Part 2

136. Blasting Rocks for the Manchester Ship Canal 266

137. Manchester Ship Canal Works, Runcorn 267

137_a_. The French Steam Navvy 268

137_b_. The English Steam Navvy 269

137_c_. Sketch Map of the North Sea Canal 271

138. Britannia Bridge, Menai Straits 276

139. Diagram showing Strains 278

140. Ditto 279

141. Girder 279

142. Ditto 279

143. Ditto 280

144. Section of a Tube of the Britannia Bridge 281

145. Albert Bridge, Saltash 283

146. Clifton Suspension Bridge, near Bristol 285

147. Section of Shaft 286

147_a_. Clifton Suspension Bridge, Niagara 288

147_b_. Living Model of the Cantilever Principle 291

147_c_. Principal Dimensions of the Forth Bridge 294

147_d_. Map of the Tower Bridge and its Approaches 299

147_e_. The Tower Bridge 301

147_f_. Sketch 302

148. Newspaper Printing-Room 305

149. Inking Balls 306

150. Inking Roller 306

151. Diagram of Single Machine 308

152. Diagram of Perfecting Machine 309

153. Cowper’s Double Cylinder Machine 309

154. Tapes of Cowper’s Machine 310

155. Hopkinson and Cope’s Perfecting Machine 311

156. Section of Casting Apparatus 314

157. Diagram of the Walter Press 315

158. Hoe’s Type Revolving Cylinder Machine 317

159. Hoe’s “Railway” Machine 319

160. Napier’s Platen Machine 320

161. Roller for Printing Wall-Papers 322

162. Machine for Printing Paper-Hangings 323

163. Chain Testing Machine 324

164. Pascal’s Principle 325

165. Collar of Hydraulic Cylinder 326

166. Hydraulic Press 327

167. Section of Hydraulic Lift Graving Dock 331

168. Section of Column 332

169. Sir W. Armstrong’s Hydraulic Crane 335

170. Raising Tubes of Britannia Bridge 336

171. Press for Raising the Tubes 337

172. Head of Link-Bars 338

173. Apparatus to Prove Transmission of Pressure 339

174. Pneumatic Tubes and Carriages 340

175. Diagram of Tubes, &c. 342

176. Sending and Receiving Apparatus 343

177. Section of Receiving Apparatus 344

178. Sommeiller Boring Machines 349

179. Transit by Diligence over Mont Cenis 353

180. Burleigh Rock Drill on Tripod 356

181. The same on Movable Column 358

182. The same Mounted on Carriage 359

183. Diamond Drill Crown 360

184. Diamond Drill Machinery 363

185. Chart of the Channel Tunnel 367

186. Section of the Channel Tunnel 368

187. View of Dover 369

187_a_. Map of the St. Gothard Railway 372

187_b_. The Uppermost Bridge over the Maïenreuss 375

187_c_. The Bridges over the Maïenreuss, near Wasen 377

187_d_. Windings of the Line near Wasen 378

188. Contrasts of Light 380

189. Rays 382

190. Diagram 383

191. Telescopic Appearance of Jupiter and Satellites 384

192. Diagram 386

193, 194, 195. Diagrams 388

196. Diagram 389

197. Polemoscope 390

198. Apparatus for Ghost Illusion 391

198_a_. The Ghost Illusion 393

199. Illusion produced by Mirrors 394

200. A Stage Illusion 395

201. View of Venice—Reflections 396

202. Refraction 397

203. Diagram 398

204, 205. Diagrams of Crystals 400

206. Diagram 401

207. Diagram 403

208. Diagram 404

209. Polariscope 406

