574 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



opment of chemical reaction. This phenomenon is not rare in 

 chemistry. But when, notwithstanding wind and moisture in 

 sutiicient abmidance, the idodized test-paper does not turn blue, 

 the active agent ozone is then neutralized by another principle, 

 of an acid nature, contained in the air. This principle, the author 

 tells us, he is now endeavoring to extract from ail' in the labora- 

 tory of the School of Science of Rouen. The air of towns is far 

 from being so rich in ozone as that of the country, its free circula- 

 tion being impeded by edihces and houses. In the country, on 

 the contrary, the air is free, and that is the reason why it gener- 

 ally produces such good effects on the health of individuals. 

 Storms and hurricanes act chemically on the atmosphere, and 

 their influence in this respect often extends to distances where 

 their existence is not suspected, or only revealed by the above- 

 mentioned test-paper. Whatever mischief these phenomena may 

 commit in the way of destruction of propertj^ their action is highly 

 beneficial in a sanitary point of view. 



M. Houzeau concludes his remarks with an announcement that 

 he has discovered the existence of the vapor of oxj^genised water 

 (or aqueous vapor strongly impregnated with oxygen; in the air 

 of the open country. 



Lighting up of the Capitol Dome. 



This enterprise which, under the direction of Mr. Samuel Gard- 

 ner, of New York, has been two years and a half in progress, has 

 been successfully accomplished, and on the evenings of the 23d 

 and 24th ult. parties assembled to see the magnificent interior fully 

 developed by the artificial illumination. 



It is with pleasure that we announce the fact that the Capitol 

 has been the arena of the exploit, and the experiment which has 

 there been tried on so large a scale is demonstrated to be a perfect 

 success. It is destined to liecome famous in a national point of 

 view, and is appropriately tested in the most magnificent interior 

 within our domains. 



The central part of the apparatus is a battery of 200 jars, occu- 

 pying an elliptical room 46x35 feet, and capable of being thrown 

 on and off in sections of twenty. 



The tiers of burners, at the respective heights of 45, 80 and 165 

 feet from the floor of the rotunda, are all invisible from thence. 

 The respective tiers have 300, 325 and 424 burners in the order 

 above named, and in addition to thetholus, will have 60 burners in 



