The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-12-13
Correspondence Baltimore County Union
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.

Correspondence Baltimore County Union
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.
European Oceanography-How Rome
Was Warmed-Coal Storage-A Novel
Research-A Fireproof Material--An
Interesting Barometer-Great Eartn-
quakes-Insect Temperature--Barth-
quake Periods.
The problems of the sea about Northern Eu-
rope are to be attacked Systematically by Great
Britain, Germany Holland, Denmark, Norway
Sweden. Russia and Finland. definite por-
tion of the northern waters has been assigned to
each country and simultaneous cruises will be
made four times each year for recording the
temperature, density, life, ETC., of these seas
Additional observations are expected from regu-
lar lines of steamers, light-ships, etc. The In
ternational Council has established a central
bureau at Copenhagen, from which all publica-
lions will be issued, and an international labora
tory at Christiana, where observers will be
trained, instruments tested, etc.
The fuel of the ancient Romans, Archaeological
Krell tells us, was almost exclusively charcoal.
This was burned in open pans, without CRATE or
fue, and gave economical heat for living rooms
and baths. Careful experiment has shown that
such fires yield no considerable amount of dan
gerous carbonic oxide. The inconvenience
of chimneys were avoided, the heat could be
easily regulated, and pan with burning sur
face of 1SS meters has suficed to heat church
seating 1000 people.
e.
Certain kinds of coal deteriorate rapidly in
the open air, and Lord Charles Beresford has
expressed the belief that the total loss may
reach so per cent. Storage under water is the
ofo oil nov mt Ubo
the fine quality of coal dredged from harbor.
has kept Monmouthshire steam coal under sea-
water two months with loss of less than one
per cent. in heating power.
An incandescent lamp for use in boiler-clean-
ing has its base fixed to an electromagnetic which
holds it against the iron-work in any place.
"a
A curious biological investigation begun by
Prof. G.. III. Nuttall opens up a wide field of as
tonishing possibilities. He has discovered that
when human blood is injected into the rabbit or
other animal, the serum of the latter becomes
an "anti-serum" for human blood, this anti
serum giving precipitate when added to the
serum of human blood but not with any other
serum except that of certain apes. In the same
way anti-serums have been made for the blood
of horses, pigs, dogs, etc. The value of these
substances as tests is lessened by the fact that
vigorous nti-serums-especially that of the
pig-react after sufficient time with the blood
of apes, bears, men, dogs, rats, bats, ETC.. but
instead of proving affnities of the pig with all
mammala, this is held to show that besides the
specific antfserum there is generaized anti
serum, the anti-mammalian. No anti-serum of
mammal gives reaction with non mammalian
blood. Anti-chicken and anti-ostrich serum act
more or less on the blood of all fowls, anti-egg
serum gives results suggesting knship between
birds and reptiles, anti-alligator serum affects
only alligator and turtle blood, anti-lobster SER
UNI reacts only with the blood of Holsters and
crabs and anti-frog serum acts only on the
blood of frogs.
Uralite the new fireproof building material,
is the invention of Col Ichenetsky, of the Rus
sian artillery. It's basis is asbestos, the bers of
which are separated. made into pulp with whit
ing and suitable coloring matter in water, and
then rolled into thin sheets, these sheets being
cemented together to any desired thickness by
repeated treatment with water glass and bicar-
Donate of soda. Calcium chloride is finally used
to remove all traces of soda. The finished ma
terial can be nailed and glued like wood, resists
not only flame and intense heat but also freezing
and moisture, has double the strength of Port
land cement, and for floors, etc., costs cents
per square foot.
An air thermometer-withb bulb and open tube
of indicating fluids used by P Grutzner as a
simple barometer To get the necessary "con-
slant temperature" the instrument is made
small so that the bulb can be held in the armpit
or mouth when observing the pressure.
-
About SO earthquakes yearly, according TO
Prof. John Milne disturb the world throughout
its mass. Between January /, 1899, and January
/, 1902, the world shaking earthquakes numbered
1856, of which % originated west and south of
Aaska-1 "a westof Central America, Is west of the
Antilles IL west of the Andes, go east of North
Japan. Al south and east of Java, II north of Maui
ritius % on the east side of the North Atlantic3
on the west side of the North Atlantic, 8 in the
North Atlantic, and IA in the Balkan, Caucasian
and Himalayan regions. These sources are
near the base of the steepest textures, are all
submarine except the last three. and their boun-
Diary ridges are mostly lined with volcanic
peaks. Both on land and under the sea, the
great earthquakes seem to be accompanied by a
deepening of the burrows and an elevation of
the fankng ridges. The elevation may reopen
long-sealed volcanoes as in the eruptions in the
Antilles in 1892 171s 1766, 1897 1902 1872 1886 and
1902. The small earthquakes-of which, 10000
a year are recorded in the world-have no sensi-
BILE connection with volcanoes.
~.
The body temperature of insects, unlike that
of mammals, varies greatly. A recent investi-
gator, p. Bachmetjew, finds that when the in
sect is at rest the temperature is near that of
the surrounding air, but that it rises rapidly
with active movements. The temperature en-
DURANGO of insects proves to be about the same
as that of plants. The species tried were i'm
movable at 80 F., began to move the wings at
about $50 commence to buzz at $50, showed signs
of uneasiness at IO4o, and died at 1872.
"a
Great earthquakes are usually followed by
hundreds or even thousands of minor shocks.
From 300 Italian earthquakes DR.. Cancani has
learned that when the focus of disturbance is of
small DEPTH the after-shocks ntinue about 10
days; when moderately deep, three months;
and when very deep, several years.
~
Anti-typhoid incubation is claimed to have
lessened the number of cases and the mortality.