Juxy 23, 1897.] 
ranging from Cambrian to Carboniferous, far 
the greater portion being Cambrian and Silurian. 
The rocks of Carboniferous and Devonian age 
are found only in two narrow belts in the ridge 
district and are represented by only four forma- 
tions. Over the rest of the area Cambrian and 
Silurian strata are about equally divided. A 
great variety of limestones, shales and sand- 
stones compose the Cambrian and Silurian 
rocks, shales and sandstones the Devonian, 
while only limestone appears in the Carbonifer- 
ous. Great changes take place in the Silurian 
strata, and limestones on the northwest are 
represented by shales and sandstones at the 
southeast. The general character of the for- 
mations is graphically represented in the co- 
lumnar sections, one being drawn for each of 
the two chief geologic districts. 
In the discussion of structure, after a general 
statement of the broader features of Appalachian 
structure, the two types of deformation shown 
in this region are described, and instances are 
pointed out in the structure sections. In the 
ridge district the most prominent feature is the 
faulting, which has cut the strata up into long, 
narrow blocks and produced the characteristic 
ridge topography. Southeast of Holston River 
the rocks were deformed by close folds. De- 
formation by vertical uplift is also existent in 
this region, but it can be observed only in 
comparison with other and larger areas. In 
the structure sections most of the details of the 
different structures are shown. 
Economic products of this region are marble, 
building stone, lead, zinc, lime, cement, clays 
and timber. The outcrops of the formations 
containing these are represented on the eco- 
nomic sheet as far as possible, together with the 
locations of mines and quarries. The principal 
industries are the production of zinc and marble; 
the timbers and water-powers are also of general 
importance. The various conditions which af- 
fect the development of these resources are dis- 
cussed. 
SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 
AMERICAN CHEMICAL JOURNAL, JULY, 1897. 
On the Decomposition of Diazo Compounds: By 
W. E. CHAMBERLAIN, G. F. WEIDA and W. 
BROMWELL. The three papers contained in 
SCIENCE. 
148 
this number of the journal on this general sub- 
ject give the results obtained in the study of 
the action of methyl alcohol on certain salts of 
diazobenzenes and diazotoluenes. Chamberlain, 
following up the suggestion of Remsen and 
Dashiell, found that, while under ordinary at- 
mospherie pressure the main reaction between 
methyl alcohol and paradiazotoluene nitrate 
consisted in the substitution of the methoxyl for 
the diazo group, yet when the reaction took 
place under diminished pressure the hydrogen 
reaction was more favored. With an increase 
in the pressure the product remained as under 
ordinary pressure. When sodium methylate is 
used, and when an alkaline carbonate is added 
to the alcohol, only the hydrogen reaction takes 
place. Beeson found that alkalies and zine 
dust would not only cause the formation of 
benzene, by the decomposition of a salt of diazo- 
benzene, but also of diphenyl. The author of 
this work was, however, unable to obtain any 
ditolyl from an analogous decomposition of di- 
azotoluene, probably owing to some different 
conditions of temperature at which the reactions 
take place. 
Weida has compared the results of the de- 
composition of the three nitranilines and amino- 
benzoic acids with methyl alcohol, with the re- 
sults obtained by Remsen and Graham when 
ordinary alcohol was used. 
In the case of the orthonitrodiazobenzene sul- 
phate the only product was nitrobenzene ; but 
the meta- and para-compounds gave a small 
amount of nitranisol beside the nitrobenzene. 
The salts of the diazobenzoic acid did not act as 
they did when treated with ordinary alcohol, 
but showed a tendency to give the alkoxy re- 
action. They all gave as the principal product 
the ethereal salt of the corresponding methoxy 
acids. 
Bromwell followed the same line of research 
as Chamberlain, using, however, the ortho-com- 
pound where the latter had used the para. He 
found that the ortho-compound decomposes at 
a lower temperature and gives the alkoxy re- 
action as the other does. When orthomethoxy- 
toluene was treated with cold concentrated 
sulphuric acid a monobasic sulphonic acid 
containing one acid residue was formed, and 
when it was oxidized the corresponding benzoic 
