State collegian. (State College, Pa.) 1904-1911, December 08, 1904, Image 3
The tfo 1 UC | 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.