The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-12-04
p. WooD, Secretary.

d. wOLFEs REVIEW.
II has been suggested that IN, mbers reading our
library books make careful perusal of them, ana
then Tor the benefit OF the whole Club write out a
review giving the most interesting and Important
features this review TO be read before the Club at
our regular meetings as any Other contribution Tor
the Association, In compliance with this PROPOSE
ton, viii attempt 10 present briefly some OF the
leading ideas OF book entitled Heat or Science
for the Young" by jacob Abbott This is one OF a
series Of juvenile books in which the author has
ceedcd In treating his subject In truly scientific
way, ami yet In such pleasing form that the pupil
is scarcely aware that he is pursuing absruse sci
euce that ordinarily is dry and irksome, The style
OF the work Is cOlloquia the object to instruct the
reader in elementary chemistry. For this purpose
the writer has chosen oxygen aud its combinations
10 illustrate principles have said the style Of the
book Is cQlloquinl the information being conveyed
by teacher to his pupil. Lawrence petsOnates the
teacher and John the pupil their location Is an Iron
steamer crossing the Atlantic ocean.
John congratulates himselfand company that they
arr safe from being burnt up. Lawrence RStOnishes
him by telling him that iron is more epmhustibic
than wood" John thought Lawrence was playing
upon his credulity and therefore he was ready 10
bet that wood Is most c0mbustible
On board the vessel was a certain Major, an adept
in science, who was referee and umpire In ali IN
cult or doubtful matters. This Parsonage was not
always accessible, and this uaue It necessary 10
postpone the decision for some days. The cOnse'
quence was John was revolving the subject In his
mind during the interval, and his interest became
intense. When the Major decided the question, he
said: IN common parlance John was right, hut in
strictly scientific sense, Lawrence was right" lie
then explained 10 John that in the combustion OF
wood the carbon and gases OF the wood unite " It'll
the oxygen of the air and are truly burnt, but the
ashes the Inorganic part does NOT unite with Oxy
gen and, therefore, Is not burnt whilst every atom
OF the iron will unite with oxygen, and the c0mbus
ton will be complete. True, 1t Is slow burning
without sensible light or heat under ordinary cir
eumstanccs. In pure oxygen gas iron can be burn
cd, giving out intense light and heat"
Prom This explanation John l. conyinced that irun
is combustible.
Lawrence next asked John what he thought was
the greatest detOaTef in the world John guessed II
might be lions, tigers, rats &c.
Lawrence told him the dryuurer that he wa think
ING Of consumed more than AZ the lions tgen rats
&C. hundred times over Il was Oxygen. lie then
explained To John that this oxygen when alone oi
uneonhned. is gas invisible like air but when II
untcs with other substances II often makes LIQUID,
or solids and that II is very abundant In these forms
| making eight nnths OF all the water In the world
and about one.hall OF all the rocks. Garth &c Ais,
that II has an attraction or affinity, u il termed u
chemistry for a great many other substances: flI
some most powerful affinity lie tells OF one sub
stance, phosphorous that has such a strong attrac
ton for oxygen that 1t has To be kept under water Il
prevent It taking IRE. John Thought in the Natci
would hardly be safe place for II because there wa,
50 much oxygen In the water.
To make JOhu comprehend this mystery IL WI.
Necessary for his teacher 10 explain to him the dit
ference between true chemical union of elements
and mere mixture OF them In the water, every
atom OF the oxygen Is chemically combined with al
atom Of hydrogen, forming a lnnlcculc of water
each element having is affinity satisfied In this irn
embrace or Union. In the atmosphere which {,
scarcely more than mixture Of the two gases nj
trogcn and oxygen the latter is 50 loosely hed thai
" Is htlhGk Whatever u may mud U ueVutlr
From his John Is made 10 understand that IL Il
only the oxygen Of the air that destroys other sub
stances, when ~ true cirHlieH union with other Gle
ments a with hydrogen in water IL is harmless.
As To the extent of its derOHrtRg appetite II il rea,
enormous. We sec It in the slow process OF decay
everywhere going on around us. We see Il IN III,
rapid consuming name that may lay whole cities Ia
ashes in u day.
In both cases 1t Is combustion or oxidation. differ
Ing only In apidity ana intensity
To this destructive principle OF oxygen however
there Is one notable aud most important exception
y is this In all living things, animal aud vegetable
the vital force or life principles ressts the attack,
OF oxygen and neutralzes lis power 10 destroy and
not until death can Il enter upon is work Of decOm
position,
80 far as our examination Of oxygen. We find II,
only attributes arr tO do mischief Before We con
elude nom the character here given that IL is d
mend 10 all nature that worketh good, let us In
qnire into the results that follow is action upon
other bodies
In the SLOW process Of decay aud decomposition IN
mineral, Vegetable and animal bodies, the cOmpOu
ent parts that compose them are liberated and thess
elements are again Tree to enter into organlsin
through me mysterious power Of vegetable fife aud
growth thus, by the death OF the old the earth h
enabled 10 renew annually IT, rich treasures In gold
en- harlests Without this ds0panization of the OLD
materials, the supply Of plant iood would hecom,
exhausted, and the earth barren waste
Again, In the rapid destruction OF wood and coal
commonly called combustion our bodies are warm
ed during the trusts OF winter our food is cooked
our clothes are spun. and we may be transported
over land aud sea at rapid rate In coaChes and YES
sells as comfortable as At our own firesldes
Even ~ the Telegraph 1t is the oxidation Of metal
that develops the electric force that carries our mes
ssases at lightning speed along the wire Through
lhe ingenuity OF man. by the direction Of his brain
power we heat evolved BY combustion has become
his obcdient servant to serve his wants In thousand
ways What powerful text might be taken right
here 10 reinte the silly dogmas held by the oppo,
nents OF education and progress The triumph al
science and invention demonstrate fatpibly the st
PTemaey OF mind over muscle, But this is digressng
To return 20 the great deyOurer we find the good
greatly predominateS In his character In the human
family We find always a mixture OF good aud evil
aud when the good predOminates In an individual
We give him good character In like manner NJ
must regard oxygen Us great benaiactOr " man,
There Is another beautiful idea conveyed by the
author Of the book we are examining IL "A his
All the light and heat that we have came original
" rom ths sun. and we may with propriely say all
the force likewise This Is sOmeW hat difficult 10 un.
