The Photostat As an Aid to Research

276 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 13, 1920 The Photostat as an Aid to Research

Some Example of the Uses to Which It Has Been Put in One Library By Howard S. Leach, Reference Librarian, Princeton University

HE photostat is a relatirvely new invention, but it The reproductiun was then muunted on cardboard of a III the study of palaeography, where a large num T 'is already making it.self an indispensabre tool of re certain stated size and filed in a ca·se. When this ber of specimens of handwriting is shown in early man search lin our larger university libraries. ScllO'lars, process had been repeated for all the examples to be uscripts and in inscriptions, the photostat again plays both members of the University Faculty and of the found, he had in oue small compass all of his founda a la'rge role in furnishing copies both from the origi Graduate School, are learning of its use and more and tion materi'al for l' othpl' data of a pictorial lines in very sharp contour and ma.kes a much finer or manuscript production the white on black copy nature are used. product than the original. Another adV'antage of using may ,serve one's 'purpose quite as well as the positive T·he photostat ds of great �ervice in research work the phO reproduce books and manuscripts, done from the scholastic point of view A reproduction from a Book of Hours for the study of the miniature but the catalogue cards were much larger r as was its original purpose, but it is be paintings within the initials ing used to reproduce ma'ps, charts, pic than -the regular international library tures, 'and even small museum objects. size, and hence would not fit into our It is of the highest importance in preserving fragile fessional copyist, and this work was verified· by the catalogue. It was estimated that to recatalogue by the usual methods would cost several hundred dollars, and deterioratiing books and manuscripts, in that it keeper of the rolls so t·ha;1 it could 'be relied upon as to say nothing of the difficulty of handling hieroglyph reproduces a copy for use and allows the original to reasonably accurate, but 'he eould today hm'e the en be put away safel�' where it need not be used' except tire pipe roll copied by means of the photostat for ics and Hebrew language. It was fin

secured in place by means of chains. The structure above the jack w;as Hfted during each weld so that the upper part of eoach broken column was raised 3/16 inch as an allowance for contraction. Having jacked up the column the next stell was to cut out about a l1h-inch gap hpt,,'een ,the Ibroken sections, to allow for the thermit steel to enter. Since in each ('ase the inclination of the lower part ,)f . the column had alrea·dy prov\{\ed a fAmerica. of which rested th temporary wooden staging. When the cruci'ble was set se· PAINE'S LIFE OF curely in place over vhe pouring gate of FREE MARK TWAIN the mold ,box tlhe ignition powder w'hkh 4 Volume. lay on the top of the thermit in the cruci ble was ignited and the reaction thus It ha'Jpens that we have a few sets of the fine four-volume edition started. In spilte of the intense heat no Look lor the Silver Edge on hand-not enough to dispose of injury occurred to the lighthouse. Eaeh in the usual way. There are only a few-this coupon w�ld WllI3' ,allowed ample time to cool, brings you one. Never again will after whiCh tJhe mold box surrounding the you have a chance to get one ex cept at the full regular price. weld w,as dismantled and the thermit steel pouring and heating gMes, and Send the Coupon Now risers 'Cut off. Raybestos is the original asbestos lining. Once on You can put this aside and forgAt It untn a month from now-and wish It will be noti'ced in the illustration you hadn't-or you can cut the l1ttle your brakes, it gives an added feeling of security coupon and send It along with nothing that the columns were welded together in but your name and address. Bet.ter po tio , no in that you are ready to meet any emergency selld the L'Oupon. Things like lonlr their, bent si n attempt 'having rows of ?tfark Twain aren't going to been made to straighten them, as it was be cheaper in money-and they're go quickly and with the assurance that your car will !:to Ing to be a lot more In Joy and Inspira 'urnpossible force the piles back to their tion. Tbey are the fountain of youth. original position, and if the cast iron Send the coupon and drink at It . stop! There .are imitations of Ray- cOlumns bhemselve6 had been !bent they bestos - imitations that like would have !broken off. The actual ,time look consumed in making the five welds was Ii Raybestos. Therefore, be sure to li ttle less than three weeks. see that the lining you buy has the

