The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-04-04
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Earth Protection from PERSECUTION Of q
Physiological Puzzle-Leaving Tracks
on the Seattle Newest Electroculture
Steam Measuring by Dynamo-Cater-
pillar Rooted Plants-Locomotive Inn
provement-M Mouth Hatched Eggs.
Late experiments have proven that heat is
transmitted downward into the earth very slow
ly. and that thin covering of soil is sufficient
to protect even explosive and in iammable
liquids from the highest temperatures Of burn
ing buildings. In tests of the Fire Department
of Hanover, Germany, three fiat piles were made
of dry sand. slightly moist gravel and building
debris the sides having aslope Of 49, and the top
Of each being large enough for furnace 80
inches high of brick walls. Coke fires were main
tanned for several days. The heat at the base Of
the furnaces was estimated at more than 250O'
but the rise in temperature was slight In the
piles of fill. after several days, and at depth OF
40 inches only 1902 F. reached after 40 hours,
this being about the boiling point of benzine. In
the pile of building debris these were the tenn
peratures after 81 hours; At inches Of depth.
5lSo F.. II inches 1852 20 inches, 1922; sOinches,
So; 40 inches, $50.
The reason why the stomach and intestines do
not digest themselves was once thought by
Weinland, German experimenter, to be that
they defend themselves by antienzymes, or anti
ferments. DIR. Mandor Klug, Of Budapest, now
reports these anti-ferments not to be found, but
that the mucin present in the inner half of the
gastric mucous membrane resists the digestive
action of the trypsin and the gastric juice. The
digestive organs, therefore, protect themselves
by the mucin they secrete.
"a
To lessen risk of loss of submarines, torpedoes
used in naval practice and other objects liable
to sink in the sea, a French oceanographer at
taches a vessel of oil having long and short
tube lilo of an inch in diameter. When sub
mergence softens the gum seals of the tubes,
oil rises from the long one drop by drop, locating
the sunken object by the film on the waters
surface.
The most perfect imitation possible of the
natural forces at their best has been sought in
the artificial plant growing at the Royal Botanic
Gardens in London, and Mr.. B. H. Thwaite
points out that the triple combination of water
screened arc light electrostatic stimulus and
highly fertiIizng atmosphere can be controlled
In wide range of experiments to show the
maximum acceleration Of growth and the high
est quality of product. The necessary heat and
actinic light. as well as carbon dioxide, moisture
and nitrogen fertilizer in the form Of ammonia
sulphate, are all derived from COAL Perfect
combustion is ensured by bringing the fuel into
gaseous condition by suction gas producer, and
a gas engine gives power for electrical energy,
while the water from the cylinder jacket sup
plies heat for the glass house and the exhaust
gases are led through earthenware pipes to the
plants, furnishing carbon dioxide, water vapors
oxygen and nitrogen in heated condition. The
power, heat. moisture and gases are easily con-
trolled. The arc lights, with hood and water
screen, are slowly moved to and fro along the
entire length of the glass house, and an electro
static machine electrihes plants and roots as well
as the air.
The steam consumption meter patented In
Germany by P. Weller is a small electric alter.
nator, with a magnet wheel built into the steam
pipe and rotated by turbine blades fitted to its
periphery. The current generated in the arma-
ture shows on voltmeter the pounds of steam
consumed per hour. or train of wheels can be
arranged to give a continuous record. COunecp
ton to the pressure gauge gives variations in
the resistance of the voltmeter circuit and thus
automatically corrects for variations in steam
pressure.
A vegetable caterpillar from the planting of
Pink Terrace region of New Zealand. Eating
some tempting fungus spores on its way to its
final burrow, the creature becomes transformed
into wood like mass of fungus, with form and
structure preserved. The caterpillar is now
veritable root from which stem shoots up or
10 inches, dropping other fungus spores.
AFs
new locomotive, saving 20 to 25 per cent. of
the fuel burned would seem to be a sufficient
advance to foreshadow quite revolution. The
Brotan locomotive boiler, the invention of an
engineer of the Imperial Railway Ministry of
Austria, was first put to work in Austria in
comparative tests made have established SUPERB
ority over ordinary boilers of 81 and 20. Z per
cent. respectively in coal per locomotive-mile
ana 23.6 and 1875 per cent per ton-mile. Of these
boilers 81 are now in operation and 20 are build
ing, IA of the former and II of the latter being
for Austrian roads. The water-chambers or
water-legs around the firebox of the old locomo-
tive are source of much trouble, and the chief
Improvement consists in replacing these by
series of thin-walled upright tubes on each side
of the fire, extending in an arch to form the roof
of the firebox. A steam collector 20 to 30 inches
in diameter is placed over the entire length of
the boiler, giving the appearance of large boiler
surmounted by a smaller one The water-tube
nrebox can be fitted to any locomotive and this
greatly increases the efficiency of the old en-
gines.
s"s
Some small frogs of the species known as
Rhinoderma darwin have reached London from
Chilli, and have received much attention from
naturalists. The tadpoles are developed in a
very curious manner. The female lays about q
dozen eggs and these are Immediately swallowed
by the male and deposited in pouch in his
throat, where they remain until Matched and
sufficiently developed to emerge into the outer
world. The lack of external gills is remarkable
Characteristic of the tadpoles.
~
new wire of special advantage in electrical
industries is obtained by Partisan metallurgist
through perfected process of welding copper
to steel wire. Great conductivity is combined
with tensile strength and elasticity, giving wire
stronger than copper and smaller and less ex-
posed to wind action than iron or steel of the
same capacity.