Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-09
SCIENTIFIC RECORD.

made a statement to the Glasgow Philo-
sophical Society representing that he had
succeeded, after thirteen years of investi-
cation, in producing the diamond by arti-
| fetal means. The accounts further de-
clared that the results had been submitted
to Professor Tyndall and Mr.. Maskelyne,
of the British Museum, by whom they
were pronounced to be unquestionably dla-
monds. These announcements are doubt
less premature they are certainly SO re-
specting Mr.. Maskelyne, who has publicly
stated his belief that the crystals submit
ted to him were not diamonds, but proba-
bly CRYSTALS of silicate. As to Professor
TyndalIs reported confirmation of the iden-
tity of these crystals with the diamond, we
have carefully looked over the accounts OF
the circumstance as published IN several
leading English technical journals, and fall
to find any statement purporting to come
from him. The simple fact Is named, IN
relation to these gentlemen, that Mr.. Mac
lear had submitted samples of what he at
firmed to be diamond crystals to them for
examination. Our purpose IN writing the
above is simply to protest against the
hasty conclusions on scientific subjects,
which the newspapers are prone to accept
and circulate without due reflection and
before they are verified by competent au-
thority. There is nothing inherently i'm
possible in what Mr. Maclear asserts he has
succeeded in accomplishing, although
many experimenters have essayed the same
problem and failed. We prefer, however,
to wait before accepting this piece OF news
paper science, until we hear definitely
from Tyndall or Maskelyne. The latter
has already spoken, as above stated, and
adversely though, in justice to MIR. Mac.
lear, we must add that he atfirms Mr.
Maskelyne to be wrong, and asks tempo
rary suspension of judgment.
ARMoR PLATES. Composite Tor steel
faced) armor plates are rolled at one of the
leading Sheffield works, 10 the following
manner To the iron armor plate to be
faced is attached frame of iron bars. This
frame is capable OF holding quantity of
steel, about half the thickness of the iron
plate, and, when fixed, is placed in the
furnace and brought to a welding heat. On
withdrawal the frame is filled with Besse-
mer steel, and after cooling, is reheated and
rolled in the usual manner. The finished
plate is iron on the back, whileth the face is Of
steel The English Mechanic, describing
these plates, declares that their power OF
resistance is something wonderful. A shot,
for example, that pierces Pinch iron
plate, only makes an indent of from 3 to 4
inches in one of the composites, and a
9-inch steel faced plate is affirmed to be
equal to l2-inch plate of iron. This fact,
it is noticed, will permit of considerable
saving in the weight of armor; and armor-
plated ships, thus provided, will be able to
exhibit more rapidity IN their movements,
and will be more economical in their work
ing. II. NJ. S. Ajax is to be supplied with
plates made on this principle, some of which
will be Ii inches in thickness,
INCENDIARY SILKs-The danger of
spontaneous combustion, to which weighted
silks are liable during transportation, has
lately been forcibly demonstrated in the
case of the steamship Mosel, which recent
| ly took fire in mid-ocean. The fire was
fortunately discovered and extnguished.
On reaching her destination careful in
vestigation afforded unmistakable evidence
that the fire had originated spontaneously
in certain silk goods that had formed part
of her cargo. Samples of the silk, under
the microscope, presented a remarkable APP
pearance. The tibers ran very irregularly,
and were partly covered with scales of a
metallic luster, while on other fbers,
heavy, sponge-like knots of dark color
were observed. A chemical examination
revealed the following remarkable results
100 parts of the silk were composed of pure
silk fiber, 2l.35 per cent. oxide of iron,
l3.45 per cent; moisture, 9.l5 per cent.
fatty oils, lS5 per cent; organic dye
stuffs and coloring matters, so. 90 per cent.
mineral matters, not determined, 8. 80 per
cent Fer each part of silk fiber, therefore,
it was shown, 075 part of oxide of iron
and 2. so parts of coloring matters were
used.
OXIDATION OF IRON AND STEEL WHEN
IN CONTACT. C. Radcliffe, in paper read
before the Iron and Steel Institute of Great
Britain, incidentally mentioned case in
which steel boiler plates, which had been
exposed to the same conditions as adjacent
iron plates, had distinguished themselves
| by pitting more than the latter. The steel
plate next to the iron one was oxidized
considerably more than any other This
fact would appear to point to a species Of
galvanic action set up by the contact of the
two varieties of metal in an exciting liquid,
the steel playing the part of the positive
element Mr.. Radcliffe does not attempt,
how ever, to offer an explanation, but
simply concludes that, under the above
named circumstances, it will not do to
place iron and steel side by side.
THE ST. GoTHARD TUNNEL-Of the
present state of work at the st. Gothard
tunnel, it is reported that serious OBJ
stacle has lately been encountered in some
soft strata, the enormous pressure of which
| has, up to the present, resisted all attempts
at successful penetration. The most solid
beams are bent after a little time, and a
resistance wall of | meter thickness was
completely crushed. Another of 2 meters
thickness is now constructing. In these
strata, the boring machine is useless, and
only hand-labor can be employed.
The PAPER TRADE. = The immense
growth and prosperity of the paper trade
In the United States, which has steadily
grown, even through the years of business
depression from which the country has Just
emerged, is shown by the following COM
parative figures lS69-Imports, IS, 527,-
465; exports, s3,777; lS79-imports,
Sl26, S63 /; exports, 81, 1913, 3l2. The i'm
ports of this class Of goods at present con.
sist almost exclusively Of fashionable and
fancy writing and wall papers, and are
drawn chiefly from France.
THE MERsEY TUSNEL.-On the Sth of
December preliminary work for the driving
of the Mersey tunnel was commenced. The
engineers will drive trial headings both
from the Liverpool and Cheshire sides of
the river, TO determine the nature of the
strata to be encountered before beginning
the main railway tunnel
PAPER For LEAD PENcILs.-A German
inventor substitutes paper for wood in the
manufacture of lead pencils. The paper is
stepped in an adhesive liquid and rolled
round the core OF lead to the required
thickness. When finished, the pencil re-
seInbles an ordinary cedar pencil.
SANDY Hook BAR.-A bill has been IT,
troduced into the National House of Rep
resentatives for the creation of perma-
nently deep, wide, and straight channel
through Sandy Hook bar to the port OF
New York.
THE INDIGo CRoP. Great improvements
have lately been effected in the manage
ment of the indigo crop in India, which
have resulted in an increase both in the
quantity and quality OF the product.
1t is curious to note how flaming new
oe MI etruc.f,la from Tho