Chapter 1

Produced by David T. Jones

THE NEW YORK SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL INFORMATION, ART, SCIENCE, MECHANICS, CHEMISTRY, AND MANUFACTURES.

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 26, 1846.

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SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

_Published Weekly at_ 128 _Fulton Street_,

(_Sun Building_,) _New York_.

BY MUNN & COMPANY.

RUFUS PORTER, EDITOR.

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

[Symbol: right Index] _See Advertisement on last page_.

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CONTENTS.

Nature's Image of Washington 1 The Viol Seraphine* 1 An Eclipse in Arabia 1 Giving Credit 1 The Bowie Knife and its Inventor 1 Forests and Streams 1 Prussian Music 1 Philosophy 1 Polite Preaching 1 Pure Air 2 The Deerfield (N. H.) Phenomena 2 Extraordinary Instance of Gambling 2 Gen. Taylor's Patriotism 2 The Columbian Magazine 2 A Mountain In Labor 2 The Pope's Will 2 Improved Railroad 2 Sageisms 2 As Good as Cash 2 How Very Hot It Is 2 California Farming 2 Diversification of Language 2 "Keep that Testament In your vest pocket, over your heart." 2 Temperance in the Army 2 Modes of Raising Ponderous Articles 3 Information to persons having business to transact at the Patent Office 3 The Regulator(?)* 3 A Remarkable Mineral Spring 3 Cool Forethought 3 It May Be So 3 Howe's Sewing Machine 4 Steering Apparatus 4 Electro-Magnetic Boat 4 Improvement in Boats 4 Casting Iron Cannon by a galvanic Process 4 New Shingle Machine 4 Improvement in Blacksmiths Forges 4 Improved Fire Engine 4 A simple Cheese-Press* 4 Cast Iron Roofing 4 The New and Wonderful Pavement 4 To render Shingles Durable 4 Best Plan of a Barn 4 Robert Fulton 4 Introduction to Volume II 5 Advantage of Low Fares 5 Avalon Railroad Iron 5 The Magnetic Telegraph 5 Advertising In London 5 Deerfield Bridge 5 Information Wanted 5 Railroad Intelligence 5 Arrival of the Cambria 5 The Mexican War 5 Trade to Santa Fe 5 THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN--subscriptions 5 The Harbor of Havana* 6 A Very Long Nose 6 Sol. Smith 6 A Profitable Hoax 6 Reforming 6 Wrong Side Up* 6 Importance of Humility 6 The Eureka: or Journal of the National Association of Inventors 7 ADVERTISEMENTS 7 The Ball of the Bears 7 All is not Gold that Glitters 7 Painting In Imitation of Rose-Wood 8 India Rubber 8 Communication on Atmospheric Resistance 8 The Conical Windlass* 8 Requisite Strength of Steam Boilers 8 Bagley's Gold Pens 8 The Humming Bird 8

(Illustrated articles are marked with an asterisk.)

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NATURE'S IMAGE OF WASHINGTON.

BY MARSHALL S. PIKE, OF THE HARMONEONS

DESCRIPTIVE: Opposite Harper's Ferry,--which is situated on a pleasant elevation at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers--a few rods north of "Pinnacle Bluff," a flighty eminence on the Blue Ridge Mountains, stands a most singular formation of rock, known as 'Washington's Face'; and which, to a casualist void of imaginative powers, is easily recognized if pointed out by a guide; but to a close observer, however, with common discernable perception, it presents _at first sight_ a most striking and correct resemblance of _the great original_. From midway the bridge which crosses the Potomac, the countenance and contour of the face _to me_, appeared discriminatingly perfect, and constrained me to look upon it as _one_ of the most wonderful, and the noblest work of revealed nature.

In the high barren cliffs of the Blue Mountain Ridge, That frightfully hang o'er the trestle-built bridge, Juts out into space a huge rocky bluff, Which the elements rudely left broken and rough. Near this, stands a bust so exquisitely fair, That the chisel of art would be uselessness there! For nature wrought well till the model was done-- An impress on stone of our GREAT WASHINGTON.

The Earth born from chaos at some mighty shock, Left the image to rest on the high mountain rock, On a turret-like peak, in the heavens above, _As a sentinel over the country we love:_ Where the sunbeam could linger till daylight had fled, Where the bright stars of night, form a crown o'er its head; And where, through the greenwood, the faintest breeze creeps, To sigh for the Hero, who deathlessly sleeps.

