Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/614

602  is a French invention, and was not introduced into England till 1837, when a patent was obtained by Mr. Crawfurd. The operation is not performed with a galvanic battery, as is often supposed, but by immersion in the melted metal. By Mallet's process the sheets are first cleansed by immersion in a warm bath of equal parts of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid and water, followed by scrubbing with emery and sand. They are then placed in a preparing bath of a saturated solution of hydrochlorate of zinc and sulphate of ammonia; and from this they are removed to a metallic bath composed of 202 parts by weight of mercury and 1,292 parts of zinc. To every ton weight of the amalgam one pound of potassium, or better of sodium, is added. At the temperature of 680° F. the compound fuses, and the zinc is deposited upon the iron sheets; the iron at the same time is attacked so strongly, that in a few seconds a plate an eighth of an inch thick would be dissolved if allowed to remain. Small articles are most advantageously treated after the strength of the mixture has been somewhat spent upon larger ones. Crawfurd's method was to plunge the cleansed sheets of iron into a bath of melted zinc covered with sal ammoniac, and stir them about for some time. Undiluted commercial acids are also used for cleaning the surface of the iron, in which case some bits of zinc are immediately added, which dissolves and is directly precipitated, forming a film upon the iron. When coated the articles may be applied to use, or they may be made still more effectually to resist the action of oxidizing agents by next dipping them in a bath of melted tin. This metal then forms the exterior coat, and adheres much more firmly than if it had been applied directly to the iron.  '''GALVESTON. I.''' A S. E. county of Texas, including the island of the same name; area, 680 sq. m., of which 274 sq. m. are water; pop. in 1870, 15,290, of whom 3,236 were colored. The main portion of the county occupies the W. shore of Galveston bay, and is separated from the island, lying in the gulf of Mexico, by West bay. N. E. of the island, and separated from it by a channel 1 or 2 m. wide, is Bolivar peninsula, forming a part of the county, and lying between the gulf and East bay, an arm of Galveston bay. The surface is generally level and the soil sandy. The chief productions in 1870 were 2,905 bushels of Indian corn, 16,205 of sweet potatoes, and 213 tons of hay. There were 390 horses, 717 milch cows, 6,140 other cattle, 586 sheep, and 719 swine on farms. The number of manufacturing establishments was 91, employing 533 hands; capital invested, $710,950; value of products, $1,214,814. II. A port of entry, seat of justice of the above county, and the chief city of Texas in point of population and commerce, situated at the N. E. extremity of Galveston island, at the mouth of the bay of the same name, the entrance to which is through the

channel between the city and the S. W. point of the peninsula of Bolivar, where a lighthouse has been erected, 180 m. E. S. E. of Austin, and 290 m. W. by S. of New Orleans; lat. 29° 19′ N., lon. 94° 46′ W.; pop. in 1850, 4,177; in 1860, 7,307; in 1870, 13,818, of whom 3,007 were colored and 3,614 foreigners. The population at the beginning of 1874 was estimated by the local authorities at from 25,000 to 30,000. The city is laid out with wide and straight streets, bordered by numerous flower gardens. Besides the churches, the public buildings include the custom house, post office, United States court house, county court house, city and county prison, city hall, opera house, 2 theatres, 3 concert halls, 4 other public halls, 13 hotels, and 3 market houses. Oleander park occupies 80 acres, and the city park 25 acres. There are 6 public squares, an esplanade 2 m. long, and 3 public gardens. Magnolia Grove cemetery comprises 100 acres, and the city cemetery 10 acres. There are 9 m. of street railroad in operation. The island is about 28 m. long and from 1½ to 3½ m. wide, intersected by many small bayous, diversified by several fresh-water ponds, and bordered through its whole length by a smooth hard beach, which forms a pleasant drive and promenade. The bay is an irregular indentation, branching out into various arms, and receiving Trinity and San Jacinto rivers and Buffalo bayou. It extends 35 m. N. from the city to the mouth of Trinity river, and has a breadth of from 12 to 18 m. The harbor is the best in the state, and has 13 ft. of water over the bar at low tide. The city is provided with good wharves, and large storehouses adjoining them. The chief business is the shipping of cotton. The southern cotton press company owns 14 brick warehouses, each occupying 2½ acres, and the Texas cotton press company 3 more brick warehouses covering 7½ acres. The receipts and shipments in bales since 1868, for each year ending Sept. 1, have been as follows:

In 1873 170,711 bales were shipped to Great Britain, 6,100 to France, 32,584 to other European countries, 18,630 to New Orleans, 67,038 to New York, 18,756 to Boston, and 14,794 to other coastwise ports. The receipts of hides were 460,854; shipments, 459,582; receipts of wool, 3,873 bags; shipments, 3,760 bags. The value of pine lumber received was $624,000; cypress, $480,000; total, $1,104,000; head of cattle shipped, 50,699. The total value of shipments was $35,333,747, including cotton to the value of $32,423,806; of receipts, $29,811,831. The number of immigrants during the year was 44,614. The value of imports from and exports to foreign countries since 1870, with the amount