Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-04
WITH THE SCIENTISTS.
Nftrfde of Calcium. n new Substance.
Metric system to BE Discussed.
(New York Evening Post.)


tifc world, has recently announced the
discovery of new body. nitride Of cal
cium, which possesses the remarkable
property Of setting up reaction on COM
bination with water, resulting in the pro-
duction of ammonia. The new product is
formed by gently heating calcium in an
atmosphere of nitrogen, causing COM
bination of the two elements. At red
heat there Is q violent reaction. which
raises the entire mass to incandescence.
The chemical composition of nitride OF
calcium is given as NJ Cas-, and its specific
gravity at 6s degrees f. is 2.63. 1t melts
at about $50 degrees f. The production
OF ammonia in combination with water
Is analogous to the generation of acety-
lene gas, when calcium carbide comes In
contact with water, and NJ. Moissan be-
lieves that his discovery may prove OF
considerable industrial Importance IL only
metallic calcium can be cheaply prepared
BY means of the electric furnace.
One of the measures TO come before the
approaching session of Congress In which
ali the leading scientific and technical
men Of the United States are deeply inte-
rested. is the Hurley bill, which was
pending al the last session. This bill pro-
vides for the adoption of the metric sys-
TEN OF weights and measures, and the
compulsory use of the system after July
/. 1900 In all government transactions,
except the completion OF the survey OF
public lands, and recognizes the metric
units az the legal standards OF weights
and measures in the United states AFTER
that date. This bill was introduced in
the Fifty-fourth Congress and failed or
passage by only three votes, so that
very good chance Of its passage at the
coming session is anticipated. A new inn
portance is now added to the measure by
the recent development Of the foreign
trade in this country, and the prospect
of having distant Colonies, which not
only will use American products, but will
act as distributing points for exports to
other countries. The metric system being
now adopted by nearly all the civilized
nations of the world except Great Britain
and America, the necessities of foreign
trade call for its use by these two coun-
tries, and should one adept the system,
the other would be compelled to follow
its example. Not only In trade, but also
in all mechanical work does the metric
system facilitate operations. and even
in the event of the loss OF the internal
tional Standards We have sufficient data
TO construct new standards that would
be perfect reproductions OF the originals.
Two new systems of teegraphy are soon
to receive practical trials, the expert
mental work in each case having been
satisfactorily accomplished, and the In
ventors claim that the new methods VIII
occasion many and important changes in
the present practice. In America Pro-
fessor Henry A. Rowland has perfected
a system known as the multipleX, which
i'm the near future will be tested thorough
~ by the operation of line extending
from Philadelphia to New York. In this
system eight messages can be sent over
one wire simutaneously-four In each d.
rection--and the transmission Is effected
by means of a keyboard resembling that
Of an ordinary typewriter. The messages
are received and printed on a tape or
sheets OF paper, and no skilled operator Is
required at either end Of the Ine. A
typewriter of average ability can forward
messages at the rate of forty words TO
the minute, and as eight messages are
sent over the wire at the same time,
great saving Of both time and money Is
effected. The other system referred 20
has been invented by a Frenchman, and is
known as the duodecaplex. It has been
used eXperimentally for some time over
n line connecting Paris and Bordeaux.
and ii has been demonstrated that as
many as twelve messages can be sent
simultaneously by the use Of the ordinary
Morse transmitters. The receivers con-
sist of instruments somewhat similar 10
telephones, and each receiver receives the
particular message designed for it, This
is accomplished by the use OF tuning
forks and interrupted currents. by the
principle Of electrical resonance each re-
l.fF obi
for one particular period. The signals are
said to be quite distinctly heard, and the
other signals coming over the line do not
interfere to such an extent as to cause
serious difficulty The difference I'm the
two methods seems to be rather In favor
OF the American system. as 1t does away
with the skilled operators, particularly
at the receiving end. where one person can
attend 10 the sheets of paper or rolls OF
tape as they are printed.
For many years methods and processes
to separate the fibre Of the ramie plant
have been proposed. but i'm their CONNER
cial application have not met with sue
cess. A new machine has recently been
invented. which not only decoucates the
ramie, but also degums It without in
jurng the fibre The stalks of ramie are
passed between peculiarly constructed
cylinders, which remove the wood and
leave a clear, straight ribbon Of fibre,
which is subsequently passed through
pressure rolls to get rid Of the gum. AS
ramle is raised at slight expense, any
successful attempt to separate the fibre
will be of immense value, as II can be
used i'm weaving and spinning with great
advantage.
A novel application OF electricity is its
use in the tanning Of leather, and pro-
cess has been devised i'm which the cleo
tric current is used not only TO hasten
the tanning but TO render easier the UNI
hairing of the animal skins and the ex-
traction of the tanning elements. For
unhairing. the hides are placed in the
ordinary solution Of lime and arsenic,
through which a current Is maintained
for fifteen or twenty minutes. The cur
rent is then shut off and the skins re-
main for an hour or more additional, al
the end of which time they are ready for
the mechanical process of removal, the
hair being sufficiently loosened. In the
next operation the hides are placed in a
vat containing a tanning solution. and
remain, receiving the current for about
fifteen minutes. The effect seems TO be
TO open the pores OF the leather and give
the tanning agents freer access TO the in
terror, with the result OF greatly de-
creasing the time of duration OF the pro-
cess. In extracting from the bark and
other materials the substances used IN
the tanning solution, a current of sufti-
cient intensity IL sent through the tank
to cause the solution to boil. This pro-
cess requires about thirty minutes time.
where the ordinary way consumes about
three weeks, while the effect Of using cleo
trio methods and appliances throughout
the works Is 20 greatly diminish the time
Of all the different operations.