REPORT OF MR. ELMER P. HOWE.
431
productions. In the Swedish department were two lathes, almost exactly reproduced from those of the Putnam Machine Co., Fitchburg. The imitation extended to the form of the name-plate and table of gears. A firm from Berlin exhibited a lathe made from the designs of Pratt, Whitney & Co., Hartford, and a universal milling machine after Brown & Sharpe, Providence. The best manufacturers, it is fair to say, condemn this undisguised piracy. A German company, among many imitations of English tools, had a Sellers planer, of the same design as the one spoken of in the English department.
The large establishment of Heilmann Du Commen, in Alsace, acknowledge their indebtedness to the United States in many points of detail. The products of this firm illustrate the value of international expositions. Since the Paris exposition they have changed the design of many of their best tools, and have introduced improvements obtained there. This made their collection one of the most valuable iii the German section. They are really French, however, as they have not been under German rule long enough to acquire the language. The Shaw & Justice spring-hammer, Burleigh rock-drill and air-compressor, Cameron and the Earle direct- acting steam-pump, were shown by German firms. The Danks furnace was shown in model by a German manufacturing firm.
Among the best steam-engine.builders, the Corliss was the
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favorite model. Although .there were but eight exhibited, six were in operation. Of these, three were almost exact copies from Mr. Corliss’ pattern ; the others were changed, whether advantageously or not is not to be decided here. Two were from Switzerland, one from Belgium, three from Austria, and two from Germany. Quite a number of other engines were fitted with automatic variable cut-off of one kind or another; in whatever form used, undoubtedly an American invention. There were several others with Corliss beds. Three engines (two in the Austrian department a nd one in the German) were fitted with the Eider expansion-valve.
The locomotives and railway appliances were most widely
variance with our practice. One Austrian builder had a locomotive with four large drivers and a four-wheeled bogie.