InsureDAOis in the Blockchain Infrastructure Industry

InsureDAO

insuredao

When we talk about broad-spectrum finance, we are not only talking about purely super-complicated products, but also about insurance, and also in decentralized finance (DeFi), we also find this type of instrument. Traditional insurance In this case we find ourselves faced with 2 parties, the insurer and the insured, the first undertakes to cover any future damage and the second undertakes to pay an agreed amount to cover the risk to the insured, in the event that potential damage may occur in the future and call the insurer to compensate for any damage. There are insurances of various kinds that cover different objects or situations, think of the normal insurance of our cars or large household appliances, but also of the more complex ones such as in the case of theft of a jewelry store or potential disasters that can cancel a concert and in that case the insurer will undertake to compensate the users for any ticket or other eventualities established in the contract, let's think about what happened during the pandemic, especially with important sporting events, which thanks to these insurances, were able to cover part of the costs. Crypto insurance Even in the crypto and blockchain world, the first projects of this kind have begun to appear, although still at a very small and not widespread enough level given that there are particular difficulties and risks that many do not want to take on, think of possible errors in the code of the smart contract or an external attack that causes the loss of funds, all episodes that have occurred and will occur in the future. Nexus Mutual However, a project that has certainly stood out in this area is that of Nexus Mutual, founded by Hugh Karp, which is a decentralized insurance company that uses the blockchain (in this case on Ethereum) to create a mutual or a shared risk pool with other users and in this way open up to the insurance of smart contracts, in fact in this case the focus is on the most important part of the project in this sector, because it is the heart around which the whole system revolves. The system also plans to govern everything with the relevant NXM tokens and therefore take part in decisions regarding whether to cover the problem that has arisen or not, given that it is the members who decide who and how much to cover after the damage has occurred. Recall that the Nexus Mutual team operates as a traditional company, and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Bank of England) and this allows it to have the name “Mutual” in the project name. To participate in this project and therefore also use this form of coverage you need to become a member of Nexus Mutual, which is interesting but requires going through a KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure since we will respond and interface personally with the our funds and in the event of a loss, also bear the same. With this system we can cover practically every smart contract that we find on the Ethereum blockchain, even if it must have at least some interesting and minimum parameters because it would not make sense to cover a smart contract that has little value within it or that is not used. Before proceeding to see how this protocol works, there is a detail that we must point out is that if it is true that Nexus Mutual offers coverage for smart contracts, it is also true that it does not use its system, a risk that could put user funds at risk, even though this has never happened and the related smart contract has been audited by Solidified. Obviously there is other interesting information regarding this protocol, such as the governance model, tokens and so on, which in this case we will not delve into but which is a good idea to read on the relevant website and therefore read up carefully by also reading the project's whitepaper to have an overview. How to cover the funds Once we have connected to the site, we will have to log in with our wallet, so as to be able to access the platform and here we will be able to see all the various options available and also search for the relevant protocol we are interested in: For example, let's search for the Aave protocol and see what protocol is available: In our case we choose v3 and open the page with all the details relating to this coverage, what it covers and how much it costs: So we choose both the time and the amount we want to cover and continue to become members of the protocol: On this page we then have to enter all the information for the KYC part such as our personal data, among other things there is the possibility to choose whether we are acting as an individual or as a company, also allowing companies to cover their own funds in case of future problems: In this way and thanks to this but also other protocols, it is possible to protect ourselves from any attacks or problems regarding those protocols we use, and therefore having an additional level of security for our funds, especially if they are important. Conclusion In conclusion, decentralized finance (DeFi) is evolving rapidly and decentralized insurance is becoming an increasingly important aspect of protecting user funds and Nexus Mutual is an example of a decentralized insurance platform that uses the Ethereum blockchain to create a shared risk mutual among users. Thanks to this system, it is possible to cover the smart contracts used in DeFi protocols, protecting yourself from any future attacks or problems, however, it is important to underline that the use of these platforms requires a KYC procedure and the active participation of users in the governance of the protocol, and in more, it is essential to carefully read up on the characteristics of the project and the coverage offered before using these services because decentralized insurance represents an important step towards greater security and protection of funds in DeFi. When we talk about broad-spectrum finance, we are not only talking about purely super-complicated products, but also about insurance, and also in decentralized finance (DeFi), we also find this type of instrument. Traditional insurance In this case we find ourselves faced with 2 parties, the insurer and the insured, the first undertakes to cover any future damage and the second undertakes to pay an agreed amount to cover the risk to the insured, in the event that potential damage may occur in the future and call the insurer to compensate for any damage. There are insurances of various kinds that cover different objects or situations, think of the normal insurance of our cars or large household appliances, but also of the more complex ones such as in the case of theft of a jewelry store or potential disasters that can cancel a concert and in that case the insurer will undertake to compensate the users for any ticket or other eventualities established in the contract, let's think about what happened during the pandemic, especially with important sporting events, which thanks to these insurances, were able to cover part of the costs. Crypto insurance Even in the crypto and blockchain world, the first projects of this kind have begun to appear, although still at a very small and not widespread enough level given that there are particular difficulties and risks that many do not want to take on, think of possible errors in the code of the smart contract or an external attack that causes the loss of funds, all episodes that have occurred and will occur in the future. Nexus Mutual However, a project that has certainly stood out in this area is that of Nexus Mutual, founded by Hugh Karp, which is a decentralized insurance company that uses the blockchain (in this case on Ethereum) to create a mutual or a shared risk pool with other users and in this way open up to the insurance of smart contracts, in fact in this case the focus is on the most important part of the project in this sector, because it is the heart around which the whole system revolves. The system also plans to govern everything with the relevant NXM tokens and therefore take part in decisions regarding whether to cover the problem that has arisen or not, given that it is the members who decide who and how much to cover after the damage has occurred. Recall that the Nexus Mutual team operates as a traditional company, and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Bank of England) and this allows it to have the name “Mutual” in the project name. To participate in this project and therefore also use this form of coverage you need to become a member of Nexus Mutual, which is interesting but requires going through a KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure since we will respond and interface personally with the our funds and in the event of a loss, also bear the same. With this system we can cover practically every smart contract that we find on the Ethereum blockchain, even if it must have at least some interesting and minimum parameters because it would not make sense to cover a smart contract that has little value within it or that is not used. Before proceeding to see how this protocol works, there is a detail that we must point out is that if it is true that Nexus Mutual offers coverage for smart contracts, it is also true that it does not use its system, a risk that could put user funds at risk, even though this has never happened and the related smart contract has been audited by Solidified. Obviously there is other interesting information regarding this protocol, such as the governance model, tokens and so on, which in this case we will not delve into but which is a good idea to read on the relevant website and therefore read up carefully by also reading the project's whitepaper to have an overview. How to cover the funds Once we have connected to the site, we will have to log in with our wallet, so as to be able to access the platform and here we will be able to see all the various options available and also search for the relevant protocol we are interested in: For example, let's search for the Aave protocol and see what protocol is available: In our case we choose v3 and open the page with all the details relating to this coverage, what it covers and how much it costs: So we choose both the time and the amount we want to cover and continue to become members of the protocol: On this page we then have to enter all the information for the KYC part such as our personal data, among other things there is the possibility to choose whether we are acting as an individual or as a company, also allowing companies to cover their own funds in case of future problems: In this way and thanks to this but also other protocols, it is possible to protect ourselves from any attacks or problems regarding those protocols we use, and therefore having an additional level of security for our funds, especially if they are important. Conclusion In conclusion, decentralized finance (DeFi) is evolving rapidly and decentralized insurance is becoming an increasingly important aspect of protecting user funds and Nexus Mutual is an example of a decentralized insurance platform that uses the Ethereum blockchain to create a shared risk mutual among users. Thanks to this system, it is possible to cover the smart contracts used in DeFi protocols, protecting yourself from any future attacks or problems, however, it is important to underline that the use of these platforms requires a KYC procedure and the active participation of users in the governance of the protocol, and in more, it is essential to carefully read up on the characteristics of the project and the coverage offered before using these services because decentralized insurance represents an important step towards greater security and protection of funds in DeFi.

How to Insure Your DeFi Plays with Nexus Mutual

Any views expressed in the below are the personal views of the author and should not form the basis for making investment decisions, nor be construed as a recommendation or advice to engage in investment transactions. Mayday Mayday Mayday Some of you degens were screaming “Mayday” as you watched crypto markets puke from mid-April until the present. There was so much pain that momentum-chasing paper hands like proclaimed that they were “done” with crypto. As if – she will dutifully return posting crypto thirst traps once Bitcoin is back trending up and to the right in short order. Irene Zhao The price action played out as I expected. US tax season, consternation over what the Fed will do, the Bitcoin halving sell the news event, and a slowdown of US Bitcoin ETF asset under management (AUM) growth coalesced over the prior fortnight to produce a well-needed market cleansing. The tourists will sit out the next phase on the beach… if they can afford it. Us hard motherfuckers will hodl, and if possible, accumulate more of our favorite crypto reserve assets such as Bitcoin and Ether, and/or high-beta shitcoins like Solana, Dog Wif Hat, and dare I say Dogecoin (the OG doggie coin). This is not meant to be a fully fleshed-out global macroeconomics, politics, and crypto essay. Rather, I want to highlight why the US Treasury, Federal Reserve (Fed), and the Republic First Bank bailout provide fiat liquidity or a path to increased fiat liquidity now and into the near future. I will quickly step through a few tables that underpin my boooolishness. QT Taper = QE When the average muppet equates quantitative easing (QE) with printing money and inflation, it spells trouble for the elites. Therefore they need to change up the nomenclature and method of providing the junkie, that is, the fiat financial system, its hit of monetary heroin. Reducing the pace of asset runoff from the Fed’s balance in accordance with their quantitative tightening (QT) program sounds benign. But make no mistake – by reducing the rate of QT from $95 billion to $60 billion per month, the Fed is essentially adding $35 billion per month of dollar liquidity. When you combine the Interest on Reserve Balances, RRP payments, and interest payments on US Treasury debt, the reduction in QT increases the amount of stimulus provided to the global asset markets each month. The Fed announced this week that it would taper QT by the aforementioned amounts at its May 2024 meeting. Using a handy chart, let us examine the dollar liquidity situation before and after the meeting. Before Size of Facility Rate PA Monthly Amount (USD Bn) Interest Expense NA NA $88.27 IORB 3271.706 5.40% $14.72 RRP 438.148 5.30% $1.94 QT NA NA -$77.59 Total $27.34 Note that the QT line item is the actual monthly average taper amount in 2024 based on the . As you can see, the Fed has undershot the monthly target of $95 billion. It begs the question of whether the target is $60 billion per month and whether the Fed will undershoot that as well. Undershooting the target pace is positive for dollar liquidity. Fed’s weekly reported balance sheet After Size of Facility Rate PA Monthly Amount (USD Bn) Interest Expense NA NA $88.27 IORB 3271.706 5.40% $14.72 RRP 438.148 5.30% $1.94 QT NA NA -$60.00 Total $44.93 Increase in $ Liq per Month 64.32% “High” interest rates, which require the Fed and US Treasury to hand out interest payment stimmies to rich folks, coupled with a reduction in the pace of QT, are even more stimulative. Please read “ ” to understand what each line item means. Kite or Board That’s what beta cuck towel boy Powell is up to. What about his dominatrix, Bad Gurl Yellen? US Treasury Quarterly Refunding Announcement (QRA) Because the US is in the throes of fiscal dominance, Bad Gurl Yellen's pronouncements are more important than those of any other monetary official. Every quarter, the US Treasury publishes the QRA to guide the market as to the quantity and type of debt that must be issued to fund the government. Before the 2Q24 QRA, I had questions: Would Yellen be borrowing more or less than last quarter, and why? What is the maturity profile of the debt to be issued? What would be the target Treasury General Account (TGA) balance? Question 1: During the April – June 2024 quarter, Treasury expects to borrow $243 billion in privately-held net marketable debt, assuming an end-of-June cash balance of $750 billion. The borrowing estimate is $41 billion higher than announced in January 2024, largely due to lower cash receipts, partially offset by a higher beginning of-quarter cash balance. [2] [3] Source: QRA That’s no bueno if you are a holder of Treasuries. There will be more supply, and tax receipts were underwhelming despite the roaring US economy and stonk markets. This hastens the pace at which the bond market throws a fit and ratchets long-end rates markedly higher. Yellen’s response to that will be some form of yield curve control, and that’s when Bitcoin begins its ascent for realz to $1 million. Question 2: Given current fiscal forecasts, the Treasury Department expects to increase the 4-, 6-, and 8-week bill auction sizes in the coming days to ensure sufficient liquidity to meet our one-week cash needs around the end of May.  Then, in anticipation of the June 15th non-withheld and corporate tax date, Treasury expects to implement modest reductions to short-dated bill auction sizes during early to mid-June.  Subsequently, throughout July, the Treasury Department anticipates returning short-dated bill auction sizes to levels at or near the highs from February and March. Source: QRA Yellen needs to increase the issuance of short-dated bills because the market couldn’t handle it if she swung her BSD at the long end of the curve. The added benefit of issuing more bills is that it drains the RRP, which adds dollar liquidity to the system. To understand why, please read “ ”. Bad Gurl Question 3: During the July – September 2024 quarter, Treasury expects to borrow $847 billion in privately-held net marketable debt, assuming an end-of-September cash balance of $850 billion. Source: QRA The TGA balance target is $850 billion. It currently stands at $941 billion, which equates to a roughly $90 billion reduction over the next three months. To understand why, please read “ .” Bad Gurl The impact of this QRA is mildly dollar liquidity positive. It is not a bombshell like the November 2023 announcement, which sent bond, stonk, and crypto prices flying. But it will help pump our bags slowly over time. Republic First Bank Have you ever heard of this tiny, piece-of-shit bank? I hadn’t, until they went bust. The fact that another non-Too Big To Fail (TBTF) bank failed is not noteworthy. But what is important is the response of the monetary mandarins in charge of the Pax Americana. The US government (via the FDIC) insures deposits in any US bank up to $250,000. When a bank fails, uninsured depositors should get zeroed. However, that is politically unpalatable in an election year, especially if the powers that be have continuously assured the public the banking system is sound. Here is an excerpt from the : FDIC As of January 31, 2024, Republic Bank had approximately $6 billion in total assets and $4 billion in total deposits.  The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) related to the failure of Republic Bank will be $667 million. The FDIC determined that compared to other alternatives, Fulton Bank’s acquisition of Republic Bank is the least costly resolution for the DIF, an insurance fund created by Congress in 1933 and managed by the FDIC to protect the deposits at the nation’s banks. Understanding what happened in plain speech requires reading between the lines. Fulton agreed to purchase Republic First and ensure all depositors were made whole only if the FDIC ponied up some cash. The FDIC insurance gave Fulton $667 million so that all Republic First depositors were made whole. Why is the insurance fund being used for all deposits when some deposits were not insured? The reason is that if all deposits weren’t covered, then a bank run would start. Any large depositor with a non-TBTF bank would instantly transfer money to a TBTF bank, which sport a full government guarantee of all deposits. Subsequently, thousands of banks would go under across the country. That is not a good look in a democratic republic with elections every two years. Once the public is educated that the bank failures are 100% due to Fed and US Treasury policy, some overpaid idiots will have to get real jobs. Rather than suffer at the ballot box, those in charge essentially now guarantee all deposits in the US banking system. That is a stealth addition of $6.7 trillion, as this is the amount of uninsured deposits as . reported by the St. Louis Fed This leads to money printing because the FDIC’s insurance fund doesn’t have $6.7 trillion. Maybe they need to ask CZ for advice because funds ain’t SAFU. Once the fund is exhausted, the FDIC will borrow money from the Fed, which will print money to satisfy the loan. Like the other stealth money printing policies discussed in this essay, there is no massive liquidity injection today. However, we now know with full confidence that trillions of contingent liabilities have been added to the Fed’s balance sheet, which will be funded with printed money. Buy in May, Go Away! The slow addition of billions of dollars of liquidity each month will dampen negative price movement from here on out. While I don’t expect crypto to fully realize the recent US monetary announcements' inflationary nature immediately, I expect prices to bottom, chop, and begin a slow grind higher. As the northern-hemispheric summer kicks into full gear, crypto muppets will be out enjoying being pre-rich at all the usual hot spots. I see you at DC10, Scorpios, Chiltern … I see you playa. I certainly won’t be babysitting Bitcoin when I could be two-stepping. The recent intense puke out provides an excellent opportunity to unstake my and spend synthetic dollars on high beta shitcoins. USDe I’m buying Solana and doggie coins for momentum trading positions. For longer-term shitcoin positions, I’m upping my allocations in Pendle* and will identify other tokens that are “on sale.” I will use the rest of May to increase my exposure. And then it’s time to set it, forget it, and wait for the market to appreciate the inflationary nature of the recent US monetary policy announcements. 同志们好 China is not to be forgotten. The CNY will be devalued, but it won’t be against USD; rather, it will be against gold and Bitcoin. I will explain this theory in an in-depth essay later this summer. For those of you who need bullet points on my predictions, here you go: Yes Did Bitcoin hit a local low at around $58,600 earlier this week? A rally to above $60,000 and then range-bound price action between $60,000 and $70,000 until August. What is your price prediction? Yes. Are the recent Fed and Treasury policy announcements stealth forms of money printing? Yachtzee!! Disclaimer: I am an advisor to and investor in Pendle, and have received Pendle tokens as compensation for my advisory services.