There it stands like a giant in storm and in calm, Like the Hero in battle, no foeman could harm! And commandingly looks with a Patriot's pride, On the wild mountain stream of Potomac's fast tide, Whose waters swell on in the valley between, Through the vast hilly regions and forests of green; O'er a rock-bottomed track, to the blue-bosomed sea, From its struggles to rest, like our sire of the free.

Stand up there in might, till the bright sun shall die, Till the stars glimmer out their light in the sky, And the moon shall no longer lend beauty or light, But _all_ shall again be dark chaos and night,-- Till then, let its base be the tall craggy steep, Where rocks are o'er moss-grown, and ivy-vines creep; With the Heaven's wide canopy over its head, _An immortal image of greatness that's dead._

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INTRODUCTION.--The clear tones of a viol or bass viol are generally admitted to be more melodious than those produced by other kinds of instruments, and many have expressed a desire to see an instrument so constructed as to be played with keys, like the organ or piano forte, and give the tones of the violin. This is the character of the instrument here introduced. It is elegant in appearance; occupies less than half the space of a piano forte, and is so light and portable that a lady-performer may readily place it before her, and thus avoid the necessity,--unpleasant to all parties,--of turning her back on the company. We do not say that an instrument of this kind has been as yet constructed complete: but the principle has been proved, and it may, and probably will be soon, offered to the public, at a cost not exceeding sixty dollars.

EXPLANATION.--In the engraving, a side view elevation only is represented, showing only one string and one key of a series of twenty or more of each. The body of the machine A B, is a light hollow chest about three feet square and six inches deep, supported by four posts or legs with castors. Two bridges, C and D, extend across the breadth of the chest. The bridge D is supported by a cleat, E, in which is inserted the pin F, to which is attached one end of the string C D F. The other end of the string is simply attached to the bridge C. A key-lever, G H, passes through the bridge, and is mounted on a pivot therein. The front end of the key (G) is held in its ordinary position by a small spring thereunder, and may be easily depressed by the finger of the performer: the other end of the key serves as the bearing of the pivot of a delicate arbor, the opposite pivot of which has its bearing in the bridge D. On the front end of this arbor is a wheel three-fourths of an inch in diameter, with its periphery smooth, and polished with rosin, or rosin varnish; and so adjusted, that by the depression of the key, this wheel is brought up in contact with the string, whereby, if in motion rotarily, a full sound is produced, as if a violin bow was drawn across the string. On the other end of the arbor is a grooved pulley, over which passes a silken cord, which also passes round a delicate band-wheel, I, below, and by which, motion is communicated to the arbor and sounding wheel. The band-wheel is mounted on a shaft, I J, which has its bearings in two small head blocks which project from two crossbars: and from the block J is suspended a vertical rod, to the bottom of which is attached a treadle, K L, and from which a curved ratch, L M, extends upward and takes to a small ratchet on the shaft I J; so that, by the horizontal motion of the treadle, the motion is communicated to the wheel, &c. The teeth of the ratch and ratchet have so gentle an inclination on one side of each, that although the ratch applies force to the ratchet in the upward direction, they slide freely over in their return. It may be understood that the machine is to have two treadles and two ratches, which move forward alternately: and that twenty or more arbors, pulleys, strings and keys are arranged in series, although only one of each is represented in the engraving. The cord applies to each pulley in the series, by passing over the first, under the second, and over the third, and so on, descending from the last of the series to the band-wheel. Each arbor is placed directly under its respective string, and it is also proposed to place moveable stops under the strings, at equal distances from the key bridge, and to regulate the tones by adjusting the stops, without depending on the pins at the ends for that purpose. We shall employ a competent mechanic to construct one or more of these instruments as soon as convenient, and give due notice accordingly.

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AN ECLIPSE IN ARABIA.

Casting my eyes over the bright, full moon, I perceived that an eclipse was just coming upon it. What astronomer had calculated this eclipse for Arabia? It was indeed a privilege to witness one in the bright sky that over-spread the lonely mountains of Seir. Soon we were seated in a circle, with our Arabs round their watch-fire, enquiring of them their views of an eclipse, and explaining to them ours. They appeared to have no idea of its real cause, regarding it as a judgment from God, a sign of a bad season, and little camel feed. When we undertook to explain to them the theory of the earth being round, turning over every day, sometimes getting between the sun and moon, they seemed to look upon us as telling very strange tales. The eclipse was nearly total. I gazed upon it with interest, and then eyed the strange scene around me. The wild, lonely landscape of rock and sand--the camels kneeling round the bivouac--the wild faces of the Arabs, reflecting the red light of the fire round which they were seated--their wild voices and strange guttural language, all combined to produce an effect so startling, that I felt till then I had never been thoroughly sensible of our complete separation from the civilized world.