------ The Photostat as an Aid to Research Silver Edge-that is the identifica :ie. Amer. HARPER &: BROTHERS, (Continued from page %76) tion mark of real Raybestos. 21 FranklinSquare, New York Cit,. Send me, charges pre:rq.ld, a set of Mark Twain's then be sent to any part of the United works In 25 VOlumes, illustrated, bound In handsome S·tates for expert attention. Aside from green cloth. stamped in gold with trimmed edges. and Palne's Life of Mark Twain, In 4 volumes. bound to the identifieation and . listing of these doc match. FREE. uments for reference pur:poses, it may It not satisfactory. I will return them at your expense. THE otherwise I will send you 12.50 within 5 days and 13 • well be that some scholar will find ma month for 14 lllontbs. For cash deduct 8% from remittance. terial for which he has been hunting for RAYBESTOS COMPANY years in eonnection with some projected Name ...... book, or he may .find an entirely new in Bridgeport Conn. Addr...... terest which later will develop into a Occupation ...... soholarly production. Without the pho· If you prefer the beautiful black halt leather binding. tostat these mUs WQuld lie idle uutil change terms to $6 within 5 days and $6 a month for 13 months. some interested scholar sought them out

or found them-perh'aps by mere accident. take to th,is ration more quickly than to - By means of the photostat we are able dry feed, and there is usually little l()Ss to bring to this coun.try a -great deal of in weight from the weaning. the materials of scholarly pursuit which The use of silage in the winter ration have been hitherto only accessible to our for sheep is increasing, as st,ockmen have scholars when they have gone themselves found that their early prejudices against Jt of to Europe. It has been found that for it were unwarranted. Good corn silage all these $1,500 an expert man could be sent· to furnishes succulence so necessary for the Europe with a photostat machine and maintenance of the health and vitaliity of copy materials enough in one season to the ewes. In fattening lambs corn silage last a schol'ar thirty years, whereas that not only saves 'hay and grain, but reduces prominent places scholar had been obliged for J)our consec- the cost of produotion ,and increases the utive summers to go to Europe to con- selling value per head when compared -suit portions of that same material. It with other rations fed. In wintering ewe - and at scores of others of equal is now changing our whole metllOd of, lambs Silage forms an importan.t part of graduate study and is making possible the ration and when fed in conjunction note, it is Fatima and not an ex scholarly undertakings within this coun- with 'a ,good -legume hay, it keeps the pensive, straight Turkish cigarette try which a few years ago were entirely lambs in good condition and furnishes a impossi'ble because of the la,ck of ma- good growing ration. that leads in sales: terials ,and the necessity for going abroad. Ecuador Contributes a Wood That Atlantic Cily "Shamrock IV" and "Vanitie" Is Lighter than Cork The Ambassador in Fire Peril Hotel Traymore (Continued from page 281) (Continued from page 277) Cambridge. Ma ss. year. Professor Rowlee has made records Harvard University to the call, had made her way up the showing thM' the tree increases in diam French Lick. Ind. Sound and after breaking through the eter about five inches per year, so that a French Lick Springs Hotel heavy ice, got her four-inch stream� tree of from twenty-four to. thirty inches Louisville. Ky . playing upon the burning yachts and in diameter can be produced in from five Churchill Downs hrought the fire under control. to six rears. New Haven. Conn. The two steel yacMs above mentioned Balsa wood also has value in the con Yale University are entirely gutted, and the fire's heat struction of hydro-airplanes, as was dem New Orleans. La. within them has warped the frames anrI onstrated during the recent war. Wing St. Charles Hotel plating to such an extent that they braces of balsa wood veneered on both New Yo rk City will 'have to be practically rebuilt. sides with fiber board one thirty-second Hotel Astor There were also destl'oyed the 70-foot of an inch thick and cut to form a lattice Biltmore Hotel auxiliary schooner "Vinona," the 80-foot web, are being built for the planes. Hippodrome yacht, "Aurora," the 80-foot power yacht, When normal conditions are again es Waldorf-Astoria "Aloha," the 65-foot schooner yacht, tablished, it is expected that the most Palm Beach. Fla. "Ahma Kola," and also there was partial valuable quality of balsa wood will un The Breakers ly destroyed the 63-foot house boat dou'bted�y be the property of insulation Wa shington, D. C. "Briny,." The destroyed yachts are cov against heat and cold, which it possesses Capitol Building ered by insurance, and Mr. Jacob assures in a remarka'ble high degree because of The Shoreham us that, thanks to the fortunate preserva its cellular texture and the absence of The New Willard tion of the "S'hamrock" and "Vanitie," the' fi.bers in its structure. disaster wiU in no way interfere wtth the preparation of these yachts and their par Some Features of the American ticipation in the forthcoming races. Motor Boat Show (Continued from page 281) What Is a Silo? of the boat at the step and at the stern (Continued from page 280) in con,taot with the \vater. cornstalks, from which the ears have At 