The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-06-19
written for the C1r1zEN.)

eous-probably always exist in every
liquid or solid substance, but that one
predominates over the others. Spring
in 1866. proved that alloys may be
formed by the strong compression of
the finely divided constituent metals,
at ordinary temperature, and in 1894
that the solid metals may be made to
unite by pressure at temperatures con-
siderably below their melting points.
Continuing the experiments, Prof.
Roberts-Austen has placed solid cyl
inder of lead three inches long on a
base of gold or gold-lead alloy, keep
ing them first at a temperature of 25l0
or 75o below the melting point of lead
for 81 days. On cutting up the lead,
a certain amount of gold in each Sec
ton could be found. More surprising
still, it was then discovered that the
gold will penetrate to the top of the
cylinder in appreciable quantity in
three days at a temperature of 1902
and there is evidence that slow diffu-
sion of gold in lead occurs at the ordi-
nary temperature. There is also rea-
son to believe that gold would diffuse
in silver or copper in similar man
ner. The passage of solid carbon into
iron, a phenomenon long familiar TO
the steel-maker, is shown by Prof.
Roberts-Austen's researches to be really
comparable with diffusion of salts i'll
water and it obeys the same laws.
The liability of trees to be struck by
lightning was not long ago found by
Jonescue, a German investigator, to
depend less on the soil and height of
| the trees than on the nature of the
latter, those containing oils being rare
ly struck, while those containing
starch are extremely liable to it. A
continuation of the researches shows
| that the season has much influence
many trees containing oils in spring
| and starch in fall or the reverse.
A vegetable meat of Japan, called
| "torfu,u is said to consist mainly of
| protein of the soya bean, and to be as
| nutritious and digestible as meat. 1t
is sold in tablets, is white as snow, and
tastes like fresh malt.
|
The manufacture of artificial silk
from wood pulp has proven so success
full at Besancon, France, during the
last two or three years, that the indus
try is to be established in England,
near Manchester. The new product is
much cheaper than the natural silk,
! and it is said to take dye much more
readily, but its luster is less, and it is
reported to have the serious defect OF
being liable to damage from water.
The process of manufacture is interest
ing. The pulp, converted into colo
dion and resembling thick syrup, is
forced by pneumatic pressure from cyl
inders into pipes passing to the spin
ming frames, over which the pipes are
provided with taps, close together,
each holding glass tube with min
ute orifice. OF these tubes, which are
known as "glass silk-worn," about Il, )
600 are in use in the Besancon factory.
The pressure on the liquid pulp in the
cylinders forces the material in an al
most invisible filament from each
| glass tube, when eight to twelve of the
| tilaments-the number depending on
the thickness of the thread to be spun
are brought together and led through
guides to bobbin, the filaments con-
| lAAUiAS w OlCCO anu cbOAOlC az q ROlnt
! just outside the guides. The threads
are produced unbroken until the bob
bins are full, when they are broken
automatically.
Seekers after new fads will hasten to
initiate the phosphorescent tea party
which was given in Paris at eight
o'clock on d recent evening There
were no lights of the ordinary kinds,
but ceilings, chairs, pictures, teacups
| escent starch just invented by NJ.
| Henry, of the Academy of Sciences.
The material may be ussd as face
powder, and the faces, arms and shout
ders of the ladies-as we'll as their
dresses-shone brightly.
|
A case is reported in England by DR..
Hind, in which bleeding caused by
extracting a tooth from girl twenty
1 yeas old continued ten hours in spite
of the usual remedies. 1t was then
quickly stopped 10y freezing with ethyl
chloride spray, and recurrence was pre-
vented by plugging the socket wool
soaked in tincture of hamamelis.
i With the hope of raising the moral
tone of convicts, as we'll as making
their life less monotOnous, the direc-
tors or English prisons are arranging
for the early commencement of period
ical lectures on scientific aud interest
ing subjects.
The high cost of land in favorable
locations for the electric stations OF
large cities that caused great efforts To
concentrate the greatest possible power
in the smallest possible space. In some
of the splendidly equipped modern
stations, Casters Magazine, vertical
engines and boilers of large capac-
ity have been installed to the exclusion
of horizontal designs, while in some
cases further saving of ground space
has been secured by setting engines
and boilers in tiers, one above the 9TH
err, thus giving ratio of horsepower
| per square foot of ground area that q
a decade ago would have been thought
! quite beyond possibility. In probably
NO other station in the world has this
concentration been carried to as great
degree as in that Of the Edison Elec.
trio Illuminating Company, in Duane
street, New York city, The ground
covered is 200 by "a feet, and within
this area provision has been made fol