Harper's Round Table, August 13, 1895 Part 9

[Ill.u.s.tration: If afflicted with SORE EYES USE Dr. ISAAC THOMPSON'S EYE WATER]

HARPER'S NEW CATALOG.

Thoroughly revised, cla.s.sified, and indexed, will be sent by mail to any address on receipt of ten cents.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BICYCLING]

This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our maps and tours contain much valuable data kindly supplied from the official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.

Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L. A. W., the Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with members.h.i.+p blanks and information so far as possible.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Copyright, 1895, by Harper & Brothers.]

In No. 822, on the map of the city of Philadelphia, the reader of this Department will notice Woodland Avenue, running out from Market Street, across the Schuylkill River, southwest. This is the beginning of the route to West Chester, a run of about twenty-seven miles. The run itself may be made both ways, in which case the rider will have covered fifty-three or fifty-four miles, or it may be only covered in one direction, and the train from there taken back to Philadelphia. Starting from the public buildings, and running westward on Market Street across the ferry, and thence by a turn to the left down Woodland Avenue, the rider will find asphalt pavement until he reaches Baltimore Avenue.

Woodland Avenue from here for a short distance down towards Darby is paved with Belgian pavement, but it is very rideable, and for the six and a half miles to Darby is as good a road as it is possible to find.

Running out of Darby, pa.s.sing the car stables, the route, a mile and a half, is direct to Lansdowne, where the rider crosses the railroad, and makes direct for Haverford. The roads are here macadamized, in the best of condition, and moderately level. On reaching Haverford, the rider should turn to the left into the West Chester turnpike. There is a sign here designating that it is four miles to Darby. Pa.s.sing through Manoa, hardly a mile further on, you continue always on the West Chester turnpike through Broomall, two miles; Newtown Square, two miles and a half; Edgemont, Willistown, and Milltown, to West Chester, eleven miles.

The road from Manoa to West Chester is macadamized as far as Newtown Square. From this point on to West Chester it is more sandy and more hilly, and the road is in a much poorer condition; but by making a judicious selection of side paths, excepting when pa.s.sing through the villages, you will find the road very rideable. From Newtown Square to West Chester there are a number of capital coasting hills. The road is straight, you see the foot of the hill before starting to coast, and the grade in most cases is long and gradual. In fact, this West Chester route is famous for its good coasting. On the whole distance there is but one doubtful turn, and that is about a mile out of Newtown Square going towards West Chester, where the rider should take the left fork in the road. The right fork, as will be noticed on the map, also runs into West Chester, but the road is much more hilly, and not in such good condition.

In giving these different trips in the vicinity of Philadelphia, or of any other city, it must not be understood that they are not by any means the only ones, or that the route really ends at the point designated on the map. The road beyond West Chester is quite as good riding as between West Chester and Newtown Square, but this particular ride is a very pleasant one, through a pleasant country, and ends up in an attractive village, where the rider may put up without discomfort at a good road house--the Green Tree. This same trip, for example, can be extended from West Chester to Wilmington. Delaware, which is about twenty miles further on. The stop is arbitrarily made at West Chester because that makes a pleasant day's run for the average rider. Next week we shall give the first half of a two-day's run, and then, before treating of more trips in the vicinity of Philadelphia, we shall move from New York towards Boston, and give a series of trips in the vicinity of Boston itself.

NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford, Connecticut in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814.

Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816.

Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie in No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No 818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819. Tottenville to Trenton in 820.

Trenton to Philadelphia in 821. Philadelphia in No. 821.

Philadelphia-Wissahickon Route in No. 822.

THE DEPTH OF THE SEA.

Small boys often ask their parents, "How deep is the sea?" The answer depends entirely upon the sea. The following table, compiled by one who has investigated, may help one to the solution of one of the small boy's problems. Average depth in yards: Pacific, 4252; Atlantic, 4026; Indian, 3658; Antarctic, 3000; Arctic, 1690; Mediterranean, 1476; Irish, 240; English Channel, 110; Adriatic, 45; Baltic, 43.

A SUBMARINE DINNER PARTY.

Some time ago the labor of deepening the harbor of Ciotat was completed.

To celebrate the completion of his labor, and to make the occasion memorable, the contractor gave to the members of his staff and the representatives of the press a banquet unprecedented for its originality. The table was set eight metres below the level of the sea, at the very bottom of the harbor, inside the "caisson" in which the excavators had been at work, and only the narrow walls of this caisson separated the guests from the enormous ma.s.s of water around and above their heads. The new-fas.h.i.+oned banqueting-hall was splendidly decorated and lighted, and but for a certain buzzing in the ears, caused by the pressure of air kept up in the chamber in order to prevent the inrush of water, n.o.body would have suspected that the slightest interruption in the working of the air-pump would have sufficed to asphyxiate the whole party. After the banquet an improvised concert prolonged the festivity for several hours, after which the guests reascended into the open air.

