New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-22
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

OCEAN STORM TRAcKs.-ProfessOr Loomlss
examination Of the storm tracks OF the Norln ht"n'
I'm lszI-'75 showed that on an average Only ciSn'o.
gtorms year can traced from the United states W
EuroIe that nearly all OF these pursue northeastey
course and pass considerably TO the north OF seotanu
md that the probability OF storms passing from this
country and striking the English coasts Is only as one
I'm nne The chart No a, just issueo DIV "e"er"
Myer OF the Signal Service Bureau contains the rachS
of eight storms crossing the Atlantic In the hrst Two
months Of the present year. and confirms fro'essor
Ioomis's deductions. OF the storms noted one oh'y
struck the English coast two pas Sed across France "
one over span the rest curved toward the Pole ana
ssed several hundred miles TO the north OF tue bs
Isles BY the regular publication OF these charts deei
Never ia doing admirable work IN promoting the suuS
~ meteorology az science. and thoroughly deserves
the compliment paid him by the Vienna MeteofoioHc"'
Congress The permanent committee of that BODY mas
lust recommended to proposed second congress tuc
adoption of General Myers system, and It's extension
throughout the world.-How far storm tracks can ne
predicted il yet moot point The plan adopted py NJ
Erouuow, of the Russian Marine Department. is a.
follows He lays down on chart for a. M tne regoms
OF rise and fan OF the barometer during the previous
night and Joins the central points Of these areas by
what he calls the difference line" LAYING down also
tine known track Of the storm for the prec dug twenty
our honra These two lines in general intersect, ana
the direction of motion OF the centre 1or
ing the date charC makes with the dihrTencc c
an angle which Is greater in the proportion Oh hlteen
TO ten than the angle made with TINS difference Inc Oy
the original track OF the storh'
HINT FOR HoUsEHOLDERS.-As an agent for
rapidv extinguishlng fires in chinneys' frehc"
chemist recommends the burning OF few POUNDS ol
carbon de-sulpbde" on the hearth The combustion OF
this substance produces large volumes OF carbonc ana
suphurousacd gases, both OF which are efectual
extnguishers of flame The compound is said to have
been expcrmcntaly tried by the Paris renen and with
good results since il IS stated that within the space OF
three months thew succeeded by Its use III eAtngshg
051 fires out of 3lg, and that without derangng or
damaging apartments In any way
WHAT Is THE ZODIACAL LIGHT 9-This glow
ing archway across skies frequently at this
time OF the year shortly after sunset, writes CORE
suonden OF The Providence Journal is one OF the astro
nomical puzzles Of science are zealousy trying
to pull to pieces. Taus far their Efforts nave Decn
unsuccessful the unpractised observer VINO looks
with simple wonder and admiration upon the elliptca
glow in the evening sky knows almost as much OF It's
constitution and mission in tho divine economy as the
vsest astronomer in the land Various arc the theories
that have been advanced account for the presence OF
this intruder terrestrial domain. some observers
consider it a ring revolving round the earth
others look upon IL as collection or minute paruces
of meteoric or conetic matter travelling around the
sun in very eccentric orbits. More recent aud more
searching examination gives far grander explanation
OF its origin making the zOdiacal light continuation OF
the corona and thus indicating enticularshaped al
mosphere OF ncOnceivabe rarity surrounding the sun
ard extending out near the plane Ofhe eclpc beyond
the orbit Of earth Our most honghtfu scientists 40
not accept tins view. but suggest another even more
sublime and awenspiriDG IT Is that the whole space
between the earth aud sun Is filled with immense
clouds of metcorOds, and that the sunlight reflected on
these cOsmictl atoms oI npatng staIhuSt Is inc cahr
OF the celestial glow mat now fingers evening AFTER
evening in our Western sky.
TIE KRUPP ELECTRIC LAMP-HeT Won
Krupp Of ESSEN has patented Improvement In cleo
r,T,... r,,f
the cartoons Instead of the usual clockwork fan or
Av revoves in quicksilver other liquid; other parts
consist OF magnetic coil and brake These are ar
ranged that whcL the carb0ns consume away and the
magnetic current weakened TIE brake releases disc
and thp carbon points approach each other The whole
apparatus acts automatically. The lamp thus devised
has been cmpoyc by Herr Krupp In portions of
great factory Essen Germany and The results pave
other parts OF the establishment.
New CHEMICAL 1NDUSTRY.-PrOfesSor Roscoe
recently delivered the Royal Institution London,
lecture on a new chemical industry, originated aud
developed IN France within the last two three years
NJ Vincent directing chemist OF the great dlstillery
works at Courrerc, has succeeded ia putting good
use what has hitherto been waste product Instead
OF burning the residue of beeroot molasse-after the
alcohol had been distilled off from tin the open air
for the purpose Of obtaining the potash salts contains
he performs the calcnation in closed retors In order
to secure the products Of dlstatOn. Among these Is
found large quantity Of trimehy lanno which can be
easily worked up into chloride of methyl THIS gaseous
body reduced through pressure 70 a liquid is an eX
ccent material for producing cold by its yapOri
cation the bulk of the liquid requires temperature Of
-23o c.; and when the evaporation assisted by the
passage OF dry air through the liquid the temperature
brought as low $50 c. Professor Roscoe able TO
freeze in this way OF mercury OF several pounds
weight INTO "a hard solid, which he hammered ike n
piece of lead. The other and more important use OF
chloride OF meby Is IN the manufacture OF those beau
full dyes known metuyated aniiHcs. They had been
known before, but the cost of their production
high that their consumption only limited
Tie chcapeang Of the chloride Of m'thy has greatly
extended and will continue to extend the preparation
of those cOl"Is.
New NICKEL-PLATGSG PROCESS.-PrOfesSOr
slatba has devised aud made pubc process or nickel
plating in the wet way, without the of the battery
which Is said give good results, and which Is
patented. The process is descriD ID follows: To a
dilute solution of chloride of zine g to 10 per cent?
enough nickel phate Is TO be added mpart a de-
cidedy green color to it, and the solution Is then TO be
heated to boiling in porcelain vessel The cioudnS
Of the liquid rom the separation OF basic zinc salt
need be needed will not interfere with the ef
fcctveness % the bath Tho articles to be- nickel
cOatedhrst carefully cleaned OF oxide grcase-are
to be suspended in the solution from thirty to sixty
minutes tho bath being kept at boiling temperature.
wnen the articles are observed be uniformly coated
they may be removed, washed in water
which little chalk is suspended, uGcO and finally pol
substitution Of cobalt salt IN place OF the nickel Oh
jects may be similarly coated with cobalt.
LITERARY NOTES.
For DubljcatiOn IN April, Charles Scribnpr's