The record-union., 1899-10-27
aoyAL s.k.so eowoIa CO., NEW YORK

Makes the food more de
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Science Mention
and Discovery.
Electrical Review, New York: Some
interesting experiments in the corro-
sion of metals by sea water have been
carried out at Kiel, Germany, during
the last two years, says Engineering"
The plan followed was to cut off twelve
specimens of the metal to be tested of
which three were kept as witnesses"
while the other nine were placed in
salt water. At the end of eight months
three Of the latter were withdrawn and
compared with the witnesses" Eight
months later a second set were with
drawn and a fresh comparison made,
those then left being taken out after
the lapse of a third period of eight
months. The metals tested included al
Toys of copper rich in zinc, bronzes
containing little zinc, bronzes contain
ing no zine, pure aluminium bronzeS
and finally bronzes containing alumni
mum and zinc or zinc and iron. The
latter in particular showed remarkable
resistance to the corrosive powers of
sea water, being practically untouched
at the end of two years immersion.
Inc alloys containing zinc, however,
gave much less favorable results The
copper-tin alloys and copper aluminium
alloys and the iron bronzes resisted
perfectly when immersed in sea water
in contact with iron. The bronzes con-
tanning iron, when placed in contact
with those of tin, showed a loss by cor
rosion. 1t is thus important, if COR
roslon is to be prevented, to avoid plac-
ing these alloys in contact with metals
electro-positive to them.
Science, New York: 1t was only after
much experimenting that Tyndall sue
ceeded in obtaining absolutely OFFICIALLY.
pure air, SO clear that the path of even
the most intense light is invisible. In
experimenting upon water Lallemand
was unable to obtain optically-pure
water, and was led to question it's ex-
lstence. Professor Spring of Liege has.
however, succeeded in thus purifying
water and an extended account of his
work is given in the Bulletin" of the
royal academy of Belgium. That the
visibility Of the path of a raw of light
Is due to suspended matter is shown
IN he
water Of Spring the path is wholly in
visible Such water can not be ob-
tanned by distillation, nor by filtration.
these processes having no tendency to
purify water optically, but often rather
the contrary. Optically-pure water can
be obtained by the action of a weak
hlgh-tension current on water which
contains suspended matter. or by sedi-
mentation of colloidal preciptates.
such as aluminium, ferric, ETC.. hy-
droxids, or by filtration of the water
trough colloidal precipitates. CRYSTAL
line precipitates, such as calcium OK
aiate, have little or no effect: nor can
organic liquids be purified by colloidal
precipitation. Spring believes that the
Illumination of the. water is probably
not caused by the dust itself but by
minute bubbles which adhere to the
dust particles. These occasion different
colors, in which red and orange pre-
dominate, and hence the blue color of
natural waters can not be due to 2.
seiectiVe absorption on the part of the
suspended matter.
Dr. Grimsffaw tells us that marine
constructors would like to have in
vented water tight bulkhead doors that
can be opened and shut from the deck
improved boat lowering devices for
ocean steamers, gun carriages that will
not rack warship to pieces when the
gun is hred, cellulose that will reallv
STOP up shot holes by swelling eve have
none that is cheap, light, compressible
absorbent and fireproof). a practical re-
Verslng propeller, improved ash hoists
better steam blowers, and properly con-
structed marine condensers. He also
visits steel rigging with the weight of
his displeasure. Says the doctor:
ANY one who have ever had tba
oecK OF yacht pulled up by steel rig
glng Will agree with me when I suggest
that II some benefactor will produce
a steel Wire rope that has a little give,
10 1t, such as one always gets in hemn
many ship owners and others who .fol-
low the sea- or have it followed, for
tnem, VIII rise up and call him blessed
Ihe old-fashioned chains and Chan
nels are rapidly disappearing, and eve
bolts are taking their places; but it is
TOO much to expect six feet in length
of hemp at the lower end of a hundred
feet of steel wire will give as much
elasticity as the entire length had
give
A prize having been offered by the
Electrical Review for the best name
to designate "the electrically propelled.
self-contained vehicle for roads and
streets" the judges selected the word
'electromobile'' from about 400 propos-
ed terms.
According to the "Tri-State Medical
Journal and Practitioner" the use of
liquid air as a cautery is already
spoken of favorably. 1T having a tenn
perature of 312 degrees Fahrenheit be-
low zero, its action is, to all intents
and purposes the same as that of the
most powerful actual cautery. 1t does
not really burn, but utterly kills the
tissues, leaving a blister not unlike
burn. Hence it has been suggested for
cauterization in surgical practice. 1t is
not only a good deal cheaper than the
ordinary cautery, but it is much more
efficient, and it's action can be absolute
ly controlled. A we'll known surgeon