70 miles per hour, the question of ctt-�- been removed. air resistance is, of course, quite a serious Silage has !been found to be particularly one, and if "l\Iiss America" were certain well adapted as a feed for dairy cows. to be run only in smooth water, it would and as a result silos are more numerous not be necessary to provide the high on :f1arms devoted to dairying than upon bow Which she now carries; but in her FAT I farms of any otlj0r kind. In many S(>C racing on the waters around the Isle of tions silage has come to he the dairy Wight, s,he is lia:ble to encounter some ASensible farmer's main reliance for cow feed in choppy seas and, of course, it is neces q�aretfe winter. sary to give her plenty of freeboard to While silage is an excellent feed, it is negotiate them. It would be an interest ; lIot a complete one for dairy sto\�k. It is ing experiment, in a boat of this type, to too bulky and watery and contains too see how much speed could be added if she little protein and mineral matter to meet were strea-n1lined on true airplane princi :Cleartone Phonographs fully the requirements of the dairy eow. ples. It would not be surprisin'g if under $4.00 to $200_00 Retail It Should be combined with some legumi s'ueh 'nwidifiCl3JtiJoq' she couLd 'reach 80 Su dry Dept. offers Needles 89cperthousand. nous hay, s,uch clover, or al miles per 'hour, or even more; OurMotors n$1.35 to $14.75 each. Tone Anna and Re- as oow:pea:s, 96 Page pro ce - du r:a��:30�: c!�d!� �e:edsr!�. Ms'!.t;p�l:�in falfa. Cows in full milk requi.re some We show another exhibit which is at reasonable prices. f.�i�� o e concentrated feed in addition to hay and worthy of special mention, namely, the �m��fc��-8J��i�� g33 'dtl�1e�� i� ach nes IIlDd over 5 0 dlfferel1t�r:I�! �hono silage. The smaller dairy cows eat from Freeman davit, an entirely new tY'])e em Catalogue raphic Parts.M i 0 g 25 to 30 pounds of silage a day, and the bodying excellent engineering prac.tice. LUCKY 13 PHONOGRAPH COMPANY of Export Uept. 46T, E. l�th Street, N. Y., II. S. A. larger ones range up to 45 or more It has no sliding contacts in its mo've pounds. ments inlboord or outboard, but turns Scientific and Technical MASON. FENWICK &: LAWRENCE Silage is not generally fed to horses, entIrely in journals at the top and bot although there is no reason why it should tom of a shaft which is placed at ten PATENT LAWYERS not be, if free fl'om mold. Horses are degrees from the vertical. The swinging Washington, D. C. New York Chicago BOOKS peculiarly susceptible to the effects of of the davit is accomplished by means of Established over half a century. Correspondence invited. We have recently associated with us, molds, and under certain conditions va a worm and worm wheel, operated by a Listing 2500 title. on 500 subject. three Examiners from the U. S. Patent Office. rieties of mold Which are deadly poisons crank handle. The inclination of ten de to both 'horses -and mules are found on grees of the shaft has the effect that ELECTED from more than 7,000 sUage. Mo,1ds must have air to grow and when the tackle 'has once been drawn taut, S Books still in print. This catalogue NINE MONTHS TO P Y therefore silage whiich is packed air the turning of the crank handle and swing is the latest and best list of technical and scientific literature which can be tight and fed out rapidly will not become ing of the davit ,causes the head of the secured. Conditions in the publishing moLdy. davit to lift, so that the boat is 'at once raised clear of its chocks and then swung business are most severe and it is . fOU money. No roughage is of more importance to V _V•. V '' outbo'ard by the continuous turning of with difficulty that many books can W ·· ·' U_' . the producer of beef cattle than .silage. �� lyuai�:ct nt� yo u. be obtained. For this reason this qualityust jn them and our The value of silage to the beef producer, the crank. The whole design is very well timely catalogue of books which can m satisfy you. worked out. It is rugged and simple and 44 STYLES, colors, and sizes to however, varies according to condi,tions. be had will be particularly welcome. choose from inour famous RANGER should be singularly free from any liabil line. Send for big beautiful catalog. lit is a great saver of grain when fed to Many parent. advance the first ity to get out of ordei·. payment and energetic boys by odd eivher stock cattle or f.attening o3Jttle. It Jobs- paper routes, delivery for Write to-day for your copy. will lessen the gr,ain feeding by one Sentfree on application. stores, etc.• nuke the bicycle •• m Condensation of Fruit Juices m='3JE:;.it��i:Ea;,��Z!n';f �y fourth more than the quantity of grain in TRIAL , Select the bicycle you want and terms the sHage. Silage adds variety to the The milk industry is a great one, but th& tB ui t SCIENTIFIC AMERICANPUBUSHING CO. Yt�;�:�go� �Jb�:�: and feed and all kinds of stock relish it, and so now, with prOhibition, is that devoted y IR E s : ��dries parts aIt bicycles-atha lfuBuslpricea. SEND NO MONEY silage 'Creates an appetite for other feeds. to fruit juices. The future of the new 233 hilwa" Woelwertb Bldl. New York, N. Y. but write today torthe bie Dew eatalog. 'Prices and terms. CYCLE COMPANY Sila,ge is especially beneficial to calves condensation process in the latter field M E A D Dept-T.115 Chicago which have juSll: been weaned. They will be worth watching.

