other stream iu the dis-
ti-ict Sluices and dams
regulated the supply.
The hand-swipe, or
shaduj', carried the sup-
ply to still higher levels.
SeeSwAP£; Shadoof.
S â– W i p ' 1 e . The Swipe on the Tigris {Ancient Assyria).
iM-'utiii;:; end ol'a flail.
Swiss Mus'lin. (Fabric.) A fine, open, trans-
imretit ootton gootls.
Svp^itch. 1. {Rnilv;ay,) The movable rails
wliicii connect one line of rails with another.
Switches are known as s^»6-switches and splii-
switclies.
In th? 5rwA-switch the -cwitch-rail has square butted ends, as
at A, Fig. 6130. The switch-rails require to be moved in direct
apposition, or a train running in dirtction a b on rails a a
would run off the track, were the switch-rails 6 6 in connec-
tion with the siding, as shown.
In the ,«p//r-switch, B C, the switch-rail is pointed, and some-
what automatic. B shows it as applied to a main track and
siding ; C\ to three tracks, with either of which it may be made
to coincide, A train on either of the tracks c e c will force over
the switch, so as to run on to the main track d. A train going
in the direction d c will run upon such one of the rails c e e
a-s may at the time be adjusted in connectioa by means of
the switches.
A Y-switch consists of a simple divergent track, which does
not again run into the main track.
Switches have been designed to be set in motion by the ap-
proaching engine, the object l)eing to restore the main-line con-
nection when a switch has been carelessly left open to a siding.
The idea has not been acceptable.
A portable switch is one which affords a temporary passage
from one track to another, bridging the inside rails.
2. (Telegraphy.) A device for connecting one
circuit with another, or for dividing a circuit into
SWITCH.
2472
SWITCH -SIGNAL.
Fig. 6130.
once. By joining other circuits with these, a still lai^er num-
ber of coi)ies uuiy be made of any one message This system
of switches enables the chief operator to place himself iu con-
nection with any wire, and to study the work of the operator
without his knowledge. The apparatus is so simple and com-
pact that the wires for several hundred lines may be brought
within easy reach of one operator.
3. A key on a gas-burner to regulate the amount
of ^Ms i);issiiig, and, conse-
ijuently, tlie lii^lit.
S-witch - board. An
aggregation of switches
upon one huae, so that
any instrument in an office k
may be eunneeted with any
wire or any battery, or cut
out altogether.
Fig. 6132.
Railway- Sioitches.
two parts, or, in short, for altering any of the con-
nections of a line or circuit. The ordinary (jround
or lever switch is a small metallic strip pivoted at
one end, the pivot being connected by a wire to one
portion of an electrical circuit. The other end of
the strap can be turned to rest on an anvil or bed
connected with the line desired, to be brought into
circuit.
The ;>/»5f-switch is one made of pieces of metal
connected each to its appropriate wire or part of cir-
cuit, but slightly separated from each other, so that
the insertion of a ]ilug or pin in the interval between
them connects them.
Fig. 6131 illustrates the peg-switch, a a' are vertical notched
l>ars, the first being connected with the line wire entering a
station, and the second with the wfre going
out. b fj', c c' are metallic buttons to which
are connected the instrument wires ; all the
buttons on the same horizontal line are
; connected together at the back of the switch.
The cut shows the circuit open. To close
it, with the oflfice instrument in circuit,
metal pegs are inserted in the orifices at a 6
and a' c', causing the current to flow through
n 6 to the instrument, and thence through
c a' to the main line. If desired to send
through circuit without connecting the in-
strument, a peg is inserted only at 6' a' or c' a'. By a modifi-
cation of the connections, this form is adapted for a terminal
station.
By this means also any desired amount of battery power may
be applied to one or more circuits by simply inserting metallic
pegs in a graduated scale. Every new position in which the peg
is placed changes the number of cups brought iuto connection
with that particular line. The same apparatus is also arranged
with spring catches, to enable the chief operator to make a con-
necting loop with any line, or to join two or more lines together
by inserting metallic clips connected with the loop lines into
the catches. Each line ha^ two catches, and each will hold four
clips, BO that eight messages may be taken from one line at
Fig. 15131.