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GIVING CREDIT.

"One of our exchange" says one of our exchanges, "came to us this week with four of our editorials _not credited_." A frivolous complaint. Not a week passes but we find in some of our exchanges from ten to twenty of our editorials; and instead of complaining, we are thankful for being thus complimented.

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THE BOWIE KNIFE AND ITS INVENTOR.

This instrument was devised by Col. James Bowie, an American, and a man of desperate valor. He considered, and apparently with justice, too, that, in close fighting, a much shorter weapon than the sword ordinarily in use, but still _heavy_ enough to give it sufficient force, and, at the same time, contrive to cut and thrust, would be far preferable, and more advantageous to the wearer. He accordingly invented the short sword, or knife, which has since gone under his name. It is made of various sizes; but the best, I may say, is about the length of a carving knife--case perfectly straight in the first instance, but greatly rounded at the end on the edge side; the upper edge at the end, for the length of about two inches, is ground into the small segment of a circle and rendered sharp; thus leaving an apparent curve of the knife, although in reality the upturned point is not higher than the line of the back. The back itself gradually increases in weight of metal as it approaches the hilt, on which a small guard is placed. The Bowie knife, therefore, has a curved, keen point; is double edged for the space of about a couple of inches of its length; and when in use, falls with the weight of a bill hook.--Bowie went to Texas during the troubles which preceded the independence of that country,--and was lying sick in bed at the fortress of the Alamo, when, on the 6th of March, 1836, it was stormed by Santa Anna and taken. Bowie was murdered there upon his pillow. The hand that formed the dreadful knife could no longer wield it.

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FORESTS AND STREAMS.

That remarkable man, Humbolt, has reduced it almost to a demonstration, that the streams of our country, fail in proportion to the destruction of its timber. And of course, if the streams fail, our seasons will be worse; it must get drier and drier in proportion. Humbolt, speaking of the Valley of Araguay in Venezuela, says that the lake receded as agriculture advanced, until the beautiful plantations of sugar-cane, banana and cotton-trees, were established on its banks, which (banks) year after year were farther from them. After the separation of that Province from Spain, and the decline of agriculture amid the desolating wars which swept over this beautiful region, the process of clearing was arrested, and old lands grew up in trees with that rapidity common to the tropics, and in a few years the inhabitants were alarmed by a rise of the waters, and an inundation of their choice plantations.

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PRUSSIAN MUSIC.

The Boston Brigade Band has been presented with a copy of the collection of the celebrated martial music of the Prussian army. Prussia has long been famous for the excellence of its military bands, and the music which they have produced is of the highest order. We hope this attempt to introduce it into our city will improve the style of martial music here.

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PHILOSOPHY.

"Uncle Jo," said an observing little boy, "our folks always put up the window when the room is filled with smoke, and the wind always blows in so as to prevent the smoke from going out that way: now where does the smoke go?" "It goes into the people's eyes," was uncle Jo's philosophic answer.

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POLITE PREACHING.

A certain preacher, when treating on the subject of repentance, said, "My dear hearers, you must repent; if you do not, you will go to a place which it would be improper to mention in this polite assembly."

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Mr. H. Longfellow of Cincinnati, has about one hundred acres under culture of grapes, strawberries, peaches and raspberries.

PURE AIR.

Throw open the window and fasten it there! Fling the curtain aside and the blind, And give a free entrance to heaven's pure air, 'Tis the life and health of mankind.

Behold that dull concourse in yonder closed space, With visages sluggish and red; How calmly they sit, each one in his place, While their lungs with poison are fed.

What makes the grave deacon so drowsy at church? The scholar so dull in his class? Dry sermons!--dry studies!--the brain's in the lurch, For want of pure oxygen gas.

Come, 'rouse, from your stupor, before it's too late, And do not yourself so abuse-- To sit all day with your feet on the grate; No wonder you're getting the "blues!"

Are you fond of coughs, colds, dyspepsia and rheums? Of headaches, and fevers and chills? Of bitters, hot-drops, and medicine fumes, And bleeding, and blisters and pills?

Then shut yourself up like a monk in his cave, Till nature grows weary and sad, And imagine yourself on the brink of the grave. Where nothing is cheerful and glad.

Be sure when you sleep, that all is shut out: Place, too, a warm brick to your feet-- Wrap a bandage of flannel your neck quite about And cover your head with the sheet.

But would you avoid the dark gloom of disease? Then haste to the fresh open air, Where your cheek may kindly be tanned by its breeze; 'Twill make you well, happy and fair.

O, prize not this lightly, so precious a thing; 'Tis laden with gladness and wealth-- The richest of blessings that heaven can bring, The bright panacea of health.

Then open the window, and fasten it there! Fling the curtain aside and the blind. And give a free entrance to heaven's pure air, 'Tis light, life, and joy to mankind.

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THE DEERFIELD (N. H.) PHENOMENA.

We have frequently heard of singular and unaccountable reports, as of explosion, in Deerfield, but nothing so definite as the following statement by a correspondent of the Portsmouth Journal.

"Mr Editor,--During the last twelve years, certain curious, not to say alarming phenomena in the town of Deerfield, N. H., have excited the fears of the inhabitants, and we think should, ere this, have attracted the attention of the scientific. These are reports of explosions in the ground, apparently of a volcanic or gaseous nature. When first heard they were attributed to the blasting of rocks in Manchester, a new town some ten miles distant; but from the frequency of the reports at all hours in the night as well as the day, from the consideration that they were so loud, and were heard in all seasons, winter as well as summer, it was soon concluded that they had some other origin. The explosions, if they may be so called, commenced on a ridge of land running S. E. and N, W, some five miles in length, and principally on that portion called the South Road. They have, however, extended, and arc now heard in a northerly direction. The sounds have become louder, and during the last fall and the present spring or summer, as many as twenty have been heard in one night. Many of them jar the houses and ground perceptibly, so much so, that a child whose balance is not steady, will roll from one side to the other. They are as loud as a heavy cannon fired near the house, with no reverberation, and little roll. Last fall some of the inhabitants were riding in a wagon when an explosion was heard, and they saw the stone wall, which was apparently quite compact, fall over on one side of the way, and a second after upon the other. The stone wall of an unfinished cellar also fell in. This can be attested by many witnesses. There is no regularity in these reports, as they are heard at intervals of a day, a week, and sometimes of months: but for the last year they have become very common, and are heard almost every week more or less."

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EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCE OF GAMBLING.

It is well known upon the western waters, that the firemen and other hands employed upon the boats spend much of their idle time in playing cards. Of the passion for gaming, thus excited, an instance has been narrated to us upon the most credible authority, which surpasses the highest wrought fictions of the gambler's fate. A colored fireman, on board a steamboat running between Saint Louis and New-Orleans, had lost all his money at poker with his companions. He then staked his clothing, and being still unfortunate, pledged his own freedom for a small amount. Losing this, the bets were doubled, and he finally at one desperate hazard, ventured his full value as a slave, and laid down his free papers to represent the stake. He lost, suffered his certificates to be destroyed, and was actually sold by the winner to a slave dealer, who hesitated not to take him at a small discount upon his assessed value. When last heard of by one who knows him, and informed us of the fact, he was still paying in servitude the penalty of his criminal folly.

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GEN. TAYLOR'S PATRIOTISM.

In answer to the complimentary resolutions passed at a meeting in this city some weeks since, Gen. Taylor says, "It is a source of gratulation to me that the meeting refrained from the meditated nomination for the presidency. For the high office in question I have no aspirations. The government has assigned to me an arduous and responsible duty in the prosecution of the existing war: in conducting it with honor to the country lie all my real aspirations."

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THE COLUMBIAN MAGAZINE.

The October number of this splendid work will be found to be equal, if not superior, to anything and everything of the kind in the literary region. It presents three superb embellishments--"A Cure for Love," mezzotint, by Sadd; "View on the St. Lawrence," fine steel engraving, by C. F, Giles, and a plate of fashions; in a new style, besides a piece of first rate music. This work is published monthly by Isreal Post, 140 Nassau st. Terms, only $3 per annum.

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A MOUNTAIN IN LABOR.