210. Section showing Polarisation 407

211. Iceland Spar, showing Double Refraction 407

212. Diagram 408

213. Diagram 410

214. Diagram 412

215. Portrait of Professor Kirchhoff 416

216. Diagram 417

217. Newton’s Experiment 418

218. Bunsen’s Burner on Stand 421

219. Spectroscope with one Prism 423

220. Miniature Spectroscope 426

221. The Gassiot Spectroscope 427

222. Browning’s Automatic Adjustment of Prisms 429

223. Apparatus for Spark Spectra 430

224. The Sorby-Browning Micro-Spectroscope 433

225. Section of Micro-Spectroscope, with Micrometer 434

226. Diagram 435

227. Section of Micro-Spectroscope 436

228. Solar Eclipse, 1869 439

229. The Planet Saturn 441

230. Solar Prominences, No. 1 442

231. Ditto, No. 2 443

232. Section of Amateur Star Spectroscope 444

232_a_. X. Ray Photo of Living Hand, Exposure 4 minutes 446

232_b_. Skiagraph of a Hand by Dr. Roentgen 448

232_c_. Metal objects photographed through Calico and sheet 450 of Aluminium

232_d_. Skiagraph of Layers of various substances 451

233. Portrait of Professor Helmholtz 452

234. Vertical Section of the Eye 454

235. Section of Retina 456

236. Diagram 457

237. Muscles of Eyes 459

238. Diagram 461

239. Diagram 464

240. Diagram 465

241. Ruete’s Ophthalmoscope 466

242. Diagram 467

243. Wheatstone’s Reflecting Stereoscope 469

244. Diagram 470

245. Diagram 471

246. The Telestereoscope 473

247. Lines 475

248, 249. Diagrams 476

250, 251. Diagrams 477

251_a_. Edison’s Kinetographic Theatre 479

252. Portrait of Sir W. Thomson 481

253. A simple Electroscope 485

254. The Gold-leaf Electroscope 489

255. The Leyden Jar 490

256. A Voltaic Element 491

257. Ampère’s Rule 492

258. Galvanometer 493

259. Daniell’s Cell and Battery 495

260. Grove’s Cell and Battery 495

261. Wire Ignited by Electricity 496

262. Duboscq’s Electric Lantern and Regulator 497

263. Decomposition of Water 498

264. Electro-plating 499

265. A Current producing a Magnet 500

266. An Electro-magnet 501

267. Ruhmkorff’s Coil 503

268. Discharge through Rarefied Air 504

268_a_. Large Induction Coil at the Old Polytechnic 505 Institution, London

269. Appearance of Spark on Looking-glass 507

270. Magneto-electric Spark 508

271. A Magnet producing a Current 509

272. Clarke’s Magneto-electric Machine 509

273. Magneto-electric Light 510

274. Diagram 511

275. Gramme Machine 512

276. Insulated Coils 513

277. Hand Gramme Machine 513

278. Gramme Machine, with eight Vertical Electro-Magnets 516

279. Gramme Machine, with Horizontal Electro-magnets 517

280. Gramme Machine 519

280_a_. The Alliance Machine 520

280_b_. Wilde’s Machine 521

280_c_. Siemens’ Dynamo 522

280_d_. The Brush Dynamo 523

280_e_. Siemens’ Regulator 524

280_f_. Jablochkoff Candle 525

280_g_. Electric Lamp 526

280_h_. Incandescent Lamp 529

280_i_. Poles with Single Arms for Suburban Roads.—The 533 Ontario Beach Railway, Rochester, N.Y.

280_j_. The Glynde Telepherage Line, on the system of the 534 late Fleeming Jenkin

