Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1904-02-25
ANALYSIS OF The AIR.
&uElber of New Gases Found in the
AtmOsphere-Difere Compost
tiOns at Varying Heights.

The composition of the air was up to
n few years ago a relatively simple af-
fair. Two principal gases, nitrogen and
oxygen, formed the greater part OF the
atmospheric mass; another gas, carbon
&c acid. only representing few ten
ahousandths of the total volume, and
aqueous yapor, variable from one day
80 another, completed the fixed ele-
menIs Of the worlds envelope. Ii to
this combination we add little ozone
condensed oxygen, in small and variable
proportions, we have a complete state
mem vi our knowledge, or, at least,
Ghat knowledge which sutlced tor a
student facing an examination, says
translation in Public Opinion from
NQOya AntOlOgia Rome.
To-day all is changed, for recently
nave been found large number OF
new gases in the air. A few days ago
Prof Ham, Of Vienna, gave a luminous
exposition OF the present View Of sci
sance on this matter, and the conclusions
OF this famous meteOrOlOgist are very
Interesting Prof Ham stated that to
or aZote, we must add argCu. neon, cryp-
ton, xenon and helium. Further, ex
periments have shown the presence of
hydrogen, an element vitality necessary
in the composition of water, but not
considered up to the present in the
makeup of the air. These gases have
different physical properties, their dens-
tv a c;y ilor ho
lightest of all being hydrogen, COM
pared to which helium is nearly twice
as heavy, 1877; neon, 90; azote, about
IA; oxygen, about 16; argon, nearly 20;
carbonlc acid gas, %; crypton, Al, and
XenOn 64. With such differences in
density it is evident that the gases are
not present in equal proportions.
This view is radically different from
3he classified view, for we have hereto
fore believsd-basing our conceptions
on data obtained from balloon ascen
Sions-that the composition of the all
sSas the same, even at the greatest alti-
Eddes, which conception is easily un-
cie!stood when it is recalled that We
only took into consideration oxygen and
aZOla, the density of which elements
y about the same With the knowledge
We have to-day Of the properties of the
different gases, OF their weight and their
2iquefactiOn temperature, we may de-
sermine approximately what the proper
aIons should be at different attitudes, |
the proportions being stated by Prof. |
Ham as follows:
''On plains but slightly elevated above |
he sea, the composition of the air Is rs |
per cent. of azote, 21 per cent. of oxy-
gen, 'O.9 per cent. argOn, $40, ,0O0th of
-rarbonic acid, hydrogen, lilo, ,00Gth,
while the other three elements vary from
\ hundred-thOusandth to a millionth
part AT six miles the azote is 81 per
'ent and the oxygen 18 per cent, argon
and caTbonic acid gas have diminished
Dne-haf. but hydrogen is a little more
abundant. 81 liters TO the ten thou
sand, the average temperature at this
point being Is degrees c. At 63 miles,
with probable temperature Of so de-
gTees c.. the azote is only a memory,
z0Out 1.1,O00th; there is no oxygen.
Il booths Of helium and 80 per cent of
hydrogen. The total pressure Of all of
these gases, which at the level of the
~ea support column Of mercury Of 76C
nIIImeters. at this height only raise
Z-lly1hs Of a millimerer Of mercury
Taus in the high regions Of our at
-n0sphere hydrogen, accompanied by q
little helium, reigns supreme, while the