Show scientific miscellany A new form of phosphorus termed white phosphorus haa as been d discovered see ere d by prof Rai Rain neo seu of the john II s university observe observations actions on russian railways dur during ing a period of six months showed that 77 percent per cent of tho the fr fractures of tires occurred when the temperature was helow below zero and only 19 49 per cent at a higher temperature prof george L goodale stated in a recent lecture that a sunflower three feet and a half hi hish it presents an evaporating surface of 39 s square u are feet and that the roots of sul such l a sunflower have a an n aggregate len length th of 1443 1418 feet according to tho the baino saino well known botanist grasses and liko like plants exhale about their own weight of water on a hot cummer summer day mons has constructed in sn apparatus for microscopic measurements which is capable of measuring one part of a millimetre milli metre th the g instrument is so delicate that it can only bo be used at certain hours of tho the night when the jar of passing cles has ceased those not famil familiar with the metric system will get a better idea of the minute measuring lr powers of this apparatus when it i considered that a millimetre milli metre is only about one twenty fifth of an inch A faulty lightning conductor may sometimes protect a building mon mons him tells of such a case which lately occurred at colmar Col A thin iron rod about twenty six feet long had a conical brass point screwed on the top and waa was connected below by means of ft series of pieces of thin wire hating terminal eyes with a block blk of iron about twenty inches long in the tile ground during a violent thunder lightning melted tile brass point but the current seems to have left the conductor mons him insists that the mere fact of a lightning discharge on the point paint of a conductor is proof of very im imperfect construction as during mor more than forty years observations he has neverseen nevera een lightning strike eliae ono of the forty or fifty lightning rods of the factories of Lo gelbach although b he lias has found that currents are almost almos t constantly passing abro through 11 gh the roda rods in the presence of thu thunder ader storms aluminum a bluish white metal mew possessing valuable properties constitutes a large portion of the cartha earths different species of minerals despite its abundance ce however itis rendered very expense by bv tho the difficulty of separating it from front its compounds a process involving the use of sodium or potassium both of costly substances several attempts of doubtful Burc 93 have been made I to obtain aluminum by means of tho the ordinary reducing agents hydrogen and carbon A patent haa has Y been taken out in england for fora a new es s of f this kind in which alie tj oxide ide of the metal and carbon are submitted to a temperature of ignition in a close vessel and subjected ted to the action of carbonic acid carbonic oxide being formed and the red reduced iced in whole or in I part art to the metallic state As soon ay as itcan ho he cheaply procured alum antim i must take an important place in the arts and the man who makes it inexpensive will undoubtedly find a fortune within his grasp |