New-York tribune., 1879-09-03

to point where quarter Of an inch spark IRON an AMIN M
duction coil would not pass between points one , mr
meter apart placed spiral the eonnecnE et w,'ss s
The most dszsmg incandescence for hours without the
slightest deposit becoming visible.
OTHER INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS.
Twill now describe other aud far more important
phenomena observed in my experiments. II short
engh of platinum wire 1000 o. inch In diameter be
held IN the flame Bnnsen burner. at some part u VIII
fuse and riecc OF tho wire VIII be bent at an ange pS
the action Of the Gobue OF melted platinum; III some
cases there several g0bues formed simultaneously
and the wire assumes zigIag shape win ""e
s,oo Of aunch in diameter tins eneo. does not 'aAe
pace cannot be raised 10 equal thai OF
the smslso wire owing the increased snras
and mass After heaung II the wire De eEhiniI. ~ he"r
nrandescent wifi be found covered with inhnhsIap.,c
cracks IL the wire DO placed between p, y the
AVID heated 10 for twenty minutes ~ 'o
passage of an electric current. the CRACKS wi" y" r-o
enlarged an 10 be seen with the nnEso npnsarsnce
and is ul tf deep cracks II he cnr,Sn. 20 40 shnt Inc
for several 1ours these enects VIII so ic'e"so " Wv
wire va fad TO pieces
NEW FORM OF PLATINA.
This disntegraon has been roticed in pstina ioHe sun
tectcd to the action OF flame by Professor W.
Draper The failure OF the process OF lighting invented
by the French chemist Tessie du Motay, who raised
shee,s OF platinum to incandescence by introducing
,hem into hydrogen fame was duo to the
ra,ad disintegration OF the metal have ascer-
tanned the cause OF this phenomenon, and hove
succeeded in eliminating that which produces
it, and In dong SO have produced heai
in state hitherto unknown and which Is absolutely
stable AT a temperature where nearly al substances
mclt or are consumed; metal which. although OISi-
nay soft ana pliable, becomes a. homogeneous as Ei
and as rigid as steel. when wound in the form OF
Sp,ral N as sprngy and easiir when al the most
dazzling noandesoence rs when coid ana cnnho' pc a."
nealed by any process now comment! kno%n. 81, ,ho
wire II due entirely to the expansion OF he ar IN ,he
mechanical and hyscal pores ef the platinum anu ne
Contraction upon the escape OF the ar Platinum as
sold in commerce may be compared to sandstone III
lilies with many ar-spaces The sandston" upon melt
ing becomes homogeneous ana no sr,spces & vt tS. H
With platinum or any metal ils ar-sptocs ps lnas ~, ov
eliminated and ihe metal made homogeneous Dy
very simple process This process l WI, nov nov
describe l had made large h9mocr oi @ pn,
tnnm sprais a. OF the same size ana nom Tue sam
quality Of wire each spiral Y 70 ~ o the we're
brought by electric current up TO the netting point
age light was cona standard candles for each
spiral just at tho melting point Que oi the SAM hno
The air exhausted 10 TWO mnercs; "esk car
rent then passed through the wire slightly 70 warn
A. fcr the purpoae assisting the passage o. Tie air
from the pores ~ the metal into the VACUUM Inc t-
perature OF the wre was gradually augmented ~ iN,e
walls Of ten minutes until II became red The OBJECT OF
slowly increasing the temperature was 10 alioW inc nr
TO pass gradually and ex plosveiy te
cufrent was Increased at ntervaso OF ntcen minutes
BEFORE each Increase the current me wire was allowed
=, cool and the contraction expansion al these high
causod the wire to weld together at the
point previously containing ar I'D one hour anu "In
minntes this SPIRAL had reached such temperature
withont ting that 1t giving light of twenty-five
standard candes whereas II would undoubtedly have
bsd ~ MOI been put through tho above pro-
cess. Several more spirals were aiter"sru uen
with the result. One spiral, when hau pern
brought to high temperature more slowly gave
light equal t. thirty standard candies IN the Open ar
this spiral gave nearly lhe same usu', "i.u.kn !,
outed more to keep II AT the same temperature
Upon examination OF these spras. which had pas,ed
through vacuum process, Nv hc Sin ol microscope
no cracks were visible; the wire had become as whle as
silver. and had pSlsn whioh eYuiu 10, De sssn , o
before treatment aud II was exceedingly .hncllt l"
melt Ia the oxyhydrOzen flame. As compared Wlth un-
treated platinum WAS found tai IL Was as nara as
the siecl used IN pianos. ana hht II coud not DC
aunta aled al any temperature.
Nh experiments with many metals treated by this pro-
cess have proved satisfaction. anu nave no heh
me ala la make Them soft and plable Is nothing more
than the cracking OF the metal In every eae where
scope revealed myIiads OF cracks III the ni,tal.
since these experiments 81 which have Just spoken.
have by the aid S9rengel mercury pumps produced
higher cNh~nsuons anu na',' ~ -. ~, ,,,,,,
hours in excluding tue air from tue wire anu ihteinll
obtaining ghi of eight standard candles from spiral
Of wIre with total adauug surface of of an inc1
viii spI,als 81 this small which have not passed
through tne process the average amour OF npn gwen
u m melting less than one standard candle. Thus
am enabled 10y the increased capaoity oi platinum 10
Withstand toe hign iemrsraturss, 10 employ sinai r
for candle hight can now obtain eigpt separate 1els
eaeE SnI.s & ON 80 Sa,S or total Of los can
dies by tue expenditure OF 10000 1901 pOunds oi
na,ier OF curiosity have made fprals Of other
metals nd excluded the air from them IN The manuSr
stated Common iron wire may De made 10 gave iighi
preater than platinum heated The Iron becomes
hard as see and lust Nickel Is fur more
rac,ory steel wire used ia pianos becomes
decarhouizcl remains hard aud assumes the color
az silver Aluminium U ets only ~ q wni.e heat.
In conclusiou be interesting ~ state .bat the
meluug point ~ many oxides l. dependent upon tnc
msnner OF applying the heat; Tor Instance pure oxide
of zercOniam does not fuse III Inc Name oi the Oxy-
bydrogcn bow-pipe. while 1t mciis Ike wax ana con
duets electricity when on an lncandescent platinum
spiral winch at far lower temperature; on The
her hand oxide OF alumni easily nelts In tile
Ivrogen flame, while II only yrifos on the platinum
syIral