New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-15
NOTES FROM BERLIN.
THE POST OFFICE-TEACIlING THE BLIND.
CHEMICAL DISCOVERY.

IhH fOoI OFFICE-IEAClilNG HE BLlND-4
CHEMICAL DISCOVERY
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
BERLIN, March 80.
The PostmasterGeneral, Dr. Won stephan whom
the late Emperor raised TO the nobility for dis.
tinguished services" in an address to the men q
his department, has given an account Of the ad.
vance made in the Prussan postal service during
Kaiser Wilhelms reign The decentralization was
nowhere more apparent at the beginning OF the
Princes regency, than In this. In 1856 there
were no fewer than seventeen distinct postal
services In the territory now known as the German
Empire The difficulties and uncertainties of cor.
respondence under such conditions need no com.
ment. The Prussian department, at that time,
covered an area Of 27s,827 square kilometer4
with q population Of 100000. In 1861 tks
Government succeeded in getting control Of To
Thurn- Taxs Postal Service" which had been in
the hands Of this princely family for nearly three
centuries, including most Of the German States
and Austria, and had been the source OF enormous
wealth The amalgamation continued, until after
the formation Of the Empire the service extended
over 44S,565 square kilometers, with population
Of 10000, 0o0 At the same time the number OF
Offices has increased from sos to 1880, exceed1
ing, believe, that of any other European country.
The telegraph bureaus have likewise increased
from OIL in 1885, to 9,405 in 1888 The uniform
postal rate was introduced in 1857, with the pure
chase of the Thurn-Taxis system. The depart-
ment is now the source Of an immense revenue
under the excellent administration Of Dr. Won
Stephan, to whom is also owed the use of postal
cards Bavaria Is the only State which still has
separate service, having retained this as one
Of the rights reserved in the Treaty Of Ver|
salles
The Institution for the Blind in Dresden, Sax
ony is certainly one of the most perfect Of its
kind in the world. The results of the method
of instruction employed there are really marvel-
lous. Lately brushmalIing has been added TO tha
trades taught, by which young girls are able to
earn one mark day, which, Insignificant as 10
may seem in America, is comparatively good wages
in Saxony. Blind persons usually have an ex-
celleut ear for music. This has been taken ad-
vantage Of in the institution mentioned, by the
Of panO-tunlng, which the atlcted
learn rapidly and easily. One has become SO
proficient at this trade that he has been appointed
chief tuner in one of the Dresden factories. Otheu
make a very good living from the same business.
The rope and basket departments are among tho
most successful OF the institution. The women,
too are taught TO scrub the floors and clean win
dows the latter especially being a favOrlte em<
ployment. A method Of book keeping, strange "
say is also taught, and chess has been Introduces
with great success, q number Of the pupils manis
testing marked talent for the game series Of
books has been printed for the unfortunntes, and
a monthly journal is also issued by the instltu|
ton for its graduates.
Dr. Gottermann OF the University OF Gottingeu,
has enrolled himself among the heroes OF chemlef
try Chloride of nitrogen IN. CL 81, discovered Id
! 6l2 by Dulong is one Of the most terrible ex~
plosjves known TO science. IL has always be N
supposed that its elements were in the proportion
now proved beyond doubt but no one dared at
tempt to confirm it, Dulong himself, whose dis
covery was accidental, suffered the loss OF an eye
and three fingers, and since that nothing moro
positive has been learned about it. DIR. Gotter-
mann, in the prosecution of his examination, was
TO wear especially prepared gloves, pro-
tect his eyes with thick glasses, and the greater
part Of his body with two very thick WINDOW
panes from behind which he watched the SUBJ
stance No accident happened, and ne was able
to prove, after protracted analysis drying, etc,
that the formula. N CT is cOrrect-one atom OK
nitrogen to three of chlorine. He further OBJ
served that n. CT does not explode in the darS
or twilight, but a ray Of sunlight will cause az.
most instant explosion. This knowledge VIII
enable chemists to handle the substance with com.
paratve impunity. Dr. Gottermann is heralded
rs one of the coming scientific stars. Bunsen,
being nearly eighty years of age, and Hofmann
well on to seventy, will both soon retire, and one
of their places will probably be given to Dr.
lIOttermann.