Stoitck.
Telegraphic Switch-BoartJ.
Fig. 6132 represents a switch-
board made of wooden strips
(non-conducting) and metallic
strips (conducting), so joined in
the shape of a frame as to bring
the longitudinal metallic strips and the lateral metallic strips
across each other lor the purpose of making connections between
them.
In Fig. 6133. the switch Fig. 6133.
buttons are arranged in
pav'K corresponding to the
number of batteries em-
ployed, including the but-
tons of each pole of a bat- i^^-,— J-
tery iu one pair. The bat- Jt^LM
tery-pole and its button are
connected by a wire.
S-witch'ing-en'-
gine. A ?/f(/Y/-eugine,
or donkct/-L'ngine, used
about a station ordepot
for making up trains
or moving engines
wlijcli have not steam
UJ).
In Europe, tank-engines , _^^
are commonly used, render- ||^^^
ing unnecessary the tender
which carries the water and
fuel for the longer journeys
of the usual locomotive
duty. The European loco-
motive-engines for switch-
ing purposes have box
frames made of wrought-
iron plates made water-
tight, and used to carry the
water required by the engine.
Sw^itch-lau'tern
railway -switch, to indicate
the condition of the switch
either by its position or by
the display of a colored light.
In the example, the lantern has
glasses of dilTerent colors set in
tubes, so that only the one turned
directly in front is visible. The lan-
tern is rotated by the rcciprocatory
motion of the switch-bar so as to
indicate which of several divergent
tracks is open.
Switch-lev'er. The
handle and bar by which the
switch is moved. See Switch-
stand.
S"witch-sig'naL (Rail-
icai/.) A lantt-'Hi, flag, or
signboard indiL-ating the po-
sition of a switch, whether
open to the main or side track
or to one of several main
tracks. It is frecjuently con-
structed so as to be set
by tlie motion of the I "~
switch, certain lights or
Telegraph-Battery Switch- Board.
See Tank-locomotive.
A lantern on the lever of a
Fig. 61^
Sw I fch' Lantern.
SWITCH-STAXD.
2473
SWORD.
signals indicatiug the respective switches. See
SwiTCH-LA.NTEl:S.
In the example, the ends of the switch rails lie in the recess
beneath the tread, so that the flange of the wheel does not
Siriuh-Signat.
come in contact
therewith. Thecoun-
ter weight restores
the switch to posi-
tion after movement.
The switch-lever shaft is con-
nected by cog gearing with
the turning signal-shaft.
Svtritch-stand.
(R/iiltca>i.) A I'uIlTuiu
and locking-ilevice Ibr
the levers whereby
switch-rails are moved.
The levers move in slots
in arc-shaped guides,
which latter have notch-
es to hold the levei-s in
certain positions which
indicate the apposition
of the switch-rails with
one or another line of
rails which come within its range of adaptation.
S^triv'el. 1. A twisting link n in a chain con-
sisting of a ring or hook ending in a headed pin
which turns in a link of the chain. The object is
to avoid kinking.
2. A small cannon
h, whose trunnions are
placed in a carrier,
which is pivoted in a
socket, -SO that by the
two adjustments the
gun may be pointed in
any direction. A pivot-
gnn. See page 17"2"2.
i. (Xautical.) A rest,
having adjustment in
azimuth, for supporting
Swirets. a small piece of ord-
nance on the gunwale
of a boat or ves.sel.
4. (Sidtllcri/.) A loop or runner through which
the cheok-rein ]';isses.
S'wiv'el-bridge. A bridge which rotate-t on an
axis, moring in a horlzbntal plane. See SwiSG-
b::idge : Pivot-bridge.
S^riv'el-gun. (Ordiunux.) One mounted on a
pivot to traverse hori2ontally in a circle. See Pivot-
gun, pacre 1722.
