The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-04-02
written for the Citlzen.l

in which electrulysis, in the dry or
wet way is the base of the process, and
the electrothermic, in which electricity
is used solely for the production Of
heat. An interesting example of a
furnace depending upon wet electro
lysis is that of Lagrange. Hobo and
Julien. Tie poles are immersed in
acidulated water, and such resistance
To the passage of the current is'crea ed
by the envelope of hydrogen gas
that forms around the cathode that q
temperature of 1000 degrees {. has
been reached, while it is made easy to
forge and even weld piece of iron
used as the cathode with a perfectly
sale current of but 100 to 800 volts.
In the Faure furnace, ore was heated
in tube 10y an external fire, then re-
duced in the high temperature of an
arc playing between two electrodes.
In the simple Cowles brick furnace of
1856 81, the ore to be treated was mix
ed with substance, such as carbon,
Offering great resistance, and the in
tense heat is attributed not only to
this artificial resistance but especially
t. the infinite number of ares that
must be set up between the particles
of the resistant mass. The true and
/ most successful electric furnace, as NJ.
/ Poisson states, is that of Moissan.
/ This consists of two slabs of lime, the
/ lower one provided with a longi-
/ tudinal groove for the electrodes and
in the centre cavity serving as cru
chile, and the upper one being slightly
! followed out above the arc. The sub
| stance to be treated is not in contact
with the arc or the vapor of carbon.
Electro ytic action is eliminated, and
heat alone acts, making easy reactions
that have been hitherto impossible.
The analyses of Berthelot not only
! show that the Chaldean weapons, or.
naments and tools of 5000 or 5000
years ago were of pure copper, but that
iron, silver and gold were known. The
| copper age preceded that of bronze
which appeared later IN both Egypt
and Chaldea. 1t is further noted
moreover, that the form of hatchets
with handles, the processes of manu-
facture, and even the practical uses
were the same for the pure copper
hatchets of Chaldea and the prehis
tOric hatchets Of Europe.
= + \
CellulOse, the wonderful materia
that enters largely into the arts in oul
paper age, has been brought into solu
bic form iu several ways. With zinc
chloride, a soluble substance has beer
obtained that has been much used il
preparing the fiaments of lncandes
cent lamps, and cuprous ammonia
gives another soluble preparation. Nj
tritied cellulose, better known as gun
cotton, is a more familiar product
Dissolved in alcohol ether, this forms
the collodion of the photographer anC
the basis of the different celulods anC
xylonites. Artificial silk also is baseC
on the nitrified cellulose. A later pro
cess of making cellulose soluble, due t
Messrs. G. F. Cross and E. J. Bevan
has given most striking results, t,
which Mr.. Cross has just called atten
ton in lecture to the London Socie
ty Of Arts. The cellulose is treated
with caustic alkali and then with bi
sulphide of carbon. The resulting sui
pho carbonate of cellulose is soluble il
water, forming a remarkably viscou
solution which has been named "vis
cuse," and this solution decompose
on standing, depositing cellulose in
dense teXtureless condition. Flowed
over glass, the viscose, or drying, set
to tough textureless film. The car
fridge belts of the Maxim gul
are now rendered waterproof by Wis
cOse, which is also used to improve ia
per pulp, and can be made to deposi
its celulose in dense cylinders, whicl
can be turned like ivory for article
now made of celluloid. In still anoth
er process, Cross and Bevau form Gel
lulOse acetate, which much resemble
cellulose nitrates, but has the advan
tage of being uninflammable. Thi
gives transparent teXtureless film
aud as it fuses at about 450o Fair,
may be expected to prove desirable
substitute for celluloid for nodded ar
ticles.
Haze is not fog, says DIR. J. G. Nc
Pherson, F. r. S. E., but it was onl,
very recently that students of tn
clouds discovered the difference. Tn
haze so familiar in summer, especial,
when you see it wavering about tn
ground between you and the sun, i
much more easily seen through than j
the fog 1t is the lowest visible form
of cloud formation and its results. Tn
sultry haze, the suffocating fogs, tn
dazzling mists, and the thin rain
as well as the great thunder-rain an,
pelting hail, aud the feathery snow
I L. 4. ~
stages of the formation of the vapor il
the air on the minute dust-particles a
different grades of heat and cold.
A captive bee, striving to escape, ha
been made to record as many as Is ,54
wing-strokes per minute in a late test
The curious investigation of DIR. G
Folgaeraiter into the magnetization o
Etruscan vases has been continued
These vases were baked many centu
ries ago, and it has been uncertain
whether the magnetization has not be
come modified in this long period, bu
all such doubts have been cleared away
by fitting together fragments discover
ed at Arezzo, the magnetiZation o
the mended vases showing no irregu
larity, as would be the case if there haC
been any change. The orientation o
the vases in the kiln is the only re
naming element of uncertainty. 1
is hoped that this may be dispelled by
discovery of an Etruscan pottery witt
the vases in place, and such fine
would complete a unique chapter il
science, The magnetization of the vases
would correspond exactly with tina