-tion of their mutual interests. The com-bination included Elias Howe, the Wheeler & Wil-son Manufacturing Company, the Grover- & Baker' Sewing Machine Company, and I. M. Singer & Com-pany. Any manufacturer who had a machine with reasonable claims to novelty was admitted on payment of the license. The records of this combination furnish us with valuable statistics of the sewing machine indus-try up to the year 1876, when the patents expired ; an

Earliest
THE SINGER MACHINE, AUGUST 12, 1851. model filed in Patent Office. Reproduced from the SCIENTIFIC
AMERICAN of November 1, 1851. AMERICAN a picture of a sewing machine. The work-ing of the apparatus was very plain down to the moment when the needle perforates the cloth, and he fell into the habit of musing upon the course of events after the point of the needle was lost to view. The result of his cogitations, aided by infinite whittling, was the inge-nious little revolving hook, which constitutes the pecu-liarity of the Willcox & Gibbs machine." The rotating

rid of the reciprocating motion of the ordinary shuttle, and contributed to make a light and silent running machine, eminently adapted to domestic use. In 1852 Mr. Wilson patented his four-motion feed, which, in combination with a spring presser foot, may be said to form. the basis of all modern feeding mechan-isms. The feed bar, as its name indicates, had four distinct motions, two vertical and two horizontal. It was first raised by the action of an eccentric on the driving shaft, then carried forward by a cam formed on the side of the eccentric (by which operation the work was shifted the desired distance), then it dropped, and finally it was drawn back by a spring to its original po-sition. This machine, as shown in our engraving, uses the curved needle and embodies the rotating hook and the four-motion feed. The latest type of this machine uses a vertical needle bar and a straight needle. Wilson had the good fortune soon after securing his patent to interest Nathaniel Wheeler, a young carriage maker who possessed some capital, in his machine, and out of this connection grew the great house of Wheeler & Wilson. Unquestion-ably, the association of Mr. Wheeler with the sewing machine at the very incep-tion of the industry was very largely answerable for its early and rapid success. It is rarely that the invent-ive and the commercial in-stinct are combined in the same man. It is certain they were not in Wilson. Wheeler, on the other hand, was eminently quali-fied by his wisdom, tact, and engaging presence to promote the interests of the new device. He succeeded in interesting some of the wealthy capitalists of the day, and the successful career of the Wheeler & Wilson establishment is a tribute to his undoubted business ability. In 1851 W. 0. Grover and W. E. Baker patented a machine which made the Grover & Baker stitch." They used two needles, one above and the other below the material, the lower needle passing horizontally through the loop of the upper thread and producing a double chain stitch on the under side of the cloth. Great things were hoped from the double chain stitch by its promoters, and in
point of the needle was lost to view. The result ()I' his cogitations, aided by infinite whittling, was the inge-nious little revolving hook, which constitutes the pecu-liarity of the Willcox & Gibbs machine." The rotating hook, which is placed below the cloth plate, seizes the loop, and during the ascent of the needle, it gives a twist to the thread, and spreads it out beneath the needle hole ready for the next descent of the needle, when the hook catches another loop and repeats the operation. Patent No. 8294, of August 12, 1851, introduced one of the most useful machines, and one of the most remarkable men, that have figured in the devel-opment of the sewing machine. Isaac Merritt Singer, strolling player, theater manager, inventor, and million-aire, brought into the business a new machine and novel methods of exploitation, which gave a powerful impulse to the youthful industry. The Singer improve-ments met the demand of the tailoring and leather in-
reaS01111,1)10 (•1111111t4 II) novelty W115 st(linitted 1►11yinen1 of the license. The revoills of this el 11111)1111111()11 rifieniSh US with Valli:11►10 Stal ititil'S of the SeWillp: 111111111110 try up to the year 1876, when t he patents expired ; lin extract from these records is given below
Manufacturer. Wheeler & Wilson Manufac-1853 1859 1867 187'1 1873 1876 turing Company 799 21,306 38,055 128,526 119,190 108,997 *The Singer Manufacturing Company 810 10,953 43,053. 181,260 232,444 262,316 Grover & Baker Sewing Ma-chine Company 657 10,280 32,999 50,838 36,179 . • • • Rowe Sewing Machine Com-pany ... • • .... 11,053 134,010 90,000 109,294 Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company..... •• • • .... 14,152 30,127 15,881 12,758 Domestic Sewing Machine Company.... • • • •••• .... 10,397 40,114 23,587
* Originally I. M. Singer & Company. The above reports show that, in the last years of the combination, the yearly sales of machines in the United States averaged 575,000 ! The subsequent census re-ports further indicate that the annual sales during the next fourteen years aver-aged over half a million; and a canvass which we have recently made of the leading firms in the United States shows t hat the yearly output in 1896 may be put down at between 600,000 and 700,000. Furthermore, the records of the Bureau of Statistics show that the total value of the exports of sewing machines from 1865 to 1895 reaches the large sum of $67,000,000. Some conception of the patient investigation, intel-ligent thought, and time and money that have been spent in perfecting the sew-ing machine may be had from the fact that from 1842 to 1895 over 7,000 patents had been granted on its various modifications ! Such has been the history of the sewing machine, and in the whole field of invention it would be difficult to find a device which has ministered more intimately to the wants of the race than this. It has brought g( )Id to the rich, good wage to the worker, and- best, gin, of all —sadly needed rest to weary fingers and milling. eyes in many a cottage and garret.

THE WHEELER &
WILSON PERFECTED MACHINE OF JUNE 15, 1852.
Reproduce
d from the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN of June 4, 1853.
dustries for a heavier and more powerful machine. Our illustration shows the original machine upon which the patent of 1851 was granted. The novelties consisted in the circular feed wheel below the cloth plate, which had a serrated periphery projecting slightly above the plate, and was fed by a rock shaft and pawl ; a thread controller ; and the use of gear wheels and shafting to

of the eccentric (by which operation the work was shifted the desired distance), then it dropped, and finally it was drawn back by a spring to its original po-sition. This machine, as shown in our engraving, uses the curved needle and embodies the rotating hook and the four-motion feed. The latest type of this machine uses a vertical needle bar and a straight needle. Wilson had the good fortune soon after securing his patent to interest Nathaniel Wheeler, a young carriage maker who possessed some capital, in his machine, and out of this connection grew the great house of Wheeler & Wilson. Unquestion-ably, the association of Mr. Wheeler with the sewing machine at the very incep-tion of the industry was very largely answerable for its early and rapid success. It is rarely that the invent-ive and the commercial in-stinct are combined in the same man. It is certain they were not in Wilson. Wheeler, on the other hand, was eminently quali-fied by his wisdom, tact, and engaging presence to promote the interests of the new device. He succeeded in interesting some of the wealthy capitalists of the day, and the successful career of the Wheeler & Wilson establishment is a tribute to his undoubted business ability. In 1851 W. 0. Grover and W. E. Baker patented a machine which made the Grover & Baker stitch." They used two needles, one above and the other below the material, the lower needle passing horizontally through the loop of the upper thread and producing a double chain stitch on the under side of the cloth. Great things were hoped from the double chain stitch by its promoters, and in
point of the needle was lost to view. The result ()I' his cogitations, aided by infinite whittling, was the inge-nious little revolving hook, which constitutes the pecu-liarity of the Willcox & Gibbs machine." The rotating hook, which is placed below the cloth plate, seizes the loop, and during the ascent of the needle, it gives a twist to the thread, and spreads it out beneath the needle hole ready for the next descent of the needle, when the hook catches another loop and repeats the operation. Patent No. 8294, of August 12, 1851, introduced one of the most useful machines, and one of the most remarkable men, that have figured in the devel-opment of the sewing machine. Isaac Merritt Singer, strolling player, theater manager, inventor, and million-aire, brought into the business a new machine and novel methods of exploitation, which gave a powerful impulse to the youthful industry. The Singer improve-ments met the demand of the tailoring and leather in-

(((((((((((((((((((

- -

July 1896. Scientific American-History of the Sewing Machine. pg-74--Top---- -pg 74 bot On Bottom.

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American.
11 veil I ict against other infringers, and they were obliged pay royalties, (at first $25 on each machine), which hemselves ultimately gave him a princely in-e l le also established a factory in New York, and, 1111 v hig bought up the remainder of his patent, he corn- to) manufacture his own machine. His patent %%Air-4 extet )(led for seven years, in 1860 ; but another ap-11 ieat i o> r I, in 1867, was denied. He was decorated with I e (Toss of the Legion of Honor by France, in 1867, 11 III died on October 3 in the same year. NI' x t, to Howe, the name of Allen B. Wilson Hsi ims notice as the inventor who has done ►St to give us the present perfected sew-Imigelline. To him we are indebted for hose two most ingenious and beautiful I ii..ees Of mechanism : the rotating hook and 11.. four-motion feed. He claims to have ved the idea of a sewing machine in l'il; II is first machine was built during the Inig of 1849, while he was in the employ ..1 M 1.. Barnes, of Pittsfield, Mass., a cabi-11,1 maker. In the same year he built a ;o3)(1 better machine, and "up to this lime says, " I had never seen or heard of a -..%%ing machine other than my own." He I IN 11 ►ne-half interest in the invention to N. Chapin, of North Adams, and " II, weeds takes out his first patent, I lovii bears date November 12, 1850. The illod(.1 of this machine, now in the Patent IS shown in the accompanying illus-11,11 sun. It formed a lock stitch by means of I'd needle on a vibrating arm above plate, and a reciprocating two-pi .110,41 sl ttle traveling in a curved race be-1.0% Ihe plate. The feed motion was ob- by the two metal bars which are seen above the shuttle race. The Bar, called the feed bar, had teeth onr face, and by means of a transverse k 1 r m of ion it moved the cloth, which was pllivi•i1 between the two bars, the desired III: 1,1 Hee as each stitch was made. 1551 Wilson patented his famous ro, which performs the functions of a shuttle • eiting tile upper thread and throwing its loop over re,' llor bobbin containing the under thread. This the construction of the machine by getting iloi I If ' reelprocating motion of the ordinary shuttle, to make a light and silent running emiliently adapted to domestic use. M r. Wilson patented his four-motion feed,
the first twenty years its yearly sales rose to over 50,000; but, while it is specially adapted to certain classes of work, it has never won the popularity of the shuttle lock stitch. To Mr. James E. A. Gibbs the world is indebted for the single thread rotating hook machine. Mr. James Parton, in his historical review of this industry, writ-ten in 1871, says: " Twelve years ago, Mr. James E. A. Gibbs, a Virginia farmer, saw in the SCIENTIFIC
transmit the power from the hand wheel to the two countershafts for working the vertical needle and the shuttle. Singer was also the first to introduce foot power in place of the hand-driven crank wheel. He was a man of astonishing energy and fertility of resource, and he was the originator of the system of sale by agents, which has done so much to introduce the sew-ing machine into the domestic circle. Before passing on to a consideration of the statistics of the sewing machine, mention should be made of the application of this remarkable invention to the shoe and leather industries, where it has worked something like a revo-lution. The hand sewing of the uppers has given place to the quicker work of the ma-chine ; and this in turn led to the invention of the justly celebrated McKay machine for sewing on the soles of shoes, which was first introduced in 1861. According to Mr. Fred-erick G. Bourne, president of the Singer Manufacturing Company, " it is stated that as many as 900 pairs of shoes have been sewed on one machine in one day of ten hours ; and that over 350,000,000 pairs of shoes have been made on the McKay ma-chine up to the year 1877 in the United States, and probably an equal or greater number in Europe." This machine used a waxed thread and made a chain (stitch. The Goodyear, a later machine, makes the lock stitch with a waxed thread, and sews on the sole in the same way as it is done by hand. One could wish to dwell at length upon many of the remarkably ingenious applica-tions of the sewing machine to the various trades, and make mention of the glove stitcher, the buttonhole machine, and many others, but we must pass on to general sta-tistics. In 1856 the owners of the original sewing machine patents formed the famous " sewing machine combination" for the establishment, of a common license fee, and for the protec-tion of their mutual interests. The com-bination included Elias Howe, the Wheeler & Wil-son Manufacturing Company, the Grover- & Baker' Sewing Machine Company, and I. M. Singer & Com-pany. Any manufacturer who had a machine with reasonable claims to novelty was admitted on payment of the license. The records of this combination furnish us with valuable statistics of the sewing machine indus-try up to the year 1876, when the patents expired ; an

