428 



NA TURE 



[August 31, 1893 



opinion as to what the subsequent reactions may be. "J, Subject 

 to what may be saidof particular instances or occasional excep- 

 tions, the statements made by me as to the result of many years' 

 observation and experiment of others and myself are on the 

 whole practically accepted. Probably Mr. Stead is correct 

 when he assumes that the dissolved iron sulphide is resolved 

 into calcium sulphide, and iron oxide, as by the Saniter pro- 

 cess, or in the blast furnace, by the excess of lime in solution in 

 the slag. 



In this connection, as regards the blast furnace, heat plays 

 a double part, firstly for the intensification of the chemical 

 affinity of sulphur for the alkaline base (lime, of the slag; 

 secondly, for the adequate liquefaction of this highly basic 

 slag, overcharged with lime and requiring a high temperature 

 for its perfect fusion, which otherwise would remain in and 

 clog up the blast furnace, thus obviously checking the proper 

 working of the furnace and the uniform descent of the materials 

 charged above. 



Phosphorus is apparently not eliminated in sensible quantities 

 under the above conditions. Practically the whole is retained 

 and passes into the pig iron. Blast (urnace slags are, however, 

 never quite free from phosphorus, and some species of the latter 

 contain sensible quantities, the amount depending on the excess 

 of phosphorus present in the ores, and the working conditions. 

 Usually such slag^ contain an excess of iron oxide as com- 

 pared with ordinary grey iron slags, the latter being generally 

 free from iron oxide or, at any rate, the amount does not exceed 

 4 per cent, in good slag. 



Metallurgical experts have for some time leen engaged in 

 devising methods for the removal of sulphur. It is needless 

 here to recapitulate in detail the veiy many processes tried 

 by them, and for the most part abandoned. All are based on 

 the use, in one way or another, of alkaline or basic materials. 

 However, the experience thus acquired seems to have been 

 utilised, and has led to valuable tangible results, for of lale several 

 processes have been worked out with some degree of success, 

 but in our opinion there is still room for improvements, both in 

 cost and general efficiency. In addition, the time and trouble 

 involved in these processes (" which niay be classified as methods 

 of secondary purification," z.«. methods by which the iron is to 

 some extent freed from sulphur after its production in the blast 

 furnace) are impoitant items seriously impeding further progress. 

 It really seems tli.it the proposed methods of secondary purifica- 

 tion may ultimately prove too tedious and expensive, the limit 

 bstwixt loss or gain being just now very small. Recognising 

 this, attempts have been made to cheapen the processes, all, 

 however, based on the use of alkaline or basic material, but so 

 far it appears the results are somewhat uncertain. 



Mr. Saniter's lime and calcium chloride method, "one of the 

 first recently propo ed and tried," has been worked, as the 

 writer can testify, with some success, but the costs, by general 

 consent, are considered somewhat heavy. It is only fair to say 

 thit the inventor is not of this opinion, and he quotes reasons to 

 the contrary which should be well weighed before a final opinion 

 is held as to the merits of this process. Secondary processes 

 must from their very nature be costly and troublesome when 

 dealing with the production of thousands of Ions of metal con- 

 tinuously flowing from the blast furnace throughout the year. 



The earlier attem])ts to purify crude iron from sulphur, &c., 

 merely paved the way for recent developments, and, on the 

 whole, merely suffice to prove that alkaline or basic substances 

 only can effectively be used It is now generally admitted that 

 lime is the only base which can be applied with anything 

 approaching economic results, and the methods now being 

 practised have resolved themselves into endeavours to use this 

 reagent efficiently and economically. Manganese as another 

 reagent is an effective desulphuriser, but this requires to be 

 separately investigated. 



Lime is, and always has been, used in the blast furnace 

 for the elimination of sulphur from iron ; and it is well known 

 that a non-sulphury pig-iron cannot be manufactured unless an 

 excess of lime be charged into the furnace over and above the 

 lime required for the formation of a fluid slag or lime silicate. 

 It is evident, however, that the use is limited owing to the infusi- 

 bility of the basic slags formed. These are facts which need no 

 further comment, as they are universally acknowledged on all 

 sides. If some modification could be introduced into ordinary 

 blast furnace charging whereby this infusible slag containing an 

 excess of lime could be continuously cleared out of the furnace, 

 1 Stead, Iron and Steel Institute. 

 NO. 1244, VOL. 48I 



we should have at our command a continuous diticl method ol 

 eliminating sulphur from iron at a minimum expenditure, and 

 at a great saving in the time and labour involved in the piocessei 

 of purification. John Parry. 



