The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-31
The Scientific Convention.

lie lolOWlDS cAtIaClS oiS iohi eiiS i""S
davis session ofthe Convention at Buffalo !:
THE NEW AGENT FOR EXTRACTING GOLD.
The first paper presented was one on the
Civilization of sodium in gold and silver
amalgamation." :,
Professor Wurz's recently announced
discovery of the extraordinary effect OF
the alkali metals in amalgamation has ex-
acted very much discussion during the
past year, and the scientific gentlemen
present listened with unusual interest to
the Professors remarks upon the subject.
lie quoted number of reports from vari-
Gus sources-from Professor Silliman, from
DR.. Torrcy, from the mining journals, and
metalurgists of California and Colorado,
relative to the employment of the sodium
in extracting the precious metals, testify
ing to an immense saving of former waste,
and also q cheapening of the extraction.
The Gould and Curry mine, by the use of
sodium, crushed and amalgamated in the
month of May three thousand six hundred
tons of rock, with results averaging within
eleven per cent. of the assays. The yield
of the Narragansett mill, in Colorado, was
increased more than thirty per cent. on
the adoption of the sodium amalgamation.
Such was the tenor of many reports from
the mines.
At the conclusion, President Barnard
expressed his great interest in the dis.
coyery OF Professor Wurz, who had proved
himself one of the benefactors of the
world in making two grains Of gold avail
able where one was before. lie did not re-
gard the desire for an increase Of gold as
an ignoblc passion, as gold, apart from its
employment for money, is, because Of its
purity and incorruptibility, the most use
full of metals next to iron. If it could be
cheapened sufficiently to enable us to use
it commonly for dishes and utensils, he
thought that result very much to be COW
eted, mot only on account of the elegance,
but the incorruptibility Of the metal. He
stigmatized the story of the explOsiveness
of the sodium amalgam by saying that no.
thing more absurd has ever appeared in
the public prints; and that, he remarked,
is saving great deal. With regard to the
explosiveness of sodium itself, Professor
Barnard described some experiments made
by DR.. Torrey and himself, from which he
concluded that the expansive or destruc-
tive power Of the explosion is not very
great.
Professor Wurz remarked that the dis
covery would lead to an extensive devel-
opment Of the manufacture of sodium,
aluminium, magnesium, calcium, &C., to
render them cheap and useful metals in
the arts.
INSTRUMENT TO INDICATE STORMS.
Professor Clum called the attention of
the section to the 9lloscope, remarkable
instrument of Mr.. Clum's invention, the
name of which signifies the atoms, and
whose functions is to indicate premonitory
storm changes in the atmosphere with
much greater delicacy and precision than
the barometer. 1t is constructed upon
the principle of atmospheric displacement,
and is an instrument of considerable CON-
plexity, costing $1,000. Mr.. Clum is now
constructing one for the Royal Observa-
tory of Paris at cost of $4,000. Several
of the telescopes are in use in England,
at Greenwich and elsewhere, and it has
met with an enthusiastic reception at the
hands of the English meteorologists. Mr..
Clum gave very interesting explanation
of the instrument, with an account of its
indication of several great storms, inclu-
ding that in the city of London last year,
when the instrument went down many
days before the storm appeared.