Earliest
THE SINGER MACHINE, AUGUST 12, 1851. model filed in Patent Office. Reproduced from the SCIENTIFIC
AMERICAN of November 1, 1851. AMERICAN a picture of a sewing machine. The working of the apparatus was very plain down to the moment when the needle perforates the cloth, and he fell into the habit of musing upon the course of events after the point of the needle was lost to view. The result of his cogitations, aided by infinite whittling, was the ingenious little revolving hook, which constitutes the peculiarity of the Willcox & Gibbs machine." The rotating

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((222222222222

- -

July 1896. Scientific American-History of Aricululatural Industry, pg-75-Top------pg-75-Bottom

Earliest
THE SINGER MACHINE, AUGUST 12, 1851. model filed in Patent Office. Reproduced from the SCIENTIFIC
AMERICAN of November 1, 1851. AMERICAN a picture of a sewing machine. The working of the apparatus was very plain down to the moment when the needle perforates the cloth, and he fell into the habit of musing upon the course of events after the point of the needle was lost to view. The result of his cogitations, aided by infinite whittling, was the ingenious little revolving hook, which constitutes the peculiarity of the Willcox & Gibbs machine." The rotating

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

- -

July 1896. Scientific American-History of Aricululatural Industry, pg-76-Top- pg-76

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American.

page 76 top Sciritntifir American. JULY 25, 1896 .
panies continued the same proportion of increase in their output as did several of the larger ones. In this year two manufacturing establishments in the city of Chicago made more than 200,000 machines, half of which were binders, and the other half mowers and reapers, and these two institutions alone employed in their various branches of manufacturing and selling 10,000 employes. In 1895 the output of the largest of these manufacturing establishments in the city of Chicago was 60,000 self-binding harvesters fitted with bundle carrier and trucks ; 61,000 mowers, 10,000 corn harvesters and 5,000 reapers. The number of employes materially increased, but the total number of employes in the business has not increased for the last few years. There were exported in the year 1880 about 800 self-binding harvesters, 2,000 reapers, a n d 1,000 mowers. In 1890 this advance increas-ed to 3,000 self-bind-ing harvesters, 4,000 reapers, a n d 2,000 mowers. The Argen-tine Republic, Para-guay and Uruguay take most of the ma-chines that go to South America, and perhaps one-quarter of the total exports are to these coun-tries ; another quar-ter goes to the colo-nies of Australia and New Zealand, while t h e remainder . go largely to the Conti-nent of Europe, where they harvest the grains along the banks of the Red Sea and the Volga in Russia, along the Danube, in France, and in Germany, Sweden, Norway, England and Scotland. From these figures it will be seen that the great user of the labor-saving device is the Ameri-can farmer. It is only by employing these labor-saving implements that he is enabled to compete in grain rais-ing with the hordes of cheap laborers of India, and with those on the plains of Russia.

NAVAL AND COAST DEFENSE. The student of the past half century of progress in naval construction in the United States is tempted to exceed the further limits of his subject. As, in the his-
among transatlantic steamships, she was the pioneer of her class, and she anticipated by several decades the general introduction of steam into the navy. The progress of the American navy during the past, half century has been strangely intermittent, and It may be defined as a long stretch of comparative stagna, Lion, relieved by periods of sudden and remarkable ac-tivity, in which the resourcefulness and inventive genius of the nation were shown to be merely dormant,. The first awakening came in the great civil war ; the second in the last decade-1886-1896--of the period of which we are treating, in which a new navy, compris-ing ships of the very latest type, has been placed at the nation's service. Fifty years ago the United States navy was mainly

Ing the next noon years, WiliVII intervened before the outbreak of Ow eIvil vnr, only half a dozen sailing vessels wore I In f IE, us against 33 steam warships. In ad-dit,i(ai to 011, 041,11'101 11■11(Ivred by steam to ocean navi-gation Iii the int∎relialit service, in the navy it brought further Inik'11,11111044 I )1, II tactical nature, which ren-dered It of P41►01'1111 V11.1111.. As compared with the sail-ing frigato, the steam frigate was independent of the wind and could place herself in the hest position for a light, giving or tievel►ing bait le as she pleased. This alone %ViliP4 S111114.11,11i P41)111111 OW (100111 of the grand old W1)(1(1011 1,W4► 1111'1, 11(411(01'5, With their towering top-sides mid hilly NI-ref 1•11 4)1' glistening spars and snowy can vas. ilhisl ration, from a daguerreotype of the Mississippi, shows rig and general appearance of a war steamer of 1846. She was launched in 1841, and in 1853 C. B. Stu-a,rt, the chief engi-neer of the navy, speaks of her as hav-ing been altogether the most useful and economical side wheeler in the navy, r- I er dimensions were: Length, 220 feet; - beam, 40 feet; mould-
ed depth, 39 feet; ton-- llage, 1,692 ; displace-ilient, 3,220. There were two side lever condensing engines, with cylinders 75 inches diameter by 7 feet stroke. The boilers,.three in number, were built of copper, with three furnaces, double return, ascending flues, and a total heating surface of 6,000 square feet. They weighed, empty, 120 tons. The paddle wheels, 28 feet diameter, were of the plain radial pattern. The average performance of the Mississippi under steam alone during an aggregate of 30 days was as follows : Speed, 73 knots an hour ; revolutions, 10'65 per minute ; steam pressure, 10% pounds ; coal consumption, 37 tons per day. The hull cost $306,683 and the ma-chinery $243,571. She was armed with two 10 inch smooth bore guns, mounted on pivots, one on each . bow, and eight 8 inch smooth bores, mounted in broad-side abaft the paddle box. The range, penetration,

COMPARATIVE DIAGRAM, DRAWN TO SCALE, SHOWING THE DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT OF THE CAST IRON SMOOTH BORE 8 INCH GUNS OF THE MISSISSIPPI (1846) AS COMPARED WITH THE STEEL 8 INCH RIFLE GUNS OF THE MASSA-CHUSETTS (1896).
composed of line-of-battle ships and frigates, some of which carried the scars and the glory of many a hard fought duel in the war of 1812. The Naval Register for 1846 gives the following summary of the number of ves-sels in the navy at that time : Ships of the line, 11 ; razee (Independence), 1 ; first-class frigates, 12 ; second-class frigates, 2 ; sloops of war, 23 ; brigs, 8 ; schooners, 6 ; steamers, 11 ; storeships and brigs, 4 ; a total of 78 vessels of all classes. Of the battleships, the most im-portant was the grand old Pennsylvania, a giant for those days, of 3,241 tons and 120 guns, built in 1837. She had a full complement of 1,100 officers and men and cost $694,500 to build and equip. The other battleships were much smaller, being of about 2,600 tonnage and

NAVAL AND COAST DEFENSE. The student of the past half century of progress in naval construction in the United States is tempted to exceed the further limits of his subject. As, in the his-tory of the steam merchant marine, he cannot refrain from mention of the Savannah, so, in tracing the devel-opment of the steam warship, he is constrained to go back to the time of the war of 1812 and record the fact that it dates from that year. It appears that, in spite of the splendid service which was being rendered by the navy during the course of that war, it was felt that the sea coast and harbor defense was insufficient, and as a measure of protection to the city of New York build a powerful battlehip which
it was decided to should rely mainly upon steam for its propulsion. A committee of the Coast and Harbor Defense Associa-tion of that day appointed Robert Fulton as engi-neer, and from his designs a large coast defense steam battleship of 2,475 tons was built and launch-ed on June 20, 1814. According to the plans of the Fulton, as she was named, the pad-dle wheel was in the center, be-tween what ap-pear to have been practically t w o hulls, with the boiler in one hull and engine in the other. On h e r trial trip she inade a speed of 514 miles an hour w i t In her :ulna-n t 011 board. As originally de-signed, she was to have carried 32 heavy guns. Such was the first war steamer the world ever saw. Like the Savannah
portant was the grand old Pennsylvania, a giant for those days, of 3,241 tons and 120 guns, built in 1837. She had a full complement of 1,100 officers and men and cost $694,500 to build and equip. The other battleships were much smaller, being of about 2,600 tonnage and carrying 84 guns. The frigates of 1,726 tons carried 50 guns and the sloops of war averaged about 800 tons, carrying from 16 to 24 guns. The armament of these vessels consisted of from four to twelve 8 inch guns and from sixteen to seventy-two 32 pounders, according to the size of the ship. All of the guns were smooth bores, firing round shell. The appearance of nearly a dozen steamers upon the register reminds us that we are dealing with the period, which witnessed the passing of the sailing ship. Dur-
tons per day. The hull cost $306,683 and the ma chinery $243,571. She was armed with two 10 inch smooth bore guns, mounted on pivots, one on each . bow, and eight 8 inch smooth bores, mounted in broad-side abaft the paddle box. The range, penetration, etc., of these guns were as follows :
Gun. Charge. Projectile. Initial velocity. Penetration through seasoned white oak at 500 yds. 1000 yds 1500 yds 2000 yds 10 in.... 10 lb. 120 lb. shell. 1,160 f. s. 32'1 in. 24*2 in. 18'2 in. 13'7 in. 8 in... , 91b. 51 lb. shell. 1,500 f. s. 33'0 in. 23'0 in. 15 9 in. 11•0 in.
The above
penetration of 33 inches through oak would be equal to it penetration Of 3 inches h rough iron. '1'111s wits the max-i in um perform-itiw0 of the guns or I how days. To-day the penetra-Ion at 500 yards of the heavy guns carried by our Milli/Pi has increas-od from 3 to 30 inehes, an impres-sive evidence of the growth of heavy ordnance. Al. the opening of the civil war the fleet of sailing slii 1►s consisted of 10 ships of the line, 10 frigates, 20 sloops, and a doz-oil brigs, store vessels a n d re-ceiving ships. The 8 t 0 it In fleet in-cluded 7 screw frigates built in 11455, namely, the .N i a ga ra, of 12 g ii Ii s and 4,580 tons, and 0 of the Roanoke type, of 40 guns and 3,200 tons ; 6 first-class screw sloops of 13 to 25 guns and ; total broadside, 1,446 to 2,360 tons; 4 sidewheelers of 9
ary

Displacement, 3,220
THE
MISSISSIPPI—UNITED STATES WAR STEAMER
OF 1846.
tons ; speed, 7i knots ; armament, two 10 inch and eight 8 inch smooth bore guns 324 pounds.

