The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-02-13
CorTsspondencs Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Electric Hot Baths-The Regions Of Next
Conquest-Smok Injury 70 Vegetation
quake Forecaeting-A Breakwater of
Concrete gBoxes-A Disease OF Tin
Europe's Water-power-The Shortening
Year.
The first effective electric water heater for the
bathroom is claimed to be a new German de-
vice. This is about six inches in diameter and two
feet high. and Is attractive in appearance when
fastened to the wall of bathroom or bed-cham-
Der. Water Is admitted at the bottom. Turn
ing the electric switch permits enough water to
enter to I'LL the system Of pipes, thus ensuring
them against burning out, and this is heated to
1902 F. in about 10 seconds. The stopcock below
the switch is then opened. when a steady stream
rises over a series of water-tight surfaces en-
closing the heating coils and emerges at the
overflow quite hot enough for the bath. The
current can be either that Of IL sixteen-candle-
power incandescent lamps of the ordinary kind
or half as much. the latter giving corresponding
ly slower heating. The cost Of the current
necessary varies, but even at the high rate of
ten cents an hour, the expense for hot bath
would be small.
Our deserts are to;give us some of the sur
prises Of the near future, as DIR. G. r. Keys
points out. The arid regions. with an inch to a
foot of rain year. are by no means repulsive,
but even scientific men are only just becoming
acquainted with their beauties and possibilities.
The landscape. is striking. The deserts are
mountainous, yet the broad plains are the domi-
nant feature. and the mountains-though bold
and lofty-rise sharply from the level expanse.
The earth as we see it has been carved by water.
The deserts, as has but lately been discerned.
have been sculptured and leveled by the wind
and the rocks. free from chemical action, are
unweathered, bright and fresh.
sss
Factory smoke-chiefy from bituminous coal
lis becoming so harmful to vegetation in Ger
many that the Saxon Ministry of Finance has
offered prize of 81, 400 for the best preventive
of the harm by sulphurous acid and other vapors;
also $500 for compendium of the literature Of
the subject.
Electric transmission lines of high voltage are
liable to serious accidents from sudden increase
of pressure through upskillful manipulation of
apparatus on the line or from lightning. The
curious property of some metals of becoming
coated with film of non-conducting oxide that
Is broken down by high-tension currents gives
means Of providing an automatic overflow. anal
ogous to the safety-valve of the steam-engine,
and electrolytic valves seem to be serving sue
cessfully in the United States and France. A
valve of this kind. described by A. Troller as be-
ing tried on French railway line, consists OF
two aluminium plate electrodes dipping into
suitable conducting liquid. On the passage of
low-tension current, oxide forms on the plates,
almost Instantly stopping the electric flow. but
when the tension rises above 400 volts. the insu-
lating layer disappears. and the current passes
freely. Most electric systems allow higher
voltage than this. sufficient number of alum
mum electrodes arranged in series, however.
will give any desired resistance, and valve Of
eleven elements will not open until the tension
exceeds 1000 volts.
Considering earthquake forecasts. DR.. G. K.
Gilbert finds that che places liable to be shaken
can be pretty well determined by geological evil
dence as well as from past experience. but there
is little reason to expect satisfactory prediction
Of the time of earthquakes. The one well-known
earthquake district of the United States includes
central and southern California, with areas in
Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Alaska also has q
$500 1890
the beginning of last century. Alaska has had at
least destructive shocks; and II are listed for
the California district. or 10 If the Oregon earth
quake of 1857 and the Sonora and Arizona of 1887
be included. Other United States earthquakes
have been the New Madrid of 181l-12. the Charles
ton of 1885, and the New Madrid of 1885.
Sc
The novel breakwater at Algoma. Wis.,. is be-
ing built of huge hollow blocks of reinforced
concrete "a feet long, 10 wide and Tx high, each
weighing 12O tons. These are launched like a
vessel, towed IL miles, sunk upon piles Tx feet
below the surface. filed with stone, and given
4-foot cap of solid concrete.
-
A curious alteration in tin plate, resembling
the infection of organic matter with bacteria,
has been reported by DR.. Won Hasslinger. The
tin had been kept about two years at tempera-
lures ranging between co. and 115o f., and the
surface had completely changed, having become
granular and dull. When particles of this grey
tin were brought into contact with bright tin,
the latter quickly became covered with dull
patches, which grew an eigth of an inch or more
day. This so-called "tin pest" was not affect
ed by rise in temperature. and it differed fur
Their from bacteria In growing less vigorously at
q distance from the point of infection. The al
tered tin melted at a lower point (4000 F.) than
the original tin (44So 1902 FL. After melting,
however, the grey tin resumed its original char
acter, and became solid If not heated to the
original melting point. The new substance
seems to be an allotropic form Of tin.
-.
Guesses at the water-power CT different coun-
tries vary greatly, and all may be wide of the
mark. These are recent estimates of Otto Mayr,
German engineer: Norway, 1885. 600 available,
of which only 3Ol 900 horsepower is utilized ;
Sweden. 6.750.000 available. 100000 used; Italy.
5,50OOOO available. 4840 used; France 6,52l, 200
available, 10000 used Austria. 5,125,OOO avail
able, 10000 used Germany. 1,677.60O available,
503,300 used Switzerland 1900 600 available, $780,.
600 used ; and Hungary, $4,000 available. 5000
used. This total of a. Isl 800 horse power for
the Continent Of Europe, of which only 3.553,3OO.
or less than los per cent. is utilized The figures
seem not wholly up TO date. as Italy has been
reported to have used $4,000 horsepower, or 1873
per cent.-all but $1,000 for electric energy.
~
Many eclipses are noticed in the records of all
ages. Astronomers can determine accurately
when eclipses must have occurred. and the
eclipse records are proving valuable to historic
cal students as means of determining the dates
of important events. From these studies P. H.
hok hoad do