S^riv'el-hang'er. A form of .shaft-hanger in-
vented by Edward Bancroft, K. I., in which, to en-
sure the weight of the shaft being received over the
entire length of the lx)X, he hung the box on a uni-
versal joint, and mad its axis of vibration coincide
with the center of the box. This permitted the use
of longer boxes than were before practicable, and
the presiiure per square inch on the surface was
les.sened.
Sviriv'el-hook. (Xauiical.) A turning hook
stnii'[>fl to a tackle-block.
Swiv'el-hook Block. A pulley block in which
the susijeuding hook is sniveled to the block, so that ^
the latter may turn to pre.seut the sheave in any
direction.
S'wiv'el-joint. A section in a chain or a joint
on a rod, which allows the parts to twist without
kinking or distortion.
S'wiv'el-looni. A kind of loom (formerly) used
for tlie Hcaviiit; ul tapes and narrow goods.
S'wiv'el-plo'w. A plow having its land-side,
sole, and mold-boaid on an axis, so that the combined
]W)rtious may be turned over to throw the furrow to
the right or to the left. Known in England as a
tuni-tcrcst plow ; in the United States as a Side-
hill Plow (which see). See also Ti"RS-\vrest
Plow, the British name for the implement.
S^ord. 1. A cut and thrust weapon. Its use is
of a ver)- remote antiquity, dating as far back as the
bronze age. Stone is not adapted for weapons of
this kind, and they have not been found among the
i>;lies of jjeoples unaciiuainted with the u.se of metals.
Artificers in flint could produce nothing better than
a short knife. Swords of iron were made by the
Chinese, 1879 B. c. This was about the era of Isaac,
and three centuries before Cecrops.
Herodotnfi speaks of an " antique iron sword â– ' as planted on
the top of the mound of worship, used by the Scythians. The
position was phallic^ a form of deification familiar to that whole
region. The sword found in the great tomb of Kertch was of
iron. Their weapons, however, were usually of bronze.
The swords of the bronze age are always more or less leaf-like
in shape, double-edged, sharp- pointed, and intended for stabbing
and thrusting rather than for cutriug. They have no hand-
guards. (LcBBOCK.) a is an ancient iron sword, introduced to
show the difference in shape, e to i- have solid handles, bed
have thin handles intended to have scaUs of wood to round
out the hand-hold. The handles are short, and are aiapted for
the use of a smaller-handed people than the present inhabitants
of the lands where these specimens were gathered, a is an iron
sword from a Saxon tomb, England : ti. bronze sword from Ire-
land ; c, from Sweden : p, Switzerland : /, Neufchatel ; s, Scan-
dinavia : g h i j k, Denmark.
For the sake of comparison are added : —
/ m, spear-heads from Ireland
n o, Irish bronze daggers.
p q, bronze knives from Switzerland.
r, bronze lazor-knife from Denmark.
The Egyptian sword was straight and short, from 2^ to 3 feet
in length, having a double edge and a sharp point. It was used,
as the monuments show, for cut, thrust, or as a dagger. The
handle was hollowed in the center, increasing in thickness
toward each end, and the end wa£ surmounted by an emblem,
such as a hawk's head or the svmbol of Phrah.
-\ges ago the superiority of Damascus blades was proverbial.
They were very thin, took an exceedingly keen edge, and were
so elastic that they could be bent into a circle-without retaining
a permanent set. Their surface exhibited a series of fine wavy
and spiral lines, which were apparently removed by grinding,
but restored by the application of acids. From this circum-
stance it is inferred that they were, like their modern imita-
tions, made by welding together thin laminx or wires of iron
and steel. The art is said to have been lost to Damascus when
it w.-is taken by Tamerlane, who carried away the artificers ; and
though swords are still made there. the,v do not enjoy the repu-
tation which tradition a.ssigns to those of the ancient manufac-
ture. See Damask : Steel.
