2S0 .~'aifi"@ (!f" [)]#u~u~.ile ('acfc[(t.qC.~'. [Jour.Frank. In<.

Packing for Steam Pipes.--.l. l(athe makes a packing whh'h

also may be used as a n(m-con(hmtor, for wrapping the pipes, by
griuding 20 1)arts of Immp-rethse and mixing it in a Hollander with
41) parts asbestos, 20 parts wool-waste and 2() parts wood-pulp.
The mass is then saturated with soluble glass and drled.--Di~¢yle/,
.lo~trr~d. ('.
Prediction of Earthqu~kes.--J. Dehmney has/bnnd, by exam-
ining the tables of earthquakes from 1705 to 1842, four groups of
maximum frequency which occur when Jupiter and Saturn are at the
mean longitudes of 265 ° and lq5 °. He therefore predicts an unusual
nmnber of earthquakes in the years 1886, 1891, 1898, 1900, 1912,
1919, 1927 and 1930.--Comptcs Ige~&ts. C.
0hlorophyll.--In 1877 Gautier prepared crystals of pure chloro-
phyll, and he has been studying its properties and affinities. A recent
paper of Hol)pe-Seyler ha~ induced Gautier to announce his meth()d
of removing dm impurities which vitiate most of the published obser-
vations. He finds nmnerous interesting resemblances to bilirubine and
hematine, and anticipates, from fiu-thcr researches, results of great
importance for vegetable physiohigy.--Comptes Rendus. C.
New Thames Tunnel.--A tunnel has been authorized by Act
of Parliament between (ireenwieh and Millwall, two districts which
have an aggregate l)Opulation of 259,000 persons. When the ferry-
boats are interrupted bv the frequent tbgs, a detour of about twelve
miles has to be made in m-der to cross bv way of London bridge,
The new sub-way, which will be the fourth tunnel beneath the Thames,
will be a third of a mile long, al>proaehed by a descent of fifteen steps
at Millwall and by twentv-fimr steps at Greenwieh.--L'Tngem l)fic. C.
Safety of Dynamite Cartridges.--Louis Ronx savs that the
transport of dynamite should be entirely prohibited except when
divided into small cartridges. When such cartridges are surrounded
by some mater'ial, such as sand or sawdust, which absorbs any escapiug-
liquid, perfect security may be obtained. In spite of the large quan-
tity of dynamite manuihetured during the last few years, not a single
accident has oecurred from transportation or storage. A box of dyna-
mite cartridges may be let t-dl from a height great enough to break it,
or crushed by the fall of heavy weighted, or placed between the buflbrs
of colliding railroad cars, without producing an explosion.--Ann, du
Gem Cir. C.