10-32 Transactions of the American Institute. 



adhesion. Ammonia let out into moist air simply adheres to the 

 moisture, and increases its volume. Vapor of alcohol, ether, etc., 

 does the same. Now any amount of aqueous vapor that the air can 

 maintain in an invisible elastic state, at a given temperature, it can 

 maintain with increased effect in the case of ammonia vapor, alcohol 

 vapor, etc. Hence the combination of these vapors with the moisture 

 of the air is necessarily an invisible compound. Hydrochloric acid 

 gas, on the other hand, let out into the air, combines chemically with 

 the moisture, producing condensation and diminution in bulk. Hence 

 the compound is visible just as the condensation of pure steani in air 

 produces visible vapor. Fuming nitric acid and Nordhausen sulphu- 

 ric acid are also cases in point. Conceirtrated nitric acid exposed to 

 the air absorbs moisture until it attains the density of 1.424:, when it 

 distils unaltered at a boiling point of 250 degrees. 



Dr. L. Feuchtwanger. — The cause of this may lie in the fact,, that 

 hydrochloric acid contains but one equivalent of hydrogen, while 

 ammonia contains three equivalents. 



Dr. P. H. Yanderweyde. — I think it will be found that the affinity 

 of hydrochloric acid for water is much stronger than that of ammo- 

 nia for water. When we distil hydrochloric acid gas, we have to be 

 very careful that a drop of water does not get in ; for if it did it 

 would absorb all the gas jDresent with such a shock as would almost 

 blow up the apparatus. 



Iron Refined without Puddling. 



A new process of relining iron by the mechanical admixture of 

 oxyds of iron with the melted crude metal, is now in practical ope- 

 ration at the Schoenberger Juniata Works, in Pittsburg. The 

 melted metal is run direct from tlie blast furnace into the large kettle 

 having a capacity of live tons ; from thence it is poured in a stream 

 into a revolving circular trough about twelve inches wide and ten 

 inches deep, the diameter of the whole being about fourteen feet. 

 As fast as the metal is poured in, the pulverized ore descends from a 

 hopper, thus : As the trough revolves, alternate thin layers of melted 

 metal and raw ore are made which combine in a very satisfactory 

 manner. The machinery used in this operation, is managed by one 

 man. When the trough is full, the metal, before it has cooled, is 

 broken up into slabs of suitable size for the heating furnace. Tliis 

 is said to be the most important improvement in iron making intro- 

 duced in many years.. 