- -

July 1896. Scientific American-History of Aricululatural Industry, pg-77-Top--Bot-

pg-77-Bot McCormick Reaper of 1876-The Mann Harvester of 1849-bot

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American.

U IA 25, 1896.]
s(fciantifi( Aztrion.
77
gt I I IS and 1,446 to 2,450 tons ; 8 second-class screw ,100ps of :; to 6 guns and 694 to 1,289 tons ; 5 third-class tisrew steamers of 5 to 8 guns and 500 tons ; 4 third-class 1411'W heelers of 1 to 3 guns, 450 tons, and 2 screw steam icul(lers, 'lucking a total of 52 sailing and 36 steam war-( onsidering the magnitude of the conflict and III% 11 1St, stretch of coast line and rivers upon which it %% as to be waged, this fleet was altogether inadequate, 1111)1 I Ile government strained every nerve by building a I I )y pi' rehase to increase its strength and efficiency.
were formed of 20 inches of pine and 4 inches of oak, and were covered with two layers of 2 inch iron plating. The plates, 8 inches wide, had been rolled at the Tredegar Foundry, Richmond, from old iron rails. The first layer was placed horizontally and the second verti-cally, the whole being secured to the backing by 1% inch bolts. The ends of the casement were rounded, and the roof was formed by an iron grating. Her armament consisted of two 7 inch rifled guns pivotally mounted fore and aft on the center line. On the broad-

•CUT OF THE CONFEDERATE IRONCLAD MERRIMAC. I )1:Iw n for the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN from descriptions furnished by a mechanic who assisted in her con-ri lotion, and published in the issue of November 9, 1861. Probably the earliest illustration of this vessel.
I luw l'a• they succeeded is shown by a government ',lade shortly after the close of the war, which 0.110%% ed that since 1861 there had been built by and ini I Ile navy department the following vessels :
t.I screw sloops of 500 to 3,200 tons and 4 to 21 guns. In .louble-ended sidewheelers 825 " 974 " 6 " 12 " S " " " " (iron) 1,030 ,.. 6 " 10 Slugs 350 " 2 4 & " i : 170 4 4
mengoing casement iron-clads . 5,090 and 3,486 mingoing single turret iron-(lads 3,265 " 3,033 t. .10u ble turret ironelads 1,564 .l G. • • • • 970 It, mingle " • • • • 525 to 1,034 " 6 6 6 r 4 4 16 and 18 " 2 4 " 4 " 2
10 other vessels of smaller size and various types.
side were two 6 inch rifled guns and six 9 inch smooth-bore Dahlgren guns. Our illustration, which is probably the first represen-tation of the Merrimac ever published, was drawn from the description of a mechanic who had just come from the South, where he had assisted in the reconstruction of the ship. It was published before she was at her load line, which will account for the fact that she is shown with a much higher freeboard than she actually possessed. The answer of the North to the challenge of the South was made in the launch of the turret ship Monitor, Ericsson's famous creation. In her design it was sought to produce a ship, that should he invulner-able, of light draught for operation in the Southern harbors, carrying few guns, and that should be
pheral rollers, but upon a central pivot within the ship's hull. It was protected by eight one inch iron plates, and the armament consisted of two 11 inch Dahl-gren smooth bores. Forward of the turret was an iron pilot house 4 feet high covered with a 2 inch plate. The deck was pierced by two square smoke stacks and two blow holes. In the face of a storm of adverse criticism and prediction of disaster, the Monitor was completed and launched and dispatched to Southern waters. None too soon did she appear on the scene. The Merrimac was already at her work of destruction, and in one day, March 8, 1862, she had engaged three Northern ships of from thirty to fifty guns, in Hampton Roads, and ad-ministered a crushing defeat, receiving but little hurt herself. On the evening of the Same day the Monitor steamed into the harbor, and on the day following was fought one of the most memorable duels of history. The story of the fight is too well known for repetition. It proved the superiority of armor to shot, the latter glancing from the former, and inflicting but little dam-age. The Monitor fired once every 7 minutes, the Merri-mac once every 15 minutes. The superior turning power of the Monitor and the wide arc of fire through which she could use her guns proved a great advantage. The failure of either ship to inflict serious injury upon the other, however, was due largely to the fact that the Monitor was using light charges, lighter than was neces-sary, in her 11 inch guns, and the Merrimac was with/Out solid shot. The effect of the Monitor and her successors upon naval construction was far reaching, and showed itself in the general adoption of the turret by the navies of the world. It may without exaggeration be said that this little vessel was the father of the modern battleship, whether it be a Massachusetts, a Majestic, or a Charle-magne. Equally valuable were the lessons of the war in rela-tion to all matters of sea coast and river defense. One of the first encounters took place at New Orleans, when Farragut forced his way past the forts and through a strong boom and captured the city. It was a bold stroke on the part of the Northern admiral, for it was considered in those days that stone forts such as those below New Orleans were sufficient to bar the passage of a stronger fleet than that possessed by Farragut. The forts, however, were indifferently armed with old pattern 8 and 10 inch guns, and would undoubtedly have rendered a better account of themselves if better armed and manned. There were 17 ships in the fleet, mounting in all 192 guns. The same feat was repeated two years later at Mobile, when the fleet forced its way through a line of torpedo defenses wider 1 he concentrat cad tire of Port Morgan. On both occasions the value ()I* extemporized side armor %vas proved, and in t ►

***********************************************************************************************************************8**8***********************************

clads 3,265 " 3,033 • 5 double turret ironclads. 1,564 6 • 66 4 4 " " • • •• 970 4 45 single " " .... 525 to 1,034 " 2 "
10 other vessels of smaller size and various types.
In addition to the above there were purchased for the navy 497 vessels, ranging in size from 100 to 1,200 tons. To this must be added what is known as the " stone fleet," comprising 44 vessels of 300 tons, 12 canal boats and 22 schooners ; these were purchased to be filled with stone and sunk for the obstruction of channels, etc. In seeking for the birthplace of the modern battle-ship we are carried back to the European war of the Crimea in 1854, and the American civil war of a few years later. The former gave us the first practical ap-plication of side armor ; the latter the first actual test of the revolving turret. On October 17, 1855, the French contingent of the allied fleet dispatched three armor--plated ships against the Russian forts at Kinburn, and after a stubborn resistance, during which " the steady clang of the enemy's shot upon the " four inch plat-ing echoed like the blows of a cyclopean sledge-ham-mer," the forts were silenced, and these little 1,400 ton ironclads came out of the fight victorious, and practi-cally unharmed. But while it is true that this was the first practical test of the ironclad, it is but just to men-tion the fact that to Mr. Stevens of New York is due the credit of having commenced the construction of an armored floating battery in the United States as far back as the forties. In 1841 he wrote a letter to the Naval Harbor Defense Board, proposing to build a warship which should embody the following features—an iron hull, inclined side armor, engines and boilers below the water line, high pressure steam, the screw propeller, and rifled wrought iron guns, loading at the breech. This remarkable letter formed the basis of a subsequent contract. Limits of space forbid a more detailed description of this ship ; but the letter with cuts of the vessel will be published in a subsequent issue of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT. At the outbreak of the civil war the South realized that, with its very limited means for naval construction as compared with the North, it could only hope to pre-vail by adopting some special type of ship. This con-viction led to the reconstruction of the Merrimac, a forty-gun steam frigate of 3,500 tons. She was partially burnt and sunk at the Norfolk navy yard by the United States officers at the opening of the war, to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy, who subsequently raised her, and finding the hull and machinery in good order, determined to convert her into a side-armored battleship. Her upper works were cut down to the water line, and a rectangular casement, with sides in-clined about 35 degrees, was built amidships. The sides
South wits made in the launch of the turret ship Monitor, Ericsson's famous creation. In her design it was sought to produce a ship that should be invulner-able, of light draught for operation in the Southern harbors, carrying few guns, and that should be capable of rapid construction. The most novel and epoch-making feature was the placing of the guns with-in an armored revolving turret. This was not a new idea, but it was the first practical application and test of it. Others had already suggested it, but to the United
mounting in all 192 guns. The slime font wits ripoittild two years later at Mo►liV, when ilS Wny through a line of torpedo defeilses inidorlhe concentritt, ed lire of Port Morgan. 011 both occasions the value Of extemporized side armor was proved, itild in these early days of the contest between gun ;mid armor, the ad-vantage lay with the armor. On the other hand, the early actions off Charleston, and particularly against Fort Sumter, were a triumph for the forts, On this occasion the fleet under Dupont, the Northern com-

