The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
NOTES ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

"
Those who are Interested In comparisons between
the vast industrial Establishments Of America the
one baud and of Europe the other will hnd no
cause for Disagreement iu the Of the latter. in
view Of the facts officially published in \ recent
Lordon Trades Rcrisw From this II appears that the
largest number Of blast furnaces y ,ssr4sel by
single concern in the world is owned by the Alpine
Montan GesellsclA VI Vienna and Sly ria which has
total of thirtytwo furnaces: but most OF these
are Of old plans and methods, worked with char
coal fuel. the fact II more important that Of the
modern class of furnaces the largest number owned
by single firm IN twenty six, owned by the Beards
Of Gls'sow who own the works Of Gartsherrie.
ERlinton. LuRar and Muirkrk OF Scotland. these
being equal To total output Of 100000 tons
a year, or about onethird OF the total pg.iron
production in that country. Next to this Arm
is that Of Bokkow. Vaughan 4 Co. Of Middle%
borough. with total of twenty four furnaces equal
to annual output of 10000 tons of pig iron II all
in blast The capacity in both these cases Ia Of
course below that " some American firms, although
the number Of furnaces is larger.
II Il worth noting in regard to the famous hemp
produced exclusively in the Philippines that the
plant yields in fact. two qualities with important
industrial or commercial adaptations In each case.
From tho ba.t. or hhrous outer leaf, comes the
coarse. strong fibre which is the best material uset
Tor sailcnths sud rordagr, it being particularly
recommended hv the fact that it is casily rotted
10y salt water The fhrc yielded by the inner stalks
l. fine and weak. AMI tom it woven textile fab.
RIGS superior In sofness and lightness to those made
Of the best Russian hemp, these fabrics however.
being seldom exported. ns they are bought by
Chinese merchants at Manila for local pton.
II Is found that. under the best conditions. tho
Manila hemp produces the very large quantity OF
5000 pounds Of hbre to tho acre and. though be-
| tween r 900 900 and 100000 bales have been
ported in the last ten years the industry 10 admitted
to be stu in its infancy.
valuable and peculiar product. especially in tho
color industry, Ia capable Of being produced from
the SOFT OF the acetylcne flames. when such gas Is
burned With smoking fan,o the result is the pro-
duction Of three four times great quantity Of
SCOT as IL the case with mineral oils Moreover II IL
very light III weight, and exhibits an absolutely
black color without tnRe of brown, and has nons
OF the tarry admi1tures or other substances that
characteristcaly appear in lampblack. The sub.
stance is likewise noted for being bulky. and 10
found to he admirably adapted in India ink and tho
colors Of hne inks for such photographic work
qnires positive black. II Ia now being manufac-
tnred in France by patented process. almost abso
Lutte purity o. color and texture being obtained at
comparatively small cost.
The cosmcal theory. which may he said to be tho
most generally accepted by scientists at the present
time, ia substantially follows: That the original
nehulR in vast space Of time became condensed
hv gravity and radiation into a semi.gaseous and
seni.liquid globe. and cooling. caused solid crust
to form upon the surface: steam and other gases
which had been thrown off from the seethinR mass
were precipitated in the form OF water containing
immense quantities OF solids in solution. these
solids falling to the bottom OF the liquid covering Of
the globe, and thus. in ages. becoming solid she'll
OF primordal rock: internal fres still burning.
hfaved tho weaker portions OF that shell up into
stupendous mountain ranges. above the level OF tho
waters; continents were thus formed and reformed
from the material OF those mountains by the later
n oil owl
an inevitable sequence forms of vegetable life which
could cling to rock and derive their food from air.
upon the barren land thus created. and higher
vegetable objects grew ont Of their lower prcde-
cessors after which higher vegetable lifc that
fed, lived and developed upon the life which pro-
coded it,
Springfield. Mass. inventor. r. =. Winter. says
he has realized in a recently devised method, long
felt desideratum, viz: The reproduction. mechanic
ally, of hand painting ribbed fabrics with all
finest effects. The fabric is first treated with iller
applied in tho form of q liquid, which has physical
affinity for the colors to be employed and little
no chemical effect on the same; 1t also possesses
the quality Of drying into the fabrics to be-
come part of the after the picture has been
reproduced. or OF evaporatng after such reproduce
ton. this last quality being preferable. On tha
fabrics having undergone this treatment the orna-
ment or painting is reproduced upon 1t by plano
graphic printing-stones plates suitably pre-
have affinity for the surface from which tho
printing is DONE as also for the filler. The function
effected by the OF photographic surfaces to al
low the colors to flow into the fibre of the fabric and
into the ridges and valleys while the picture 10
printed without EN- bossing it,
One o. the most interesting scientific quests has
just been undertaken by J, Stanley Gardiner an
English naturalist. who will visit the litte.known
Maldive Islands. in the Indian Ocean for the pur.
of thOrou1hly vi he fnr of
reefs. According to Darwin's Investigations. this
whole group has been single great atoll. coral
strip. which has gradually broken up more and
more, owing to too rapid subsistence. Then. accord
ing to the views OF Sir John Murray, such as are
separate have been gradually joining TO form per-
feet atolls and such should gradually unite to form
one single and perfect atoll. The objects of the
Gardiner expedition are to determine the depth at
which reefbuilding organisms can live In sufficient
fitness to build up such reefs the food OF the coral
polypes; and the Importance Of currents both in
following out and filling in atols and also affect
ing the distribution Of life in the lagoons and tho
reefs. The inter relationship Of all the various
organisms a reef will receive attention, and tho
character OF the sea bottom will be examined by
means OF sounding apparatus and Waived leads;
temperature observations at different depths and
samples of sea water will likewise be taken.
Almost incredible as It may seem, the largest
weight which the Government assayer employs In
imal French half gramme. about and three
fourths grains Troy and the balances used in this
work sensitive that q weight Of one.twentieth
OF a milgramme. which ia less than one-thousandth
part Of single grain, will the indicator needle
TO defect very Improbable distance from the
point on the graduated scale marking the equilib
rum. These minute balances are. OF course. in
closed in glass provided with sliding windows to
exclude any draught OF air; the beam is usually made
OF aluminium. and the knife edges rest on jewels;
the weights made OF gold. silver and aluminium.
and are graduated from the half gramme. which 10
arbitrarily denominated "one thousand down 10
the ten thousandth degree.
Notwithstanding that eminent authorities have
maintained that the origin OF petroleum is duo to
the vast number OF amin ais entomhed by q sudden
and tremendous convulsion Of the earth in ages
past the fact remains that geology fails to show that
any such prodigious number of animals have been
nhumed within the earth by catAcly sms or even In