Jtitutifit
166
�citutifit �mttitan.
THE RECENT
MUNN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
SO. :un
WAVE.
ARTIFICIAL FLIGHT.
The problem of artificial flight has recently received
over the Eastern States was marked by a long list of several additions to its history, additions which will
fatalities to man and beast, and will be memorable in make the present epoch an important one if the prob­
1845.
CO .. Editol"s and Pl"oprietors.
&
HEAT
The phenomenal heat wave which has recently passed
c=>
ESTABLISHED
�mtri,au.
AT
the meteorological records as one of the longest and
most destructive visitations of the kind on record. The
temperature readings of the United States Weather
lem is ever to be solved.
For of course if it prove in­
soluble and if it is relegated to the limbo of abandoned
efforts, and to the realms of the impossible, the death
Bureau in New York City, which cover a period of of the most successful human soarer, the flight of the
llHOAVWAY. XEW YORK.
twenty-six years, can show no parallel, for the month
1110St successful mechanical soaring machine, the par·
particular day of the nil1P may have been exceeded, but
to float for an indefinite period by a balloon, then
from tial success and wreck of Maxim's apparatus and the
August 4 to August 12 of the present year. It is true work of Andree's balloon will be of little interest. But
iI':.tnbli.I ....d 1 S..... )
year. for the V. S., Canada or Mexico . . . . . . . . ..... . . . ••53 00 that in certain previou� years the temperature for any if I1lan does learn to fly by mechanical means, or even
TEIUI�
FOIt
'I'HE
l"CIEI'TIFIU
of
AMERICAN.
One eopy, one
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..•
Thl·
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Alileriean
. . . .. . . . . .•
porary.
,..
of �cienlUlc
t:ditioll
]��;;.)
(Estnhli.hed
heat
of
the
nine
days
The general average for these nine days h�
The
temperature readings are given below :
arulftfty cents a year.
IIlIildilig
the
in such cases the ri�e of temperature has been tem­
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ooUars
to
never been approached in any previous August.
�lIpplf':lllent
lS76.)
(E.tabli.hed
August,
.�
,..
Atnet·lcan.
u
1'HE BUILDING EDITIOS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Is a lar�e and
splendid'y illustrated periodical. issued monthly. c'ontainlDll floor plans
8nl1 per�pective views pertainin!! to mudern a.rchitecture. Each numbpr
is Hlustrnted witb beautlful plates. shO WlOg desirable dweJlings, public
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and nil who cOJltempJate builc1ing' this work is invaluable.
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o
a
t
���6r�e�r�t: f�� �Ullgl��r��rTI��, ��I�����Ig A����CA�'�n� ��a;:
PLEMENT, '9.00 a year.. '1'0 foreilotn Postlll U uion countries, '11.00 a year.
,.
Temperature.
Date.
4 ..................... ..
5 ........ . ..... ..
6 . . . . • •• • . • • • • . . . . • • . . .
7. . . • . . . . . . • . • . . . . .•.•..
8. • • • . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 . . . . •••• . • . . . • • . •
10 . • . . • . . . . • • • • . . . • . • . .
..
...•. . .
. . . . . . . .. 0 _ • • • •
87
89
91
91
92
90
91
degree
•.
..
H
"
..
..
..
Expo)'t Edition
of lite
Scienrific
1S,"Sl
(E.tllbll.hed
Atnel'ican
NEW YORK , SATURDAY, A UGU ST
22,
1896.
..
92
from thermometers on the top of the Manhattan Life
building, at an elevation of 2118 feet above mean sea
tions which are caused by radiation and reflection from
the pavements and walls of the city below.
its stores and offices has often risen many degrees higher
..
..••....
iZ"SS
__
_
AMERICAN
No_
For
the
\Veek
- _.
.
The fatalities are to be ascribed to the accompanying
.
.
