Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-11-20
EOIENTIFIQ

SCIENTIFIC
DR.. Holub intends, as soon as tho
money to cover expenses is raised, 10
make . journey through Africa, begin,
ming at the Cape of Good Hope and
ending in Egypt. Of the 30, 900 forms
required he gives 5000 himself.
Mr.. j. w. Swan, Of Newcastle-oil-
Tyne, has come forward as the inventor
OF q system of incandescent electric
lighting, which he claims can be econ
oinically applied to domestic purposes.
He thus states in general terms what he
has done: It was found after many
troublesome experiments that when the
vacuum within the lamp was good, and
the contact between the carbon and the
conductor which supported it sufficient,
there was no blackening of the globes
and no appreciable wasting away OF the
carbons. The main principle OF the
Swan system is that upon which MI;
Edison has lately been working, and
upon which, many years ago, other
American inventors devoted a good deal
Of attention with considerable success.
Mr.. Swan arranges his lamps in series,
and feels warranted in asserting that at
least twice as much light is produced
by certain quantity Of gas used to
generate an electric current employed
IN his lamps that can be obtained from
this quantity of gas burned in gas-burn.
ers in the usual manner. Putting the
question of economy in other words, he
reckons that forty pounds OF coal en-
ployed in raising steam to generate
electricity, is capable of producing the
effect in his lamps of one thousand feet
of gas burned in gas-burners.
In speaking of the well-known meth
DDS Of preserving posts and wood which
are partially imbedded in the earth, BY
charring and coating with tar, it is said
these methods are only effective when
both are applied Should the poles be
charred without the subsequent treat
ment with tar, the charcoal formation
on the surface would only act IS an alb
scrber of the moisture, and, If anything,
only hasten the decay. By applying
coating Of tar without previously char
ring, the tar would only form . casing
about the wood. nor would it penetrate
critics of the charcoal surface would in
sure. Wood that i exposed to the &C.
ton of water or let into the ground
should first be charred, and then. be-
fore it has entirely cooled, be treated
with tar until the wood is thoroughly
impregnated. The acetic acid and oils
contained in the tar are evaporated by
the heat, and only the resin left behind,
which penetrates the pores Of the wood
and forms an air-tight and waterproof
envelope. It is important to impreg-
nate the poles little above the lines OF
exposure, for here it is that the action
Of decay affects the wood first, and
where the break always occurs when
removed from the earth or strained in
testing. s
Prof. Dufour, of Paris, has arranged
thermometric apparatus which shows
the changes Of temperature in Q very
marked way. The mere approach Of
the hand to the bulb will throw q needle
over the whole of graduated arc. The
device consists OF bent tube, having q
bulb at one end, coated on the outside
with lampblack. The middle Of this
tube is filled with mercury, and is sup
ported by arms nicely pivoted. Above
the pivot is fixed an index needle, which
moves across q graduated are, and be-
meath the pivot hangs rod to which II
attached by friction small weight.
which serves to balance the needle -
as to make it point to zero on the arc.
When the temperature risss In ths
slightest degree. the heat, beng readily
absorbed by the lampblack on the air
bulb, drives the mercury forward and
displaces the centre of gravity 30 that
the needle turns at once towards the
p right. When the bulb Is exposed to q
decrease of temperature the needle points
toward the left So sensitive il this ap-
partus to changes Of temperature, it has
been necessary, to check its sudden
tipping over when exposed to q rather
high heat very quickly, to place two
fixed pins at convenient points beneath
the tube.