The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-05-18

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
A Vison Of Wealth-The Safest Safes-A
8umbug Ology-The Coming Museum
A New Astronomical Science-Rapio
Picture Printing! Botanical Puzzle
Brittle Tails
The electrolytic recovery of gold from sea-
water is still dream of many European chem
lists. A Nodon proposes to use as electrodes
sheets of copper and lead or lead and cast iron,
each about one twenty-ffth OF an inch in thick
ness, and to surround these plates with porous
canvas bags for collecting the gold that fails to
adhere. The baths, within reach Of the tide.
would have depth Of two meters and width
Of ten meters about 80 feet). With cementpar-
titIons every 10 meters. q battery Of 100 such
baths could be run together, and 1t is calculated
that this would furnish 150 grams of gold per
day Of twelve hours. In this time S,OO0 cubic
meters Of water would be treated, current Of
5000 amperes at 25 volts being required. The
annual cost is estimated at $4,000, and the profit
IL figured at $4,000 on capital Of $4,000.
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British safes, we are told. would have pre-
vented great loss at San Francisco, where the
contents of large proportion Of so-called. fire.
proof safes and vaults were destroyed. The
American plan Of insulating with filling OF in
fusorial earth or asbestos is condemned as sure
to fail in severe test, and it is affirmed that not
aireproof but steam generating and moisture
evolving composition drying to a non conduct
ing Materials needed to keep the inside cool
for the longest possible time. English makers
allege that this difference gives superiority to
their safes.
Graphology has been proven by Alfred Binet
to be utterly without scientific value. Experts
failed to distinguish between the handwriting
Of q man and that Of woman, Of an old man
and Of youth. and Of scientist and Of an idiot.
The penmanship of brutal murderer was pro-
nounced that of young girl of great modera-
ton.
In Americas evolution. the university and
the public library have been added to the little
red schoolhouse, and the public laboratory and
the industrial museum may reasonably be ex-
pected soon. The Importance of the last is
urged by Alfred Sang in the Engineering Maya
zine. This would be a great educator Of the
entire public, would stimulate invention, and
would safeguard ingenious mechanics against
many mistakes and much repetition. As the
best existing example is cited the Conservatoire
des Arts and Meters of Paris, which was estab-
liehed during the Revolution for the free teach
ing Of the applied sciences. 1t provides even
ing courses in % subjects, has extensive testing
laboratories, a museum of 1900 models and
pieces Of apparatus. an industrial library Of 40
900 volumes. and reading room containing
periodicals. but It Is now years behind the times.
One Of its interesting exhibits is Scott graphic
phone. which gave a tin-foil record and repro
duction Of cornet solo before Edison was born.
The ideal museum would have section or al
cove for each industry, which would be under
,<.F ofnxv
up-to-date process, with models of proposed
apparatus and of ideas that have proven fall
ures. also raw materials and the literature of
the subject, and all would be easily accessible.
PIadetology, the new science proposed by
Prof E. s. Morse, would study the conditions of
distant planets by applying geology, meteoro-
l0gy, physical geography, geodesy and other
terrestrial sciences. 1t confirms the idea that
Mars Is inhabited. The reality of the markings
or "canals"-and their seasonal variation has
been proven by the most careful observers, in
GLIDING Prof. Morse himself. and our earth
knowledge strongly suggests that as the scant
Martin water-supply is released from its winter
locking-up in the polar ice-caps. the systematic
irrigation works conduct it to the most suitable
spots where it creates GASES of vegetation.
0Aack Whluub uOW COLu6c Cul6uy AIOLu bOutu-
western Missouri. Arkansas, Oklahoma and In
dian Territory. The animal production is about
100000 feet, most of which goes to Germany.
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The new process of illustration brought out
by Sir Joseph Swan is described as a combina-
tion of photogravure, half-tone and collotype.
It makes possible the printing from the plate of
several hundred impressions per hour, and it is
adapted for plain, smooth paper, which is much
more agreeable to the eye than the usual glossy
surface. The ruled glass screen is used to break
up the tones into dots of different sizes. as in
ordinary half tone pictures. In half-to work
rthe printing ink Is left on the highest surfaces
of the block in photogravure it is wiped of
from the raised surfaces and taken up by the
paper from the depressions; and in the COLO
type the printing surface is quite fiat. greasy
parts retaining the ink while the remaining sur
face is wet and repels the ink. In the new pro-
cess, the hollows hold the ink. while the highest
surface is made repelent SO that it keeps clean
without wipingas the rollers pass rapidly over it.
a+s
Plant memory is problem for the inquisitvc
botanist. In 1901 plant allied to the squash
and pumpkin was brought to New York from
the desert of Sonora, in Mexico, and since then
it has beenkept-withoutw atering-in al strange
climate 5000 miles from home. During the six
weeks of rain in the desert the plant grows its
leaves and flowers and perfects its seed. Then
It dries up, and leaves only water-fllled gourd,
which thick. hard shell seals against animals
and evaporation. The transplanted specimen
still remembers the rainy season of six weeks.
It wakes, sends out rootlets, stems and leaves,
and then dries up again until the following year.
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The peculiar brittleness of their tails is some
times an advantage to certain lizards. Perching
head downward on a rock. the diamond tailed
gecko, for example, is often seized by hawk,
when the tail snaps of. and the animal calmly
wriggles away to grow another.
PropertyTransfersin Baltimore County.
Deeds, ETC., received for record in the Office of
the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore
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