^Vhen, A. D. Si;i2, Xicephorus, son of Irene of Byzantium,
attempted to throw off the yoke of the Saracens, he s<*nt a letter
to the Khalif Haronn al Raschid, in which, alluding to the
game of che.^, he said, '" The queen considered yon as a rook,
and herself as a pawn," and accompanied the letter with a
bundle of swords, which his messengers threw down at the foot
of the throne. The Khalif smiled, and drawing his scimeter
(.^jm^amo^t, cut asunder the Greek swords before him; then
dictated this answer ; —
'' In thenameof the most merciful God ! Haronn al R-aschid,
Commander of the Faithftil. to Nicephoms. the Roman dog. I
have read thy letter, thou son of an unl>elieving mother.
Thou Shalt not hear, thou shalt behold my reply."
He ravaged Asia Minor at the head of 3fX),o60 soldiers, and
SWORD.
2474
SWORD.
Fig. 6138.
ent Swords, etc.
dictated a humiliating pearp About thi^ time Charlemagne
was subduing the Slavi of tht? EUk* and tlie Avars of !Iunj;ary.
The king of the Frank'* at Aix la-Chapelle received from the
great llaroun of Bagd;id presents, consisting of the keys uf the
holy sepulehtT, a consecrated standard of Jerusalem, a whoel-
clock that Ptruck the hours, an orgiin, an ape, and an elephant.
Srott, in the " Tales of the Crusaders," describes ameetimj be-
tween Richard Cosur de Lion and Saladin. Saladin asks Rich-
ard to siiow hhn the strength for which he is famous, and the
Norman monarch responds by severing a bar of iron which lies
on the floor of his tent. Saladin says, *' I cannot do that," but
he takes a down pillow from the sofa, and, drawing his keen
blide across it, it falls in two pieces. Richard says : *' This is
the black art ; it is magic ; it is the Devil ; you cannot cut that
which has no resistance." And Saladin, to "show him tliat such
is not the ca'^e, takes from his shoulders a scarf which is so light
that it almost floats in the air, and, tossing it up, severs it be-
fore it can descend. George Thompson states that he saw a man
in Calcutta tlirow a handful of floss silk into the air, and a
Hindoo sever it into pieces with his saber.
Kuropu wondered much at the gorgeous profusion of the
Orient, and even the "brand Excalibur'''' must have been of
Kastern make, —
'* My brand Excalibur
Which was my pride "
*' For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks,
Myriads of topaz-light, and jacinth-work
Of subtlest jewelry."
No wonder Sir Bedivere coveted the sword of this old British
chief and hid it " iu tlie many-knotted water-flags," as rvlated
in the clironicle of the old harper who is always a little below
concert pitch.
The famous sword of Orlando was said to have been the work
of the fairies, and its name Viirn/uiat {flur tn f/iabU, "as hard
as the devil ") is indicative of its origin, and accounts for Ihe
fiict (,?) that he was able to cleave the I'yreneos with it. It was
alno called Duratu/arte, DuriiiiJana, Durinifiana.
Ciirimia wils another famous sword of Orlando. Its name
was given to the " firt^t royal sword " of England from a very
early period; iu the wardrobe accounts for 1483 it is so desig-
nated
Morglny (glaive de la mort) was the sword of bir Bevis of
Southampton.
Tizonn was the famous sword of the Cid.
Aiuirea Fcrrnm, so long believed to be the Bame of a cele-
brated Italian aword-maker, must be given up Awliea is only
an occasional prefix, and Frrrura is most probably a corruption
I oi ftrrarhim^ix weapon-smith, or cutler.
The Lord Mayor of London used to bear tlirce swords, — a
i common, a Sunday, and a jiearl sword. These were jwt famous
I in chivalric records.
Japanese officials of a certain grade wear two swords, the
I hilts projecting out a foot in front of the per.-on of the wearer.
I One of them is a heavy, two-handed weapon, pointed, and sharp
I as a razor ; the other short, like a Roman sword, and kept iu
Ihe same serviceable state.