- • -
THE FEDERAL IRONCLAD MONITOR, 1861. Displacement, 1,000 tons ; length, 172 feet ; breadth, 411/ feet ; draught, 10% feet ; armor on turret, 8 inches. thick ; armament, two 11 inch smooth bores.
States navy belongs the credit of the successful adop-tion of a design, which as far back as the Crimean war had been offered by Ericsson to the Emperor Napoleon, and rejected in favor of broadside plating. The Monitor was built in 118 days. She was of 1000 tons displacement ; 172 feet long, 41% feet beam, and drew 10% feet of water. Her deck was plated with 1 inch, and her sides, which overhung the hull proper, with 5 inches of iron, her freeboard being only 2 feet. The turret was 20 feet diameter, inside, by 9 feet high, and revolved, not, as is the practice now, upon peH-
mander, consisted of nine ironclads, mounting in all seven 15 inch, twenty-two 11 inch and two 50 pounder smooth bores, with three 150 pounder rifled guns. The forts mounted ten 10, inch, nineteen 8 inch, and eight-teen 32 pounder smooth bores, with ten 10 inch mortars, two 8 inch, seven 42 pounder and eight 32 pounder rifled guns, or 74 guns in all. The ironclad fleet con-centrated its fire upon Fort Sumter, and bombarded it for an hour, but " the 15 inch shells which were to blown in the masonry of Fort Sumter did nothing of the kind." One 10 inch gun was tom►oritrily ditokblod,

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

- -

July 1896. Scientific American-Engine of the Powhatan-of-1849, pg-78-Top1831-McCormick Reaper of 1876-T

pg-78-Bot Compare Relative size of Engine-of-the S S Torpedo No-2 1891

JULY 25, 1896. Sciehntific American.
page 79 Top JULY 25, 1896.,
one 8 inch gun burst, seven men were wounded and one killed. In the fleet the Keokuk was sunk, and the other ships were hit from thirty-five to sixty times, with temporary disablement of guns and turrets, though the damage was on the whole slight, considering the hail of heavy projectiles. The failure of this attack seems to
lated experience of the past four years, and the ships of the new navy in which it was embodied, were laid open as a kind of reference library or school of instruction for the world at large. Foreign naval constructors were not slow to learn therein ; and the student of naval pro-gress must cross the water if he would follow the devel-

VERTICAL OR ” FEATHERING" PADDLE WHEELS OF THE WATER WITCH THE SECOND.
First of this type to be used in the navy, 1853.
show that the coast defense fortifications of those days were proof against the first the attack of battleships, though a later attack On Sumter with Parrott rifles, it is true, was more destructive. It is certain that the develop-ments in artillery since the war are favorable to the modern fort, inasmuch as t,ine enormous weight of the heaviest, modern guns limits their use ()I► the ship, but offers no objection to their emplacement within land
opment of ships, guns, and armor during the next two decades. As the British navy stands at the front dur-ing this interim, both in constructional developments and numerical strength, it will be sufficient to show the advance approximately by quoting the details of par-ticular ships of this navy. (See table below.)

111.77,75:i
PNEUMATIC DISAPPEARING GUN CARRIAGE FOR COAST DEFENSE.
Invented by Captain James B. Eads in 1872.
Ship. Devastation ..
Date of de-sign. 1870
Dis-place-ment. 9,330
Speed in I Armor in knots. inches.
14 12 in. to 14 in. iron.
Guns. 12 inch 35 ton muzzle loading.
Stages of development. Great increase in size of ships, guns and thick-ness of armor.
.
BOTTOM HALF OF PAGE•

It is certain that the develop-ments in artillery since the war are favorable to the modern fort, inasmuch as the enormous weight of the heaviest modern guns limits their use on the ship, but offers no objection to their emplacement within land fortifications. Before passing on to the present decade mention must be made of the destructive work of the Confederate crui-sers. The story of the ravages of the Alabama and her final sinking by the Kearsarge is well known ; and it is largely to the striking success of this ship that the large percentage of swift, lightly armed cruisers in modern navies is due. The Alabama and her mates practically swept the American merchant marine from the high seas, and had it not been for its fleet of swift blockade runners, the South would have collapsed many months before the final capitulation actually took place. At the close of the war silence fell upon the busy dock-yards of the navy—a silence which was to be practically unbroken for the next twenty years. All the accumu-
Devastation 1870 9,330 14 12 in. to 14 in. iron. 12 inch 35 ton muzzle loading. Inflexible 1876 11,880 12'8 16 in. to 24 in. steel and iron compound armor. 16 inch 80 ton muzzle loading. Camperdown. 1880 10,600 16•9 18 in. com-pound. 13;4 in. 67 ton breech loading, 6 in. B. L. secondary battery. Imperieuse 1881 8,400 1615 10 in. corn- pound. 9•2 in. and 6 in. breech loading. Medea 1885 2,800 19 1M in. pro- tective deck. 6 in. guns B. L. Great increase in size of ships, guns and thick-ness of armor.
Use of steel for armor. Con-tinued increase in size of ships, guns, and ar-mor.
Use of steel for hull. Twin screws. Breech loading guns mounted in lofty barbettes. Strong second-ary battery.
Belted cruiser type. High speed pro-tected cruiser type. torpedo and the torpedo boat, with a host of minor but important devices for increasing the destructive ness of naval warfare. Toward the close of this period the United States awoke to the fact that, in the modern sense of the term, they were practically without a navy, and Congress made a modest start in the construction of one by authorizing, in 1883, the building of three protected cruisers, the Atlanta and Boston, single screw ships, of 3,000 tons displacement and 15•6 knots speed, and the Chicago, of 4,500 tons and 15.1 knots ; the armament consisting of 6 and 8 inch breech-loading rifled guns. The work of creating a modern navy has gone forward steadily ever since, and the story of its growth and suc-cess is epitomized in the table on the next page. Bearing in mind how thoroughly up to date are the var-ious war ships in this tabulation, it is a most creditable showing, and in many respects the new navy is unique among the navies of the world. Com pared with the ships of other nations, upon a basis of displacement,

ENGINE OF U. S. S. POWHATAN. Designed by the Bureau of Steam Engineering, 1849. Charles H. Haswell, Engineer-in-Chief. Built by A. IVIehafly & Company, Norfolk, Va. Horse power, 1,172 ; steam pressure, 15 pounds ; total weight of machinery, 508 tons ; weight per horse power, 972 pounds.
ENGINE OF U. FL TORPEDO BOAT No. 2.
Designed by the Bureau of Steam En-gineering., 1891. George W. Melville, Engineer-in-Chief. Built by Iowa Iron Works, Dubuque, Iowa. Horse power, 1,800 ; steam pressure, 250 pounds ; total weight of machinery, 45 tons ; weight per horse power, 56 pounds.

1849—ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE ADVANCEMENT IN MARINE ENGINEERING-1891, (The two engines are drawn to the same scale, so that the drawings show the relative sizes.)

u-pic 26)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

- -

July 1896. pg 79-Scientific American-History of -The-New-United-States-Navy, pg-79

pg-79-Bot The-Kearsarge-Sea-Going-Battleship-1896

JULY 25, 1896. Scitittific AMERICAN PG-79 TOP
THE NEW UNITED STATES NAVY.
Name. Author-ized. Type of Ship. Displace-ment. Speed. Atlanta, t Boston, 1883 Protected cruiser. 3,000 15'6 Chicago 1883 66 4,500 15'1 Dolphin 1883 Dispatch boat. 1,486 15'5 Charleston 1885 Protected cruiser. 3,730 18'20 Newark • • 1885 4,098 19'00 Petrel. 1885 Gunboat. 892 11'8 Yorktown 1885 1,710 16'14 Maine 1886 Turret battleship. 6,682 17'45 Texas 1886 6,315 17'00 Baltimore • • 1886 Protected cruiser. 4,413 20'09 Vesuvius . . .. 1886 Dynamite " 929 21'42 Cushing 1886 Torpedo boat. 105 22'5 Monterey 1887 Monitor. 4,084 13'6 Philadelphia 1887 Protected cruiser. 4,324 19'68 San Francisco 1887 4,098 19'53 Bennington 1887 Gunboat. 1,710 17'5 Concord 1887 1,710 16'8 New York 1888 Armored cruiser. 8,200 21'00 Olympia • • 1888 Protected 5,870 21'78 Cincinnati 1888 6• 3,213 19'00 Detroit 1888 Cruiser. 2,089 18'71 Marblehead. 1888 2,089 18 ' 44 Montgomery 1888 2,089 19'05 Raleigh. 1888 Protected cruiser. 3,213 19'00 Bancroft 1888 Training ship. 839 14'37 Katandin 1889 Harbor defense ram. 2,155 16'25 uastine 1889 Gunboat. 1,177 16'03 Machias OG, 1889 Gunboat. 1,177 15'5 Indiana 1890 Coastline battleship. 10,288 15'55 Massachusetts 1890 46 44 16'15 Oregon 1890 66 16'78 Columbia • • 1890 Protected cruiser. 7,375 22'8 Ericsson 1890 Torpedo boat. 120 24'00 Minneapolis. . 1891 Protected cruiser. 7,375 23'07 Iowa. 1892 Seagoing battleship. 11,410 16'00 Brooklyn 1892 Armored cruiser. 9,271 21'07 Three Helena type Sitb.narine boat 1893 1893 Gunboats. Torpedo boat. 1,392 168 13'00 8'00 Nos. 3, 4 and 5. 1894 6. 142 21'5 Kearsarge • • 1895 Seagoing battleship. 11,525 16'00 Kentucky 1895 66 11,525 16'00 Six gunboats 1895 Gunboats. 1,000 12'00 Nos. 6, 7 and 8 1895 Torpedo boats. 190 27'5 Three battleships. 1896 Battleships. 12,000 16'00 Nos. 9,10 and 11 ..... • • 1896 First-class torpedo boats. 30'00 Nos. 12-18 1896 Second class torpedo boats 26'00
Armor.
1.6 in. deck. 1" " 2 " to 3 in. deck. 2 6. 1.4 3 64
? t4 % 44 " deck. 8 " to 12 in. 12 " 2 " to 4 in. deck. " deck. 7 " to 13 in. " " 4 2 " " 3 3 " deck. 3 66 44
3 4 " 2<<to 6 " 10 "4 in. deck. 44 4• 1 " 64 64 66 44 C4 1 64 44 254 64 64 334 638 46 44 64 66 c. 6 " " 18 66 do. do. " " 4 G. 64 " " 4 " 46 6 " " 15 " ( 3 6 66 66 4 " " 8 " 6, 44 9 64 "17 6•
do. Similar to Kearsarge. Main Armament. 2 8-in. B. L. rifles. 66
i 4 8" 8 6" 2 5 " 2 4 " R. fire j 2 8 "B. L. ) 6 6 12 6 " 64 4 6" "
6 6 " 66 410 " 66 1 6 6 " 44 2 12 " 66 1 6 6" " 4 8" 1 6 6" " 3 15 " dynamite guns. 3 1-pounder R. F. 318-in. torpedoes. 2 12 " B. L. rifles. 2 10 " " " 12 6 " " 12 6 " " 6 6" 6 6" 6 8 • 12 4 " 4 8" 10 5" 16" 10 5 " 9 5 9 5 " 9 5" I 1 6 " 110 5" 4 4 " R. F. 4 6-pounder R. 8 4-in. R. F. 8 4 " " 4 13-in. B. L. rifles. 8 8 " " 4 6 " " do. do. 1 8 " B. L. rifle. 2 6 " R. F. rifles.
44 44 46 44 46 64
*6 46 44 46 6• 64 46 44 46 66 66 46
46 •6 64 R. F. B. L. " R. F. " " rifle. rifles. 44 66 .6 64
66 46 44 6• F. 8 4 " " "
3 1-pdr. " " 1 8-in. B. L. rifle. 2 46 " R. F. rifles. 8 412 " B. L. " 46 8 8 4: 66
6 4 " R. F. " 8 8 " B. L. " 12 5 " R. F. " 8 4" 2 torpedo tubes. 3 1-pdr. R. F. guns. 3 18 in. Whiteheads. 413 " B. L. rifles. 4 8 " " " 14 5 " R. F. guns. do. 6 4" 318 " Whiteheads. 4 1-pdr. R. F. guns.
64 66
Note I. To this list must be added the four completed monitors of the Miantonomoh type, and the Puritan. Note 2. Where not specified as deck armor the dimensions relate to side and turret armor.
engines and boilers ; indeed, it may safely be said that the development of the marine engine, both in the merchant marine mid in the navy, has been the most potent factor in bringing the steam engine up to its present high standard of efficiency. The necessity of keeping down the size of war ships, coupled with the high speed required, mid 11 le all 10o scanty space allot-ted to engines and boilers, have led the marine engineer to bend every energy to the reducti( at of weight, and the increase of efficiency. What was merely desirable on land was absolutely imperative on the seas, hind hence the marine engine has 1y led way In I la, improvement of steam machinery. , The compound engine, with its higher pressures mid whhw range ()I' expansion ; the triple and then quadruple expansion engine-a further advance upon ilw saw' the larger use of steel in const ruct ion of engines and ►Oilers ; the extended use of whiter tube boilers ; forced draught ; and many other ad va,liced of steam engine practice, were early utilized mid improved by the naval engineer. The accompanying Must rat ion of the engines of the Powhatan, 1849, and the Ericsson, 1891, for which we are indebted to the present Engineer-in-Chief of the Navy, George W. Melville, shows very graphically the decrease in bulk and the increase in power of the marine engine. While steam pressure has increased from 15 to 250 pounds, and the revolutions per minute from 14 in the paddle steamer to 412 in the screw steamer, the weight of machinery per horse power has decreased from 972 to 56 pounds I The development of guns and armor during the past half century has fully kept pace with the advance in ships and engines. In 1846 the guns were cast iron smooth bores, firing spherical projectiles at low velocities ; and for armor the ships relied upon great thickness of wood. The cast iron Columbiads ranged in size from the 8 inch, OA ton gun, to the 20 inch, 57% ton gun, the former throwing a 68 pound, the latter a 1,000 pound projectile. The year 1860 saw the commencement of the manufacture of the celebrated Parrott gun, which was destined to play such an important part in the war. In this gun were introduced the two elements of reinforcement and rifling, the body of the gun being of cast iron, with a wrought iron hoop shrunk on over the breech. They were very formidable weapons, an 8 inch rifle having, in 1865, thrown a 52% pound shell, with an initial velocity of 1,809 feet per second, thereby establishing a claim for the Parrott as " the most formidable service gun extant" at that time. After the war there was twenty years ()I' st agnat ion, sim-ilar to that in the navy, in the 'nal el' um we mid coast defense, and in 1885, the brick 11,m(1 stone forts of 1860-65, surmounted by itutiquitted sm( wt II bores and ,,
1890 'Second. Cl/113H torpedo boats. . . I 21$'00 I
Note 1. To this list must be added the four completed monitors of the Miantonomoh type, and the Puritan. Note 2. Where not specified as deck armor the dimensions relate to side and turret armor.
they are certainly in many respects greatly superior. That is to say, size for size, they are faster, more heav-ily armed and armored, and better protected. The Massachusetts, as a battleship the Brooklyn, as an armored cruiser and the Minneapolis, as a protected cruiser, are relatively unmatched by anything afloat to-day. The following table shows the increase in fighting power of the individual ship in the past fifty years :
Date. Dis-place-ment. Speed knots Armor. Weight of broadside. Maximum penetration through iron. Tons. Mississippi. .. 1846 3,220 7'33 none 324 lb. 3 in. at 500 yds. Massachusetts 1896 10,288 16'15 18 in. steel. 5,724 lb. 30 in. at 500 yds.
Equally remarkable has been the improvement in
After the war there was twenty years or sl agtlation, sim-ilar to that in the navy, in the matt er of ordnance and coast defense, and in 1885, the brick and stone forts of 1860-65, surmounted by antiquated smooth bores and Parrott rifles, were all the defense which -the nation could offer in the event of attack by the powerful artillery of a foreign power. In that year a complete investigation of the defenseless condition of our va-rious seacoast cities was made by what is known as the Endicott Board, who reported that to put the coastline in a state of thorough defense would require the expenditure of about $100,000,000 for guns mil forts. The recommendations of this board, modified to

THE KEARSARGE, 1896 ; SEA-GOING BATTLESHIP.

Displacement, 11,525 tons ; speed (proposed), 16 knots ; material of construction, steel ; type, superimposed turret and rapid-fire broadside ; armor, 9 inches to 17 inches, Harvey steel ; armament, four 13 inch and four 8 inch breech-loading rifles ; fourteen 5 inch rapid-fire guns ; thirty smaller rapid-fire guns ; five torpedo tubes.

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))new

- -

July 1896. pg 80-Scientific American-History of Printing in the USA, The Franklin hand Press, pg-80 pg-80-Bot The-Kearsarge-Sea-Going-Battleship-1896

JULY 25, 1896.
Scientific American.
PG-80 TOP

meet the present requirements, would call for the mounting of about 1,500 modern guns and mor-tars of from 8 inch to 16 inch cali-ber, and 360 rapid fire guns. At the present writing New York, San Francisco and Boston have between them some 50 to 60 modern guns and mortars mounted in place ; and including the sum voted at the close of the Congress of 1895-96, about 20 per cent of the necessary sum has been appropriated. The accompa-nying diagram of a modern United States 8 inch rifle may be taken as typical of the guns which will be mounted in the proposed system of coast defense. It is an all-steel, built-up hooped gun, with a breech-loading mechanism of special pat-tern, and great facility of manipu-lation. This comparative diagram, together with the comparative table of the 8 inch guns of the Missis-sippi and the Massachusetts, show the growth in size and power during fifty years. It is only during the past few years that the manufacture of modern armor has been under-taken in the United States, yet we have easily moved to the front place by the introduction of the Harvey system of face-hardened armor, by means of which the resisting power of a plate is increased some 50 per cent. Already our makers are fill-ing important orders for European navies, and the English Admiralty have adopted a modified form of the system in preference to any other for all ships now building and planned. FIFTY YEARS IN THE PRINTING BUSINESS, The far more general dissemina-tion of intelligence, the rapid and efficient means of intercommuni-cation between all parts of the world, with the cheapening and broadening of all educational facilities, constitute, cheap literature and which more properly belong to perhaps, the most notable feature of the progress of the epoch we are considering. +h. rino• ►ngf. holf ockni-kirxr and +hck rtn. Tho TVPLIGIC2 iihd*-kum in itTick cancmcsirinno 4a Trihcs+ 17r.rkum
[JULY 25, i896.

THE FRANKLIN HAND printing PRESS IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM WASHINGTON.

as a Rainage press, and it was used by Benjamin Franklin in London in 1725. The press is constructed al-most entirely out of wood, though iron was subsequently used in many of the parts. On the clumsy frame the great statesman has left the marks of his inky fingers. It is now in the National Museum, at Washington. In the early part of the present century Earl Stanhope in-vented a press made entirely of iron, the frame being cast in a single piece. The power was applied by a combination toggle joint and lever. The Columbian press was invented by a Philadelphian in 1817. The power was applied by a compound lever. In 1829 the Washington press of Samuel Rust was introduced, and many improvements were intro-duced in inking, and later a self-inking device was invented. The first power press produced in Ame-rica was that of Daniel Treadwell, of Boston, in 1822. The Adams press was invented in 1830, and has superseded all other platen presses, the impression being given by rais-ing the bed upon which the form rests against a stationary platen. The first attempt to make a rotary press was that of Friedrich KOnig, in 1814. In this the type moved horizontally, and it could give 1,800 impressions per hour. The first great step toward facili-tating the rapid and cheap produc-tion of the modern newspaper was made by Col. Robert Hoe, of New York, about 1840, when the first of the type-revolving presses was built. At about the same time a type-revolving press on materially dif-ferent lines, the Applegath ma-chine, was brought into practical use in England. This machine was first employed by the London Times in 1848. In the Applegath the typeholding cylinder revolved on vertical axes, and the machine could print about 12,000 single Tn thP. HOP, maehine the

page 80 bot

***************************************************************************************************

page 8o bot

and broadening. of all e(hicati(Hial facilities, constitute, perhaps, the most nle feature of the progress of t lfl world during the past half century, and the one most vitally contributing to the success of all our great industries—the perfection and introduction of most of the world's great in-vention s. The printing press !has been the great dis-seminator of knowledge, the cheap educator of the people. As a promoter of its efficiency the elec-tric telegraph has performed most splendid service, finding therein its earliest efficient support, and an array of inventors have found a pro-fitable field in the numerous devices which contribute – to the perfection of the printing press of to-day or add to its ability to most promptly and cheaply serve the largest num-ber of readers. In the development of the printing art in the United States the name of Franklin will ever be memorable, so that it is most fit-ting that we should illustrate Franklin's o w n press before re-viewing the great inventions which contributed so largely to t h e dissemination of cheap literature and which more properly belong to the epoch we are considering. The press shown in the engraving is what is known machine axes, and sheets on one

Times in 1848. In the Applegath the typeholding cylinder revolved on vertical the machine could print about 12,000 single side in an hour. In the Hoe machine the type cylinder re-volved on a hori-zontal axis. This arrangement f o r feeding the sheets was more simple, and the capacity of the press varied according to the number of impres-sion cylinders ar-ranged around the type cylinder, these presses be-i n g successively made with four, six, eight, and ten impression cylin-ders, respectively. A f o u r-cylinder press of this kind was built for the Philadelphia Led-ger in 1845. The fi r s t eight-cylin-der press was built for the New York Sun in 1850, and the first ten-cylinder press for the New York Herald in 1857. 0 u r engraving shows the eight-cylinder Hoe press of 1850 as furnish-ed to the New York Sun office. The average ca-pacity of the presses was 2,000 single sheets per hour per cylinder, or 20,000 sheets per hour, on one side, on the largest press, the ten-cyl-inder. These presses were 37 feet long, 18 feet high, and '21 feet wide, and were