Formuloo..................................................... 17219
e
X. ��J�?it�.�IA�;J, l:��0��"ot���:g��Jn'el��ri�"'o"t,����';I�h
simple appltanc...s.-6 ilIu�tratlOns.......................... ............. 17217
Xl. R&.lI"RO:l.D FlNflDIF.F.RING. Ga. M'ltor Tmm C.....-A new
t·YJfe"6f-uaw car recently tripd near Liverpool.-4 lllustrations . . . 17210
R'a(l� RatlwaY�t-\ n exhau ...Vve anti valuabl� aTtttcle on the mck
railroads of .Rurope, with nllmerou'� t1Iustrntion� Of Accnes on the
roa.6.�·anffor�n American rack ralien�IJJe.-8 itIwstr&tions........ 17m7
XII. T:mCHN�OGY.-'FI'ut. on Baklnll Enamel.-An article on JR1 3
p
� p�fts�,�:'!fae;�����fei�;: �:l�iY�t�;���tri·
butioi1 to the m
ef r
l
t
� .��.��.����� .r .� ..:�.c:· o 8ew. �.� ��.�� ��.� 1721C
s
:,��pr;.�lnt!r�:ti�:t�7am�1:i6n�: 1l�:i�� ;n���O��b:
wotj��
tradeaecret. ..... .. ............ . .... . ..;� .... .... . ... . . ............... E216
Selected
�
���.�?��1���_�?����.'.
_
.
�
The inertia of the bird's mass preventing it from yield­
ing to the frequent changes acts like a kite string to
hold it relatively fixed in face of the wind pressure or of
portions thereof. These fractional portions of the wind,
acting on the inclined plane formed by the under sur
face of the wings, would uniformly operate to push it up
against the force of gravity.
powers which human ingenuity seemed unable to fully
utilize. The instant changes in direction to which a mov
tion from the body is proportionately rapid, bringing required an intrepid experimenter to trust himself to
In New the support of the air.
Accident after accident went
York, during the recent hot waves, the humidity rose as to prove the difficulty of operation, and the aeroplane
instant and continual relief to the system.
hightas 93 per cent, and the average humidity taken at inflicted many an injury before it claimed its victim.
8 A. M. and at 8 P. M. was ,3 per cent of full saturation.
In .accordance with the laws of evaporation, the pers­
piration from the body was proportionately sluggish,
The mere fact that so very few have dared to person.
ally experiment in a ..tificial flight goes to prove its dan
ger. Any numbtr of pel'formers can be found to essay
atmosphere refusing to take up the such feats as walking on ropes or wires over abysses or
moisture of the body, which condensed upon the skin at great heights, or who will dive from a height of man)
the overloaded
and produced extreme discomfort; killing, either by feet into water tanks for the deJectation of audiences
prostration or by overheating, such as were not physi­ but soaring through the air has bt-·en tri£d by very few
cally able to endure the continuous strain put upon the
The peculiar stability of the suppxt given by the air
under certain conditions is very strikillgly shown by
the failure to support when the conditions are changed
heat is shown by the steady increase in the number of A kite floats peacefully in a high wind until its string
deaths and prostrations on successive days:
parts, when it floats helplessly away. A boomerang
1896.
pr���
�ffi�����:·:·�:·���:·:·::·:·�:�:·�����:::��::::��::::::::::::: i�i
M1.sCp.llaneous Notes........................ ......................... 17218
to the air which blows against it with varying velocity.
on motion, actual or relative, make it an exceedingly
The air difficult engine to manipulate. This fact led to many
of Arizona, moreover, is extremely dry, and the evapora­ accidents to Lilienthal, and finally to his death. It
That the fatalities were due to the duration of the
Price 10 N!nts. For Aale by alt newf'dealp.rf'.
