The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24
VOTES ON survop AND INDUSTRY.

The Enst~ssrtro xaoasfns reports . growing in-
tercst In the construction OF railway to cross the
desert Of Sahara and unite the region Of Algeria and
Tunis with the Lake Tchsd country. There 10 al
ready railway about one hundred and nifty miles
long. from the port OF sfax the Mediterranean TO
Gsfss In the interior Of Tuns. whore valuable de-
posit Of phosphate rock exists from which over
three hundred thousand tons are annually obtained.
II IL believed that the proposed railroad across the
desert could be made at about the satisfactory
cost per mile that portion already built, water
being found at regular intervals, and tho topogrs-
ply not greatly differing from the road now under
way. tits estimated that the entire LAO miles
could DO completed NJ . total cost. including
rolling stock, Of s34, 900 900 The construction OF
such line II IL thought by competent judges.
would have the effect of developing materially the
natural resources Of the country through which u
would pass.
point. interesting and also Of scientific novelty
Is set forth In the recent discussions which have
taken place among French astronomers respecting
the moons atmosphere. Assuming that the
formidable eruptions OF which that body has
been the theatre belong TO recent time In its
history, II 10 argued that such eruptons must have
set At liberty great quantities Of cas or vapors.
while the diffusion OF cinders the lunar surface
to great distances, suggests . gaseous envelope OF
. certain density. Has the time II 10 asked. which
has elapsed since such grost sruptons sufnced -
bring about the total dissppsaranoe Of said gaseous
envelopef Considering that the already solidined
lunar surface could only have absorbed the gases
slowly and with difouitv, the conclusion from this
point OF view IL that there now exists residue OF
atmosphere OF which the detection. though sur
rounded with great ,cultiss may got DO rsali1sd-
An improvement 10 now suggested In the mount
inps Of watoras elassos for boiler, which would
seem TO possess no little pradti' o. merit Arms oar
rying strong. springs are inier 81 In connection
with the gauge glass while It In Is unbroken con-
dtion in the event. therefor OF the gauge glass be-
ing broken by internal pressure concusson eItss
nhly. the arms i'm medistcy brought together By
the powerful spring. which q ton closss the steam
taps and effectively prevents furth,rl IS OF steam.
new glass can then be applied " thout difnculty
after tho ordinary cocks have boeu tanned of. In
this arrangement the gAu 20 .ss well covered with
wire netting the utility OF this being that In the event
OF rupture. broken glass IL prev ne from hyins
about, while II does not normally event the watss
level indication from being clearly seen aud read.
Owing 10 the remarkable developments in the
last few year, OF tho electrical In ri-r In Cor
many. tho increase in the consumption OF copper
and lead appears to have outdop- tuAt any other
country. According to the iuiustr al figures. the
consumption OF copper in 1897 was ~ 1ts tons, and
that OF lead l33,23g tons, while in 1893 the con-
sumption OF copper was s2.1o0 tons. and that OF
lead 1ObSZb tOna SHOWING htrOnH anu stehny aug
mentauop OF the use OF these two indispensable
metals. Again, the figures show that Germany pro-
duces but per cent of the worlds supply of copper.
though consuming nearly rs per cent on tho other
hand. its production of lead reaches about IL per
cent OF the worlds supply, and Its consumption 10
per cent.
Anotsworthy m anism. invented By p. N. Raw
enskilde, has attracted much attention in Csbory.
III. Itiss clock. which. started as . tmekeeper In
ak.- -NNh n.tA
any attention. aud with action A. msthodical ~ the
sun. The CLOCK proper is run with wheel of sixty
inches circumference. and. from the outside sur
face OF the latter suspended 100 cups each one
half inch in diameter aud third OF an inch deept
| forty OF these cups, which are successive. con-
! tain steel balls throeeiehths OF an inch In
! diameter. Every minute and . half. a. this
wheel by the weight OF these balls one them
falls out OF Its emp and rolls down inclined plane
twenty inche. long when by its own weight, Il ra-
uuites broken circuit OF electricity and 10 again
| elevated by little car travelling along sleeper
inclined plane to the top OF the wheel whore IL falls
into cup which stands vertical for . short timo,
after the car discharges its cargo II returns to it,
/ original station from its own weight From the
time Of these balls 10 dropped into cup until Il
Is again drC pped into another cup IL travels three
feet; and thus the work done by all OF the balls IL
equivalent to ono ball travelling one mile day
| The electricity ussl is generated in an ordinary
! ton Tor fully year.
| An interesting statement recently made BY Dr. n.
s. Woodward OF Columbia University. long known az
an active investigator OF the physics OF the earth
atmosphere, is that the atmosphere extends ~ the
equator some twenty.six thousand miles beyond the
earth and at tho poles seventeen thousand miles the
position thus taken by DR.. Woodward being inter
mediate between those who hold tia. Il has limit
and those who place the limit within or two hum
| dra, p,tia. 500 as nr ~ ala IN.
tains that the old estimate OF the atm weight
equal to that OF shell Of mercury thirty inches
thick all round the earth isincorect and assigns h
! maximum limit to the mass Of the atmosphere one
I twelve.hundredth that OF tho earth and minimum
limit " l.iooUo 900. very wide range. Old esti
mates Of the atmospheric heisht. based on de-
crease OF peraturo OF one degree c. for each one
hundred metres q elevation. is asserted by some
! scientists, must be abandoned.
/ Tho new and valuable alloy OF aluminium and
magnesium discovered by DR.. l.. Mach OF London
and by him named magnalium. is fully des rib ID
! IN the London press Briefly. the addition OF mag
nesium In quantity not exceeding thirty and no,
less than ten parts. by weight. TO ono hundred
parts by weight OF aluminium. imrarts to the latter
4 metal properties whirh. in the pure condition, 1,
does not possess without raising its specific gravity
on tho contrary. slightly lowering It. since the
specific gravity of magnesium is even less than thai
OF ALUMINIUM. The addition OF magnesium produces
alloy which IL harder aud is easier AMI cleaner to
work than pure aluminium. Turn M produces
surface as brisht A. mirror, and shining like silver
the metal coming of in long spiral turniugs Th,
alloy ries clearly and regularly without tearing oil
choking the nlc as aluminium does deep ant
sharp threads be cut on It, and very clear
holes br bored out, The color Of this new
metal resembles silver more than ALUMINIUM and
while the hardness and strength of tho alloy ar,
considerable the hardnc's can he varied by yaryin
the proportions OF aluminium. An addition OF heavJ
metals Is not only unnecessary. but serves TO dete
riorate its working properties ant increase its sps
cihc gravity.