Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 27 November 1913, Page 57

Science Siftings

By * Volt.’

An Imposing Structure.

The dominating architectural feature of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition at San Francisco will be the great Tower of Jewels at the southern entrance of the grand court of honor, the Court of Sun Stars. This tower, 400 feet in height, will be indescribably beautiful, with statuary, mural paintings, and mosaics. At the summit of the tower will be a grouping of statuary supporting a globe typifying the world. The tower will be cleft north and south by a huge archway 185 feet in height. Mural paintings, designed by some of America's foremost artists, will be set in the vault of the archway.

How Panamas Are Made.

About 15,000 Panama hats are made annually by the women of Santa Barbara, Honduras. The most tender palm leaves, called £ junco ’ leaves, are selected <j.nd exposed to sulphur smoke, moisture, and the rays of the sun, and two dozen leaves, costing 9d are needed for each hat. A round block, called ‘ hernia,’ is used as a form for making the crown. After this part is finished a table is used, provided with one or more holes, into which the crown is dropped and the rim woven on top of the table. These hats are sold at from 4s Gd to £.2, according to their quality. They are made during the wet season/ as the straw breaks during the dry. Even in the wet season* a damp cloth is constantly used to moisten the straw while weaving. When they are finished they are placed in a large box, and again subjected to sulphur fumes, after which they are ready for the market. It generally takes about two weeks to make an ordinary Panama, and a month for a fine one.

A Wonderful Vessel.

The Imperator, the German liner on which an outbreak of fire occurred recently at New York, is practically a new vessel, having sailed on her maiden voyage in June last. She is the largest liner in the world. She is 920 ft Gin in length over all, including the figurehead, or 911 ft without it: 880 ft long between perpendiculars, measured on deep load line; 98ft broad, and 63ft deep from the upper edge of the upper-deck beams to the upper edge of the keel amidships. Her displacement, fully laden, is 57,000 tons, her draught 35ft Gin, her deadweight capacity" 32,000 tons, and her gross register tonnage 52,117 tons. On the basis of this last figure she is 6793 tons larger than the White Star Olympic, which at present, of ships actually in commission, is her nearest rival. She has been described as an eleven-storey floating palace. Her luxuries include winter garden, electric lifts, summer-houses, theatre, gymnasium, restaurant, swimming-baths, ballroom, telephones, ‘ cottage ’ cafe. Tho swimming-bath is a copy of one unearthed at Pompeii, with mosaic pavements. The first-class dining-room, in the Louis XVI. style, Is 300 ft long.

Mining Silver in Mexico.

In a system of separating silver, still followed extensively throughout Mexico, the ore is crushed and worked down to a state of ‘puddle.’ Then it is spread out to a depth of two or three feet on the floor of the patio or courtyard, powdered sulphate of copper is added at a ratio of 151 b of sulphate to 30001 b of ore, and horses or mules are driven around in circles to tread the sulphate in and mix it thoroughly with the ore. After this first treading, which is usually done in a day, 6 per cent, of common salt is added, followed two days later by as much quicksilver as is shown to be required by the assay of the ore. This mass is trodden for a period of about fifteen days, and is then wheeled to a large tank through which a rapid stream of water is passed. This washes away all but the silver and quicksilver, which is then poured into cone-shaped canvas bags. Most of the quicksilver runs out, and what remains is passed off with the vapor in heated retorts. None of the quicksilver is lost, even the vapor being brought to its original state and used again and again.