The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-05-05
correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
A observation-disclosures Photography
Cellulose in Modern Industries-Steam
Loss-Sounds Within the Earth-Crys-
tai Figures-Tidal Power In France-A
Cause of Cold Feet-A Botanical Treas
ure Of Ceylon.
The artificial production of cold has reached
its greatest development in Munich, where re-
frigeration by the passage of gases from nign 70
low pressure was begun in 1881, and has since
found 80 many applications that the industry
has become second only to that Of brewing. In
the cold air storage building. the most complete
yet erected, the temperature OF the cells is kept
at 90 C. (S7Ao FL the air containing 60 to 10 per
cent of moisture. These are the chief indus
trial and scientific uses of the low temperatures:
Manufacture Of ice in the brewing industry;
preservation of meat and other food; preserva-
ton of anatomical specimens; in the morgues;
arrestation Of the development Of the silk
cocoon; arrestation of the growth of bulbs
(making them independent of their customary
towering season. in the preparation OF ex-
plosives in the preparation of mixtures rich In
oxygen in the manufacture Of ozone; in the
testing Of meteorological instruments, and in
scientific research generally.
In photographing wood sections without q
lens, Herr Fomm places piece of tinfoil on one
side Of the section and the film surface OF sheet
Of bromide paper against the other side.
good Impression showing clearly the rings and
rays of the woods produced In about half
minute when metallic point negatively charged
by an influence machine is brought within about
two inches of the paper. 1t is explained that
the paper becomes negatively charged. and
photographically active glow light is produced
between it and tho wood. 1t is proposed to try
this method for copying drawings and other
purposes.
The Arctic Ocean, says Nansen, Is kind OF
lagoon separated from the Atlantic by a subma-
rine ridge stretching from Spitzbergen to Green
land. To this ridge is due a curious condition.
The Arctic Is covered with layer of slightly
salt water from the Siberian rivers and Boring
Strait and under this is the normally salt Gulf
Stream water. If the two layers were mixed,
the average temperature would fall. but this
average would not be as cold as the surface
LAYER. This accounts for the enormous forma-
ton of polar Ice.
CelIulose the fbrous base of plant structure
so familiar in our paper and cotton. has long
had its great usefulness extended by impregna-
ton with gypsum, resins and other substances
Or covering with impervious varnls1es. more
recent products into which it is transformed by
chemical destruction of the cell itself are listed
by 8. Ferncezi /. Several kinds of parchment
paper are produced. resembling true parchment
from animal skins, by plunging unsized paper
into strong sulphuric acid, then freeing from
excess of acid by washing and naturalization.
2. Sulphitic ceilulose, prepared by treatment
with acid sulphite of calcium or magnesium. be-
came thirty years ago the most important SUBJ
stance in paper manufacture. When saturated
for q long time q DnlDinR machine. IL y16i0S
material for cheap parchment paper wnlcn.
in thin transparent sheets, is known as per
gamyn' and Is used for packing per1shaole ar
ticles. g. BY long trituration of sulphitic cellu-
lose. destroying completely the textile fbres.
Of fS amorphons celIuiose are Obtained. fhis ma
terial. called "cellulith," when freed from air
by boiling or steaming, can be worked ike norm
or ebonite resists the action of alcohol, petrole-
TN, fats and oils, and Is fairly elastic. q S0lu-
tons of chloride of zinc and ammoniacal oxide
of copper, like sulphuric acid transform cellu-
lose into an anonymous mass. When, after
treatment this mass is exposed to wind and rain
for weeks, it is completely changed into hydro.
cellulose and is known as ''vulcaniZed fiber"
1t is made in two varieties, the flexible and the
hard. 1t has been made in sheets in the United
States since 1878, and is now formed into tubes.
rods, cog-wheels, etc, and used to replace rub
Der and leather. s. Treatment of cellulose with
sulphuric and nitric acids yields nitrocellulose.
This is the starting point of the high explosives,
and with camphor is changed into celluloid.
which has very varied applications. b. English
called speeamoid." This is mixture i of Cotton
and paper covered with q secret composition,
supposed to be celluoid with some oil, and is
used for trunks, curtains, etc.
Leakage from steam pipes is believed to have
been greatly under estimated, tests by Mr.. K. s.
Hale having indicated the following proportions
of loss In mills to 10 per cent. electric plants
tx per cent. steamships,s IL to 10 per cent.
waterworks. TX per cent.
8 Detonations heard at about the time of the
1877 6aTeM s ge s sasrsh9Taks Of December Is
A. Issel, an Italian aeismologist. These detona-
SOUND and We're more sn or ess
ionged crashes, resembling the boom of thunder |
or the report OF heavy guns in the distance.
Mlfiowing one another srsaIls.arfH-
10y persons 1ss. thstsdf-~ fre-
GENTLY heard by inhabitants of the middie APP
pennine region, to whom they are known by the
name of *BombiO,f and, as they are very often
closely connected with earthquakes, it is con-
in the earth. These mysterious boomings are
of the kind known in other places as 'Barisal
Guns" "Mst-Poetfers,, etc.
Interesting and beautiful effects of the well
known etching of glass by fuoric acid have been
Eng. Various salts are crystallzed in thin
layer on glass, which Is we'll warmed to prevent
the crystals from dissolving, and the glass is
utes The microscopic forms of the crystals are
accurately reproduced on the glass
The mower station at Pont p Able, Finisterre.
France, utilities the tide for fourteen hours
day, the total fall being seven feet and a half,
generating eighty horsepower. The water at
flood tide flows through canal two miles and
half long to pond, returning to the sea at eDD
tide.
Goodness of the feet from tea-drinking, an
effect sometimes observed, is explained by Prof.
Hutchinson. +. r. s., as probably due to contrao-
ton of the arteries. In one lady tea-drinker the
feet were not only cold but were wet with per-
spiration.
=
The calamauder tree of Ceylon allied to the
ebony family and represented by only 80 speci-
mems, is credited with the very rarest wood. The
tree is carefully protected.
IT IS reported that the price of iron and steel
is falling. This does not come from any bus
mss depression. but from natural causes easily
accounted for. The high price was abnormal
and bad two effects. First, it stopped many
proposed buildings and decreased export thus
limiting demand. In the next place, the high
price stimulated production, till now the
market is full and more sellers appear. The
vrboIo rnotfar 10 sirnn1v an atteu,pt IN settle