- Email: [email protected]
Aluminium and aluminium bronze
Sept., 1884.]
Gases in Steel.
239
ALUSIINIUM AND ALUS{INIU~¢I BRONZE.--At a recent s i t t i n g of t h e Glasgow P h y s i c a l Society, Prof. J a m i e s o n c o m m u n i c a t e d t h e result of his researches upon t h e electric qualities of a l u m i n i m n . T h e m e t a l was n e a r l y pure, its d e n s i t y 2,786, its electric resistance 1"96 times t h a t of pure copperwire of t h e s a m e l e n g t h and diameter. F o r wires of equal l e n g t h a n d weight the resistance of a l u m i n i m n is a little less t h a n t h a t of pure copper. The addition of a small q u a n t i t y of a l u m i n i u m to copper largely increases both the m e c h a n i c a l a n d the electrical resistance. T h e first e x p e r i m e n t s furnished specimens in w h i c h t h e electric resistance was 25 times as great as that of pure copper. S u c h an alloy w o u l d be v e r y useful in tile m a n u facture of resistance coils. O n account of its lightness pure a l m n i n i u m wire m i g h t often be found desirable in m i l i t a r y telegraphy.--L'J~'lectrician, April 1, 1884.
X)ALiE[IEI¢I'SATSIOSP/{E]~,I(~ E L E c ~ l ~ i c r T Y . - - P a l m i e r i ! s M e m o i r on t h e Laws and O r i g i n of A t m o s p h e r i c Electricity, has been £uithfully t r a n s l a t e d into German, by H e i n r i c h Oischer. T h e m e m o i r is t h e result of 32 years observations m a d e at t h e meteorological station of Mr. V ~ u v i o u s . A f t e r announcing, the laws of a t m o s p h e r i c electricity, t h e illustrious professor describes t h e ingenious apparatus and the original m e t h o d s of e x p e r i m e n t ing w h i c h he adopted in order to d e t e r m i n e those laws, a n d w h i c h enabled him to observe t h e electrical state of t h e air u n d e r clear, cloudy, and r a i n y skies, and d u r i n g v o l c a n i c eruptions. H e attributes t h e a t m o s p h e r i c electricity to t h e a c c u m u l a t i o n of w a t e r y v a p o r in t h e air u n d e r t h e form of cloud~ m i s t or rain.--JL~Electrician, A p r i l 1, 1884. ~ E W ELECTRO-MAGNET.--Sig. ]:I. l~iceo, of P a l e r m o , rolls a long b a n d of sheet iron a r o u n d a nucleus of soft iron, i n s u l a t i n g t h e different layers of the band by oiled paper. One pole is connected w i t h t h e nucleus, to w h i c h the interior e x t r e m i t y of t h e b a n d is soldered, a n d t h e o t h e r is c o n n e c t e d with its e x t e r i o r e x t r e m i t y . T h e current, in t r a v e r s i n g t h e band, m a g netises not o n l y t h e nucleus but also each layer of t h e band, w h i c h thus plays the double role of c o n d u c t o r and of m a g n e t i c substance, t h e r e b y condensing t h e lines of force, and p r o d u c i n g a great c o n c e n t r a t i o n of p o w e r . - JL'Electrieit~ ; Les Mondes, M a r c h 8, 1884. TANNING BY :ELECTRIC][TY.--~CLL. Gaulard suspends hides in a bath of tannin, w h i c h is traversed by an electric current. T h e h y d r o g e n w h i c h is set free by t h e c u r r e n t acts upon t h e l e a t h e r a n d destroys the n i t r o g e n o u s matter. A f t e r e i g h t days emersion in this bath, t h e t a n n i n solution is replaced by a n o t h e r w h i c h is m o r e concentrated, a n d t h e direction of t h e current is c h a n g e d by r e v e r s i n g t h e poles of the electrodes. T h e o x y g e n then acts upon t h e liquid, o x i d i z i n g t h e t a n n i n a n d p r e c i p i t a t i n g it in t h e cells w h i c h are lbrmed by t h e g e l a t i n e a n d fibrine of t h e hide.--Chron. Industr., F e b r u a r y 17, 1884. GASES IN S T E E L . - - B r u s t l e i n concludes, from a great n u m b e r of observations, t h a t iron a n d steel can be alloyed w i t h n a s c e n t h y d r o g e n at o r d i n a r y t e m p e r a t u r e s ; t h a t at a red h e a t this alloy is broken up, but t h a t at the m e l t i n g t e m p e r a t u r e of steel it m a y again be alloyed w i t h h y d r o g e n w i t h m o r e or less e n e r g y . - - S o e , des Ing. Siv:, April, ]~883 C.
