The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-02-21
OLp TIN cans.
The Way They Finally Disappear From,
Human Sight.

| NNfN - ~ NNtNI NNNfuNNN IN'HIHNNT Y rom
Human Sight.
Few people realize what becomes n
all the old tn cans. tin pans, kettles.
J buckets, coal hods and the like. They
finally disappear from human sight
and knowledge and are seen no more.
Science shows that they cvaporate.
When a tin can is cast away ana for.
eaken It begins its downward course
by becoming rusty. The tin oxidizes or.
: In other words, unitos With The oxygen
surrounding It IN the atmosphere. and
the oxide OF tin gradually takes leave
Of The iron by evaporating into the air.
while some Of II is washed away by
the rain into the earth. after the Tin
Is gone the iron Of the can follows the
same course that has been pursued by
the tin. II oxidizcs aud becomes The
familiar reddisS brown substance
known as iron rust The metals have
no wills Of their own, no amnitles. no
understandings. and therefore no b
tentions as TO their present or future
course They do nothing OF them
selves But electrical forces do their
work for them These forces unite the
atoms Of the metals with those of the
oxygen. Then the molecules of these
oxit es are carried sway by the atmos-
nhe ic electricity and disposed OF ac-
eorldng 10 circumstances.
II small bottle or other piece OF
glars he placed on damp ground aud
an Old wornout tin bucket is turned
over IL. the particles of iron oxide win
be taken away by eleetrlc currents
from the old bucket and Will be de.
posted partly on the glass. the re.
mainder going into the air aud the
earth. Deposits OF iron and other met.
ais are thus carried around by eiec.
tricity in the atmosphere from place
70 place all over the earth Chlorne
by electric power picks up atoms Of
gold and goes with them 10 the ocean.
where they are as much at home as
salt All metals can exist IN state
OF yapor; thereto they are TO be
found not only in the atmosphere
around this earth. but also in the at
nosphere around the sun and the
stars. II a ray Of sunlight is bent out
Of its course. as it is by drops Of water
in the case of the rainbow. the famila
seven colors Of red, orange. yellow
green, blue. indigo ana violet ar
spread out side by side. When The
spectrI or streaks OF light are scienti |
ically investigated about 500 dark lines |
are formed also among the colors. and |
these lines represent shadows cast by |
elemental substances IN the atmos |
pheres of the earth and the sun Light
made artihcially and not passing
through the atmosphere Of the earth !
and the sun does not have these dark |
lines
BY means Of the spectroscopc, a grad
ually invented instrument now in use.
but credited 10 several scientists. well |
known elements have been compelled |
TO register their addresses in bands OF
light Among the first IL write them |
selves down were sodium. potassium,
magnesium. calcium. chromium. nickel
and iron Aud the same apparatus
led to the discovery OF new metals.
such as cesium, rubldlnm and thallium.
All these are found 10 be in the suns
atmosphere by means of the spectre
scope the one hundred millionth part
OF grain Of sodium in common salt
becomes as discernible and unmistak-
able as the side Of house This won
derful modern instrument has enabled
scientists TO find out what the peo-
pie who inhabit the planets in The
solar system or the dog STAR Sirius. for
example, have TO eat, for without nj
trogen they could have no beans or
spring peas, without sulphur no mus.
iard, horseradish and water crosses or
anything Of the kind although the peo
pie would be confined to vegetable diet
They would also be without light bis
cult for breakfast or any fermentec
liquors. -Baltimore American.