the great debate, but I climbed up and sat on the fence beside Jim so that I should lose no word that fell from his lips. "Presently I heard the distant whistle of the vinegar factory blowing for I o'clock. I knew that our noon hour was over and that we ought to go back to work. But Jim and the rest paid no attention to it. They were wrapt up in fighting the war over slavery. Half an hour or more slipped by, and still the debate raged and the corn field went unplowed. "Finally, small boy as I was, I jumped down from the fence and went over to where old Prince was standing under the shade of an oak tree. "What's the matter, Johnny?' one of the men called after me, as I backed Prince around into the plow. "I'm going to work,' I answered. "B'gosh,' said Jim Betts, squinting up at the sun, 'I reckon it is past time.' "He climbed down and the two other men promptly got up from the ground and followed him. That's all there is to this story, but it taught me one of the great lessons of my life. like "If you want men to do anything you have got to lead them. Men are sheep. Consciously or unconsciously they almost all spend their lives playing. 'follow your leader.' "You can be either a leader or a follower. But you must make up your mind reasonably early which you intend to be. From the hour I saw that a little barefooted, freckled-faced boy could so easily influence three great, strapping men, I determined that I would lead. "If I had kept on sitting on that fence, the debate might still be raging. At any rate, I doubt whether I should now be at the head of this big company.' MASTERPIECES OF SCIENCE ONLY 50 CENTS A MONTH. SENT ON APPROVAL. 73 The Triumphs of Invention, Discovery and Exploration Narrated by the Vol. I.-The Skies and the Earth. Richard A. Proctor, Simon Newcomb, Charles Young, George Vol. II.-Invention and Discovery. Benjamin Franklin, Michael Faraday, Joseph Henry, Alexander Bell, Count Rumford, George Stephenson. Vol. III.-The Naturalist as Interpreter and Seer. Charles Darwin, Alfred R. Wallace, Leland Howard. Vol. IV.-Explorers. Justin Winsor, Lewis and Clarke, Zebulon Pike, Charles Vol. V.-Health and Healing. Sir James Paget, Sir J. R. Bennett, P. Geddes, J. Arthur John Fiske, James Sully, Francis Galton, W. H. Hudson, AN INDISPENSABLE SET OF BOOKS AND AN INDISPENSABLE MAGAZINE. In this valuable work of six volumes the miracles of modern science are explained by the master minds in the scientific world. The story of the telegraph, the telephone. wireless telegraphy, the art of medicine, the wonders of exploration, the new education, the astronomical lore of the twentieth century, are given by the great scientists themselves in chapters as interesting as romance. THE REVIEW OF REVIEWS THE MASTERPIECES OF SCIENCE. The six volumes are of such a charmingly convenient size as to invite reading. They are handsomely bound in red cloth, clearly printed, and each contains a photogravure portrait of one of the celebrated scientists. They are edited by GEORGE ILES, author of Flame. Electricity and the Camera, who has done his work so that not only the college graduate can read the books understandingly, but the average reader who wants to be informed about the scientific wonders of the times we live in can thoroughly enjoy every page. THE REVIEW OF REVIEWS. In the next year, with a president to elect and all the great new world problems before them, Americans will find the REVIEW OF REVIEWS of greater value than ever. In DR. ALBERT SHAW'S editorials, the timely and authoritative contributed articles, in the departments giving the best of the other important magazines of the world every page and every illustration will be of current value and help to intelligent American and women. OUR OFFER On receipt of 50 cents in stamps the entire set will be shipped express prepaid, and your name will If you be entered on the subscription list of the REVIEW OF REVIEWS for 2 years. THE REVIEW OF REVIEWS COMPANY 13 ASTOR PLACE NEW YORK 16 men accept your "Master pieces of Science offer. Enclosed find 50 cents in stamps, my first payment. T GEORGE F. TINKHAM THE INVENTOR OF A HYDRO-CARBON DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS HE subject of this sketch was born at Middleboro, Mass., October 25, 1852. Until eleven years of age he lived with his parents at home; but at that time it became necessary for him to help bear the family burden, as his father combustion of fuel and made a careful study of various furnaces. In 1887 he patented his first device, which he soon followed with others. Unfortunately, however, through acquaintance with unscrupulous promoters, he lost control of his patents. was serving in the Civil War. Naturally, for several years he was obliged to work for small wages. Among the scenes of his labors during this period were a saw-mill and a logging camp. At the age of twenty he enlisted in the United States army, and later was engaged in several of the Indian campaigns in the then far Northwest. He commenced his real engineering life in 1874, but, after working as engineer for a time, was stricken with the "Western fever" and removed to Iowa. His principal work at that time was as fireman in a packing house. While there, he became much interested in the (74) As a result of his long experience