Swords and sabers have a blade, either straight or curved,
I with a tan^, which is inserted into a spindle-shaped piece of
1 wood, covered with leather, and wrapped around with brass
wire; these form the ^ripe, which, with the brass knob at the
' end called the /;om»i»'/, constitutes the hitt. The hand is pro-
1 tected by the ^uard, which is a curved piece of metal, consist-
I ing of from one to three branches, and usually provided with a
I broad plate of metal, the guard-plate, at the point where it is
attached to the blade.
The scabbard is the case, usually of leather orKteel, into
which the blade is inserted
The blade of a sword consists of: The tang, which enters
the hilt ; the shoulder, which abuts against the end of the hilt :
the forte, the half of the blade nearest the hilt; the./a*W^, or
foible, the half part nearest the point ; the point ; the back ;
tlie flat ; the e/J^e.
The hilt consists of (the parts varying in different kinds of
swords) : The pominel, or back piece ; the gripe ; the bars of
the basket, in sabers; the stool, or gjmr^-plate ; the bou\\n
sergeants' swords and horse-artillery .^abers ; the cros$, as in the
old Highland claymore : the Un&vets, in foils and rapiers.
The successive operations in sword-making are forging, ham-
mering, swaging, hardening, tempering, setting, grinding, glaz-
ing, hilting, and proving.
In the process of making swords, as practiced at the factories,
pieces of Sheffield steel called double /noW.'i each of the length
of two blades, the ends for the tangs being of iron, are em-
j ployed. These are cut or Viroken in the middle, the tangs are
I forged first, and afterward the blade, the furrow or furrows
! being formed at the same time. Twenty-five rehcatings are re-
I quired for this purpose The blade is then heated and plunged
' into cold water, rendering the metal- extremely brittle ; ag-aia
heated, and the distortions caused by the haidening corrected
by rehammcring, when it is again heated till its surface assumes
the proper color, of which the workman is the judge, to insure
its having the due hardness and flexibility when tempered,
which is done by plungiug it at this stage into cold water.
It is next ground. The stones employed for finishing the
furrows have raised tlntings suited to the furrows of the par-
ticular kind of blade to be operated on.
The polishing is performed upon wheels of various sizes, with
lard-oil and flour of emery, the blade being frequently Uijipcd
into lime-dust during the operation. A brush-wheel, .'Sprinkled
with fine crocus-powder, imparts the final polish. The t^cab-
bards, if of metal, the hilts, and other metallic parts are
treated in like manner.
In making the metallic scabbard, a piece of sheet-steel is laid
over the top of an open vise, and beaten with a wedge-shaped
wooden mallet, causing the edges to approach each other. The
sides are then beaten on each side until the edges nearly unite,
and tlie scabbard is slipped upon a mandrel and haunuered
until the joint is closed ; it is then soldered, and the tip, or
dras, and the hands are put on.
The gripe, or handle, is made of walnut, with a met^illic strip
at the back ; it is shaped by files, a tenon for the ferrule made
at the end, and bnllrd, that is, snnounded with grooves, by
j means of a triangular file : the edges of these grooves being
I afterwiird rounded, or " balled." with another file. It is then
drilled in a lathe, with a longitudinal hole for the tang, after
which it is covered with dogfish-skin, secured by winding
cord or wire around the gripe in the grooves between the balls.
The hilt, or guard, is cut from sheet-metal, and bammei-ed
into shape, then polished, and finally fixed to the sword. This
operation is called mounting.
Sword-blades, resembling those of Damascus, are made at
Soliugen, in Germany. A fagot is first formed of alternnte fine
bars of iron and steel. It is drawn out, doubled, and twisted
several times, and then formed into a ribbon. Two such rib-
SWORD-BAYOXET.
247
SYRINGE.
bons are wekled together, inclosing between them a thin blade
of the best-cutting English steel. After polishing it, it is
dipped in diluted sulphuric acid, to give it a puttem.
Srt^ord-blades, reseuibling in appearance tlie Oriental blades,
and equal to them in qu:ilit> , h:ive been made in Germany, by
the process of Prof. Crevilli,of Milan.
