fiber in the ordinary manner, by means
of bleaching powder, etc., and an excellent fibrous material is
obtained, which can be made use of with advantage in the textile and
paper industries.

The application of the process may be illustrated by an example:

One hundred kilos. of waste jute scraps are first of all treated in
the manner usually employed in the paper industry; 15 per cent. of
quicklime is added, and they are treated for 10 hours at a pressure of
11/2 atmospheres. The scraps are then freed from water by means of a
hydro-extractor, or a press, and finally saturated with chlorine in a
gas chamber for 24 hours or less, according to the requirements of the
case. Every 100 kilos. of jute requires 75 kilos. of hydrochloric acid
(20 deg. B.) and 20 kilos. of manganese peroxide (78-80 per cent.).

The jute then takes an orange color, and is subsequently washed in a
tank, a kilo. of caustic soda being added per 100 kilos. of jute; this
amount of alkali is sufficient to dissolve the pigment, which colors
the water flowing from the washer a deep brown. After washing, the
jute can be completely bleached by the use of 5-7 kilos. of bleaching
powder per 100 kilos. of jute.--_Mon. de la Teinture_.

* * * * *

THE INDEPENDENT--STORAGE OR PRIMARY BATTERY--SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC MOTIVE
POWER.[1]

[Footnote 1: Abstract of a paper read before the American Streel
Railway Association, Oct. 23, 1891.]

By KNIGHT NEFTEL.

Owing to a variety of causes, the system which was assigned to me at
the last convention to report on has made less material progress in a
commercial way than its competitors.

PRIMARY BATTERIES.

So far, primary batteries have been applied only to the operation of
the smallest stationary motors. Their application in the near future
to traction may, I think, be entirely disregarded. Were it not a
purely technical matter, it might be easily demonstrated, with our
knowledge of electro-chemistry, that such an arrangement as an
electric primary battery driving a car is an impossibility.

In view of the claims of certain inventors, I regret to be obliged to
make so absolute a statement; but the results so far have produced
nothing of value.

SECONDARY BATTERIES.

The application of secondary or storage batteries to electrical
traction has been accomplished in a number of cities, with a varying
amount of success. Roads equipped by batteries have now been
suffi