New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-02
SCIENCE AND ART.
Assrscnn Insiitute Po7ytcchpic AssOcin-

Assrscaa Insiitute Po7ytcchpic AssOcin-
ton.
A regular meeting was held ST the Cooper
Onion building Thursday evening. March a. 5. u.
TM1sAN Esq, presiding. During the hour devoted TO
fbe examination of inventions and discoveries Tn
CHAmMAN reao the following interesting summary:
BODILY WORK IND WASTE.
Under this title the Popular Science Review illos-
trates the great truth established by modern research
shat every manifestation Of physical force involves the
netamorphosis Of q certain quantity of matter Its
facts regarding the daily work performed by the o.
binary human being chiefly furnished by the inves
Hgations ofthe Rev. Prof Haughton OF Trinity College,
Dublin who asserts that there is definite rea ton be-
tween the amount OF force exerted aud the amount OF
urea generated. The urea formed daily in healthy
man. weighing $50 pounds luctustes from 400 70 60
grains O:s 800 grains the result of vital work;
that is OF force appended il the motions Of the digestive
organs ard the heart and in sustaining the temperature
of the body a. uniform This amount exceeds ali
other force generated and expended N the system and
is equal 10 that required to raise s tuns one foot high
n addition to the mere act Of living the working man
undergoes bodily labor equivalent TO lifting 200 tUas
foot high daily. which requires tie formation OF
73S grains OF urea The force expended u two hours
hard mental labor involves sn expenditure OF power
equal to Hitting 222 foot tuns. and generation of
weighing 10 graDs Thus We have the total for uaton
of during a hours amounting g. 1898 cl0ns for
which there is expended force egl 10 .lsl foot tuna
The CHAIRMAN added Urea j. "a cO.orcss substance
which by slow evaporation orystaizes in four sided
pYslns It consists o. atoms of carbon. Of nitrogen
OF oxygen and of hydrogen as rational formula
has not been defnite! settled "A little more than AZ
per by weight consists 1T nitrogen. It Is through
this important compound that nearly all the nitrogen Of
Che exhausted tissues Of the bOdy are removed. Ac-
eOrdiug Bcoqgere there is an excess OF urea formed
In tho male sex in the ratio OF II TO u.s. Although the
amount depends somewhat the nature OF FOOD, Leh
mann discovered long that strong exercise OF the
bodily powers increased its excreton Urea was hrst
made artfcaly rom inorganic substances by WOher.
BY the addition Gi two atoms OF water urea is changed
70 the carbonate Of ammonia and thus becomes valla
SOLUBLE BLUE DYES.
NAIVE and other color compounds Of the anene class
obtained from coal tar are bat slightly soluble in water
NJ Clavei has patented in France process for Fenucr
INC them more soluble. He dssOlTes the dye in forming
suphurc acid and then p0urs the solution into water
through which current Of steam is passed. II is thoa
prccpitated by akal common salt. The coio1iag
matter which collects In foceuli IS washed and dis
solved in boiling water and is then ready to be used in
6yeing
Prof Kirkwood in Sliman's journal for March, d.
reefs attention the fact that the orbits Of bD0Ty
Stars 60 FAR as observed mHch more eptica than
those of the planets OF the whole number OF appa-
Sently double stars known 20 as, about COCO DO less
than $50 have changed their relative position The
almost circular path OF planets around the and the
extremely elliptic motions Of the sei-uninoas stars are
both accounted for by the theory Of La Place rs eZ
planned by Prof X. For If mass Of nebuous matter
In which the process Of condensation has commenced
has very slow rotation. and IT, instead of sHslc
ter Of attraction distinct nuclei be formed the
consequence may be its complete separation into two
bodies while the rotation is vet slow that the
tifugal force. compared with the centrpet Is too
feeble TO produce Iearly ciTc1lnr motion. While,
therefore orbits Of small eccenricity must character
xe planets formed from the abandoned equatorial rings
of condensng nebG!a orbits highly elllpucd may be
regarded as the probable CONSEQUENCE OF separation
in the earlier stages of its physical history
wATDSs COMET
Afr Watson Of Ann Arbor Observatory conmuni.
Gates 10 Siman's Journal the elements OF the orbit OF
I'D hi .
which almost exactly resemble those Of the Comet OF
1910. This comet was barely visible TO the naked eye
IN the latter part Of January and in comet seeker
hibited tail about 90 in length.
PROGRESS OF THE WORLDS TELEGRAPH.
The Russian telegraph line in the direction OF Amer
ica is now completed from Omsk to lrkutzk. Dis
patches from st. Petersburg reach Irkutzk distance
az about $3.50 yersts. IL less than one day Letters
transported between these places are "a days on tho
route. The Russian verst being equal TO 1901 AmeIi
feet the whole sngth Of the line completed Is 3e5
miles.
STEEL RAILS
From experiments the London and North Western
Railway it is concluded that pair OF steel rails viii
hast as long ten pair Of iron rails subjected to the
same amount Of wear.
THE GREAT TRUNK RAILWAY.
project has been started 10 construct q railway |
underground from the Battery TO the northern extremity
Of Manhattan Island The act to authorize company
for this purpose, with capital OF 5000 COO Is now
before the Legislature. II cOrpoIat0Is some
Of the most prominent and weakly gentlemen Of New
York. The route has been pronounced feasible by
petcnt engineers simiIor underground railway IN
London extending Eve miles is said TO be n success
Without entering into tie details Of this project for
tunnelBg New-lOTk. which follows the thai and
abandonment Of short tunnel in the City OF Brooklyn
may be proper inquire whether the objects desired
BY this company may not be more readily and cheapy
accomplished by another plan
AN ELEVATED RAILWAY
Randall proposed. many years oco, 20 construct an I
elevated railway the sidewalks OF Broddway b.t
the plan proposed 10y the Chair IL "a construct
railway especially designed 10 carry passengers with
great rapdty from the upper end Of the Island 10 tie
lower so that persons living above the Central Park
lime usually devoted to that purpose by those living
below Union Square.
Tho railway shonld DO constructed for this purpose
between Two main avenues streets taxing the back
mart of the lots fronting either IL should hc
at least 20 feet high md pass over ali the cross
streets leading the North aud East Rivers by bridges
siILcgt any Supports ID ihe snee's. II W0uio ph's