The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-03
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

In 1920 this country produced 22,t
400 tons of pig iron, and Great Britain
produced in the same year 400, 900 tonss
in 1850 the product of this country had
risen to 9l9, 10 tons, and that of Great
Britain to 3,S26, 1852; in 1890 the United
States produced 9,2O2, FOB tons, and
Great Britain 1904, PA tons
There vvc1o II, 864,7l4 punches of
bananas consumed in the United
States last year. Jamaica, Cuba, Hon
duras and Colombia supply most of the
fruit, and its transportation has be-
come an important item in the bust
ness of various steamship companies.
1t is within the easy memory of people
of middle age when banana was /
great rarity.
From the action of sulphuric acid
on the gas from cleveite, NJ. Des-
landres has obtained in the extreme
red of the spectrum the third of the
four lines in the solar spectrum that
had not been found on the earth. This
leaves only one permanent ray from
the solar atmosphere, the green line,
known as the line of the crown yet
10 be discovered in earthly substances;
it probably belongs to some gas lighter
than hydrogen.
1t is now believed, and with high
proba bility of the truth OF the theory,
that the shooting stars which some
times fall to the earth in a semi-molteu
condition are almost or wholly devoid
of heat when they enter the atmos-
phere. They are set on fire by friction
against the air, due to the rapidity of
their motion. 1t is possible that the
force of the earths attraction Solidiies
such meteorS from gaseous condi-
ton in which they may exist in space
There is an installation of the
compressed air system at the Bourse
du Commerce produce exchanged in
Paris. As the air is exhausted from
the engines, it is conveyed through a
large pipe into sixteen cold-Storage
chambers. This air. il exhausted into
chambers. would be total loss, but
by using it for artificial refrigeration
the cost of maintaining the rooms at 4
low temperature is purely nominal.
These refrigerating chambers are used
in connection with the Halles Cent
rales, expressly for storing meat,
fruit, vegetables, and other products.
Including vessels condemned and
broken up, 1,154 ships of 100 tons
burden or more. with an aggregate
tonnage of S.97l, We're destroyed
during 1894, according to Lloyd's
Register; of these PSI were steamers
and S73 sailing vessels. The total of
steamers is A. above the average of
the three preceding years, owing not to
casualties, but to the unusual number
condemned. While the number Of Brit
| ish ships lost is larger than that of any
| other country, the percentage of loss
to the whole body of mercantile ship
| ping is the smallest, being 2S of
vessels and % of tonnage. The num-
| Der of vessels described as abandoned,
foundered or missing has steadily u
minished the number was - in 1891
and only AZ in 1894.
-Heat-proof Glass. 1t Is said that
a new glass has been manufactured,
that, while it allows the free passage
of Night. is decided check to heat. In
an experiment it was proven that
glass plate four-tenths of an inch
thick allowed but four and siX-tenths
per cent of radiant heat to pass
through it. Ordinary window glass
lets eighty-six per cent. OF heat
through. A very thin slab of this
glass allowed less than one per cent. of
heat from gas to pass through it, al
though it permitted the transmission
of twelve per cent. of heat from sun
light. If this glass is an equal bar to
cold, it is discovery that will revolu'
tionize building and many other of the
arts. The glass contains iron in tho
| form of ferrous chloride.