PAGE
I. BIOL'OG Y.-The Invisible Fooil of Fi.h.-Tbe food of usn and the
role played in it by tbe lower forms of life............... ............ 17'217
11. C'I"CLING.-Cycle �echanics.-By H. K. LANDES.-A thorougbly
SCientific lnvestigation of the mechanicai problems In tbe modern bicycle.-4 illustrations .. .. . ......... ...... .... ............. .. ... 17212
Ill. ELECTRICAL ENIlINIllERINn.-llJlectric Furnace. and the
Conversion of ('arbon into Graphite.-Avaluable article on the
ddJerent electriC furnaces used for commerciRoI purposes.-13
illuStration..... ........................ ....... .... ................. 17'215
IV. IllNTO }lOLOf, Y.-1'ba ;Ibade Tree In.ect Problem in tbe Ea.t­
ern"United StaLes.-'rhe Fall Webworm.-Cunclnslon of this
p r e i
n
I
r��� :ftt t�� �� ����'��i�� }mWni�:i��fr�l� i�::��8ot Sl���
ent.."arieties llf shade trees. 3 illustrations ..... ....... , ............ 17220
V. :IIEca.A�rCAL·E�HINFJERING.-A New Steam Trall.-A new
tra� tor collecting drainage water .from steam pipa�.� tllustra.
17213
t n
i'}. :ncb in�' anti· 'shearing :�'By pXiS-oN· ·SUiiLEiOii:':':Xn.' 'aiiicie
on the etl'ects of manipulatin� steel and the results ot fMt and
.lolY",mQtiQn ............................................................. 172()9
SpeClal Sbearl"" Macbloe.-A macblne tor cuttln� up dl.carded
locomotive boilero Into workable .crap.-l Hlustratloo.............. 17214
VI. Ml'il' 'A CLURGY.-Cleanlng Cavltie.ln Metal Work.-Some excellent hiuts 00 foundry praN.tce� in brass and iron . . ..... ... ..... ; 17211
VII. METEOItOLOllY.-ItaliQu Thunder.t<lrm.. ................ .. .. ... 17'2'.!2
VI II. �lINING ENI-lIN·EERING.-Tbe Action or Electric' Current.
on :'6Une �urveviJl.,\C In�l'uments.-An abstract of a paper on a
curj.ous diftlcnlty recently experienced In mine snrvevlng'.......... 1721,(
IX. Ml.St: Ill LLAN IllOI;8:-�50 Prize Ills.ay ·-Comp�titlon.-The Pro­
j<re..)iJlf'lllventlon Durlnll t];Je Past Fifty Year•. - Fifth prize. won
by Verbnm Sap In.'' Frederic de Gsrls.-Flfth prlz� e ••ay In
this notable competitioD . . .. ... .. ... . .. . . . ... . ... .. .. . . ... , ...... 17219
T!ftl'Uevelopment or Newronndland.-A most· Interestln� article
On this little kn':lwn lshmd;�Recent raUroad construction and the
�
Working on these bases, it appears that a soaring bird,
with exquisite balancing, presents a surface of wing
dure, a spell of heat of such long continuance.
AU!r'st
22.
nized, which by a parachutelike action would go to ar­
rest the descent of an aeroplane, and help to support it.
humidity of the atmosphere and to the fact that the ing aeroplane is subject, and its dependence for action
system.
SUPPLEMENT
'&011:0.'
utilize these chailges in wind velocity for its own support.
victims are unaccustomed to, and quite unable to en­
1.077.
Rudin!!"
body suspended in it, which energy it appea>s might be
Lilienthal, enamored of the problem, found that it
than the official records, and a street temperature of
involved as its most difficult part the question of safe
.
from 97 to 103 degrees has been common on such days
alighting. Flying for a limited distance proved com
as the 8th, 11th and 12th instant.
paratively simple. Starting Jrom his elevated platform,
To residents in some-of the \Vestern States, such, for
he performed many flights and soared for considerable
instance, as Arizona, where from 110 to 115 in the shade
distances. The erratic nature of the flights, sometimes
is not uncommon, there may seem to be nothing phe­
involving a rise in the ail", showed how great were the
nomenal in these New York temperatures, and the ter� reserve powers in a heavy body moving on aeroplanes
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
scrE�llFIC
It is un­
deniable that the heat in the streets of the city and in
I
.