EIGHT CYLINDER HOE PRESS OF 1850, USED IN PRINTING THE NEW YORK SUN. Capacity, 20,000 per hour. Reproduced from an early print in the SCIENTIFIC-AMERICAN..1

u-))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH <

- -

July 1896. pg 86-Scientific American-History of Ship Building in the USA, pg-80 pg-80-Bot The-Kearsarge-Sea-Going-Battleship-1896

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American. PG-86 TOP american shipbuilding-

--that Harveyized steel plates are the best in the world. The construction of battleships has been modified by the introduction of Harveyized armor, and the new process is being adopted by the principal manufactur-ers of Europe. Mr. Harvey, in the course of a long and eventful life, had 125 patents granted to him. Samuel Colt, whose name will ever be identified with the production of the revolver, was born at Hartford, Conn., in 1814, and died there in 1862. In his fourteenth year he ran away from school and went to sea. While on his East India voyage he made a model in wood of a revolving pistol. This was the germ of the great inven-tion. After his return from Calcutta, he studied chem-istry in the dye house of his father, and afterward trav-eled extensively in the United States and Canada, giv-ing lectures on chemistry. He thus gained the means necessary to prosecute his invention of the revolver. In 1835 he visited England and France, taking out patents, and on his return he took out his United States pat-ents. He established a factory at Paterson for the manu-facture of his arms. There was, however, little demand for the new weapon, and the company became insolvent. During the Mexican war, in 1847, the manufacture of the revolvers was resumed—first at Whitneyville, Conn., and finally at Hartford. This last establishment was built on a very large scale, and made not only revolvers, but machinery for constructing the same, cartridges, etc. Mr. Colt also invented a submarine battery for the defense of harbors, and also a method of insulating sub-marine cables. In 1843 he laid a cable from Coney and Fire Islands to the city of New York, which was ope-rated with success. George Henry Corliss was born at Easton, New York, in 1817, and died in Providence, R. I., in 1888. He at-tended school until he was fourteen, and then became a clerk in a cotton factory ; later he spent three years in Castleton Academy, Vt., and finally opened a country store at Greenwich, N. Y. He early showed a leaning toward mechanical pursuits, and in 1844 he moved to Providence, R. I., where, in 1846, he began to make im-provements in steam engines. He patented what is now universally known as the " Corliss " engine in 1849. These improvements have revolutionized the construc-tion of the steam engine. By the new devices the gov-ernor was connected with the cut-off, preventing waste of steam, and insured uniform speed under the most va-rying loads. A company was formed in 1856, and they adopted the novel plan of taking the saving in fuel for a given time as their pay. The large Corliss engine was one of the wonders of the Centennial Exposition, and is still in use, driving one of the largest manufacturing plants in the country. M.r. Corliss received many honors and decorations, and amassed it largo fortune. Ile made many other minor Inventions.
numerous awards for his invention, which also obtained for him a large fortune. He was elected a correspond-ing member of the French Academy of Sciences, " as having done more for the cause of agriculture than any other living man." It was estimated in 1859 that his invention saved the country at least $55,000,000 per annum. Of course, with the growth of improvement, this sum has been largely augmented.
AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING. Though the history of American shipbuilding has been marked by many fluctuations, there had never been a time, from the colonial days of the seventeenth century down to the sudden decline of the middle of the nineteenth century, when it had not been in a more or less healthy condition. The records show that fifty years ago we had entered upon the last and most brilliant era of shipbuilding which the country has ever seen. In the three years, 1843 to 1846, the total yearly tonnage built in the United States had risen from 63,888 to 108,203 tons. In 1850, 279,255 tons were built, and in 1855 the total rose to 583,450 tons. So rapid was the growth that by the year 1860 there was a total of 5,353,868 tons in the merchant marine, 2,379,396 tons of which were engaged in the foreign trade. At this time the total tonnage of the British empire was only slightly greater-5,710,968 tons. It was inevitable that an enterprising country, with a 3,000 mile Atlantic seaboard flanked by great forests of timber that was excellently adapted to shipbuilding, should create a powerful merchant fleet ; and the rapid decline which took place at this time is primarily to be ascribed, not to any decadence of the maritime spirit, but to the substitution of iron for wood in the construc-tion of ships ; though the collapse was undoubtedly hastened by the outbreak and course of the civil war. As long as wood was the material of construction the American shipwright more than held his own against the world ; but the change from wood to iron came a little too early for the undeveloped condition of the mineral resources of the United States, and we suf-fered accordingly. In 1855 there were built 381 ships and barks and 126 brigs ; in 1870, only 73 ships and barks and 27 brigs ; in 1880, but 23 ships and barks and 2 brigs ; and in 1895, 1 ship. Of steam vessels we built in 1846 some 46,359 tons ; 147,499 tons in 1864, and 69,753 tons in 1895. The above figures, it is true, do not include schooners and sloops, nor the large fleet of canal boats and barges, of which there were 445 built in 1895, with a total tonnage of about 41,000 tons. In addition to the two causes of decline above men-tioned, it must be remembered that the past thirty years has 1)(5 a period of unparalleled agricultural,
of late years the growth of a really magnificent steam fleet. The history of the Pacific fleet dates from the year 1849, when the Union Iron Works had its beginning in a small forge at San Francisco. In 1865 the name of the firm was changed to Prescott Scott & Company, and in 1885, when the fine yard in South San Francisco was opened, the firm became known as the Union Iron Works. This new yard and works is one of the most complete of its kind in the world. The build-ings, which are of brick, cover an area of four acres, the total area of the covered works being nine acres. One of the most notable features is the hydraulic dry dock, with an area of 30,450 square feet, which we hope to illustrate in a later issue. The works are underlaid throughout with hydraulic mains, which supply the various lifting, forging, shearing and riveting machines. The Union Iron Works give employment to 1,500 men, and they have turned out some of the most successful ships of the new navy, including the Charles-ton, San Francisco, Monterey, Olympia and Oregon, in addition to many fine ships for the merchant service. To this firm, aided by the various smaller yards scat-tered along the coast, must be given the credit of a fleet on the Pacific Ocean which comprises some 1,520 American vessels, aggregating 456,359 tons. Coining across to the Atlantic seaboard, we should take note in passing of the Iowa Iron Works, Dubuque, Iowa, where the steel torpedo boat Ericsson, of 120 tons and 24 knots speed, was built. There is a world of sugges-tiveness in the fact that this destructive little craft was built and engined thousands of miles up the Mississippi, and dispatched to the Atlantic by way of New Orleans. Turning northward to the great lakes, we find that American shipbuilding has advanced by leaps and bounds, and that here, in its inland seas, it has to re-cord a growth of which it may justly be proud. In 1895 our lake shipping comprised 3,342 vessels, with a total tonnage of 1,241,459 tons, two-thirds of this tonnage consisting of steam vessels. The Commissioner of Navi-gation estimates that the carrying power of this fleet is 2,666,261 tons, in which case our merchant fleet on the lakes alone is larger than that of France, and second only to England and Germany. It only re-quires a full-sized ship canal to enable the splendid shipyards that fringe the lakes to lend their aid to building up a deep sea fleet that shall be second to none in the world. Passing on to the New England coast, renowned for its famous yards in the days of the wooden sailing ships, we find a compact and very complete plant at the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. It covers a large area on the banks of the Kennebec River, twelve miles

