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Vagrant mines in the Atlantic Ocean
62
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
Vagrant Mines in the Atlantic Ocean.-It is well known that the belligerents, especially the Englis.h, Americans and Germans, sowed the sea with thousands of contact mines, and that many of these have drifted from their anchorage. The principal fields were the more important harbors, the British channel and the northern boundary of the North Sea. The last named mine-field was of enormous extent and density. As vagrant mines are a very serious menace to shipping, the question as to their probable course from their moorings is of great importance. It has been studied by the well-known oceanographer, the Prince of Monaco. who has for many years been investigating the direction of ocean In the latter part of 1918 he presented a communication currents. to the French Academy of Sciences (C.I/., v. 167, 1918, 1019) in which he exhibited a map of the principal currents in the Atlantic Ocean, and pointed out that the principal drift of the mines would be to the nearly circullar sweep of waters lying between N. lat. 30” In and 4~“~ and W. Ion. 25” and 5o”, being just west of Gibraltar. September of this year he presented another communication (C.V., v. 169, 1919, 562) in which he records the finding of twentv-three mines within the above indicated area, and three others-in the neighborhood of the opening of the British channel. The dates of the finds ranged from November 7, 1918, to June 15, 1919. He states, as the result of his studies of ocean currents, that ships sailing between the United States and Europe will find their greatest security in a line running directly north from the mouth of the British channel to 50” N. lat. and following this to 30” W. lon., inclining towards the Newfoundland banks. The Gulf Stream marks the northern limit of danger. The ships which travel between the United States and southern Europe will find their greatest perils in the immediate neighborhood of the European coasts and in the several archipelagoes, south as far as the Canaries, and their greatest security on a line passing a little north of Madeira and tangent to the southern limit of the Saragossa Sea. H. L. A New Drying Oil. (P&t Mfrs. AWL. Civc. No. 75.)-The oil of tihe seeds ‘of the Alcurites trisperma, or soft Lumbang, a species of “ candle-nut ” tree, of the tropical habitat and rather limited range seems to have excellent drying properties, analogous to those of tung oil. This tree and the true “ lumbang ” (A. moluccamz) grow in the Philippines, but it is stated that “ soft ” variety fruits in Porto Rico grow very well, and hence substantial quantities of the oil might be obtained for use in the United States. The analysis in the laboratory of the Paint Manufacturers’ Association found that the Hanus method for iodine number gave very unsatisfactory results with the new oil as it does with tung oil, while the Hub1 gave results comparable with those on tung oil. H. L.
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
Vagrant Mines in the Atlantic Ocean.-It is well known that the belligerents, especially the Englis.h, Americans and Germans, sowed the sea with thousands of contact mines, and that many of these have drifted from their anchorage. The principal fields were the more important harbors, the British channel and the northern boundary of the North Sea. The last named mine-field was of enormous extent and density. As vagrant mines are a very serious menace to shipping, the question as to their probable course from their moorings is of great importance. It has been studied by the well-known oceanographer, the Prince of Monaco. who has for many years been investigating the direction of ocean In the latter part of 1918 he presented a communication currents. to the French Academy of Sciences (C.I/., v. 167, 1918, 1019) in which he exhibited a map of the principal currents in the Atlantic Ocean, and pointed out that the principal drift of the mines would be to the nearly circullar sweep of waters lying between N. lat. 30” In and 4~“~ and W. Ion. 25” and 5o”, being just west of Gibraltar. September of this year he presented another communication (C.V., v. 169, 1919, 562) in which he records the finding of twentv-three mines within the above indicated area, and three others-in the neighborhood of the opening of the British channel. The dates of the finds ranged from November 7, 1918, to June 15, 1919. He states, as the result of his studies of ocean currents, that ships sailing between the United States and Europe will find their greatest security in a line running directly north from the mouth of the British channel to 50” N. lat. and following this to 30” W. lon., inclining towards the Newfoundland banks. The Gulf Stream marks the northern limit of danger. The ships which travel between the United States and southern Europe will find their greatest perils in the immediate neighborhood of the European coasts and in the several archipelagoes, south as far as the Canaries, and their greatest security on a line passing a little north of Madeira and tangent to the southern limit of the Saragossa Sea. H. L. A New Drying Oil. (P&t Mfrs. AWL. Civc. No. 75.)-The oil of tihe seeds ‘of the Alcurites trisperma, or soft Lumbang, a species of “ candle-nut ” tree, of the tropical habitat and rather limited range seems to have excellent drying properties, analogous to those of tung oil. This tree and the true “ lumbang ” (A. moluccamz) grow in the Philippines, but it is stated that “ soft ” variety fruits in Porto Rico grow very well, and hence substantial quantities of the oil might be obtained for use in the United States. The analysis in the laboratory of the Paint Manufacturers’ Association found that the Hanus method for iodine number gave very unsatisfactory results with the new oil as it does with tung oil, while the Hub1 gave results comparable with those on tung oil. H. L.