Amador ledger., 1906-01-05

IhoOly VI Iu0 Afc.-Idp6r HlpoS
for Gas. of Northern Lights.
The New Alchemy. Warmth of
Subways. = A Hard Problem. = A
Beetles Resurrection. - Invisible
Wire. Beach Burning. = The New
Glass.
The electric arc has been explained
by Prof. j. j. Thompson on the as
sumption that the positive and mega
tive electrodes remit electrified cor
puscles or ions which, under the in
fiuence of electric repulsion, travel
across the space of the arc, and bonn
lbaEd the opposite electrode. The
electric current itself is supposed to
be conveyed by these ions, and their
bonn bardment produces the high tenn
perature of the electrodes. In Brit
ish Royal Society paper, Mr.. A. A..
G. Swlnton describes experiments
with magnet showing that positively
and negatively charged PARTICLES
actually do cross in the arc, proving,
as he believes, the absolute correct
ness of the theory.
Gas pipes of paper, as tried in
Europe, are reported to have advant-
ages, and are very tight and cheaper
than metal. In making them, Manila
paper is first cut into strips having a
width equal to the length of the
section. The strips are dipped into
melted asphalt, tightly wound to
the right thickness around core of
iron rod or pipe, and coated under
pressure with layer of sand. The
core being then removed, the outside
of the pipe is waterproofed.
The height of the aurora borealis
seems to vary greatly. The spectral
light has been seen touching the rth
in Arctic regions, but measurements
made during a recent aurora near
London, show that the red could not
have been much less than GOO miles
high, the green being much nearer
the earth's surface.
Late observation has suggested that
the disintegration products of radio
active elements do not always yield
helium, and that silver is formed by
the disintegration of lead.
An engineering surprise is the
warmth of city subways. 1t was ex-
pected that these, like cellars, would
be warmer than the outer air in
winter and cooler in summer, but
experience has shown that they are
always =, warmer unless artifciaIly
cooled. This is partly due to the heat
from the respiration of passengers
and partly to that from the trans
formation of the energies brought in
to use for lighting and for traction.
The air of the tunnels of the Paris
Metropolitan and the New York
subway is found to be about degree
f. warmer in summer than that out
side, and it is estimated that to keep
the variation down-to this limit in
the New York subway, the air must
be renewed ABOUT 200 times every
twenty four hours Forced ventil-
alton by fans seems necessary to
make such tunnels endurabIe in the
hottest weather.
About five fires per week were set
in London last year by petroleum
lamps. This gives Importance to the
problem of producing a cheap safety
lamp, and an association of the lead
ing English grocers have offered d
handsome prize for lamp costing
not more than fifty cents, that shall
be as safe as a common candle under
all conditions of ignorance or care
lessness. Though this is the fifth
time the prize has been offered, nc
satisfaction invention has been found.
A Japanese beeule, of species as yet
undetermined, lately came into the
possession of Prof. Smythe, Topeka
entomologist, in singular way.
Hearing faint gnawing sound in a
Japanese fiower-stand, the owner bor-
ed into the wood, when he discovered
the beetle larva, which had been
there several years. Since reaching
the open air, the worm has developed
wings and grown into a fine specimen.
Tne present decay of the land Is
found by Sir Archibald Geikie to be
sufficient, even should it not be
accelerated, to reduce the dry land t.
the level of the sea, and threaten
.another flood, in a comparatively
short time.
Invisible platinum wire is stated to
have been drawn by the late Henry f.
Read third of a century ago.
Several yards were made, in lengths
of three teet or less, and when wound
upon white card it could be felt,
but ordinarily could not be seen,
although its shadow was visible. The
wire was drawn through as fine hole
us could be conveniently drilled
When the platinum was reduced tc
this size, it was coated with silver
and again drawn through the die.
This was repeated as many times IA;
necessary, when the silver was dis
solved away, leaving the fine plati
mum wire. The product was intended
for the cross threads of optical in,