New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-27


mere CT .Css C: Caltoalc acid n few caF> becomes
lard ALalyses aavs shown that NO chemical Pie
rcr.tre ~. concerned IN the souclhcaton. 10 w.
re Absorption OF crtCIic aci- nom Tie an iot'iS
CltCuaiC o. iUc. g. neh S..lt. uniting ID lIis-lc"'
proportions With fhc hyirete. forms. acrfTlinS %
FccfS compound of great SfaDliyl and ne .'u.oh
G; tie outer poriiors OF the saadGra-ns VIII @ tae
hEC .cTu.rC s.Gcs.e. Invest. CATION Ats sao"h
ti~- sand iu.h.S mechanically a more important
otce oy ncreasirs he extent of surface 10 ~h.cn
the mound @; the hycraie and carbonate NAY ~
tarh isvf
The later oce may also De- performed. and equally
We. ty lgiyer-ZtC limestone.
h is Wei known that calcareouS springs dcroSl.
carbonate Of lime II crystalline forms Iae SAT- nae
been he'd IL solution by caloonlc acid cons.iHei IN
The "afer tpon reaching the surface under le>>
pressure arc The influence Of high temperature, Is
rarbonlc acid : given up AID with Il psecpi'a,e oi
carbonate Of lime takes place. The process l. eN-
cu>vely chemical
The value OF hydraulic cemenis is now conceived
10 Cepend chiefly upon the pTeSeace o. S,uca ana
lime, theoxide OF ron having little or nothing 10 10
with the process OF solicitation
The alumlna N the form Of 4 sllcais. yields Iis
silica the hne. which. for It's transportation. re-
quires water. This explains II once ,he necessity
oi H. beng retained under water periods OF variable
leneth, according 10 the proportions OF the lngre-
dents The processes are both chemical ana me-
chanicai
Gypsum from " hch two atoms Of water of crys-
iazallon have been expelled by heat, rapidly hard
ems upon beng mixed with water. Tnls Is aScrloed
10 the reunion OF the Suphate OF me with the water
Do either of the above processes furnish 4 SuggeS-
ton a. 10 the methods by which the rocks OF the
Florida reefs have been hardened
The facts presented ~ the furnished specimens are
a. follows
Tie rock formed under water exclusively Is com
posed OF grams Of size less than that OF mustard
seed. which to he naked eye appears quite goouiar
and OF uniform diameter More carefully examined
With microscope. they are found 10 be far from
regular IN form or uniform IN sze but present nume
TouS ccQreSSloUs and promnonceS Dl>iruuied
throughout the intervening spaces : a hne deposit
carbonate WnlCn aClrTf> WIFI cons iIleE1-
re tenaclty to the surface upon whchI, rests
The surface or crust rock, though not strictly no.
moeeI eOuS. composed OF articles minute as not
10 Re dstueu he'd from each other T. : soluble IN
hycrochorc acid. The solution, when eydporatcd
10 dryueS> and gntcd readily reciSSoiyeS IN HYDRO
chiorc acid and without residue. There Is. there
fore no silica present. The solution gives no pre-
Cirlta'C with ClCrCe 90 toram There is. therefore.
no suphuuc acld present. The powdered rocN,
when heated ln dry tube. gives OF. water.
CuaIttatIyC analysis showed the mass 20 tc ior
tie most rart composed Of carbonate % lime With
little hydrate oi lime, small quantity OF organic
matter.
These INGREDIENTS permitted TO action Axe that
occurring IN hydraulic comen'>. m which ,ilcals
REQUIRED. ct Ike that presented IN the hardening oi
eYFsum. in which >ulpnuuc acid lS necessary. To
orcof tctWo remaining proce !. to cthcr. must
II Oe asCTbtd-and as bytrate OF Lime is present, Il
cannot be eXCluS yCy gued 10 place with cal
careous spring deposits. Now now could hydratc
OF lime be provided from carbonate of lime The
completeness Oi the SUIT or corrections lro'Mt| lor
ne by Prof AgisSiZ has enabled me 10 answer TINS
question IN such manner as leaves. | tank, little
room for doubt On the main land against the heyS
there aIe depresslOnS which are filled with water
only az long and irregular intervals This water,
Ike that within and about the Keys, abounds win
animal life. A. the water evaPorates these animals
c.c. and ial upon and miugie with The coral mud al
the bottom. ~ the beds become more and more
completely Grv. the LAYER Of mud aud animal matter
hardcns ~, lt forms mass resembling the surface
OF crust rocs. OF this soft growing rock, Speci,
mems were collected. Agtaied With "alef yielded
70 tmb.d. futed solution. Tested with acetate 0t
lead tbetrayed the presence o. hydro snphuric acid
After standing some hours delicate white film was
deposited upon the containing vessel, al the surface
of The water which proved TO be carbonate Of Lime.
