Popular Science News Volume 23 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...dried oxygen: 1. Charcoal was heated to redness in dried oxygen without any visible combustion. The oxygen had been in contact with the drying agent for two months. z. Sulphur was distilled in oxygen dried by phosphorus pentoxide for five years; no flame was seen. In moist oxygen, sulphur burns at a temperature of 320; its boiling point is 440." 3. Phosphorus was distilled in oxygen dried in the same way; in boils at 290. In moist oxygen it catches fire at about 60." 4. Ordinary phosphorus, he said, is not luminous at any pressure in dried oxygen. Captain H. Capel L. Holden exhibited a chronograph for measuring the velocity of projectiles and small periods of time. Mr. Villiam Crookes exhibited a great photographic map of the solar speetrum, taken by means of a R0wland's grating. Mr. C. V. Boys exhibited some useful applications of fibers of quartz. Professor J. VV. Judd exhibited specimens of Egyptian blue recently made by Professor Fouque, who discovered the ancient coloring matter to consist chiefly of silicate of lime and silicate of copper. Mr. Killingworth llcdges exhibited an automatic safety device for use in connection with electric light circuits when alternating current transformers are employed.--Seient1_'/ic American. lonians divided the sun's daily journey into 24 parasangs, or 710 stadia. Each parasang or hour was subdivided into 60 minutes. A parasang is about a German mile, and Babylonian astronomers compared the progress made by the sun during one h'our at the time of the equinox to the progress made by a good walker during the same time, both accomplishing one parasang. The whole course of the sun during the 24 equinoctial hours was fixed at 24 parasangs, or 720 stadia, or 360 degrees. This system...