---

pg 87-Bott-----one of the wonders of the Centennial Exposition, and is still in use, driving one of the largest manufacturing plants in the country. Mr. Corliss received many honors and decorations, and amassed a large fortune. He made many other minor inventions. Thomas Alva Edison was born at Milan, Ohio, in 1847. He began life as a train boy, soon advancing to a news-dealer with assistants. He studied telegraphy and ob-tained a position as operator at Port Huron. He soon became noted for his speed and accuracy, his messages being taken down in handwriting like copperplate. He soon began to invent, and in 1864 he moved to Mem-phis and had one of his inventions, an automatic re-peater, put into service. He struggled along, inventing and working at his profession, until he went to Boston in 1868, where he was able to open a workshop for de-veloping his inventions. Shortly afterward he was re-tained by the Western Union Telegraph Company, and started an electrical laboratory at Newark, where he em-ployed 300 men. In 1876 he moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, and in 1887 left Menlo Park and erected in Orange, New Jersey, what is supposed to be the largest experimental laboratory of its kind in the world. His inventions, which are numbered by hundreds, center largely on electricity, although one of the most wonder-ful of his achievements is the phonograph. They in-clude inventions in duplex and quadruplex telegraphy, the carbon transmitter telephone, the incandescent lamp, the electric railroad, the electrophone, the moto-graph for accelerating speed in ocean cabling, the micro-tasimeter, the odoroscope, the megaphone, the phono-plex telegraph, the pyro-magnetic motor and generator, the magnetic bridge, the electric pen, dynamos and mo-tors, the kinetograph, the magnetic ore separator, and last of all the fluoroscope and the new vacuum light. Taken all in all, the inventions, both from quantity and value, place Mr. Edison in the very front ranks of the inventors of all ages, and it is gratifying to note that he has reaped both honors and rich rewards for his dis-coveries. Cyrus Hall McCormick, the inventor of the reaping machine, was born at Walnut Grove, Va., in 1809. He died in Chicago, in 1884. His education was obtained in the common schools ; he also helped his father in farm work, and at the age of fifteen had constructed a cradle used in harvesting in the field. At the age of twenty-one he invented two new and valuable plows. As far back as 1816 his father made attempts to con-struct a reaper, but these attempts only ended in failure, but in 1831 young Cyrus proceeded on a new line, and succeeded in making a success of the new grain har-vesting machine which was to bring him fame and for-tune. He patented his reaper in 1834, and improve-ments on it in 1845-47 and in 1858. In 1847 he moved to Chicago, where he built a large plant. Ile received
canal boats and barges, of which there were 445 built in 1895, with a total tonnage of about 41,000 tons. In addition to the two causes of decline above men-tioned, it must be remembered that the past thirty years has been a period of unparalleled agricultural, mining and manufacturing activity. If the nation has neglected its merchant marine, it has been largely for the reason that it was fully occupied with the develop-ment of the internal resources of the country. The discovery of the gold fields of California ; the rapid ex-tension of the railroads, and the opening up of the un-occupied farming lands of the West ; the development of the mineral wealth of the country, and the rapid growth of the iron industries, have proved a strong counter attraction that has temporarily weaned the heart of the nation away from its old-time love of the sea. Now that the tide of emigration has touched the remotest bounds of the country, and the extent of its resources has been well ascertained, we may look for something of a reaction in the direction of maritime enterprise—indeed, the reaction has already begun. The teachings of history regarding the relation of the navy to the merchant marine have frequently shown how intimately the interests of the two are associated. A large merchant fleet requires a strong navy for its protection, and a strong navy can never exist without a large merchant marine, from which, in the sudden emergency of war, it can recruit its seamen. We think, that, when the history of American ship-building comes to be written, it will be agreed that two of its red letter days occurred on July 23 and 26, 1883, when the celebrated firm of John Roach & Sons, of Chester, Pa., signed the contract for the construction of the Atlanta, the Boston and the Chicago, and the Dolphin, ships which were to prove the forerunners of a completely new and up-to-date navy. The policy which was thus commenced has encouraged our ship-builders and engineering firms to lay down extensive and costly modern plants, suitable for the building of the most approved modern ships and engines. So ut-terly stagnant was the shipbuilding industry that it needed some powerful stimulant to arouse it. The prospect of securing contracts for warships, as they shall from time to time be built, has not only encouraged the existing yards to enlarge their plants, but has called others into existence ; until to-day we have several firms which are qualified to undertake the construc-tion of the largest merchant steamers, and, as the per-formance of the St. Paul and St. Louis has clearly shown, to rival the best work of the European builders. The last census showed that there were in all 1,000 shipbuilding plants in the United States, though, of course, many of these are comparatively insignificant. The important yards are located on the seaboard and on the great lakes, the latter locality having witnessed
Passing on to the New England coast, renowned for its famous yards in the days of the wooden sailing ships, we find a compact and very complete plant at the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. It covers a large area on the banks of the Kennebec River, twelve miles from its mouth. Several vessels for the new navy, in-cluding the ram Katandin, have been launched from its slips. City Point Works, Boston, Mass., and the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, of Bristol, R. I., have contributed to the list of our merchant and naval fleets, and the latter firm have immortalized them-selves in the international yachting world by the production of such craft as Vigilant and Defender. Mention must be made also of the Columbian Iron Works, Baltimore, Md., N. F. Palmer & Company, of Chester, Pa., of Harlan & Hollingsworth, of Wilming. ton, Del., and many other yards that are contributing to our increasing fleet of deep sea and river craft. One of the clearest evidences of the faith of American capitalists in the revival of our maritime interests is to be found in the extensive and costly plant of the New-port News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. This concern, like the town from which it is named, has been built up within a very few years. Its extensive shops, dry docks, and building ways have been carefully laid out after a thorough inspection of the great ship-building yards of the world. It has turned out some fine ships for the merchant service, and taken an active share in the construction of the new navy, the gun-boats Wilmington, Nashville and Helena, which have been constructed in this yard, being just about to be turned over to the government. Here also are being built the Kentucky and Kearsarge, first-class battle-ships of 11,525 tons, an illustration of which, as they will appear when completed, will be found on another page. The plant comprises sixteen buildings, which include four shops 100 by 300 feet, and a blacksmith's shop 120 by 208 feet in size. There are four piers ranging from 60 by 350 feet to 60 by 900 feet in size. The plant includes eight ship ways from 400 to 500 feet long, and an outfit-ting basin 500 feet by 900 feet. There is also a dry dock 600 feet long, with a depth of 25 feet over the sill. Over 3,000 men find employment in the various departments. There is no shipbuilding concern in America that has contributed so largely to the upbuilding of our modern navy and the merchant marine as the William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, of Philadelphia, Pa. The foundation of this justly famous concern dates from the year 1830, when Mr. William Cramp, then a young man of 23 years, opened a small shipyard at the foot of Otis Street, Philadel-phia. That was the age of wood and canvas, and for forty years William Cramp continued to build sailing ships for home W. f9reign service.. In 1871-72 the es-

work, and at the age of fifteen had constructed a cradle used in harvesting in the field. At the age of twenty-one he invented two new and valuable plows. As far back as 1816 his father made attempts to con-struct a reaper, but these attempts only ended in failure, but in 1831 young Cyrus proceeded on a new line, and succeeded in making a success of the new grain har-vesting machine which was to bring him fame and for-tune. He patented his reaper in 1834, and improve-ments on it in 1845-47 and in 1858. In 1847 he moved to Chicago, where he built a large plant. Ile received
canal boats and barges, of which there were 445 built in 1895, with a total tonnage of about 41,000 tons. In addition to the two causes of decline above men-tioned, it must be remembered that the past thirty years has been a period of unparalleled agricultural, mining and manufacturing activity. If the nation has neglected its merchant marine, it has been largely for the reason that it was fully occupied with the develop-ment of the internal resources of the country. The discovery of the gold fields of California ; the rapid ex-tension of the railroads, and the opening up of the un-occupied farming lands of the West ; the development of the mineral wealth of the country, and the rapid growth of the iron industries, have proved a strong counter attraction that has temporarily weaned the heart of the nation away from its old-time love of the sea. Now that the tide of emigration has touched the remotest bounds of the country, and the extent of its resources has been well ascertained, we may look for something of a reaction in the direction of maritime enterprise—indeed, the reaction has already begun. The teachings of history regarding the relation of the navy to the merchant marine have frequently shown how intimately the interests of the two are associated. A large merchant fleet requires a strong navy for its protection, and a strong navy can never exist without a large merchant marine, from which, in the sudden emergency of war, it can recruit its seamen. We think, that, when the history of American ship-building comes to be written, it will be agreed that two of its red letter days occurred on July 23 and 26, 1883, when the celebrated firm of John Roach & Sons, of Chester, Pa., signed the contract for the construction of the Atlanta, the Boston and the Chicago, and the Dolphin, ships which were to prove the forerunners of a completely new and up-to-date navy. The policy which was thus commenced has encouraged our ship-builders and engineering firms to lay down extensive and costly modern plants, suitable for the building of the most approved modern ships and engines. So ut-terly stagnant was the shipbuilding industry that it needed some powerful stimulant to arouse it. The prospect of securing contracts for warships, as they shall from time to time be built, has not only encouraged the existing yards to enlarge their plants, but has called others into existence ; until to-day we have several firms which are qualified to undertake the construc-tion of the largest merchant steamers, and, as the per-formance of the St. Paul and St. Louis has clearly shown, to rival the best work of the European builders. The last census showed that there were in all 1,000 shipbuilding plants in the United States, though, of course, many of these are comparatively insi

battle-ships of 11,525 tons, an illustration of which, as they will appear when completed, will be found on another page. The plant comprises sixteen buildings, which include four shops 100 by 300 feet, and a blacksmith's shop 120 by 208 feet in size. There are four piers ranging from 60 by 350 feet to 60 by 900 feet in size. The plant includes eight ship ways from 400 to 500 feet long, and an outfit-ting basin 500 feet by 900 feet. There is also a dry dock 600 feet long, with a depth of 25 feet over the sill. Over 3,000 men find employment in the various departments. There is no shipbuilding concern in America that has contributed so largely to the upbuilding of our modern navy and the merchant marine as the William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, of Philadelphia, Pa. The foundation of this justly famous concern dates from the year 1830, when Mr. William Cramp, then a young man of 23 years, opened a small shipyard at the foot of Otis Street, Philadel-phia. That was the age of wood and canvas, and for forty years William Cramp continued to build sailing ships for home W. f9reign service.. In 1871-72 the es-

))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((31(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH <

- -

July 1896. pg 87-Scientific American-History of Ship Building in the USA, pg-80

))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((31(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HHHHHHH pg89/div>

- -

July 1896. pg 90-Top Scientific American-History of the tellephone in the USA, pg-89 &n pg-80-Bot

THE HOUSE TELEPHONE.
by weak currents, and an ear placed opposite an ear piece leading to the diaphragm received the sound. This instrument is a telephone far superior to Bell's original invention, although its inventor had not the least idea of its capabilities for the trans-mission of articulate speech. Eight years later, Elisha Gray, of Chi-cago, and Graham Bell, of Boston, were working on the problem of the transmis-sion of sound by electricity, and on the 14th of January, 1876, Bell took out his patent for his first instrument. The receiver and transmitter in it are iden-to the oscillating armature of an electromagnet, and a battery is included in the circuit. The assumption was that if one of these instruments was spoken into the diaphragm would vibrate, causing the armature of the

MODERN CARBON OR MICROPHONE TRANSMITTER.
a diaphragm was early abandoned, and a plate of iron substituted therefor, was astonishingly sensitive to mi-nute variations in sound when used as a receiver ; when used as a transmitter, the agitation of the plate

EDISON'S CHEMICAL RECEIVER AND CARBON TRANSMITTER.

magnet also to vibrate, thereby introducing varia-tions in the current so as to reproduce the vibrations from the diaphragm into the receiving instrument. In the summer of 1876 Bell exhibited his telephone at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. It varied somewhat from the instru-ment of his patent. The transmitter was a vertical electromagnet with a plate armature, which was spok-en against by the person sending the message. It worked with the utmost difficulty, but speech was transmitted. The next hn-provement took the shape of omitting the battery and substituting perm an e n t magnets therefor. It was found that identical instru-

REIS' TELEPHONE TRANSMITTER.
by the voice produced such minute changes that the system embracing a Bell telephone at each end was very imperfect and was regarded as not much better than a scientific curiosity. The Du Moncel principle was now applied to telephony, Edison and Hughes being among the earliest experimenters. The tele-phone system took a new shape. A transmitter based upon the use of a carbon contact was used. The re-ceiver was a Bell telephone. As a carbon contact, however, much agitated, generated no current, a bat-tery was also put into the circuit and at once the tele-phone system was completed ; talking in an ordinary tone of voice into the microphone, the telephone miles distant repeated the sound. The rest was detail. The most extraordinary results were produced by some of the early transmitters. Edison adopted a carbon but-ton which was held against a contact piece by a dia-phragm. This proved astonishingly sensitive to the voice. It was only one of a whole series of changes which were rung upon the microphone. Carbon balls, powder, and rods in every conceivable relation were adopted. The microphone made the telephone a success. It was rapidly introduced in commerce. One of the curiosities.of the telephone was Edison's loud-speaking

