New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-02
THE AIRS MOISTURE

From The American Engineer.
Il il, not to be wondered that the ancients ~
cared water as one the elements OF when All thlly
axe composed for II Is truth demonstrated oN modern
chemistry mat almost all natural 0b!ec1o contain
lar,r prUortl,u OF water. Not only the plants that
drink The summer showers and show by ihrir JUICY
succulence that they have incorporated the n{at
stream, into their substance but the very soil IN which
these plants grow, and The sond rOchs themselves,
contain large proportion OF water. Ana " t W.
the water which they contain. Inc amount Of SOLD
residue left behind is surprisingly snail IL IS trSs
presence Of water. and do not require the eorroboee
tesunony OF chemical ANALYSIS ne moisture ddeii
To- soil and rocks. the Juice 0 plants, ana me uIo'1
and other fluids present IN animals, all evidently az,
know!ed water one Of their cilef constituents aa
testify planll 10 the presence Of this h4uid blt
we suppose mat water Is always absent rom
these substances which 10 our senses give no evidence
The dry and solid rock consists largely OF water ana
summer breeze cannot be robbed OF all is moisture:
ralsp parent and apparently perfectly dry soda she IL
reality pays for nine pounds OF water and gets but
pounds ot real soda Instead OF tile fourteen tls
she supposes Is getting. In short water i present
every WHEREIN the dry wood that has FOR years formed
cur furniture and even in the apparently perfectly
dry dust that blows about streets Even tie air.
a dry and sultry day when every thing IS parcied
and when every breath seems y burn our tnToatS,
parently dry contains moisture IS easily proved.
An ice pitcher becomes covered with dew,
not because the pitcher sSeatS through from the In
u-pcnsOn by the hot air when apparently dry,
contains a considerable amount Of moisture. Procure
u small quantity OF salt Of tartar. cheap drug that
may be obtained from any apothecaTy and on dry
day lay II on common plate and expose II 70 me
atInos phere In short IL will have attracted nom
the air amount II water sufficient % dissolve IT,
and II VIII have become converted into apparently
oily liquid. called By the old chemists who DID not
illly understand tho changes that take place OIL OF
tartar. The experiment VIII be convincing per-
haps. II the salt with lis containing vesse!-whch 10
this case however. should be as light p0Ssble-be
placed in tho pan OF a moderately delicate pair II
scales and carefully counterbdanced. In this case
the abstraction OF from the is rendered
evident by the gradual increase In the weight OF tia
salt and the descent OF the pan in which II Is placed
II. then moisture may be regarded everyvhere
present, IL becomes nice point % determine wher
snything-such for example, the air We breathe
our houses, bed, clothes, etc.-may be considered
damp. To look for perfect dTyncSs would be vain
search would IL do us much good II we could 1nd
IL Perfectly dry air would remove the moisture
from our bodies rapidly that should wither as
smtcn with the blast Of the simeon. In such an
atmosphere our throats would be parched II IN an
oven. plants would wither and nature become ono
universal desert. But. the other hand. air that
Is too moistthat Is 10 say. air that is really damp
produces effects that equally disastrous. IN such
an atmosphere metals rust cOrrode vegetable
matters rot the growth OF fungi such as nlidev
mould, ETC., IS greatly promoted.