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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
"bination is so arranged as to permit the ignited gases at a high temperature 
to act directly upon the ore while it is in contact with the carbonaceous fuel 
within the reducing fire ; the gases being at the same time aided in their 
passage through the openings in the division-wall by a vacuum in the upper 
portion of the reducing fire by means of a steam jet or any equivalent device. 
This smelting or reducing fire may also be combined with a reverbatory 
furnace and a balling-hearth, so that the converted ore, in a metallic state, 
can be separated from the cinder or slag, and be balled ready for the shingling- 
hammer, while the escaping gases from the grate of the reverbatory furnace, 
having been applied to the balling-hearth, are conveyed to the gas-chamber, 
and after receiving a second portion of oxygen are made to aid in smelting 
and deoxydizing the ore ; thus greatly reducing both the consumption of fuel 
and the labour in the process of making wrought iron. 
The Presence of Didymium in Churchite has been ascertained by Mr. 
Greville Williams, F.R.S. In the course of some experiments upon the 
preparation of pure cerium, he found by Gladstone’s optical test that Mr. 
Church’s mineral always contains didymium. The lines in the spectrum 
showing themselves most distinctly, Mr. Williams looked for lanthanum, but 
unsuccessfully. He thinks that some time will probably elapse before suffi- 
cient Churchite is obtained to determine the presence of lanthanum, chemically. 
The mineral has received the name of Churchite from Mr. Williams, in com- 
pliment to Professor Church. 
New Cornish Minerals. — At the meeting of the Chemical Society, held on 
the 2nd of November, Professor A. H. Church gave an account of his investi- 
gation of some new minerals from Cornwall. Three of them were of especial 
interest. These were — 1. hydrated phosphate of cerium ; 2. hydrated phos- 
phate of calcium and aluminium ; 3. hydrated arseniate of copper and lead. 
The formulae deduced from the analytical results proved that the minerals 
were distinct varieties of well-known species ; and with regard to the first of 
the series, the author stated that it furnished the only instance on record of* 
the occurrence of the rare metal cerium in Great Britain. The crystallo 
graphic characters of the new minerals were remarked upon by Professor 
Maskelyne, who brought with him some specimens from the national collection 
for comparison. 
American Mineral Oil.— According to a recent calculation, there are in 
America 1,457 companies engaged in the production of petroleum, and 
representing a capital of 4,547,970,000 francs. — Les Mondes, Nov. 23. 
Graphite near the Sea of Azof. — A French journal states that a vein of 
graphite has been discovered in the above locality, and of a quality equal to 
that of Siberia. The same authority alleges that a source of petroleum has. 
been found in the state of Archangel, near the course of a stream which falls, 
into the Betchora. 
Composition of Okenite. — This mineral, dedicated by its name to the 
celebrated naturalist Oken, was established by Kobell in 1828. It is found 
in the island of Disco, near Greenland, and in the Faroe Isles, and is met 
with in some collections under the name of fibrous zeolite. It is white and 
transparent, and its powder attracts moisture strongly. This latter heated to 
100° Centigrade loses 12 to 13 per cent, of its weight. Its specific gravity 
