New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-08
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE

SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
A PORTABLE STAR FINDER.--Mr. f. ii. Lave
ing describes In the Monthly Notices OF the brtsh HOY a.
Astronomical Society," little invention OF his own TO De
attached ordinary telescopes having only an upward
and side sweep by means which stars aud other RANT
celestial objects readily " found spndIe Is a'
tached to the tube of the telescope by Dacket' ln'
spind Is parallel to the optical axis or the telescope
aud carries a circle which forms the defamation cfcIo
of the instrument. This circle is movable around the
spIndc IN the bearings bu It's pare remains parallel 10
the spindle, and therefore TO the Telescope Upon Tue
fiat surface OF this circle brass plate, carrying
t one end vernier read the graduated edge OF the
decnatiOn circle and al the other the hour circle OF
instrument Upon the surface OF this hour circle Turns
colatltude bracket, carrying Verhcr circular Si''
level and two sights camped upon Its edge ana capaDe
OF being secured In any desired position. Before the
instrument can be used 10 find objects, an azmulh
mark must be fixed upon, which may be some distant
wclde0ned terrestrial object visible from the situation
where tho telescope stands Them TO fix the sights pro-
coed thus Set the declnatOn WERNER To the declnaoh
Of the sun ut the time direct the telescope 10 INC
SUM- 20 that that object is the centre OF the Held next
render the circular sprtleyc true by moving the hour
circle MOTION aud also the whole instrument about the
spindle This done dust and clamp the sights so az to
bsect the distant ob ct fixed upon now read the hour
circle which gives hour angle Of the sun at the mo-
ment which, added 10 tho suns light ascension equals
the sidercal time. TO this having set clock
or watch any object may be found with the
instrument in the following manner Set the
declinaton verner TO the declinatiOn OF the
object and the right ascension veInier 10 ITS hour
angle THAT Is the siderca tme-the Right ascenson)
now render the level correct by moving the telescope ~
attitude and also the instrument Oh the y lhdc' LUIS
done. the telescope III azlmnth Tor hoIIZ0ula{I
until the sights bsec the distant object and II all is
done right the star will be IN the neId IDS Slar
Finder differs from ordinary equatorial in the i.cts
that IT weighs only ounces: aud that instead OF
carrying the telescope it Is itself carried by IT, Dens
cmpoycl only the telescope, not To support ~
II requires fixed stand or complicated aUu.tmehh.
The telescope and stand can be taken IN ana our OF inc
house ut will aud are always ready for use at once
WATER PIPES IN Frosty WEATHER.-A cor
respondent OF The English Mechanic gives simple
method of preventing the bursting OF water pipes Dy
frost where the house is supplied from eistern' M 10
put plug in the main pipe at the bottom OF the cstern
lurn all the taps and empty the pipes The plug made
OF wood turned tapcrng, and with hole up the
centre. 1t should fixed in piece OF inch IRON gas
pipe long enough to be above the level OK inc water III
the cisern when full The air can thereby get Dehlhu
the water When likely to freeze hard during the ngn
insert the plug There difficulty IN wlthdTaWlng
the plug the morning, as only inc surface VI INC
water III the cistern would he frozen.
THE NEW PLATINUM PHoTOGRAPHs.-Mr.
Willis the inventor OF the patnotype photographs
having improved his methods, recently gave an inter-
esng account OF the process before the London Photo
graphic Society. Briefly, he uses the following mate
rails: Pain paper, paper having slight additional
sizing Of some cOOid solution OF ferrc oXaate con-
tanning about 100 grains Of the salt to each ounce OF
water solution containing thirty grains OF potassic
chlorO planie and three grains OF pumbc chloride 10
each ounce OF water solution containing in each hud
ounce 100 grains potassc OXaatc and seven grains p0
tassiccOropatnite sheet Of the paper is now suita
bly, fastened on plane surface Equal quantities OF the
flflh eel pO.ula
ito solution arc mixed, and two fluid drachms OF the
mixture are evenly spread the paper by means OF
piece Of flannel wound around glass rod. The paper
Is now hung up TO dry as soon as all surface moisture
has disappeared the drying finished before fro or
stove. The paper Is now ready for exposure under
negative. This sensiti1ed paper has kept perfectly
good in dry atmosphere both before and after expos
ure for more than month, Tho time OF exposure
may he determined by an actnometer or by simple III
epection preferably by the former method Tho length
OF exposure about one-thlrd Of that required in ord
nary silver printing The visible image Is formed IN
ferrous oxalate light produces effect on the pati-
NUN salt living I'm contact with il. The print - then
hoated for a few seconds solution which contains
pOtasSic OXaate and potaSsc cblOrO-platlhle: ms
converts the brownsh ferrous image into black
an image picture in natalie platinum Tho potassic
oxaac dssOlves the ferrous image and the solution
thus formed before the moment OF leaving tho
surface Of the paper, reduces the platinum salt The
image IL now IN metallic platinum, one OF the most
stabe substances known TO chemists perfectly unal-
tcrable by spherc influences. not oXdlzed IN
the air at any temperature, and not attacked by any
single acid OF aikdl.
OLD LAMPS FOR New ONEs.-So great has
been the anxiety Of men 10 something in the way OF
inv oHtng new electric lamp, that III more than one
instance old and wcl-tIlcd designs have been repat-
entcd. owe do not mpute sharp practice TO those
who have taken out patents" says The EccrtcaR' "bnt
we have no hesitation In saying that the patents should
not have been taken out For the moment, light by i'll
candesence is n popular direction for experiment.
WeIdermann shows light Res nrr stralgtway claims
thai Werdermann has derived the idea from him, Wer
dcrmaun replies by showing that Harrison patented
lamp on the principle years ago; Edison claims TO
work in this direction, but "a met with the rebuf that
Starr-in England King for Starr-had done the work
before and Professor Ayron tells as that DO Mo-
eyps claims priority oil these men. The wallace
lamp is described The Mechanics hdJd-tnc OF May,
1919, that begins TO oubt II the money paid into
the Golfers OF the Patent Oce indicates any real prog
rnss There il another reason, too, which makes us
doubly doubtful of what has been done; real inventions
arc GENERALLY well tried before they hurried into
public gaze and we question II many " the gentlemen
who have favored us with inventions really understand
what Is required
An IMPROvED MORTAR.-SOmc time since the
use of saw dust mortar recommended az superior
even to hair for the prevention Of cracking and subse
qucnt peeng on Of rough easing under the action Of
storms and frost. Some one Of the Of Slchr says
that his own house. exposed 10 prolonged storms on the
seacOas had pieces OF mortar to be renewed each spring.
and after irving without effect number of substances
TO prevent it, he found sawdust perfectly satisfactory
If Was first thoroughly dried, and sittcd through
dinar, gram SIEVE to remove the larger particles The
mortar made Ivy mixing one part ot cement TWO 81
lime two OF stwdist and five OF sharp sand. the
dust being first well mixed dry with the cement and
sand
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.