Page:Scientific American - Series 1 - Volume 005 - Issue 22.pdf/1

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The
Scientific American,
Circulation 14,000.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY.

At 128 Fulton Street, New York, (Sun Building,) and 13 Court Street, Boston, Mass.

BY MUNN & COMPANY.
The Principal Office being at New York.

Barlow & Payne, Agents, 89 Chancery Lane, London
Geo. Dexter & Bro., New York City
Stuken & Bro., Philadelphia.
R. Morris & Co., Southern.

Responsible Agents may also be found in all the principal cities and towns in the United States.

TERMS--$2 a year--$1 in advance, and the remainder in 6 months.

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Rail Road News.

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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The Cumberland Civilian of Friday says:— “The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad west of this place is progressing as well as could be expected at this season of the year. Now and then a snow storm comes and stops the work for a day or so. But the snow stays not long, and the never-failing effort that is always made in such cases to regain lost time in a little time brings all up square again. The work is pushed on with great energy.

Covington and Lexington Railroad.

The Cincinnati Gazette is urging the Cincinnatians to subcribe to the stock in the proposed railway from Covington to Lexington. The Gazette states that stock to the amount of three hundred thousand dollars has been taken in Covington and the neighborhood. In addition to this sum, the friends of the project expect to procure subscriptions to the amount of two hundred thousand dollars in the counties through which the road, when completed, will pass.

Railroad to Montreal.

We learn from Plattsburg Republican, that a large meeting of the business men of that place, was held last week, to take into consideration the project of building a road from Plattsburg to the Canadian line to connect with a projected road to Montreal. This road if built will give a direct railroad and steam boat communication with Albany and Montreal.

The Charleston and Memphis Railroad.

We lean from the Memphis Eagle of the 21st ult., that the most enthusiastic feeling prevails in Northern Alabama with respect to this road, and that there is a fair prospect of its vigorous commencement and speedy completion.

Milwaukie Railroad.

The road from Milwaukie via Waukesha to the Mississippi, is in course of rapid construction. The Board of Directors have just published a favorable and encouraging report.

A Railroad is proposed between Newport and Fall River, to connect with the Boston and Fall River Road.

Dry Dock Sunk.

The largest of the Louisiana Dry Docks, at Algiers, sunk in deep water. The dock had been sunk for the reception of a ship, to the usual depth and when the pumping machinery was put in operation the whole dock was found to be in a sinking condition. It is estimated that the expense of raising it would be at least $10,000.

Warm Reception.

The whale which made a pleasure excursion into Province town harbor last week, was very inhospitably treated by the people of that place, being harpooned and cut up within an hour after his arrival. He made about fifty barrels of oil.

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IMPROVED EXCAVATING MACHINERY.---Fig. 1.

This arrangement of machinery is to place the cutting buckets on revolving arms, to scoop up the soil in the embankment, and deliver it in proper channel to conduct it away.

Fig. 1. is a side elevation, and figure 2 shows the cutting scoop enlarged—a side and a plan view, and the chain, J, on an enlarged scale also. A represents the frame mounted on flanged tyer wheels, O I, for the purpose of travelling on the rails of the road. There is an angular frame in front, carrying the shaft of the revolving cutters, K, K, which are attached to the arms, G, G. W is a spindle with a bevel wheel, L, on it to receive motion from a bevel pinion, M. (dotted) on the main shaft, V. The said spindle, by a screw on its lower end, communicates motions to a bevel pinion on the outside of the shaft of the ratched roller, H, and from it a chain, J gives motion to the cutting scoops, K, by passing the other roller, H. N is an endless chain, which passes over the roller, O, and this chain is marked to show that it is a series of buckets which receive the dirt from the scoops by a spout on the other side, and by turning in the direction of the arrows, the said buckets discharge into the receiver, B. P P is another such endless chain of buckets, which receives motion from the two eccentrics, T T, at the top, on the shaft, V, which, by connecting rods, SS, move the roller, R. This set of buckets receive the earth from the spout, B, and deposit it in the receptacle, Z, which has a sliding bottom worked by the wheels, E E, on the rail, F, to allows the workmen to shoot it into the cart, thereby enabling this portable steam excavator to work its way along.

A motive power being employed to give motion to the crank, U, on the shaft, V, which, by the screw on the top of the angle shaft, X, and the one, D, on the lower part, causes the machine to advance at any speed, according to the nature of the ground to be excavated.— The whole of the parts must be built strong and firm.

Fig. 2.

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The Artic Regions.