240
Balloon _I)/~o~ograp/~y.
[dour. ]?rank. Insl,,
TI-I• VOLCANIC ASHES OF KRAKATOA_.--A. R e n a r d h a s e x a m i n e d vol. c a n i c a s h e s w h i c h w e r e g a t h e r e d a t B a t a v i a , as well as some w h i c h wer~ collected oil h o a r d t h e G e r m a n s h i p Elizabeth. T h e y are f i n e l y powdered~ of a g r e e n i s h g r a y color, a l m o s t i m p a l p a b l e , a n d a v e r a g i n g a b o u t o n e - t e n t h of a m i l l i m e t r e i n d i a m e t e r . U n d e r t h e m i c r o s c o p e t h e d u s t seems to be m a i n l y c o m p o s e d of v i t r e o u s f r a g m e n t s , r i d d l e d w i t h bubbles. T h e particles of glass are often s o m e w h a ~ fibrous, m o r e or less c y l i n d r i c a l and d r a w n out, as i n c e r t a i n f o r m s of p u m i c e . I n some cases t h e r e is a n irreg. u l a r f r a c t u r e s h o w i n g c u r v i l i n e a r contours. T h e s p l i n t e r s are u s u a l l y color. less, b u t s o m e t i m e s t h e y h a v e a b r o w n i s h t i n t . T h e r e s u l t s of t h e exami. n a t i o n i n d i c a t e s a f o r m a t i o n of c i n d e r s b y t h e p o l a r i z a t i o n of a n i g n e o u s fluid mass, of w h i c h t h e p a r t i c l e s a r e p r o j e c t e d b y t h e e x p a n s i o n of gases a n d s u b m i t t e d to a r a p i d cooling d u r i n g t h e i r passage t h r o u g h t h e a i r . ~ Bul. de ~'Aead. de J~elg., 1883. C. PAPAL OBSERVATORY.---Pope L e o is n o t u n m i n d f u l of i n t e l l e c t u a l a n d scientific progress. I n t h e h e a r t of t h e L e p i n i m o u n t a i n s a tall, fine t o w e r h a s l a t e l y b e e n erected w h i c h is i n t e n d e d for a m e t e o r o l o g i c a l o b s e r v a t o r y u n d e r t h e c h a r g e of C o u n t L u d o v i c o Pecci. F a t h e r Denza, d i r e c t o r of t h e o b s e r v a t o r y of M o n c a l i e r i , u n d e r t h e orders a n d a t t h e e x p e n s e 6f P o p e Leo, h a s b o u g h t all t h e i n s t r u m e n t s w h i c h are n e e d e d for s u c h a s t a t i o n a n d p r o n o u n c e s e v e r y t h i n g a d m i r a b l y c o n s t r u c t e d a n d a p p r o p r i a t e for t h e p u r pose designed. I:[e t h i n k s t h a t t h e n e w o b s e r v a t o r y will be o n e of t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t i [ / a l l I t a l y . - - L e s Mondes, M a r c h 29, 1884. O R I G I N OF VOLCANIC ACTrVIT~.--FeW p e r s o n s d o u b t , a t t h e p r e s e n t day, t h a t t h e elastic force of s t e a m is t h e t r u e m o t o r of v o l c a n i c e r u p t i o n s a n d e a r t h q u a k e s . T h e o c e a n is t h e source of t h e w a t e r w h i c h r e a s c e n d s to t h e surface t h r o u g h v o l c a n i c crevices. S i n c e t h e p r e s s u r e d e v e l o p e d at g r e a t d e p t h s is t h e cause of t h e e r u p t i o n s , i t is o b v i o u s t h a t t h e w a t e r can n o t p e n e t r a t e t h r o u g h c a v i t i e s of s e n s i b l e d i m e n s i o n s . S t a n i s l a s M e u n i e r supposes t h r e e successive l a y e r s of r o c k s u n d e r t h e ocean b e d ; t h e first of r o c k s i m p r e g n a t e d w i t h water, t h e s e c o n d of r o c k s c o n s o l i d a t e d w i t h o u t t h e i m p r e g n a t i o n of w a t e r , a n d t h e t h i r d of r o c k s i n w h i c h t h e t e m p e r a t u r e is sufficient b o t h to v a p o r i z e a n d to dissociate t h e v a p o r of water. T h e wate~ p e n e t r a t e s f a r t h e r a n d f a r t h e r i n t o t h e deep r o c k s i n c o n s e q u e n c e o f t h e s e c u l a r cooling of t h e globe, a n d t h e r u p t u r e of p o r t i o n s of t h e e a r t h ' s c r u s t b y t h e c o n t r a c t i o n of t h e i n t e r n a l n u c l e u s a d m i t s t h e w a t e r of t h e superficial l a y e r s i n t o r e g i o n s i n w h i c h t h e w p o r i z a t i o n a n d dissociation s u d d e n l y t a k e s p l a c e . - - L a . Nature, M a y ]0, 1884.