THE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY Oh 

 BEN NE PIS. 



T^HE Directors of the Ben Nevis Meteorological Observatory 

 have prepared a guidebook which will be of great usetc 

 the tourist who desires to scale the top of the Hen and feast his 

 eyes upon the crag and mist beneath, and also to the large 

 number of people interested in meteorology. By the kind- 

 ness of the publishers (Messrs. John Menzies and Co., Edin- 

 burgh and Glasgow) we are able to give three illustrations ol 

 the Observatory, with an account of its foundation and the 

 work carried on there. For many years it has been recognised 

 that the best means of obtaining definite information as to the 

 vertical variation of atmospheric conditions was to establisl 

 meteorological stations differing considerably in altitude but in 

 the same locality. In this connection we read that " in 187; 

 Mr. Milne Home, then Chairman of the Council of the Scottist 

 Meteorological Society, pointed out the singular advantages ol 

 Ben Nevis as a high-level station. It is the highest mountain 

 in the British Islands (4406 feel) ; its summit is, in horizontal 

 distance, about four miles from a sea-level station at Fort 

 William, and is situated in the track of the south-west storms 

 from the Atlantic, which exercise such a preponderating in- 

 fluence on the weather of Europe, especially in autumn and 

 winter. Its advantages are therefore unique, and observations 

 made there have proved to be of the greatest interest and valnt 

 to meteorology." 



Unfortunately, though a plan of an observatory was prepared 

 by the late Mr. Thomas Stevenson in 1879, for the Scottish 

 Meteorological Society, the work could not be proceeded with 

 for want of the necessary funds. From June to October, 1881, 

 however, Mr. Clement L. Wragge made observations at (he 

 summit simultaneously with Mrs. Wragge at Fort William, and 

 an elaborate series of simultaneous observations at different 

 heights on the mountain were successfully made in the two follow- 

 ing yeais. The discussion of these observations led to very impor- 

 tant results, and was the means o( exciting the interims! in the 

 publicmind es^ential to the obtaining of subscriptions. Anappea' 

 for funds to enable an observing station to be erected was 

 promptly responded to, a sum of £a,ooo being soon collected. 

 A feu of an acre of land was obtained on the top of the moun 

 tain from Mrs. Cameron Campbell, of Monzie, and upon it ar 

 observatory was erected from plans by Mr. Sydney Mitchell 

 "The observatory was opened by Mrs. Cameron Campbell on 

 October 17, 1883. Observations were begun in the followinj 

 month, and have been carried on ever .>.ince. At the saroi 

 time a sealevel station was opened at the public school. For 

 William, under charge of Mr. C. Livingston, where ccmparisoi 

 readings were taken five times a day with great punctuality ar< 

 accuracy. But a few years showed the necessity of having : 

 continuous record at sea-level as well as on the summit, and ii 

 1889 the directors resolved to carry out the original plan whicl 

 want of funds had hitherto prevented, and set up a low-leyt 

 observatory. Aided by a grant from the Edinburgh Exhibitio 

 of 1886 and contributions from the public, they were able I 

 erect a suitable building close to sealevel, on ground feue 

 from Mr. Cameron, of Lochiel, in the beginning of 1S90. Th 

 Meteorological Council of London equipped this station will 

 self-recording instruments, and increased their annual grant I 

 the directors from /lOO to ;^350. Observations began in ti 

 middle of July, 1890, and since then there has been a cot 

 tinuous record of barometric pressure, temperature, humidii; 

 rainfall, &c., by day and by night, both on the summit of Kt 

 Nevis and at sea-level. The distance between the high ar 

 low-level observatories is only 4I miles, and their heights abo' 

 sea-level respectively 4407 and 42 feet. Mr. Livingston al' 

 continued his observations for a year after the commencement 

 the low-level observatory, so that there might be a satisfacto 

 comparison of the two sea-level stations. The telegraj 

 wire from the summit has been extended to the lo'i 

 level observatory, and the observers can communicate wi, 

 each other at .iny time, and reports from both stations are >e! 

 daily to the newspapers. The high and low-level statio 

 are worked as one observatory, the observers being ini' 



