New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-20
SCIENCE, INDUSTRY AND ATTENTION.

Nrw I,1rnS.rrro AoEsr.-It has recently been
nroposed in Paris by M. Bunsen TO employ the metal
magnesium for producing light by it's combustion.
This metal is the base Of ma gnesia as aluminium is OF
alumipa and is much less kno wn than the latter metal
though it is but short that tine both were regarded
alike obscure and useless Aluminium IL remarkable for
its ghtness being only about oneiourh the weight Of
| silver; but magnesium weighs only a6ouf two-tmrds
as much as aluminium, its specific gravity being LA
II resembles silver and is not readily oxydized even in
moist air. II can be hammered out on au anvil, aud
drawn into wire. 1t prepared by decomposipg the
chloride of the metal red heat in close crucible
| by means Of potassium sodium. The metal takes
fire at the temperature at which bottle glass melts and
burns with quiet and excessively vivid light. From
| the experiments of Messrs. Bnnson and Roscoe it
appears that its Eliminating power is very great.
wire 1-l00th of an inch in diameter, while burning,
gives Ugh. equal to that Of "a siearn candles of five
to the pound Such wire three feet long, and weigh
ing nearly two grains continues to give this light for
one minute. In ten hours, to obtain the same light
from the candles there would be consumed about %
pounds avordupois Of stearin, while of magnesium,
the consumption would be only between two and three
| ounces. 90
/ IL
which, by clock-work movement shall furnish il in
the fame of alcohol lamp fast required The
apparatus will be of the most portable character and
may be advantageously applied where large and ex-
pensive lights of great intensity employed for
lighthouses. A portable light of this character has
been great desideratum for the heliorope instruments
enpoyed upon the United States Coast Survey and If
it be not too expensive is likely to find an early app
he lad
BY the employment of larger wires of several to-
| gether
The fame is remarkable for its uniformity and steadi-
ness and possesses extraordinary chemical or photo
chemical power, all of which are properties that
render it peculiarly adapted for photogaphingb night
or in places to which the light Of day cannot penetrate
As regards economy it is expensive material at
present than candles; but with demand requiring its
use for practical purposes it probably be furnished
at much less cost than when prepared as heretofore
only as philosophical curiosity. Its price at Vienna
is quoted at 1907 the gramme about so cents per
grain. Even this high price, it is thought, will not
prevent its being used for photogaphing duration
of the light required for any operation not exceeding
about half minute.
| A NEW SoRGHo SUGAR OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Mil
Ter of Lapore, Indiana has recently patented sugar
boiler on principle, which may be described as
being two halves of circular pan six feet in diameter
and six inches Deep which are bolted together, but
set little distance apart as 10 leave an air space
between the parallel sides of the pans The two halves
of the pan being filed with sorghum juice, that in
side may be boiled up TO the point of FORMULATION and
then turned othe fire to prevent burning the rotation
bringing the liquid in the other half the fire to be
boiled in its turn. We have been shown by the Rev.
Mr.. Lane sample of olerable sugar made in the ap-
paratus at expense it is claimed, of not over two
cents per pound. OH
M de Khanikoff has published a map of level
| ngs made by him in 1859 in Khorassan, Afghans-
ar Seistan and Central Persia extent of 2OO.
900 square miles. They located by triangulaton
connected with the trangulation of TransC
This vast country is subdivded into four terraces of
unequal extent and with amean hight of 800 to 5000
feet, each having central depression and forming
BASIN The first and largest contains the great desert
between Koum and Nichapoor; the second and SOUTH
western which il the drest of ALL is the desert of
Loot between Khoasssn and Irak; the third, the
desert of Sestan, has at its lowest point Lake Ha-
moon; and the fourth occupies the country between
Toon Khaf and selzar. The mountains which furrow
these terraces are composcdmanly Of crystalline rocks,
and are remarkable for their uniformity and for the
extreme dryness Of their slopes. The vegetation Of
the first and ast-named is identical with that
of the plains OF Transatlantic the others present some
plants Of tropical forms similar to those Of Southern
Arabia. Wherever the country is sheltered against
the cold northern Winds the date-tree is cultivated
with snecess The increase Of temperature in crossing
these deserts from north to south is great travel
ING ten times the distance across the steppes mmedi
ately to the northward. This sudden increase is due
to the heat of the sun in the desert Of Loot which has
no water to considerable depth, and vegetation or
organic life. The increase Of temperature is accompa-
MED by much greater increase in the dryness Of the
air. At Astrabad the hygrometer stands at 30 or 30
degrees while at Basam, which is on the other side
of chain of mountains it sinks to % q degrees,
and in the desert of Loot in the month of March,
| tits as low as - degrees.
The course' of the great storm in Europe of the
9th and 18th of February has been definitely traced
| by Mr.. r. p Secchi of Rome. II fifteen hours
| travelling from Paris to Rome. Mr. Secchi is the in
yentor of recording barometer and thermometer.
M. Pesier, the chemist of the great sugar refinery
of the Messrs Hanoir at yaenciennes has inventeda
new process for refining bee-sugar. Hitherto animal
black has been used in different stages at cost
which raised the price of beetsugar far above that Of
cane sugar, and prevented its manufacture anywhere
ont of France where it is fostered by high protective
duties NJ Pesier replaces this by alcohol, and al
though the volume Of alcohol is twice as great that
of Juice, yet it can be distilled and used over again;
and according to the great chemist Dumas is great