464 



NA TURE 



[Februaky 1 8, 190Q 



But in this country no revolution lins been causpH 

 in the chemical industry by the introduction of elec- 

 trochemical methods. Of course, there are various 

 reasons for this; in the first place, cheap power is a 

 s.ine qua non if an electrochemical process is to be 

 satisfactorv. Although we have cheap coal, we have 

 very limited supplies of water power. The heavy 

 chemical industry of this country was also in a very 

 secure and flourishing' state, therefore there was not 

 much inducement to try the newer methods. On the 

 contrary, in America the chemical industries were not 

 particularly well established. The water power ob- 

 tainable from the Niag^ara is immense, although in 

 this connection it should be borne in mind that nearly 

 all the large electrolytic copper refineries are situated 

 near New York, and are worked by steam power; and 

 the progress in America is due in no small measure 

 to the great enterprise and superior technical training 

 of the people. 



The first part of the volume discusses the question 

 of cost of power production, comparisons being made 

 between water, steam, oil-engine and gas-engine 

 power. It appears in general that water jxiwer is the 

 most economical, and gas engines actuated with blast- 

 furnace gas the next. Chapter ii. deals with the 

 Niagara Falls and the distribution of the power, 

 the chief industries being the Aluminium Co. of 

 America, Carborundum Co., Union Carbide Co., 

 Castner Kellner Electrolvtic Alkali Co., Oldbury Elec- 

 trochemical Co., Acheson Graphite Co., and Niagara 

 Electrochemical Co., which take between them about 

 68,500 h.p. One of the most interesting industries 

 which entirely owes its origin to electrical power is 

 the manufacture of abrasives — carborundum and 

 alundum. There is also the flourishing artificial 

 graphite works. The aluminium works employ about 

 35,000 h.p., and hold practically the monopoly of the 

 aluminium manufacture in the U.S.A. and Canada. 

 A large part of the power developed from the Niagara 

 is employed for electrochemical purposes on the Cana- 

 dian side of the falls. 



The descriptions of the power obtained from the 

 various falls and rapids is narrated in a very in- 

 teresting manner. Chapter v. treats of the electric 

 smelting of iron ores and steel production. The elec- 

 trochemical industries in the Alps, France, and 

 Belgium are also dealt with. In the Alps there are a 

 large number of comparatively small falls, and it says a 

 great deal for the skill of the French engineers that so 

 much use has been made of them, rendering France 

 the chief seat of the electric alloy manufacture. The 

 last chapter describes the electrochemical industries in 

 Great Britain, and anyone reading the book will 

 probably find that there is more work being done in 

 this direction than is generally considered to be the 

 case. The origin of the electrolytic refining of copper 

 was in this country, where it was founded in 1869 

 by J. Elkington, and the works erected at Pembury, 

 in Wales, are still in operation, although, naturally, 

 they have been enlarged. We congratulate the author 

 upon a very readable and painstaking production. 



F. M. P. 



NOTES. 

 We regret to announce the death, on February 13, of 

 Sir George King, K.C.I.E., F.R.S., late director of the 

 Botanical Survey of India, in his sixty-ninth year ; also 

 of Prof. Julius Thomsen, president of the Royal Danish 

 Society of Science, at eighty-two years of age. 



A Reuter message from Washington states that the 

 Smithsonian Institution has decided to award the first 

 Langley gold medaf to Messrs. Wilbur and Orville Wright. 



NO. 2051, VOL. 79] 



The Berlin Academy of Sciences has awarded the Hchii- 

 holtz medal to Prof. Enii! Fischer, for his work on the 

 sugars and albuminoids. 



It is announced that an international exhibition is to be 

 held at Brescia from August to October next under the 

 patronage of the King of Italy. 



The Prehistoric Society of France has elected Dr. A. 

 Ouebhard piesident for igog ; MM. Marot and Vir6 become 

 vice-presidents, Dr. Marcel Baudouin general secretary, 

 and M. L. Giraux treasurer. 



The Petit Journal recently aslced its readers to select 

 by their votes twelve great Frenchmen worthy of being 

 included in the Pantheon. Pasteur's name appeared at 

 the top of the poll with 315,203 votes, and was followed 

 by that of Gambetta with 279,443 votes. We wonder 

 whether a man of science would head the list if a similar 

 plebiscite were tal<en by a popular d.'iily paper in this 

 country. 



The proposed amalgamation of the London Institution 

 with the Society of Arts on the lines of a scheme drawn 

 up by a joint committee in 1905 has been approved by a 

 majority of the proprietors of the former institution. A 

 ballot taken on Monday showed as the result : — for 

 amalgamation, 322 ; against, 218, the majority in favour 

 thus being 104. The board of management has now to 

 consider whether action shall be taken to carry out the 

 scheme for anialgarnation. 



The council of the Royal Society of Arts attended at 

 Marlborough House on February 11, when the Prince of 

 Wales, president of the society, presented its Albert medal 

 to Sir James Dewar, F.R.S., " for his investigations into 

 the liquefaction of gases and the properties of matter at 

 low temperatures, investigations which have resulted in 

 the production of the lowest temperatures yet reached, the 

 use of vacuum vessels for thermal isolation, and the applica- 

 tion of cooled charcoal to the separation of gaseous mixtures 

 and to the production of high vacua." 



.\t the annu.il meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society 

 on February 12, the following were elected as the officers 

 and council lor the ensuing year : — President, Sir David 

 Gill, K.C.B.. F.R.S. ; vice-presidents, Sir W. H. M. 

 Christie. K.C.B., F.R.S. , Dr. J. W. L. Glaishcr, F.R.S. , 

 Mr. H. F. Newall, F.R.S., Prof. H. H. Turner, F.R.S. ; 

 treasurer, Major E. H. Hills, C.M.G. ; secretaries, Mr. 

 A. R. Hinks, Mr. S. A. Saunder ; foreign secretary, Sir 

 William Huggins, K.C.B., CM., F.R.S. ; council, Mr. 

 Bryan Cookson, Rev. A. L. Cortie, Mr. A. C. D. 

 Crommelin, Mr. A. S. Eddington, Prof. A. Fowler, Mr. 

 J. A. Hardcastle, Mr. H. P. Hollis, Mr. E. B. Knobel, 

 Mr. T. Lewis, M.ijor P. A. MacMahon, F.R.S., Mr. W. II. 

 Maw, Prof. R. A. Sampson, F.R.S. 



Severe earthquake shocks were experienced again at 

 Messina and in Calabria on February 12 and 13. The 

 Daily Chronicle Milan correspondent reports the chief 

 shock as occurring on February 13 at 8 p.m., and lasting 

 for ten seconds, the shock being accompanied by noises 

 like that of cannon during a heavy bombardment. A 

 Reuter's message from St. Petersburg states that a slight 

 earthquake shock was felt on February 13, at 8 a.m., at 

 Sotchi, in the Government of Suchum. Another message 

 from Mexico City reports that the volcano of Colima, near 

 the town of that name, was erupting with increasing 

 violence on February 13. Loud subterranean detonations 

 were heard, and showers of hot ashes fell. A stream of 



