New-York tribune., 1879-03-29
Co.. and Arnold Constable Co. viii please accept
thanks for attention.
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.


OBSERVATIONS AT GREAT ALTTTUDEs.-Pro-
fessor g. p. Langley. OF Allegheny Observatory VINO II
now In Italy sends to The american Journal OF Se'enee
and Arts brief desert ton Of the proposed Observatory
TO be erected on Mount Etna. under the direction OF
Professor Tacchn OF Palermo elevation OF over
600 feet above sea level He adds: 90" write In the
hope the example thus set by Italy may ma lmta
tors with us Ihave been now for some time at less
high but still an elevated station here about 1900 feet
above tho sea. engaged IN observations Wheh
II NAV be hoped will be OF some use I'm determin-
ing what may be expected in similar sites in our own
territory their aim being TO substitute some sort OF
quantits data for our present c0nectural know"
edge as TO degree in which the conditions OF vision
are improved higher stations and To form with some
thing OF deuiteness standard OF comparison Inc re-
suits (Which will probably appear in report presented
10 the United States Coast Survey not as yet COM
pete; but may say in general terms that while as re-
CARDS Of precision perhaps even as regards
work on double and like measures the gain s less
than might have been expected too much can hardly Dc
said OF the immense advantage OF an elevated station
for almost every kind Of research connected with solar
physics This specially the case as regards the chro
mosphere while to the corona. concededy our only
nope with our present means OF materially
extending our knowledge OF it, lies In the
prospect that we may yet be able 10 sec IL
without eclipse IL the observer be in an exception
ally transparent atmosphere will add that after az as
Of Observation there ana here freshly in mind, have
no hesitation in saving that our own d m eServ
astronomical requisite and far easier OF access IL Is
most earnestly to be hoped that something VIII De Done
with this direction soon. even II on very mOder-
at scale. II we wait Tor such distant event as the
Complexion Of the Lick Observatory, snail hnd the
aurcls gathered by European observers before We are
upon the field.
ARTIFICIAL GOLD.-Alloys of different ma
teras IN imitation OF gold and silver, applicable as
subttutes for these metals for ornamental purposes
nave produced by Messrs. Meifren Co., OF Mar
settles To make an alloy having tho color and appear
ance OF gold they place IN crucible copper as pure as
possible platinum, and tungso acid in the proportions
stated below. when the metals completely melted
they stir ard granulate them by running them INTO
water containing 500 grammes Of slaked lime ana
500 grammes OF carbonate OF potash for every
cubic metre OF water. This mixture, dissolved IN
water has the property OF rendering the alloy SIN
plrcr The granuatcd metal is next collected dried
and after remelting IN crucb,e certain quantity OF
fine gold ia added. An ALLOW is thus produced which,
when into iugots, presents the appearance OF reu
Hr changed by VARYING the proportions Of the different
metals As u1 boric acid nitrate Of soda and chloride
tions used The proportion OF nux 30 be employed
is % grammes per kllogranme OF the alloy Ine pro-
portions empOyed by preference Tor producing an alOy
OF red gold color are COpper 500 grammes platinum,
rs tungstlc acid, 10; aud gold, 40 grammes
MANUFACTURING SILvER.-A correspondent
of The burlington Hdwkeye tells rather sensational
story Of an alleged discovery Of the artificial manuiac-
turc OF silver by Dr r. Farriss h OF the Iowa Wesleyan
University which carries back to the days OF tue
old alchemists Dr. Farriss, il seems when taking MS
class through OF instruction in the primary
chemical comp rOuLds in the habit of setting aside
the refuse waite s. and day was startled by The
unusual silv,ry reaction which had taken place in
these solutions. This led him to investigate. Result
the artificial manufacture OF silver, business on
which the Doctor said to have entered now on large
scale OF course, details OF the new process are kept
risidy secret from the scientific world, though credu-
ors capitalists may be attracted by the ghtteng pros
pect just as they have been III the past by heciey
motors and other imp0sslDllltles'
PREDICTING PLAGUEs.-NumerOus attempts
have been made Of late TO show that the variations IN
the number Of spots the SUMS face were the cause OF
excessive rains poor wheat crops commercial panics
and other terrestrial occurrences. Now comes MI B G
jenkins Fellow OF the British Royal Astronomical So
cley who saws that cholera the black death, and other
plaques arc the effect OF planetary lnuences and par
tculaIy OF those OF the four outer planets JUPITER
Saturn Uranus Neptune. He goes hack for hun
dreds of years asserts that all the plaques which have
swept over Europe during that period can re accounted
tor by the movements and positions of one or more OF
these planets and concludes with this OminOus predc
ton: would say that within the next seven years
there will happen that which has not happened Tor nun
dcds OF years all the planets at or near their nearest
poin TO the about the time. Is true OF the
time when IL is near the the same is probably true
of all the planets therefore may expect exraordl
nary magnetic phenomena during the next seven years
and great agurs which VIII manifest themselves IN all
their esty when Jupiter is about three years from
his periheliOn-that is in 1888"
MAKING CANVAS WATERPROoF.-The recipe
used by Mr. Berthon reuder the Of his cOllaps
ing boat airproo aud terproOf, aud believed to be
similar TO that used IN the English dOckyards for ham
mock cloths Is as follows To six ounces OF hard yellow
soap add one and half pints Of water, and when boil
ing add five pounds OF ground 0chre one-half
ponnd Of patent drers and five pounds OF boiled nseed
oil For waerprOOhng sheets, the Ochre should be
omitted as 1t adds TO the weight, lessons the eXiby,
and ia unnecessary Existing coverings are made tenn
porarily arproOf and waterproof by preparations OF
IudiarubDer OIL paint, etc. Fabrics coated with prep
aratlons Indarubber not proof against the effects
of climate rough usage not easily repaired and
compared with those coated with the Chinese and other
preparations very heavy and IL Of the same dmeu
sions expensive. The recipe for "waterproofng stout
Calico by the Chinese, given by the late Mr. p
lie Neye Foster in his recent report on fesayng appa
ratus in the journal Of the Society OF Arts He states
that It is perfectly efficient. alike in the hottest and
coolest climates believed to he composed OF boiled oil
one ouart soft soap one ounce and beeswaX
tic whole boed until reduced 10 hseo-quarters of its
previous quantity; but experiments are required to test
satisfactorily the above proportions
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