The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
roEEs ON sorrrOr AND 1rDUsrar.

NOTEb ON bDlBNCB AND
One Of the most notable announcement Of recent
date is that OF the new method invented by Prof.
Linde of Munich for producing 'nuid air choaply, de
tails Of which are furnished by Mr.. De Kay. United
states Consul at Berlin. In This method an air pump
OF nve horse power condenses air TO q pressure OF
goo atmospheres; tho air in question passes down a
spiral tube and Is let out in n chamber, causing great
co al then 1t rises and passes on the outside OF the
spiral tube, bathing II and thus cooling the now air
that has boon pumped into the tube to take its place.
This cooled air follows on into the chamber, ex pands.
and again lowers Its temperature, then passes on
up around tho same spiral tube; but, as Its TEN.
peraturs has become much lower, the new air in
the tuhe Is still further refrigerated. This circulating
process goes on until the new air pumped into the
tube reaches the expansion chamber at n temlpcra.
ture OF 273' below zero. when II drops into the cham,
Der In the form OF liquid. Thus the air, steadily
cooled. ia made to refriGeratc the newly pumped air
moro and more. until thc necessary degree OF cold IL
attained. The chief 4, ature OF this device Is its
economy OF working, for 1t uses air TO refrigerate air.
After the pump hiss worked for a certain time. one
turns a cock and the liquid air runs out at a tempcra-
ture OF 273' degrees below zero.
Discussing the longmooted question as to tho in.
Availability OF the planet Mars, the London Spectator
expresses tho opinion that all that can be said with
certainty Is that, II sentient beings with corporcai
frames exist there, the relations OF the lungs OF tho
body cannot I've Identical with their relation In man,
which. as 10 known In the case OF fishes. is not an i'm.
possible exercise OF the Imagination. The argument
is that, though the thermal Income of Mars is less
than half that OF the earth and its theoretical mean
omperature-taking into account Its low reflective
power per unit Of erals consequently thirty degrees
centigrado below freezing, yet the actual climate of
Mars Ia mild; that snow melts rapidly Is patent to the
telescope; that vapor rises Is clear from the spectrum
analysis; water flows, an, there are Indications. II not
nrn n chat n at,Iln -Auns AIln,-. tla .,llA.
thawing of tho snow. What warns the air Is un.
known. but that 1t Is warmed admits of no doubt; but
theories as to the inevita' lencss of cold in other
worlds must DO pronoun ed imperfect. as also those
which aver tho imposslbiity of corporal life.
Tho public conserv ator OF forests In Western Austria
liza. J. Ednie Brown. mentions a karri treo in that re-
gion as attaining the height OF 300 feet, being $50 feet
to the first limb. the circumference at the base meas.
uring between 90 and 30 feet. Karri Is remarked as
harder aud heavier than tarrah, and is, therefore. for
a certain class of work more durable and TO be pre-.
ferred; but jarran. on the other hand. is especially
suitable for submarine structures, such as Jettiea "nd
wharves. on account of Its resistance to the ravagcs
OF the Teredo nurotis. or sea worm. For railway
sleep RS. the upper portions OF bridges. and part!cu-
larry road making. for which latter purpose It
is now being employed extensively in London
and some other cities. karri is regarded as invalua-
BILE. The chief qualities OF karri and jarrah which
have recommended them for road paving are their re-
markable toughness and durability. and, In the opin-
ion OF authorities. they are much to be pr, fcrred to
soft wood or pine on sanitary grounds. being also non
absorbent; and though the prime cost of pine Is not so
great as that OF karri or jarrah. yet the life OF these
other timbers has been proved in city use 10 be more
than three times that OF soft wood. Owing 10 such
qualities It is not required to creoaote tarri or jarrah
railway sleepcrs. nor do the chairs for the rails require
so broad a base as in the case of soft wood.
series of geological lectures lately delivered in
Boston by Mr.. Crabau poss. ssed the special value OF
throwing light, according to the most recent invcsti-
cations. upon the T feature OF consolidation which Ie.
culiarly character!zes the conElomrrates In some
parts of New England. which ha, 9 long been the sub
Ject OF scientific study. This cOnsol dalton the &c
turer fines to tie due. in many cases. to the Gem .ntinS
together OF sand and pebble by the carbonate OF lime.
silica, or oxide o, iron present in the water. a process
even now going on. In many places. in the sediment
deposited at the mouth OF rivers or on the 8 acoasts.
where the water contains an abundance of these ma.
terials. OF this formation are the sandstones. pudding
stones. and frecstones, which occupy so important a
place in modern construction. their value for this
purpose varying with their resistance to the action OF
the atmosphere. which depends upon the nature of
the cementing principle holding the iss together:
some OF the pudding stones are so resistant to the at
mosphere that ages have not d!sintegrated them. due
to the presence OF felste pebbles and a clay cement.
Ing substance. The great necessity. in laying these
btohCFs VI So,ti III thtti tht III u
only within a few years been appreciated by builders.
An important point made by Mr.. z. A. Reeves in a
paper lately read by him before the Royal Geographi
cal Society. London. is that tho curves delineated on
magnetic charts are In some cases misleading. owing
to the manner in which the observations are plotted
out. Thus. observations for inclination OF the mag.
netic needle are measured from the horizon OF the
place whore the observer may happen to
be situated at the time. but the inclinap
ton would have another angle rs regards
any fixed line, such as the axis OF the earth. at any
other latitude-the observations having thus nc
common basis or standard. and. therefore. not in thai
form to be compared one with another; the horizons
themselves from which the angles OF inclination wer,
measured t.cline at an angle varying with the lati
tude of the observer. and hence. before any ~satisfac
tory comparison is possible. tHeir reduction to on,
standard 10 necessary. What Is wanted Ia a common
line to which all observations for inclination should
be referred. and Mr.. Reevess opinion IS that the onl,
line to adopt is the geographical axis OF the earth.
Another proposed wonder for the prospective Pari
exhibition of 1900 is an immense Dussand micropho
nograph. It Is said to be now in course OF construc
tion, and is expected to make the voice heard b.
10000 persons. This form Of apparatus Is claimed t
be especially favorable for the deaf. and for tho stud
of the feeble sounds given out by the organs OF til
body in health and disease. magn!fying the vol
much as q lens magnihes objects to tho eye. TIL
register is a modified photograph. with a diaphragm
vibrated by small electro magnets receiving current
through a microphonc; the repeater Ia somewha
similar. with n microphonc attached to the membrane
the current for this being obtained from one TO sixt
battery cells aud thence passing to a te.ephone-,h
intensity depending upon the amount of current pass
ing. The instrument has u marked effect ia stimu
lating the nerves and apparatus of hearing.
Additional details given from time to time in tn
Pittsburg, Pa. pal ers show that the well row bein
dug near that ely is a remark able uniertsking iron
more than one point OF view. The statement iron
these sources is that more than one mile in depth ha
already been reached, and, when i!ni>h.d. two mile
down into tho earth may be achieved, this being don
in the Interest OF science, the undertaking having lon
since been n CONNER ial success. Even at a CONF ara
lively few feet below the surface both gas and oil
were struck in p y;nG quantities. but the compan
owning the plant, viewing the matter from a NOR
strictly scientific standpoint, put 1t into the hands q
Prof. Halo k OF Columbia College 10 carry on