Mayday

মে দিবস

Maifeiertag

May Day

Au secours

मई दिवस

メーデー

노동절

Socorro

Первое мая

Mayıs günü

ngày tháng năm

劳动节

The digital asset industry is not one that is stagnant. Beyond the perennial excitement induced among enthusiasts and users due to the volatile price movements of the assets, the industry is no stranger to eventful occurrences. Most recently, the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) approved the issuance of Bitcoin ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) for a handful of prominent asset management and financial services companies. The move pushes the crypto industry towards institutionalization, with multiple jurisdictions worldwide already regulating or working on implementing regulations for all kinds of digital assets beyond Bitcoin. As the industry matures and the innovation evoked by the asset class attracts retail and institutional investors alike, its institutionalization is the only logical step ahead. The Good Comes with the Bad – Still, the Industry Grows Beyond those desired happenings, the industry has also been prone to setbacks. For example, the recent Binance debacle saw the company shelling out over due to its negligence in reporting and preventing transactions serving money laundering. Another example is the infamous that led to collective losses in the billions for crypto users due to the blatant mismanagement of funds. $4 billion in fines FTX saga Regulations will ensure such failures do not occur, keeping digital asset investors and users safe from untoward incidents. Nevertheless, despite the setbacks, the development of innovative products from this space remains strong. Digital assets, alongside a vibrant DeFi ecosystem and robust centralized platforms offering asset storage and exchange activities, among others, are booming. Family Offices Are Showing Unwavering Interest in Digital Assets A rapidly evolving digital asset industry is witnessing massive influxes of funds, now more than ever. With the capabilities it offers to build massive wealth and regulatory perceptions shifting towards the positive, one group of investors flocking to the ecosystem is family offices. Servicing HNWIs (High Net Worth Individuals) and wealthy families to build and maintain generational wealth, family offices are diversifying investment strategies to accommodate digital assets. However, their entry into the crypto markets should occur with the assistance of platforms specializing in handling the large value they pour into these assets. Family offices must turn to working to safeguard users’ assets from the various elements in the ecosystem that can lead to their loss or theft. digital asset custodians Custodians Make Digital Asset Usage Safe and Convenient for Family Offices In fact, jurisdictions rolling out regulations for the asset class are mandating the usage of licensed custodians while dealing with large amounts of assets. And that is for good reason. For one, self-custody wallets aimed to secure digital assets are a good choice for retail users dealing with less significant amounts. On the other hand, interacting with such assets in the millions of dollars, as family offices do, can be inconvenient and dangerous when using self-custody storage solutions. The chances of losing private keys and having assets worth millions trapped forever are more common than assumed and obviously not ideal. Turning to experienced custodians, like BitGo, Liminal, and Copper, is the best way for family offices to go. These custodians offer the perfect balance of security and convenience that they can ask for. Licensed custodians utilize state-of-the-art asset storage and data transfer infrastructure, ensuring the digital assets they handle remain safe. Hot and cold wallets protected by Multi-Signature and are commonplace with custodians, alongside infosec certifications attesting to their robust infrastructure. MPC (Multi-Party Computation) technology Increased Access to the DeFi Ecosystem Through Custody Platforms By turning to custodians, can stay assured they possess instant access to their assets, overseen by bank-grade storage security. Of course, asset storage is only one aspect of custodian offerings. Custodian platforms also come equipped to let their users indulge in DeFi strategies across various blockchain networks – all from their platform interfaces. family offices With the DeFi ecosystem being one of the most prominent use cases of digital assets, family offices naturally utilize the assets under their management to earn steady passive income. So, family offices can indulge in multichain DeFi ecosystems, purchasing all kinds of tokens to put to work in applications deployed on prominent blockchains from well-known third-party custody platforms. Custodian Insurance Removes All Worries of Dealing with Third Parties While relying on third parties to hold crypto assets can seem daunting, especially when blockchain tenets dictate doing away with intermediaries, reputed custodians bring unfaltering trust. It is so because licensed custodians come insured to protect their users from worst-case scenarios like hacks, exploits, and bankruptcies. Family offices can confidently employ custodians, knowing their value is recoverable through insurance despite losses incurred due to negligence or bad behavior exhibited by custodians. Reputed Custodians Uphold Compliance Even for Their Clients Numerous jurisdictions with established digital asset regulations enforce insurance on custodians to safeguard investors. They also enforce AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and CFT (Countering the Financing of Terrorism) protocols upon these platforms, which is a need in the digital asset ecosystem. Such protocols prevent family offices from accidentally indulging in prohibited tokens like privacy coins and interacting with sanctioned wallets linked with illicit activities. Tapping into custody services can make sure family offices remain within legal bounds and do not have their operations, funds, and investments jeopardized. Likewise, custodians can even effect good behavior among family offices, mainly multi-family offices handling investments for multiple HNWIs and families. This type of family office is operated by third parties, rather than the traditional single-family office set up and controlled by HNWIs or families themselves. Most jurisdictions have lax regulations over family offices, meaning the clients of multi-family offices will find their value at risk if the third parties misappropriate said value. Custodians storing end of such offices are mandated to track and report suspicious movements of funds by regulators. client digital assets on behalf Malicious activity can easily be detectable when huge sums are misused, protecting investors from bad actors. Thereby, custodians offer a layer of transparency and accountability. Multi-family offices looking to increase their credibility with end clients interested in digital assets must employ custodians. Custody Solutions Are a Necessity for Crypto-Inclined Family Offices Digital asset adoption is in full swing as investors turn to the asset type and the innovative products it is central to. Family offices are the same as these assets, as they have shown their ability to steadily bring returns that magnify wealth, often more effectively than traditional assets. As they take a more influential place in the portfolios of HNWIs and wealthy families, custodians can help alleviate the issues with handling them. Thus, family offices should consider custody-related solutions to traverse the while making the most out of the novel financial system. digital asset landscape securely and conveniently

Why Family Offices Should Care About Digital Asset Custody

The ability to earn rather than buy your cryptocurrency has always been an important aspect of the crypto community. Unfortunately, for many who are new to the blockchain space, the days of being able to mine hundreds of with just your home computer are long gone. However, there are now more inclusive ways to earn cryptocurrency, and while the idea is still new, crypto-earning platforms could soon make central banks start to sweat. Bitcoin What is Crypto Earning? While most people are familiar with Bitcoin and Ethereum miners, for the high-tech, slightly mysterious subset of individuals working the blockchain for paydirt, using high-powered computers stuffed with GPUs, that's not the only way to earn your coins. Investors looking to earn coins or tokens without spending $20,000 on mining equipment can still participate in community initiatives by way of Proof of Stake. POS is an alternate consensus method used by certain blockchains to secure the network and validate transactions. While the first Proof of Stake coin, PeerCoin, was introduced as early as 2012, the rise of DeFi and Ethereum's announcement that it would be moving to Proof of Stake has revitalized this once controversial consensus method and sent it into the mainstream. Now, the only thing stopping you from earning hefty returns on your coins is knowing where exactly you should put your money. Your return will depend on the level of risk you're willing to stomach, the lock-up terms you choose for your coins or tokens, and whether you plan to go with a centralized or decentralized earning platform. Centralized vs. Decentralized platforms Like all things in cryptocurrency, or even just investing in general, there is always a risk. The world of cryptocurrency is still very much the wild west, mostly lacking regulation and consumer protection, and putting your trust in the wrong hands can often lead to disaster. Investors who previously lost their Bitcoin fortunes to shady platforms like Mt. Gox will be quick to warn you: "Not your keys, not your coins," a popular saying in the crypto community. This saying stems from the fact that when you are using a centralized platform, you do not control the private keys to your wallets. That means that, unlike your private wallet, which can't be taken from you, funds kept on platforms owned by someone else are always at risk to some degree of being lost to insolvency, have a higher risk of theft, or can even be seized should your country's flavor of cryptocurrency wane in some way. Part of the appeal of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platforms is that you are in control of your private keys and recovery phrases, allowing you to participate without giving up wallet ownership. So why would you ever use a centralized platform, then? Well, in its current iteration, is not as user-friendly as it could be. There are a lot of ways to make a mistake, and many people simply are not interested in or prepared to be a custodian of their own finances. DeFi This is part of the reason why central banking and credit cards have become a consumer staple; they provide protection to the user. With a non-custodial wallet, this protection is gone. You're responsible for your own private keys and recovery phrase, and if you lose those, then you're certainly out of luck, but you won't be alone. It's estimated that between 2.78 million and 3.79 million Bitcoin have been lost in this manner. While if you use the custodial wallet, support can come to the rescue in most cases if you lose access to your account or if you were to perhaps send your coins to the wrong wallet, which is an easier mistake to make than you might think. Especially with cross-chain confusion now coming into play. Earning on custodial vs. Non-Custodial Platforms Custodial Platform Earning A custodial platform, such as Nexo or Celsius, simply pays out an advertised interest rate on held cryptocurrencies, just like your bank savings account. Earnings typically go up if you are willing to commit to a longer lock-up term, which is great if you are long on an investment. You will, of course, not earn as much as you would using DeFi, but your risk is mitigated as long as you trust the platform. This is because these platforms are taking on much of the risk of blockchain finance for you. In return, they take a cut of the profits for themselves. Interest is paid out daily or weekly, typically in the same currency that you are staking, making it a good way to grow your holdings while you wait. It's the simplest way to earn if you are not technologically inclined or are risk-averse. These platforms make money by doing their own staking or lending, at varying degrees of risk, and typically also provide other services that allow them to profit off of trade or transaction fees from the users of the platform. What are the Risks of Custodial Earning Platforms? Custodial platforms are not without risk. Besides the fact that you are typically not in control of your private keys, management of the exchange can also be an issue. While the platform's job is to absorb risk, if they get into trouble, things could go south quickly, and your investments could be at risk if the company becomes insolvent. Custodial platforms are not immune to bug exploits or the will of overbearing governments. Hackers exploiting smart contract vulnerabilities or damaging new regulations could put your holdings at risk. . This loss was not passed on to the consumer, but should a loss be large enough to put a platform out of business, it could be. Even FDIC-insured exchanges only offer protection to the fiat currencies in your account. Celsius is estimated to have lost $50 million in the Badger DAO exploit Non-Custodial Platform (DeFi) Earning While DeFi staking is much more complicated and more risks are involved, the potential for profit is also greater if you are willing to take those risks. There's also a greater variety of ways to earn going the DeFi route when compared to a centralized earning platform. You can participate in yield farming, which is essentially becoming a liquidity provider to a platform that provides lending services to traders. Or, you could stake your assets and become a validator for transactions, helping to secure the network, similar to what miners do in Proof of Work setups. You can also participate in liquidity mining, a process that rewards you with native tokens or governance rights rather than a standard APY yield like yield farming does. Each of these methods of earning has its own benefits and dangers, so it's imperative that you thoroughly research each method before deciding on one. There's a very real risk of losing your initial deposit if you aren't careful. What are the Risks of Non-Custodial Earning Platforms? In addition to worrying about potential vulnerabilities in the smart contracts you are utilizing and liquidation, higher-yield currencies are often highly volatile, and shady platform providers can quickly throw a wrench in your plan, like when Sushi Swap's developer decided to sell all of his tokens, , and leaving investors high and dry. plummeting the price of the currency by 50% It's important to realize that pretty much anybody can create a token or even an entire platform for something like yield farming overnight, often anonymously, and in a faraway country, outside the reach of your country's legal jurisdiction. This is why it's important to make sure to research not just the type of Defi activity you wish to pursue carefully but also to be sure to vet the platform you intend to do it on properly. Spreading your investments across multiple platforms can also help to avoid a total loss of assets. In short, both custodial and non-custodial platforms have their own unique benefits and dangers. It's important to know what you're getting into before putting your life savings into a risky situation in which there could be no way out if things go badly.

