The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-22
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Chemistry's Magic-oxygen From
the Air-An Ant Census-Indigo
and Artificial Dyes = The Bremen
Light-Tropical Lightning-Poison
in Shoes-Hazardou Occupations.
Hot Days of the Century = The
Greatest Crystal.
a method Of obtaining sodium from
sea-weed and saving numerous by-pro-
ducts has been patented In Norway by
Prof. Willie. The solution Is extracted
through the old OF acids, and It Is
claimed that the quantity yielded is
greater than is secured through the
| burning process. which wastes much.
From the offal can be obtained cheap
substitute" for Iceland moss for use In
making so-called size paint. Other
products are: A finish for use in cloth
mills and as glue for paper; kind of
leather for binding books: coating for
making sheeting into kind of OIL
cloth; q pulp that, mixed with sllex.
forms good Irsulator for piping; and
material for soap-makers.
from the. air has been brought to notice
by two English chemists. The air IL
| forced Mt n pressure of five to ten Mt
mospheres into vessel of alcohol.
which Is said to dissolve much oxygen
and little nitrogen. On releasing the
pressure. the undissolved nitrogen Is
discharged, the oxygen being then
withdrawn by an air-purnp. This pro-
duct contains 81 to 40 per cent OF oxy-
gen. and can be further enriched by
passing a second or third time through
the apparatus. The nearly pure oxy-
gen from the final operation is washed
with water 10 remove traces of alcohol.
Grent mt cities hive been estimated
by NJ. Forel and Sir John Lubbock to
contain as many as 400.O 900 to 10000 In
dIviduals. Believing these figures
much too high. NJ. Yung has killed the
ants In five great hills by means OF
poisonous vapor, and has then carefully
counted the dead. His results are. re-
spectIvcly. JS.OlS, GI,47O, 1858, 1854.
and 17.S2S. Adding 10000 In each case
for absent and escaped ants, the largest
ant-hlll would have about 100000 In all.
The latest experiments tend to prove
that pltchcr-p!ants are not carnivorous,
MS has been 20 long believed, and that
any apparent digestive action Is due to
external microbes that may enter the
pitchers.
An idea OF the Importance Of natural
vegetable indigo Is given by the recent
statement that Its production equals In
value the worlds entire output OF artl-,
fetal dye-stuffs Artificial indigo Is
nearly pure lH6iG0tin, It's percentage
being 81, while natural indigo has be-
tween 70 and 50 per cent and, the spc-
oial disadvantages OF the artificial pro-
duct depend upon It's lacl; OF ingre-
dents that nre important for the dark
err shades of color. 1t serves It's pur-
pose so well, however, that another
great revolution In chemical Industries
awaits only its cheapeninG. Coal-tar
dyes have already contributed greatly
to the prosperity OF German, which pro-
duces five-slxths OF the worlds total of
colors; and in 1895 not less than 1906
hands were employed In the anI!nc fac
tories Of that country, with 1854 hands
In other works using coal-tnr US raw
material.
The new nrc light OF Bremen Ia claim
ed to effect great saving through the
addition to the cnrbons OF 10 10 80 per
cent Of non-conductng metallic salts,
such as compounds OF calcium. sil!clum
or magnesium. No complicated device
Is necessary Cor keeping The carbon
points Mt n constant distance. There
are two misunderstanding an acute an-
glc--for each pole, and they slide down
by their weight to the point OF contact.
The positive and negative carbons nre
at right angles, the arc being blown
down from the point OF the V by mag
nctic Influence. An electromagnetic
brings tho cnrb0ns Into contact for
lighting. 1t Is stated That the light is
less absorbed by steam and fog than
TINT OF the ordinary nrc, and TINT the
lamp therefore, has special advantages
for lighthouses, search-lIghts. etc.
From records Mt ten stations In India,
Mr.. w. L. Dallas finds support for tho