The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
VOTES ON soIFxoE AVID rSDUsrRr +.

The value or hArmfulnesa Of chemical adjunots In
: the treatment OF edible substances hus led TO much
discussion. and in England especially the public mind
has been moro than ever stirred by disclosures lately
made by scientific experts. Tho oficial analyst for
Marylebono, for example. IN n report Just Issued,
dwolls emphatically upon the practice Of coloring
margarine with aniline dye 30 a. to resemble butter.
and urges the importance OF making II an OFFENCE to
color foods with annine dye unless the purchaser II
Informed OF the fact. Investigation shows that
aniline dyes possess such great ~tinctorlai power that,
even with those that are poisonous, the quantity
taken in the consumption OF any one ordinary col.
ored article IL most minute. 80 tina. in few cases could
really decided symptoms be produced; on the other
hand, when sugar, butter. milk. cream. sausages, con.
fectionery, and n number OF other things all have q
small trace OF aniline. these traces in a day add up.
Observation and experiment have shown that the
aniline dyes in small doses interfere with Digestion
indeed, scientific opinion Is that the increase of mLl.
aides of the digestive organs is in part due to the in
creasing use Of the anllino dyes In fruit produots.
A striking example, a. II may we'll be regarded. OF
the utilization Of water power, made possible by
means OF wheels OF the impulse type. 10 said to be
presented In the arrangements recently made for
power in the well-known textile goods mandatory
of N. Benoist Cadet. nls. at La Batisde, atovn south OF
Bordeaux. in the Department OF the Tarn. France.
Here a steam engine. which formerly was in service
TO furnish power for the entire operations of the estab-
lishment. IA now held in reserve for periods of low
water. and the greater part of the time power 10 fur.
nished by a thirty-six.incb impulse wheel. working
under q head OF 12S feet at 2s5 revolutions per min.
ute, and furnishing somo forty horse power in the
whole. Furthermore. in this arrangement the use
of contracting noEEles renders a high efficiency pos.
sible with the varying loads, which is q practical
point of much Importance.
A very valuable document has been issued by the
Bureau of Mines, Philadelphia, showing the produo
tion of anthracite and bitumiuous coal in Pennsyl.
vania last year. II appears that there was a decrease
OF over l.ooo.o 600 tons OF anthracite In 1897 as com.
pared with 1896, while the pro tuttIon of bituminous
within the same period increased nearly -four and one.
half million tons. The number OF persons employed
In mining anthracite was larger than that OF those
employed in mining the bituminous-that 10. the
amount OF coal mined for each person working was
far less in the case of anthracite than of bituminous.
Again. the number OF accidents. fatal or otherwise.
was very much larger in mining anthracite than btu.
minous. There ara various reasons why anthracite
mining is more hazardous-the mines are deeper and
blasting with high explosives is more necessary. moro
machinery iB employed in preparing the coal for mar
ket. this. OF course, increasing the liability Of acct.
dent; on the other hand. however. anthracite mines
are free from the formation of nre-damp or explosive
gases. except under very unusual conditions.
The idea of protecting buildings against FIRE from
without by means OF a water curtain. to be made to
fall all around the structure. appears to be gaining
favor, having the Endorsement of some OF the most
experienced professional experts In this line, and the
plan Is exciting special attention in Chicago, where
It is being applied to the great Public Library build
ing. The arrangement Is extremely simple. A seven-
inch steel water main is laid around the top OF the
structure. upon the broad stone table formed by the
top of the coping. this pipe having connection with
force pumps situated In the basement, and, through
perforations properly arranged, insures the introduc-
tion of a substantial sheet of water from cornice to
pavement, around the whole or any imperillcd por-
fIop NJ tho brtIdipC Tho ar.apnapnaot Cf tho svafapn
of piping is such as to enable operating in prescribed
sections; additional relays of smaller pipe are also
placed in position above windows and doors. in order
to complete the curta'ning of those points in the most
serviceable manner. should the curtain in the main
be broken by wind infringement against the building.
The French engineers at Ceuta, Morocco, have
resorted to old cables of aloe fibre for footways, in
the case of wearing surfaces of foot bridges exposed
to heavy trafhc. II seems that elm plank on oak
stringers wore out rapidly. and. finally, In 1894. old
fiat mine cables were substituted, made from the
nbre OF the aloe plant and costing at the rate of about
four cents q pound. their thickness ranging from
1877 to /. 90 inches. with q mean width of s.65 inches.
These fiat cables were thoroughly tarred and nailed
down TO oak plank. across the axis of the bridge. and
the ends secured by light iron bands, Such footwaya
are found to be very elastic and lasting, they are not
: slippery. and the weight is only about ninety-two
t pounds to the square yard. The finished cost is con
5 siderable. amounting to about S3.T6 a square yard,
but up to the present time they show no traoe OF wear
Notwithstanding the large passenger trafhc.
An ingenious method of fixing iridescent nlms has
D been devised by NJ. Henry. director of the famous
= laboratory at the Sorbonne. In this operation a sheet
0 of impermeable paper or other material is placed al
the bottom OF o rectangular vessel furnished with 6
tap, which allows 1t to be completely emptied. The
, vessel is filled with water and a little OF a solution Of
Z resin, bitumen. or tarry body dissolved in a volatil,
o medium is dropped on the surface of tho water. the
. solvent, as 1t volatilizes. leaving a pellicle which Il
!: beautifully irtdescent. II q whistle or other musicn
i instrument be blown above the surface of this hn
Z the colors will be observed to change with the vibra
tons of the particular tone produced. When evap
n grafton has proceeded far enough the tap IL opened
d aud the water allowed TO run out slowly. In thi
. way the pellicle is hXed to the surface of the paper
q which, when dried. reproduces the iridescence in
very striking manner. A very lne specimen of pape
so prepared. which accompanies the note. in appear
ance resembles watered silk.
Q An account is given by the British Consul at Maple
. of a large factory now In operation at wandsbeck
ia near Hamburg. where Is produced in large quantit.
d what's commercially known as Malten-Weine,h avtnl
y the characteristics Of the wines of southern Europe
due to an entirely new process Of fermentation t
which they are subjected. q process made possible b.
the skill OF Mr.. Hansen, a Dane. and DR.. sauer. a Gel
d man. In this system of artificial wine production
c barley is matted and carried to the point OF ferments
ton. when Tactic acid and vinous forments are Intro
duced, the mass being subjected to sundry variation
of temperAture. On fermentation being completed. tn
liquor Is put into huge watts OF about 1900 gallons
and thence into casks of 1000 gallons. where It
artihcially matured by being raised to a high ten
perature. The transformation Of the substance
which give the liquid its taste and bouquet is thus ~
N complIshed in a few weeks instead OF requiring O
many years. and at the same time all extraneou
Is matter derived from the fermentS is stsrlliZed an
p rendered innocuous.
An interesting report has been issued by tho Official
10 OF the Grand Ducal Observatory ut Heidelberg cor
corning the late red and yellow snowfalls which eI
a. cited so much attention. A fall OF yellow snow OF
40 Cured in the Engadine on March 3 and red snow fe
to a depth of eight centimetres on the same day
Kardi, in Kaernten province. also all over the platea
on which the K6nigsstuhI stands; on the odenwalC
a too. colored snow fell, the wind driving 1t into ever
Is nook and corner, so that the drifts presented q colo