A BRAKE FOR SHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14133, 7 August 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

A BRAKE FOR SHIPS.

A ship brake, which is intended to bring a ship to a stop within the least possible time, is to be fitted, experimentally on the old battleship Indiana. The device consists of a pair of plain vertical surfaces, one on each side of the ship below the water! ine. These wings or blades, each of which will be six feet wide and 13 feet high, will be attached to the vessel's sides by hinges. Normally they will be in closed position, folded against the sides of the vessel, and they will be held in the closed position by locking bars. When it is desired to stop the vessel suddenly, as in the event of pending collision, the locking bars, which are controlled from the bridge, will be released." They will give an initial opening movement to the brakes, which are then forced open to a position normal to the sides of the vessel, by the inertia of the water.

DUCKS HATCHED IN TREES. Among birds it is the general rule that those in which the young, like those of the common fowl, are able to feed themselves at once, build on the ground. The duck, however, by some perversity of instinct, or perhaps as a protection against enemies, will sometimes build and hatch its eggs in a tree. The interesting problem will then arise, how are the young to,, be brought 'to , the ground? During r the . present year a duck in St. James' Park hatched! her brood of six in an elm tree thirty feet from the ground. And in a communication -to, the Field, Mr. St. John describes the'' remarkable Way in which the mother duck got her little family to terra firma. Quaking loudly below the nest she called to the young ones in the tree. Presently one threw itself down to the ground. Then another, and another, until the six safely reached land. Then, apparently uninjured, they picked themselves up, and followed their mother to the pond.

INVENTOR OF THE MATCH., ' About half a century ago there died John Walker, the inventor of the lucifer match. He was in business as a chemist at Stockton-on-Tees when more or less accidentally he discovered that sulphide of antimony and chlorate of potash formed a mixture which was ignitable by friction. He made this discovery about 1825, and, turning it to account, began to make up boxes of 50 matches, which he sold for Is 4d. In the box was a folded piece of sandpaper, and to strike a light one of the " friction lights" was placed in the sandpaper and drawn smartly down. So trivial did Walker deem his invention to be that he did not even go to the expense of taking out a A few years later more public attention was drawn to the tinder box's successor by Isaac Holden. The year 1832 saw the manufacture of the lucifer started on a commercial basis. Though he possessed no patent for his invention, John Walker spent the last few years in retirement on the competency his discovery made him.

BENZOATES IN BUTTER. Benzoate of soda or of potash' is sometimes added to butter as a preservative. The benzoate can be detected by the following process : The butter is melted and stirred with a hot saturated solution of lime. The watery part of the mixture, after -cooling, is drawn off, acidulated with phosphoric acid, and shaken with half its volume of ether, any tendency to emulsifying being corrected by adding a few drops of alcohol. The ether is poured off and evaporated, and the residue is allowed to dry in the air, and is then gently heated with sulphuric acid to 212 deg. F., or a little higher for the purpose of dissolving the benzoic acid. The cooled solution is mixed with about onetenth its volume of fuming nitric acid, heated for a few seconds, then cooled and mixed with two or three times its volume of water. Saturated solution of sodium sulphite is then added gradually, with constant agitation, until the evolution of yellow fumes ceases. Strong ammonia is then poured on the solution. The presence of benzoic acid is revealed by an orange-red colouration.

NEW GERMAN LINER. The George Washington is the latest addition to the magnificent Norddeuts-cher-liloyd fleet, and is the largest ship ever built in Germany. Though she is essentially designed for comfort and safety, it is confidently expected that she will average nineteen knots at sea,,her contract, speed being 18£ knots. She is of 27,000 registered tonnage, and has eight decks. The two sets of quadruple expansion engine aggregate 20,000 indicated horse-power. Apart from the public rooms, the passenger accommodation consists of 263 first-class and 137 secondclass state-rooms, and 160 third-class cabins. It will be seen that with the steerage there are thus four classes, the introduction of a third class being quite a new feature. The officers and crew number 627, making a total population of 3303 persons. As security against fire, fire-alarm bells and fire-stations are provided in all parts of the ship, and a, submarine signal apparatus, enabling the commander to fix his position in thick or foggy weather, is also fitted. There is a complete installation of Marconi wireless telegraphy, and all parts of the great steamer are in communication by telegraphs and telephones. i Many are the devices to make life afloat , almost as varied as on shore. In the gymnasium, for instance, one tan take exercise by bestriding a machine which is said to imitate exactly the curious action of a camel! The George Washington is from the yard of the Vulcan Company, Stettin.