78 Preparing, Purifying and Refining Tullow. VOL. I. one feeling,-to see the hand of charity extended by a man to his erring fellow, would truly be a scene that would fill a philanthropic man with joy.. Let us therefore in this view of the subject persevere in our undertaking, and if we wish to transmit to posterity the privileges we now enjoy as pure as we received them, if we wish the genius of liberty to shed her from oppression in this then wilderness land. And it was the still farther illumination of the human mind that gave the veterans who achieved our liberties, a knowledge of their rights and the rights of man, and fixed in them the determination not only to declare their rights to the world, but to sustain them at every sacrifice: and it is the still farther illumination of the human mind, by a proper direction and cultivation of its fac-light on generations to come, if we wish to ulties, that we as a nation have prospered, increase human happiness and spend a life and only can prosper. Thus we see, that of usefulness, we must improve the talent in proportion as the light of knowledge has given us; ascertain what duties we owe to dawned on the human mind, have correct community-to the Author of our existence principles been inculcated and the happiness and to ourselves. And let us faithfully perof the human family increased. To see the form these duties to the best of our abilities, result on our own country, we have only to and in so doing if we err, let it be attributed glance at its condition. We behold ourselves to the limited knowledge we possess, and as a nation, though yet in our infancy, in a go forward with renewed exertions in the prosperous condition; our commerce flour- performance of our various duties, and when ishing, and extended to every clime, and we feel that our existence is drawing to a our flag and name respected wherever se n close, we shall feel the consolation that we or known. And our prosperity at home and have done our duty to the best of our abili abroad, is founded on the useful knowledge || ty, and an approving conscience to cheer us that is disseminated in every class in com- in the last moment of our existence. munity; and especially to the education received and the practical uses they have made of it by mechanics, do we owe a large por tion of the prosperity we enjoy at home, and the respect we receive from abroad. Such being the case, the youth of our country cannot too early and vigorously embark in the grand cause of mental improvement. To those present I would remark, that you have now perhaps reached an age when the duties of a man and citizen, are required of you: you have just arrived at an age to be useful, and the time is fast approaching when the furrowed cheek, the gray hair, and the trembling step will warn you that the most useful time of your life is spent, and that soon you must bid adieu to the various scenes of this world. It is therefore highly important that your exertions should be early directed to the dissemination of such principles as will contribute to your own happiness and the happiness of those who may come on the stage of life after you have left it. But I fear if I proceed farther, I shall weary your patience. I will therefore conclude, hoping that every individual here will carefully consider the obligation he is under to contribute his aid in promoting such measures as will be a Bource of happiness to their possessors, and that ignorance, every species of vice, and every false theory, and all feelings that now exist in community that are injurious to its harmony and peace, may give place to the light of intelligence, thrown upon the human mind by the lamp of education, the thought of which is cheering. To see all classes in community united by one common tie and From the Repertory of Patent Inventions. SPECIFICATION of the Patent granted to Charles Wutt, of Clapham, in the county of Surrey, Gentleman, for certain improvements in preparing, purifying, and refining tallow, stuff, fatty materials, and animal and vegetable oils, for various useful purposes.-Sealed September 8, 1836. To all whom these presents shall come, &c. &c. Now know ye, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Charles Watt. do hereby declare that the nature of my said invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol lowing description thereof, (that is to say :) My invention of improvements in preparing, purifying, and refining tallow, stuff, fatty materials, and animal and vegetable oils, for various useful purposes, consists in subjecting rough fat, tallow, stuff, or other fatty materials, or animal oils, to a process of boiling with water, and certain chemical agents, ingredients, materials, mixtures or compounds hereinafter stated, for the purpose of separating the same from foreign matters and impurities, and rendering the materials better and more fit for the various purposes for which they are used, and particularly, first, as regards tallow for the purpose of separating or liberating the tallow from the animal substances, containing gellatin, fibrin albumen, or coloring matter, and if necessary, afterwards washing or purifying or refining the same in order to remove the said chemicals. And further, as regards animal oils, No. 5. . Preparing, Purifying, and Refining Tallow, &c. 73 in submitting them to a similar process of and only half the quantity of water; in this boiling with certain chemical ingredients for case there is no necessity for any particular the purpose of removing impurities and re- caution in the mixing as with sulphuric acid, fining or purifying the same; and after this as there is no disengagement of heat. To first boiling, washing or boiling them a se- either of the above mixtures of diluted acids, cond time with certain other chemicals, to when cold, I add one pound of good nitric remove or neutralize the former, and, at the