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Height of the sea breeze
316
Notes a n d Co~n~nents.
[J. F. I.,
for $75o, ooo to a n y one who was willing to pay t h a t price, a n d great alarm was expressed lest some A m e r i c a n multi-millionaire m i g h t purchase t h e celebrated megalithic m o n u m e n t s a n d carry t h e m off to t h e U n i t e d States• But this fear h a s not been realized. Sir E d m u n d ' s desire to get rid of S t o n e h e n g e is in no small measure due to t h e a n n o y a n c e to w h i c h he has been subjected in t h e last few years in connection therewith. I t was shortly after his accession to t h e b a r o n e t c y a n d estates on t h e d e a t h of his father in 1899 t h a t h e determ i n e d to surround S t o n e h e n g e , w h i c h forms part of his property, with a barbed-wire fence, a n d to charge a n admission fee of 25 cents, h i s object b e i n g to protect t h e stones from t h e injurious t r e a t m e n t to w h i c h t h e y were b e i n g subjected by peopie w i t h o u t a n y reverence for t h e h o a r y past. Moreover, as some of t h e stones were in danger of falling, h e feared t h a t in t h e event of anybody b e i n g i n j u r e d t h e r e b y h e m i g h t be held financially responsible. Exception, however, was t a k e n to his attitude. I t was said t h a t i n a s m u c h as S t o n e h e n g e h a d lain open to all t h e world since E n g l i s h history began, the public h a d acquired a right-of-way t h r o u g h every portion of t h e grounds on w h i c h the stoues stood, a n d likewise a proprietary interest in t h e stones themselves. T h e n , too, it was pointed out t h a t a n y t h i n g in t h e shape of a m o d e r n inclosure destroyed t h e spell created b y t h e aspect of those i m m e n s e stones s t a n d i n g alone in strange circles far from h u m a n h a b i t a t i o n i n t h e midst of a vast, open, rolling plain. And t h e result was t h a t not only t h e general public, but likewise m e n of culture interested in t h e preservation of national m o n u m e n t s , raised a f u n d with t h e object o f testing in the courts not Sir E d m u n d ' s proprietorship of t h e ruins, b u t his r i g h t to inclose t h e m with a wire fence.--Marquise de Fontenoy in New York Tribune. HEIGHT OF THE SEA BREEZE. Observations as to t h e h e i g h t of t h e diurnal sea breeze are few in number, albeit of considerable it~portance. By means of a captive balloon, sent up from Coney Island a n u m b e r of years ago, it was found t h a t t h e average h e i g h t at which t h e cool inflow from t h e ocean was replaced b y the upper warm outflow from t h e land was from 5oo to 60o feet. At Toulon, in 1893, t h e h e i g h t of the sea breeze was found to be about 1,3oo feet, a n d a distinct offshore current was found between 1,9oo a n d 2,ooo feet. More recently (x9o2), on t h e west coast of Scotland, Dines, using kites, h a s noted t h a t t h e kites would not rme above I 5oo feet on s u n n y afternoons, w h e n the on-shore breeze was blowing.--Quar, four. Roy. Met. Soc. E L E C T R I C I T Y D I R E C T F R O M CARBON. Lorenz h a s published a s u m m a r y of the present state of the problem of conv e r t i n g chemical energy of b u r n i n g carbon directly into electricity. Slow combustion involved in t h e electrolytic process such as in an ordinary voltaic cell suffers u n d e r t h r e e disadvantages, viz. : t h e slowness of t h e reaction between carbon and oxygen at ordinary temperatures, t h e i m p u r i t y of t h e carbon, w h i c h gives rise to complicated h y d r o c a r b o n s in solution and the necessity of using t h e highly-priced conducting forms of carbon instead of ordinary coal. T h e s e circumstances lead to t h e adoption o f a gaseous " e l e c t r o d e "
Notes a n d Co~n~nents.
[J. F. I.,
for $75o, ooo to a n y one who was willing to pay t h a t price, a n d great alarm was expressed lest some A m e r i c a n multi-millionaire m i g h t purchase t h e celebrated megalithic m o n u m e n t s a n d carry t h e m off to t h e U n i t e d States• But this fear h a s not been realized. Sir E d m u n d ' s desire to get rid of S t o n e h e n g e is in no small measure due to t h e a n n o y a n c e to w h i c h he has been subjected in t h e last few years in connection therewith. I t was shortly after his accession to t h e b a r o n e t c y a n d estates on t h e d e a t h of his father in 1899 t h a t h e determ i n e d to surround S t o n e h e n g e , w h i c h forms part of his property, with a barbed-wire fence, a n d to charge a n admission fee of 25 cents, h i s object b e i n g to protect t h e stones from t h e injurious t r e a t m e n t to w h i c h t h e y were b e i n g subjected by peopie w i t h o u t a n y reverence for t h e h o a r y past. Moreover, as some of t h e stones were in danger of falling, h e feared t h a t in t h e event of anybody b e i n g i n j u r e d t h e r e b y h e m i g h t be held financially responsible. Exception, however, was t a k e n to his attitude. I t was said t h a t i n a s m u c h as S t o n e h e n g e h a d lain open to all t h e world since E n g l i s h history began, the public h a d acquired a right-of-way t h r o u g h every portion of t h e grounds on w h i c h the stoues stood, a n d likewise a proprietary interest in t h e stones themselves. T h e n , too, it was pointed out t h a t a n y t h i n g in t h e shape of a m o d e r n inclosure destroyed t h e spell created b y t h e aspect of those i m m e n s e stones s t a n d i n g alone in strange circles far from h u m a n h a b i t a t i o n i n t h e midst of a vast, open, rolling plain. And t h e result was t h a t not only t h e general public, but likewise m e n of culture interested in t h e preservation of national m o n u m e n t s , raised a f u n d with t h e object o f testing in the courts not Sir E d m u n d ' s proprietorship of t h e ruins, b u t his r i g h t to inclose t h e m with a wire fence.--Marquise de Fontenoy in New York Tribune. HEIGHT OF THE SEA BREEZE. Observations as to t h e h e i g h t of t h e diurnal sea breeze are few in number, albeit of considerable it~portance. By means of a captive balloon, sent up from Coney Island a n u m b e r of years ago, it was found t h a t t h e average h e i g h t at which t h e cool inflow from t h e ocean was replaced b y the upper warm outflow from t h e land was from 5oo to 60o feet. At Toulon, in 1893, t h e h e i g h t of the sea breeze was found to be about 1,3oo feet, a n d a distinct offshore current was found between 1,9oo a n d 2,ooo feet. More recently (x9o2), on t h e west coast of Scotland, Dines, using kites, h a s noted t h a t t h e kites would not rme above I 5oo feet on s u n n y afternoons, w h e n the on-shore breeze was blowing.--Quar, four. Roy. Met. Soc. E L E C T R I C I T Y D I R E C T F R O M CARBON. Lorenz h a s published a s u m m a r y of the present state of the problem of conv e r t i n g chemical energy of b u r n i n g carbon directly into electricity. Slow combustion involved in t h e electrolytic process such as in an ordinary voltaic cell suffers u n d e r t h r e e disadvantages, viz. : t h e slowness of t h e reaction between carbon and oxygen at ordinary temperatures, t h e i m p u r i t y of t h e carbon, w h i c h gives rise to complicated h y d r o c a r b o n s in solution and the necessity of using t h e highly-priced conducting forms of carbon instead of ordinary coal. T h e s e circumstances lead to t h e adoption o f a gaseous " e l e c t r o d e "