The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
VOTES ON sofnvcE AVID iSDUsrnr.

OF International importanc, relating to geology.
Among these subjects. ~ announced, will be q dis
cussion as to wh,thcr geology shall adopt the arti.
hoial classification, bassd solely on historical data or
the natural classification, based OH the changes Of
physical geography or fauna. and not on the acct.
dental limits OF various divisions called after the
name OF the country where they have nrst been deter
mined. 1t Is also expected that rules will be drawn
up to be followed definitely In tho introduction OF
new terms in stratigraphicai nomenclature. Another
question, regarded as OF equal Importance. - that OF
Photographed nomcnclature-that is, some positive
and we'll understood agreement as to its principles.
The results of some recent researches on the dircst
union OF carbon and iron at a high temperature have
been communicated by the author. NJ. Moissan, to the
French Academy Of Sciences. lie states that whom
pure iron and carbon are melted together In an cleo.
trlc furnace and allowed to cool slowly, the metal IL
found to contain only \ very small quantity OF com
bincd carbon, n gray pig iron being obtained that
Bolidilcs at l,l50' Cent. BY suddenly cooling In
water iron saturated with carbon at 3.o0O'. the metal
became crystalline in structure, aud from II were sep
nratcd brilliant crystals OF the carbide OF Iron. iden-
tlcal with that occurring In steel. Though this was
one OF the first metallic cnrbides known, IL hes
proved, strange to say, the last to be prepared In
quantity by direct %synthesis.
The practical value of the eophone, an instrument
about which so much has been said and written.
would appear to be confirmed by the Secretary or tho
Trcnsurys call upon Congress for some twelve
thousand dollars in order to place them on revenue
cutters. As is we'll understood. the eophone b o
sonrd.catchlng device, its purpose being the deter
mination with ali possible accuracy. in O foR or dark
ness, of tho location of sound. both as TO direction
and distance. 1t is formed of two bell-mouthed, re-
ccivers, placed one on each side of a sheet Of metal
or other material, extending some distance in front
of the receiver. A tube from the left-haud
sound receiver Is placed at the left ear. OF
the person operating the eophOne. aud o tube from
tho right hand receiver Mt the right par When the
sound Is heard with equal plainncss in both ears, the
instrument II pointing In the direction Of the sounds
when. however. the sound is heard with greater plain.
ness In ono ear than in the other. the instrument 10
pointing at an angle with the direction OF the sound.
The sensitivencss possessed by this peculiarly OF con-
struction. even under the most strained circumstances,
Is said 20 he very remarkable. The instrument Ia at
tached to the top OF the pilot house. the tubes from
the receivers being brought inside the house for use
by the pilot.
Engineers are naturally interested In the novel work
which has lately been undertaken at Rouen, France,
called a .'pont transbordcur.' serving all the pur
poses Of n bridge. whtIO not interfering with the free
passage of ships. even of those with masts $50 feet
high. Two small Eirel towers are 10 be erscted-one
on zach bank OF tho Seine. three.quarters of a mile
below the lowest existing bridge at Rouen-and .
narrow iron bridge will be suspended by chain cables
between their heads. II Is to be not less than 100 feet
from the level OF the quays. but is not Intended either
for carriages or for foot passengers. Several lines OF
rail are to be carried along It. and on these o
skeleton carriage or platform on wheels will
run: this will be dragged from side to side Of
the river by steel ropes passing over a driving
wheel, to he worked by steam or electricity from one
OF the banks. To the skeleton platform will be hung,
by steel hawscrs, at the level of the quays. OF 100 feet
below the bridge, the transbordeur-a strong carriage
within which passengers and vehicles Will be trans
ported from one bank to the other. This carriage ID
to be forty feet in width by thirty three feet in length,
the electric tramways running on the quays on both
sides of the river are TO make a connection at this
point, and the transbordeur will be lifted to carry the
tramcars SO that passengers by them will cross the
river without changing their seats.
Some interesting data have been collected by Mr. p.
P. Sheldon Of Providence. r. l., intended TO show the
actual cost of steam power in New England and New
York cotton mills. The results are based on actua
yearly accounts, not on tests or calculations, and the
cost per horse power per year of 3o7 days, OF ten
hours each, is found 90 be less than the commoa
estimation. Compound condensing engines werA-
used. and the highest running expenses-that IL, fuel,
labor, supplies, and repairs, also including nxed
charges-show a total yearly cost per horse power Of
Sl4.s5, and the lowest running expenses and nxed
charges. Sll.64. In the highest cases given. fuel cost
II stated as amounting to e8 a gross ton; In the
lowest. mixed dust and slack. costing sl.7o gross
ton, was burned.
Methods pursued In ST. Louis. Pittsburg. and some
other Western cities, in the reduction OF the smoke
nuisance. have proved encouraging. Experiments
made in the laboratories of Sibley College show that
the usual figures for dense smoke per ton Of fuel en-
ploycd ranged from 10 to IL pounds Of SCOT; of
the latter, about one-half was carbon, the remainder
principally unconsumed hydrocarbons. 10 to l5
per cent. OF ash. aud, II collected outside OF the fur
mace, perhaps = per cent. Of moisture. II was found
that no smoke was ever produced In an atmosphere
OF oxygen. with restricted afr supply the maximum
Just stat ID was obtainable but low temperature COM
bustion and restricted oxygen supply appeared to DO
a.. t.-, ,N.go ,,- 4,t..- ,,,,-I,- .r.to -aA-.ts-
Again. the composition OF SCOT was found often to b
substantially that Of the coal from which 1t was pro-
ducei. A reduction OF tn proportion OF smoke made
effects a reduction corrcsrondinEly and perhaps pro-
portionatciy In the percentage OF carbon contained In
the SCOT. Thus. coal used at st. Louis was found 70
contain 10 per cent, carbon and 30 per cent hydrocAr-
bon. while Its smoke contained % Per cent, carbon
and 10 per cent. by hydrocarbons. Where no hSdrocsr-
bons exist. smoke cannot Ue produced by any fuel.
In order to obvIate the freezing OF tho Baltic canal.
thus keeping 1t open for navigation US lons as poS5i.
be, says Die Isdcttc, the authorities tried to replace
the fresh water Of tho canal hS salt water; this could
only be done from the Bay OF KEEL, where the wAuer
contains on an average y or Ia per cent. OF saff,
while at til" other end of the canal. in the Lower
Elbc. the percentage is about one.l.alf per cent. only.
and the love FL there Is far more effected by the tidal
movement Than in the Bay Of KEEL. Now, by leaving
open a Sui"e near Bruu,butici durirs low tide. the
salt water, entering from the Baltic end. was caused
to gradually eNpel the fresh W ater through the other
end OF the canal. and at the present time, both In the
canal itself aud In the lakes through " hich IL hows,
the fresh water fauna and fora are more and moro
Disappearing, and are being superseded by salt water
plants and animals from the Baltic.
The .trmv aud Narv Journal deYotes a portion Of
Its space to all account Of an invention by Rudolph
Att5chul designed to Increase tho speed OF vessels. and
10 prevent corrUsion and the growth OF barnacles by
coating the submerged portion OF the ship with crude
petroleum, The Ey stem In question is SO arranged that