BALLOON PHOTOGtCAPHY.--Major E l e s l a d e h a s l a t e l y m a d e some i n t e r e s t i n g e x p e r i m e n t s u p o n b a l l o o n p h o t o g r a p h y for m i l i t a r y purposes. H e launched at Chatham captive balloons provided with automatic photog r a p h i c c h a m b e r s . A f t e r t h e b a l l o o n r e a c h e d a c e r t e s % h e i g h t t h e plate w a s exposed a n d a n e g a t i v e t a k e n . T h e e x p e r i m e n t s a r A d to h a v e succeeded~ perfectly, a n d i n o n e of t h e s m a l l proofs o b t a i n e d i n t h i s w a y , t h e n u m b e r of soldiers p l a c e d at a g r e a t d i s t a n c e could be a s c e r t a i n e d b y c o u n t ing, w i t h t h e a i d of a m a g n i f y i n g glass, t h e l i t t l e w h i t e spots w h i c h [ w e r e m a d e b y t h e h e h n e t s of t h e i n f a n t r y . - - Z a . . N a t u r e , M a y 10, 1884.
Gases in Steel.
239
ALUSIINIUM AND ALUS{INIU~¢I BRONZE.--At a recent s i t t i n g of t h e Glasgow P h y s i c a l Society, Prof. J a m i e s o n c o m m u n i c a t e d t h e result of his researches upon t h e electric qualities of a l u m i n i m n . T h e m e t a l was n e a r l y pure, its d e n s i t y 2,786, its electric resistance 1"96 times t h a t of pure copperwire of t h e s a m e l e n g t h and diameter. F o r wires of equal l e n g t h a n d weight the resistance of a l u m i n i m n is a little less t h a n t h a t of pure copper. The addition of a small q u a n t i t y of a l u m i n i u m to copper largely increases both the m e c h a n i c a l a n d the electrical resistance. T h e first e x p e r i m e n t s furnished specimens in w h i c h t h e electric resistance was 25 times as great as that of pure copper. S u c h an alloy w o u l d be v e r y useful in tile m a n u facture of resistance coils. O n account of its lightness pure a l m n i n i u m wire m i g h t often be found desirable in m i l i t a r y telegraphy.--L'J~'lectrician, April 1, 1884.
