All doors contained in "fire walls" should have springs or weights
attached to them, so as to be at all times closed. Fire doors can be shut
automatically by a weight, which is released by the melting of a piece of
very fusible solder employed for this purpose. So sensitive is this
solder that a fire door has been made to shut by holding a lamp some
distance beneath the soldered link and holding an open handkerchief
between the lamp and link. Though the handkerchief was not charred, hot
air enough had reached the metal to fuse the solder and allow the
apparatus to start into operation.

These solders are alloys more fusible than the most fusible of their
component metals. A few of them are: Wood's alloy, consisting of:
cadmium, 1 to 2 parts; tin, 2 parts; lead, 4 parts; bismuth, 7 to 8
parts.

This alloy is fusible between 150 deg. and 159 deg. Fahr. The fusible metal of
D'Arcet is composed of: bismuth, 8 parts; lead, 5 parts; tin, 3 parts. It
melts at 173.3 deg.. We can, therefore, by proper mixture, form a solder
which will melt at any desirable temperature. Numerous devices for
closing doors automatically have been constructed, all depending upon the
use of the fusible solder catch.

* * * * *

STEEL STRUCTURES.

At a recent meeting of the Engineers' Club of Philadelphia, Mr. James
Christie presented a paper upon "The Adaptation of Steel to Structural
Work." The price of steel has now fallen so low, as compared with iron,
that its increased use will be actively stimulated as the building
industries revive. The grades and properties of the steels are so
distinct and various that opinions differ much as to the adaptability of
each grade for a special purpose. Hitherto, engineers have favored open
hearth steel on account of uniformity, but recent results obtained from
Bessemer steel tend to place either make on equality. The seeming
tendency is to specify what the physical properties shall be, and not how
the steel shall be made.

For boiler and ship plates, the mildest and most ductile steel is
favored. For ships' frames and beams, a harder steel, up to 75,000 pounds
tenacity, is frequently used. For tension members of bridges, steel of
65,000 to 75,000 pounds tenacity is usually specified; and for
compression members, 80,000 to 90,000 pounds. In the Forth Bridge,
compression steel is limited to 75,000 to 82,000 pounds. Such a marked
advantage occurs from the use of high t