The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
Norrs ON so1rror 10 rRgsreE.

Erod. William Ramsey hea Gfvon 70 |
sociation his opinion that there n en- element esyes
undiscovered, living between heiium and argon, when
arranged according to the periodic law WhheeS
perimenting with heiium, in the attempt 70 purity
II by rediffusion, II was found that this gas oouio %
separated into o heavy and alight part,wnn oensiHe.
of,e.o and "a; continuing the experiment. sh'srss
many as 1870 dinusions Of helium, the density OF the
lightcst portion remained constant NJ l'se' snunsV
f~ractivity TO light as compared with air was o.isso-
tho spectrum, too. not differing from heium' ono
element may therefore be considered o. isoiateo ~
pure helium. The residue Is easily altered IN density
by redinusion. Implying . small quantity OF heavy
gas mixed with . largo quantity Of light gas lne
spark spectrum revealed arRon in the mixture 70 'ne
amount of 1.6t per cent. by density and Lis per
cent ny rnfractivity. leading TO the supposinon tna'
tho new gas Ia contained as a very small proporhon
of argou. Neither helium nor argon form compounds
so that the new element as demanded by the per-
odic law" must be determined by dinusion-this
method. however. does not reveal tho existence OF
such q gas, though It by no means follo"h' froi'
Ramsey holds, that there Is no such gas.
A process for spraying cloth with dye liquor for
producing rnamenta effects has been brought FOR
ward by w. Grimsbaw, q manufacturing chemist OF
Manchester. England. The arrangement IN charao-
teriLcd by entire simplicity, q revolving or rocipro-
eating brush being so adjusted in the machine thasa
bar catches its bristles or wires momentarfly, and
when these are released they dash the colors on TO
the fabric. In practice troushs are employed con-
tanning the colors. to each trough being ntted abrush
in conjunction with Q bar or roller. Tho fabric or
material to be ~ornamented Is so guided a. to travel
over or In front OF the brushes. these being mounted
so that their brtstles come in contact with the color
and carry some OF II forward until they momentartly
catch against the stationary bar or roller. and a. soon
a. released spray the colors on to the fabric In the
form of a colored rain. The fabric may be printed
in an ordinary printing machine. cithor after or be-
fore the spraying operation. and with any suitable
pattern.
Tho well.known scientist and lecturer before the
Lowell Institute. Boston. Mr.. George II. Darwin. 10
the author OF . theory OF tbs origin OF the moon. also
It's separation from the earth and the present state
OF tho enrth.moon system. which has attracted
much attention. According 10 this theory. the heat
generated by internal tidal friction may account In
part for the increase In the earth's underground
temperature. Concerning this matter of tidal fto-
ton, Mr.. Darwinfs opinion a. set forth Is alike learned
and ingenious, namely. that after the speed OF tho
moons journey around the earth has finally hecoms
the very same a. that of the earths rotatiou-wboh
now takes place IN twenty.four hours-solar tidal
friction will further reduce the earth's velocity
ahout IL own oeutre-thet tidal reaction on the moon
will be reversed, the swiftness OF the moons oroital
journey will increase, and her distance from the
earth wifi diminish. Before this reversal. however,
the moon must have retired to an enormous dis.
lance. and the earth's rotation be so slackened that
the day will be forty Of our days-tdal friction will
thus decrease planetary rotation. increase tho dis
tance Of satellites, and diminish the orbital angular
velocity.
What 10 said 70 be q remarkably valuable anti
friction and preservative compound for mine cables
says tho San Francisco Mntng Preas. 10 as follows
Seven parts soft tallow and three parts plumoago
mixed thoroughly; make q long. hollow box o.
trough, eouee out q four by six pi~ce OF s~oantl,nl
about two feet long, saving IL down lengthwis,
and following out the box or trough enough to hole
several pounds OF the compound. making also q ho,,
lengthwise Of the trough for the cable TO run through
then afiI TO rope ard clamp securely, having the DO,
or trough so fxed that it cannot play. and letting tn,
cable pass through it while going up or down. 81
that It will get a thorough coating. This, It ia found
will preserve q round cable very well. and can b
used at least once a week. For a nat steel gable raw
linseed oil oen be used instead of the tallow. in abou
tho proportion OF SIX parts oil and three plumbaCc
II tar ia used. linseed oil "a to DO added TO keep tn
tar from adhering. both Ingredients TO be mike
while warm.
Nickel has now come ~ be ono OF the favorit
hardening materials used In ALLOWING aluminium. an
IN proportions OF from 2 10 10 per cent. of nickel an
the rest aluminium tho best ca,ting material IS pr,
duc"d FOR purposes whore toughnes-. combined wit
hardness and good casting qualities, Is desired
MANGANESE. too. has long hoen considered one OF til
best hardeners; It cen be cheaply added in aluminium
casting metal by means OF the rich alloys OF ferrt
manganese, and for rolling purposes by adding N
pure black oxide OF manganese TO the elcctrolyt.
bath in which the aluminium is produced; the alloy
} OF manganese give special rigid!ty and hardness (
aluminium. and. in combination with copper an
! nickel. one or the best hardening alloys Of aluminium
yet produced has been obtained. For some time pc,
r tho alloys OF aluminium and tunss have been grow
, ingly popular for rolled sheets and plates. 10 be afto
ward spun. the material being largely used for mn
tary equipments.
!. Perhaps no more curioua utilization in the inse,
, industry IS known than that relating TO the t~ntestin,
, OF tho Spanish silkworm for the production Of AZ
i. INK lines. It appears from the report OF Il
Omitted States consular agent n: Grao. Valencia. tha
since tho decline of silk culture in Spain. tho "gu,
industry, as It ia called. has increased, until nov abo'
. 4 per cent. OF the Spanish silk grub are used In
a After tho grub has eaten enough mulberry leaves, ar
a before It begins TO spin. in May and June. 10 10 throw
a into vinegar for several hour, and the inScot boir
thus killed. the substance which. II alive. II won
have spun into q cocoon is drawn out from the del
worm into q much thicker and shorter silk,
q thread. This is an operation requiring de
terity and experience. Two thick threads fro
each grub are placed for about four hou
a in clear. cold water. after which they are dipped On
ing ten or fifteen minutes in a solution OF some cav
tic. soft soap dissolved in water being used IN Ora
this process loosens the nne outer skin. which 10 tn,
removed with the hands. the workman holding Z
thread between his teeth, and tho silk is then hui
mp to dry. care being taken to choose q shady pac
" a. the sun makes the threads too brittle aftsrwar
The threads are made up in neat bundles OF q hu
n dred and are sold by the ten of these bundles, or o.
y Thousand threads. according as the threads are nat
round. Murcia Is the chief place for tho industI
1t but Valencia the best market.
o Some valuable experiments, made 30 determine t
T. chemical composition OF that fatal element a,
damp. are reported by NJ. Chatelier. in the ANIMAL
N des Mtnes. In the samples examined the incol
bustihlS parts varied from 81 Ter cent, to +4.4 p
cent. in volume. and contained o to 4 per cent. of CT
!. bonic Coid, o TO 90 per cent. OF oxygen. and OF nitl
q gen e.e to sos per cent. Nitrogen was invariAb
present in quantities varying from o.7A TO a. much
30 per oent. and in all cases the nitrogen wa foul
n to contain argon varying in proportions from - io
10 as 0.74 per cent. 70 as much as 8.2s per cont OF {
total amount OF nitrogen and argon together. A t
10 result OF these various exporimen.s-probably {
most careful and accurate yet made in this limo of
quiry-the conclusion is regarded as legitimate til
NOT only is tho Rrgon in nre-damp not derived fro