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| TECHNICAL WORLD 8
I This Department is devoted to technical
V subjects of interest. Any question! sent to M
the Editor of the &TAIE COLLEGIAN or ®
JuJ dropped in the box at 323 Main will be an
a* swtred in subsequentissucs by experts in the f
subject about which information is desired.J J**
Electrical
Within the last decade the original
50,000 horse power electrical generat
ing plant at Niagara Falls was an unique
wonder of engineering construction.
Since then progress has advanced so
rapidly that the waters of Lake Erie are
either supplying or will shortly supply
over 700,000 horse power to plants in
operation or at the present time under
construction. Plans are being devel
oped which will increase the utilization
of this enormous source of power to
over a million horse power. An inter
esting and popular description of this
phenomenal industrial development in
and about Niagara Falls may be found
in the Electrical World and Engineer
for Nov. 26, 1904, on page 891.
The telephone is being used ex
tensively by the Russians in carry
ing on their warfare. Even fire or
ders are being given by telephone.
A liquid rheostat for starting mo
tors has been invented. It contains
all the advantages of the ordinary
starting rheostat including the “over
load” and “no voltage” releases.
A full account of the working of the
new appliance can be found in the
Scientific American of Dec. 3.
A Geisha girl was killed by a
trolley car at the St. Louis fair.
Strange to say, the funeral party was
later carried by the trolley car to the
cemetery. At the girl’s home the
motorman backed off the car to con
form with the Japanese custom of
the guests retracing their steps.
Probably the greatest electrical
engineering feat of the present time
is the electrification of the New York
Central Railroad by the General
Electric Company. Electric loco
motives, more powerful and com
pact than the present steam locomo
tives, are to replace the latter. A
full description of the change is giv
en in the last issue of the Electrical
World and Engineer.
Mechanical.
The Junior Mechanicals, who
elected Ry, Mechanical Engineering,
accompanied by Prof. Wood, made
a trip to Bellefonte Saturday to get the
the Bellefonte Central engine, No.
4, in readiness for a test. The lo
comotive is being fitted up for a
thorough test to be made during a
regular run from Bellefonte to the
College and return. The prepara
tions are now about completed and
the work so far has been very practi
cal and interesting.
The oldest locomotive in use today,
according to the “Scientific Ameri
can,” is employed on a branch rail
road of Santiago, Cuba. It was first
used in 1847 and has been in con
stant service for over sixty years.
It has 14 inch cylinders and an 18
inch stroke. Weighs 18 tons.
Mining,
THE ENGINEERING AND MIN
ING JOURNAL,
Oct. 13th issue.— Copper Mines of
Lake Superior by T. A. Rickard. This
article is a valuable one to mining
students and will be found interesting
to all. The region is first taken as a
whole and geology, labor conditions
and natural advantages described.
Then the important mines of the re
gion are fully described individually, as
to methods of working, financial and
business condition, etc.
Oct. 27th issue.— Dry Air Blast in
the Manufacture of Iron by James Gay
ley. The author advances a compara
tively new idea and gives plans of some
apparatus in connection with it.
Same issue.— Chlorination in Colo
rado by Wm. E. Greenawalt. Is a dis
cussion of the chorination process as
carried out in a state where it has
been most highly perfected.
Nov. 3rd issue.— The Bradford Car
michael Process by Donald Clark.
Gives the essentials of a process for
making SO,gas for H.SO, at Broken
Hill, Australia.
Nov. 17th issue.— The lodimetric
Determination of Copper by Andrew M.
Fairlie. This is a revision of the old
lodimetric Method and the author
claims for it more speed and more re
liable results than the old.
Dec. Ist issue.— The New Chlorina
tion by Greenawalt is a sequel to arti
cle by same author in Oct. 27th issue.
General
There is a widespread impression
that Comb Honey can be manufac
tured, that little pure honey of any
kind can be purchased, and that
there are not enough bees in the
country to produce all the honey of
fered for sale.
At their Convention at St. Louis
Sept 27-30 the National Bee-Keepers’
Association offered the following
resolution: —“In view of the oft re
peated statement in the public press
that comb honey is made, filled, and
capped over by machinery, be it,
Resolved, That the National Bee-
Keepers’ Association will forfeit the
sum of $l,OOO to any party or par
ties who will furnish proof beyond
successful contradiction that said
statement is true and produce as
part of such evidence two pounds or
more of such comb honey that has
been manufacturd without the use of
bees in any way, with sufficient skill
to deceive ordinary honey experts.”
There is no doubt that some adul
terated extracted honey is on the
market, but there is far more real
honey. There are about as many
flavors and kinds of honey as there
are varieties of apples. A Baldwin
does not taste the same as a Greening,
neither does Basswood honey taste
the same as Alfalfa. Each flower
has a characteristic odor, and honey
gathered from each flower will have
a characteristic taste and flavor.
There are enough bees to produce
the honey now sold and when more
honey is needed more bees will be
forthcoming, With 161,000 swarms
of bees in this State and 29,000
Bee-Keepers nearly one '' million
dollars per year are represented.
There is room for more bees rightly
kept and room for vast improve
ment in the methods of caring for
those already kept.
This large industry is to-day
throughout the world threatened
with a contagious disease, It rages
in this State. Some States have ef
fectual laws concerning it and com
petent inspectors. The disease can
be controlled just as are the conta
gious diseases of cattle.
Disease, chiefly “Foul Brood” in
this State, must be stamped out or
controlled. Bee-Keepers must be
taught better methods. The Public
must be educated concerning honey
and its value as a food.