New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-09
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE


glacial epoch from the Delaware River through
New-Jersey. Staten Island, Long Island and BLOCK
Island New England. Along this line for some 300
miles are to be found great accumulaons OF driit,
forming an almost continuous series OF hills. These
drift hills to terminal deposits dumped at the
margin the cesheet during its period OF greatest OK
tent The strated submits OF all the mountains OF New
England, New-York and northern New-Jersey' sho"
that glacial mantle at least mile thick at
distance 200 miles north from its southern edge Inc
material which gathered, mingled ana swept aohS
in and beneath the ice, upon reaching ts Ter
minatibn, accumulated IN heaps ana rdEes Oh un
strated drift full OF powders, and Identical with the
til which generally overspreads the lodges aud under
lies the modified drift OF glaciated regions The mo
ranes of Long Island and southern New-Engand show
the same division IN the character OF these unstTa
flied deposits that appears throughout the region
10 the north, where tho lower Ill., winch
seems TO be the ground-morane OF the ice
sheet, ia very hard aud compact, DARK ana
frequently blush in color, with cayev detrtus ana It's
pebbles AMI bo wders pianed and striated; while the
upper til, commonly from one to five feet thick APP
pears 10 material winch was held in the ice-nass ana
dropped upon the surface its melting, being distn-
gushed Dy its comparative looscness It's yeOwish color
caused by tAe ex Of its iron To oxidation the pre-
dominance Of gravel and sand instead OF clay. aud by
the abundance ana large size gifts bowders which have
seldom been worn rounded except by the weather
The massive hills Of gravel and sand which form SO
prominent part IN this of drift deposits heaped
at the terminal OF the ieeshcet. appear 10 have
been brought by glacial The melting of the ice at
or near IT. terminal exposed the deritus which II
contained washing Ofmany rils ana small streams
through every SUMMER nut before the retreat OF these
iceheidS under change OF climate, lheG htiling wac
followed Into basins OF drainage and channeed ny
rivers, which DCcamc heavily fleghtea w'h u gravel
-and ana cay t"a' had peeh heid III Wy Ve. I'!s
portion If gravel ana 9aDQ WIS ldld down 81 thr
edge OF te gacis sheet, whore these uVers desc
10 ihe lower opcn area beyond ana Nheh tue ICE Dt
mind them disappeared these dep sits remained As hs,
m"IAig wheie me Dnrdet OF we Gesneo, Ma1 @
more consilcuousIA iu"n us uhnou.ntu AcO
appear have been brought by c,Des or small berg
borns on the < acai dIods.
FLAX SLK.-AccOrding to a German paper,
discovery uas JUS mace at Lyon, whereby slken
appearance mt, be gwen t. lax nDrs After chemical
treatment o. fax yarn it Is dipped into a liquid pre-
pa ed from six waste, which leaves silsen coating
upon it, and in regard neness elasticity, aud gloss
the material SAID 20 be perfect substitute for silk
The textile material no longer resembles fix, tut
has OrgIt highly resi- tDlo slken thread IL appears
that short time ago Paris gentleman went 10 LYONS
and Of 100000 francs offered 70 commune
cate tOtne silk manufacturers process By winch tex
ture coald be produced * yarn, the rate Of
francs per kograume, when would be equal, If
peror silk produced 80 francs per kogramme.
A. the hestated to accept this offer, he
prepared samples TIE spot, which were successful
Thai within an hour fourteen manu- acCuters. whose
names given, contra tted nay tho ,um drmauded
a limited company, with a capital OF 6oJOODJ francs,
incluIHg the inventors 100000 francs, Is now To he
formed u work the process. Should the process prove
Il success, II VIII cause vlutiOn. not only IA the SIX
industry, but ali the textile branches, aud especially
in The fax trade
The ELECTRICAL ALARM COMPAss.-A short
time since Mr.. Henry A. Severn. Horne hi, Eus-
land, orougut ingenious compass alarm for
on shIpDOard. It's purpose 10 maze he cOnpdss
nal automatically any considerable deviation OF tie ship
from desired over the card placed
two index hands which can be adjusted To any angle;
and these hands connected with electric alarm
that the moment compass needle passes the limit OF
variation prescribed alarm bell will ring In the cap
aiu's Office. and ringing ships pro per
course restored In this way any departure from the
ships course as ordered by the officer command.
whether due to the steersnaus inattenton
to duty TO misunderstanding OF the
Oroers given, will be instantly made known.
or course, when the officer gives his
1ers to the seersman the index hands
pond and after nat be IS relieved OF necessity OF
constant observation OF the compass 10 be sure haI his
Drder IL strictly carried out. This invention just now
receiyins uucn attention ~ the scientific and other
uuInas in ENGLAND; aud it is currently described
ever says The Scientific american. open question.
In principle. and appareniy N mechanical constitute
nomItTy bS Alfred Foucnt july 10 $50 Why the i'm.
yeutOu has remained 50 long uhdeveOped Is notkIOwn
MANUFACTURING SULPHURIo AcID.-Su-
phuric acid important element in the inGus-
trial mat mode OF obtai ming it is OF inter
est patent has just Obtained in England for SIS
by using the elements of and water.
viz nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen gases in nascent
or atomic condition. furnace is employed having
fre-clay lining, around which cooled a tube with %
s gnt inclination downwards. space is left between
the cement in which the tube is imbedded and the
brickwOrk TINS space communicates with the interior
Of the furnace by funnel projecting into 1t the
bottom flied with platinzed pumicestOne and with the
outs de by two pipes near the upper part for the
admission OF and the other TO regulate supply OF
air when ammonia IL icing made The cOed pipe
hg-pressure boiler, and generates and
perheaJs ste TN froG water supplied by pipe TO the
coil tap near the lower end Of the coil allows oxygen
from the decDm posed pass To a second fur
mace. where proceeds redo; earhenware tube,
Ammonia is formed IN tue first instance OF a
chemical fuel consisting Of carbon miXei intimately
with 10 per of OF non-volltile base
sucu as iriuiD, sodium, potassium or calcium Sotl-
ing d. however TO the success economy OF tine
new process
HUGHES's AUDIOMETER.-PrO Hughes |
Of LONDON has, OF late been unusually prolific new
inventions growing out OF the telephone and mcrophone
some Of which do not to have been anticipated
by MI Edison One OF the latest is an "auiiometer"
by and Of winch PERSONS power of hearing sounds
can be accurately measured. II Is formed OF a small
battery of one Leclanche cells, new micro |
phOnic key, two fixed primary coils, graduated insu
ated bar TO when AT each end one Of the fixed coils
attached, secondary induction coil, when along
he graduated bar, aud telephone the terminals of !
which connected with the terminals OF the induction
coil. The principle Of the audiometer is based on the
physical fact that when the battery is action and
current is passing through he two primary coils the
secondary the becomes charged by Induction
1t is brought near to either of tho primary
ois but when It is brought to the precise centre
between the primary coils, there is a neutral /
point or electrical balance. where the electrical |
phenomena from induction to be mani |
ested. At recent meeting of the London ROYAL |
Society Dr. Richardson demonstrated the action of fue