X)ALiE[IEI¢I'SATSIOSP/{E]~,I(~ E L E c ~ l ~ i c r T Y . - - P a l m i e r i ! s M e m o i r on t h e Laws and O r i g i n of A t m o s p h e r i c Electricity, has been £uithfully t r a n s l a t e d into German, by H e i n r i c h Oischer. T h e m e m o i r is t h e result of 32 years observations m a d e at t h e meteorological station of Mr. V ~ u v i o u s . A f t e r announcing, the laws of a t m o s p h e r i c electricity, t h e illustrious professor describes t h e ingenious apparatus and the original m e t h o d s of e x p e r i m e n t ing w h i c h he adopted in order to d e t e r m i n e those laws, a n d w h i c h enabled him to observe t h e electrical state of t h e air u n d e r clear, cloudy, and r a i n y skies, and d u r i n g v o l c a n i c eruptions. H e attributes t h e a t m o s p h e r i c electricity to t h e a c c u m u l a t i o n of w a t e r y v a p o r in t h e air u n d e r t h e form of cloud~ m i s t or rain.--JL~Electrician, A p r i l 1, 1884. ~ E W ELECTRO-MAGNET.--Sig. ]:I. l~iceo, of P a l e r m o , rolls a long b a n d of sheet iron a r o u n d a nucleus of soft iron, i n s u l a t i n g t h e different layers of the band by oiled paper. One pole is connected w i t h t h e nucleus, to w h i c h the interior e x t r e m i t y of t h e b a n d is soldered, a n d t h e o t h e r is c o n n e c t e d with its e x t e r i o r e x t r e m i t y . T h e current, in t r a v e r s i n g t h e band, m a g netises not o n l y t h e nucleus but also each layer of t h e band, w h i c h thus plays the double role of c o n d u c t o r and of m a g n e t i c substance, t h e r e b y condensing t h e lines of force, and p r o d u c i n g a great c o n c e n t r a t i o n of p o w e r . - JL'Electrieit~ ; Les Mondes, M a r c h 8, 1884. TANNING BY :ELECTRIC][TY.--~CLL. Gaulard suspends hides in a bath of tannin, w h i c h is traversed by an electric current. T h e h y d r o g e n w h i c h is set free by t h e c u r r e n t acts upon t h e l e a t h e r a n d destroys the n i t r o g e n o u s matter. A f t e r e i g h t days emersion in this bath, t h e t a n n i n solution is replaced by a n o t h e r w h i c h is m o r e concentrated, a n d t h e direction of t h e current is c h a n g e d by r e v e r s i n g t h e poles of the electrodes. T h e o x y g e n then acts upon t h e liquid, o x i d i z i n g t h e t a n n i n a n d p r e c i p i t a t i n g it in t h e cells w h i c h are lbrmed by t h e g e l a t i n e a n d fibrine of t h e hide.--Chron. Industr., F e b r u a r y 17, 1884. GASES IN S T E E L . - - B r u s t l e i n concludes, from a great n u m b e r of observations, t h a t iron a n d steel can be alloyed w i t h n a s c e n t h y d r o g e n at o r d i n a r y t e m p e r a t u r e s ; t h a t at a red h e a t this alloy is broken up, but t h a t at the m e l t i n g t e m p e r a t u r e of steel it m a y again be alloyed w i t h h y d r o g e n w i t h m o r e or less e n e r g y . - - S o e , des Ing. Siv:, April, ]~883 C.
240
Balloon _I)/~o~ograp/~y.
[dour. ]?rank. Insl,,
TI-I• VOLCANIC ASHES OF KRAKATOA_.--A. R e n a r d h a s e x a m i n e d vol. c a n i c a s h e s w h i c h w e r e g a t h e r e d a t B a t a v i a , as well as some w h i c h wer~ collected oil h o a r d t h e G e r m a n s h i p Elizabeth. T h e y are f i n e l y powdered~ of a g r e e n i s h g r a y color, a l m o s t i m p a l p a b l e , a n d a v e r a g i n g a b o u t o n e - t e n t h of a m i l l i m e t r e i n d i a m e t e r . U n d e r t h e m i c r o s c o p e t h e d u s t seems to be m a i n l y c o m p o s e d of v i t r e o u s f r a g m e n t s , r i d d l e d w i t h bubbles. T h e particles of glass are often s o m e w h a ~ fibrous, m o r e or less c y l i n d r i c a l and d r a w n out, as i n c e r t a i n f o r m s of p u m i c e . I n some cases t h e r e is a n irreg. u l a r f r a c t u r e s h o w i n g c u r v i l i n e a r contours. T h e s p l i n t e r s are u s u a l l y color. less, b u t s o m e t i m e s t h e y h a v e a b r o w n i s h t i n t . T h e r e s u l t s of t h e exami. n a t i o n i n d i c a t e s a f o r m a t i o n of c i n d e r s b y t h e p o l a r i z a t i o n of a n i g n e o u s fluid mass, of w h i c h t h e p a r t i c l e s a r e p r o j e c t e d b y t h e e x p a n s i o n of gases a n d s u b m i t t e d to a r a p i d cooling d u r i n g t h e i r passage t h r o u g h t h e a i r . ~ Bul. de ~'Aead. de J~elg., 1883. C. PAPAL OBSERVATORY.