acid, which I prefer of about the specific same time, purifying, refining, or washing gravity of 1045, and then half a pound of the the oils. And lastly, in refining or purifying bichromate of potassa, in order to supply vegetable oils by operating upon them with an additional quantity of oxygen and to precertain chemical agents, materials, mixtures, vent any discoloration by the use of the or compounds, for the purpose of removing nitric acid; and to these I add half a pound impurities, coloring, glutinous matters, or of oxalic acid; the whole is then to be well offensive odors therefrom; all of which pro- stirred, and, when sufficiently mixed, one cesses or operations have for their object the quart or three pints of this compound (to preparing, purifying, and refining the va- each ton of rough fat or stuff) is to be put rious raw materials, and rendering them into the boiling materials in the rendering better and more fit for various purposes, and vat, at intervals of about every twenty or which I propose to carry into effect in the thirty minutes, and the boiling continued following manner. And in order that my until the dabs or lumps are nearly dissolved; improvements may be better understood, 1 when this is the case, I add to the materials shall detail the processes or operations, under operation the following compound stating such proportions, quantities of water, (prepared only at the time it is about to be acids, and other chemical agents, materials, used ;) I first (in the proportion of to every ingredients, or compounds, as I have found ton of fat or stuff) dilute or mix one pound best to answer the desired purpose; but I of strong nitric acid with one quart of water, do not intend to confine myself to the precise into which mixture I put two ounces of recquantities hereinafter stated, as the same tified spirit of wine, naptha, sulphuric ether, may be varied to suit different qualities and or spirit of turpentine; after this compound states of foulness or coarseness of the stuff, has been added to the fat under operation, rough fat, tallow, or oils, or other raw ma- the boiling is to be continued for about half terials to be operated upon, as is well known an hour, and after all the dabs or pieces of to all tallow melters and refiners of oils.-fat are rendered or melted, the steam is to be First, as regards the operation or process of stopped off and the tallow left quiet about rendering or preparing rough fat, stuff, or ten minutes for the purpose of allowing fatty materials for the melting or refining and the refuse to settle, when the water and purifying of tallow, I proceed in the follow-chemicals underneath the tallow are to be ing manner: the rough fat, without the ne- drawn off, and about two gallons of fresh cessity of being previously prepared or water to each ton of rough fat or stuff is to chopped into small pieces, is to be put into be then put in the rendering vat, and the a wooden rendering vat, furnished with a steam let on again and continued till the wooden steam pipe leading from a steam tallow has boiled about ten minutes. After boiler or generator, and branching out into this washing process, the boiling is to be several other pipes placed in the bottom of stopped, and the materials left to settle, in the vat, and pierced with small holes in order order that the tallow may become cool and to distribute the steam throughout the whole fit to be packed off. In rendering fish oils mass of materials under operation. To about in wooden vessels that is boiling or melting, each ton of rough fat in the rendering vat I and partly refining and purifying, such as add about four gallons of water and then whale blubber, fish livers, and other parts let on the steam and continue it until the containing fish oils, the following modificamass boils, when I add, as hereafter directed, tion of the process is necessary. The renthe following chemical mixture or compound, dering mixture in this case should contain prepared an hour or more before it is wanted. the following proportion of sulphuric and First, I take four pounds of good sulphuric muriatic acids: viz., four pounds of the acid (which I prefer to be of the specific former diluted with two gallons of water, as gravity of about 1900,) which is gradually described in the former part of this specifiand continuously to be diluted by pouring it||cation (respecting tallow.) and six of the very slowly into two gallons of cold water latter acid also diluted with two gallons of contained in a wooden vessel, the water being water, these diluted acids are to be mixed repeatedly stirred with a stick during the together after the diluted sulphuric acid has mixing; or muriatic acid may be substituted become cold; and to this compound is then for sulphuric acid, when eight pounds of it to be added and well stirred therewith, half will be required instead of four of the former,la pound of bichromate of potassa and a like 74 Preparing, Purifying, and Refining Tallow, &c VOL. I quantity of oxalic acid. This compound ||chrome or bichromate of potassa, and four is to be added to the boiling rough materials||pounds of muriatic acid to each ton of rough containing animal oils at intervals of twenty materials, instead of the former proportions, or thirty minutes, in the proportion of two and, when the coloring matters are moved, quarts, at each time of adding, to every ton the same quantity of chalk or marble is to of materials under operation, until all the be added as in the former case, and three or fatty or oily substance (such as whale blub-||four gallons of water, and the whole raised ber, livers of fish, and other parts containing to the temperature of about 150°, when the oil) are reduced or rendered. This will be materials will become sufficiently fluid to shown on examining the mass under opera- allow all the chemicals to subside, and after tion and indicated by any parts