Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-12-18
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Watching High Temperature Action
Tho SUMS Mysterious Rins-The
Fastest Brain Growth-Susar From
carbonie Aeid-color-BIin Artists
Wind Power EIectrieity-A Handy
Cement.
Fresh revelations in the phenomena
of high temperatures have been
brought by the new quartz vessels OF
German makers. These vessels bear
great heat without softening, and may
be exhausted of air, while one end OF
a quartz tube may be safely cooled and
the other end kept very hot. In such
tubes, heated in an electric furnace,
German chemists have been studying
the fusing and vaporization Of metals
in q vacuum. The varying behavior OF
zinc, cadmium, selenium, tellurium,
lead, antimony, tin, bism!uth, silver,
copper and gold have been watched
the evaporation Of cadmium beginning
at 800 deg c., while gold-the most re-
fractory metal tried-distilled but lit
tie at 1875 degrees.
The peculiar atmospheric or solar
phenomenon known as Bishops Ring,
seems to be Of very rare appearance.
It was first observed in Honolulu by
Rev. Serene Bishop. few days after
the Krakatoa eruption Of 1888, and 1t
has been seen but few times since. M.
Forel has reported noting it on the
first three days of last August from a
height Of $500 feet in the Alps. 1t ap-
peared as a double ring around the
sun, the inner portion being OF BLUSH
silver color while the outer part was
a band of copper, 20 degs., wide, shad-
ing off into the blue Of space.
Brain development is found by Prof.
Seggel of Munich, to have two periods
of acceleration-from ten to eleven and
from seventeen to eighteen In girls, and
from twelve to thirteen and nineteen
to twenty in boys. At the period OF
most rapid increase in height, from
twelve to fourteen, the growth Of the
brain is less than one-hundredth that
of the body, but at seventeen to nine
teen It grows one-thirtieth as fast, and
at twenty reaches one-seventh OF the
body growth.
Carbon is the basis Of all organic
products and a striking discovery or
julius Walther, st. Petersburg chem
ist, is that the element may be made to
enter into various combinations with
oxygen and hydrogen by simple elec-
trolysis of water charged with carbon
ic acid gas, the results being several
sugars and vegetable acids from one
form Of simple apparatus. The water
was charged with gas evolved on
pouring hydrocholoric acid on marble.
The anodes Of the electric apparatus
were brushes Of platinum or silicates
of aluminium with large surface. The
solutions about the anode and cathode
we're enclosed in separate clay recep-
tacles, that Of the anode being in five
degs. c., warmer than the other by a
lamp. The current was gradually In
creased both in power and In 1ntens-
ity. and at two volts and 0.75 ampers
oxalic acid appeared, being soon fol-
lowed by tartaric acid, and by citric
acid at four volts and 2.25 amperes.
Fruit sugar was produced at five volts
ard three amperes, then grape sugar.
The richness of the products In carbon
seems to increase with increase in cur
rent and intensity.
A collection Of pictures by color
blind persons formed late novel exhi-
bition by DR.. F. W. Edridge-Green be-
fore London society. DR.. Green d.
vides the color-blind into two distinct
but associated classes. The first con-
sists of persons with a spectrum short
ened at one or both ends, who conse-
quently cannot see certain rays; and an
individual with shortening Of the red
end would not see red light at a
distance, although able to pick out all
pieces in a mixture Of colored wool,
The second class are unable to recog-
nize certain colors. Normal sighted
persons see six colors, some even sew
en-; the second class of the color-blind
see five, four, three, two or one color,
and are called pentochromic, tetrachro-
mic, etc.
Sycamore Is an exceedingly durable
wood, and statue from it, now in the
museum of Gizeh, Is reported sound
and natural in appearance, although
nearly 5000 years old.
The problem Of wind power for elec-
trio stations has been studied for sew
eral years by Prof. La Cour, in the in
terest of the Danish government. To
overcome the difficulty of irregular
speed, the motor is provided with an
intermediate shaft in connection with
balance, and the belt from the wind
mill Is led vertically on the disc Of this
shaft, the pressure on the latter being
regulated by the balance bearing con-
venient counter-shafts. Through this
device the belt slides on the disc as
soon as the load exceeds a given max
imum. A wind power shaft, supplying
about fifty amperes of current at 10
volts, has been in operation about a
year at Askov, Denmark, and feeds
about $50 incandescent lamps. 1t has
given excellent results, with little at
tention, calms of several days being
bridged over by a reserve of petroleum
motors