Science and Invention.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 450, 1 December 1904, Page 7

Science and Invention.

ACUKIOUS sight on the coast of Java is a long stretch of shore, about 29 miles in length, where the sand is filled with particles of magnetic iron. In some places it is said that the surface sand contains 80 per cent, of iron. It can be melted, and a company has been formed to exploit the deposits. A ONE YALYE EXPLOSION ENGINE The latest novelty in petrol engines is -a motor in which one mechanically-operated valve serves for both admission and exhaust functions. The working is effected by the aid of a sliding sleeve, which surrounds the valve and a peculiar shaped cam giving two various degrees of lift to the valve. The engine is being introduced by Mr 0. C. Selbach. A NEW ILLUJKINANT, Anew gas manufacturing plant has been placed on the market which claims a number of advantages over coal gas, The ' Eos' Air Gas Apparatus is compact, wholly independent and automatic in action. By its. means one can manufacture his own gas, which can be used for all purposes, and which is not only an illuminant, but a medium for cooking purposes. The principle of the apparatus is tho automatic inhaling of air, heating it with water and oil by a secret process, and converting it into combustible gas. ALUMINIUM BOBBINS. At a recent meeting of the French Society for the Encouragement of National Industry, an interesting paper was read on the ' Substitution of Aluminium for Wood ia the Machinery of Spinning Mills.' Bobbins made of this metal revolve in any temperament and any degree of humidity, their relative lightness—five aluminium bobbins weigh no more than two wooden ones—allows the machines carrying them to move more quickly, or an equal speed may be obtained at less expense of motive power ; finally, the smaller volume of the bobbins diminishes the cost of transport. It was stated that several firms had adopted the use of aluminium bobbins, and had found that they possessed many advantages. THE SUN'S ROTATION. Professor It. A. Sampson, P.E.S., who sums up some problems of' The Mechanical States of the Sun,' refers to the law of rotation of its surface, by which the equator of the Sun rotates most rapidly, and parts in lower latitudes rotate more rapidly than in higher latitudes. The law was discovered by Carrington from motions of the spots, and was at first believed to refer to the spots, but in the hands of M. Duner, the spectroscope has proved that the property belongs to the whole photosphere. 'lf we do not iaark off the photosphere from the rest of the body of the Sun,' says Professor Sampson, • this law contains, I believe, no mystery. If we suppose that in the course of its condensation in the past, the inner strata of the Sun were to be found rotating faster than those outside them, it can be proved that as soon as the body had condensed to a compact fluid consistency so that the internal friction of its relative motions came into play, a law of rotation identical with that exhibited in the sun would develop. But perhaps more striking, though less complete than a mathematical proof, is an illustrative experiment that was carried out some years ago by M. Beloposky, who filled a glass globe with 'water, carrying powdered stearin in suspension, and whirled it on a whirling machine until a uniform rate of rotation was taken up by the whole. The glass was then stopped and the motion of the water as exhibited by tho particles in suspension was watched. The circumstances were now in substance just such as I have sketched above, and the apparatus exhibited give such relative motions as the sun displays, individual particles travelling spirally from the equator towards either pole, with an angular motion which was less for greater latitude, ultimately passing radially into the-body. This last detail seems to convey also a suggestion of activities limited to special zones that may prove fruitful.' THE LATEST DRY SEATYet another effort has been made to find a solution to the dry seat question ; and its author, a Mr. J. Ellison, claims that his elucidation is the most perfect in the market, and if so, he is to be congratulated. His invention is by no means a complicated affair. He rightly asserts that simplicity is a most essential quality in improvements of this nature, and he has accordingly based his invention on the simplest methods. His seat is an arrangement of metal strips placed parallel with the edge upwards. The strips are made of a cheap rustless metal, and are placed at distances according to gauge of metal used. The idea is to present as little surface as possible, and in this he succeeds admirably. These strips are placed in metal or wooden bearers, and the whole arrangement is made to fit on the ordinary curved car or park seats. It can also be made to fit in the ordinary iron standards. The seat is painted with a fine quality of paint that will neither fade, chip, nor peel, so' that besides their dry qualities they would be an ornament to any promenade, park or tramcar seats. First appearances would lead one to think that the seat would be uncomfortable to sit on, but this doubt is quickly dispelled by trial. In fact, it is more comfortable than the ordinary seats. In the. manufacture of the seats the question of cheapness has been carefully studied with the result that the seat is produced at a very nominal cost. Mr. Ellison contends that his invention will prove invaluable to any public body who may have the control of out-door seats. It is impossible for rain to rest on the edges, and in fact its efficacy \ in operation has to be seen to be believed.

ON RADICKACTIYE EMANATIONS FROM WATER AND OIL FOUNTAINS Prof. P. Himstedt arrives at the conclusion that radio-active bodies giving off a gaseous emanation are widely diffused throughout the earth; these emanations are absorbed by water or by petroleum, and after having been conveyed along with the latter the surface of the earth, will thence diffuse into th» air. Because of the many analogies noted between these emanations and radium emanations, the author thinks it possible that both are identical. In this case the ores of uranium, from which radium emanations are derived, would either be widely diffused or else there would be some further matters possessing, though to a lesser degree, the property of giving off emanations. Considering that the absorption co-efficient of water, as well as of petroleum, with respect to this emanation, is found to decrease for increasing temperatures, while hot fountains, on the other hand, show an especially high activity, the hypothesis is suggested that the amount of radio-active mineral increases with increasing depth. The radio-active components of the earth therefore, possibly be allowed • for- in estimating the temperature of the earjbhgs massif' 1