Science

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1556, 24 June 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

Science

The poetical surroundings of ' the village blacksmith ' and his harmonious anvil are threatened with a pdwerful rival, by the introduction from the United States of a new industry, namely, the manufacture of mach-ine-made horse-Bhoes. A company, whose premises face the Thames opposite Greenwich, have just opened their works, to supply the United Kingdom with these machine-made articled. The iron is rolled from scrap, coming from the rollers as a grooved bar, which is afterwards cut into lengths, punched with the necessary holes, and finally is bent by a machine into the horseshoe shape. It is calculated that there are in the United Kingdom about three million horses ; in Europe generally more than thirty million ; requiring annually a million and a half tons of shoes. So that if the new company turn out good work, there are plenty of customers for their goods. It is said that the new shoe has met with the approval of some eminent authorities, and is already used by several tramway companies. It is a curious anomaly that colonial sugar, after leaving the country of its production as a manufactured article, should, when it reaches our shores, require to be boiled, melted, and in fact manufactured over again, before .it assumes the ' lump ' form. There exists more than one reason why the refined aiticle is not produced on the spot, and these are due to defects in the apparatus employed, which hitherto ifr has been found impossible to surmount. Mr. F. A. Bonnefin, an experienced sugar-grower in Mauritius, has recently dovised a system by which the sugar can be refined at the place where it is raised, and while the juico in the cane is fresh, and therefore in the best condition for treatment. The cane is first of all cut by vertical saws into slices, which, falling below the saw-frame, pass into a disintegrator, where they are rapidly reduceed to pulp. By the action of rollers, this pulp is made to yield all its juice, which is then mixed with a certain proportion of lime. The viscid liquid is next caused to flow over a heated corrugated surface, where any solid impurities which it contains are made to fall into pockets or catch-pits. It is then subjected to nitration through a series of diaphragms of unspun cotton of the finest quality. The pure syrup thus obtained is next conducted to the ordinary vacuum pan, or to a special form of evaporator designed by Mr. Bonnefin. The entire process only occupies one hour ; while by the older methods from six to twelve hours elapsed before the cane took the form of white sugar. There are many other advantages connected with the new system, not the least of which is the avoidance of all chance of fermentation. By the courtesy of Mr. Edwin Streeter, we recently had the opportunity of seeing and handling what is supposed to be the most magnificent diamond ever discovered. It was found by Mr. Porter Ehodes at his claim in the celebrated Kimberly Mine, South Africa. It is as yet uncut, and looks far more like a small lump of alum than the valuable gem it really is. Its weight is one hundred and fifty carats ; and its owner, without mentioning the price he would demand for it, remarks llhat one hundred thousand pounds would not induce him to part with it. We understand that the most valuable diamonds are not, as generally thought, those which are perfectly colourless, but those which are known in the trade as • blue diamonds. ' The finest stone known of this description is valued at thirty thousand pounds. There is only one known specimen of a red diamond, a small but an expensive atom, for it is valued at eight hundred pounds. Additional interest will doubtless be manifested in Mr. Ehodes' splendid prize when it comes to be ' cut.' At a late meeting of the Balloon Society of Greafßritain, Mr. Woodbury read a most interesting paper on Balloon Photography. He first of all pointed out the extreme difficulty of procuring a photographic picture while the plate itself is in movement. With a steady camera, and an instantaneous shutter for opening and closing the lens in a fraction of a second, it is, by means of modern processes comparatively easy to photograph an express train travelling at sixty miles an hour. Indeed, this has been done successfully more than once. Of course, there is no such thing ' asinstantaneity, as even the quickest movement of any piece of apparatus must consume a certain amdunfc of time. But, in the case of the modern • instantaneous shutter,' the movement would be so quick, that the express train in front would move forward very few inches during the same time, so that this movement would not be .perceptible in the resulting photograph. But if during' exposure the camera itself be moved only the hundredth part 'of 'an inch, the effect -upon the sensitive plate 'would be the same'as if train and landscape'had moved l several yards," and a blur1 would be the result. -Hence the 'difficulty . of obtaining a photograph from a .travelling balloon. Notwithstanding tliese difficulties^ Mr. Woodbury anticipates that' balloon photographs will be shortly produced,' which, will be df 'great value >in many; 'arts' and; sciences. Maps 1 pf villages 'and iowns, '.with every detail, perhaps every inhabitant,' (plainly idepiot^d,. T dne tiSe.ofjthe iballopn^camera^ In exploring Qxpeditibns,. it. will denote the:

course of rivers and streams, even though hills intervene. But in warfare, its value will perhaps be greater than in any. other service. The outline of fortifications and other defences could be rapidly obtained, the photograph being subsequently placed in a lantern where its enlarged image would be projected on a screen. In a few minutes, by well-known means, an enlarged copy three or four feet square, giving indisputable evidence of the strength or weakness of the opposing force, would be at the disposal of the commandant and his officers. — Chamber's Journal.