SCIENCE NOTES & NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 557, 9 April 1913, Page 7

SCIENCE NOTES & NEWS.

A WATCH AS COMPASS. The method of using one's watch as a compass is as follows: Point the hour hand directly at the sunA line drawn through the centre of the dial and half-w:ly between the hour hand and twelve o'clock points directly south. Twelve o'clock noon must be reckoned, i.e., the sun has not yet arrived in the south before, and has, of course, gone past it after. For instance, at 6 a.m. the line would pass over IX., and at 6 p.m. it would pass over 111- At 8 a.m. it would pass over X., and at 4 p.m. it would pass over 11. Needless to say, perhaps, that the; watch should be going, and correct. THE ELECTRIC CLOCK. The electric clock is self-winding and will remain in accurate operation for a period of ht least one vcar. The winding operation is performed by a dry battery, and if this is of good quality, there is no reason why the clock should not run • much longer than one year. The movement of the clock is greatly simplified as compared with the spring-driven clock. The winding

arm consists of a lever with a

weight at one end, and as this winding'arm drops to a certain point it closes an electric circuit and energises an electro-magnet- The magnet, bv attracting its armature, pulls the "winding arm" up ready gradually to fall again, applying its weight to running" the clock. This "winding" occurs at regular -intervals of seven or eight minutes, and on this account an electric clock keeps better time than a spring clock. FOR USE IN SUBMARINES. A new life-saving apparatus for use in submarines has been adopted by the Admiralty, consisting of a ■ helmet and jacket which can be slipped on, it is claimed, in thirty seconds without assistance. The apparatus is intended both as a safeguard against poisonous gases and a lifebelt. Mr. R. H. Davis, [ managing director of Messrs. Siebe, Gorman and Co., the designers, explains that in front of the jacket, inside, there is a pocket containing a combined purifier and oxygen generator, consisting of two small chambers formed in one case. These chambers are charged with a patented substance which, when in contact with the water vapour of the breath, gives &ff pure oxygen gas and forms a caustic alkali. The alkali then takes up the carbonic acid gas of the respired air, and forms an alkaline carbonate. In this way the same air, purified and re- ; oxvgcnated', isoused over and over again. The jacket, which is surrounded by a flexible chamber, can be inflated on reaching the surface, and in this way it forms a lifebelt, the window being opened and the enclosed air 1 permitted to escape., CREEPING RAILWAY LINES. It is not generally known that railway rails creep. They do, how- | ever, and an American authority tells us that "on lines running north and south, the Western rail 'creeps' faster than the eastern rail—that is, this strange movement of the rail towards the south is more marked in one rail than in the other on the same track. Furthermore, it has been noticed that on such a line the eastern rail wears out the faster. Both of these points can be explained by the motion of the earth as it turns from the west towards the east. Everything. that has free motion is dragged after the whiffing globe; every wind that blows and every tide that moves feels the influence, and a train vgoing. north or south is pulled over towards the east, and naturally presses the eastern rail most heavily. The western rail, being relieved of its share of weight, ! 'creeps more freely and quickly. It is also noticed that the wheel that runs on the eastern rail wears out first." And the informant argues, we fear erroneously, that earth motion is the cause. 1 . NEW MOTIVE POWER TO RIVAL PETROL. A young Scottish engineer claims to have discovered what, he styles commercialised nitrogen power. It. has for its object the harnessing of waste products to utilise them for locomotion. Pure nitrogen is compressed, for the purpose of this in- \ ention, in ' cylinders up to 30001b. to the square inch. , For the application to motor cars it is intended that these vehicles shall carry two long cylinders, in place of. the petrol tank, but, according, to experiments, it will be necessary to alter the engine and build it more on the principle of the steam engine. The nitrogen, compressed to some 3000 pounds per square inch, is released and allowed to pass into a small chamber, where it expands to 165 pounds to the square inch, and at that power drives the piston. The inventor argues that it costs five shillings per So miles to drive a cab with petrol fuel; but contends that the same dist :nce can.be covered on a similar cab with nitrogen for nitrogen nower equal in driving power 1o r '~< r ~'allons of pffrpK for half a crown, and to set up power retorts all over the country. 4