Better Than Your Bank: A Primer on the Benefits and Risks of Crypto Earning

As climate change plays havoc with weather forecasting across the globe, one company's long-term goal is to save thousands of lives by ensuring early and timely warnings of these severe weather events are reaching people across the globe. Rainbow Weather’s Mission Using artificial intelligence, is on a mission to provide meteorological forecasts at this crucial time when severe weather events cause billions of dollars in damages each year, as reported in USA Today. Rainbow Weather The planet was plagued by $42 billion worth of weather disasters in 2022 alone, and the all-time total damage wrought by weather disasters sits at $360 billion, with 39% of that total being insured damages, according to insurance broker Gallagher Re in its annual report. The global Weather Forecasts market was valued at $2.8 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $4.6 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.3% according to Stats Market Research. The World Meteorological Organization reports that "just 24 hours’ notice prior to an impending weather hazard can cut the ensuing damage by 30 percent, calling early warnings the “low-hanging fruit” of climate change adaptation because of their tenfold return on investment. " That is why investors have ploughed almost $1.5 million of funding into Rainbow Weather to date, to take on more established apps and forecasters who often fall short of accurate forecasts. As reported in Vox.com, Apple’s weather app is ‘pretty much useless’ as it cannot distinguish between ‘light rain’ and ‘rain’, that the percentages it spits out feel ‘bogus’, and to never trust it when it tells you what time the rain will stop. Apple bought the weather forecasting app Dark Sky three years ago, and it seems that the tech giant’s investment is not paying off yet. However, investment in Rainbow Weather is paying off. The first round included private investors as well as Venture Capitalist firms Kolos Ventures, Verras Capital, and Melnichek Investments. Furthermore, the company which trades as Rainbow Meteo Technologies and is based in Poland, has had further financial backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. What sets Rainbow Weather apart from Apple and other weather apps is its advanced AI modeling which delivers superior weather predictions based on a wide range of data sources (from satellites and meteorology stations to user reports and shared barometer data), beating the competition in both speed and precision. According to the company's internal analysis, Rainbow Weather has already achieved 3.5 percentage points of rain prediction precision over Apple Weather in the US (where Apple has the best coverage) and 9.5 percentage points over AccuWeather worldwide. Precision was calculated based on the share of rain accurately predicted within a 30-minute forecast window. To put these numbers into perspective, that means for every million weather app users, 35,000 to 95,000 more people will get correctly notified about an upcoming shower if they opt for Rainbow Weather. Words From the CEO Rainbow Weather CEO Alexander Matveenko shares the story of how the company was born: "I was swimming in Sri Lanka when suddenly it began to rain quite heavily. The downpour started to overwhelm me, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the shore. This experience made me realize how critical timely weather warnings can be. My co-founder Yuri Melnichek had a story of his own. He almost had his passport destroyed while on a hike when all weather apps failed to predict a sudden rain. After discussing both of these incidents we decided to create a new weather forecast tech based on machine learning algorithms that would be able to better predict highly variable local weather events." Their first product on the market is the mobile app for iOS and Android which provides super-accurate hyperlocal forecasts notifying users about upcoming rain and snowfalls, storms and hurricanes, and their movements on the map. The app is picking up steam with half a million downloads and great reviews from both users and the press. However, the most stellar review comes from Tatsiana Khakhelka, Associate for SME Finance & Development at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: “The EBRD’s Star Venture program targets promising start-ups to unleash their full potential. The EBRD supports them with world-class business advice and access to finance to strengthen their performance and accelerate their life cycle. Star Venture assigns the start-ups advisory projects tailored to their specific competencies and needs. Across 23 countries, Star Venture has nurtured 550+ early-stage companies, spanning diverse regions from Eastern Europe to the Western Balkans. One of these rising stars is Rainbow Meteo Technologies. After a rigorous selection process, this start-up company was shortlisted as a finalist in the EBRD’s Star Venture program supported by the European Union, and the Bank continues to provide advisory assistance. I am personally inspired by Rainbow’s product and the team’s professionalism and look forward to their future endeavors.” Disclaimer: Parts of this article have previously appeared on other news media platforms Also published here

Rainbow Weather, a Deep AI Driven Tech Startup, Aims to Take on the Tech Giants With Only $1.5m

রেইনবো ওয়েদার, একটি গভীর AI চালিত টেক স্টার্টআপ, মাত্র $1.5 মিলিয়ন দিয়ে টেক জায়ান্টদের সাথে লড়াই করার লক্ষ্য

Rainbow Weather, ein tiefgreifendes KI-gesteuertes Technologie-Startup, will es mit nur 1,5 Millionen US-Dollar mit den Technologiegiganten aufnehmen

Rainbow Weather, una startup tecnológica impulsada por la IA, tiene como objetivo enfrentarse a los gigantes tecnológicos con solo 1,5 millones de dólares

Rainbow Weather, une startup technologique basée sur l'IA profonde, vise à affronter les géants de la technologie avec seulement 1,5 million de dollars

रेनबो वेदर, एक डीप एआई संचालित टेक स्टार्टअप, जिसका लक्ष्य केवल $1.5m के साथ टेक दिग्गजों से मुकाबला करना है

ディープ AI 主導のテクノロジースタートアップ、Rainbow Weather がわずか 150 万ドルでテクノロジー巨人に対抗することを目指す

딥 AI 기반 기술 스타트업 Rainbow Weather, 단 150만 달러로 거대 기술 기업을 상대하는 것을 목표로 함

Rainbow Weather, uma startup de tecnologia baseada em IA profunda, pretende enfrentar os gigantes da tecnologia com apenas US$ 1,5 milhão

Rainbow Weather, технологический стартап, основанный на искусственном интеллекте, стремится бросить вызов технологическим гигантам всего за 1,5 миллиона долларов

Derin Yapay Zeka Odaklı Teknoloji Startup'ı Rainbow Weather, Sadece 1,5 Milyon Dolarla Teknoloji Devleriyle Mücadeleyi Hedefliyor

Rainbow Weather, một công ty khởi nghiệp công nghệ dựa trên AI sâu, đặt mục tiêu cạnh tranh với những gã khổng lồ công nghệ chỉ với 1,5 triệu USD

Rainbow Weather，一家深度人工智能驱动的科技初创公司，目标仅用 150 万美元挑战科技巨头

The federal government announced a plan Wednesday that would wrest control of the country’s transplant system from its longtime nonprofit contractor, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that contracts directly with UNOS, seeks to break up the current all-encompassing contract into pieces intended to go to multiple contractors, according to HRSA. The plan was first by The Washington Post. reported “At HRSA, our stewardship and oversight of this vital work is a top priority,” HRSA administrator Carole Johnson said in a . “That is why we are taking action to both bring greater transparency to the system and to reform and modernize the OPTN. The individuals and families that depend on this life-saving work deserve no less.” release The announcement comes a day after The Markup and the Post published an investigation detailing how disproportionately affects a handful of poorer states in the South and Midwest, while two states that for the policy reap many of the benefits. a liver sharing policy that UNOS created lobbied fiercely UNOS’s for the Organ Transplantation and Procurement Network (OPTN) gives it control over nearly all facets of the transplant system, including policymaking, oversight, and the technology that underlies the system. UNOS has held the contract for nearly 40 years. current $6.5 million contract The largest change would break the contract into multiple pieces “in order to foster competition and ensure” independence for the board that oversees the system. (UNOS and the OPTN currently share a board.) To do so, the agency is asking for an increase in its budget to $67 million to fund the additional contractors. It is not clear exactly how many pieces the contract will be broken into. HRSA is also asking Congress to broaden which contractors would be eligible to bid on such contracts, since the way the law is currently written favors UNOS. Other proposed changes would bring the underpinning technology in line with modern standards and produce “data dashboards” on the performance of nonprofits charged with organs, UNOS and HHS have faced a growing wave of criticism from Congress and others over the transplant system’s performance. Under UNOS’s stewardship, a significant number of organs go to waste, including, in 2021, the in nearly a decade. In last year that focused on issues with kidney transplants, senators noted reports that kidneys, which can be flown commercially, are regularly left to spoil. highest number of livers a Senate hearing UNOS’s technology has long been a point of contention, as UNOS has said it owns the system that makes the transplant function digitally, not the U.S. government. This system was the subject of a confidential assessment in 2021, in which the White House’s U.S. Digital Service recommended the system be “ ” and broken out from the main transplant contract. vastly restructured During the hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told Brian Shepard, then-CEO of UNOS, “You should lose this contract.” An by The Markup and the Post found that for livers, the second-most transplanted organ, UNOS pushed through a policy that it was warned would disenfranchise states that already struggled with access to health care. investigation The investigation found that those fears came true—a handful of states that are more rural, have lower household incomes, fewer transplant hospitals, and lower rates of insured people are most hurt by the policy. Two of the states that benefited most significantly were New York and California, which along with Massachusetts lobbied vehemently for the change, going as far as that eventually overturned the system. Among the main changemakers in this policy were two UNOS past presidents and its CEO at the time, as well as organ procurement executives. funding a lawsuit The proposed changes by HRSA would need to be approved by Congress. But in an interview with the Post, Johnson said the agency is able to act even if Congress does not agree. UNOS’s contract is up for renewal this fall. By Malena Carollo Also published here Photo by on Joshua Hoehne Unsplash

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Plans on Breaking Up the Organ Transplant Monopoly

The blockchain ethos of the self-custody of digital assets remains relevant over a decade after the creation of Bitcoin in 2009. Numerous scams later, users at their receiving end get suggested to hold on to the keys that provide access to their coins and tokens. While that is the safest way to go, many users, especially institutional investors and enterprises, frequently transacting tremendous amounts of digital assets prefer third parties handling their value. The reasons for delegating the keys to third parties are manifold, with convenience being the frontrunner. While many have burnt their hands seeking convenience, relying on regulated, trustworthy custodians is the way to go. Activities like trading or running crypto-native enterprises benefit from the convenience engendered by custodians. The Issues Relevant to The Digital Asset Custody Landscape in the Past The issue, however, has been safety. The custody of digital assets has had no regulatory directives until recently, thus leaving safeguarding assets to enterprises operating conflicting verticals and not possessing the right capabilities. For a long time, crypto exchanges and other crypto enterprises offered custody services. However, such enterprises would also be involved in profit-generation activities like lending and investing with their own assets and portfolios. Without adequate regulations, some of these without the knowledge of their users. enterprises decided to hypothecate their user assets in risky strategies Such activities are a big no-no as user-deposited assets must never get comingled with enterprise profit-generation activities. The assets must remain in safe storage so the enterprises can honor all their user withdrawals simultaneously, preventing runs. In fact, many enterprises lost the assets they held on behalf of their users due to the strategies they indulged in going bust, leading to bankruptcies and causing their users to wave goodbye to their entrusted assets forever. Thus, digital asset users relying on third-party custody were at the losing end in the past. However, with growing awareness about such instances and regulatory entrance into the industry in various jurisdictions, third-party custody of assets is being done right. Custody services now offer adequate safety and convenience to those who do not want to manage their crypto holdings themselves. The Revival of the Custody Markets and Its Reasons The TradFi world has operated with third-party custodians for decades and proved that regulations and controls can, in fact, offer tremendous amounts of safety and let enterprises and investors conduct their activities with ease. The digital asset sector is no different. Some of the industry’s top custodians have operated honestly through their long tenures, and their users can attest to this fact. With regulations, many are implementing TradFi-like systems. Those in jurisdictions with no digital asset regulations are still following global regulatory trends to offer nothing but the best to their clients. A common trait with regulation-oriented custodians is that they do not operate verticals other than safeguarding user assets. That is what TradFi regulations have directed custodians to do for decades. With crypto regulations bringing the same dictates, users can know their assets are protected. The regulations discourage custodians from operating conflicting verticals and require them to maintain transparency with their regulators and get insured. Such requirements provide levels of . Custodian wrongdoings are identifiable from the get-go and can get nipped in the bud. safety that mirror the self-custody of assets Moreover, users can stay assured that their assets are always accessible, even during calamities like custodian bankruptcies and losses to hacks and thefts. Custodian insurance enables users to reclaim their assets, moving them away from third-party risks. What Can Be Expected by 2030 With that, many users have already begun using third-party digital asset custodians in droves. 2022 was a great year to be in the custody business, despite all the commotion in the crypto markets due to failing projects, lack of controls implemented by top exchanges, hacks, and a persisting bear market. The , showing the interest many digital asset users possess in trustworthy custody services. market size of crypto custodians rose to a whopping $447.9 billion While that is just the beginning, the digital asset custody market is set to rise at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 23.65%, taking its market size to $1.6 trillion by 2028 and closer to $2 trillion by 2030. The projection comes from a recent Proficient Markets Insight report that shines a light on digital asset custody usage. It includes various market segmentations of the digital asset custody landscape, like custody types, regions, industries, and custodians. The Custodians Enriching the Digital Asset Custody Market The data from the segmentations all point to one thing – burgeoning institutional interest in the digital asset ecosystem, with custodians providing the safety checks they need. While several custodians operate in the industry, a few dominate the markets thanks to the trust they have built over the years and the features they provide. Coinbase Custody Coinbase, as an entity, offers more than just its popular exchange service. Its custody service is one of the industry’s most trusted, with the company maintaining adequate controls to prevent the intermingling of user-stored assets with its other verticals. Its services are licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services, a regulator known to enforce the most stringent checks before approving licenses to applicants. Resultingly, Coinbase Custody possesses $128 billion in AUM (assets under management), handing it the lion’s share of the industry’s assets under custody. Coinbase lets its users custody assets in its ‘Vault Storage’, a proprietary digital asset storage solution amalgamating the security of offline, cold wallets with MPC (multi-party computation) or MultiSig capabilities. The solution also addresses redundancies with and effortless integration of team members to access enterprise wallets and their contents. The features are usable through the platform’s intuitive dashboard. high levels of asset storage security by providing easy-to-use workflows Furthermore, Coinbase Custody supports 400+ assets, which users can use in activities like staking, lending, and DeFi yield generation right from the platform. Users utilizing its custody and allied offerings have their assets in storage insured by up to $350 million, ensuring they are protected when undue situations occur. BitGo Another massive player, BitGo, is a runner-up to Coinbase Custody in the custodian market share, with over $90 billion in AUM. The custodian opened its doors in 2013 and has remained a household name in the industry thanks to its efforts in securely storing its clients’ assets. Like Coinbase Custody, BitGo, too, is licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services. The platform utilizes computational consensus for its wallets’ functioning, meaning users store their assets in cold storage, with its wallets configured with MPC or MultiSig setups. BitGo’s custody solutions let users tap into profits through staking, lending, DeFi, and other activities with their assets in storage. Furthermore, BitGo lets institutions and enterprises employ its custody services by harnessing its wallet-as-a-service (WaaS) offering, enabling the ventures to store assets by simply connecting to its APIs. There is no need for complex coding to utilize its WaaS application – convenient drag-and-drop capabilities allow users to integrate BitGo offerings into their workflows smoothly. The custodian lets users store over 600 digital asset types from multiple blockchains, protecting their deposits with insurance of up to $250 million. Also, users can utilize their funds from BitGo’s custody in various applications, similar to what Coinbase Custody provides, like staking, lending, and DeFi yield generation. Newer Custodians Look to Take the Reins of the Growing Markets While several more established digital asset custody providers exist, including famous TradFi banks like BNY Mellon, the crypto ecosystem is witnessing new names filling the increasing demand for custody services. These new entrants give established players a run for their money, offering highly secure storage facilities bolstered by state-of-the-art technologies to introduce additional layers of security and convenience. Liminal Custody Solutions Birthed in 2021, Liminal is creating bigger waves than any competitor recently entering the custody landscape. The custody service provider offers various banking-grade digital asset storage options to institutions and enterprises exclusively, making it an all-encompassing solution for the crypto ecosystem. To that end, the platform has grown to safeguard digital assets worth over $600 million in its short time here. Keeping in line with the secureness offered by the top players, Liminal utilizes MPC and MultiSig technologies to fortify asset storage in its wallets. The platform offers a range of custody solutions, comprising custodial cold and hot wallets, self-custody solutions, and business solutions like wallet infrastructures and white-label offerings. Moreover, Liminal also provides an exhaustive suite of integrations like an automation engine, firewall configuration, compliance checks, and DeFi connectivity at no extra cost. Liminal brings algorithmic capabilities to the asset storage and transaction processes, offering equal parts convenience and security. Zodia Custody Zodia Custody, the Standard Chartered and Northern Trust developed and owned digital asset custodian, represents the surging institutional interest in digital assets. The custody service began operations in 2020, with the TradFi heavyweights entering the digital asset space to facilitate safeguarding digital assets for their client bases interested in interacting with tokenized value. Like the other custodians, Zodia Custody utilizes the much-needed MPC and MultiSig technologies to safeguard digital assets for users. The custodian has the advantage of its parent companies originating from the banking sector, implementing multiple hardware security modules (HSMs) from the TradFi banking world. Also, Zodia Custody is licensed across multiple countries – the UK, Ireland, and Luxembourg, ensuring its dedication to providing banking-grade custody services. While that is already evident due to the companies responsible for its genesis, and convenience to institutions utilizing its services. the custodian takes all the steps needed to provide banking-level safety Its efforts materialize as insurance coverage for stored assets, secure and quick transaction settlements, and yield generation capabilities through staking integrations. Conclusion As custody requirements become more pronounced with evolving regulations and institutional entrance into the ecosystem, established and recently developed solutions will witness massive growth. As we move closer to 2030, the industry can expect a surge in new custodians that bring cutting-edge developments to offer the highest levels of security to digital asset storage.

