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

ROYAL INSTITUTION.

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 Torricel-
flan -vacuum. 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 bluo light of a tube that is perfectly
vacuous, while the light of the other was tinged
produced, it was
with purple. When a vacuum Is so
shown by a variety of experiments that air will pene-
trate through substances usuali yimpervious to air in
gases.
An indiarubber bag having been exhausted
by an ordinary air-punip,
was subsequently sub-
jected to the action of Dr. Sprengel's pump, in which
i condition air passed through t, 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 of coal gas was hold underneath, when the gas

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 months,
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 ,Ja
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 investigation, 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 so
strong a set has been made. It has the disadvap,„
tage of being on the other side of the Atlantic, aAd
men cannot readily see and judge for themse'ives.
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 bythemselves 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. lle 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 I braes, and patience on the pars of those
iuterested.—Anglo-American