containing they have been sufficiently stirred together, oil floating beneath the surface of the fluid the whole may be left at rest a sufficient oil, and above the surface of the water, and time to allow the oil to become clear and the thereby the operator will know if the process chemicals to subside, when the oil may be is to be stopped or continued; after this used in various manufactures. Having now operation is performed, the under liquids and described my improvements, and the manner chemicals may be drawn off, about two of carrying the same into effect, and in such pounds weight of powdered chalk or marble, proportions and quantities as I have found to to each ton of raw material is to be thrown answer the purpose, I wish it to be underinto the vat and well stirred therewith, when stood that what I claim as my improvement the whole is to be boiled for ten or twenty in the preparing, purifying, and refining talminutes in order that the chalk or marble low, stuff, fatty materials, and animal and may combine with and remove any acid ad- vegetable oils, for various useful purposes, hering to the oil. The now rendered or is the boiling and operating upon them by purified oil is then allowed to settle, when it the following compounds, chemical agents, may be removed for use. In the further re- ingredients, or mixtures. First, I claim the fining and purifying of tallow, if necessary combination of sulphuric and nitric acids, or thought desirable, at the time the fresh and muriatic and nitric acids, for the purpose water is put into the vat after the pumping of rendering in wooden vessels, and likewise or drawing off the under water and chemicals, oxalic acid, both singly and compounded, as the rendering being completed, there may described, and likewise the bichromate of be added to every ton of tallow a half pound potassa, as it much improves the tallow and of green oxide of chrome or bichromate of prevents the occasional temporary discolorapotassa, and boiled with the materials under tion occasioned by nitric acid; I likewise operation for about ten or fifteen minutes, by claim the combination of nitric acid with turning on the steam the color, odor, and spirits of wine, naptha, ether, or turpentine, other properties of the tallow, will be much as evolving nitrous gas and nitrous oxide for improved by the process. In refining and the purpose of rendering, and by their agency purifying animal and vegetable oils generally, purifying and solidifying the tallow; I also when in their fluid state, as articles of com- claim the admixture of sulphuric and mumerce, I use the following process and com- riatic acids, and oxalic acids, in rendering pound-to every ton of oil is to be added a fish oils, as whale, seal, cod, &c. &c. I also quantity, say one quart of the before men- claim the combination of muriatic acid with tioned mixture of muriatic acid and oxide oxide of chrome, by which combination of chrome or bichromate of potassa, the oil there results a double effect, viz.: the being stirred well at each time this compound bleaching or purifying and refining effect is added, the operation or commixture to be of the bichromate of potassa, or oxide of continued until all the offensive odor, color-chrome, with the immense evolution of chloing matter, or impurities are removed; Irine gas resulting from the decomposition then introduce about three gallons of water to every ton of oil, and from two to three pounds of powdered chalk or marble, to remove any acids adhering to the oils; the oil is then to be left quiet until all the chemicals and water have settled and it has become transparent, when it may be run off into barrels for use. In the case of palm oil, it being ordinarily in a solid state, it must be raised by artificial heat to the temperature of about 120 Fahrenheit's thermometer, and the refining mixture will require to contain in the proportion of about one pound and a half of green oxide of of the muriatic acid or bichromate of potassa, for refining and bleaching vegetable and animal oils, generally and particularly, as applied to palm oil, which I prefer operating upon at about the temperature of 120,° being that at which the effect is rendered most certain of success and steady operation. In witness whereof, &c. Enrolled September 8, 1836. The learned man who despises the wisdom of the unlettered wise man, is brother to the unlearned and foolish man who unwisely despises learning. No. 5. Great Curiosity.—The Physiognotype, &c. 75 GREAT CURIOSITY, AND WONDERFUL EFFECTS OF || about six inches deep, in the circumference THE EXPANSION OF WATER BY FREEZING. The attention of many of our curious and scientific citizens was yesterday very pleasingly arrested, by an occurrence at the iron foundry of Messrs. Harkness, Voorhees & Co. in this city, exhibiting a specimen of the extraordinary power of the expansion of water by freezing. An immensely large iron anvil, weighing between three and four tons, and measuring nearly three feet in diameter, had been left lying by the door of the furnace, exposed to the atmosphere. The anvil was perfectly solid, with the exception of a (very small crack or crevice in the centre of one of the sides, about five inches long, and about four inches in depth, which from the rain had become 'filled with water. The quantity of water which the crevice contained could not have exceeded half a gill. In the course of the night of the 20th December, this water became frozen, and, extraordinary as it may appear, its expansion completely severed in two parts the immense mass of solid iron, and so great was its expansive power, that when the separation took place, a large log of wood which lay on the top of the anvil, was thrown to a distance of several feet. Had the crevice been filled with powder, and the powder ignited, the effect would not have been a thousandth part as great. We doubt not this interesting fact will be noticed with interest by the scientific curious throughout the United States.