Future of Digital Asset Custody Market by Size and Valuation in 2030

The account of the meeting of men of science at Berlin, in the autumn of 1828

Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX. No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CROOKED JOURNALISM. here CROOKED JOURNALISM. In the English scientific journal , of June 21, 1878, appears a six column article on "Edison's Carbon Telephone," illustrated with ten engravings from Mr. Prescott's recent work on "The Speaking Telephone, Talking Phonograph, and other novelties." The descriptions of the cuts, and the rest of the information given, so far as correct, obviously come from the same source. Engineering So far as correct: unhappily for the honor of scientific journalism, the writer's desire is plainly not so much to do justice to truth as to exalt Mr. Hughes at the expense of Mr. Edison. To this end he has studiously suppressed from Mr. Prescott's description of the carbon telephone the points which establish Mr. Edison's claim to the prior invention or discovery of everything involved in Mr. Hughes' microphone, while he has as studiously dwelt upon those same points as constituting the peculiar merits of Mr. Hughes' work. For example, while he uses Fig. 21 of Mr. Prescott's book, he leaves out the very important little diagram numbered 20. It represents one form of the apparatus to which Sir William Thomson refers in the letter in which he says: "It is certain that at the meeting of the British Association at Plymouth last September, a method of magnifying sound in an electric telephone was described as having been invented by Mr. Edison, which was identical in principle and in some details with that brought forward by Mr. Hughes." The figure looks altogether too much like one form of Mr. Hughes' microphone to allow of its use in an article intended to establish the novelty of Mr. Hughes' discovery. The omissions from the text are quite as significant. Under the first cut used in , Mr. Prescott says: "In the latest form of transmitter which Mr. Edison has introduced the vibrating diaphragm is done away with altogether, it having been found that much better results are obtained when a rigid plate of metal is substituted in its place.... The inflexible plate, of course, merely serves, in consequence of its comparatively large area, to concentrate a considerable portion of the sonorous waves upon the small carbon disk or button; a much greater degree of pressure for any given effort of the speaker is thus brought to bear on the disk than could be obtained if only its small surface alone were used." Engineering The writer coolly suppresses this important statement. He does worse: he puts in its place the false statement that "the essential principle of Mr. Edison's transmitter consists in causing a diaphragm, vibrating under the influence of sonorous vibrations, to vary the pressure upon, and therefore the resistance of, a piece of carbon," and so on. Engineering A little further on, while repeating Mr. Edison's account of the experiments which led to the abandonment of the vibrating diaphragm (page 226 of Mr. Prescott's book), the writer drops out the following remark by Mr. Edison: "I discovered that my principle, unlike all other acoustical devices for the transmission of speech, did not require any vibration of the diaphragm—that, in fact, the sound waves could be transformed into electrical pulsations without the movement of any intervening mechanism." Engineering Worse yet, in the very face of Mr. Edison's assertion to the contrary—an assertion which he could not by any possibility have overlooked—this most unscientific journalist says: "Mr. Edison finds it necessary to insert a diaphragm in all forms of his apparatus, that being the mechanical contrivance employed by which sonorous vibrations are converted into variations of mechanical pressure, and by which variations in the conductivity of the carbon or other material is insured.... On the other hand, Mr. Hughes employs no diaphragm at all, the sonorous vibrations in his apparatus acting directly upon the conducting material or through whatever solid substance to which they may be attached." In this way throughout the offending article, the writer persistently robs Edison to magnify Hughes, giving credit to Mr. Hughes for exactly what he has suppressed from Mr. Prescott's book. To insist as he does, that, because Mr. Edison covers his carbon button with a rigid iron plate, in his very practical telephone, therefore a vibrating diaphragm is an essential feature of Mr. Edison's invention, is a very shallow quibble in the face of Mr. Edison's and Mr. Prescott's statements that the carbon button acts precisely the same in the absence of such covering, though not so strongly. Mr. Edison's laboratory records show a great variety of experiments in which the carbon was talked against without "any intervening mechanism." In a telephone for popular use, however, to be held in the hand, turned upside down, talked into, exposed to dust and the weather, it was obviously necessary to use some means for holding the carbon in place, and to prevent its sensitiveness from being destroyed by dirt and the moisture of the breath when in use. For this purpose a rigid iron partition seemed at once convenient and durable. It is not in any sense a "vibrating diaphragm." With a persistence worthy of a better cause, the writer returns to the point he seems especially anxious to enforce. Toward the end of the article he says: "In every instrument described by Mr. Edison the diaphragm is the ruling genie of the instrument. Professor Hughes, however, has through his great discovery been enabled to show that variations of resistance can be imparted to an electrical current not only without a diaphragm, but with very much better results when no such accessory is employed." Engineering The animus of all this is only too apparent. Altogether the article is the most dishonest piece of writing we have ever seen in a scientific periodical; and although the article appears in the editorial columns of , we prefer, for the honor of scientific journalism, to think that the management of that paper was not party to the rascally act. It is more credible that a gross imposition has been practiced by some trusted member of the staff, or by some contributor whose position seemed to justify the acceptance of his utterances without any attempt at their verification. It is well known here to whom, in London, at Mr. Edison's request, Mr. Prescott sent proofs of the matter abused, together with electros of the cuts used, in . Accordingly the burden of dishonor lies upon or between a prominent British official on the one hand, and on the other a journal which cannot afford to leave the matter unexplained. Whoever is hurt, we sincerely hope that the fair fame of scientific journalism for candor and honesty may come off unstained. Engineering Engineering Engineering A More Perfect Production. The highest skill in manufacture or in production of any kind is not yet the prevailing characteristic of American industry. Uniformity of production, of whatever kind, is of much greater importance than to attempt the manufacture of any grade for which the material or the tools, the machinery or the knowledge of the workmen is not fitted. The highest condition of product in any nation is to produce the finest or highest cost articles in the most perfect manner, and to have material and machinery adopted, and the skilled workmen, so as to be able to so produce economically. But until the master hand is satisfied of all the requisites for producing fine goods, he should confine production to the best his facilities will make in the most perfect, uniform manner. Samples of fine goods are shown all over the country every day, and were consumers or merchants sure that the product would be the same, there would be much less difficulty in introducing and more homemade goods used where now importations are depended upon. The Stevens crash mills import raw flax because it is to be had according to sample, perfectly classified, and saves the employment of skilled labor to assort and classify, and of purchasing a great deal not wanted. The manufacturers of edge tools and knives use imported steel because it is warranted and the warrant proves good, while the uncertainty of American steel is such that a knife will often crack in tempering and cause the loss of labor worth ten times the difference in the price of the steel. Samples of alpacas and other dress goods are shown in our jobbing houses fully equal to any imported goods, but the goods when received are quite often of various grades and imperfections of character. The imperfect or second quality productions find sale, but at a much lower price, and are to be found at second rate places, the imperfections slight and the goods perhaps generally quite as serviceable, but not absolutely so, and first class houses, catering to those who pay highest prices, cannot afford to have any other house carry better articles than they do. The use of perfect appliances and the best material and the employment of the highest skill are not yet the first step and an absolute necessity, as it should be, in America. The supply of such machinery, material, and labor can be had if those who propose to enter the production of first class articles will insist upon it, and if such supplies are appreciated by the payment of their higher value. The American standard of production is not the highest, and it can be materially elevated, and while, as at present, too many common articles are supplied, the leading manufacturers should turn to producing finer, the finest, and in smaller quantities, to take the place of many articles now imported, and to supply the new market which such productions will always create in any country. The Wool Product of the World. From an interesting article on the wool trade of the Pacific coast, published in a recent number of the San Francisco , we learn that the number of sheep in the world is now estimated at from four hundred and eighty-four to six hundred millions, of which the United States has about 36,000,000, and Great Britain the same number. From 1801 to 1875 the wool clip of Great Britain and Ireland increased from 94,000,000 to 325,000,000 pounds. That of France has increased almost as rapidly, though the wool is finer, as a rule, and hence the superiority of French cloths. Australia produces nearly as much wool as the parent country—Great Britain. The United States product increased from very little at the beginning of the century to about 200,000,000 pounds at the present time. Of this California has produced about one fourth, and the Pacific coast as a whole almost one third. If the ratio of growth shown in the past prevails in the future, the day is not far distant when the Pacific coast will produce at least one half the wool produced in the United States, as not only California and Oregon, but also Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and New Mexico are well adapted to its production. The wool clip of Australia is about 284,000,000 pounds; that of Buenos Ayres and the river Plata, 222,500,000 pounds; other countries not previously given, 463,000,000 pounds. The total clip of the world last year was about 1,497,500,000 pounds, worth $150,000,000. This when scoured would yield about 852,000,000 pounds of clean wool. Journal of Commerce Street Main Joints. At the annual meeting of the New England Association of Gas Engineers, Mr. Thomas, of Williamsburg, made the following remarks on this subject: "In my early experience with the Williamsburg Gaslight Company, with which I became connected in the year 1854, I found pretty nearly all the street mains that were laid were connected with cement joints. While there is no doubt in my own mind that a joint can be made perfectly tight with cement, I much prefer the lead joint. Another thing to be taken into consideration to keep tight joints is that the mains should be laid a sufficient depth under the surface to protect them from the action of severe frosts. A great many of the mains were not more than 18 inches or 2 feet below the surface of the streets, and at this depth in our climate it is a matter of impossibility to keep joints tight, as the action of the frost in winter will displace the mains and cause the joints to leak. From the bad manner in which our mains were laid, and the cement joints leaking so much, we could not afford to turn gas on during the day. Had we done so we should not have had any to supply the city at night, and we were thus compelled to shut off the gas just as soon as there was any apology for daylight, and keep it shut off as late as possible in the evening. "With the most careful working in this manner, for a period of nine or twelve months, our losses from leakage amounted to about 52 to 55 per cent of the gas manufactured. A great part of this loss was caused by the cement joints leaking, and also a part due to the fact that the mains were not at sufficient depth under the surface to protect them from the action of the frost. As soon as we possibly could I went over the whole of our mains (there was about 17 miles in all), stripping them, cutting out the cement, and rejointing them with lead. In one season we got the loss from leakage down to 20 per cent, and this with the gas turned on during the 24 hours of the day. "One great objection to cement joints is the rigidity of them; in cases where pipes have been disturbed by other excavations and settled, I found in all cases that the mains were broken. In a leading main from our old works, with cement joints, the main, a 10-inch one, was broken entirely off and fractured lengthwise besides, by the upheaval of the ground from frost. In some of the same mains that we had rejointed with lead the mains were drawn apart, drawing the lead out, but with very little loss of gas, as the gasket being driven in tight prevented any great leakage. In cases of this kind the lead was easily driven back, and the joint made perfectly tight again. I have never in our city put in any street mains that I have not used lead in the joints, and in laying mains we always make them gas tight with the gasket used. "At the present time we have over 90 miles of street mains laid, and outside of our loss from street lamps (we get paid for three foot burners and they average about 3¼ foot) our loss from leakage will not exceed 6 per cent. We have suffered severe loss of gas from sewering in our city. In some cases where there are railroad tracks in the streets, the sewers have been run on both sides of the street, alongside and parallel with our pipes; these excavations are much deeper than our mains lie, and the earth is always filled in loosely and left to settle. "In cases of this kind, whole blocks of mains were dragged down, the pipe broken, and the joints partially pulled apart; at the same time the leakage from the joints was not so great, the gasket preventing the leakage. In laying street mains, what you want particularly to attend to, and especially in the East here, where you have colder weather than we have (we have not seen much winter until we came on here), is to get them down under the surface a sufficient depth to protect them from the frost. With us the least depth is 2 feet 9 inches under the surface of the street, and I am confident, could our mains remain in the ground as we put them down, our loss from leakage by them would be very small indeed. While, as I stated in the beginning, I have no doubt that a cement joint can be made tight, I can see no benefit in using cement for the purpose, as I consider lead far superior in accommodating itself to any upheaval or settling of the earth where the mains are laid down." Successful Shad Hatching. Professor J. W. Milner, who has charge of the shad hatching operations under the direction of the United States Fish Commissioner, Professor Baird, is now engaged in the preparation of the report of the work for the season just completed. Speaking of the work on the Atlantic seaboard, and the distribution of young fish, the report says that at the Salmon Creek Station, on Albemarle Sound, they obtained 12,730,000 eggs, and turned out 3,000,000 young fish. At the Havre de Grace Station 12,230,000 eggs were obtained, and 9,575,000 young fish were turned out. About 6,000,000 young shad have been distributed in the rivers emptying into the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico during the season. The distribution of shad during the past season has been carried on on a much larger scale than in any previous year, and with great success. The restocking of the rivers of the Atlantic is only the work of a few years. New Use for Lemon Verbena. The well known fragrant garden favorite, the sweet-scented or lemon verbena ( ), seems to have other qualities to recommend it than those of the fragrance for which it is usually cultivated. The author of a recent work, entitled "Among the Spanish People," describes it as being systematically gathered in Spain, where it is regarded as a fine stomachic and cordial. It is used either in the form of a cold decoction, sweetened, or five or six leaves are put into a teacup, and hot tea poured upon them. The author says that the flavor of the tea thus prepared "is simply delicious, and no one who has drunk his Pekoe with it will ever again drink it without a sprig of lemon verbena." And he further states that if this be used one need "never suffer from flatulence, never be made nervous or old-maidish, never have cholera, diarrhea, or loss of appetite." Lippia citriodora About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2013). Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX. No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19406/pg19406-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

