The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-03
OLD TIN CANS.
The Way They Finally Disappear FROM
Human Sight.

Human Sight.
Few people realize what becomes Of
all the Old tn cans, tin pans. kettles,
buckets, coal hods and the like. They
finally disappear from human sight
and knowledge ana are seen no more.
Science shows that they eyaporate.
When a tin can is cast away and for,
saken it begins its downward course
by becoming rusty. The tin osidizes or
In other words, unitcs with tie 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 it is wasted 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 1t oxidlzes and becomes the
familiar reddish brown suhstgnco
known as iron rust The metals have
no wills of their own. no affinities, no
Understandings, ana therefore no in.
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
oxites are carried away by the atmos-
phe3c electricity and disposed of ac
coreing to circumstances
II small bottle or other piece Of
giaos be placed on damp ground and
an old wornout tin bucket is turned
over it, the particles Of iron oxide win
be taken away by electric currents
from the old bucket and will be do.
posted partly on the glass, the re-
mainder going into the air and the
earth. Deposits of iron and other met
als are thus carried around by elec.
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 ocean.
where they are as much at home aa
salt. All metals can exist in state
of Yapor; therefore they are TO be
found not only in the atmosphere
around this earth. but also I'm the at
mosphere around the sun and the
stars n a ray Of sunlight Is bent ou'
Of its course, as it Is by drops Of water
In the case of Tie rainbow. the familia
seven colors Of rcd, orange, yellow
green. blue. indigo and violet ar
spread ont side by side When the
spectra or streaks OF light are scienti
lcally investigated about 800 dark lines
are formed also among the colors. and
these lines represent shadows cast by
elemental substances in the atuos
pheres of the earth and the sun. Light
made atiGcially and not passing
through the atmosphere OF the earth
and the sun does not haye These dark
lines.
BY means OF the spectroscone, grad
ually invented instrument now IN use
but credited to several scientists, wen
known elements have heen compelled
to register their addresses in hands Of
light Among the FIRST TO write them
selves down wore sodium potassium
magnesium, calcium. chromium. nickel
and iron And the same apparatus
led TO the discovery Of new metals
such as cesium. ruhidium and thallum
All these are found TO De ia 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 unmlstak
able as the side OF a house This won
derful modern instrument has enabled
scientists 10 find out wbaE the peo
pie who inhabit the planets iu the
solar system of the dog star Sirius. foI
example. have TO eat. for without ni
trogen they could have no beams o.
spring peas. without sulphur no mrs
tard, horseradish and water cresses or
anything OF the kind although the neo
pie would he confined 20 vegetable diet
They would also be without light bis
cult for breakfast or any fermentet
liquors. Baltimore American.