Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1851-09-10
NUMBER ss4.
LITERARY NOTICE.

kHE ANNUAL OF SCIeN1lPfC OlSCOVeRY +: ANG01 sADOE
9 facts in Science asd sars. For Sale hS Psusrpy.
Although works Of this nature have hee6 pohlish-
ed annually for some years in Europe, thja ID twe
believe, the first attempt which has bean made in
this country 10 condsnse the annnal disooyesia3 snd
improvements in the Arts and Sciences into q saiia-
BILE form for the general reader. Many who dssise to
keep pace with their advancement, have neither the
time nor the patience regularly to Peruse our Scten-
thc Journals, which must necessarily contain many
technicates and minute investigations in thes Why
and wherefore. only interesting ths Of Science.
But here we have a we'll digested abstract Of the
progress Of the world in useful knowledge. diEested
Of all that would not interest the Intelligent reader,
to which is added index to articles in Sciepti6c
Journals and Reports, for the benefit of thoae Who
wish to examine any particular subject more closely
The recommendation of such men as Agasslz, Hors-
ford, and Wyman, who have themselves contributed
to the present volume, is sufficient guarantee OF the
work. They design giving in each volume portrait
and sketch of some scientific man. The present con-
taiGs engraving and the life Of Louis Agassiz,
the greatest naturalist Of the day, one whom Cuvisr
pronounced worthy to be his successor. y
May We not hope that the Professors of our own
University, of whom. body, we have reason to
be proud, will turn their attention to the second vol
ume of the Scientific Annual, now in preparation, and
give the reading public the benefit of their researches!
We extract only one article, under the head of
Geology, a sample Of the interesting matter con-
taineI in this work ss.ez-z s.a4X
"IcE CAVE IN RUSSIA. In the recent work of Sir
r. ]. Murchison, on the Geology Of Russia, he men.
tions remarkable Ice Cave situated not far from
Orenburgh. 1t is at the base of hock of Gypsum,
at the eistern end of village connected with the
imperial establishment, and is Of series Of ap-
parently natural hollows used by the peasants tof
cellars stores. 1t possesses the remarkable prop
erty Of being partly filled with Ice in summer, and
totally destitute thereof in aOiner. 'Sandng, says
the author, the heated ground and under broil-
ing sun, shall never forget my astonishment when
| the woman. to whom the cavern belonged, opened
fraii door and volume of air piercngly keen struck
the legs and feet that were glad to rush into "a
cold bath in front of us. in order to equaze the Of
feet! We afterwards subjected the whole body TO
the cooling process by entering the cave. which is
level with the street. At three or four PAGES from
the door, on which shone the glaring sun, we were
surrounded by half-rozen quass and the provisions
of the natives The roof Of the cavern hong with
solid undrppng icices and the floor might be call
ed s:alagm,e of Ice and frozen earth.y We were
glad escape in few minutes from this lce-boHnd
prison, SO long had our frames been accustomed 70
powerful heat =. 80 -
The cold in this cavern is invariably the greatest
inside, when the air is hottest outside AS soon as
winter sets in the Ice disappears, and in mid-wnter
the peasants assured tho travellers that the was
of genial temperature, that they could sleep In
it without their sheepskins AT the very period when
Sir r. J. Murchison visited it, the thermometer was
80 in the shade; yet single plank was the division
between burning sun and a freezing vault
The cave is about 10 PAGES long and 10 feet high.
1t has vaulted roof in which great assurss open,
which appear to communicate with the body OF the
hillock. Sawsure long ago gave the clue 70 the Eaa
exposition of this paradoxica phenomenon; and PEo-
essor Pictet, following it out, has satisfactorily de-
monstrated that it is beautiful example Of practical
illustration in nature of that first principle In chemis-
uy-euaporation produces coM. 1t it well known 70
the Geological student. that in certain mihes which
have horizontal gallery terminating in a vertical
air in descends the vertical shaft and elneFges
from the horizontal; while in winter the current
Of shaft communicating with the atmosphere current
SETS in at the horizonta and issues from the vertical
shaft The arrangement Of this cave il very similar.
Thus the is the horizontal, and the vertical shaft
lies in the mass Of the hill. Suppose them the mean
temperature of the hill he abont 48 SO degrees.
The descending summer current passing thsough hthe
channels of the hill evaporates the waters it meets
with in its progress rapidly as to become colder
in the descent until reaching the it even be-
low 81 degrees and there freezes the water collected
in it. The hotter the air outside, the greater de-
struction Of equilibrium between the interior aud ex-
terror columns, which communicates at their base in
the cave; consequent the rapid and intepss he
evaporation. the the measure Of cold pro-
duced. This view,' says Sir R. ]. Murchson, is
supported by reference the climate Of the plains Of
Orenburgh, in which there is great wetness Of the
spring, caused by the melting of the snow, succeed
ed by intense and dry Asiatic heat. 80 IA ii