The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-12-26
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

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Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The Alarm Thermometer-Sound for
Broken Bones-Atmospheric A d.
Light Without Heat-Gas Bombs-Fire-
mems Danger from Electrified Water
An Engineering Model-Directed Elec
trio Waves--Mountain Sickness Con-
quered.
Among the instruments approved by the fire.
fighting congress lately held in London is the
electro-telethermomete of Juan villa Forms
of Corona, Spain. This is a simple automatic
alarm, and consists essentially of a mercury
thermometer connected electrically with bell
and an Indicating device. Platinum wires are
sealed into the thermometer tube at intervals
of five degrees. The annunciator, which may
be placed at any distance, is provided with
switch, and when the mercury rises to the point
at which the switch is set-say,' to 100 degrees
the platinum wire is brought into the electric
circuit, causing the alarm bell to ring,
-
A new test for fractures depends upon the
difference between bone and soft tissue in the
power of conducting sound. A stethoscope
is placed over the bone at one side of the sup
posed fracture and tuning fork is vibrated as
near the bone as possible on the other side. II
there is no break the sound of the tuning fork
should be transmitted very clearly through
bone and stethoscope. When there is still doubt,
the test can be made conclusive by comparing
the sound with that from the same bone on the
opposite side of the body.
80
Nitric acid from the air has been obtained by
Russian chemist-M. de Kowalski-by the old
sparkling method Of Cavendish. With current
of $1,000 volts. having frequency of 5000 to
10000 alterations per second, the best result
from the air alone was about an ounce and a.
half Of nitric acid per hour for each horse
power expended. Adding oxygen to the air
materially increased the yield.
sss
Measurements Of gravity throughout Europe
and Asia are expected to give better idea of
variations in weight and Of distribution of the
bulk of the earths crust.
.+s
The n-rays Of M. Clondlot, the French physi-
cist, are proving one Of the most interesting Of
the new forms of radiation inasmuch as they
seem to take us a step nearer to a solution Of
the problem of cold light. These rays penetrate
black paper and many metals can be reflected
and refracted by quartz lenses, and have no
Photographic action, but can be detected by
their power of increasing the luminosity of
small electric sparks or of a colorless blue"
fame. They have been found in the emissions
of incandescent as-burners. NJ Blondlot's
latest discovery is that these rays may increase
the brightness of an incandescent substance
without adding to the heat, and the lighting up
when the rays fell upon platinum wire at low
redness gave no rise in temperature although
very considerable increase in heat would be ne
cessary to give the same effect.
AFs
The novel observation has been made by NJ.
Berthelot, the distinguished French chemist,
that cannon and other explosive discharges ap-
pear to project dense and cohesive masses of
gas in addition to the we'll known smoke rings
This gaseous projectile bursts like shell on
meeting the necessary resistance. Some phe-
nomena of the Mount Pelee eruption might be
explained in this way, burning clouds having
asphyxiated all living creatures on their route
while persons not exactly on the line escaped.
NJ. Berthelot would apply the same theory to
the tunnel disaster in Paris. A gaseous projec-
tile forced from the tunnel would explain why
persons were almost instantly suffocated 300
yards away from the actual fire while persons
much nearer were passed over unframed.
-
The risk to firemen from throwing streams on
live wires proves to be less than has been sup
posed. Experiments by f. Heinicke, of Upper
Silesia, have shown that with an indirectly
grounded polyphase circuit of 5000 volts, and
water made conductive by the addition of soda
to counteract its hardness, the stream must be
a meter long to ensure safety, but with ordinary
continuous currents and the usual water supply
the nozzle could be brought within inches
less of the wire without harm.
-
modal rnfua 10 4ta ,,oxyol ,,iaoo of eo;anfi7c
apparatus with which a school of mines at Bir-
mingham, Eng, is to be provided. This will be
suitably located, and win be about ten feet be-
low the surface, extending over about three
quarters of an acre. The passages will be of
brick arching. They will be lined, paved and
constructed to resemble actual mine, and
the best ways of working coal and the best
methods of timbering will be illustrated, with
the various systems of underground haulage.
-.
Lenses of resin, parafin, glass and other diel-
ectric materials have been used by DIR. Block
mann, physicist of Kiel Germany, in efforts
to control the direction of Hertzian waves. He
claims to have been fairly successful at moder-
ate distances. This may signify much to navi-
gators, as it offers vessels means of determin-
ing by wireless telegraphy the direction of
signaling station.
A specific for the mysterious malady known
as mountain sickness is claimed by M. Passtouk-
hof, Russian topographer. In several years
spent in the Caucasus he climbed such noun
tains as the Grand Ararat, Mount Kasbek and
Mount Elbruz, and suffered much from noun
tain sickness. On one occasion he and his COM
panions drank hot tea. Relief was almost in
Simultaneous, and in later trials the remedy he's
been invariably successful.
sFA
The curious fact has been noticed in Hungary
that thunderstorms occur earlier in the day in
mountainous districts than in lowlands. M.
Hegyfoky confirms the work of an earlier obser-
yer by showing that in mountains the thunder
storms reach their maximum between II A. NJ.
and p. NJ, while over the lowlands the period
of maximum is from to SPIN.
sss
The voltaic arc has been found by two French
psychologists to have greater power in destroy
ing bacteria than other sources of light, includ-
ing x-rays.