New Inbentions.

Colonist, Issue 31, 5 February 1858, Page 4

New Inbentions.

An Incombustible Preparation.—An invention, of which Messrs. Schnessel and Thouret, of Berlin, are the discoverers, has lately been introduced to the notice of scientific persons ( in this country. The inventors profess to be able to protect from the ravages of fire every substance hitherto liable to be consumed by this terrible agent. Timber, furniture, textile fabrics, and in fact all substances generally • considered combustible, may be rendered incombustible by this simple process. The finest muslins can be prepared so as to resist the action of flames, and even straw and shavings can be exposed to a brisk fire, and, although carbonised, will not be destroyed. Some experiments, intended to exhibit the value of the invention, were made a day or two ago at 34, Alfred-place, Bedford-square, and other experiments on a larger scale were made on Tuesday at Astley's amphitheatre. The inventors state that the material, the secret,of which is only known to themselves, will be as cheap as common starch, and that a bale of linen, cotton, or muslin, one cubic foot square, may be prepared by it at a cost of Id; that the cloth so prepared will preserve its anti-inflammable qualities until it is again washed; and that mere wear has no effect upon it. It is also asserted that the preparation or solution, for such we presume it to be, is of such an innocuous nature that it not only leaves the fibre unaltered in strength and character, but it may be applied to the most delicate colours in all textures with the exception of light rose and blue silks, with which extra pains must be taken. There is nothing disagreeable to the smell in the preparation, and the inventors state that it is in no respect deleterious to health. The invention is one which promises to be important in its results: and, if it can be generally applied with the same success that attended the private experiments, it is undoubtedly deserving the attention of the public. Engines worked by Ether.—M. Tissot, an engineer of some standing, has communicated to the French Academy of Sciences the description of an engine entirely worked by the expansive power of ether. The combination of this power with that of steam has long been tried on a large scale with apparently good effect; nevertheless, it is attended with certain inconveniences which more than balance its advantages, M. Tissot, therefore, endeavoured to eliminate steam altogether by mixing two litres of an essential oil of any kind except oil of turpentine with the ether. The boiler is encircled with a water-bath; moreover, each time that the ether is re-conducted to the boiler, it is made to pass through a thin stratum of olive oil. The boiler is filled to a certain depth with water, in which a small quantity of soda (one gramme per litre) has been dissolved. The ether, in passing through the oil in a state of vapour, carries some particles of this oil with it; and the latter coming in contact with the soda, is converted to soap. This double action pro T duces an excellent effect, since the soapy substance in question acts as a preservative oh tlie various parts of the engine, which on being undone after a long time is found to have undergone no change from the effects of wear or friction, a thin coating of a fatty substance having spread over the surface of the cylinders and pistons, and preserved them from injury. An engine of this description of two horse-power having been constructed and tested with satisfactory effect, another of 12 horse-power was established some time ago in a brewery at Lyons instead of a common steam-engine,; and has been found to answer perfectly. The evaporation of ether is much more' rapid than that of water; thus, a quantity of ether, which, if it were water, it would take an hour and a-half to evaporate, may; be turned into vapour in the course of six' minutes, with much less fuel; the quantity1 of coal consumed per hour and per horsepower being only one and a-half kilogrammes, while the ordinary quantity is four kilogrammes. Improvement of the Electric Tele-graph.—-Mr. Baggs, long known as a most distinguished electrician, has discovered a plan for increasing the speed of the electric telegraph by the application of steam machinery in working it, which promises to be of the greatest value and importance both to the public and to the telegraph companies. At present, while one message is being forwarded, the whole length of the wire is occupied, and nothing can be done towards forwarding the messages, waiting to follow. Mr. Baggs proposes to use a series of gutta percha bands, about six inches wide and a quarter of an inch thick, coiled on wheels on drums arranged for the purpose. These bands are studded down botn sides with a single row of holes at short intervals apart. When-a message is to be sent, the clerks wind off these bands, inserting in the holes 3mall brass pins, which according to their combinations in twos or threes (with blank holes between), represent certain words or letters. In this manner the message is, as it were, " set up", in the bands with great rapidity, and if the number of bands employed be sufficiently large —say as numerous as the compositors employed in a large printing office-—messages equal in length to five or six columns of this journal could be setup and ready for transmission in the course of a single hour. Of course this operation in no respect interferes with the telegraph wire itself, which continues free for use until the bands of messages are actually being despatched. The gutta percha bands when full, are removed to the instrument-room, a most simple appliance preventing any derangement or falling put of the pins while being moved about. In the instrument room the bands are connected with ordinary steam machinery, by which they are drawn in regular order with the utmost rapidity between the charged poles of an electrical machine in such a manner that, during the moment of each pin's passing, it forms electrical communication between the instrument and the telegraph,-and a signal is transmitted to the

other end of the wire, where the spark perforates a paper and records the message. The only limit to the rapidity of the operation is the rate at'which the bands can ;.be drawn, since the electrical contact of each pin, even for the 200 th part of a second^ is more than sufficient to transmit a word lor signal from London and register it in America. Of course, as the message is recorded, we will say in America, with the same rapidity as that in which it is transmitted in London, a number of reading clerks will be requisite in order-to translate it by dividing it into small portions, with almost as much facility as it has been sent. A new specie of ship pump, invented by Mr. "Wl Roberts, of Millwall, has just been subjected to a series of experiments by the authorities' of Woolwich Arsenal on board the flagship Fisgard. The result is that the committee have recommended that the pump should be introduced into the navy. The simplicity of its construction and the facility with which it can be moved: from place to place are amongst its chief recommendations, while its: admirable . working qualities were proved by the fact that it pumpedfßoo gallons of water over the decks of the Fisgard in. 7 minutes 46 seconds, or 103J gallons per minute. ;