The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-26
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

POn-ianak gum, which Is obtained from
a Chinese plant. The mixture Is heated.
crushed and mixed thoroughly. 1t is then
baked ard again kBeaded till all trace Of
the fiber disappesrs. Borate Of Manganese
il then mixed with it and the mass Is
cooked under steam pressure. When the
product is cool It L. stated 70 have all the
qualities Of India rubOer.
The corn grain has. in addition to its
starch element, tiny germ in which lies
its life principle. This germ was formerly
separated and thrown aside as waste.
Lately il has been found that this germ
is rich in oil which can be utilized. The
germ is now separated from the starch
ana crused. The oil gathered from it
finds ready market. and within the last
few years millions of dollars worth Of
this oil has been exported to Europe.
After the Oil is taken from the germ the
gluten left in the cake IS used for var
nish and the residue is used for cattle
food.
In Herr PIecher's gas battery the
electromotive force is produced by the
combination OF hydrogen and oxygen. this
being brought about by using the we'll
known properties of finely divided patti
mum. The battery consists of series OF
chambers made of clay soaked with chic
ride OF platinum end baked hard. With
in and without are wires to conduct the
current generated when hydrogen is ad-
mitted to the interior. The air outside
supplies the oxygen. When the gases
meet in the walls of the clay chambers
they combine and form water, which is
drained away. No eIectrolyte is needed.
An induction coil placed in the circuit in
creases the combination of the gases.
Experiment covering three yearse car
ried on by Professor yasseliere of La
Gironde, show that calcium carbide de-
stroys the disease of the grapevine
known as phylloxera. Cabide is found tc
be both cheaper and more satisfactory
than carbon bisulphide. The material en-
ployed is slack, waste and dirty carbide
practically the refuse Of the works-or
else material rich in phosphorus COM
pounds. The phosphoretted hydrogen lib.
Grated when this substance is in contact
with damp soil is the agent that kills
the phylloxera and mildew. In vineyards
the best results have been had by the
use OF 400 pounds OF carbide per acre
handfuls being buried in holes about eight
inches deep.
The Electrical Review thinks well OF
Mr.. F. H. BigIow's theory of the solar
corona. Referring to the experiments of
Ebert and Pupin on conducting bodies in
a vacuum subjected to magnetic forces,
the author concludes that the photosphere
of the sun is the seat of powerful cleo
trio discharges, resulting in the ionization
of portions of its material or the freeing
of small particles of matter charged with
electricity. These, he believes, are re-
PEELED outward and give the forms no
ticed in the streamers of the corona. He
concludes that the body of the sun must
be the seat of a powerful magnetic field
whose axis nearly comedies with that of
the sun Such a field would result in re-
pulsive action from the polar zones. Com
cts tails are similarly explained.
The all-British cable from Canada
across the Pacific to Australia has been
contracted for and will be completed
within two years. AS soon as that link
is constructed it will practically double
the capacity of existing systems, for in
terruptions must occur on both sides of
any point to isolate it from others. Most
ca les are British-a fact which is dis
tasteful to the French, Germans and
others when they have military secrets
to send. Each country is accordingly la
boring to become telegra phically indie
pendent 1T is stated that Holland and
Germany will unite in the construction OF
a system Of cables TO the Far East rem
dering them independent of the British
lines. While the principal terminus will
be at Shanghai, branches will connect
with Japan and possibly with the United
States.
BY the Modem and Bretonneau process.
as used at Paris, wood is made proof
against fire by placing it in a bath of
magnesium sulphate. Lead electrodes
are used the one being separated from
the other by a sail-cloth diaphragm A
direct current of 10 volts is then sent
through the wood, with the result that
the sap is extracted and is replaced by
a non-inf1ammable salt. According to the
Electro-Chemist and Metalurgist the phe-
nomenon is thus explained: 1. Part of
the sulphate fills up the cells by electro
capiliarity. 2. There is an osmotic ex-
change between the sulphate and the
salts of the sap. 3. Aseptic action. The
process has been applied with success to
paving blocks. The treatment lasts for
forty-eight hours. the timber being turn
ed over after twenty-four hours. The
rate of energy is about half an electric
horsepower at 20 to 80 volts per cubic
metre
According to the Scientific American
the Murray-Page printing telegraph, the
invention of a young Australian journal
Isl or sydney, OfrerS a marked improve
ment over many previous machines and
has already been approved by the Postal
Telegraph Company, which has acquired
the exclusive Geographic rights in the
United States. The simplest form of
printing telegraph is the well-known
stock ticker which is not, however, we'll
suited to long distance work. During the
last two or three years several very in
genious systems for long distance use
have been described in the technical jour-
mails. among them the Delaney, the Squier
& Crehore and the Pollak-Virag but none
of them as yet seems to have reached a
practical stage. In recent test of Mr..
Murray's machine by the Postal Tele-
graph Company a speed of 1870 words per
minute was attained. On a line tried be-
tween New York and Chicago 102 words
per minute had been previously sent.
--Acetylene gas is the illuminant in
device described in Fieldens Magazine
for use at sea in case of shipwreck or
other accidents. 1t consists of a plain
cylinder Of metal from three to eight
inches in diameter and from one to FIVE
feet in length. The cylinder (sealed at
each end contains in a wire basket a
quantity of carbide of calcium and an
air chamber to insure buoyancy. At the
head of the cylinder number of burn
ers are arranged Adjacent is a small
chamber containing calcium phosphide,
which, on contact with water generates
nh0ephIrpffp1 bydr0oar,