Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-28
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The idea that the critical temperature
Tor temperlng steel is the temperature
az wnlcn the metal loses it's magnetic
properties has suggested TO William Tay-
Tor, British metaliurgist a curious IN
dicator for guiding tempering work. Prov
ing his theory by experiments with an
electrical balance, he made for factory
work an instrument consisting Of per
manent horse shoe magnet having extend.
ed soft Iron poles, one pole being ARA gel
70 rock back under normal condlttC ! A
piece OF cold steel holds both sol ron
poles, but when the ample Is heated un-
III It's magnetic properties are lost, the
rocking pole Ia released, and Its flying
back gives the signal for quenching the
steel. The device has proven OF great
value In avoiding overheatlng with the
resulting brittleness, cracking and warp
ing
Building engineering structures on a
solid foundation OF water Is the rather
startling plan by which W. +. Murray.
California engineer, expects to confer
great beneft upon the world The float
Ing structures would have a large weight
ed base with broad projecting fange,
and would be immersed in the sea until
the lower portion would rest In the stable
waters below the disturbed surface. With
this form OF construction, II is believed
that the action Of waves would be slight
II is claimed that this form Of building
should have a wide range OF usefulness,
and 1t is specially adapted for breakwa.
ters, lighthouses, forts and bridges.
When bell signals are sent under water
TO vessel, Lord Rayleigh has found 4
tho microphone receiver Will indlC.te
whether the sound be from the right or
with certainty whether the signals is
from point ahead or one behind.
An attempt to trace the origin Of
geological gardens and natural history
museums has been made by j. Won Pley-
Ell, a German. He concludes that mena-
geries originated partly In the worship OF
sacred animals and partly In the ambi-
ton OF rulers to collect specimens Of
rare, valuable and savage creatures. The
simplest form OF geological gardens was
known 10 the Chinese, Indians, Greeks,
Romans and pre-Spanish Mexicans IN
very ancient times, Chinese menagerie
on record. The den OF lions kept by
Rarlus, Of which we are told In the Book
Of Daniel Is an Illustration OF the print.
tive menageries, and the sacred white
horses Of Greece and Rome, and the So
called white elephants Of Burma and
Slam represent another type, The mena-
gerie founded In 1897 in Regents Park,
London, seems 20 have suggested the es-
adjustment In Paris that Is regarded as
the earliest modern geological garden.
Cropping In darknesc or dim light. the
diver has. been able hitherto to make only
the simplest makeshift repairs but with
the Yale submarine lamp and recently In
vented pneumatic tools 1t Is possible for
him 10 do almost any rensiring and clean
ing Of vessels without docking The lamp
comprises watertlsht, metallic casing
enclosing O. special regulator. A double
glass chamber beneath the casing is pro-
tected by a rigid metal guard. and holds
the carbons. A storage battery or small
generator supplies electric current
through suitable cable. The submerged
lamp, weighing but few pounds. may be
easily carried about and brilliantly lights
a space equal 70 larger room.
A novel file made by a London firm has
semi-circular teeth, which have the con
yex side toward the point OF the file
and are cut very deep. The file Is adapt.
ted for hard and soft metals, wood and
marble, and is claimed to do three times
the work Of the ordinary file, while keep
ing its edge longer being self.clearing
and cutting without slipping
a new aquarium at Brussels is to be
made on institution u scientific Import
anoe, and, In place u the usual few tanks
u ulNlt UT ltrN MISUNDERSTANDING nShpa
II Is expected eventually to display the
complete river, lake and pond fauna Of
Belgium. More than this, as much OF the
fora will be shown as may be found prac-
ucable, The central salon, Will resemble
a winter garden. with a central basin
and tanks let into the walls and some
tanks will show specimens OF all indigo
nous fresh-water fishes while others Will
contain crustaceans, molluses, batrach.
ians, reptiles, worms, Insects ard plank.
ton, TO aid In restocking the depleted Bel.
CLAN rivers with native and fore gn fishes
VIII he a purpose ~ the directors. Fs-
necial attention will be given TO accilma
tizlng foreign species. and one tank IA 10
be reserved for the American catfish.
which is 10 be introduced into the rivers
Of the country.
Glass reinforced with wire has besn
shown by The tests ~ The British fre pre-
ventlon committee 70 DO really ~ great
advantage IN resisting FIRE Three open-
lnes were closed with wired glass ara
fro was apnlied for R minutes the tenn
nerature rachlns "a degrees f., but
not exceeding go degrees The new ma :
terial is valuable not only for the %.
structlon " offers to Gre, but for its re.
duced liability 70 DO damage nv breaking
and falling when used IN such niaces as
the glass roofs Of railway stations.