280_k_. Diagrams 540

280_l_. The Tesla Oscillator 542

280_m_. M. Nikola Tesla 543

281. Portrait of Professor Morse 547

282. Double-Needle Instrument 554

283. Electro-magnetic Bells 555

284. Portable Single-Needle Instrument 556

285. Connections of Telegraph Line 558

286. Morse Recording Telegraph 559

287. Morse Transmitting Key 561

288. Morse Transmitting Plate 562

289. Step-by-step Movement 567

290. Froment’s Dials 567

291. Wheatstone’s Universal Dial Telegraph 568

292. Mirror Galvanometer 571

293. Telegraph Post and Insulators 573

294. Ditto 573

295. Wire Circuit 574

296. Wire and Earth Circuit 574

297. Submarine Cable 575

298. Making Wire for Atlantic Cable 577

299. Instrument Room at Valentia 578

300. Breaking of the Cable 579

301. Atlantic Telegraph Cable, 1866 580

302. Diagram 580

302_a_. Reiss’s Musical Telephone 584

302_b_. Bell’s Musical Telephone 585

302_c_. Superposition of Currents 587

302_d_. Bell’s Speaking Telephone 588

302_e_. Hughes’s Microphone 591

Lighthouse (heading) 593

303. Eddystone Lighthouse 594

304. Eddystone in a Storm 595

305. Revolving Light Apparatus 601

306. Stephenson’s Holophotal Light 604

307. Camera 607

308. Camera and Slide 615

309. Folding Camera 616

310. Lenses 617

311. Bath 619

311_a_. The Roll-Slide 622

312. Portrait of Aloysius Senefelder 632

313. Press for Stereotyping by Clay Process 633

313_a_. The Linotype Machine 645

313_b_. A Matrix 646

313_c_. Diagram of Movements 647

313_d_. A Line of Matrices 648

313_e_. A finished Line entering galley 649

313_f_. The Melting Pot and Mould Wheel 650

313_g_. The Finished Line 651

313_h_. Lines assembled into a “Form” 651

313_i_. Matrices dropping into Magazine 652

314. Recording Anemometer 653

315. Registration of Height of Barometer and Thermometer 655

316. Electric Chronograph 657

317. Negretti’s Deep-Sea Thermometer 661

318. Ditto, General Arrangement 662

319. Atmospheric Recording Instrument 663

319_a_. Traces of Vibrations of a Tuning-Fork 667

319_b_. Phonautographic Tracings of Different Vowel Sounds 667

319_c_. Diagram 668

319_d_. Phases of Sound Waves 668

319_e_. Edison’s Original Phonograph 670

319_f_. Diagrammatic Section of Phonograph 671

319_g_. The Graphophone 672

319_h_. Edison’s Perfected Phonograph 674

320. Domestic Aquarium 675

321. The Opelet 679

322. Viviparous Blenny 680

323. The Lancelet 681

324. Sea-Horses 683

325. Proteus anguinus 684

326. Mud-Fish 685

327. The Axolotl 686

328. Sorting, Washing, and Digging at the South African 687 Diamond Fields

329. Gold Miner’s Camp 689

330. Gold in Rocks 690

331. “Cradle” for Gold-washing 690

332. Pniel, from Jardine’s Hotel 702

333. Sifting at the “Dry Diggings” 703

334. Vaal River, from Spence Kopje 704

334_a_. Sketch Section of the Kimberley Diamond Mine 709

335. Portrait of Sir Humphrey Davy 714

336. Apparatus 717

337. Portrait of Mr. Thomas Hancock 724

338. Portrait of Sir James Young Simpson, M.D. 731

339. Railway Cutting 740

340. View on the Tyne 751

341. Fossil Trees in a Railway Cutting 752

342. Impression of Leaf in Coal Measures 753

343. Possible Aspect of the Forests of the Coal Age 754

344. The Fireside 756

345. View on Hyde and Egbert’s Farm, Oil Creek 761

346. View of City of London Gas-Works 764

347. Section of Gas-making Apparatus 765

348. The Retort 767

348_a_. Retort House of the Imperial Gas-Works 768

349. The Gas Governor 770

350. Bunsen’s Burner 772

351. Faraday’s Ventilating Gas-Burner 773

351_a_. Diagram 778

351_b_. Diagram 778

351_c_. Diagram 779

351_d_. Diagram 779

351_e_. Diagram 780

352. Apparatus for making Magenta 781

353. Iron Pots for making Nitro-Benzol 784

354. Section of Apparatus for making Nitro-Benzol 785

355. Apparatus for making Aniline 786

356. Section of Hollow Spindle 787

357. Portrait of J. Prescott Joule, F.R.S. 801

LIST OF PLATES.

PLATE I. TO FACE

THE GREAT WHEEL IN ACTION _Title page_

PLATE II.

NORTH-EASTERN RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE 18

PLATE III.

