Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08

the lead, without waiting for some Euro
pean laboratory fret to show the way
1t will be remembered that In volcanic
eruptions large quantities of water yapor
or steam are given off by the lavas, and the
minerals which separate under these condi-
lions are very different from those which
are formed by the direct fusion of the ee-
ments. Now the only way In which steam
can be kept in contact with the molten
rock so as to be effective in influencing It's
formation is to keep the rock and the water
Vapor under enormous pressure.
Therefore. to know volcanoes and volcano
rocks, not only heat. but immense pres
sure. must be used. This demands very
special preparations in order to prevent
disastrous accidents, which is probably one
OF the reasons why so little work has been
done along this line in the past 1t is also
one of the main reasons why a special
laboratory and expert experimenters will
| be necessary. The effect of steam under
high pressures upon the ores of all valu-
able metals must be known IL 1t is desired
to learn the secret of those rich deposits
which are today one of the chief sources
of the wealth and strength of this coun-
| try. Ordinarily zinc blende or copper ores
are not thought of as being soluble in
water, but an examination of such deposits
| shows plainly that water played very
important part in their formation. This
study is in itself beyond the life and re-
sources OF any one man, and Is one which
calls for the application of exact and re-
fined methods of a new and very unusual
character. For that reason, we'll as to
provide Tor Its d1S1ntereSted and consistent
development, 1t is said to be obviously
necessary that some large institution should
undertake the great task.
Problem Which Interests People.
Another problem which interests many
people Is the artificial reproduction of those
minerals which, from their rarity and beau
ty, have come to be used as precious stones.
1t hardly be expected that such a
| laboratory Will undertake to produce preci-
Gus stones. 1t will not try to make dia-
monds, but in the course Of Its work it Is
more than probable that some light viii
be thrown upon the very puzzling question
OF how diamonds came to be formed in
the earth, and why they are not more COM
mon. 1t Will not undertake the prepara-
ton of artificial rubies, but it may be able
to learn why It Is that IN some cases the
same ingredients crystalize as ordinary
emery. What difference can there be in the
nature of the solution from which this oxide
of aluminium separates which makes 1t
come out sometimes as ruby sometimes
as a sapphire and at other times as corun-
dunn emeryg
The work of the laboratory has not pro-
gressed far and has been done in rather
cramped circumstances in its temporary
quarters. and yet 1t has produced one or
two things OF great commercial Importance.
One of the more recent discoveries which
is said to be of interest to everybody has
been the development of method for the
preparation of quartz glass; that Is, glass
glass has several remarkable properties
which render 1t of very great value. but 1t
has not proved possible in the past to pro-
duee the glass in large quantities. Single
crystals of quartz have been melted in the
oxyhydrogen flame the electric arc, and.
then pieced together In the oxyhydrogen
| blast, but that Is all.
Declared to Be Tedious.
This method Is declared to be very tedf-
Gus, and the cost Is SO great in power and
labor that quartz glass was literally worth
its weight in gold. It was found expert
mentally in the geophyscal laboratory that
this glass could be prepared In large guam
titles by fusing quartz In an. electric fur-
mace, so constructed that a pressure Of at
least 500 pounds to the square inch could be
exerted upon the mass during fusion. With
the help of this pressure, and with means
to adjust the temperature nicely so as to
melt the quartz without any chemical
change taking place In IT. II did not prove
difficult to make the glass.
Some OF the properties which make quartz
glass especially useful are its very high
softening temperature. 1t can be heated to
| 2000 degrees Fahrenheit without soften1ng
noticeably. In other words. 1t Is possible
| to melt. and even to distill gold or copper
or silver in quartz glass vessel without
harming 1t. 1t would even be possible to
put a quartz GLASS window In fre-proof
steel safe with full confidence that tho
safe would suffer more than the window IN
event of fire.
A second property OF quartz glass which
makes 1t of value to scientists Is that 1t
| transmits ultraviolet light. whereas ordf-
nary glass almost entirely prevents tlsesa
rays from passing through 1t. This means
| that Photographic images obtained with
| quartz lenses will be sharper for colozs OF
blue and violet than the ordinary lenses
| 1t means that astronomers can extend their
observations on the spectra Of distant stars
much beyond that which Is possible where