New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-28
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
CRYsTALLIZING CARBON.

IK1C IAl-JlLlNN CAiDON'
The series Of experiments recently made by
Mr.. j. b. Ilanuay ard Mr. j, Hogarfh' the most
remarkable outcome of which is Tie production
of crystallized carbon. carry the work OF Plctet
and Caiiletet another stcp forward III q
slightly different direction. TAOse able lnVes-
t'cat0rs demonstrated that gases c0u!d be con-
yelted into solids, and Messrs Hannay and
Hogartb. saws The EagIieh Neckdnic. have now
shown that there Is u perfect continuity ne
tween the gaseous and the liquid states. lheir
experiments were primarily commenced WlIh
the view of throwing further light on what Dr'
Andrews called the "crtica state OF matter.
CarhOnic acid at B5.Jo c.. and under pressure
of los atmosphere. is according to Dr; An,
drcws. midway between a gas and a lquid' anu
the chemist would be puzzled 10 assign r"aSonS
for chasing it under one had IN preference 10
another. If the property of dlssolvlug sOlldS Is
peculiar to liquids. there would necessarily he
some deposit of solid from Il solution when the
latter was passing the critical point, but IL lot
the fact would he a further proof OF the CON
tInuity of the liquid and gaseous states.
TIE Investigations. so far ~ they nave gone,
are but the Startlng-pOlnt Tor Others, ana Il
great development of this branch OF research
nay soon br expected. The most interesting
outcome of the prc~cnf experiments ls tic Us
cOvery Of The artificial production OF ihc "a
moud While pursuing his Investigations, Mt.
Hanay noticed that many bodies, as Silca'
alumna ard oxide Of zinc, insolube IN wafer
9f ordinary tcmrcratuiCs. dissolve 81 large
extent when treated Wi1h water-gas ut h'Sn
prcSsurcs II occurred 10 him That q sONcht
might DoSSibly he found for carbon ana as me
gaseous solids nearly always yielded crystal
line solids on Withdrawing tie solvent OF lo"
eling its solvent power. it did not seem I'M
Dr. la bile that carbon might Dc obtained III thc
crystalline on diamond state. a nnlnher OF tx
nGrimeutS were accoriiugv made with char
zeal. lampblack graphite. but instead OF SOU
ton only a chemical action was induced.
curious reaction was however, noticed. men
a gas containing hydrogen and carbon :
heated under pressure III presence OF ccita'n
metals, It's hydl Oscn is attfactcd by the metal,
and IFS carbon left free. Mr. Hannay found
n M W. en- tie carbon rs set free by tins action
in the.r,pspncc of a stable compound contain
INC nitrogen, the whole benz nearly al rel
heat and under enormous pressure the rtrooh
is 80 acted uuon tiat % can be obtained ~ ne
clear transparent form 81 the diamond lie
stable compound containing nitrogen l.,
However for The present ms secret The great
est difficulty he haS found is tie construction
of an apparatus sT0ng enough TO resist TIE
enormous pressure, com oin'd WIN hlSH i'Hi-
peralurc.
According to Mr.. Haunav the carbon lie OBJ
tanned j. as haTd as natural diamond. STATE
mem c0lIObOratci bv lie cy!d' me- OF 3lT: Mas
kclYnc, ana J. $50 N crystals WIN curved ld'rS
brlourlu.- 10 the ociahciral form. These burn
readily on thin plltlnum foil over b!o"Pirc,
and when ignicd 10y an electric current III oXy-
cen show Il cGmpOstiOn OF 91SJ yer cent Oi
carbon Immersed in lydroiiGoIlc &cid Tor TWO
days no sign o. solution Is exhibited even Wien
boiled. The CRYSTALS answer other Tess. bur n
vel no Perfect crystals have been submitted to
cxpcrt-, only cry stallinc fragments.
A NEW ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENT.
Professor :. G. Chamber. Of Boston. recently
exhibited ami tcscril ed. before me AiasSicau-
sets Institute OF Technology, a cheap portable
instrument fOi determining Time and latitude.
= A. rs rIfItut q "a walnut base Win
lcyc,iu- srIcWs ut he corners. From The md
de IF this base rises q pillar OF black N".nut
firmly hoiiCd 10 the base aud uriDund, 10y
collars of hard brass. An outside sleeve oi ha;d
brass. which Turns on thts" coals, supports
the remainder If the instrument; this ~'r"ye
being rotated m aEimGth by a rack and piuloD
movement, and provided ~ IL, base Will -iad-
ia cd SETTING cifcc. Oh top Of the sleeve ls
wooden ciDss-hsa I'd whI.h supports "a wooden
trough in the form oi a hollow reciau lc, aud
IN this tIOugl j. pared mc:rury 10 depth of
onc-clghth cf an zach. In The Trough. on the
mcr my. thr!t fini', q wooden float, also IN the
form Of a hollow fectaug'c. and nearly as lafCc
II, IN. inside OF The trough, which ]. hcd
IN position at the midd OF th. two sides Joy tyO
cast iron pins that move IN vertical slots ~
the side OF tie iicat. These are sufficiently
loose not 10 interfere win rs floating iiccly,
but serve Ia prevent any violent ui fuddca mo
ton. The I. a. las atia hcd 10 D. t"o brass
ann, which support TIC tococYic, TIE latter
protecting through thr hollow, 81 thr hollow
iccjang e.. oi the iloa' and trough. The Trough
j. not supported Do tir middle, hut EtartI "n"
end in oder 10 allow e. l.uifh ot>.t'I'inu-;
and on this account % coln.cipri>r = attached
n thc other end Of 'he trough TIE i'uMiud-
lion j, Effected iy "a series # ltil'riuI-. AID
comes from tie side. tie cross haIf, aIc LoIi-
z,ujai, and lot yctti al 81. iu hr tau,ii.
La using .hr Instrument ihc telescope J. ,-l al
"a certain iucliua.i 20 20 fac vertical and 80 'ic
ia-tiume ut j. rotated in a1imr'h thr li.e -
-isht sweeps ont h"lizD'ia' -n.il .rgi. Of thc