The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-01-31
written for the CITIZEN,

mixture melts at rs degrees c., forming
clear, mobile liquid of a density of As,
which mixes with water of all proper
tons. The liquid is made even heav-
Ter 10y increasing the thallium. The
pure nitrate of thalIium has very
nearly times the density of water,
but the point of fusion is raised to $50
degrees G.. The new liquid, with the
remarkable range of densities given by
its weight and its ready dilution, will
have a practical value to jewelers. and
mineralogists. It furnishes a ready
means of separating ligh. from heavy
minerals, and of determining the spe-
cific gravity of solid substances.
In report to the Royal Geograph-
zeal Society of an exploration of the
japanese Alps, Rev. Walter Weston
mentions an extraordinary indulgence
in bathing among the native peasants.
Remarkable hot sulphur springs exist
in the range and In one place, with
the water at about blood heat; a man
would remain in the water practically
month at time, simply taking the
precaution to place a stone on his
knees to keep from floating or turning
over in his sleep. A man of about
20, who has charge of the bath-hOuse
at this place, himself remained in the
bath all winter.
| A boring at Sondra, near GOtha,
last summer struck a supply of car
bOnic acid gas and water at depth of
about $50 feet. These were thrown out
with tremendous force, and the
spring now yields very pure gas. with
highly priced water containing sui
phur in addition to the earbonic acid.
This is the third recent discovery of
powerful sources of carbonic acid in
Germany.
From an examination of respired
air, Mr.. A. Kellar, of London, con-
cludes that argOn, like free nitrogen,
plays no important part in the animal
economy, save as a diluent.
The slow progress of electric traction
cOmprehended in the United States
A recent English writer states that the
total mileage of electric roads in that
country does not much exceed 40; and
that, while it was expected that in opeA-
ing the City and South London and the
Liverpool Elevated would have a pow
erful influence in favor of electricity, it
is doubtful if II miles of electric
road have been opened in the three
years these lines have been working
This seems to have been chiefly due
to the widespread opposition to over
head wires. AS English streets are
not remarkable for their beauty, the
objection to the wires can hardly be on
esthetIc grounds, but probably results
from vague fear that the safety of the
public might be endangered-a fear
much increased by garbled reports of
accidents in America AccummulatOrs,
steam and petroleum have been tried
on certain tramways with no very en-
couraging results A change of senti-
ment now seems to be in progress, as
several new electric lines are nearly
completed, and the opening of the tram
line in Bristol a few weeks ago may be
taken as the beginning of electric trac
ton in England. The side trolley
originated on the South Staffordshre
line and also used at Bristol, is said to
have met with very favorable recep-
ton, as it makes croSS-wires unnec-
essarry.
A new industry that the Depart
ment of Agriculture is likely to recon-
mend to the Southern States is the
culture of the cork oak OF several
young trees set out in Georgia about
35 years ago, three or four are still liv-
ing, and from the largest-now two
feet or more in diameter-eXcellent
bark % inches thick has been stripped.
The soil of California is said to be es-
pecially favorable to this species of oak
Already about 1000 of the trees have
been planted in the San Gabriel val
ley, and the University of California
has distributed some bushels of the
acorns. About 100000 of cork is
yearly imported into the United
States, and the material has increased
in value to eleven times its cost in 1890.
X X
Grenadille, or cocus wood, has long
been used for flutes, on account of its
superior sound. In late medical expe-
rience, both in Europe and in Amer
lea, cases of severe lip-poisoning have
been traced to the use of this particular
wood, making 1t necessary to provide
silver or gold lip-plate for tile mouth,
piece of the instrument.
X X X
Methane, otherwise known as marsh
gas and to miners as the explosive fire
damp, is the first or corner stone of the
great structure of organic chemistry,
says DR.. II. g. Eccles, it being the
simplest known molecule in that struc-
ture. From it as a nucleus branch
forth millions of substances. Methane,
ethane, propane, butylane, amylane,
hexylane, heptylane, octylane, nony-
lane, ETC., form series of homologous
compounds constituting the main
trunk. The molecule of methane con-
tains an atom of carbon and four atoms
of hydrogen. Each of the other sub
stances differs from the one preceding
it in having an added atom of carbon
and two of hydrogen. the composition
of ethane being two atoms of carbon
to six of hydrogen, that of propane
three of carbon to eight of hydrogen,
and so on. The properties of these
substances grade into each other by de-
grees, just as do their structures. The
first three are gases, the fourth boils at
800 c., and the succeeding members in
crease in density until they become
solid at ordinary temperatures. Ordi-
nary alcohol two atoms of carbon. six