90 bott.
[JULY 25, 1896.
it gives the general idea. Many other investigators experimented with his tele-phone. About 1868 Royal C. House, an Ameri-can inventor whose printing telegraph had awakened universal interest, invented what he termed an electro-phonetic re-ceiver for his telegraph. His idea was to produce an instrument which, precisely like the modern telephone, would produce an audible sound upon receiving a weak current of electricity. It consisted of a box closed with a diaphragm, against which two rods were pressed endwise by the rocking or pivoted armature of an electromagnet, so that in its motions the armature would alternately push against one or the other rod. The electromagnet was actuated

tical in ear or
BELL'S EARLY TELEPHONE.
their essential features,
each
consisting of an mouth piece, over whose end a diaphragm is stretched, which diaphragm is made of gold beat-er's skin. By means of a little rod it is connected

ments could ;:be used for receiving and sending, each consisting of a permanent magnet wound with a coil of wire, near the poles of which magnet a thin dia-phragin of iron was held. By speaking against one of the diaphragms it was caused to vibrate, thereby inducing cur-rents in the line connecting the two coils and causing the second diaphragm to re-peat the sound uttered in the first. Al-most at, the same time with Bell, Gray had worked upon the telephone system, using a varying liquid contact, made to vary by the vibrations of a, diaphragm and thereby pro-ducting the speaking current. In I556, Du Motive! had discovered that 'when two conductors aro in c( ail act the electrical conductivity of their contact varies with fine eliatIge of pressure therein. The Bell telephone, in which 1,11e gold beater's skin for
THE HOUSE TELEPHONE.
by weak currents, and an ear placed opposite an ear piece leading to the diaphragm received the sound. This instrument is a telephone far superior to
to the oscilla,ting arm at lire of an electromagnet, and a. battery is inch', b.,1 ill I Ile circuit. The assunii ►1 kph W11f4 thitt If 0110 (II I Ill" I' 111',0111111411P4 %VI'S MI►01t4.11 11111►
MODERN CARBON OR MICROPHONE TRANSMITTER.
fi, 411111)111. 1.o1 was early a ham lolled, and a plate of iron mulost isted 1111%1441►, %∎'I1P4 astonishingly sensitive to 1-W-111110 visrltif haIN I11 solinol when wied as It receiver ;

))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((34((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

0 3

- -

July 1896. pg 91-munn and company---Scientific American-History in the USA, pg-91 -Bot

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American. PG-91 TOP
or chemical telephone. This receiver was based on a chemical principle. Directly back of a micro-dia-phragm was a cylinder of plaster of Paris moistened with a chemical solution. A strip of platinum bore, spring fashion, against the surface of the cylinder, the other end being attached firmly to the center of the dia-phragm. The instrument was placed in a circuit, one wire connecting with the spring and the other with the cylinder. When the-cylinder was turned, it pulled upon the diaphragm evenly and no sound was pro-
duced. If a current from the its action on the chemical solution caused the f me-chanical resistance or the friction between the cyl-inder and the spring to vary, and thereby the dia-phragm was vibrated in exact accordance with the original motions of the dia-phragm of the transmitter. In this way the message was very loud and could be heard over the whole room. The telephone at once went into extensive use and was introduced everywhere. Enormously expensive law suits were instituted to determine the proprietorship in the basic inventions, which were de-cided in favor of the own-ers of the Bell patent, who have succeeded in main-taining a monopoly of the business for many years. As now used, the tele-phone operating with a microphone transmitter and a Bell telephone re-ceiver uses the secondary or induced current. To put subscribers in commu-nication with each other what are known as switch boards are operated in the central exchanges. Some of these switch boards are enormous pieces of work representing thousands of dollars in value and em-bodying in their construc-tion hundreds of milos of wire
transmitter were passing,
of the paper at its inception, and we give below some account of its peculiarities and characteristics. The size of the paper was more like that of the pres-ent daily newspaper. It had four pages. All the matter was printed on both sides of one large sheet and folded in the center so as to make a folio 19 X 13% inches. Across the engraved heading, on which were shown steamboats, waterfalls, windmills, factories and a tem-ple, as may be seen by examining the facsimiles of these early issues published on the front page, was printed the name, " SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN," in large letters.

bott pg 91
Fifth Avenue Hotel, opposite to what is now Madison Square Park. In the issue of October 9 is a short de-scription of the fair. Among the 1,300 entries is Hoe's printing press, Colt's repeating pistol, and Gurney's daguerreotypes, all of them. time honored. It was quite difficult to get up good illustrations then. The engravings were crude, yet they enhanced the popularity of the paper in the eyes of subscribers and readers. The illustrations covered several differ-ent subjects. On the front page of the second issue is shown a self-regulating windmill; in the next number is a rotary steam engine, and in the succeeding num-ber appears a pictmre of a traveling balloon, which may be accounted for by the fact that Mr. Rufus Porter was a strong be-liever in the possibilities of aerial navigation. In later issues may be found as front page embellishments illustrations of a sema-phonic telegraph, a steam carriage for common roads, Brown's dovetailing ma-chine, a combination trunk lock, and an im-proved tubular boiler. On York to Pittsburg and that one between New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore will soon be com-pleted. n(.1 11(1 ci I( ,(111October 20, 1845, the office was destroyed by fire, which caused an omission of two issues of the publi-cation. In the November 13 issue, the first published after the fire, is a very characteristic editorial giv-ing interesting details. The loss is placed at seven hun-dred: dollars ;g1 not insured. In the same number as many as eight vessels are spoken of as being engaged in commerce -on Lake Su-perior, while more vessels are building. It also men-tions that a line of tele-graph is being laid from New )(94 the steamship Great Bd-.. . ....

,1111,11,111111

PATENT DEPARTMENT OF MUNN & COMPANY, 1849. From a contemporary print.
G.radually the instill' /...
To those interested In studying the progress of sei •..... I.. 41.1.A 4.111\ Ilrut. tfrikItontaa lV likul I..

bott

of theme boards aro enormous pieces of work representing thousands of dollars in value and em-bodying in their construc-tion hundreds of miles of wire. Gradually the instru-ments have taken a single type of construction and the telephone industry has become one of the greatest elec-trical interests of the day. By the use of more perfect instruments and heavy copper wire the area covered by the telephone has been greatly extended and long distance lines have been established between the lead-ing cities of the world. STATISTICS OF THE TELEPHONE BUSINESS OF THE UNITED STATES FOR 1895.
PATENT DEPARTMENT UOM MUNN W a COMPANY, 1849.
Number of exchanges. 927 " " branch offices 686 " instruments in hands of subscribers 674,976 Miles of wire on poles 260,324 " " " buildings. 12,861 64 " underground 184,515 " " " submarine ... 172 Total employes. 11,930 Total stations 281,695 Estimated daily exchange connections. 2,351,420
Average cost of connection to the subscriber, from 1 cent to 10,2, cents. Miles of underground wire in New York 38.986 " " " " Chicago 20,352 64 46 " Boston 15,687 44 " Philadelphia 10,999

FIFTY YEARS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. The present issue is published in the form of an his-torical review of the progress of science and mechani-cal industries during the past fifty years, and as it is commemorative of the fifti-eth anniversary of the pub-lication of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN by the present owners, it will, we feel sure, not be considered amiss if we give some account of the early beginnings and struggles through which the journal passed before it had made for itself a posi-tion of authority in the particular field to which it is devoted. The early num-bers of the paper are rarely
attainable, and cannot gen-erally be reached even in our large public libraries. We have reproduced some pages of the first issues, in order to give our readers some idea of the character
From a contemporary print.
To those interested in studying the progress of sci-ence in this country, the first volume is instructive in showing the gradual, yet rapid development that has taken place. The proprietor, then, Mr. Rufus Porter, was a versatile genius. Finding the world of science too small, he branched out in several directions ; included poetry, temperance and religion among the subjects for discussions and essays. Temperance combined with science was uppermost in his mind, and gave the jour-nal a high moral tone. An examination of the business columns of the new paper will reveal many curious advertisements, and in them will be found some names well known to-day. There appears the advertisement of Daniel Davis' jour-nal " Electrical Apparatus," a review of his famous book, " Manual of Magnetism," ranking as the modern " Gilbertus de Magnete." Adams & Company's Ex-press advertise largely, stating that it sends daily iron chests to Pittsburg for the transportation of valuables. " The Pioneer and Express Line " takes goods to Phila-delphia in three and a half days, in perfect order. Ad-vertisements of daguerreotypes and supplies show the extent and interest in the new art, at that time, of pho-tography. Another interesting advertisement is that announcing the Eighteenth Annual Fair of the Ameri-can Institute, at Niblo's Garden, October 6, 1845, with its cattle show out of town on the present site of the
11t3W i U J ES, v./ and that one between New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore will soon be com-pleted. Another item describes the steamship Great Bri-tain., one of the earliest screw vessels, and attacks the practicability of screw propulsion. Railroad pro-gress is given a prominent place. One item tells its own story : " Norris, of Philadelphia, has sent two more of his splendid locomotives to Russia." It demonstrates at how early a date the American locomotive was appre-ciated abroad, and is prophetic as regards the adoption of American machinery by Russia. It has been recently stated that an immense locomotive plant will be estab-lished in Russia, based on American ideas, as carried out by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, of Philadelphia, for the equipment of the great Siberian Trans-Conti-nental Railway, which was at that time projected, but which is not yet completed. Another item alludes to a great work that is being done in the grading of thirty miles of roadbed, expecting it would be completed dur-ing the winter. The Baltimore and Ohio road has 177 miles finished. Most extraordinary of all, in the issue of December 11, 1845, is found the statement that the last project we have heard on this subject is that for the construction of railroads elevated on rows of permanent columns to be erected in the principal streets of this city. We believe this project to be not the most visionary, however, and shall probably give an illustration in a future number." Quite a remark-able suggestion in view of the fact that it was not actu-ally carried out until twen-ty or more years later, and may be said to be the fore-shadowing of our pre-sent elevated railroad sys-

C 111111 ,14,1111''11,1'41 1,111'111' 1,,.';; bl+C 1,1q,11111,1Ta

1134s: --,— THE FIRST WASHINGTON OFFICES OF MUNN & COMPANY, United States Patent Office at left.

•
tem. Captain Eads' proposed ship railroad, across the Isthmus of Panama, at-tracted considerable atten-tion, because of the ingeni-ous application of hydrau-lic power to sustaining the strains on ships. But in the first volume of the SCI-ENTIFIC AMERICAN is to be found a ship railroad which solves the problem at once. It is proposed to mount a great tank upon wheels, to float the ships into it, then to close its ends like a lock, and carry the whole across the land,

- -

July 1896. pg 91-munn and company---Scientific American-Historye in the USA, pg-91 -Bot

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American. PG-87 TOP

General view of patent Department. New York Office of the MUNN and Co.
Present ofice of the Scientific American.

Patent office, Records and Law Books.

- -

July 1896. pg 91-munn and company---Scientific American-Historye in the USA, pg-91 -Bot

JULY 25, 1896. Scientific American. PG-87 TOP

General view of patent Department. New York Office of the Munn and Co.
Present ofices of the Scientific American