--Cin. Whig. of the cylinder, so as to girdle it by rings of holes, at the proper distances. Into these holes are driven wooden plugs, perfectly saturated with water, and the frost soon splits the cylinder into as many blocks as there are circles.-N. Y. Com. THE PHYSIOGNOTYPE. This is the name of a new instrument in vented for taking a cast of the human face, which it does by an application of a few A metallic oval plate is employed, pierced seconds without any disagreeable sensation. with many holes, through each of which is passed a metallic wire sliding easily. The whole is surrounded with a double case of tin, which contains warm water, in order to keep the instrument of a proper temperature with the blood. If any figure be applied the slightest pressure, and leaves an exact against this brush of needles, it yields to mould. The needles are then fixed by a very simple process, and from this metallic mould the cast is taken. It is in fact a new miliar to sculptors, by which a fac-simile of application of the principle of a process fales in that case being driven into the stone. a model is obtained in a marble, the needThe sensation produced by applying the inif the Physiognotype were not heated, it strument cannot be well described, although, would feel like immersing the face in snow. The impression left is an undoubted likeness, and the mask which it produces is a facsimile of the mould. Nothing is wanting; even a vein on the temple is faithfully represented. centre of the building. It was wished to The tremendous expansive power of freezing water has been proved, by a number of experiments, no less remarkable than The steeple in which the bells of the the incident above described. We remember Church of St. Julien de Mailloc, at Lisieux, reading an account of one made at Wool-in Calvados, are hung, was raised above the wich, in England, several years ago, which gave an amazing proof of the power in question. An iron thirty-two pounder was prepared with an iron plug or tompion, twelve inches long, made to screw into the mouth of the piece with a very close and deep cut worm, (or spiual groove;) the cannon was filled with water, the plug screwed in, and moreover fastened with strong chains and ropes to the axles; and thus charged, it was exposed to the cold of a severe winter night. In the morning the chains and ropes were found broken, the worm destroyed, and the plug driven bodily out, while a cylinder of ice occupied half the space it had pre-made to serve the purpose of a plane on viously filled. which to impel it. It marched steadily and In Norway it is a constant practice with majestically along, the bells. being not only the mill-stone quarriers to avail themselves left in their places, but actually rung during of this irresistible expansive force. They its progress. The whole cost of this bold quarry out large cylinders of stone, long undertaking was two hundred and fifty francs! enough to make six or eight mill-stones of the-so says the Pilote de Lisieux from which usual thickness; then drill a number of holes, we take this account. The en EXPLANATIONS. A Ash-pit; B Furnace; C Flue; D Drums; E Smoke-pipe. In the figure the ash pit is supposed to be eight inches in height, with a door in front, in which is an aperture for the admission of air. The furnace above it is constructed of cast iron plates. It is three feet in length, eighteen inches in height, and of the same width. A grating upholds the wood. The flue C is eight inches in diameter, and two inches in height. The drums D are three feet in length, eighteen inches in width, and four inches high. They are connected by flues at their alternate ends, similar to C. Their number may be profitably increased, if the height of the room will allow. The two upper ones are of sheet iron. The smoke pipe E may be carried where most convenient. On account of the rapid accumulation of soot, however, the shorter the distance the better. For the purpose of cleaning the drums, a small door is made in the back end of each. They are supported at the end opposite the furnace by a brick wall, F. space of two inches, a wall is built similar to the former. It will be observed by reference to the figure, that the inner wall in front is carried over the furnace, and a space is necessarily left in the outer one opposite the door. On one side of the furnace four or five holes, four inches square, are left through both walls near the bottom. The air passing through these becomes strongly heated in its ascent, by the drums, wall, &c. and is conducted by pipes of tin from eight to twelve inches in diameter, set as nearly upright as possible, to the rooms above. Grates of brass or iron on a level with the floor regulate the quantity of air admitted, and consequently the heat of the room. The furnace should be set in a room in the cellar entirely devoted to the purpose, and the window left open; but if this cannot be done, an air trunk one foot square must be constructed, leading from without the building through the outer wall of the furnace; for few things are more injurious than the breathing an atmosphere loaded with the products of the fermentation of vegetables which are kept in the cellar. In the end wall, opposite the front, a double sheet iron door is placed, sufficiently large to allow a person to go in for the pur At the distance of two feet from the fur-pose of cleaning the drums, &c. nace, a brick wall is constructed around the whole. It is carried up four inches above the upper drum, and is then extended across, supported by bars of iron. Outside of this, and leaving at the sides and top a hollow The whole cost of this apparatus will not exceed one hundred dollars. A furnace constructed similar to the one described has been used during the past winter by James C. Hathaway, of this |