The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-01

MISCELLANY

Bile supply of oxygen, is found by nj.
G.. L. Bougerel to give u temperature
that of the electric arc.
The oxygen is diluted with air, as 9TH
erwise there will be "a deposit of car /
bon and other troubles.
Aluminium surfaces are Joined with /
great difficulty on account of the thin
film of oxide that forms on heating.
In the new process of Max Schmide, OF
Berlin, the two heated aluminium sur
faces, slightly separated, are connected
to the cathode of an electric circuit,
and a graphite or platinum anode is
passed between them. scraping the
edges and removing the oxide in part
mechanically and in part by. electroly-
tic reduction. The surfaces may then
be welded without pressure or ham
mering
The anomaly of the forming of ice
while the water indicates a tempera-
ture considerably above freezing, has
been explained by Herr Schulz. He
finds the cold surface layer Of water
to be very thin, so that the thermome-
ter is affected by the warmer water
below In the Gmunden See his spe-
cial instrument indicated surface
temperature of 0 degree Centtgrade,
while an ordinary thermometer, pene-
trating the cold layer, rose to "a de-
grees Centigrade within yard OF the
SPOT where ice was making.
Attracted by the shrill whiStling OF
the wind through network of wires
before a storm, DR.. Eydam, German,
has made a novel investigation. he ID
now convinced that any unusual ais
turbance in the telegraph wires Iore-
tells bad weather, and that the char-
oa,,i.. dicfyr
NAV be learned from the sound. A deep
sound of considerable strength, for in
stance heralds slight showers of ram
ana moderate winds within 80 to ~
hours, with a sharp, shrill sounu
gives warning of high winds with
much rain or snow.
| The lime light used in night signals
| of the German army mas been sup
| nlanted by acetylene. Mixed with q
certain proportion of oxygen. acetylene
| was found to give three times the can
die power of the lime light, and its
| signals could be flashed to distance
| of FIVE miles by day, and ten at nignt.
| The simplicity of the aeetylene appa-
ratus is not the least advantage. Inc
oxygen needed for the lime light is
transported by heavy cylinders, but
what the acetylene requires is general
ed in a small retort in fifteen minutes
| and stored in a gasbag.
The recent italian rains colored RED
| by dust from Africa have led Britlsr
meteorological to point out anothei
source Of red rain. A blood-rafn plan'
has appeared in a London evaporation
tank, and on examination IT proves te
be a minute motile olga called Sphaer-
ella pluvialis. It is found usually In
small pools, and is closely allied to the
microscopic plant that colors snow red
| While rare In rain and having no con
nection with the red-sand rains. the
plants may be taken up by WhirlWlne
and fall in a subsequent RED shower
in the same manner that the familial
showers Of frogs and fish are produced
Certain bacteria in the air are be-
lieved by Kijanizin to be as essentia
ito life as oxygen. When animals wer'
confined for some days In chambe
of sterilized air, some died, others live
but short time after being takel
out, and the survivors showed symp
toms of extreme lassItude and weak
ness It was proven that the effect
could not be due to starvation, pois
onous exhalations, or carbonic acid I
the air The excretions showed def
} cient oxidation, and it was conclude
, that the oxidizing ferments of the tbs
sues are supplied by bacteria whic
. | enter the blood, and that cutting O
. these bacteria led to an accumulate
Of insufIiciently oxidized products ths
exerted a poisonous effect
Industrial electric furnaces are d
, vided by NJ. Keller into three mai
D types: Arc furnaces, which are
. numerous varieties, including multip
: arcs; resistance furnaces, in whit
low tension currents pass betwee
, large electrodes through the materi
. to be fused, and incandescence fu
. naces, with carbon blocks that for
. an incandescent bed for the materif
The Gin & Leleux furnace, of the r
sistance type, uses as high as 1o,o
. amperes at low voltage, taking
. much as 1900 horsepower for sing
a furnace The total power now used
Q electric furnaces reaches 100000,
. which calcium carbide represents Is;
600: aluminium, $1,000; copper, 11,0'
and carborundum, 1000. Recent pro
esses include the production Of van
. dunn and ferro-chromium, the combf
. ed production of phosphorus and ca
n bide; and the making of artificial c
. rundum by fusing bauxite. The co
struction of industrial furnaces h
. made such progress that, while in il
. the product of carbide was only fl
Q pounds per horsepower per twenty-fo
a hours, the yield with new Gin & 1
leux furnace is 1912 pounds, CORE
ponding to calorific efficiency of
per cent.
Though born free from microbes,
Q cording to DR.. Ellie Metchnikoff, m
q soon picks UP a pretty extensive flo
Germs from air and water lodge
the follicles of the skin and on
moist mucous membranes. and witt
. four hours after birth several differ
q kinds of microbes are sometin
/. found In the intestines, although Il
are usually first observed between
tenth and seventeenth hour. The
gestive organs develop the greatest
. riety DIR. Miller, of Berlin, has
. scribed more than thirty species liv
In the mouth cavity, some of tn
= about the teeth being peculiar to
mouth while others appear also on
skin, and are recognizable in
= stomach and intestines. In the ste
. ach, whose acid contents greatly m
0 ify the bacterial life, thirty spe'
= have been already distinguished, N
of them not found elsewhere In the
pestjye system In the small intesti