The Rock from Solomon\u27s Quarries

A specimen of the rock from Solomon\u27s quarry was lately received by us for analysis. It is the material that served in the construction of Solomon\u27s Temple, a building characterized by Dr. Lyman Abbott as an architectural splendor. The rock is of snowy whiteness, soft when first removed from the quarry, but it soon hardens on exposure to the air. The natives call the rock from this portion of the quarry The Royal. The quarries extend underneath the city. The rock is soft and quite porous. There is a variety in another portion of the quarry, on a higher level which is locally called The Hard Jewish

The Effect of Continued Grinding on Water of Crystallization

Mauzelius (Sveriges Geol. Undersoekning Arsbok 1907); Day and Allen (Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey, 305, p. 35), Hillebrand (Journ. Am. Chem. Soc. xxx 7) and Knight (Chem. News xcvii 122) have shown the effect of fine grinding on the water and ferrous content of minerals and rocks. In this paper we are able to show the effect of continued grinding on some hydrates. The water was determined in each specimen after grinding it a half hour, an hour, an hour and a half, and two hours

Nitrogen in Rain and Snow

Shutt, Chemical News, December 10, 1909, determined the nitrogen in the rain and snow that fell near Ottawa, Canada, during a portion of the year 1906 and 1907. It occurred to us it might be interesting and profitable to study the precipitations of Mount Vernon, Iowa. The investigation was begun on January 12, 1910, and was continued for one year with the exception of the months of May, June, July and August. These were extremely dry months and we regret very much not to have been able to secure a sample of the heavy rainfall which broke the long drought, during the latter part of August

Methods for the Estimation of Carbon Dioxide in Minerals and Rocks

There seems to be two principal methods employed for the estimation of carbon dioxide in a mineral or rock; the one devised by Fresenius and the other by his rival Bunsen. The Fresenius method has been more or less modified by different analysts. In its essential features, however, it is substantially as follows: The flask K for the decomposition of the substance has a capacity of 200 to 300 c.c. The flask is closed with a two-hole rubber stopper. The safety tube a passes through one hole, and a bulb tube b through the other. A funnel is connected with the safety tube at a by a rubber tube. Thus the addition of acid can be regulated by the pinch cock at o. d and e contain soda lime and caustic potash respectively. These are connected with the safety tube after the acid has been added and the substance in the flask K has been dissolved. The bulb tube b serves to condense the steam

Some New Double Bromides and Their Dissociation in Aqueous Solution

The purpose of this investigation is to study the condition of double bromides in the presence of varying amounts of water. The substances herein described are well defined compounds, having a composition as definite and a crystalline form as characteristic as any group of chemical substances

Dolomites From the Austrian Tyrol and Other Localities

Deodat Dolomieu was born in Dolomieu, France, June 23, 1750, and died November 16, 1801. In infancy he was created a Knight of Malta. He seemed precocious in many directions. When nineteen years of age he quarreled with a companion and killed him. He was condemned to death for the crime, but after nine months\u27 imprisonment, he was pardoned on account of his, youth: He early became interested in geology and mineralogy, and wrote some important treatises on his favorite subjects, especially while residing in Metz, the interesting old capital of Lorraine

The Address of the President - American Science

A year has gone since as an organization we met at Iowa City, and now we find ourselves face to face with the program and responsibilities as well as the festivities of our thirty-fifth annual meeting. As always it has been a year of losses of scientific men from the state, but we have gained others, and as we survey the field, it has proved a year of progress and achievement. The Iowa Academy of Science retains its prestige among sister organizations, and possibly has added to the laurels it already had won

Some Dolomites

We have continued the study of so-called dolomite rocks from different localities to learn the variation in the composition of such rocks. One specimen from a deep well boring at Mason City, Iowa, that was supposed to be limestone proved to be nearly a typical dolomite. The composition of the fifteen specimens we have examined, corresponds to our past experience that specimens of rock called dolomites vary in rather wide limits. 43. The action of certain-The oxidation of sulfite in acid solution by dichromate, bromate and permanganate was found to be incomplete, the oxidant used being several per cent short of that required in each case to change sulfite ion completely into sulfate ion. This is probably due to the formation of dithionate, which is not further oxidized. Iodate behaves very differently

Some Iowa Waters

A chemical analysis of several water sources within Iowa