---Pope L e o is n o t u n m i n d f u l of i n t e l l e c t u a l a n d scientific progress. I n t h e h e a r t of t h e L e p i n i m o u n t a i n s a tall, fine t o w e r h a s l a t e l y b e e n erected w h i c h is i n t e n d e d for a m e t e o r o l o g i c a l o b s e r v a t o r y u n d e r t h e c h a r g e of C o u n t L u d o v i c o Pecci. F a t h e r Denza, d i r e c t o r of t h e o b s e r v a t o r y of M o n c a l i e r i , u n d e r t h e orders a n d a t t h e e x p e n s e 6f P o p e Leo, h a s b o u g h t all t h e i n s t r u m e n t s w h i c h are n e e d e d for s u c h a s t a t i o n a n d p r o n o u n c e s e v e r y t h i n g a d m i r a b l y c o n s t r u c t e d a n d a p p r o p r i a t e for t h e p u r pose designed. I:[e t h i n k s t h a t t h e n e w o b s e r v a t o r y will be o n e of t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t i [ / a l l I t a l y . - - L e s Mondes, M a r c h 29, 1884. O R I G I N OF VOLCANIC ACTrVIT~.--FeW p e r s o n s d o u b t , a t t h e p r e s e n t day, t h a t t h e elastic force of s t e a m is t h e t r u e m o t o r of v o l c a n i c e r u p t i o n s a n d e a r t h q u a k e s . T h e o c e a n is t h e source of t h e w a t e r w h i c h r e a s c e n d s to t h e surface t h r o u g h v o l c a n i c crevices. S i n c e t h e p r e s s u r e d e v e l o p e d at g r e a t d e p t h s is t h e cause of t h e e r u p t i o n s , i t is o b v i o u s t h a t t h e w a t e r can n o t p e n e t r a t e t h r o u g h c a v i t i e s of s e n s i b l e d i m e n s i o n s . S t a n i s l a s M e u n i e r supposes t h r e e successive l a y e r s of r o c k s u n d e r t h e ocean b e d ; t h e first of r o c k s i m p r e g n a t e d w i t h water, t h e s e c o n d of r o c k s c o n s o l i d a t e d w i t h o u t t h e i m p r e g n a t i o n of w a t e r , a n d t h e t h i r d of r o c k s i n w h i c h t h e t e m p e r a t u r e is sufficient b o t h to v a p o r i z e a n d to dissociate t h e v a p o r of water. T h e wate~ p e n e t r a t e s f a r t h e r a n d f a r t h e r i n t o t h e deep r o c k s i n c o n s e q u e n c e o f t h e s e c u l a r cooling of t h e globe, a n d t h e r u p t u r e of p o r t i o n s of t h e e a r t h ' s c r u s t b y t h e c o n t r a c t i o n of t h e i n t e r n a l n u c l e u s a d m i t s t h e w a t e r of t h e superficial l a y e r s i n t o r e g i o n s i n w h i c h t h e w p o r i z a t i o n a n d dissociation s u d d e n l y t a k e s p l a c e . - - L a . Nature, M a y ]0, 1884.
BALLOON PHOTOGtCAPHY.--Major E l e s l a d e h a s l a t e l y m a d e some i n t e r e s t i n g e x p e r i m e n t s u p o n b a l l o o n p h o t o g r a p h y for m i l i t a r y purposes. H e launched at Chatham captive balloons provided with automatic photog r a p h i c c h a m b e r s . A f t e r t h e b a l l o o n r e a c h e d a c e r t e s % h e i g h t t h e plate w a s exposed a n d a n e g a t i v e t a k e n . T h e e x p e r i m e n t s a r A d to h a v e succeeded~ perfectly, a n d i n o n e of t h e s m a l l proofs o b t a i n e d i n t h i s w a y , t h e n u m b e r of soldiers p l a c e d at a g r e a t d i s t a n c e could be a s c e r t a i n e d b y c o u n t ing, w i t h t h e a i d of a m a g n i f y i n g glass, t h e l i t t l e w h i t e spots w h i c h [ w e r e m a d e b y t h e h e h n e t s of t h e i n f a n t r y . - - Z a . . N a t u r e , M a y 10, 1884.