Changing an Airplane Carrier Into "Shamrock IV" and "Vanitie" in a Houseboat Fire Peril �E of the many devices which were HERE are few fires that burn more O developed during the war for the T quickly and with fiercer heat than a na yal aIrplane service was a small steel fire a t a shipyard, and the terribly de· pontoon for carrying a seaplane. An il structive conflagration which took place lustrated, description on one of these, at Robert Jacob's yard at City Island in ' showing an airplane iri course of transit, the early morning of February 25th appeared in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN of proved whrut qui'ck havoc can be wrought .Alarch 29th, 1919. The term "pontoon" ·among coody racing craft when once is perhaps a misnomer, for the reason this red terror breaks forth and is driven that -the craft is built with a V-shaped by a Ibrisk wind. The fire started near bow of the type which 'has come into use midnight and was probably due to defec in modern 'high speed motor boats. The tive wiring. "Yhen the own!'r reached ·hull is 58 feet overall, with 16 feet beam, the yard, the whole of a new two-story Lejl: Double stateroom with four-poster bed. RighI: Living room on upper deck. wit,h open fire an� has a maximum draft of only a few I:milding measuring 100 x 200 feet, which place. Be/ow: The air:plane carrier built during the war and now converted into a houseboat. feet. It is designed especially for towing, was used as an office and joiners' shop, Houseboat built on an airplane carrier the ptirpose being to draw the seaplane was ·a roal'ling furnace. To leeward of up onto the inclined ways un the center of the boat, terieSl for the electriC light system. The plumbing is in the building there were stored for the winter several whiClh ·-is then .taken in tow ,by tugs, destroyers or con accoroance with the regular yacht practice, with fix of the most famous American yachts, including some verted yachts, as the case may be. The conclusion of tures of modern type, and as they are all above the of the noted cup winners among the schooners and the war found the Jacob's Yard with a few of these water line, they are stmple in operation. sloops. Among these were the Herreschoff 145-foot boats on its hands, and the owners, recognizing the Forwaro, there is a deck covered by an awning, steel schooner yacht "Queen," and the 150-foot ·steel possibility of these craft for

,This shOwsllow the wooden yachts were swept away by the fire The fire burned'all the craft lying between "Vanitie" and "Shamrock IV"