256 é NATURE [Fan. 26, 18714) 

SCIENCE IN AMERICA 
(es following appropriations by the U.S. Congress 
were made at the session of 1869-70 for the ensuing 
year, July 1, 1870, to June 30, 1871, in aid of Science, 
Literature, &c. 
It should be observed that the undermentioned appro- 
priations are those of the General Government, and not 
those of the separate States, which, in the aggregate, 
would far exceed the amount here presented. 
Museums, 
$ $ 
National Museum in charge of 
Smithsonian Institution. . . 20,000 
Army Medical Museum. a 3 5,000 
Agricultural Departmt. Museum. 8,000 
33,000 

Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses. 
Of the U:S} Capitol . 6%. 35,996 

» » President’s House. . . 2,509 
» » Agricultural Department 38,200 
76,696 
Agriculture. 
Department of Agriculture, Mis- 
cellaneous Expenses. . . .- 138,070 
{To this is to be added, 
items already given,— 
Botanic Gardenand Liv- 
ing Plants . . = « 38,200 
WEUSEMION tor cutouts. Bre 8,000 
EIDraLyi os) <<) sp awnke 3,800—5 0,000 
or an aggregate of 
$188,070. ] 
Astronomy and Meteorology. 
Observations of Eclipse, Dec. 
1870, under Coast Survey . . 29,000 
U.S. Nautical Almanac. . . . 20,000 
National Observatory ... . 19,800 
New Telescope for National Ob- 
SELVALONY ini! F al (uel ue ssnis 50,000 
Telegraphic Notices of Storms . 50,000 
——— 168,800 
Surveys, SC. 
U.S. Coast Survey at 703,000 
Survey of Lakes . . . . = + 150,000 
» _Nicaraguaand Tehaun- 
tepec Ship Canals. =e, fe 30,000 
Military Surveys west of Missis- 
Sa! US cacweS yo Ms roe 100,000 
Prof. Powell’s Survey of Colorado 
on West! ts Vs ah Cdcls-tidees 12,000 * 
Polar Explorations abate 50,000 
Dr. Hayden’s Geological Survey 25,000 
Statistics of Mines and Mining . 10,000 
——— 1,080,000 
Light-house Establishments. . . « . 1,431,207 
Libraries, 
Library of Congress . Sap 36,220 
» of Medical Department, 
RZOFAC ae eee eee 3,000 
» of Agricultural Depart- 
oe Ale, Helo 3,800 
Tiny 43,020 
Education. 
U.S. Department of Education . _ 14,500 
Wilberforce and Lincoln Univer- 
SitheS vist ah s mshi Mente ote 37,c0O 
Te ONG 51,500 
Benevolent Objects. 
Life-boat Service onthe Coast . 48,883 
Government Hospital for Insane 149,980 
Columbia Institution for Deaf 
ARGMOMMD! Motto lee we 40,775 
Columbia Hospital for Women . 18,000 


National Association for Desti- $ g 4 
tute Coloured Women, D.C, . 10,000 | 
National Soldiers’ and Sailors’ : 
Home, D.C... 2a aes 15,000 : 
Care of 60 transient Paupers. . 12,000 : 
——— 234,035 
—_ 
Total $ 3,316,928 © 

THE INFLUENCE OF INTENSE COLD ON 
STEEL AND IRON 
"THERE has recently been a most interesting discussion 
at the Literary and Philosophical Society, Man- 
chester, on the above subject, the result of which seems to 
be that we must at once give up the idea that such acci- — 
dents as the one, for instance, near Hatfield, are due to 
anything beyond the control of the Railway Companies 
concerned. 
The paper which gave rise to the discussion was by — 
Mr. Brockbank, who detailed many experiments, and — 
ended by stating his opinion that iron does become much : 
weaker, both in its cast and wrought state, under the 
influence of low temperature ; but Mr. Brockbank’s paper — 
was immediately followed by others by Sir W. Fairbairn, 
Dr. Joule, and Mr. Spence, which at once put an entirely 
new complexion on the matter. 
As Dr. Joule’s results are the most to the point we may f 
take them first. He says :— \a 
“ As is usual in asevere frost, we have recently heard of ~ 
many severe accidents consequent upon the fracture of 
the tires of the wheels of railway carriages. The com- 
mon-sense explanation of these accidents is, that the 
ground being harder than usual, the metal with which it 
is brought into contact is more severely tried than in 
ordinary circumstances. In order apparently to excuse 
certain Railway Companies, a pretence has been set up 
that iron and steel become brittle at a low temperature. 
This pretence, although put forth in defiance, not only of 
all we know of the properties of materials, but also of the 
experience of everyday life, has yet obtained the credence 
of so many people that I thought it would be useful to 
make the following simple experiments :— 
“rst, A freezing mixture of salt and snow was placed on 
atable. Wires of steel and of iron were stretched so that 
a part of them was in contact with the freezing mixture, 
and another part out of it. In every case I tried the wire 
broke outside of the mixture, showing that it was weaker 
at 50° F. than at about 12° F. 
“ond. I took twelve darning needles of good quality, 
3in. long, s;in. thick. The ends of these were placed 
against steel props, 2}in. asunder. In making an experi- 
ment, a wire was fastened to the middle of a needle, the 
other end being attached to a spring weighing-machine, 
This was then pulled until the needle gave way. Six of 
the needles, taken at random, were tried at a temperature 
of 55° F, and the remaining six in a freezing mixture 
which brought down their temperature to 12° F. The 
results were as follow :— 

Warm Needles. Cold Needles. 
64 0z. broke 55 oz. broke 
65 5» 645 
55 » » 2 ” 
G2 ius, 60 ,, bent 
5, ares 68 ,, broke 
60 ,, ben 40) fae! 
Average 584 Average 59$ 


“T did not notice any perceptible difference in the per- 
fection of elasticity in the tuo sets of needles. The 
result, as far as it gocs, is in/avour of the cold metal. 
“3rd. The above are doubtless decisive of the question 
at issue. But as it might be alleged that the violence to 
