The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09

remedy for III" ills ct suffrage is more
NArGArurK. Conn.
NOTES ON SCIENCE v fNDCSTRr.
In view Of the fact that millioi s If tons OF Stag are
annually Ut Iduced as waste in original processes in
certain loralitics, Il writer in thu litt,hurG D,'pnt'h
points ont that when Stag is II iItzed. a. asbestos has
been. it will be REASONABLE" To LOOK for efforts to turn
furnace gases to practical dcrohnt. as il the Ease in
scotland, the coke gas into fuel ana the ,oking am.
monia into nitrogen for agricultural use. 81.
Cheaper nitrogen TO" TIE lands that will not grow
lcgnminons plants l., enc If the uig ut needs Of
agriculture, and the ammonia froai Coke making
promises a supply until the means are devised for
extracting il from the air in ,uintitv. This writer
mentions crude petroleum as probably the only
crude product in til" ahoNcuamPd localities that is
manipulated So us to yield all of which II Is capable;
that IL, aside from Illuminating and lubricating oil.
it S made tn yield about $50 by proluc:s. some Of
them being rather more valuable than the main
! Iro luction an important fact when weighed against
what Otherwise would be actual losa.
The curious fact is referred IN IN Tdtu,rs NogI.
:o,. namely. that mechanical stokrrs for boiler fur.
nsces hay. never been received with favor by ma.
rlnc engineers-at any rate. they have not gained a
footing aboard ship: on this account it is worthy OF
note that what may be recorded as probably the first
mechanical stokcr installation in existence afuat il
that which has been fitted to the boile.s Of the steam
ers ofthe Zenith Transit line, living between Duluth
and Cleveland. These stokers are of the underfeed
| type, and what has worked so well on land is, 1: has
beer assumed, not uEdtted for good work at sea. The
installnlcnt in this case comprises six stokers. three
under each Of the two boilers. each If those grouls
capable ct burning $50 T. ?.1oC pounds Of coal an
hnu'.
As 10 the question raised BY chem ats. VIZ. The
lowering OF temperature produced by boiling hydro.
gen under reduced pressure. some interesting iufor.
nation was recently given by Pro-. Dewar before
the Royal Society, London. Theoretical rnnsldrra-
tons had led 20 the expectation that a diminut!on Of
temperature might thus be obtained ~ the extent ~
about nine degrees. but. in his experiments with one
platinum Thermometer. its resistance Rt the temper.
allure Of liquid hydrogen boiling under a pressure II
one inch only diminished very lightly. that Il. TO
tn" equivalent or about one del rec centi-raie.
Whether, however. the thermometer had given way
or whether liquid hydrogen did not fall in tempe IA.
ture bike other liquids when cvaporatci under re.
dured pressure. or, again. whether such a result was
due in som way to the condition OF heat nv the
platinum leads. Prof. Drwar expressed his doubt
The observations, he said, had been mad with the
greatest care. but no explanation had been found.
SO far. however. as that particular platinum Their.
mometer was concerned. a limit appeared to have
been reached.
IL lNa WA NV = q il'tl u Ildt'1lhl fhtallp
" being wrought into the foIm and Characterist cs
of silk has commonly been treated as a myth. But.
according TO the tm>rir1n Stk JOurndi. the shell.
fish known AS the pirma. found in the Mediter.
rnnear. has the power Of secreting q yiscid silk
WIFI h. in Sicily. is sometimes made into a handsome
fabric. The silky matter is eierted 10y tho shcllash.
in the first instance, for the purpose o. attIching
Itself 10 the rocks. possessing the uniqu, capacity,
a. 1t does, Of guiding the delicate flamcnts to the
proper place and there Gluing them fast, reproducing
them also If they are cut awav. This subsistence.
when gathered, ia washed in soap and water, Dire l..
STA RhtCned and ca-hel. enc pound Of the coarse
flament Welding about three ounces Of fine thread,
which, when spun, is Of an attractive golden brown
color. There is also said to be. in the Royal Berlin
Museum, a pair Of golden brown silk gloves made Of
byssuS SILK. n material obtained from tho small silky
tufts pr ptruding from the tyssus shell; this fbr" is
silky, aud changes in color from grernish yellow to
dark brown, the single threads being two to three
inches long.
The composite action ~ concrete and metal Is b..
ing more nnd NOR" awaited ~ in engineering CON
straction. especially abroad. Such construction de.
pen Is for it, success on the adhesion of the ron.
crete and metal and on their action ns a unit. their
rae Of expansion and contraction being practically
uniform. The metal is used in forms varying all
the wa" from wire cloth. or expanded metal now 80
ocular III this rountrr a. metal lathinS. 10 massive
II leans or built MP lattice Orders for the largest
spans. Metal work in bridges. roofs and similar
stru"tures requires, when "xrosel. constant inspnc,
tinn to insure its maintenance in an efhci mt comb.
ton, al'o a periodical coating Of paint or other
prrs"rvhtive adapted TO the particular exposure
involved and the service intended. Concrete. on
the other hand, is recognized as an excellent con,
srrYator Of iron and steel. 1t * stated Ivy VI. I'm.
prrgcr. a well known Austrian .ngincc-. that h" has
found iron rods quite free from rust after remain.
ing some forty wears inheddnl in concrete below
water level. and All instance IA on record Of an iron
wrench, loft buried in concrete for twenty-five
years. which. ON being broken our. still showed it,
black metallic snrfa y. II Is generally cnnsidc"r
that. as the closest possible bond between the ,ou
cr"c nm metal is desirable in compost" c"nstru'
ton. no paint shouli he applied tn he metal parts
lut thorough cleaning only.
The experiments made by NJ Bother Z Paris have
rcsu!te IN the discovery Of y simple method al
imrartinG To etching FAT RIGS III" qusl tv NJ %repcllinl
water and vet a Uniting air for vent llton. the basi,
in this ease being the use NJ wpui which - II con
ta'ns the animal grease. T"stS were made with Ian
oline. \ product oi tho prrtiCat on OF this ANNA,
grease, deprived If soap and acid Fat and made neu
tra'. The results wcrr very favorable. aud the i'm
pcrmcahlc effect was secured hy n MIXTURE of ten I,
twenty grams NJ lanolnc ~ l,OnD grim'nf spirit,
uf petroleum. a. a disso!yent. ihi' 'preldiug itsrl
rapidly in the tissue and "yaporatluG quickly; tn,
, imprrmrRhility Of the lnNt"rial II insured either h,
, dipping it in the mixture for a few moments am
then wringing ont. or by applying 1t with q spOng,
to the surface. the las process being the more &C
nomical. hu' not ~ satisfactory ~ III" first. 1t ap
, pears that material thu treated IL healthy. the tissu,
y ~ not Il ~ :cd, the weigh! IS 20 in aScl "nd /
Il. o. rap.d'r II The open air.
announcement i, made in Tie technical .oIruaI
OF the successful GHpl rati III ~ "lrc;"iritv to tn
+ process OF 1yerg. In tbs process. according to til
a I,r'i' H'rcuru an English l~uhlirat on, the "l"ctri
cal rurrrnt aGita'"sthr 6ireH ~ the material a. vel
=. as of the liquor, thus causing rapid absorption u
=, the ro!oring mlrt'r hy the nbrr. tho lectrolytic a,
tion la. tcnins the dveinG operation. For this treat
ment til" Piece goods may h" plunge into the VI
~ urpas o;cf the rollers. the current being rcgy