CROOKED JOURNALISM

ATOMS, MOLECULES, AND ETHER WAVES

Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Screw-Cutting Lathes here SCREW-CUTTING LATHES. An English lathe, now in use at the Rogers Locomotive Works, Paterson, N.J., contains several novel features. The ways are flat on the faces, instead of having raised Vs; and this is a feature of all English lathes, and of those known in this country as the Freeland lathes. A great deal of discussion has at various times taken place as to the relative qualification or merits of these two forms of lathe bed. The advocates of the flat way, with Vs at the edges of the way, claim superiority on the score of steadiness, increased wearing surface, and strength; while, on behalf of the raised Vs, it is urged that, the Vs being true, the saddle is bound to travel true, because there can be no lost motion on the slides; whereas any lost motion, from want of adjustment of the slides in flat ways, is liable to be reproduced twofold in the work, for the reason that 1/100 of an inch lateral movement of the slide carriage becomes 1/50 of an inch in the diameter of the work. Then, again, the most of the wear upon a lathe bed takes place at the part at and near the running center of the lathe, because the saddle is, on account of short jobs, more used in that part than on any other. As a result, when wear has taken place, the saddle, if adjusted to suit the worn part, becomes too tight to travel over the unworn part of the bed; and hence, after the wear has taken place, a proper adjustment of the lathe saddle becomes impossible if the job is a long one. In the case of raised Vs, however, the wear simply causes the saddle to fall vertically, so that an amount of wear equal to 1/100 of an inch would have the same effect as lowering the tool 1/100 inch, its effect upon the work being almost imperceptible by ordinary measurement. On the other hand, however, V lathes are usually made with either a weight or a spring to keep the saddle down; and as a result, when the cutting tool stands far out from the tool post, the saddle is apt to tip, especially in the case of boring with a lathe tool. In some cases, the raised Vs are accompanied with gibs to secure the saddle; but in many instances the gibs are given too little wearing surface. In the lathe above referred to, there are three ways in one casting, with the slide angles on the outer edges. There are also three separate and independent tail stocks fitting into the two openings between the ways. The running head has one cone pulley connected by suitable gearing to three face plates. The three centers at the running head are stationary. The slide rest saddle spans the three ways, having a V slide which contains three separate slide rests, all connected by a nut to the feed screw, so that all three are operated by the one screw. In addition to this, the two back slide rests have the nuts so attached that they can be moved by means of a separate screw, the object being to facilitate setting the cuts, since it would be a tedious matter to set all three tools to an equal cut, or to their desired respective cuts, without means of operating two of them independently. To set the cut during screw-cutting operations, the ingenious device shown in our engraving is provided. A represents the cross-feed or slide rest screw, which operates the three slide rests. It is fast to the notched wheel, B, and is operated by it in the usual way. C is a short screw which provides journal bearing for the screw, A, by a plain hole. It is screwed on the outside, and the plate in which it fits acts as its nut. It is fast to the handle, D, and is in fact operated by it. The handle or lever is provided with a catch, E, pivoted in the enclosed box, F, which also contains a means of detaining the catch in the notches of the wheel, or of holding it free from the same when it is placed clear. If, then, the lever, D, be moved back and forth the feed screw, A, and hence the three slide rests, will be operated; while, if the catch be placed in one of the notches on the wheel, B, both the screws, A and C, will act to operate the rests. When, therefore, the operator is cutting screws, he sets the catch, E, into one of the notches so soon as the tools are properly adjusted to the work; and then lifting the catch, E, he turns the wheel, B, so that the catch falls into the next notch, and this puts the cut on. When the tool has taken that cut, and while the latter saddle is traveling back, the catch is placed in the next notch, and so on, the cut for the forward travel always being put on as above while the saddle is traveling back. Thus is insured an exactly equable amount of cut on the whole three rests. When the lever, D, is not in use, the catch is removed from the wheel, B, and is allowed to rest against the pins, G or A, provided for that purpose. For piston rods, or for work such as cutting jack screws, this lathe is very useful. It is obviously, however, a special tool. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2006). Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19406/pg19406-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

SCREW-CUTTING LATHES

Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of Its Causes by Charles Babbage, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Section 11 here SECTION 11. OF THE CAUSES OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. The best friends of the Royal Society have long admitted, whilst they regretted, its declining fame; and even those who support whatever exists, begin a little to doubt whether it might not possibly be amended. The great and leading cause of the present state to which the Royal Society is reduced, may be traced to years of misrule to which it has been submitted. In order to understand this, it will be necessary to explain the nature of that misrule, and the means employed in perpetuating it. It is known, that by the statutes, the body of the Society have the power of electing, annually, their President, Officers, and Council; and it is also well known, that this is a merely nominal power, and that printed lists are prepared and put into the hands of the members on their entering the room, and thus passed into the balloting box. If these lists were, as in other scientific societies, openly discussed in the Council, and then offered by them as recommendations to the Society, little inconvenience would arise; but the fact is, that they are private nominations by the President, usually without notice, to the Council, and all the supporters of the system which I am criticizing, endeavour to uphold the right of this nomination in the President, and prevent or discourage any alteration. The Society has, for years, been managed by a PARTY, or COTERIE, or by whatever other name may be most fit to designate a combination of persons, united by no expressed compact or written regulations, but who act together from a community of principles. That each individual has invariably supported all the measures of the party, is by no means the case; and whilst instances of opposition amongst them have been very rare, a silent resignation to circumstances has been the most usual mode of meeting measures they disapproved. The great object of this, as of all other parties, has been to maintain itself in power, and to divide, as far as it could, all the good things amongst its members. It has usually consisted of persons of very moderate talent, who have had the prudence, whenever they could, to associate with themselves other members of greater ability, provided these latter would not oppose the system, and would thus lend to it the sanction of their name. The party have always praised each other most highly—have invariably opposed all improvements in the Society, all change in the mode of management; and have maintained, that all those who wished for any alteration were factious; and, when they discovered any symptoms of independence and inquiry breaking out in any member of the Council, they have displaced him as soon as they decently could. Of the arguments employed by those who support the SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT by which the Royal Society is governed, I shall give a few samples: refutation is rendered quite unnecessary—juxta-position is alone requisite. If any member, seeing an improper appointment in contemplation, or any abuse in the management of the affairs of the Society continued, raise a voice against it, the ready answer is, Why should you interfere? it may not be quite the thing you approve; but it is no affair of yours.—If, on the other hand, it do relate to himself, the reply is equally ready. It is immediately urged: The question is of a personal nature; you are the last person who ought to bring it forward; you are yourself interested. If any member of the Society, feeling annoyed at the neglect, or hurt by the injuries or insults of the Council, show signs of remonstrance, it is immediately suggested to him that he is irritated, and ought to wait until his feelings subside, and he can judge more coolly on the subject; whilst with becoming candour they admit the ill-treatment, but urge forbearance. If, after an interval, when reflection has had ample time to operate, the offence seems great as at first, or the insult appears unmitigated by any circumstances on which memory can dwell,—if it is then brought forward, the immediate answer is, The affair is out of date—the thing is gone by—it is too late to call in question a transaction so long past. Thus, if a man is interested personally, he is unfit to question an abuse; if he is not, is it probable that he will question it? and if, notwithstanding this, he do so, then he is to be accounted a meddler. If he is insulted, and complain, he is told to wait until he is cool; and when that period arrives, he is then told he is too late. If his remonstrance relates to the alteration of laws which are never referred to, or only known by their repeated breach, he is told that any alteration is useless; it is perfectly well known that they are never adhered to. If it relate to the impolicy of any regulations attaching to an office, he is immediately answered, that that is a personal question, in which it is impossible to interfere—the officer, it seems, is considered to have not merely a vested right to the continuance of every abuse, but an interest in transmitting it unimpaired to his successors. In the same spirit I have heard errors of calculation or observation defended. If small errors occur, it is said that they are too trifling to be of any importance. If larger errors are pointed out, it is immediately contended that they can deceive nobody, because of their magnitude. Perhaps it might be of some use, if the Council would oblige the world with their SCALE of ERROR, with illustrations from some of the most RECENT and APPROVED works, and would favour the uninformed with the orthodox creed upon all grades, from that which baffles the human faculties to detect, up to that which becomes innocuous from its size. The offices connected with the Royal Society are few in number, and their emolument small in amount; but the proper disposition of them is, nevertheless, of great importance to the Society, and was so to the science of England. In the first place, the President, having in effect the absolute nomination of the whole Council, could each year introduce a few gentlemen, whose only qualification to sit on it would be the high opinion they must necessarily entertain of the penetration of him who could discover their scientific merits. He might also place in the list a few nobles or officials, just to gild it. Neither of these classes would put any troublesome questions, and one of them might be employed, from its station in society, to check any that might be proposed by others. With these ingredients, added to the regular train of the party, and a star or two of science to shed lustre over the whole, a very manageable Council might be formed; and such has been its frequent composition. The duties of the Secretaries, when well executed, are laborious, although not in this respect equal to those of the same officers who, in several societies, give their gratuitous aid; and their labours are much lightened by the Assistant Secretary and his clerk. The following are their salaries:— The Senior Secretary ........... 105L.
     The Junior Secretary, 105L........ )
       5L. for making Index to Phil. Trans... ) 110L.
     The Foreign Secretary...........  20L. Now it is not customary to change these annually; and as these offices are amongst the "loaves and fishes" they are generally given by the President to some staunch supporters of the system. They have frequently been bestowed, with very little consideration for the interest, or even for the dignity of the Society. To notice only one instance: the late Sir Joseph Banks appointed a gentleman who remained for years in that situation, although he was confessedly ignorant of every subject connected with the pursuits of the Society. I will, however, do justice to his memory, by saying that his respectability was preserved under such circumstances, by the most candid admission of the fact, accompanied by a store of other knowledge unfortunately quite foreign to the pursuits of the Society; and I will add, that I regretted to see him insulted by one President in a situation improperly given to him by a former. Next in order come the Vice-Presidents, who are appointed by the President; and in this respect the present practice is not inconvenient. The case, however, is widely different with the office of Treasurer. The President ought not to usurp the power of his appointment, which ought, after serious discussion by the Council, to be made by the Society at large. Besides the three Secretaries, there is an Assistant Secretary, and recently another has been added, who may perhaps be called a, Sub-assistant Secretary. All these places furnish patronage to the President. Let us now look at the occasional patronage of the President, arising from offices not belonging to the Society. He is, EX OFFICIO, a Trustee of the British Museum; and it may seem harsh to maintain that he is not a fit person to hold such a situation. It is no theoretical view, but it is the EXPERIENCE of the past which justifies the assertion; and I fear that unless he has the sole responsibility for some specific appointments, and unless his judgment is sharpened by the fear of public discussion, a President of the Royal Society, in the Board-room of the British Museum, is quite as likely as another person to sacrifice his public duty to the influence of power, or to private friendship. With respect to the merits of that Institution, I have no inclination at present to inquire: but when it is considered that there is at this moment attached to it no one whose observations or whose writings have placed him even in the second rank amongst the naturalists of Europe, the President of the Royal Society has given some grounds for the remark made by several members of the Society, that he is a little too much surrounded by the officers of a body who may reasonably be supposed to entertain towards him feelings either of gratitude or expectation. [It will be remembered that the name of Mr. Robert Brown has been but recently attached to the British Museum, and that it is to be attributed to his possessing a life interest in the valuable collection of the late Sir Joseph Banks.] The late Board of Longitude was another source of patronage, which, although now abolished, it may be useful to hint at. There were three members to be appointed by the Royal Society: these were honorary, and, as no salary was attached, it might have been expected that this limited number of appointments would have been given in all cases to persons qualified for them. But no: it was convenient to pay compliments; and Lord Colchester, whose talents and knowledge insured him respect as Speaker of the House of Commons, or as a British nobleman, was placed for years in the situation as one of the Commissioners of the Board of Longitude, for which every competent judge knew him to be wholly unfit. What was the return which he made for this indulgence? Little informed respecting the feelings of the Society, and probably misinformed by the party whose influence had placed him there, he saved them in the day of their peril. When the state of the Society had reached such a point that many of the more scientific members felt that some amendment was absolutely necessary to its respectability, a committee was formed to suggest to the Council such improvements as they might consider it expedient to discuss. [Amongst the names of the persons composing this Committee, which was proposed by Mr. South, were those of Dr. Wollaston and Mr. Herschel.] The Council received their report at the close of the session; and in recording it on the journals, they made an appeal to the Council for the ensuing year to bestow on it "THEIR EARLIEST AND MOST SERIOUS ATTENTION." Now when the party, to whose government some of these improvements would have been a death-warrant, found that the subject was likely to be taken up in the Council, they were in dismay: but the learned and grateful peer came to their assistance, and aided Mr. Davies Gilbert in getting rid of these improvements completely. It has been the fashion to maintain that all classes of the Royal Society should be represented in the Council, and consequently that a peer or two should find a place amongst them. Those who are most adverse to this doctrine would perhaps be the most anxious to render this tribute to any one really employing his time, his talents, or his rank in advancing the cause of science. But when a nobleman, unversed in our pursuits, will condescend to use the influence of his station in aiding a President to stifle, WITHOUT DISCUSSION, propositions recommended for consideration by some of the most highly gifted members of the Society,—those who doubt the propriety of the principle may reasonably be pardoned for the disgust they must necessarily entertain for the practical abuse to which it leads. Of the other three Commissioners, who received each a hundred a-year, although the nomination was, in point of form, in the Admiralty, yet it was well known that the President of the Royal Society did, in fact, always name them. Of these I will only mention one fact. The late Sir Joseph Banks assigned to me as a reason why I need not expect to be appointed, (as he had held out to me at a former period when I had spoken to him on the subject) that I had taken a prominent part in the formation of the ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. I am proud of the part I did take in establishing that Society, although an undue share of its honour was assigned to me by the President. It may, perhaps, be inquired, why I publish this fact at this distance of time? I answer, that I stated it publicly at the Council of the Astronomical Society;—that I always talked of it publicly and openly at the time;—that I purposely communicated it to each succeeding President of the Royal Society; and that, although some may have forgotten the communications I made at the time, there are others who remember them well. The Secretary of the late Board of Longitude received 300L., and 200L. more, as Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac. Another situation, in the patronage of which the President is known to have considerable influence, is that of Astronomer Royal; and it is to be observed, that he is kept in the Council as much as possible, notwithstanding the nature of his duties. Of the three appointments of 100L. a-year each, which have been instituted since the abolition of the Board of Longitude, the President is supposed to have the control, thus making him quite sure of the obedience of his Council. Besides these sources of patronage, there are other incidental occasions on which Government apply to the Royal Society to recommend proper persons to make particular experiments or observations; and, although I am far from supposing that these are in many instances given to persons the second or third best qualified for them, yet they deserve to be mentioned. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Charles Babbage (1998).Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of Its Causes. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1216/pg1216-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

