The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-03-01
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Possibilities IN Lighting-Powder
Englnes-Worklng Capacity on
Mountains-Houses of Constant
Temperature-Argon, the Most
Remarkable of Recent Discover
ies-The Affection of Beef Eat
ing England-Pulpit Need of
Science-Llmits of Telescope
Building.
Prepared Weekly. Tor The Citizen

The efficiency of boilers engines and
dynamOs is now so high that little inn
provement can be expected. On the
other hand, the optical efficiency of
nearly all known sources of light is
extremely low, these being the latest
determinations: Oil lamps, 0073 per
cent; ordinary gas flame, O33 per
cent; electric Incandescent lamp, per
cent; are lamp 3S75 per cent; mag
nesium light, 10 per cent; sun, about
81 per cent; Gei>sler tube, 32.7 uer
cent. The FREELY is hardly common
source of light, but il is an example of
/ high efficiency, practically 100 per
/ cent. of the energy expended giving
visible vibrations. 1t is worth noting,
says the Ncctricd Pant, that, in the
various artificial sources of light, the
/ greater part of the energy dissipa in
producing nou-luminous rays is eX-
/ pended in the production of vibrations
having Il wave length of about twice
that producing the sensation of light
very superficial examination, how
ever, shows that there is little hone for
substantial improvement Of the many
forms Of lamps in Use. The GeisSler
tube is so far ahead of these ordinary
/ lamps as "A source of illumination that
I the attention which has been turned to
ii by Mr.. Tesla aud others, with a
view to producing really Practical
lamp in this form, would appear to be
4 well merited
Engines driven 10y high explosives
{ haNp hnnn nftnn at
/ der, mentions Col Barker. an English
manufacturer of small arms. is i'll
adapted for this purpose, as it develops
only about $50 volumes of permanent
gases, and leaves very considerable
solid residue. Abound of gunpowder,
however, is capable of developing no.
$50 foot pounds of energy. The new
sm0keless powders develop still high
er energy, are more under control, give
oil nearly 1000 volumes of permanent
gases, and leave no solid residue. The
English cordite is promising agent
for experiments with engines of this
kind.
On railroad contract in Peru. men
have been found to do "a normal daN's
work up to 5000 or 10000 feet, but at
l2,000 feet their powers had diminished
Il fourth or more, and at greater
heights as much as oue-half
The hygienist's dream Of a dwelling
of constant temperature has been par
TALLY realized by Van der HAYDEN. a
Dutch physician, who has built at Iu-
kOhama a house having double walls
OF glass on an iron framework, the
space between the walls being filled
with a material that arrests the suns
neat while passing the light. Such II
house IS designed to make life in hot
climates more endurable NJ, Caron
last season extended the idea by build
lng-at ChamoniX, in the French Alps,
where the winters are exceptionally
long aud Severe-a house that is
warmed III winter and cooled in sum-
i mer. His structure is an ordinary
wooden building, with tubular frame
/ work, the boards being nailed To ioistS
between the tubes. BY means of these
tubes, water-heated by "a furnace in
winter and cooled by the mountain
springs III sumner-is kept in circula-
/ ton III double circuit through the
walls, floors and ceilings The tenn
i perature can he adjusted by simply
I turning cock. Among the advan-
tages claimed, in addition to even
4 temperature, are increased protection
/ against fire, with the security against
/ tempests and earthquakes afforded 10y
the strength and elasticity of the
! framework. A disadvantage might be
occasional flooding by leaks in the
pipes.
Argon, the newly discovered constlt-
/ uent OF The atmosphere, has thus far
resisted all attempts tc induce chemi-
+ cal combination, and the principal
/ properties, il is declared, seem 10 be
The negation of all chemical properties.
! There is some reason for believing that
argon is mixture of elements, but the
weight of evidence points to simplicity.
/ Ii forms about one per cent. of the at
mosphere, and its density-20 times
/ that OF hydrogen-is greater than that
OF any other of the so-caIled permanent
gases. 1t has been liquefied 10y OILS
zewski, who finds its boiling point to
( he 1877 below zero C. The prediction
and discovery of argon. says Crookes.
are only equaIled by the few discov-
cries of elements which have been
made in chemistry by the careful
study of the periodic law, aud to sur
pass II We must go back to the predict
ed existence and subsequent discovery
of an unknown planet rs Adams and
LeVerrier,
GOul is veritable scourge i'm Eng
land, according to DR.. Savory, aud not
more than o. e person in ten escapes
from the diesase in some form No
plague III modern times seems to have
caused like suffering and mortality.
The study Of science, especially of
physical science, has not been consid-
cred necessary to ministerial equip
ment, but in many instances. in tie
opinion of Rev. Horace f.. Warner.
much is lost by the lack of the thor
oughness, independence of thought and
dellcacy of observation that are ac-
CURED by familiarity with the meth
eds of scientific inquiry. Such study.
he says in the HODVetic RerieW. is the
balance wheel that the theological
thinker needs. The tendency of relig-
lolls thinking is TO an abstract, imagi-
native, poetic style, fervid, irrespon-
slble style, that aims more at making
its point than it does at adheriug to
the prOsaic facts--a style that Is NOR
bid, mystic, ofteGtimes bordering upon
the bigoted and fanatical. A close fa-
nllllarlty with the exact, critical meth
DDS of scientific study is salutary and
corrective restraint upon such tenden-
cy. Ii makes thought practical rather