The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-03-28

Pure Sugar-Ray ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ing for Cast Iron-The Toper's SNAKES
The Mirror in Billiards-Electricahy
Charged Objects-Wealth in Rain.
The ftful groupings Of the hour seem to por-
tend some great physical discovery-ereatera ana
more far-reaching, possibly, than any yet made.
The alchemists' theory of the transmutation OF
the elements was long ago discarded, but the
work of recent years has pointed more ana
more to the unity of matter, and the worlo's
investigators are now engaged in restless
struggle to trace matter and energy to their
source Already we are told vaguely that the
form of energy known as electricity is made up
of solid atoms and that the atoms of matter
may be aggregations of these electric atoms.
The motions and shapes of atoms are being
called upon to explain not only light and heat
but gravitation. cohesion, repulsion, and chemi-
cal and vital phenomena and it can hardly be
doubted that the new laboratories of extreme
heat and extreme cold, with our lately acuired
acquaintance with new radiations, must soon
lead us a step nearer to solution of the mystic
ries Of the universe.
Sc
Deep coal-mining will be a problem for British
engineers to solve within the present century.
At present the noxious gases and the heat of 6O'
to so above that at the surface make mining
impossible at depths of 5000 feet or more, but
Mr. T. J. Davies predicts that the future mine
will be 5000 to 10000 feet below the surface,
and will be reached be electric locomotives run
ming in inclined tunnels Z, s or 10 miles long. In
such mine, he foresees, 5000 to 10000 workers
will live for several days at time.
~
Not all granulated sugar, Mr.. A. e. Hiss is
surprised to find, is contaminated with ultra
aorfn ofr1crf from ha m mar
tho boat Of the is sorted out, and that
lacking in wilderness is treated with bluing.
Mr.. Hiss suggests that the uncolored be mar
keted as druggists sugar." for medicinal
syrups and other purposes where purity is i'm
portant.
The wireless telegraph of Herr Blockmann
uses lenses of resin, glass, parafHn, or other d.
electric material, instead of antennae, and is
practically heliograph employing invisible
electromagnetic rays instead of visible light
rays. With transmitting and receiving lenses
or mirrors of moderate size, signals can be ex-
changed over an unobstructed path through the
air to a distance of several miles. The dark rays
are not intercepted by fog or by non-conduct-
ing solids, but mountains are an obstacle that
must be overcome by relays. Simultaneous
messages may be sent out and received in va
being easily determined to within one degree.
-
A newly patented German process for solder
ing cast iron is claimed to give strength equal
to that of the iron itself. After first picking
the surfaces with acid, the pieces are fastened
together, the joint is covered with a paste of
cuprous oxide and borax, and the metal is heat
ed to redness The melted borax protects
against oxidation from the air. Heating causes
the cuprous oxide to give up its oxygen, which
burns the carbon of the cast iron surfaces and
metallic copper is separated in fine subdivision,
Hard solder is finally applied, which in melting
forms an alloy with the copper, the alloy com
bining with the decarburized surfaces of the
cast iron.
80
The Snakes" seen by victims of delrium ire
mems have been made visible to French oculists
in some recent experiments. The ophthalmo-
scope was used to examine the eyes of sixteen
alcoholic patients, when it was found that the
minute blood vessels in the retina were con-
gested, and in this condition these gently NOV
ing objects would be projected into the field of
vision as something very much like black,
squirming serpents.
British engineer has calculated that when
boy of 100 pounds eats two ounces of ice in five
minutes. his stomach performs heat work
equivalent to nearly an eighth of horse power.
In machine wasting no power, it would raise
the boy 1914 feet high.
-.
The way in which billiard playing is simpli-
fled by the device of Munich college professor
has astonished those who have witnessed the
test. The sides of an ordinary billiard table are
provided with six mirrors, one or more of which
can be turned down when q play is to be made.
image is reflected in the same angle in which it
falls on the mirror, just as the billiard ball re-
bounds from the cushion in the same angle as
that of striking. The mirrors show at once the
different ways in which shot can be made.
Even the tyro is said to make difficult indirect
shots as readily as direct ones, and the intrica-
cies of the game are quickly conquered by any
body.
rational theory of contact electricity is
hoped for as an outcome of experiments by
Heschus, Russian. A polished metallic sur
face proves to be always positively electrified
to an unpublished surface of the same substance,
and slab of wood cut parallel to the fbers is
always positive to one cut crosswise from the
same piece. The softer of the two plates of
various metals is positive. Non-metallic bodies
are more positive as they become harder, but
sticky and dust producing substances are al
ways positive.
-
The ability to forecast the rainfall of an entire
season would be of enormous value. The wheat
grower in Australia, Mr. j. T. Mills has calcu-
lated, gets 12H bushels to the acre with a rain
fall of ISK inches, but only 10 bushels with 15K
inches, and 81 bushels with 13K inches. In ia
maica, according to Mr.. Maxwell Hall. a rain
fall of So inches produces 1.44l barrels of sugar
per acre, while 70 inches yields 1859 barrels.
80
The need of darkroom in photography is
obviated by DR.. Hezekiel of Berlin by the use Of
a reddish-coored solution. Immersion of the
plates in this for two minutes renders the film
impervious to light, after which the developing
l.n.I L.. a Hall