derstand In all cases but we may partially eompre.
bend its truth from the following exclamation No
nave seen mat when oxygen unites with the carbon
anu hydrosen OF wood oreoa a. IN combustion heat
rs evolved. On the contrary, when oxygen h srUa.
rated from these elements, cold is produced or a
part OF the heat becomes dormant or latent Nav In
the growth of vegetation, carbonie acid (Which 1,
carbon and OXYGEN forms large part OF the food of
plants butas sony the carbon ofthe carbonc acid
the power OF the SUMS light the Oxygen Is senara
ted from the carbon, and eliminated by the ilant
, rms aeoS3dEed carbon remains as part Of the
Yerted into coal and may lie In Its bed for Centuries
retaining all the while this dormant or latent heat
mus III the coal the sunlight and heat and force TOO
are stored away 10 develop them again We need
only cause a reunion OF oxygen and we will have
the light and heat OF centuries ago In saying thai
All the force IN the world derived from the sun q
simply meant that heat may be converted into fofre
aud force again into heat, aud vet heat cannot hp
heat ana force at the same time the instant II con
Yertcd into force IL ceases to be heat To illustrate
this let US take water as the process OF forining
steam si' On the application q heat 10 water we bud
Us einpeTature increases with the heat until II reach
es az f. amer this under ordinary pressure will
get no hotter All the superintendent heat goes In d
the steam aud although the heat may continue 10
pas lhte the seam Thermometer will not detect
any Increase Of temperature; the heat seems 10 H.
lost or as Is termed Il has become latent By nice
experiments u mas been proven that In ever, pound
OF water converted into steam more than l6J0o ol
heat becomes latent in other words Il has ceased h.
be heat and Is converted into force
VIII close This paper BY trying 10 define The paj
Of Aedi and 0ree as lind them given by Inc authoy
OF Heat From multiplied experiments and ob.
seryations extending oYJr half century. in which
lbe AcienIhe world took an active part Ii has come
10 be university believed that heat Is form of foes
and the old word euiorie with the theory which h
Implied has been abandoned
When heat aud force were found 10 be mutnalI,,
convertible into each other II became very curious
and important question what was the Numerical
fs.lo oe.ween them Or IN other words, how much
erting. and the converse This has, at length. been
aseertalned % the full satisfaction Of he whole
ss i, Motia ana i has been called Ne Beeiaae
Ihe units and equivalent are as follows
TAe md cf heaf e pound u innter rdie 10 af F1A
renAsns thermometer. Tie ngN n Jorcs u I pound
wright iVied oeoot high One un u hea, Z e1airriisni
10 az uaAs n force
That + 70 say the heat required TO raise 1 pound
OF water through 10 Of temperature may be made 10
act ~ iorce to the extent OF raising M pounds
loot high, or pound 772 feet high. or any eqniva.
lent amount Of lifting
Joulei an English Engineer, by mechanical con.
HtFanee, proved to the satisfaction Of all scientists
fho converse OF this. By his machine he has show,
that weight Of ~ pounds falling one foot or
pound FALLING ~ feet when arrested develops SUI
heient neat 70 raise pound Of water 70
by thus establishing definite units Of measure We
are enabled By simple arthmetical computation 10
arrive o. the exact amount OF force any given ouan
uty Of heat may exert We arr told that In The con
version OIL pound VI water into steam more than
lVg OF heat become latent In It, that Is this amount
81 heat Is changed Into force. We have lust secn
that T. 81 heat or unit Of heat will lin 772 pounds
loot high and therefore l0009 or units will mn no
pounds 100 feet high: or 772OO0 pounds foot high
No wonder "bilers bust" sometimes and no wonder
that locomotives can draw such heavy loads Yet We
are told that the best constructed engines can ufl.e
only about oneIenth Of the force generated hy any
giFdn amount Of heat
et mo say, that In reviewing the book In question
f9und \ Impossible from the style IN which IL 4
written. 70 quote the language Of the author but
have endeatorcd 10 adhere closely 10 the prneIples
taught ny him, Ny aim WA 10 present facts Ia Ier
ieet accord and harmony with the spirit Of the work
The house in Woodbury., Conn, formerly