Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-15
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Prof. s. p. Langley maintains that
the total quantity OF heat poured upon
the earth by the sun Is much greater
than is generally supposed.
According to Herr Fuchs's annual
report on the subject of volcanic erup-
tons, the activity of volcanoes in 1880
was rather small; the only remarkable
eruption was that of Mauna Loa, on the
island of Hawaii, on Nov. s..
A report of salt manufactures has
been prepared by w. l.. Rowland for
the census. Twenty years ago, New
York furnished SO per cent. Of the to-
tai production, while in 1880 she made
80 per cent. and Michigan produced
Al ga per cent. ti.T s..
The sharpness of outline and the
bright color Of the brown spot which
has been so long visible on Jupiter has
enabled astronomers to deduce from
nearly ], 100 rotations that the length of
Jupiter's days are 8 hours, 55 minutes,
SO seconds.
DIR. A. B. Isham, Professor of Ma
terra Medica and Therapeutics in the
Cincinnati College of Medicine and Sur
gerry, describes in the ADieyicdp Journal
Of the Medical Sciences peculiar ante
norton odor encountered in many cases
at variable period before the fatal re-
suit. In one case he noticed 1t thirty
three hours before death. The smell is
analogous to musk, but is rather more
pungent and less diffusible. He Is in
clined TO attribute the phenomenon to
the liberation of ammonia and the pc
culiar volatile oil (fatty acid) which
gives the blood its odor, this liberation
being caused by the diminishing vitality
of the blood.
A patent has recently been taken
out for means of steering q ship by
electricity. The apparatus Is the inven-
ton OF MIR. w. +. King, an Edinburgh
electrician, and was recently tried on
board steamer sailing between Glas-
gov and London. Its object Is to dis
pense with helmsman, and make the
compass itself steer the ship. For this
purpose the compass card is fitted with
an index which is set to the true course,
and one degree on either side of the true
course two metal contact pins are adj
iusted; each pin is connected TO single
Daniel cell, and when the ship deviates
as much as degree from her course to
one side or the other the index comes
AitO SOhtoSs viii JIG VI OtutI 1ttni pin.
The result is that positive or negative
current flows and actuates hydraulic
apparatus which works the helm.
"A new industry or manufacture has
been undertaken in England, namely,
the production of paint from steel scale,
for the protection Of iron and steel from
corrosion in any position and in any cli-
mate. The scale for this purpose is that
which falls from the metal as it passes
through the rolls, and this is ground by
special machinery until it becomes as
free from grit as flour, and then it is in
termixed with boiling oil and coloring
matter. The paint is of two kinds--the
anti-corrosive, for use above water to
prevent structures from rusting, and the
anti-fouling, for use under water, to pre-
vent animal and vegetable life from at
| taching themselves to ships bottoms
and other iron work. 1t is claimed that,
| if painted with two coats of the compo-
sition, vessel may go to India or Aus
tralia and return with clean bottom;
| the anti-corrosive covering, it is also as
serted, is much more effectual for blast
furnaces than gas tar.