The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-24
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Central EurOpe's Magnetic Spot,
Poison in Distilled Water-An In
clination Hydrometer-The Naples
sap-Btching by Electricity-Aer-
alton from New source-A Harm
less Photographs in
Relief = Phosphorestcent Glass.
Water in Soil.
The extraordinary behavior of the
magnetic needle in the province of
Kursk, in Russia. is one Of the most
interesting of problems to physicists,
A magnetic survey was first made by
Prof, Moureaux, who made observa'
tons at 100 stations, and in the small
plateau OF about two square miles be-
tween the Plota and SolctInka rivers
he found variations in declinatlbn from
"a degrees t. to 50 degrees W., and in
inclination from As degrees to 10 de-
grees, these inclInations being respect,
lively those normal TO Morocco and
Spltzbergen The question has since
been taken up by Prof, Leyst. Of Mos
COW. who has noted point near kot-
chetowka where tt. dipping needle
reaches the vertical. The region Is a
rolling cuuntry with fertile black soil
resting on cretaceous rock, and eNplor-
atlons to depths of 600 feet have failed
TO reveal any iron.
The late assertion that distilled waite"
acts as a poison on account Of Its pow
erfu. solvent properties has not been
generally accepted. Such water has ap-
peared TO stunt the growti' of roots,
but NJ Victor de Cleves, a French bot
anist, has now shown that while the
roots OF sprouted wheat stop growing on
commercial distilled water, on reach
Ing a length Of perhaps an inch and
grow in spring water to twelve and
sixteen inches, they also grow in the
first water to sixteen inches after that
has beer redistilled In glass. The
poison Is from the copper still used for
commercial distilled water.
The ordinary hydrometer is n YER
tlcal float, with scale to measure the
depth to which It sinks and the cores
ponding density Of the liquid a new
instrument measures the density by the
inclination OF float and as the read
itiEs are not affected by caplllarity II
is much more accurate than the com
mon form and is capable of wonderful
sersitiveness.
The flow Of sap in the maple in spring
has been expcrlmentally shown by Mr.,
w, A. orton to be a phenomenon Of
physics rather than Of plant physIol-
ogy. The sap Is expelled by the expan-
sion caused by warmth Of the gas con-
tanned in the wood cells.
The engraving OF metal dies by cleo
troIytlc etching is new process that
a German company expects to work ex-
tensIvely. a plaster negative of the
original is saturated with the electro
lyle, and connected to the negative pole
OF source OF electricity, the metal
plate to be etched being attacked to the
positive pole. AS the cast and the plate
touch the circuit is closed, causing the
metal to be dissolved at the points Of
contact. To get good results the con-
facts must be but nomeRtaFy, the In
soluble particles In the metal being
brushed away after each, and the ac-
curate repetition OF the touching at the
same points is effected by an automatic
machine which also operates the
brushes. The etching OF n steel plate
to the depth OF one twenty OF an
inch requires 600 to 700 contacts Of about
twelve seconds each, the whole process
occupying four or i've hours. The best
electrolytc for etching steel Is ten per
cent. solution OF chloride OF ammon-
ium with a little hydro chloric acid, and
the best current Is one-third amperes
per square inch. at eight to twelve volts
but the voltage must be smaller Mt the
beElnuing, when only the points OF the
negative cast touch the metal
Waste carbonic acid from fcrmenta-
tions is now being converted into val
liable product at Rouen, in accordance
with suggestion by VI, Louis Meens.
A dIstlllery producing about 5000 gall
Ions OF alcohol daily has been throwing
on into the air each day more than thir-
ty tons OF carbonic acid gas, and this
In now collected by a system OF CN-
hausters and liqucAed In steel cylinders
under a pressure OF iifty-hvc atmos-
phercs, The uses OF the liQuefled gas
are Important. 1t offers especially the
most convenient means Of charging
soda water and other beverages, and Of
producing intense cold for various pur-
poses.
Tho experience OF Or. Neville Wood
leads him to believe that supcrnuous
hair may be safely, painlessly and per-
mnnently removed by thirty or forty OK
posureb Of ten minuLeg each to Roent-