The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-06-23
CorTsspondsnce Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
A Chemical ACCOMPLISHMENTS In
sulation-Artillery for Vineyards "A
Fiber Plant for Africa-An Electric Pi-
lot for Steamships-Iron in Water-Gas
A MISUNDERSTANDING Failure Won
ders in Common Things-Rubber not
Waterproof.
The manufacture of sulphuric acid, upon
which depend many and varied industries Is
undergoing transformation. For nearly $50
years it has been made by causing the fumes Of
burning sulphur or sulphides to take up more
oxygen from nitrous vapor in the presence OF
steam, the process requiring expensive plant
of lead chambers, purifying towers, etc. BY
the processes now being developed in Germany.
the sulphur fumes and oxygen are being com
bined directly. The union is effected by means
Of catalysis the chemical action which results
from mere contact with some such substance as
platinum black, which itself is not changed and
does not enter into the new compound, and the
difficulties in the way of applying the principle
on large scale are being gradually overcome
Much depends on the regulation Of the heat
necessary for bringing about the combination
Acid by catalytic method is now being produced
by two German companies, and the saving in
cost, with the greater purity of the product
can hardly fail to have effect in the near future
upon the older factories.
-
From an investigation of sixteen heat-insulat-
ing substances for steam pipes, Mr.. @. L. Norton
concludes that the most efficient preparations
are those made of cork the next being cover
consisting of an inner jacket of earthly material
and an outer one of wool felt. while the next is
pure magnesia. Asbestos is non-conducting
only through the air entrapped in its pores.
The magnesia covering is safe from fire, the
cork fairly so, but wool, hair and similar mate
rails should only be used mineral base.
The heat saved will usually pay for the cost of
covering In year of ten-hour days.
-
The greatest altitude reached by a railway is
1885 feet on the Central Peruvian line the
greatest by a rack railway 1920 feet on Pixies
Peak. The highest European climber is the
rack railway on Corner GTat-10,002 feet.
aFA
One of the most successful popularizers of
science of the day is Prof. G. v. Boys, f. r. S.
In late Royal Institution lecture, he dealt
most happily with the surface tension" of
liquids-the property that causes water to form
in drops, makes it cling to the meshes of fine
sieve. produces capillary attraction, and ac-
counts for soap bubbles. The meshes of fine
wire sieve were creased with paraffin, a sheet of
paper being then spread over the bottom.
Water was poured into the sieve, and, when the
paper was carefully withdrawn, it refused to
run out, being upheld by the elastic skin of the
lower surface. which caused it to cover the
meshes like a solid. For like reason the sieve
hoated water. The same elastic skin sup
ported column of water in an inverted test
tube. but when the tube was brought into an
atmosphere of ether, the elasticity of the water
skin relaxed, and the water fell. Soap bubbles
were strikingly manipulated. 1t was shown
that bubble could be stretched, that one could
be blown inside another and rolled about with
out breaking either, that one bubble could push
another without really touching it, and finally
that two bubbles could be made to cOalesce into
one by electrifying them, but that if one en-
closed the other the inner one would not be
affected by the small electric discharge.
.+s
Unvulcanized rubber is stated on German
authority to be by no means waterproof, as is
shown by its ready absorption of moisture
Rolled plates of rubber were found to be capa-
BILE of taking up in two hours from to 80 per
cent. of water at co. c., the absorption increas-
ing with the degree of compression, and piece
of the best Para rubber kept under water of 50o |
was nothing but Shiny mass in two months. |
This is suggested az possible cause of the de-
terioration OF the crude gum in transportation.
"a
An automatic fire alarm for cces''fpockets Is q
soioer-reiease thermostat, proteclSsd by iron
pipe' winch is placed in every ten-feet CUBE OF
ooai, ana rings bell at two points-wbSSp the
temperature has risen to 1852 and again AT. 2So'.
The complete disappearance o. ,oo,.,.4 the
germ OF which is brought to cities on Rorse
FODDER is expected to follow the retiremerttt of
The horse.
.ldlcuious by rain making Missionaries. see hde
70 De developing into an important seryicekms
southern Europe. The purpose, however. IN
aOs '0s mas11g q S1iR RRt t1s nEagessies Of