with various kinds of coal and methods of firing, he patented his most successful device one for increasing the capacity of boilers and for consuming smoke. This is shown in the accompanying engraving. The advantages claimed for this device are that it is low in first cost, requires little or no repairs, and is easily installed. It may be described briefly as follows: Steam is led from the steam space in the boiler, through three-quarter-inch pipes, to the brick-work surrounding the fire. Set in the brick-work is a coil of pipes through which the steam is conducted and from which it passes to small (Continued on page 76) Books for Students and Engineers... PARSONS STEAM-BOILERS: Their Theory and Design. By H. deB. Parsons, B. S.; M. E, Consulting Engineer; Professor of Steam Engineering in Rensselaer RIPPER-STEAM-ENGINE THEORY AND PRACTICE: By William Ripper, M. I. C. E., etc. With 441 illustrations. 8vo. Price $2.50. RIPPER-STEAM: By William Ripper, M. I. C. E., etc. Crown 8vo. With nearly 200 illustrations. Price 80 Cents. This is an introductory book for the use of Engineering Students dealing in an elementary manner with the various subjects included in the practice of Steam Engineering, particular attention being given to the principles upon which Steam-Engine and Boiler efficiency depend. GOODMAN-MECHANICS APPLIED TO ENGINEERING: By John Goodman, M. I. C. E., etc. With 620 illustrations and numerous examples. This book has been written expressly for Engineers and Students who have a fair SLINGO AND BROOKER-ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: HOLMES THE STEAM ENGINE: indexed. 544 pages. Price $2.00. By George C. V. Holmes. 12th impression The author has endeavored to make the information in the book very easy to under stand, so that it can be followed from first to last by any student who possesses slight acquaintance with elementary mathematics. The book has met with very general acceptance and is used in many Engineering Schools. Unwin, F. R. S. UNWIN-THE ELEMENTS OF MACHINE DESIGN: By W. Cawthorn Part I. General Principles, Fastenings and Transmissive Machinery. With 345 illus trations. 571 pages. 12mo. Price $2.25. Part II. Chiefly on Engine Details. With 259 illustrations. 445 pages. 12 mo. Price $2.00. This is a book for Students as well as for use in the workshop and engineering drawing rooms. The present edition has been largely re-written and revised. The volumes may be had separately. A Catalogue of Scientific books, covering books in Engineering LONGMANS, GREEN & CO., Publishers 91 and 93 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK chambers placed at intervals around the furnace. From these chambers the steam escapes to the furnace through small holes three thirty-seconds of an inch in diameter. The chambers are so arranged as to distribute the steam over the top of the coal. The high temperature of the incandescent fire-brick superheats the steam, the superheating effect being carried to a still higher degree as a result of the steam flowing through the small orifices in the chambers. It is claimed by the inventor that the temperature thus produced is sufficiently high to break up the steam into the elements of which it is composed-hydrogen and oxygen. These two gases are thereby liberated in the furnace. The hydrogen, being combustible, will burn and produce heat, while the oxygen supports combustion. It is the aim of the inventor in this device to introduce these two gases and thus do away with the necessity of admitting so much nitrogen as is unavoidably admitted in the operation of the ordinary air draft. It is a well-known fact that air is admitted to furnaces in order to obtain the oxygen necessary to support combustion; but in so doing a large volume of nitrogen must also be admitted, since air is composed largely of this element. Nitrogen, however, is very inert. It does not support combustion, and, in fact, is not only of no value, but is even the cause of considerable loss, as the large volume of nitrogen also must be heated to the high temperature of the furnace. This nitrogen passes through the tubes and escapes up the chimney without having aided combustion. In the plant in Cleveland, Ohio, of which Mr. Tinkham is now engineer, two boilers are equipped with his device. It is seldom that there is even a trace of smoke issuing from his chimney. Moreover, careful tests have shown that his device largely increases the capacity of the plant, as the boilers which are rated at only 166 H. P. developed by actual test 241 H. P., or an increase of about 45 per cent. During the tests the firemen did not exert themselves at all, and without the slightest difficulty kept up the pressure while the boilers evaporated ceased attending school at the age of eleven. From this time until 1900 (a period of about thirty-seven years), he found little or no opportunity for study. In September, 1900, however, he became a student in the American School of Correspondence, in the Stationary Engineering course, and, realizing his great need of education, applied himself diligently. He was graduated in May, 1903. The knowledge derived from this course has been of inestimable value to him, and he says that his chief regret is that he could not have had this opportunity earlier in life. |