Telegraphing the Readings of Scientific Instruments.—Another invention of Mr. Joly was his apparatus for obtaining telegraphically the readings of meteorological instruments placed at a distance from the observer. This apparatus may be attached or adapted to the various thermometers, the barometer, rain gauge, and to other instruments placed in a mountain station, thus enabling their readings to be taken from a conveniently placed observatory. Any number of instruments may be worked with perfect reliability and certainty by the use of three wires only; the only extra piece of apparatus needed being a disk, carrying insulated contact pieces arranged round its circumference, to which the wires of the different instruments are attached. Of these three wires, one serves to put one after the other of the contacts into circuit with the home station through the second wire. By this second wire the readings are taken and the readjustment of the instruments effected. The third wire is for the indication of the contacts, and is taken from all the instruments to the galvanometer in the home station.—Industries.
COLORED PHOTOGRAPHY.
About nine months since we directed attention to the system of colored photography invented by Mr. J. E. Mayall, London. Since that time, Mr. Mayall has further developed the details of his process, and as a result his color pictures have been much improved both as regards appearance and size, and are beautiful specimens of this new departure in photographic art. As stated in our previous notice, Mr. Mayall, after fourteen years of experimental research, has discovered the art of reproducing the colors latent in the negative of the photograph, having arrived at his discovery by the aid of spectrum analysis, which led him to the conclusion that every color in the organic world, when exposed to a suitable photographic plane in a camera, registers exact vibrations. Mr. Mayall has succeeded in producing chemical colors extremely attenuated, which exactly correspond with the vibrations in the negative. In doing this, he keeps the film alive to the smallest vibrations of light. He uses, first, lactate of iron to impregnate the isinglass film with a salt of iron capable of uniting with any stronger organic acid; and, secondly, meconic acid, which impregnates the film of albumen, and has a stronger affinity for iron than lactic acid. It unites with the iron, and forms a red film, which is in a state to receive all the lower vibrations of the red end of the spectrum, and this gives these lower vibrations a fair chance with the electric light. All subsequent processes assist this chemical march to the
final end of making a print that will take up colors, which, when added, fall in their places, and there remain indelible and unalterable.—Iron.
FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR GAS COMPANIES.[4]
By Mr. Thos. Wood, of Sandusky.
Those who were in attendance at our Dayton meeting will perhaps recall the fact that the writer, in a paper read at that time, strongly advocated gas companies taking hold of the electric light business and running the same in connection with their gas business; you will also recall the fact that the writer suggested that gas companies should take up the incandescent electric light and fuel gas. Since that time it has been demonstrated by several gas companies in this and other States that the electric arc system can be added with success, financially, to gas companies and with satisfaction to their patrons; and the writer derives great pleasure in hearing of so many companies who have left the narrow and beaten track of prejudice and are now walking in the broad road of progression.
[4] A paper read lately before the Ohio Gas Light Association.