Apbil 20, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



629 



wells in such rocks in Connecticut, and an 

 examination of the quarries showing joints 

 and other openings affording passages for un- 

 derground waters. The results show that the 

 prospects for obtaining adequate water sup- 

 plies are much better than has often been 

 supposed, less than two per cent, of the wells 

 failing to get water, while all but ten per cent, 

 get enough for the purpose for which they 

 were drilled. The yield varies considerably 

 with the character of the rock, averaging 

 thirteen gallons per minute in granite, schist 

 and gneiss, and thirty gallons or more in 

 granodiorite. The wells show little variation 

 of yield, even in dry seasons. 



The water occurs wholly in joints, the most 

 favorable points being at the intersection of 

 two vertical systems, or of a horizontal with 

 a vertical system. The average depth of the 

 wells is a little over one hundred feet. In 

 general the amount of water increases down to 

 a depth of two hundred feet, beyond which it 

 decreases. It is not advisable to sink wells 

 to depths of more than two hundred and fifty 

 feet. The yield of the wells is about the 

 same on hills or plains and in valleys, but 

 only about haK as much water is obtained 

 from wells on slopes. All of the water is 

 under artesian pressure and a considerable 

 number of the wells actually flow, at least 

 when first drilled. 



The occurrence of the water has a very 

 definite relation to the presence of drift, which 

 acts as a feeder to the joints when it is porous 

 and as a confining layer giving artesian pres- 

 sure when impervious. M. L. Fuller, 

 Secretary. 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 

 NEW YORK SECTION. 



The sixth regular meeting of the section 

 was held Friday, March 9, at 8 :15 p.m., at the 

 Chemists' Club. 



The program of the evening was as follows : 

 Specific Atomic Volumes of the Periodic Sys- 

 tem: Chas. S. Palmer. 



The periodic arrangement of the chemical 



elements is usually given in one of two 



forms: One in short and long series; the other 



, in a condensed grouping of all short series. 



After a popular illustration of the conception 

 of the ' atomic volume,' Lothar Meyer's well- 

 known curve of atomic volumes was discussed. 

 This is definite but very irregular, and with 

 no special geometrical symmetry. By reduc- 

 ing the atomic volumes to a common denomi- 

 nation (as by referring them to the atomic 

 volume of hydrogen as unity) for the ordi- 

 nates; and by reducing the correlative atomic 

 specific gravities to a similar common denomi- 

 nation (by dividing each atomic weight by its 

 respective absolute atomic volume) as abscissas 

 — a new form of curve is obtained which 

 clearly shows that each independent series be- 

 gins with an alkali element and closes with a 

 halogen. Hence the second form of the 

 periodic system is in error, except as it is a 

 convenient typographical condensation. Other 

 illustrations of the advantages of the short- 

 and-long series arrangement were given. 



The rest of the evening was devoted to a 

 discussion of ' Legislation for Safeguarding 

 the Sale of Narcotic Drugs,' by Messrs. A. L. 

 Manierre, Oilman Thompson, S. H. Adams 

 and Wm. Jay Schieffelin. 



F. H. POUGH, 



Secretary. 



THE ST. LOUIS CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 



At the meeting of the St. Louis Chemical 

 Society, Monday, February 12, Mr. Carl Ham- 

 buechen presented a paper on 'Electrolytic 

 Iron.' The paper referred to work done at 

 the University of Wisconsin by Professor 

 Burgess and the speaker. The chief points 

 brought out were that iron can be produced 

 electrolytically at a cost which is within rea- 

 sonable limits. The electrolyte can be main- 

 tained in good condition for months with little 

 trouble and expense. A product has been 

 obtained containing more than 99.9 per cent, 

 iron. The only impurity is hydrogen, which 

 is given off on heating the product. The 

 immediate product is very hard and brittle. 

 It resists oxidation at the ordinary tempera- 

 ture to a remarkable degree. The fusing 

 point of pure iron seems to be near that of 

 platinum. One obvious use of the product 

 would be the making of alloys of iron of ex- 

 actly known composition, with a view to study- 



