The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-28 00:00:00

ROYAL INSTIMION.

On Friday evening Professor Odling delivered an
interesting lecture to the members of the Royal In-
stitution on Mr. Graham's recent discoveries re-
specting the penetration, diffusion, and transpiration
of gases. He commenced by explaining the construc-
tion of a new kind of air pump invented by Dr.
Sprengel, by means of which the discoveries respect-
ing the penetration of gas have been made. The
instrument in its simplest form consists of a long
glass tube of small bore, to the top of which a fun-
nel is attached, and at a short distance below the
funnel a horizontal arm branches off, which expands
into a larger tube or vessel. In the funnel mer-
cury is poured, which falls in a succession
of drops to the bottom of the perpendicular
tube. Each drop of mercury acts as a separate pis-
ton, and carries to the bottom all the air contained
in the tube. By this means the air in the vessel con-
nected with the horizontal branch becomes gradually
exhausted, and a vacuum is produced much more
perfect than can be obtained by an ordinary air-
pump ; it indeed closely approaches to a Torrieel-
Han vacuum. To show how much more perfectly the
air is exhausted by this means than by an air-pump,
currents of electricity were transmitted through two
glass tubes which had been exhausted by the two
different appliances, when the one wherein the va-
cuum had been produced by Dr. Sprengel's method
exhibited the blue light of a tube that is perfectly
vacuous, while the light of the other was tinged
with purple. When a vacuum is so produced, it was
shown by a variety of experiments that air will pene-
trate through substances usuallyimPervious to air in
gases. An indiarubber bag having been exhausted
by an ordinary air7pump, was subsequently sub-
jected to the action of Dr. Sprengel's pump, in which
condition air passed through it, and in penetrating
the pores of the membrane its composition was
changed. The air, after passing through the india-
rubber, contained a much larger proportion of oxy-
gen than atmospheric air, as was proved by its ignit-
ing a partially extinguished taper. The proportion
of oxygen to nitrogen was, in fact, nearly doubled.
Metals, when heated, can by the same means be
penetrated by gases, and the characters of the gases
become altered also in passing through them. That
effect was illustrated with a heated platinum tube,
which was exhausted and surrounded by coal-gas,
when a portion of hydrogen passed through. The
degrees of penetration of the different gases have
been ascertained to be as follows :—Nitrogen, 1 ;
marsh-gas, 2.45 ; oxygen, 2.35 ; hydrogen, 5.30 ;
and carbonic acid, 13.32. In the experiment with
common air the nitrogen and oxygen passed through
the membrane in the proportions indicated, about
1 of the former to 2 of the latter. Several experi-
ments on the diffusion of gases were then exhibited
for the purpose of showing the changes gases un-
dergo on passing through porous bodies. A piece
of blotting paper was stretched horizontally, and a
jet or coal gas was held uuderheath, when the gas

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to diffuse forced the hydrogen through the vessel, and
it rose in large bubbles in an inverted glass receiver
filled with water. The discoveries of Mr. Graham
have also extended to the changes effected in gases
by transpiration forcibly through bodies with pores
so minute as to be invisible ; and he has determined
the proportions in which each gas can be thus trans-
pired. The remarkable fact in all these experiments
is that when mixed gases are transpired, diffused, or
penetrated, they do not pass through in the propor-
tions in which they were mixed, but in accordance
with their relative powers of transpiration or (Effu-
sion. Professor Odling was somewhat hurried in
his explanations of Mr. Graham's discoveries, in his
anxiety to include a notice of them all within the
hour ; but finding it impossible to do so, he said ho
should continue the subject in another lecture after
Easter. It had been announced in the programma
that Professor Max Muller would deliver a lecture
last evening, but in consequence of illness Professor
.odling gave his lecture on gases a week before the
time announced. The subject of the lecture next
Friday will be on the Crystal Palace fire, by Mr.
Scott Russell.

The At'antic and Great Western Railway.

In the City Article of the Times on Thursday the
fall in the securities of the Atlantic and Great
Western Railway Company was attributed to a
rumour that, owing to a series of attacks upon the
credit of the undertaking which have been uninter-
ruptedly carried on for a period of many monthN
it has been determined to refer its entire position
to the examination of an independent committee,
and that it may in the interval be resolved to
to hold all payments in abeyance. A quarterly
dividend of £1 15s. per cent. became due on
the consolidated bonds on the 15th inst., and has
thus far been met, about two-thirds of the coupons;
having been sent in and paid. Whether the pay
ments will continue for the remainder, or be deferred
for the opinion of the committee, is a question that
does not seem to have been clearly settled. The
Times considers that only a full investigatir_m, con-
firmed by those in New York, in whom the public
on this side can rely, will have any effect in estab-
lishing the property in the position it has always
been described as entitled to claim. This railway
has been one of the properties against which set
strong a set has been made. It has the disadvan-
tage of being on the other side of the Atlantic, and
men cannot readily see and judge for themselves.
Thus it has been peculiarly open to attack, for
while a large portion of its bonds are held in
Europe, the undertaking itself is far in the interior
of the United States. The pity is that the inves-
tigation now hinted at has not long since taken
place. We have little doubt that had a full report
been submitted to the bondholders from a com-
mittee elected by themselves to investigate the under-
taking and all the affairs relating thereto, that the
price of these securities would at this moment have been
much higher. The main points about which there
can be no mistake are all in favour of the line. It
' has been constructed in a country in which railway
property is rising in value faster than in any other.
It connects points between which traffic is rapidly
increasing. There are 507 miles open and in actual
operation, and there is good authority for stating
that the railroad is well and substantially formed.
Financially the undertaking may be injured,
however sound may be the property, if the bond-
holders, or those interested, allow their fears to
be excited by all sorts of hostile rumours.
Still their property cannot be snuffed out
like a bank or credit institution, and if they make
a sacrifice the loss will be theirs, and the gain that
of other people. It is absurd to talk of the railway
repudiating its liabilities. It might fail at a given
time in liquidating its liabilities, as would
any other railway whose bonds became due
simultaneously with the destruction of its credit.
Even supposing this were the case, what would
happen is that the holders would have to con-
tinue to hold for some time longer. The real ques-
tion is the.value of the property, and the sooner
that is set at rest the better. There is no
use in carrying on a paper war, and the financial
agent to the undertaking would, if he attempted it,
make a mistake, for the simple reason that he fights
a battle placed in the worst possible position. He has
his enemy on his flanks, and in his rear, with mines
charged beneath him, and unseen pit-falls before
him. The best plan is to withdraw, leaving the
field to the enemy, and to accumulate the facts
from such a source that all their firing is but am-
munition wasted. It is easy to give a dog a bad
name, and no howling or barking on the part of the
animal is likely to better its condition. It is almost
as easy to break down the credit of a new under-
taking situated in a foreign country. The answer
to such attacks is in the course recommended by
the limes, and pltience on the part of those
interested.—Anglo-American Times.