Amador ledger., 1908-10-23

Tantalum, one of the rare metals
now being brought into use, has
many alliances to iron, and one
of these is the hardness given by a
small addition of carbon. Other sub
stances also-like aluminium, tin and
titanIum-have similar effect. Ac-
cording to a patent of w. Won Bolton,
of Charlottenburg, the added sub.
stance may vary in proportion up to
one per cent or more, but with car
bon small fraction of one per cent
imparts great hardness and resistance,
and with increase the metal becomes
brittle. With trace OF carbon. the
tantalum has the hardness and tensile
strength best adapted for fine wire,
while little more carbon imparts
the greater hardness though with
some brittleness-nee for tools for
working wood, metal and stone. A
British patent by Siemens and Halske
covers process of hardening by
varying small additions of oxygen,
and the products range from a work
able metal of much increased hard
ness and brlttleness to metal too
hard to work but having very slight
brittleness.
The Topographic compass included
with the apparatus of DIR. Charcot' 8
Antarctic expedition is a novel in
strument, the invention OF Alphonse
Berget, with which bearings can be
determined accurately at glance. A
copper box, containing a mirror per-
forated with peep-hoIe, is mounted
h few inches above little compass.
On looking though the eep-pole, the
mirror shows the compass card. the
precise direction of the object in
sight being indicated by the index.
The human mind has limitations.
a n astronomer argues that space be-
yoDd our universe must contain other
vast universes because an absolute
void is uncomfortable. But who can
conceive of an infinite space filled
with an intinity of universe?
A marble-like material declared to
be great advance over other artificial
stone is now made from the waste
Stag of blastfurnaces mixed with a
little lime. The Stag is crushed and
powdered, one-seventh part of quick
lime is added, and the mass, made
into a paste with water, is pressed
into molds of metal. The blocks so
formed, on drying, have the consist
ency of chalk. They are placed in
iron cylinders, from which the air is
pumped out and then replaced with
carbonic acid, and after a few days
in this gas the hydrate OF lime be-
comes recarbonated. binding the mass
into rock Of great hardness. The
finished stone takes high polish. 1t
has been made to serve as an eX-
cellent imitation of the best Iitho-
graphic stone and with suitable
coloring matterslit gives a variety of
fine marbles.
10 save leg by making the veins
do duty as arteries is the remarkable
feat professor of surgery at Con
staDtinople has attempted, with at
least temporary success. Gangreno
of the limbs as q result of closing of
the arteries in old age or disease is
common in the East, and amputation
has been the only resource. A means
OF avoiding the desperate remedy has
been suggested by the fact that the
veins are much less affected than the
2rterles, qre'tly alarmed by the
turning symptoms in his LETT leg,
patient whose right foot had been
amputated on account Of gangrene
appealed to the surgeon for help, and
offered to take the only chance OF
keeping his leg by becoming the sub
ject Of hitherto Uutried experiment.
The arteries OF the leg we're SUCCESS
fully joined to the veins of the foot.
Healing promptly followed the opera
tion, the blood circulated through
the veins. the foot regained its
warmth, and in a week since all
symptoms of disease have disappear
ed. That rainy winds have a marked
effect IN consumption has been proven
by 70 years of observation in Dart
moor and North Devon, Eng The
death rate from this disease is much
less in the sheltered places than in
exposed localities.
The liquid gas OF Hermann Blau is
now used by several German villages,
and is claimed to solve the problem