It is considered that this great elevation is favor­
much as the instruments are free from the local varia­
lIn
.
quality of internal energy to the air in reference to a
Again, an upward component of winds has been recog·
The readings of the New York City Bureau are taken
fIlJII�tratp.c1 art.lmf>� arp martp(l With aAr.p.risk.l
AmmunitIon boist. battlesblp
Indiana, battleshIp, tbe"........ 165
..
i
Rat�'!� t�e"r�;iai. LiiiDaiou:::::::: g� }�;i���.,"�r����\�.r�t,,":���::: tlJi
s e
e
d
��:i!�l�Pc sr�:�����O�d � ;k ·(�t ��� f;��':'wL�k�'. ���:�� .��� . ���.� Irs
Uoal consulUptiOl' ................. 169 I L1I1entbal Otto.................... 167
Colors, surface ..... .............. 168 bock. the yale... .. .......... ..... 175
Comet. Brook� ........... .. ...... 174 Locomotive, a recent Engllsb*.. 169
Cope. E. n...... .... .............. 170 Macbinery exhibitln Cblna.. ... 1 74
c...vcle notes.................... .. 174 Medals for Inventors.............. 17,(
Dry doc" accident, N. Y. navy
Microscopic proJections (6933>' .. 176
yard" ...... . .... . ...
. . .... 168 Molytxlenum brollzes by elec-Eclip.e of t he sun, August 8.....167
troly.I. .................. . . ... 170
IDtectrlc Elocorer, un................. 1H8 Nf!wtc...n. Hubert Am�on..... .... 16'7
Expe'll1ion, polar. �anser.'s·..... 171 N..tes and queries ............... 1 76
Exposition. Krus�els. lR97
173
PhotoRraphlc n ell at J v e s, reFair, American lntditute .... . ... 17.
touchimr (6937). . .............. 1'77
Flies on ca ttle, remedy ........... 171 Pboto�rapby, hint. to begmners 167
Flight; artificiaL ... .. . ............ 166 Rlfie, kick or a............. . ..... 167
,"'ore�try aB a science . ......... ,. 173 Science nows... ...... ....... In
Ga� eXhibition, New York........ 173 �ewer
trap. Oehn's·. . ........ 168
"Good will" ....................... 167 Shoe polishes (6931) .. .. ...... .... 178
Guns ot tbe battlesbtp Indiana·
S�. Paul steamer, fast trip of... . 167
S
ra u.
Heat �ave. the re�ent... .... ��: 1� U�t:e!W�:�.���::.���� � ��� ]66
HI:;torlC' tau1et. a great ........... 170 Water supply, Paris and London 174
Ice hou"" <lamp \6�) ... .... . ..... 177 ZiI!C etcbing, tbe di.coverer of 170
_... _
The fact
]888, ]89-2.
]894.
rible fatality which accompanie" �hem will be a mystery.
.'pnr ..lIr ....
ally tested and has proved surprisingly great.
Maximum.
Maximum.
able to a correct record of the passing heat waves, inas­
with which hnncoroora.ted·· LA .\M�RJCA PIESTIFrCA E INDUSTRIAL." or
Spunil'lh edition of the �CIE�TJFIC AMERICAN, published IDootbly. uni­
form in size an.i tYPo'lrapuy with the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN. Every nUrD­
her contain:oJ about 100 pages. prj 'fusely Illustrated. It is the finest scientific
tndu:;trinl exp')rt paper published. [t cirCulates tbro Ullbout Cuoa, the
West fntlies, llexico. Central and �uuth America, SpatD and Spanish pos­
se�sions--wherever-the Spanish )Ilnll:uage is spoken. THE SCIENTIFIC
s
:O��:���:1 !���:ih�oD��g�t �� e ���fg.e u.&J!n;���, ��;��!:&nt�na��
part of the world. Single COPies. 25 cents.
MVNN &; CO., Publl.bers, 361 Broadway. New York.
