The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-30
SCIENTIFIC.

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tho oils, but small success has hitherto
attended the endeayOr. a now process
has lately been patented in England,
which has, 1t Is said, proved. satisfacto-
ry. Tho patent applies not only to
those oils which arc found native, such
as petroleum, but also to those that are
obtained from coal, schist, asphalt and
other minerals. In order to render
such oils capable Of sapOnifiCation thcy
crete fatty matter, either animal or vcg-
ctable, and the mixture is then saponi-
fled In the usual way by the addition of
alkaline OF ly0. The soaps thus pro-
duccd may be varied in hardness and
solidity according to tho nature of the
fatty matters and lycs employed, but in
all cases they are powerfully detergent
and disinfectant, and baths formed by
them do not putrcfy even after use.
Such being the general nature of the
new and improved process, tho manner
In which it 9an be practically carried
into effect may be best explained by Il
particular example: Assuming the oil
to he treated to bo the rcctilicd oil of
petroleum and the concrete fatty mat
tor stearic acid, tho latter Is melted in
II water bath and poured into the pc
troloum, which IL at ordinary tompera-
turc, the stearc acid being added to the
petroleum In the proportion of about
fifteen parts Of tho former 10 100 parts
Of the latter by weight. After thorough
mixture by stirring fora short tiMo the
compound can be saponlflcd in the usu-
al way. Itis, however, of advantage to
combine 1t, before saponification, with
animal Or vegetable fatty matter, a good
proportion for such combination being
Cwo of the iditlod petroleum ito three
of the fatty matter. CEither soda or
potash may be employed to saponify the
compound, producing a benzine soap
which may be made hard or soft accord
Ing to the alkali and the proportions
adopted In the sapouitication. =
Niagara Falls.-The amount of water
passing over Niagara Falls has been es-
timated at 100 600 600 tons per hour,
and Its perpendicular descent may be
taken ut l50"feet, withont considering
the rapids, which represent further
fall of 100 feet. The force represented,
by the principal fall alone amounts to
IL 500 600 horse power, an amonnt
which If 1t had to be produced by steam
would nccesstate an expenditure Of not
less than 26G 600 600 tons of coal per an
mum, taking the consumption of coal ut
four pounds per horse per hour. In
other words, all the coal raised through
out the world would barely suffice TO
produce the amount Of power that an
nually runs to waste ut this wonderful
fall.
One Of the new industries of Germany
reported by DR.. Stutxcr to be s'n0w In
1lourishing condition." Is the manu-
tacturc of artificial clover-secd. Frag-
ments OF gravel are siftcd until particles
OF suitable size are obtained, and the
substitute for the seed is then shaken up
with some c0loring substance until it
acquires the desired hue. An ordinary
pocket microscope is quite sufficient,
however, to expose the cheat.
Nichelizing, which to some extent has
replaced silvering, may be itself re-
placed silvering, may be itself replaced
for any articles Of small value, partic-
ularly If they contain copper. The ma
nipulattOn Is quite simple. Coarse
raspcd or granulated zinc is boiled for
some time ina mixture of three parts by
weight Of sal ammoniac and ten of wa
ter, the objects immersed and stirred up
with zinc rod. The deposit is silvery
bright, and!resists mechanical action as
a coating'o of nickel. -..
II. Perr0y has invented an apparatus
for distilling water ut sea, which has
received prize Of 5000 francs from
tho FIench academy, and been adopted,
by the French navy. The steam from
sea water passes through two cones,
where IT Is pratcd by boine condensed
In an air current. 1t Is then purified
by circulation through animal charcoal. .
The result Is fresh, well. ;eratcd, inodor-
Gus, limpid water.
Researches on the ultraviolet limit of
the solar spectrum have been conduct
cd nj. Corme. The extent OF the spec
trum varied with the altitude ofthe sun,
proving that the limitation is due to at.
mospheric absorption. The utmost lin
1t lie was able to roach, anC this only on
two days at noon, CORES pondcd to the
wave length 203. . W. y, ...'..l p.