•' A long, flat piece of malleable steel. Ih inchc.^ in breadth
and i inch in thickness, is first bound with iron wire, at tnter-
Tnls of J inch. The iron and steel nrv then incorporated by
welding, and repeated .-Wditions (lU to 20) of iron wire made to
the foiling, in the same manner as the first. The forging is
then stretched, doubled, and welJed; and the process is re-
pe.it«d as often as may be desired, when the material is brought
to the shape required by the hanmier on the anvil.
''By filing semicircular grooves on both side^j of the blade,
and again subjecting it to the hammer, a beautiful rosette-
fihaped damask is obtained. By special manipulation the pat-
tern may be made to assume other forms. Tlie p;ittem is
brought out by tlie application of aqua furtis and vinegixr. An
idea of the extraordinary tenacity of those blades may be
formed from tlie fict, that out of 210 blades examined by a
military commission, and each of which was required to bear
three cuts against iron and two against a flat wooden table, not
a single one snapped or had itu edge indented."' (See WooTZ ;
Damaskeening.} \
2. (If'eavi)if/.) One of tlie liars di^peudent From
tlu! rockiiifj-lrce and supporting the Inif.
3. Tlie scutching- bliide of the tlax-dresser. Sec
Sci'TCiiFn.
Sword-bay'o-net. A hayonet with a hlade
like a swoid, ami capable of being detached from '
the barrel and used like a sword.
Sword-belt. The waist-belt from which a sword ,
is slung. I
Sword-cane. A cane w^ith a concealed sword, j
Sw^ord-knot. A knotted ribbon on asword-hilt. [
S-wrreuch. A spanner or wrench of an S-shape, '
to enable it to reach parts not so readily approached ,
by the ordinary monkey-wrench. It has two jaws
of diiferent angles, and an adjusting screw in the
stock.
In Fig. 6139, the respectiTC pairs of jaws are operated by a
right and left screw and thumb-piece. Scales are placed on the
Fig. 6139.
The gla.<s tube h is about IS inches in length
and -â– ,n,i of an inch in iniernal diameter At the
upper extremity is a cylindrical vessel «i, 2 or 3
inches loug and half an inch in internal dimiicter.
The lower extremity is turnea upward, and ter-
minates in a Te.«sel c. The hydro-
gen is contained in the space ba,
and the oil, colored red with
alkanet, occupies the space be-
tween h c.
The sympiesometer is gradu-
ated by placing it together with a
standard barometer and ther-
mometer ia a glass vessel, in
which the pressure of the air c.">n
be varied at ple-Tiiure The top
of the column is marked at the
points where the barometer shows
27.28,29.30, 31 inches respect-
ively. The spaces between the
marks, coinciding with the inches
of mercury, are then subdivided
into llX) equal parts each, and
the great range makes the in-
strument valuable for recording
minute variations, subject to cor-
rection, depending on the vaii-
ation in the volume of the hydro-
gen due to changes of the tem-
perature. A graduated sliding
scale assists in reaching the cor-
rected result.
Fig. 6141 is another form of the
instrument.
Sympiesometers,
Syn-cli'nal Line. {Mining Enijiaccrinfj.) The
axis of valley curvature of strata, at which the beds
which are tilted in rrj»posite directions are supposed
to meet. Opposed to aati-clinal.
Syn-os'te-o-tome. {Surgical.) A disinem-
beriiig-knife.
Sy'pher-ing. {Siiipivrighting.) Lapping the
cliamfered edge of one plank over the similarly cham-
fered edge of another, so as to form a joint with a
plane surface.
Sy'pher-joint. {Carpentry.) A lap joint for
the eilges of boards, leaving a flat or Hush surface.
Sy'ren. See Sir.EX. See also *'Tyndall on
Sound,". London, 1S75, pages 61, 82, and frontis-
piece ; also ''London Engineer," January 21, 1876.
Fig. 6142. '
S -Wrench.
respective halves, which have n motion on each other, each i
piece having an inner and outer jaw of the respective pairs.
Sym'bol-print'lng. {Tefajraphi/.) A system ,
of intnting in ilots and ujarks (.see Moksk ALPH.\BEr) |