The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
Sorzs ON SCIENCE AND 1SDUsrnr.

"hAteF MECHANIC OI the santa re TOnu n quoted a.
saying that by the use in the Santa rs shops of a
stationary riveting machine three men are enabled to
drive 1000 rivets per day Of ten hours at a cost Of
e4.75. as compared with 200 rivets per day at a cost
OF "a by hand labor; the truck riveters-the machine
being operated by two laborers at a total cost OF 81
per day-drtve 5000 rivets. as compared with l75
rivets driven BY hand labor by three men in q day at
q cost Of %, while the staybolt breaker makes an
average saving OF o. a day and the tank riveter an
average daily saving OF elO. Further. the mud.rins
~riveters will drive AZ many rivets as can be handed to
them and Will make a saving OF el2 to els a day for
that class of work. Not only Is this method credited
with the great saving named. but Is declared to
insure every rivet hole being nlled entirely and in.
sures tight work. while OF hAnd.driven rivets In mud
rings slarge percentage invariably leak.
A peculiar instrument is described In Science s
being in use at Columbia University, namely, q dyna.
mometer made to write on n kymograph. The maxi.
mum pressure OF the thumb and %forennger or the
movement OF a single finger can thus be re gtstered,
and n series of movements showing fatigue be re-
corded; the curves give the actual amount OF work
done. the height OF the curves being proportional to
the pressure in Kilograms. A comparison OF this In
strument has been made with the ergoSraph. curves
being shown in which the movements made in lifting
q weight and in extending a spring were elmul-
taneously recorded the fact appearing that the ergo
graph curves do not give a correct measure of fatigue.
Anh. VI IN no TeCOTu " utn II Ntlgnt IN uot llttu.
whereas the dynamometer curves measure more
nearly to precision in this respect.
A very frequent contamination OF water Is that
arising from the presence OF iron. particularly where
a relation exists to coal mines, iron mines, ferrugi.
nous, and aretllaceous sandstone: even ground water
and well water. otherwise pure and unobjectionahle.
often contain salts OF iron which usually come from
ochery strata. In case the geological strata consist OF
hard. insoluble kinds OF rock. such as granite and
gneiss. the water remains comparatively free from
contamination. and is what ia ordinarily termed
soft II. however. the water in its subterranean
course comes in contact with rocks containing com.
ponents similar to rock salt. it becomes saiiferous,
and II 1t strike s lime rock, dolomite. or chalk. &C.. Il
takes up certain quantities OF them. becomes cal.
careous, and is in that case called hard In respect
to the ferruginous concentrations referred to. while
these In no way render the W alter insalubrous. It Is
found to become turbid and ~unsightly from the
effect OF the oxide OF iron formed by the action of
the atmospheric oxygen. aud. when precipitated.
soils drinking vessels and kitchen utensils.
The Introduction Of a new oarlock for boats Is record.
ed by the chicago Tribune as involving an additional
extension OF the ball.beartng system in minimizing
friction. As described the rowlocks in this case are
OF brass, with three point ball bearing. case hardened
steel working parts; they are furnished in either pol.
ished brass or nickel plated. as may be desired. These
materials will not bend or spread. and so the oars
will move in them always the same, and thus there
can be no liability to uneven rowing on account OF
the locks being OF different shapes and angles. as 10
not infrequently the case with compositions of a
softer character. The statement Is made that this
ball.bearIng rowiock AFFORDS an ease In rowing which
is most remarkable.
In some OF the large cities OF Europe the principle
of the reflection OF sound Is very ingeniously EN-.
ployed in locating the position of inaccessible obstruc-
lions in the pipes OF the pneumatic tube service.
Thus, when a pipe Is CONSTRUCTED, a diaphragm that is
so thin as TO vibrate instantly under the force OF a
sound wave is attached to the end OF the pipe. and
connected electrically with a chronograph in such a
manner that when the diaphragm vibrates IL will
close the electric circuit and register on the chrome
graph pistol loaded with blank cartridge is then
fired into the tube through an opening Just below
where the diaphragm Is placed. when, therefore, the
shot is fired. the sound wave causes the diaphragm to
vtbrate and registers the exact time on the chrome
grapn. The sound wave will travel along the tube
until IL meets the obstruction. and will then be re.
nected back; on this reflected sound, or echo return
ing 20 the end Of the tube, 1t causes the diaphragm to
vibrate again and make another re istration on the
chronosraph. which by this simple operation will cor
rectly indicate the exact interval of time required for
the sound to travel from the end OF the tube and back.
Chemical investigation has brought to notice re-
GENTLY 4 new element. called bythium. according to
an announcement by Theodore Gross In the German
tSA4AAN q VI n MA VIC vi th'ti euiPIia
and silver chloride Is electroly zed In a nitrogen at
mosphere by using platinum electrodes free from irid.
ium. IN this melt is found a dark gray powder. In
soluble In aqua regia and In ammonia fused with aka
line carbonate 1t gives a melt soluble in hydrochloric
acid. from which hydrogen sulphide gives a brown
precipitate. The yield OF this new substance is said 10
be 5 per cent. OF the original sulphur used. and, from
the fact that there Is = corresponding loss OF sulphur.
II Is considered that this byth!um Is I formed by the de-
composition CT sulphur. 1t Is admitted. however,
that since there 10 a small. or 8 per cent. only. loss OF
chlorine In the electrolytic reaction, II is possible that
bythium may be formed by the decomposition OF
chlorine. Future experiments with this new elemen,
will be looked for with interest
According to the statement OF Prof. Lewes a London
fog ~deprtves coal gas OF Ill per cent. OF It's ilIumi
mating power, but this is not so astonishing as Is the
fact that. under similar circumstances, the searching
light OF an incandescent burner loses as much a.
eos of its efficacy. The reason given by Prof
Lewes for this phenomenon IS that the spectrum
OF both the incandescent and the electric light ap
proaches very nearly that OF the solar spectrum, beinG
very rich In the violet and ultraviolet rays. II is pre-.
cisely these rays which cannot make their way
through a London fog. To this is attributed the fact
that the sun looks red on a foggy day. The vtoleI
rays are absorbed by tho solid particles floating in tbs
aqueous vapor of the atmosphere, and only the rec
portions OF the spectrum get through. The interest
ing additional statement is made in this connection
that the old argand burner Is much more successful
In resisting = London fog than any of It's later rivals
Referring to the frequent Instances. during the las
year OF so. Of chemical laboratories being destroye,
by lightning. the Springfield Republican notes thu
singular fact that. while the earlier discoveries IN re
lation to the nature OF electrical force found instan
practical application in measures designed to safe
guard life and property against lightning. the i'm
mcnsely more important discoveries OF the presen
era ignore this phase or the problem altogether. o
have little or nothing to oner toward the disarming o
the thunierbolt; indeed. the only progress made Il
this direction has been to prove the worthlessneas o
the lightning rod-to demonstrate. In a word. the use
lessness Of the one practical outcome OF the earle
discoveries. The lightning specialist connected witt
the Government Weather Bureau goes so Tar this yea
as TO maintain not only that rods are OF no use. bu
that most Of all the precautions taken by persons {
keep out OF the path OF a possible electrical discharg
are uSelesL
As is well known. a frequent source Of "unacroun
able - fires turns out to be, in reality. the spontan'