OF THE CAUSES OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of Its Causes by Charles Babbage, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Section 7 here SECTION 7. OF THE ROYAL MEDALS. At a period when the attention of Government to science had not undergone any marked change, a most unexpected occurrence took place. His Majesty intimated to the Royal Society, through his Secretary of State, his intention to found two gold medals, of the value of fifty guineas each, to be awarded annually by the Council of the Royal Society, according to the rules they were desired to frame for that purpose. The following is the copy of Mr. Peel's letter:— WHITEHALL, December 3d, 1825. SIR, I am commanded by the King to acquaint you, that His Majesty proposes to found two gold medals, of the value of fifty guineas each, to be awarded as honorary premiums, under the direction of the President and Council of the Royal Society, in such a manner as shall, by the excitement of competition among men of science, seem best calculated to promote the object for which the Royal Society was instituted. His Majesty desires to receive from the President and Council of the Royal Society their opinion upon the subject generally of the regulations which it may be convenient to establish with regard to the appropriation of the medals; and I have, therefore, to request that you will make the necessary communication to the Council of the Royal Society, in order that His Majesty's wishes may be carried into effect. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. (Signed) R. PEEL. Nothing could be more important for the interests of science, than this gracious manifestation of His Majesty's concern for its advancement. It was hailed by all who were made acquainted with it, as the commencement of a new era, and the energies which it might have awakened were immense. The unfettered nature of the gift excited admiration, whilst the confidence reposed in the Council was calculated to have insured the wavering faith of any less-gifted body. Even those who, either from knowing the MANAGEMENT of the Society, or from other grounds, doubted the policy of establishing medals, saw much to admire in the tone and spirit in which they were offered. The Council immediately came to the resolution of gratefully accepting them: and it appears that the President communicated that resolution, on the 26th, to Mr. Peel, in a letter, which is found on the minutes of the Council-book of the 26th of January. At the same Council, the rules for the award of the Royal medals were decided upon; they were as follow:— 26th January, 1826. RESOLVED, That it is the opinion of the Council, that the medals be awarded for the most important discoveries or series of investigations, completed and made known to the Royal Society in the year preceding the day of their award. That it is the opinion of the Council, that the presentation of the medals should not be limited to British subjects. And they propose, if it should be His Majesty's pleasure, that his effigy should form the obverse of the medal. That two medals from the same die should be struck upon each foundation; one in gold, one in silver. If these rules are not the wisest which might have been formed, yet they are tolerably explicit; and it might have been imagined that even a councillor of the Royal Society, prepared for office by the education of a pleader, could not have mystified his brethren so completely, as to have made them doubt on the point of time. The rules fixed precisely, that the discoveries or experiments rewarded, must be completed and made known to the Royal Society, within the YEAR PRECEDING THE DAY of the award. Perhaps it might have been a proper mark of respect to this communication, to have convened a special general meeting of the Society, to have made known to the whole body the munificent endowment of their Patron: and when his approbation of the laws which were to govern the distribution of these medals had been intimated to the Council, such a course would have been in complete accordance with the wish expressed in Mr. Peel's letter, "TO EXCITE COMPETITION AMONGST MEN OF SCIENCE" by making them generally known. Let us now examine the first award of these medals: it is recorded in the following words:— November 16, 1826. ONE of the medals of His Majesty's donation for the present year was awarded to John Dalton, Esq. President of the Philosophical and Literary Society, Manchester, for his development of the Atomic Theory, and his other important labours and discoveries in physical science. The other medal for the present year was awarded to James Ivory, Esq. for his paper on Astronomical Refractions, published in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1823, and his other valuable papers on mathematical subjects. The Copley medal was awarded to James South, Esq. for his observations of double stars, and his paper on the discordances between the sun's observed and computed right ascensions, published in the Transactions. It is difficult to believe that the same Council, which, in January, formed the laws for the distribution of these medals, should meet together in November, and in direct violation of these laws, award them to two philosophers, one of whom had made, and fully established, his great discovery almost twenty years before; and the other of whom (to stultify themselves still more effectually) they expressly rewarded for a paper made known to them three years before. Were the rules for the award of these medals read previous to their decision? Or were the obedient Council only used to register the edict of their President? Or were they mocked, as they have been in other instances, with the semblance of a free discussion? Has it never occurred to gentlemen who have been thus situated, that although they have in truth had no part in the decision, yet the Society and the public will justly attribute a portion of the merit or demerit of their award, to those to whom that trust was confided? Did no one member of the Council venture, with the most submissive deference, to suggest to the President, that the public eye would watch with interest this first decision on the Royal medals, and that it might perhaps be more discreet to adjudge them, for the first time, in accordance with the laws which had been made for their distribution? Or was public opinion then held in supreme contempt? Was it scouted, as I have myself heard it scouted, in the councils of the Royal Society? Or was the President exempt, on this occasion, from the responsibility of dictating an award in direct violation of the faith which had been pledged to the Society and to the public? and, did the Council, intent on exercising a power so rarely committed to them; and, perhaps, urged by the near approach of their hour of dinner, dispense with the formality of reading the laws on which they were about to act? Whatever may have been the cause, the result was most calamitous to the Society. Its decision was attacked on other grounds; for, with a strange neglect, the Council had taken no pains to make known, either to the Society, or to the public, the rules they had made for the adjudication of these medals. The evils resulting from this decision were many. In the first place, it was most indecorous and ungrateful to treat with such neglect the rules which had been approved by our Royal Patron. In the next place, the medals themselves became almost worthless from this original taint: and they ceased to excite "competition amongst men of science," because no man could feel the least security that he should get them, even though his discoveries should fulfil all the conditions on which they were offered, The great injury which accrued to science from this proceeding, induced me, in the succeeding session, when I found myself on the Council of the Royal Society, to endeavour to remove the stigma which rested on our character. Whether I took the best means to remedy the evil is now a matter of comparatively little consequence: had I found any serious disposition to set it right, I should readily have aided in any plans for doing that which I felt myself bound to attempt, even though I should stand alone, as I had the misfortune of doing on that occasion. [It is but justice to Mr. South, who was a member of that Council, to state, that the circumstance of his having had the Copley medal of the same year awarded to him, prevented him from taking any part in the discussion.] The impression which the whole of that discussion made on my mind will never be effaced. Regarding the original rules formed for the distribution of the Royal medals, when approved by his Majesty, as equally binding in honour and in justice, I viewed the decision of the Council, which assigned those medals to Mr. Dalton and Mr. Ivory, as void, IPSO FACTO, on the ground that it was directly at variance with that part which CONFINES the medals to discoveries made known to the Society within ONE YEAR PREVIOUS TO THE DAY OF THEIR AWARD. I therefore moved the following resolutions: "1st, That the award of the Royal medals, made on the 16th of November, 1826, being contrary to the conditions under which they were offered, is invalid. "2dly, That the sum of fifty guineas each be presented to J. Dalton, Esq. and James Ivory, Esq. from the funds of the Society; and that letters be written to each of those gentlemen, expressing the hope of the Council that this, the only method which is open to them of honourably fulfilling their pledges, will be received by those gentlemen as a mark of the high sense entertained by the Council of the importance and value of their discoveries, which require not the aid of medals to convey their reputation to posterity, as amongst the greatest which distinguished the age in which they lived." It may be curious to give the public a specimen of the reasoning employed in so select a body of philosophers as the Council of the Royal Society. It was contended, on the one hand, that although the award was SOMEWHAT IRREGULAR, yet nothing was more easy than to set it right. As the original rules for giving the medals were merely an order of the Council,—it would only be necessary to alter them, and then the award would agree perfectly with the laws. On the other hand, it was contended, that the original rules were unknown to the public and to the Society; and that, in fact, they were only known to the members of the Council and a few of their friends; and therefore the award was no breach of faith. All comment on such reasoning is needless. That such propositions could not merely be offered, but could pass unreproved, is sufficient to show that the feelings of that body do not harmonize with those of the age; and furnishes some explanation why several of the most active members of the Royal Society have declined connecting their names with the Council as long as the present system of management is pursued. The little interest taken by the body of the Society, either in its peculiar pursuits, or in the proceedings of the Council, and the little communication which exists between them, is an evil. Thus it happens that the deeds of the Council are rarely known to the body of the Society, and, indeed, scarcely extend beyond that small portion who frequent the weekly meetings. These pages will perhaps afford the first notice to the great majority of the Society of a breach of faith by their Council, which it is impossible to suppose a body, consisting of more than six hundred gentlemen, could have sanctioned. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Charles Babbage (1998).Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of Its Causes. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1216/pg1216-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

OF THE ROYAL MEDALS.

Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CONFUSION IN THE COURT. here CONFUSION IN THE COURT. On the following morning it was observed that before the judges took their seats Mr. Chaffanbrass entered the Court with a manner much more brisk than was expected from him now that his own work was done. As a matter of course he would be there to hear the charge, but, almost equally as a matter of course, he would be languid, silent, cross, and unenergetic. They who knew him were sure, when they saw his bearing on this morning, that he intended to do something more before the charge was given. The judges entered the Court nearly half an hour later than usual, and it was observed with surprise that they were followed by the Duke of Omnium. Mr. Chaffanbrass was on his feet before the Chief Justice had taken his seat, but the judge was the first to speak. It was observed that he held a scrap of paper in his hand, and that the barrister held a similar scrap. Then every man in the Court knew that some message had come suddenly by the wires. "I am informed, Mr. Chaffanbrass, that you wish to address the Court before I begin my charge." "Yes, my lud; and I am afraid, my lud, that I shall have to ask your ludship to delay your charge for some days, and to subject the jury to the very great inconvenience of prolonged incarceration for another week;—either to do that or to call upon the jury to acquit the prisoner. I venture to assert, on my own peril, that no jury can convict the prisoner after hearing me read that which I hold in my hand." Then Mr. Chaffanbrass paused, as though expecting that the judge would speak;—but the judge said not a word, but sat looking at the old barrister over his spectacles. Every eye was turned upon Phineas Finn, who up to this moment had heard nothing of these new tidings,—who did not in the least know on what was grounded the singularly confident,—almost insolently confident assertion which Mr. Chaffanbrass had made in his favour. On him the effect was altogether distressing. He had borne the trying week with singular fortitude, having stood there in the place of shame hour after hour, and day after day, expecting his doom. It had been to him as a lifetime of torture. He had become almost numb from the weariness of his position and the agonising strain upon his mind. The gaoler had offered him a seat from day to day, but he had always refused it, preferring to lean upon the rail and gaze upon the Court. He had almost ceased to hope for anything except the end of it. He had lost count of the days, and had begun to feel that the trial was an eternity of torture in itself. At nights he could not sleep, but during the Sunday, after Mass, he had slept all day. Then it had begun again, and when the Tuesday came he hardly knew how long it had been since that vacant Sunday. And now he heard the advocate declare, without knowing on what ground the declaration was grounded, that the trial must be postponed, or that the jury must be instructed to acquit him. "This telegram has reached us only this morning," continued Mr. Chaffanbrass. "'Mealyus had a house door-key made in Prague. We have the mould in our possession, and will bring the man who made the key to England.' Now, my lud, the case in the hands of the police, as against this man Mealyus, or Emilius, as he has chosen to call himself, broke down altogether on the presumption that he could not have let himself in and out of the house in which he had put himself to bed on the night of the murder. We now propose to prove that he had prepared himself with the means of doing so, and had done so after a fashion which is conclusive as to his having required the key for some guilty purpose. We assert that your ludship cannot allow the case to go to the jury without taking cognisance of this telegram; and we go further, and say that those twelve men, as twelve human beings with hearts in their bosoms and ordinary intelligence at their command, cannot ignore the message, even should your ludship insist upon their doing so with all the energy at your disposal." Then there was a scene in Court, and it appeared that no less than four messages had been received from Prague, all to the same effect. One had been addressed by Madame Goesler to her friend the Duchess,—and that message had caused the Duke's appearance on the scene. He had brought his telegram direct to the Old Bailey, and the Chief Justice now held it in his hand. The lawyer's clerk who had accompanied Madame Goesler had telegraphed to the Governor of the gaol, to Mr. Wickerby, and to the Attorney-General. Sir Gregory, rising with the telegram in his hand, stated that he had received the same information. "I do not see," said he, "that it at all alters the evidence as against the prisoner." "Let your evidence go to the jury, then," said Mr. Chaffanbrass, "with such observations as his lordship may choose to make on the telegram. I shall be contented. You have already got your other man in prison on a charge of bigamy." "I could not take notice of the message in charging the jury, Mr. Chaffanbrass," said the judge. "It has come, as far as we know, from the energy of a warm friend,—from that hearty friendship with which it seemed yesterday that this gentleman, the prisoner at the bar, has inspired so many men and women of high character. But it proves nothing. It is an assertion. And where should we all be, Mr. Chaffanbrass, if it should appear hereafter that the assertion is fictitious,—prepared purposely to aid the escape of a criminal?" "I defy you to ignore it, my lord." "I can only suggest, Mr. Chaffanbrass," continued the judge, "that you should obtain the consent of the gentlemen on the other side to a postponement of my charge." Then spoke out the foreman of the jury. Was it proposed that they should be locked up till somebody should come from Prague, and that then the trial should be recommenced? The system, said the foreman, under which Middlesex juries were chosen for service in the City was known to be most horribly cruel;—but cruelty to jurymen such as this had never even been heard of. Then a most irregular word was spoken. One of the jurymen declared that he was quite willing to believe the telegram. "Every one believes it," said Mr. Chaffanbrass. Then the Chief Justice scolded the juryman, and Sir Gregory Grogram scolded Mr. Chaffanbrass. It seemed as though all the rules of the Court were to be set at defiance. "Will my learned friend say that he doesn't believe it?" asked Mr. Chaffanbrass. "I neither believe nor disbelieve it; but it cannot affect the evidence," said Sir Gregory. "Then send the case to the jury," said Mr. Chaffanbrass. It seemed that everybody was talking, and Mr. Wickerby, the attorney, tried to explain it all to the prisoner over the bar of the dock, not in the lowest possible voice. The Chief Justice became angry, and the guardian of the silence of the Court bestirred himself energetically. "My lud," said Mr. Chaffanbrass, "I maintain that it is proper that the prisoner should be informed of the purport of these telegrams. Mercy demands it, and justice as well." Phineas Finn, however, did not understand, as he had known nothing about the latch-key of the house in Northumberland Street. Something, however, must be done. The Chief Justice was of opinion that, although the preparation of a latch-key in Prague could not really affect the evidence against the prisoner,—although the facts against the prisoner would not be altered, let the manufacture of that special key be ever so clearly proved,—nevertheless the jury were entitled to have before them the facts now tendered in evidence before they could be called upon to give a verdict, and that therefore they should submit themselves, in the service of their country, to the very serious additional inconvenience which they would be called upon to endure. Sundry of the jury altogether disagreed with this, and became loud in their anger. They had already been locked up for a week. "And we are quite prepared to give a verdict," said one. The judge again scolded him very severely; and as the Attorney-General did at last assent, and as the unfortunate jurymen had no power in the matter, so it was at last arranged. The trial should be postponed till time should be given for Madame Goesler and the blacksmith to reach London from Prague. If the matter was interesting to the public before, it became doubly interesting now. It was of course known to everybody that Madame Goesler had undertaken a journey to Bohemia,—and, as many supposed, a roving tour through all the wilder parts of unknown Europe, Poland, Hungary, and the Principalities for instance,—with the object of looking for evidence to save the life of Phineas Finn; and grandly romantic tales were told of her wit, her wealth, and her beauty. The story was published of the Duke of Omnium's will, only not exactly the true story. The late Duke had left her everything at his disposal, and, it was hinted that they had been privately married just before the Duke's death. Of course Madame Goesler became very popular, and the blacksmith from Prague who had made the key was expected with an enthusiasm which almost led to preparation for a public reception. And yet, let the blacksmith from Prague be ever so minute in his evidence as to the key, let it be made as clear as running water that Mealyus had caused to be constructed for him in Prague a key that would open the door of the house in Northumberland Street, the facts as proved at the trial would not be at all changed. The lawyers were much at variance with their opinions on the matter, some thinking that the judge had been altogether wrong in delaying his charge. According to them he should not have allowed Mr. Chaffanbrass to have read the telegram in Court. The charge should have been given, and the sentence of the Court should have been pronounced if a verdict of guilty were given. The Home Secretary should then have granted a respite till the coming of the blacksmith, and have extended this respite to a pardon, if advised that the circumstances of the latch-key rendered doubtful the propriety of the verdict. Others, however, maintained that in this way a grievous penalty would be inflicted on a man who, by general consent, was now held to be innocent. Not only would he, by such an arrangement of circumstances, have been left for some prolonged period under the agony of a condemnation, but, by the necessity of the case, he would lose his seat for Tankerville. It would be imperative upon the House to declare vacant by its own action a seat held by a man condemned to death for murder, and no pardon from the Queen or from the Home Secretary would absolve the House from that duty. The House, as a House of Parliament, could only recognise the verdict of the jury as to the man's guilt. The Queen, of course, might pardon whom she pleased, but no pardon from the Queen would remove the guilt implied by the sentence. Many went much further than this, and were prepared to prove that were he once condemned he could not afterwards sit in the House, even if re-elected. Now there was unquestionably an intense desire,—since the arrival of these telegrams,—that Phineas Finn should retain his seat. It may be a question whether he would not have been the most popular man in the House could he have sat there on the day after the telegrams arrived. The Attorney-General had declared,—and many others had declared with him,—that this information about the latch-key did not in the least affect the evidence as given against Mr. Finn. Could it have been possible to convict the other man, merely because he had surreptitiously caused a door-key of the house in which he lived to be made for him? And how would this new information have been received had Lord Fawn sworn unreservedly that the man he had seen running out of the mews had been Phineas Finn? It was acknowledged that the latch-key could not be accepted as sufficient evidence against Mealyus. But nevertheless the information conveyed by the telegrams altogether changed the opinion of the public as to the guilt or innocence of Phineas Finn. His life now might have been insured, as against the gallows, at a very low rate. It was felt that no jury could convict him, and he was much more pitied in being subjected to a prolonged incarceration than even those twelve unfortunate men who had felt sure that the Wednesday would have been the last day of their unmerited martyrdom. Phineas in his prison was materially circumstanced precisely as he had been before the trial. He was supplied with a profusion of luxuries, could they have comforted him; and was allowed to receive visitors. But he would see no one but his sisters,—except that he had one interview with Mr. Low. Even Mr. Low found it difficult to make him comprehend the exact condition of the affair, and could not induce him to be comforted when he did understand it. What had he to do,—how could his innocence or his guilt be concerned,—with the manufacture of a paltry key by such a one as Mealyus? How would it have been with him and with his name for ever if this fact had not been discovered? "I was to be hung or saved from hanging according to the chances of such a thing as this! I do not care for my life in a country where such injustice can be done." His friend endeavoured to assure him that even had nothing been heard of the key the jury would have acquitted him. But Phineas would not believe him. It had seemed to him as he had listened to the whole proceeding that the Court had been against him. The Attorney and Solicitor-General had appeared to him resolved upon hanging him,—men who had been, at any rate, his intimate acquaintances, with whom he had sat on the same bench, who ought to have known him. And the judge had taken the part of Lord Fawn, who had seemed to Phineas to be bent on swearing away his life. He had borne himself very gallantly during that week, having in all his intercourse with his attorney, spoken without a quaver in his voice, and without a flaw in the perspicuity of his intelligence. But now, when Mr. Low came to him, explaining to him that it was impossible that a verdict should be found against him, he was quite broken down. "There is nothing left of me," he said at the end of the interview. "I feel that I had better take to my bed and die. Even when I think of all that friends have done for me, it fails to cheer me. In this matter I should not have had to depend on friends. Had not she gone for me to that place every one would have believed me to be a murderer." And yet in his solitude he thought very much of the marvellous love shown to him by his friends. Words had been spoken which had been very sweet to him in all his misery,—words such as neither men nor women can say to each other in the ordinary intercourse of life, much as they may wish that their purport should be understood. Lord Chiltern, Lord Cantrip, and Mr. Monk had alluded to him as a man specially singled out by them for their friendship. Lady Cantrip, than whom no woman in London was more discreet, had been equally enthusiastic. Then how gracious, how tender, how inexpressibly sweet had been the words of her who had been Violet Effingham! And now the news had reached him of Madame Goesler's journey to the continent. "It was a wonderful thing for her to do," Mr. Low had said. Yes, indeed! Remembering all that had passed between them he acknowledged to himself that it was very wonderful. Were it not that his back was now broken, that he was prostrate and must remain so, a man utterly crushed by what he had endured, it might have been possible that she should do more for him even than she yet had done. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Anthony Trollope (2006). Phineas Redux. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18640/pg18640-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

