Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1891-08-06
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
CHEMICAL MANUFACTURE BY ELECTRO.
LYSIS.

CHEMICAL MANUFACTURE BY ELECTRO
LYSIs.
An electrolytic process of manu-
featuring chlorate of potash, yield
ing by-product of sufficient value
to pay the whole cost of working,
has been devised by NJ. Jobard, of
Vincennes. A solution of chloride
of tin and chloride of sodium (com-
mon salt) is placed in a cepented
vat and the electric current passed
through it, Metallic tin is deposit
ed in a chrystalline state and free
chlorine is liberated, the latter be-
ing passed into an ordinary chlorate
of potash apparatus. The loss of
metal does not exceed 10 per cent,
while the yield of chlorate OF potash
is about 25 per cent lower than that
corresponding to the theoretical
weight of the chlorine. A variety of
substances may be prepared by this
electroIytic method, and other met
Fals besides tin may be precipitated.
A DESTROYER OF FACTORY SMOKE.
A smoke and fumes annihilator is
now being manufactured in Leeds,
Eng, and is reported to have work
ed satisfactorily under q variety of
conditions. It consists of an ex-
haust fan and a washing machine and
tank. The fan draws the smoke into
the tank, where the water, beaten
into spray by paddle blades, washes
out all carbon and dust held in,
pension, and absorbs the sulphur
and other gases soluble in water,
leaving only pure white vapor to
escape into the chimney. The cost
of the apparatus is not great, and it
is calculated that the residuum col
lected-which may be used as fer
tilizer or for electrical and other
purposes of higher grade-may be
made to repay the expsnse.
THE EARTH's INHABITANTS.
Accepting the estimate that the
earth's population is 1,195, $50, 900
a French statisiician calculates that
AZ per cent of the number are of the
white race, A per cent of the yellow
race, II per cent are negroes, 2 per
cent of the mixed Oceanic races,
and ] per cent Indians. The whites
are distributed over 80 per cent of
the habitable globe, The yellow
race over % per cent, the negroes
Is per cent, the Oceanians 8 per
cent, and the American Indians 20
per cent. On equal areas inhabited
by each, therefore, there exist, res
pectively, Indian, 10 negroes, 81
Oceanians, so of the yellow races,
and 81 whites. About 4OO,OOO,OOO
of the earth's inhabitants are adher-
ents of the various Christian sects.
FREQUENCY OF THUNDER STORMS.
A German meteorological finds
that Java has thunder storms on 81
days in the year on an average; Su-
matra Sc; Hlndostan, Sc; Borneo,
81; the Gold Coast, 50, Rio de ia
metro, 81; Italy, SO; West Indies, Sc;
South Guinea, SO; Buenos Ayers,
Canada, and Austria, %; Baden,
Wurtemburg, and Hungary %; Sill
esia, Bavaria, and Belgium, 81; Hol-
land, Is; Saxony, and Brandenburg,
II; France, Austria, and South Rus
STA, 16; Spain and Portugal, Is;
Sweden and Finland, s; England
and the high Swiss mountains, 7;
Norway, 4; Cairo, 3. The northern
limits of thunder storms are the
northern part of North America,
Iceland, and the coast of the Siberi-
an ice sea.
A volatile compound of iron and
carbon monoxide-similar to the new
nickel compound-has been d1scov-
cred independently by Messrs. Mond,
LANCER and Quincke, and by NJ. Ber-
thelot. It is prepared by reducing
ferrous oxalate in stream of hydro
gen at temperature of 1909, and
passing carbon monoxide over the
product at 1850. Heating decom-
poses it, depositing a mirror of iron.
AParisian chemist has caught two
little insects in the act of nocturnal
spirit" rapping. They were found
about four inches apart on opposite
sides of piece Of heavy wrapping
paper, Each tapped loudly with the
head about six strokes a second, one
answering as the other finished.
A correspondent of a London
scientific journal records the finding
OF a pin in the yolk of a hens egg.
Both the yolk and the white were IN
places of blue-black color. It is
naturally asked how the pin came
there, and whether foreign bodies
have ever before been found en-
closed in an egg.
A colored woman by the name of