Testpapor showed the liquid 10 be alkaline.
The addition Of soda solution set ammonia nee
and the addition of chloride of borium and hydro
chlor!c acld showed the presence OF sulphurc acid
tOuccIVmC this soft rock 10 &c sn me condition IN
which the solidhed crust was at first the process OF
hardening seemed of easy explanation
The animal matter mixed with the carbonate OF
lime containing sulphur and nitrogen, beside car
ton. hydrogen and oxygen, IN the.progress Oh decay
which warmth aud a small quantity oi water iaclll-
taied, gave, as an early product OF decomposition
hydro-sulphurc acid This, by oxidation at the eX-
pense OF the oxygen of the atmosphere, became
water and sulphuTlc acid The Sulphrlc acId coming
III contact win carbonate OF lime, salt soluble IN
10000 parts OF water resolved II II INTO SulDhdte OF
lime. salt soluble m Ses parts OF water Inc ear.
bonIc acid sci fIee uniting with Az undecompo,c0
atom OF carbonate Of lime, rendered Il soluble. ~
later period. the nitrogen going over into the form
OF ammonia, GeCompOSod the SuIphaie OF lime, iOful-
my sl phae of ammonia and soluble hydrdte OF lime.
This hVdrate OF lime. with atom OF carbonate OF
lime, united 10 form The compound IN ordinary NOR
tar. Investigated By Eachs. The carbonate OF lime
IA solution nom the added cdrbonlc acid, as the Wa
ter s withdrawn by evaporation, takes on the cTys-
taiIne form giving increased SsFtnsth ana soHdy 10
the rock
That tins explanation may serve, IN however
small measure tor the crash rock on the lmd slopes
o. Rev West and all localities OF a similar charac
tern l. necessary that there be animal eHuVla IN
coral mud or finely divided carbonate OF lime. Bo'h
these occur The water about tae Keys abound, IN
al nal lie.
With fhe influx ofthe tide the slopes become over
spread Wild the water and what II contains IN Sus
pension The rCtIeatlng water. az eb1 tide, Leaves
a thin layer OF the animal matter, mixed always
when the water j. dgitaied WIN the hne cdlcdfou>
VoWder. Before the return OF Hood tlue, exposure
10 the atmosphere ana warmth have secured the
succession Of chemical changes enumerated above,
and a thin layeT of rock Is formed. \ repetition OF
this process makes up the numerous excessively thln
LAYERS OF which this rock IS composed.
On the ocean SIDE the deposit Is formed from
>pTay dunHg winds winch drive The RON oi me sea
containing with coral mud the exuya from the bar
Yier OF living corals upon the low bluffs OF the Keys
To these chemical changes must be addedtne SIM
ole ddmixturc of the animal and vegetable matter,
which like mucilage orgiue fills upthe nerstlces IN
creases the extent of surface and with II the cOhe-
sye attraction. and still further TO the decomposition
Of the organic malcTfumishlng carbOnlc acid, when
gives solidty to the pulveTulent carbonate OF lime
The exceeding fneness OF the coral mud is due IN
part 10 the stone plants which flourish IN the waters
within the rect, and when admit oi retuy ieuuchoh
10 a powter of extreme fneness.
or these two species of Miepora and one OF
Opunta were analyzed by Scoyllle In my laboratory.
OpuntIa-gdEe OF
Organic Matter -----------.----- 4le 30
CaroouIc Acid -...-----..37t 35sI
Lime ........---5lsl 81 30
Wat,I ......- $50 592
g926 9.sl
Millepora-gaye OF
Organic Matter. 4f3 it1
,aThoUlc Acid - 1000 1904
SuIpIiiric Acld ..-.-..... OO056 00056
I Tiue - Al f79s
Wafer ..... 367 $50
9ggIJG 9JO7j6
Another Mllepora gave OF
Organic Matter-------------------- l2b
Iirne. 46.sO
M2pugSla D..y ~