December 21, 1899J 



NATURE 



185 



diffusion, he about fifteen years ago introduced into chemistry a 

 new body called algin, the substance which gives seaweed its 

 peculiar texture. This algin is an exceedingly viscous com- 

 pound, and there appeared to be a future before it as a sizing- 

 agent, but it never succeeded. One of Mr. Stanford's latest 

 researches with the body was the preparation of an iron salt of it 

 which has been found of considerable therapeutic interest, the 

 compound being apparently more readily assimilated by the 

 blood than any other iron compound. His last research was 

 on the active principle of the thyroid gland, and it resulted in 

 the isolation of thyroglandin. The results of this investigation 

 were communicated to the meeting of the British Pharmaceutical 

 Conference at Belfast. 



The Bavarian Government has granted a sum of 6000 marks 

 to Dr. K. Giesenhagen for a botanical investigation of Malacca. 



We learn from the Botanical Gazette that Prof. R. von 

 Wettstein, the director of the botanical garden at Vienna, has 

 established a biological experiment station near the Bremer- 

 hiitte, in the Gschnitzthal, in the Central Tyrolese Alps, at an 

 elevation of 2300 m. The first object of research will be the 

 production of species by direct adaptation. 



The United States Navy Board has issued a report on the 

 results of investigations of the Marconi system of wireless tele- 

 graphy. The report is published in full in the Electrician, and 

 from it the following statements concerning the efficiency of the 

 system have been taken : — It is well adapted for use in squadron 

 signalling under conditions of rain, fog, darkness and motion of 

 speed. Wind, rain, fog, and other conditions of weather do not 

 aftect the transmission through space, but dampness may reduce 

 the range, rapidity, and accuracy by impairing the insulation of 

 the aerial wire and the instruments. Darkness has no effect. 

 When two transmitters are sending at the same time, all the 

 receiving wires within range receive the impulses from trans- 

 mitters, and the tapes, although unreadable, show unmistakably 

 that such double sending is taking place. In every case, under 

 a great number of varied conditions, the attempted interference 

 was complete. Mr. Marconi, although he stated to the Board 

 before these attempts were made that he could prevent inter- 

 ference, never explained how nor made any attempt to demon- 

 strate that it could be done. Between large ships (heights of 

 masts 130 feet and 140 feet) and a torpedo-boat (height of mast 

 45 feet), across open water, signals can be read up to seven 

 miles on the torpedo-boat and eighty-five miles on the ship. 

 Communication might be interrupted altogether when tall 

 buildings of iron framing intervene. The rapidity is not greater 

 than twelve words per minute for skilled operators. The send- 

 ing apparatus and wire would injuriously affect the compass if 

 placed near it. The exact distance is not known, and should 

 be determined by experiment. The system is adapted for use 

 on all vessels of the navy, including torpedo-boats and small 

 vessels, as patrols, scouts, and despatch boats, but it is im- 

 practicable in a small boat. For landing parties the only 

 feasible method of use would be to erect a pole on shore and 

 then communicate with the ship. The system could be adapted 

 to the telegraphic determination of differences of longitude in 

 surveying. The Board respectfully recommends that the system 

 be given a trial in the navy. 



The great explosion which occurred in the central crater oi 

 Etna, on July 19, is by far the most striking phenomenon ex- 

 hibited by the volcano since the eruption of 1892. According 

 to Mr. S. Arcidiacono, who describes it in the last Bollettino 

 (vol. v., No. 4) of the Italian Seismological Society, it exceeded 

 in violence those which preceded the eruptionsof 1886 and 1892. 

 A gigantic " eruptive pine " rose to a height of more than 5000 

 metres above the summit of the mountain, and was then blown 

 NO. 1573, VOL. 61] 



to the south-east into an elongated dark cloud, which covered a 

 large part of the sky and hid the sun. Strangely enough, the 

 great seismometrograph (25-3 metres in length), with which the 

 observatory of Catania is now provided, was absolutely un- 

 affected by the explosion. Three shorter tromometers showed, 

 however, that it was preceded and followed by very slight and 

 rapid vibrations ; and a slight earthquake, accompanied by a 

 prolonged rumbling sound, was felt by a few persons at 

 Zafferana Etnea. Six days later there was a second, but much 

 less violent explosion, which produced no disturbance whatever 

 in the instruments at Catania. The observatory on Mount Etna 

 was unfortunately damaged by falling stones during the first 

 explosion. 



A PAPER was read by Mr. C. Newton Russell before the 

 Institution of Civil Engineers on December 12, upon the subject 

 of refuse destruction, particularly in reference to its employment 

 for raising steam. Details were given of ten combined plants, 

 the data of which all tend to prove that a considerable amount 

 of energy in the form of heat may be obtained from the burning 

 of ordinary domestic refuse. At Shoreditch, where the largest 

 of these plants is in operation, the total amount of refuse 

 destroyed during a period of twelve months was about 26,cxx) 

 tons. The plant consists of six Babcock-Willcox water-tube 

 boilers and twelve refuse-furnaces of the Manlove-Alliot type, 

 each boiler being placed between two refuse-furnaces, the hot 

 gases from which are led into the boiler-tubes through short 

 side-flues, each boiler being provided with a special grate, on 

 which coal might be burned if required. Forced-air draught is 

 supplied to the fires by electrically-driven fans, the pressure in 

 the ashpits being one inch of water. No coal or other fuel is 

 mixed with the refuse, which burns freely ; the maximum 

 temperature observed is 2500° Fahr., and the average, 

 1500° F. The steam generated in the boilers, at an average 

 pressure of 140 lbs. per square inch, is disposed of mainly by 

 the engines attached to the electric generators, although a 

 small portion of live steam is supplied for clothes-washing 

 purposes to the public baths and washhouses adjoining the 

 electricity works ; exhaust steam is also supplied to the Baths 

 and Free Library, which are entirely heated from the steam 

 produced by the refuse-destructor. 



It may be interesting to some of our readers to know that the 

 U.S. Weather Bureau has just issued a Bulletin (No. 27), show- 

 ing the probable state of the sky along the path of total eclipse 

 of the sun on May 28, 1900, so far as relates to the United 

 States. The track of totality begins on the Pacific Ocean just 

 west of Mexico at sunrise, and leaves the United States near 

 Norfolk (Virginia), and Cape Henry. It then crosses the 

 Atlantic Ocean, and touches Europe at Coimbra, Portugal, 

 takes in Algiers and Northern Africa, and terminates near the 

 northern end of the Red Sea at sunset. This is the third 

 report, and includes the results of observations made in the 

 years 1897-9. The observations are divided into two parts ; 

 (i) the general state of the sky, and (2) the state of the sky 

 near the sun, and show that Central Georgia and Eastern 

 Alabama, about south of Atlanta, is the most favourable part 

 for avoiding the tendency to cloudiness. It is, however, need- 

 less to remark that any special cyclonic disturbance on the day 

 in question would seriously modify these calculations as to the 

 mean amount of cloudiness. 



In Das Welter for October, Dr. van Bebber publishes the 

 first part of the results obtained in an interesting discussion on 

 the possibility of scientific weather prediction for several days 

 in advance, with special reference to the requirements of agri- 

 culture. Instead of attacking the subject in the usual way of 

 dealing with the more mobile areas of low barometric pressure, 

 he keeps in view the behaviour 01 the simpler and more 