CONFUSION IN THE COURT.

Scientific American, Volume XLIII., No. 25, December 18, 1880, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . HOW TO RAISE TURKEYS. here FIRES—CAUSES AND PREVENTION. It is estimated that the total annual losses of insured property by fire, throughout the world, average nearly two hundred million dollars. Add to this the annual destruction of uninsured property, and we should probably have a total amounting to quite double these figures. How great the loss, how severe the tax upon the productive industry of mankind, this enormous yearly destruction amounts to, will come home to the minds of most readers more directly if we call attention to the fact that it just about equals the value of our total wheat crop during a year of good yield. And it is a direct tax upon productive industry everywhere, because, although here and there a nominal loser, fully insured, has only made what is sometimes called "a good sale" to the companies holding his risk, this is only a way of apportioning the loss whereby the community at large become the sufferers. Thus it is that we find all ably-managed insurance companies earnestly endeavoring to make it plain to the public how fires should be guarded against, or most effectually localized and controlled when once started. During the fall, or from "lighting up" time till about New Year's day, more fires occur ordinarily than in any other portion of the year. This fact points to some of the most general causes of conflagrations—as in the lighting and heating of houses, factories, etc., where this had not been necessary during the summer months. It is also found that after the first of the year the number of fires is greatly diminished, the lighting and heating arrangements having been subjected to a period of trial during which their most obvious defects would be remedied. While it may readily be conceded that the utmost care of the owner of property could not totally prevent great average losses from fire—for the greater the holdings the more must the proprietor trust to the oversight of others—it is evident that the above facts indicate the necessity of more strenuous precautions at this season. Gas pipes and fittings should then be tested; furnace flues and settings looked to; stove, heater, and grate fixtures and connections examined—and in all these particulars the scrutiny should be most closely directed to parts ordinarily covered up or out of sight, so that any defect or weakness from long disuse may be exposed. When to the above causes of fires we have added the extremely fruitful one found in the extensive use of coal oil within a few years past, we have indicated the most common sources of conflagrations of known origin. An English authority gives the percentages of different causes of 30,000 fires in London, from 1833 to 1865, as follows: Candles, 11.07; curtains, 9.71; flues, 7.80; gas, 7.65; sparks, 4.47; stoves, 1.67; children playing, 1.59; matches, 1.41; smoking tobacco, 1.40, other known causes, 19.40; unknown causes, 32.88. The foregoing figures do not give the percentage of incendiary fires,> and later statistics would, no doubt, show vastly more fires from the use of kerosene than are here attributed to candles. The prevention of fires, and the best means of minimizing the loss when they do occur, are topics which cover a wide field, and a collection of the literature on the subject would make a very respectable library. As the question presents itself to-day, it may well be doubted whether the general practice of large property holders of insuring all their possessions does not tend to lessen the constant vigilance which is the most essential requisite in preventing fires. Thousands of merchants never mean to keep a dollar's worth of goods in store or warehouse that is not fully covered by insurance, and they make this cost a regular charge upon their business as peremptorily as they do the wages paid the hands in their employ. But few manufacturers can so completely cover their risks by insurance, yet a large portion of them do so as far as they are able. It does not follow but that the larger portion of both merchants and manufacturers exercise what the law will fully decide is "due vigilance" in the care of the property so insured, but it is evident that in most cases the thoughtfulness is much less complete—the care wonderfully lacking in personal supervision—as compared with what would be the case were each one his own insurer. Of course, this in no way casts a doubt upon the general policy of business men being amply insured, but in fact shows the greater necessity why they should be so, that they may not suffer from the carelessness of a neighbor; it also points to the necessity of continually increasing care and thoroughness of inspection on the part of the insurance companies. These agencies, in fact, must compel the insured to keep up to the mark in the introduction of every improvement to ward off fires or diminish their destructiveness. The progress made in this department during recent years has been great. The almost universal use of steam has been attended by the fitting up of factories with force pumps, hose, and all the appliances of a modern fire brigade; dangerous rooms are metal sheathed, and machinery likely to cause fire is surrounded by stationary pipes from which jets of water may be turned on instantaneously from the outside; stores and warehouses have standing pipes from which every floor may be flooded with water under pressure, and the elevators, those most dangerous flues for rapidly spreading a fire, are either bricked in entirely or supposed to be closed at every floor. The latter point, however, is sometimes forgotten, as sea captains forget to keep the divisions of their vessels having watertight compartments separate from one another; the open elevator enlarges a small fire as rapidly as the open compartment allows the vessel to sink. With the best of appliances, however, discipline and drill on the part of the hands, in all factories, is of prime importance. It is always in the first stages of a fire that thoroughly efficient action is necessary, and here it is worth a thousand-fold more than can be any efforts after a fire is once thoroughly started. Long immunity is apt to beget a feeling of security, and the carelessness resulting from overconfidence has been the means of destroying many valuable factories which were amply provided with every facility for their own preservation. The teachers in some of the public schools of New York and Brooklyn, during the past year, set an example which some of our millowners might profitably follow. There have been cases when, from a sudden alarm of fire, children have been crushed in their crowding to get out of the building. The teachers, in the instances referred to, marched their children out, under discipline, as if there had been a fire. Let owners of factories try some such plan as this, by which workmen may be called upon to> cope with an imaginary fire, and many of them will, we venture to say, find means of improving their present system or appliances for protection, elaborate as they may at present think them to be. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2007). Scientific American, Volume XLIII., No. 25, December 18, 1880. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/21081/pg21081-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

FIRES—CAUSES AND PREVENTION

REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE

Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . THE GIRARD HYDRAULIC RAILWAY here THE GIRARD HYDRAULIC RAILWAY. We give herewith some illustrations of this railway which has recently excited so much technical interest in Europe and America, and which threatens to revolutionize both the method and velocity of traveling, if only the initial expense of laying the line can be brought within moderate limits. A short line of railway has been laid in Paris, and we have there examined it, and traveled over the line more than once; so that we can testify to the smoothness and ease of the motion. Sir Edward Watkin examined the railway recently, and we understand that a line two miles long is to be laid in London, under his auspices. He seems to think it might be used for the Channel tunnel, being both smokeless and noiseless. It might also, if it could be laid at a sufficiently low price, be useful for the underground railways in London, of one of which he is chairman. We are favorably impressed by the experiments we have witnessed; our misgivings are as to the cost. The railway is the invention of the well known hydraulic engineer, Monsieur Girard, who, as early as 1852, endeavored to replace the ordinary steam traction on railways by hydraulic propulsion, and in 1854 sought to diminish the resistance to the movement of the wagons by removing the wheels, and causing them to slide on broad rails. In order to test the invention, Mons. Girard demanded, and at the end of 1869 obtained, a concession for a short line from Paris to Argenteuil, starting in front of the Palais de l'Industrie, passing by Le Champ de Courses de Longchamps, and crossing the Seine at Suresnes. Unfortunately, the war of 1870-71 intervened, during which the works were destroyed and Mons. Girard was killed. After his death the invention was neglected for some years. A short time ago, however, one of his former colleagues, Mons. Barre, purchased the plans and drawings of Mons. Girard from his family, and having developed the invention, and taken out new patents, formed a company to work them. The invention may be divided into two parts, which are distinct, the first relating to the mode of supporting the carriages and the second to their propulsion. Each carriage is carried by four or six shoes, shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5; and these shoes slide on a broad, flat rail, 8 in. or 10 in. wide. The rail and shoe are shown in section in Fig. 1. The rail is bolted to longitudinal wooden sleepers, and the shoe is held on the rail by four pieces of metal, A, two on each side, which project slightly below the top of the rail. The bottom of the shoe which is in contact with the rail is grooved or channeled, so as to hold the water and keep a film between each shoe and the rail. The carriage is supported by vertical rods, which fit one into each shoe, a hole being formed for that purpose; and the point of support being very low, and quite close to the rail, great stability is insured. It is proposed to make the rail of the form shown in Fig. 2 in future, as this will avoid the plates, A, and the flanges, B, will help to keep the water on the rail. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show the shoe in detail. Fig. 3 gives a longitudinal section, Fig. 4 is a plan, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the shoe inverted, showing the grooves in its face. Fig. 3 shows the hollow shoe, into which water at a pressure of ten atmospheres is forced by a pipe from a tank on the tender. The water enters by the pipe, C, and fills the whole of the chamber, D. The water attempts to escape, and in doing so lifts the shoe slightly, thus filling the first groove of the chamber. The pressure again lifts the shoe, and the second chamber is filled; and so on, until ultimately the water escapes at the ends, E, and sides, F. Thus a film of water is kept between the shoe and the rail, and on this film the carriage is said to float. The water runs away into the channels, H H (Fig. 6), and is collected to be used over again. Fig. 3 also shows the means of supporting the carriage on the shoe by means of K, the point of support being very low. The system of grooves on the lower face of the shoe is shown in Fig. 5. So much for the means by which wheels are dispensed with, and the carriage enabled to slide along the line. The next point is the method of propulsion. Figs. 7 and 8 give an elevation and plan of one of the experimental carriages. Along the under side of each of the carriages a straight turbine, L L, extends the whole length, and water at high pressure impinges on the blades of this turbine from a jet, M, and by this means the carriage is moved along. A parabolic guide, which can be moved in and out of gear by a lever, is placed under the tender, and this on passing strikes the tappet, S, and opens the valve which discharges the water from the jet, M, and this process is repeated every few yards along the whole line. The jets, M, must be placed at such a distance apart that at least one will be able to operate on the shortest train that can be used. In this turbine there are two sets of blades, one above the other, placed with their concave sides in opposite directions, so that one set is used for propelling in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. In Fig. 6 it is seen that the jet, M, for one direction is just high enough to act against the blades, Q, while the other jet is higher, and acts on the blades, P, for propulsion in the opposite direction. The valves, R, which are opened by the tappet, S, are of peculiar construction, and we hope soon to be able to give details of them. Reservoirs (Fig. 6) holding water at high pressure must be placed at intervals, and the pipe, T, carrying high pressure water must run the whole length of the line. Fig. 6 shows a cross section of the rail and carriage, and gives a good idea of the general arrangements. The absence of wheels and of greasing and lubricating arrangements will alone effect a very great saving, as we are informed that on the Lyons Railway, which is 800 kilometers long, the cost of oil and grease exceeds £400,000 per annum. As Sir Edward Watkin recently explained, all the great railway companies have long tried to find a substitute for wheels, and this railway appears to offer a solution of that problem. Mons. Barre thinks that a speed of 200 kilometers (or 120 miles) per hour may be easily and safely attained. Of course, as there is no heavy locomotive, and as the traction does not depend upon pressure on the rail, the road may be made comparatively light. The force required to move a wagon along the road is very small, Mons. Barre stating, as the result of his experiments, that an effort amounting to less than half a kilogramme is sufficient to move one ton when suspended on a film of water with his improved shoes. It is recommended that the stations be placed at the summit of a double incline, so that on going up one side of the incline the motion of the train may be arrested, and on starting it may be assisted. No brakes are required, as the friction of the shoe against the rail, when the water under pressure is not being forced through, is found to be quite sufficient to bring the train to a standstill in a very short distance. The same water is run into troughs by the side of the line, and can be used over and over again indefinitely, and in the case of long journeys, the water required for the tender could be taken up while the train is running. The principal advantages claimed for the railway are: The absence of vibration and of side rolling motion; the pleasure of traveling is comparable to that of sleighing over a surface of ice, there is no noise, and what is important in town railways, no smoke; no dust is caused by the motion of the train during the journey. It is not easy for the carriages to be thrown from the rails, since any body getting on the rail is easily thrown off by the shoe, and will not be liable to get underneath, as is the case with wheels; the train can be stopped almost instantly, very smoothly, and without shock. Very high speed can be attained; with water at a pressure of 10 kilogrammes, a speed of 140 kilometers per hour can be attained; great facility in climbing up inclines and turning round the curves; as fixed engines are employed to obtain the pressure, there is great economy in the use of coal and construction of boilers, and there is a total absence of the expense of lubrication. It is, however, difficult to see how the railway is to work during a long and severe frost. We hope to give further illustrations at an early date of this remarkable invention.— Industries. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2006). Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17755/pg17755-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE GIRARD HYDRAULIC RAILWAY

