The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-01-08

The Wsy They Finally Disappear From
Human Sight.

WV NNtI Af'"I y t'f~t'f
Human Sight
Few people realize what becomes Of
all the old tin cans, tin pans, kettles.
buckets, coal hods and the IKE They
finally disappear from human sigh,
and lu.owledee and are seen no more
Science shows that they evnporate.
When a tin can Is cast away and for
saken II hcglns Us downward course
by becoming rusty. The tin oxidizeS or
IN other words, unites with the oxygen
surrounding It in the atmosphere, aud
the oxide Of tin gradually takes leave
OF the iron by evaporating into the air
while some OF Il 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 nursued by
the tin. It oxidizcs and becomes the
familiar reddish brown substance
known as iron rust The metals have
no wills of their own, no Rfiinities. no
understandings, and therefore no IN
tentions as to their present or future
course. rney DO nothing oi hem
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
oxides are carried away by the atmos
pheric electricity and disposed of ac'
cording to circumstances.
II small bottle or other piece OF
glass he placed on damp ground ana
an old wornout tin bucket Is turned
oser it, the particles Of iron oxide Will
be taken away by electric currents
from the old bucket and win be de
posted partly on the glass. the re
malnder going into the air and the
earth. Deposits Of iron and other met
ais are thus carried around by cleo
tricity IN the atmosphere from place
to place all over the earth. Chlorine
by electric power picks up atoms Of
gold and goes with them to the ocear
where they are as much at home as
salt. All metals can exist in state
I OF vapor: therefore they are to be
found not only In the atmosphere
around this earth but also In the at
mosphere around the sun and the
stars If a ray Of sunlight is hent out
of its course. as It is by drops of water
in the case of the rainbow. the familia
seven colors OF red, orange. yellow
green, blue, indigo and violet ar
spread out side by side When thee
spectra or streaks of light are seicntlf
ically investigated about 800 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 artifcially and not passing
| through the atmosphere Of the earth
and the sun does not have these dark
lines.
BY means Of the spectroscope, a grad
ually invented instrument nov In use,
but credited to several scientists, well
known elements have been compelled
tc register their addresses IN bands OF
light Among the first to write them.
! selves down were sodium. potassium
magnesium, calcium. chromium. nicke
! and iron. And the same apparatus
led 70 the discovery Of new metals
such as cesium, rubidium and thallium
All these are found to 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 upmistal1
able rs tho side OF house. This won
derful modern instrument has enabled
scientists to find out what the peo
pie who ihhabit the planets in the
solar system Of the dog star Sirius. fol
example, have TO eat, for without nj
trogen they could have no be9ns ol
spring peas, without sulphur no mus
tard, horseradish asd water crosses ol
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 fermentet
liquors. Baltimore American.