Along the whole of the limestone strata of these regions are innumerable lochs, or freshwater lakes, presenting a singular spectacle. Although they have been waded in for miles, the depth is never more than from one to three feet. All these lochs and pools swarm with myriads of minnows, or the very small fish known by the name of barnsticles in the north, and in the winter the water around those fish becomes a solid mass to the bottom and the fish are often found in clusters, and so brittle that their bodies may be broken like a piece of glass, and yet on the ice thawing, animation is again established, and they become as lively as ever. Assistant surgeon Henry Mathias, of the Enterprise, belonging to the recent Artic expedition, had some of the ice, with a cluster of minnows, placed in a tumbler, and when gradually dissolved, it appeared very pleasing to witness the re-animation of these fishes under a milder temperature. The late gallant officer attributed the phenomenon to the heart of the little fish being surrounded with a fat oily liquid, which is never liable to be frozen; and was further confirmed in his impression, by ascertaining that while every other substance on board the vessel, unless careful kept, was frozen, and had to be cut and heated before use. a cask of Stockholm tar of fat, standing on the deck at the time of the very lowest temperature, was not in the least frozen, and when required could be poured out to the very bottom, like treacle. The Enterprise and Investigator are now on their voyage again in search of Sir John Franklin. The only shadow of a hope for him is the fact that nothing whatsoever has been heard of him or his crew, which consisted of more than 100 hardy and able men.

Insects.

In a recent lecture delivered before the American Institute, by the celebrated Professor Agassiz, he stated some curious facts respecting insects. He said more than a lifetime would be necessary to enumerate the various species and describe their appearances.— There are numerous species collected in the museums of Europe, but they form only a small part of the whole number; and even of these, the habits and metamorphoses are almost entirely unknown. Meiger, a German, who devoted his life to the study, had collected and described six thousand species of flies, which he collected in a district ten miles in circumference, but of their habits he knew scarcely any thing. They have been collected in Europe twenty-seven thousand species of insects preying on wheat. In Berlin two professors are engaged in collecting, observing and describing insects and their habits, already they have published five large volumes upon the insects which attack forest trees.

A Long Fast.

A Letter in the Boston Post from South Weymouth, relates that a resident of that place, happening to take a ramble through a piece of woods, on Sunday, found inextricable entangled amid some trees, a vehicle called a buggy—the horse alive but emaciated, and almost frantic with hunger. The horse and buggy had been missing four weeks, the animal having strayed away, as is supposed, from Abbington.

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For the Scientific American.
Palmer's Patent Leg.

Hall of the Franklin Institute,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
Philadelphia, Jan, 11, 1850.

The Committee on Science and the Arts, constituted by the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, for the promotion of the Mechanic Arts to whom was referred for examination an Artificial Leg, invented by Benjamin Franklin Palmer, report—

That the peculiarities of this invention consist in part, first,

An ingenious arrangement of springs and cords in the inside of the limb, by which, when the wearer is in the erect position, the limb is extended and the foot thrown forward, whilst, when he is seated the limb remains flexed so as to present a natural appearance.

Second—By a second arrangement of cords and springs in the inside of the limb, the foot and toes are gradually and easily extended, when the heel is placed in contact with the ground.

In consequence of this arrangement, the limping gait and the unpleasant noise made by the sudden stroke of the ball of the foot upon the ground in walking which is so obvious in the ordinary Leg, is avoided.

Third, By a peculiar arrangement of the knee-joint it is rendered little liable to wear, and all lateral or rotary motion is prevented.

It is hardly necessary to remark that any such motion is undesirable in an artificial leg, as it renders its support, unstable, &c.

The pressure of the artificial leg is made uniformly upon the surface of the sides of the stump, and not upon the end, by which arrangement the danger of ulceration and inflammation of the flaps covering the end of the bone, is, in a great measure avoided.

The committee have seen the artificial leg worn by the Inventor himself. It is light, well shaped, easily adjusted, and of a surface readily kept clean. The shape of the leg is such as to represent exactly, when clothed its natural fellow.

He is enabled, by means of his invention, to walk without a cane, in such a manner as readily to deceive one not acquainted with the facts of the case. All the natural movements of the limb, except motion laterally, (which is undesirable) are beautifully executed. He can throw either leg over the other, and can mount a height of five inches, with either leg indifferently, without assistance.

In conclusion the committee would remark, that the artificial leg of Mr. Palmer is superior to any that has yet come under their notice. It is light, strong, beautifully shaped, apparently very durable, self-acting in a greater degree than any they have ever met with, easy and natural in its motion, and possessing, apparently, all the qualities desirable or attainable in such an invention.

The Committee would recommend the award to the inventor of the “Scott's Legacy Medal and Premium.”—[a medal bearing the inscription “To the most deserving,” accompanied with $20. Awarded,]—and also to the Committee on Exhibitions to award him the first premium for his model exhibited in the late Exhibition. By order of the Committee,

Wm. Hamilton, Actuary.

[It gives us much pleasure to publish the above document from this eminently scientific body, concerning the superior mechanism of which we have frequently spoken, and to which we would call the attention of all who need such an assistance, and desire to obtain the most perfect article. B. F. Palmer & Co. are now located in Springfield, Mass., and are the only manufacturers.

There is a vast fund of original and interesting matter in our columns this week.

© 1850 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC