The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-07-05
EASTERN PORTS
SCIENCE AND ART

THE Color OF THE MED1rERRANEAN.-Mr. Piesse
OF London as the result of experiment ascribes the
beautiful blue color of the Mediterranean Sea to an
ammoncal salt of copper, and the preenness of 9TH
er seas to the chloride of copper. He has made
series OF interesting experiments between the ports
OF Marsellles. in France, and Nice in Italy. bag
containing nails and scrap-iron was suspended at
the side of the steamer which plies between these
places, and after voyage of twelve hours there
were, upon the iron indications of copper Four
separate voyages were made before the bag was re-
moved to the laboratory. The quantity of copper
found in conjunction with the iron was so great that
much surprise manifested by those interested in
seeing the result that the presence of this metal
had not been previously disco vered especially when
the action on ships bottoms has long been known.
SCIENTIFIC RoMANCE.-An English journal ndulg-
es in the following piece of scientific romance
Suppose that any one allowed to pay the Levi
athan visit week for a single year, upon
condition that pin must be dropped upon her deck
at the first visit and that upon each of the succeed
ing weekly visits the number of pins must be doub
led. On the first week there would be one pin on
the tenth week there would be 5l2 pins, on the
twentieth week there would be 524 2SS pins, on the
forteth there would be $40, 1855 sl3s $685. and on the
ffty-second, or the close, there would be the enor-
nous number of 2,251 799 Sl3 6s5, ,24S pins The
weight of this quantity of pins would be, nearly
possible 25l BIG, ,943 tons, cwt., G7 lbs, Is
ounces; so that it would require about LIZ Leva-
thans, calculating the tonnage of each at 90 800
carry the weight of pins that might be deposited
in ffty-two weeks, upon the simple condition of
tity each time-the calculation being a very simple
one, which almost any school boy can go through
with.
PEAT FOR FUEL.-The quality of peat. like that of
coal, is very variable. The best kind is compact
and nearly black; the inferior kind is light, and
of brown color. The lower strata of deep peat
bogs make the best peat, because more compact
and they more nearly resemble bituminous coal in
character. 1t is employed for fuel in the greater
part of Ireland, in several districts of France
Germany, and Holland, and in some parts of Scot
land. The substance being soft is easily cut in the
bog. and, when afterwards exposed to the sun and
air, becomes dry, hard, and very infammable. Ow-
ing to the great quantity of ashes which peat pro-
duces, it has until within few years, been little
used in furnaces or CRATES, being generally burnt
like wood. In Germany, France and Ireland, peat
has, of Late been subjected to severe pressure, like
clay in brick making and thereby reduced to one
third its natural bulk by which process it has been
rendered nearly compact as coal, and as availa-
BILE for all purposes in which fuel is employed. Peat
can be charred like wood, and its charcoal is re-
puted to be of very superior character for making
iron and steel.
SEVERAL BLUE CoLoRING SUBSTANCES have been
obtained lately from the alkaoids of coal tar and
one from napthaline and patent has been taken
out for the commercial application of of these
beautiful purple blue colors, and which by pecui-
process fixed silk. This fine color is not
destroyed by light. The process consists in dis
solving in water the ulphates of aniline of cumn-
inc, and of toludine and adding quantity of bicb-
romate of potash, sufficient to neutralize the sui
phuric acid in these suphates. The whole is left to
stand for twelve hours, when brown substance is
preciptated, which is washed with coal tar naph-
TIA, and then dissolved in methyated spirits.
From coal tar have been obtained products HAVING
most extraordinary dyeng power and yielding as
beautiful as saffiower pinks and cochineal crimsons
and what ncr the interest of this coal tar pro
duct is that by the process which has been discoy
cred, there can be obtained with it, on piece of
calico mordanted for madder colors, the various
coors and shades of violet, purple, chocolate pink
and red.
A little girl, eleven years of age, named Susan
Gerhard, residing with her parents, about two miles
from Lancaster, Pa, was burned to death on Tues
day by the upsetting of fluid lamp.
| Col Alexander Ward was shot and killed. last
week, in Smyth county, Virginia, by Mr. Crenshaw,
his brother-in-law difficulty about their father