THE GREAT STEAM HAMMER, ROYAL GUN FACTORY, WOOLWICH 28

PLATE IV.

THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY BUILDING 76

PLATE V.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE GREAT WHEEL AT EARL’S COURT 84

PLATE VI.

MOUNT WASHINGTON INCLINED TRACK 124

PLATE VII.

PIKE’S PEAK RAILROAD, ROCKY MOUNTAINS 128

PLATE VIII.

THE “CLERMONT” FROM A CONTEMPORARY DRAWING 130

PLATE IX.

THE “MARY POWELL” 144

PLATE X.

THE “NEW YORK” 148

PLATE XI.

H.M.S. “THE TERRIBLE” 168

PLATE XII.

THE 110–TON ARMSTRONG GUN 202

PLATE XIII.

THE FORTH BRIDGE 292

PLATE XIV.

THE TOWER BRIDGE IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION 298

PLATE XV.

THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE 304

PLATE XVI.

THE NORTH MOUTH OF THE GREAT TUNNEL, ST. GOTHARD RAILWAY 374

PLATE XVII.

SPECTRA (Coloured Plate) 422

INTRODUCTION.

Only by knowledge of Nature’s laws can man subjugate her powers and appropriate her materials for his own purposes. The whole history of arts and inventions is a continued comment on this text; and since the knowledge can be obtained only by observation of Nature, it follows that Science, which is the exact and orderly summing-up of the results of such observation, must powerfully contribute to the well-being and progress of mankind.

Some of the services which have been rendered by science in promoting human welfare are thus enumerated by an eloquent writer: “It has lengthened life; it has mitigated pain; it has extinguished diseases; it has increased the fertility of the soil; it has given new securities to the mariner; it has furnished new arms to the warrior; it has spanned great rivers and estuaries with bridges of form unknown to our fathers; it has guided the thunderbolt innocuously from heaven to earth; it has lighted up the night with the splendour of the day; it has extended the range of the human vision; it has multiplied the power of the human muscles; it has accelerated motion; it has annihilated distance; it has facilitated intercourse, correspondence, all friendly offices, all dispatch of business; it has enabled man to descend to the depths of the sea, to soar into the air, to penetrate securely into the noxious recesses of the earth, to traverse the land in cars which whirl along without horses, to cross the ocean in ships which run ten knots an hour against the wind. These are but a part of its fruits, and of its first-fruits; for it is a philosophy which never rests, which has never attained, which is never perfect. Its law is progress. A point which yesterday was invisible is its goal to-day, and will be its starting-point tomorrow.”—(MACAULAY).

Thus every new invention, every triumph of engineering skill, is the embodiment of some scientific idea; and experience has proved that discoveries in science, however remote from the interests of every-day life they may at first appear, ultimately confer unforeseen and incalculable benefits on mankind. There is also a reciprocal action between science and its application to the useful purposes of life; for while no advance is ever made in any branch of science which does not sooner or later give rise to a corresponding improvement in practical art, so on the other hand every advance made in practical art furnishes the best illustration of scientific principles.

The enormous material advantages which this age possesses, the cheapness of production that has placed comforts, elegancies, and refinements unknown to our fathers within the reach of the humblest, are traceable in a high degree to the arrangement called the “division of labour,” by which it is found more advantageous for each man to devote himself to one kind of work only; to the steam engine and its numerous applications; to increased knowledge of the properties of metals, and of the methods of extracting them from their ores; to the use of powerful and accurate tools; and to the modern plan of manufacturing articles by processes of copying, instead of fashioning everything anew by manual labour. Little more than a century ago everything was slowly and imperfectly made by the tedious toil of the workman’s hand; but now marvellously perfect results of ingenious manufacture are in every-day use, scattered far and wide, so that their very commonness almost prevents us from viewing them with the attention and admiration they deserve. Machinery, actuated by the forces of nature, now performs with ease and certainty work that was formerly the drudgery of thousands. Every natural agent has been pressed into man’s service: the winds, the waters, fire, gravity, electricity, light itself.