Volume Xxiv., No. 12, March 18, 1871 Part 10 (1/2)

The _Railroad Gazette_ makes this wholesale charge of ignorance and insensibility the excuse for an essay on the physiology of respiration, mostly extracted from Huxley's ”Elementary Lessons in Physiology,” and therefore excellent in its way, though having a somewhat remote bearing upon the subject as announced in the t.i.tle of the article. We trust that before this journal concludes its series of articles thus commenced, it will tell how to breathe into the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the corporations which choke us in their human packing boxes, something resembling the soul which they are universally acknowledged to be dest.i.tute of. When this is done, carbonic acid, ammoniacal smells, organic exhalations, smoke, and dust, will be invited to shun the interiors of railway cars, and comparative comfort will descend upon the peregrinating public.

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF MISSOURI.

The incalculable wealth, which lies hid in the bosom of Mother Earth, in our vast possessions of the West, is undoubtedly centered in the State of Missouri; and the development of this fund of riches must add to the national prosperity, not only by its immeasurable intrinsic value, but by its affording occupation to armies of laborers, the latter being the highest and most important consideration.

In 1852-3, a geological survey of the State was wisely decided upon, and a liberal provision for its execution made. Two valuable reports, by Professor Swallow, have been printed, in the year 1855, but the notes of his subsequent investigations have not been made public.

In the session of 1869-70, further action, in this important public work, was taken by the State legislature, and arrangements made for a still more accurate and detailed examination, under the direction of Professor A. D. Hager, of Vermont.

The distribution of metals all over the State will be seen in the following figures, taken from the St. Louis _Journal of Commerce_, which show the number of counties in which the various ores are found: Iron in 46 counties, lead in 43, coal in 36, copper in 24, marble in 11, zinc in 27, fire clay in 16, barytes in 10, nickel in 6, granite in 4, tin in 4, plumbago in 2, gypsum in 2, alum in 1, antimony in 4.

There is probably no country in the world so endowed as this. Of iron alone, according to the State geologist's report for 1855, there is ore of the best quality, sufficient to furnish 200,000,000 tuns of iron; and this quant.i.ty lies in a small s.p.a.ce, in the vicinity of Pilot k.n.o.b and Iron Mountain, and within 100 miles of St. Louis.

The quality of the iron is highly spoken of by the manufacturers, and the capacity of the smelting appliances has reached to over 150,000 tuns per annum. The coal is well suited for reduction of ores, either by hot or cold blast treatment. The Scotia Iron Co. commenced operations in January, 1870; and, although the materials for building blast furnaces had to be carried 80 miles into a desert, the first furnace was blown into blast in August, 1870. This furnace will run about 24 tuns per day. The company procures ore from a hill, near the furnace, in which there is an apparently inexhaustible supply of red oxide and brown specular. This ore yields 60 per cent of pure metal.

The erection of mills for making wrought iron is contemplated, and the high quality and prodigious quant.i.ty of the raw material will justify and reward any outlay of capital in this direction.

The s.h.i.+pment of ore to other States goes on constantly, the last year's account showing that 246,555 tuns were dispersed over Indiana, Ohio, and others. The furnaces at Kingsland, South St. Louis, Lewis Iron Co.'s Works, Carondelet, and Maramec are all well situated as to coal and limestone, the Maramec Works having a most valuable water-power. These latter works also s.h.i.+p about 40,000 tuns red hemat.i.te ore yearly.

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

According to _Petermann's Mittheilungen_, the new German empire, including Alsatia and Lorraine, will embrace 9,901 square miles, with 40,148,209 inhabitants. Russia alone will exceed it in extent and population, for Russia in Europe has 100,285 square miles with a population of 69,379,500. France, after the loss of Alsatia and Lorraine, will have 9,588 square miles of territory, with 36,428,548 inhabitants. Austria will number 35,943,592 inhabitants spread over a larger extent of country, namely, 10,980 square miles. Great Britain and Ireland has 5,732 square miles, with 30,838,210 inhabitants; and Italy, including Rome, has 5,376 square miles, with 26,470,000 inhabitants. In the order of population, the Governments will stand: Russia, Germany, France, Austria, and England; but in military power, the first position must henceforth be accorded to Germany.

AMERICAN INSt.i.tUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS.

A circular has been issued by several mining engineers, proposing a meeting at Wilkes-Barre, some time in April or May next, of all persons interested in the general subjects of mining and metallurgy, for the purpose of establis.h.i.+ng an a.s.sociation, to be called ”The American Inst.i.tute of Mining Engineers.” The Inst.i.tute will hold meetings periodically ”in the great mining and metallurgical centers, when works of interest, such as mines, machine shops, furnaces, and other metallurgical works, can be inspected, and the members exchange their views, and consult, for mutual advantage, upon the difficulties encountered by each.” There will be the usual publication of ”Transactions” and ”Proceedings.”

The idea of forming an a.s.sociation of persons thus mutually interested in each other's occupations, is an excellent one; but it has been suggested by a number of scientific gentlemen that the American a.s.sociation for the Advancement of Science offers every facility for the accomplishment of the objects set forth in the circular, while it affords the very great advantage of an a.s.semblage of men learned in all departments of knowledge, whose acquaintance mining engineers would do well to make, and from whom they could learn much, while at the same time imparting of their own knowledge.

As a section of the American a.s.sociation, the mining engineers would have more influence before the country, and it would perhaps be well for them to stop and consider before establis.h.i.+ng a separate inst.i.tute.

CONSUMPTION OF SUGAR, COFFEE, AND TEA.

E. Behm gives in his geographical year book, for 1870, the following estimate of the consumption of sugar, coffee, and tea, _per capita_, in various countries:

COUNTRIES. Sugar, lbs. Coffee, lbs. Tea, lbs.

Great Britain 35.96 0.90 3.190 United States 24.63 5.68 .....