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS. here CHAPTER XXXIII. BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS. It was a day or two afterwards, that Mr. Gibson made time to ride round by Hamley, desirous to learn more exact particulars of this scheme for Roger than he could obtain from any extraneous source, and rather puzzled to know whether he should interfere in the project or not. The state of the case was this:—Osborne's symptoms were, in Mr. Gibson's opinion, signs of his having a fatal disease. Dr. Nicholls had differed from him on this head, and Mr. Gibson knew that the old physician had had long experience, and was considered very skilful in the profession. Still he believed that he himself was right, and, if so, the complaint was one which might continue for years in the same state as at present, or might end the young man's life in an hour—a minute. Supposing that Mr. Gibson was right, would it be well for Roger to be away where no sudden calls for his presence could reach him—away for two years? Yet if the affair was concluded, the interference of a medical man might accelerate the very evil to be feared; and after all, Dr. Nicholls might be right, and the symptoms might proceed from some other cause. Might? Yes. Probably did? No. Mr. Gibson could not bring himself to say "yes" to this latter form of sentence. So he rode on, meditating; his reins slack, his head a little bent. It was one of those still and lovely autumn days when the red and yellow leaves are hanging-pegs to dewy, brilliant gossamer-webs; when the hedges are full of trailing brambles, loaded with ripe blackberries; when the air is full of the farewell whistles and pipes of birds, clear and short—not the long full-throated warbles of spring; when the whirr of the partridge's wings is heard in the stubble-fields, as the sharp hoof-blows fall on the paved lanes; when here and there a leaf floats and flutters down to the ground, although there is not a single breath of wind. The country surgeon felt the beauty of the seasons perhaps more than most men. He saw more of it by day, by night, in storm and sunshine, or in the still, soft, cloudy weather. He never spoke about what he felt on the subject; indeed, he did not put his feelings into words, even to himself. But if his mood ever approached to the sentimental, it was on such days as this. He rode into the stable-yard, gave his horse to a man, and went into the house by a side entrance. In the passage he met the Squire. "That's capital, Gibson! what good wind blew you here? You'll have some lunch? it's on the table, I only just this minute left the room." And he kept shaking Mr. Gibson's hand all the time till he had placed him, nothing loth, at the well-covered dining-table. "What's this I hear about Roger?" said Mr. Gibson, plunging at once into the subject. "Aha! so you've heard, have you? It's famous, isn't it? He's a boy to be proud of, is old Roger. Steady Roger; we used to think him slow, but it seems to me that slow and sure wins the race. But tell me; what have you heard? how much is known? Nay, you must have a glass full. It's old ale, such as we don't brew now-a-days; it's as old as Osborne. We brewed it that autumn, and we called it the young squire's ale. I thought to have tapped it on his marriage, but I don't know when that will come to pass, so we've tapped it now in Roger's honour." The old squire had evidently been enjoying the young squire's ale to the verge of prudence. It was indeed as he said, "as strong as brandy," and Mr. Gibson had to sip it very carefully as he ate his cold roast beef. "Well! and what have you heard? There's a deal to hear, and all good news, though I shall miss the lad, I know that." "I did not know it was settled; I only heard that it was in progress." "Well, it was only in progress, as you call it, till last Tuesday. He never let me know anything about it, though; he says he thought I might be fidgety with thinking of the pros and cons. So I never knew a word on't till I had a letter from my Lord Hollingford—where is it?" pulling out a great black leathern receptacle for all manner of papers. And putting on his spectacles, he read aloud their headings. "'Measurement of timber, new railings,' 'drench for cows, from Farmer Hayes,' 'Dobson's accounts,'—'um 'um—here it is. Now read that letter," handing it to Mr. Gibson. It was a manly, feeling, sensible letter, explaining to the old father in very simple language the services which were demanded by the terms of the will to which he and two or three others were trustees; the liberal allowance for expenses, the still more liberal reward for performance, which had tempted several men of considerable renown to offer themselves as candidates for the appointment. Lord Hollingford then went on to say that, having seen a good deal of Roger lately, since the publication of his article in reply to the French osteologist, he had had reason to think that in him the trustees would find united the various qualities required in a greater measure than in any of the applicants who had at that time presented themselves. Roger had deep interest in the subject; much acquired knowledge, and at the same time, great natural powers of comparison, and classification of facts; he had shown himself to be an observer of a fine and accurate kind; he was of the right age, in the very prime of health and strength, and unshackled by any family ties. Here Mr. Gibson paused for consideration. He hardly cared to ascertain by what steps the result had been arrived at—he already knew what that result was; but his mind was again arrested as his eye caught on the remuneration offered, which was indeed most liberal; and then he read with attention the high praise bestowed on the son in this letter to the father. The Squire had been watching Mr. Gibson—waiting till he came to this part—and he rubbed his hands together as he said,— "Ay! you've come to it at last. It's the best part of the whole, isn't it? God bless the boy! and from a Whig, mind you, which makes it the more handsome. And there's more to come still. I say, Gibson, I think my luck is turning at last," passing him on yet another letter to read. "That only came this morning; but I've acted on it already, I sent for the foreman of the drainage works at once, I did; and to-morrow, please God, they'll be at work again." Mr. Gibson read the second letter, from Roger. To a certain degree it was a modest repetition of what Lord Hollingford had said, with an explanation of how he had come to take so decided a step in life without consulting his father. He did not wish him to be in suspense for one reason. Another was that he felt, as no one else could feel for him, that by accepting this offer, he entered upon the kind of life for which he knew himself to be most fitted. And then he merged the whole into business. He said that he knew well the suffering his father had gone through when he had had to give up his drainage works for want of money; that he, Roger, had been enabled at once to raise money upon the remuneration he was to receive on the accomplishment of his two years' work; and that he had also insured his life, in order to provide for the repayment of the money he had raised, in case he did not live to return to England. He said that the sum he had borrowed on this security would at once be forwarded to his father. Mr. Gibson laid down the letter without speaking a word for some time; then he said,—"He'll have to pay a pretty sum for insuring his life beyond seas." "He's got his Fellowship money," said the Squire, a little depressed at Mr. Gibson's remark. "Yes; that's true. And he's a strong young fellow, as I know." "I wish I could tell his mother," said the Squire in an under-tone "It seems all settled now," said Mr. Gibson, more in reply to his own thoughts than to the Squire's remark. "Yes!" said the Squire; "and they're not going to let the grass grow under his feet. He's to be off as soon as he can get his scientific traps ready. I almost wish he wasn't to go. You don't seem quite to like it, doctor?" "Yes, I do," said Mr. Gibson in a more cheerful tone than before. "It can't be helped now without doing a mischief," thought he to himself. "Why, Squire, I think it a great honour to have such a son. I envy you, that's what I do. Here's a lad of three or four and twenty distinguishing himself in more ways than one, and as simple and affectionate at home as any fellow need to be—not a bit set up." "Ay, ay; he's twice as much a son to me as Osborne, who has been all his life set up on nothing at all, as one may say." "Come, Squire, I mustn't hear anything against Osborne; we may praise one, without hitting at the other. Osborne hasn't had the strong health which has enabled Roger to work as he has done. I met a man who knew his tutor at Trinity the other day, and of course we began cracking about Roger—it's not every day that one can reckon a senior wrangler amongst one's friends, and I'm nearly as proud of the lad as you are. This Mr. Mason told me the tutor said that only half of Roger's success was owing to his mental powers; the other half was owing to his perfect health, which enabled him to work harder and more continuously than most men without suffering. He said that in all his experience he had never known any one with an equal capacity for mental labour; and that he could come again with a fresh appetite to his studies after shorter intervals of rest than most. Now I, being a doctor, trace a good deal of his superiority to the material cause of a thoroughly good constitution, which Osborne hasn't got." "Osborne might have, if he got out o' doors more," said the Squire, moodily; "but except when he can loaf into Hollingford he doesn't care to go out at all. I hope," he continued, with a glance of sudden suspicion at Mr. Gibson, "he's not after one of your girls? I don't mean any offence, you know; but he'll have the estate, and it won't be free, and he must marry money. I don't think I could allow it in Roger; but Osborne's the eldest son, you know." Mr. Gibson reddened; he was offended for a moment. Then the partial truth of what the Squire said was presented to his mind, and he remembered their old friendship, so he spoke quietly, if shortly. "I don't believe there's anything of the kind going on. I'm not much at home, you know; but I've never heard or seen anything that should make me suppose that there is. When I do, I'll let you know." "Now, Gibson, don't go and be offended. I'm glad for the boys to have a pleasant house to go to, and I thank you and Mrs. Gibson for making it pleasant. Only keep off love; it can come to no good. That's all. I don't believe Osborne will ever earn a farthing to keep a wife during my life, and if I were to die to-morrow, she would have to bring some money to clear the estate. And if I do speak as I shouldn't have done formerly—a little sharp or so—why, it's because I've been worried by many a care no one knows anything of." "I'm not going to take offence," said Mr. Gibson, "but let us understand each other clearly. If you don't want your sons to come as much to my house as they do, tell them so yourself. I like the lads, and am glad to see them; but if they do come, you must take the consequences, whatever they are, and not blame me, or them either, for what may happen from the frequent intercourse between two young men and two young women; and what is more, though, as I said, I see nothing whatever of the kind you fear at present, and have promised to tell you of the first symptoms I do see, yet farther than that I won't go. If there's an attachment at any future time, I won't interfere." "I shouldn't so much mind if Roger fell in love with your Molly. He can fight for himself, you see, and she's an uncommon nice girl. My poor wife was so fond of her," answered the Squire. "It's Osborne and the estate I'm thinking of!" "Well, then, tell him not to come near us. I shall be sorry, but you will be safe." "I'll think about it; but he's difficult to manage. I've always to get my blood well up before I can speak my mind to him." Mr. Gibson was leaving the room, but at these words he turned and laid his hand on the Squire's arm. "Take my advice, Squire. As I said, there's no harm done as yet, as far as I know. Prevention is better than cure. Speak out, but speak gently to Osborne, and do it at once. I shall understand how it is if he doesn't show his face for some months in my house. If you speak gently to him, he'll take the advice as from a friend. If he can assure you there's no danger, of course he'll come just as usual, when he likes." It was all very fine giving the Squire this good advice; but as Osborne had already formed the very kind of marriage his father most deprecated, it did not act quite as well as Mr. Gibson had hoped. The Squire began the conversation with unusual self-control; but he grew irritated when Osborne denied his father's right to interfere in any marriage he might contemplate; denied it with a certain degree of doggedness and weariness of the subject that drove the Squire into one of his passions; and although, on after reflection, he remembered that he had his son's promise and solemn word not to think of either Cynthia or Molly for his wife, yet the father and son had passed through one of those altercations which help to estrange men for life. Each had said bitter things to the other; and, if the brotherly affection had not been so true between Osborne and Roger, they too might have become alienated, in consequence of the Squire's exaggerated and injudicious comparison of their characters and deeds. But as Roger in his boyhood had loved Osborne too well to be jealous of the praise and love which the eldest son, the beautiful brilliant lad, had received, to the disparagement of his own plain awkwardness and slowness, so now Osborne strove against any feeling of envy or jealousy with all his might; but his efforts were conscious, Roger's had been the simple consequence of affection, and the end to poor Osborne was that he became moody and depressed in mind and body; but both father and son concealed their feelings in Roger's presence. When he came home just before sailing, busy and happy, the Squire caught his infectious energy, and Osborne looked up and was cheerful. There was no time to be lost. He was bound to a hot climate, and must take all advantage possible of the winter months. He was to go first to Paris, to have interviews with some of the scientific men there. Some of his outfit, instruments, &c., were to follow him to Havre, from which port he was to embark, after transacting his business in Paris. The Squire learnt all his arrangements and plans, and even tried in after-dinner conversations to penetrate into the questions involved in the researches his son was about to make. But Roger's visit home could not be prolonged beyond two days. The last day he rode into Hollingford earlier than he needed to have done to catch the London coach, in order to bid the Gibsons good-by. He had been too actively busy for some time to have leisure to bestow much thought on Cynthia; but there was no need for fresh meditation on that subject. Her image as a prize to be worked for, to be served for seven years, and seven years more, was safe and sacred in his heart. It was very bad, this going away, and wishing her good-by for two long years; and he wondered much during his ride how far he should be justified in telling her mother, perhaps in telling her own sweet self, what his feelings were without expecting, nay, indeed reprobating, any answer on her part. Then she would know at any rate how dearly she was beloved by one who was absent; how in all difficulties or dangers the thought of her would be a polar star, high up in the heavens, and so on, and so on; for with all a lover's quickness of imagination and triteness of fancy, he called her a star, a flower, a nymph, a witch, an angel, or a mermaid, a nightingale, a siren, as one or another of her attributes rose up before him. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (2003). Wives and Daughters. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4274/pg4274-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

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