A Visit to a Famous Furnace.

Some time ago when I was staying at Lebanon, Pa., I had the pleasure of visiting the Colebrook furnace. This is what is called a "blast furnace," because the draught for the fires is made artificially by the forcing in of a strong current of air. Much iron is smelted in that region, the ore coming from the famous Cornwall ore hills near by. The Colebrook produces about 175 tons of iron daily.

It was on a hazy June morning that our party took a new trolley-car that had been running only a few days, and after riding a short distance into the country, alighted quite near the furnace, which seemed to be composed of a few gray stone buildings, and several high red stacks. After pa.s.sing over some waste land and a little brook we came to the office, where we inquired whether we had better have a guide to show us around, or go by ourselves. A young gentleman who belonged to the establishment offered to go with us. He was very kind, explaining everything, and was never tired of answering questions.

They cast twice a day; there are two furnaces, one used for the casting in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. We began our tour of inspection by visiting one of the furnaces. Of course we found it quite warm near it. When they wished to see whether the fire was burning all right, they used to have to open large doors, but now there are pipes with holes and some kind of gla.s.s in them that they can look into and see the fire. The gas that is thrown off by the burning of the c.o.ke and ore is returned to the furnace and used as fuel, hence there is a great saving of c.o.ke.

Next we went to see the "roasters." The ore has to be roasted before it is put into the furnace, to get as much sulphur out of it as possible. After it comes out of a "roaster," instead of it being of a gray color, most of it has a reddish tint. After being roasted and before being put into the furnace limestone is added.

There are over twenty roasters. The next place we visited was called the "tunnel head"--in plain language, the top of furnace number two. We went up in an open elevator that quite took one's breath away. At the top of the furnace is the "bell and hopper,"

which is a circular opening with a bell-shaped cover which keeps in the gas. In the opening the ore and c.o.ke are put in, then the bell is let down, and the fuel and ore is dropped into the furnace.

After we came down from the tunnel head it was suggested that we should visit the "drawing room." I wondered whether a furnace's drawing-room was like one in a private house, but when we arrived there I found that it was quite different. Instead of tables and chairs it contained four engines, each having two fly-wheels about twenty-two feet in diameter. These engines made the draught to "draw" the fires, so the place they were in was called the drawing-room.

To see the "casting" we had some time to wait after we had completed our tour, having been almost everywhere, except on top of the roasters. A railroad comes right to the furnace, and while we were waiting a train of eight cars containing c.o.ke pa.s.sed by.

At last it was almost ten o'clock, so we drew near the building where they were to cast. We could hear and see them opening the furnace-door to let out the ore and cinders. A locomotive and several "cinder-tubs," the tubs looking like large iron pots, were on a track beside the building, the front tub being under a trough where the cinders came out. When one tub was full, a man would hold the cinders back, and the engine would go forward until another tub was under the trough.

Afterward the contents of the tubs were dumped on the bank of the stream near the furnace. The iron and the cinders can easily be separated, as the iron is heavier and goes to the bottom.

The moulds for the iron are made on the floor of the building with sand. The pig-iron is made in small troughs. In order to keep the metal flowing in the large troughs, men have to loosen it constantly with long poles. The iron as it comes from the furnace looks like melted gold.

GRANT KNAUFF.

FLUs.h.i.+NG.

Questions and Answers.

Frank Dubois: The ROUND TABLE is to publish, about August 15th, a handy book which will contain just the information you ask for. Besides memorandum pages, it will contain lists of words often misspelled, cost of college courses, values of the rare stamps, a calendar, and about 1000 other facts worth knowing. It will be sent free to all who ask for it. Indeed, copies will be sent for all members of a Chapter, a cla.s.s, a school. The book is 2-1/2 by 4 inches, and has thirty-six pages.

Elizabeth A. Hyde, 1458 Euclid Place, N. W. Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., desires to hear from Was.h.i.+ngton members. Will you send her your name and address? Her purpose is to arrange an entertainment in aid of the School Fund.

THE SECOND SUMMER,

many mothers believe, is the most precarious in a child's life; generally it may be true, but you will find that mothers and physicians familiar with the value of the Gail Borden Eagle Brand Condensed Milk do not so regard it.--[_Adv._]

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nTS.