IT The safp.st way to rpmlt Is by post.al ornpr. erpres8 mon�y order.
draft or bank cbeck. Make aU remittances payable to order of llUNN
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IT Readers are speCially requested ttl notify tbe publishers in case of
any failure. delay. or irregularity In receipt of papers.
The support given to an aeroplane
in horizontal motion through air has been experiment­
adequate to support a body whose inertia enables it to
Maximum.
Maximum.
..
94
]873, 181n, 1888.
1881.
]881.
10
level.
Langley'S
notable occurrences. Slowly a tangible theory of soaring
has been evolved.
Exceeded in
the half mile flight of
that air currents constantly vary in velocity gives thll
... 11.............. ....... .
12
H
Liliel1thal'� death,
machil1e, and the other achipyemel1ts will be a group of
u
u
u
u
u
..
..
'l'emp.
.
5 ... ..8\1
6 ........91
7........ 91
S .. . . . 92
9 ... 0 • • • 9(l
10
�n
11 . .
94
12 .......112
. ..
.
.... ..
.
Deaths.
Prostrations.
29
31
56
61
78
3
7
7
14
72
182
350
46;
163
182
177
follows its curiously definite path as long as it rotates
As the rotation fails, its flight loses life and
rapidly.
it drops more or less directly to earth, according to the
The soaring bird
extent to which its rotation persists.
when shot, parts with its equilibrium and falls help
less. When man, supported by aeroplanes, his powers
The heat wrought terrible havoc among the horses reinforced, if need be, by an engine, can maintain certain
unknown, or nearly unknown, conditions, he will have
employed in the city of New York, particularly among
those employed on street car lines. It is estimated that achieved the desired end. But the conditions are so
little understood as to be virtually unknown, and the
some 1,500 in all perished.
The heat wave was marked by an unusually steady possibility of disposing of them is, of course, uncertain
In ballooning proper there is room for one advance
barometer, the highest, readings on the instrument in
the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN office being 30'03 inches, and which, once made,
would seriously modify the prob
This advance is in the construction of the con
taining envelope or gas bag. All that has made balloon
the lowest 29'85, a variation for the nine days of only lem.
eighteen-hundredths of an inch.
This will account for
which contributed work so very unsatisfactory is the leakage and diffusion
largely to the oppressive humidity of the atmosphere. of the gas. The fact that a balloon cannot be driven
The fatalities accompanying this spell of hot weather in any desired direction is a trouble less in degree than
bring to mind the similar scourge-it is nothing less­ the impossibility of maintaining its buoyancy. A bal­
tile
absence of
cooling hreezes,
that visited Australia during the early part of the pres­ loon has to be made of extra capacity to admit of th�
ent year, when for two wlleks the temperature never carrying of a quantity of ballast, which is discharged
fell below llO degrees in the shade, and in some localities from time to time as the buoyancy diminishes. The
rose as high as 122 degrees. The Australian heat dif­ entire area of the cloth envelope must be pictured as
fered from this in New York in the fact that it was ac­ full of pores, through which the contents are constantly
companied, and largely caused, by a strong wind from escaping, and through which air is more slowly enter­
This fiction takes place independent of any
the interior, which was intensely dry and hot and caused ing.
the drying up of rivers and streams,
burning up the pressure, owing to the buoyancy of its contents, which
crops and killing the cattle in the fields. As in the East­ may exist in the gas bag.
With a really impervious envelope a balloon could be
ern States, people were sunstruck and horses dropped
in the streets.
kept afloat indefinitely.
Its flotation could be re!!'u­
Jt is probably more than a coincidence that heat waves lated by pumping gas out of the envel ope into cyrIn<1ers
of unprecedented power and duration should have under pressure or by admitting it from such cylinders
visited the three continents of A ustralia, America, and into the envelope. The clumsy sand bag would nu
Europe in the same year; and science has yet to dis­ longer be required, and the drag rope would prove am­
cover the influence s which determme their coming and ple to regulate the height of flight.
The most serious attempt at 'advanced ballooning �
going.
© 1896 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC.