312 



NATURE 



[May 6, 1920 



of sky and solar radiation at different stages of the 

 eclipse. Curves of these are given, which indicate 

 that the sky radiation varies proportionally to the 

 amount of sunlight. 



Prof. Bauer then discusses the British expeditions 

 and the observed deflection of light. As these have 

 already been dealt with in Nature (November 13, 

 1919, and elsewhere), it will suffice to mention one 

 point. After noting that the Sobral results indicated 

 larger deflection than those deduced from Einstein's 

 law, and that the excess was greater in R.A. than 

 in declination, Prof. Bauer made the suggestion that 

 the excess might arise from the passage of the light 

 through a rare outer atmosphere of the sun, which, 

 like the corona, might be more extended in the 

 equatorial regions. The residuals are too small to 

 lay very much stress on this, unless future eclipses 

 should indicate the same effect. 



The Manufacture of Synthetic Ammonia 

 and Production of Nitrates. 



'^r'HE Ministry of Munitions announces that Lord 

 ■•• Inverforth has arranged for the sale of H.M. 

 Nitrate Factory at Billingham-on-Tees to Messrs. 

 Brunner, Mond, and Co., Ltd. The purchasers will 

 form a company to take over the factory, and will be 

 responsible for all outstanding liabilities of the 

 Ministry in connection with the project. This factory, 

 the erection of which was commenced early in 1918 

 by the Department of Explosives Supply, was designed 

 for the manufacture of synthetic ammonia and for 

 , the production of 60,000 to 70,000 tons of ammonium 

 nitrate annually. 



Soon after the appointment of the Nitrogen Products 

 Committee, the monumental report of which was pub- 

 lished in January last, the Government decided to 

 install one or other of the processes for the fixation of 

 nitrogen. The Committee, after thorough investiga- 

 tion of the problem, recommended the cyanamide pro- 

 cess as the one best suited for this purpose in the 

 circumstances, since the working details were well 

 understood. This advice was at first adopted, and a 

 contract was on the point of being negotiated, but, 

 for reasons which are not stated, the recommendation 

 was not acted upon. 



During 1916 the Nitrogen Products Committee had 

 established a laboratory in premises placed at its dis. 

 posal in the new Ramsay building of University 

 College, London, and the Committee's research staff", 

 under the direction of Dr. J. A. Marker, was engaged 

 in an experimental investigation of a number of 

 problems relating to nitrogen fixation. Although it 

 was not anticipated that there would be any shortage 

 of supplies of ammonia, yet it was deemed desirable, 

 in view of the special suitability of the synthetic 

 ammonia process for the needs of this country, that 

 an experimental study of it should be made forthwith, 

 so that the required information should be available 

 if necessary. 



After a year's experimental work, the progress made 

 was considered so encouraging that the Committee 

 decided to establish a rnoderate-sized technical trial 

 unit, and funds for the purpose were allocated by the 

 Treasury. It was hoped, by means of this plant, that 

 a study of the chernical engineering problems could 

 follow upon that already made of the pure chemistry 

 of the reactions involved, but the Committee did not 

 suggest .the establishment of the process as a war 

 measure upon an industrial scale. In iqiy, however, 

 the Explosives Supply Department considered that the 

 position reached in the experiments justified it in 

 recommending the erection of a large works, in sub- 

 stitution for the Committee's cyanamide project, and 

 NO. 2636, VOL. 105] 



a site at Billingham, some 260 acres in extent, was 

 ultimately chosen for this purpose. But a number of 

 difliculties supervened, and construction was slow, 

 and at the time of the Armistice only a few permanent 

 buildings and a number of temporary structures had 

 teen erected, though a large amount of plant had 

 been ordered. 



The purchasers of the factory now undertake to com- 

 plete the scheme by providing the additional buildings 

 and plant required for the synthesis of ammonia and 

 its oxidation to nitric acid and nitrates suitable for the 

 manufacture of explosives and fertilisers. 



It is understood that the company has acquired a 

 large amount ot additional land and 'that it intends to 

 develop the project on a very large scale. The factory 

 has been re-designed on a peace as distinct from its 

 former war basis, and in many particulars the new 

 plant will represent a substantial advance, both in the 

 ammonia and nitric acid sections, on anvthing pre- 

 viously used in Germany. 



New Ordnance Survey Maps. 



npHE new edition of the one-inch and quarter-inch 

 -■■ Ordnance Survey maps is described, with 

 specimen sheets, by Lt.-Col. W. J. Johnston in the 

 Geographical Journal for March (vol. Iv., No. 3). 

 Three types of one-inch map are to be published : the 

 popular, the district tourist, and the outline. The 

 popular edition has contours in orange at 50-ft. ver- 

 tical interval in place of the loo-ft. and 250-ft. interval 

 on the former one-inch maps. A new classification of 

 roads, which divides them into ten categories, makes 

 the main roads, coloured red, stand out prominently. 

 Rivers and streams are shown in solid blue. Parish 

 boundaries, which caused much confusion with foot- 

 paths, are omitted, but county boundaries are retained. 

 Woods are coloured green. The outline edition is the 

 present one-inch map, which in future will be printed 

 from stone on stout paper. The tourist edition entails 

 a combination of sheets to cover conveniently in one 

 map certain areas frequented by holiday-makers. It 

 is hoped to have at least eight of the tourist sheets 

 ready before the summer. The contours are at 100-ft. 

 and 250-ft. intervals, and the representation of relief 

 is made more striking by the use of hachures and 

 transparent colour layers; rivers are in solid blue and 

 v^oods in green. The black printing will be the same 

 as in the popular edition. The quarter-inch map is 

 being issued with contours and layer colours in place 

 of hill shading, red colour for main roads only, solid 

 blue for streams, and no green wood symbol. The 

 sample sections of the popular one-inch and the 

 quarter-inch maps accompanying Col. Johnston's paper 

 are beautiful specimens of cartographv, and a great 

 improvement on the old editions, good as they were. 

 The tourist one-inch w-ill be useful mainly by reason 

 of the combination of sheets which it offers. We 

 understand that arrangements have been made to 

 popularise these maps Ijv having them on sale at all 

 booksellers' and bookstalls. 



University and Educational Intelligence. 



Cambridge. — Gifts totalling 1500L are announced 

 towards the partially endowed Hopkinson professor- 

 ship in thermodynamics. 



The Linacre lecture will be delivered to-day, May 6, 

 by Dr. Henry Head on "Aphasia and Kindred Dis- 

 orders of the Speech." 



In connection with the installation of the Chancellor, 

 it is proposed to present honorary degrees to the Prime 

 Minister, Mr. Bonar Law, and several other prominent 

 politicians. The following are amongst those selected 

 for honorary degrees on.the same occasion : Sir Joseph 



