The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-22
SCIENTIFIC

Y x
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| An incandescent lamp for use in
boiler cleaning has its base fixed to an
| electric magnet. which holds it against
| the iron work in any place.
| The purpose of the new British Their
| apeutical Society is to determine the
medicinal properties of all kinds of
natural products Especial attention
will be given to plants locally credited ,
with curative powers, and it is expect
ed that many substances of value viii
be found.
Our knowledge of the 100000 living
animal species now known is being in
creased by 10000 descriptions yearly.
| AS an Illustration of geological prog
ress, Prof. G. B. Howes notes that few
earth worms were suspected to exist
| in 1874 but more than 200 species. be-
| longing to 40 genera, have been re-
| corded since then.
Certain kinds of coal deteriorate rap
idly in the open air. and Lord Charles
Beresford has expressed the belief that
| Storage under water is the remedy of
an English experimental, who, noting
the fine quality of coal dredged from a
i hagbor, has kept Monmouthshire steam
! coal under sea-water two months with
a loss of less than one per cent in heat
! ing power.
A special study of fire protection by
the State Railway Department of Prus-
STA has suggested numerous improve
ments in passenger cars. Tests to be
made include covering floors with as
bestos sheet and tin, impregnatingvs
woodwork with fireproofing solution.
protecting upholstery by asbestos COW
| ering, using WOODEN curtains instead of
linen, and replacing floor mats with
less inflammable ones.
An egg shell, emptied through a small
lhole drilled in one end, has been found
by Mr.. A. E. Guy to withstand an ex-
ternal pressure of CTS pounds per square
inch and an internal pressure of Go
pounds per square inch. The pressure
was applied with an air pump, the
shells porosity being overcome by
thin rubber balloon, which for the re-
spective tests was slipped over the out
sue VI lHe Suell anu pushed INTO the
/ interior through a small opening.
The fuel of the ancient Romans, ar
chaeologist Krell tells u.s. was almost
| exclusively charcoal. This was burned
in open pans, without CRATE or fiue, and
| gave economical heat for living rooms
and baths. Careful experiment has
shown that such fires yield no consid-
cradle amount of dangerous carbonic
oxide. The Inconvenience of chimneys
We're avoided the heat could be easily
! regulated. and a pan with burning
surface of 1SS meters has sufficed to
beat a&church seating 1000 people.
! Non-explosive celluloid is among the
| important products of the new artificial
or-hydrochlorate of turpentine
of Gutenberg, Celluloid is mix
ture of camphor and guncotton, and
the use of the artificial camphor. "a
! white, transparent material costing less
than the natural substance, greatly in
creasas the stability and lessons the
inf1ammability. The artificial camphor
has another curious advantage in MAX
ing all guncottons soluble SO that it is
no longer necessary to select for cellu-
loid guncotton Of special degree Of
!, nitration.
!, Wireless signals meet with numerous
obstacles. Experimenting with signals
between vessels, Captain H B. Jackson
has found that the waves were abrupt
I, ly cut off when the ship carrying the
} receiver passed behind promontory
of iron charged rock 800 feet high. but
were less affected by limestone, while
the signaling distance was reduced
still less, or about one-half by cliff
of porous coral sandstone $50 feet high
and six miles across. Bad weather
and moist, dust-laden winds caused the
waves to be absorbed to a great de-
gree. Flashes of lightning always pro-
duce signals, which are usually some
thing like the letters ''ei' in the Morse
code. Absence of earth connection for
the receiver reduced the signaling dis
lance o0, or even 20 per cent, aud
when the transmitter lacked earthing
the signaling distance was lessened So
per cent. The air wire proved indis-
pensable, no signal being sent more
than two miles without it.
The making of pine-needle oil is an
Z industry of the Thuringen Mountains in
J S'HtASAh ne needles ana
young shoots of various pines-espea-
tally Pinus pumilio-are collected lasc
, in May or early in June, and are cut
into small pieces and put into cylin-
drical still, through which steam is
2 passed. The steam is then liquefied in
I a condenser, when the volatile oil car
} ried over is skinned from the surface
Z of the water. The portion of the steam
condensed in the cylinder falls through
the bottom, carrying resinous, album
nous and tannated substances. and
this extract is concentrated in a special
vacuum evaporation, when it is added
to the oil to give the necessary perfume.
) The Oil is put up in jars as a remedy
for rheumatic and similar complaints.
4 The fbers left in the still are separated
} oy special machine, perfumed with
Z the oil, and put up in packages for
I stuffing pillows.