The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-27
RICHMOND, VA,
SCIENCE IN EUROPE.

SCIENCE IN EUROPE.
Professor w. THOMPSON. at recent meet.
ing OF the British Association, brought to the
notice Of the Association machine for
cooling apartments in hot climates A most
refreshing theme for the approaching hot
weather! Prof. 7. claims that his machine,
worked by water or steam, with cunningly
devised valves and ingress or egress pipes,
viii serve either for heating or cooling a
house. He claims that such machine will
raise or lower the temperature thirty degrees
above or below that of the atmosphere
Should steam be employed, the fuel necessa.
ry to put in motion the machine, he says, will
be less than that necessary to heat the house;
and he thinks. no doubt truly if his machine
is practicable, that it will be of great service
in promoting health and comfort by the in
PRODUCTION of cold air into rooms This is
most pleasing theme! How delicious would
be the cold currents from the machine when
the thermometer was at from 90 to 100 What
great run, ia summer, would a hotel with
this machine have! If MuDEBERGER or
BALLARD were to get it, what rush he
would have of half exhausted and sweltering
citizens, craving the boon of draft of cold
air! 1t would be vastly more refreshing than
a draught at the bar All hail Prof Thomp-
son !! Good speed hisnever.too much to be-
praised machine to perfection
Professor CALLAN, of Maynooth College,
has cOntrived an apparatus which dischar-
ges stream of mixed oxygen and hydrogen
gas upon lime with perfect safety, and so as
to produce an intense light. He claims only
the avoidance of danger in his invention, as
the light has been long known, generally as
the Drummond Light. Professor G. has, be-
sides, ga method of producing an intermit-
tent lime light by means of small battery,
| which he thinks will be invaluable as coast
light, for signals, especially in foggy or hazy
weather.
DR.. PERCY, of England, has asserted the
theory that there is gold in every thing He
alleges that he has found it in many things
even in sea water; and he recently discover
ed it in lead-just enough to "swear by
This universal prevalence of gold smacks
enough of a Godlike principle to be quite
grateful to those persons who have made
that precious metal the object of their idola-
try!
Signor BoSELL1, of Sardinia, has applied
electro magnetism, it is said successfully, to
the jacquard Loom, so as to keep it in mo-
tion. This announcement is alarming to stri-
king weavers.
Professor BUFF is said to have established
the theory that growing plants give off posi-
tive electricity to the atmosphere and mega
tive electricity to the soil.
Mr.. w. AUSTEN has brought before the
London Society of Art what he calls his
Double Doyetailed Arc Block by means
of which the inventor declares he can drive
a tunnel under the channel from Dover to
Calais, of any size, without mortar, cement
or centres That's very moderate underta-
king, we should suppose-as we are very
young, we hope to see it before we die But
to be earnest, as improbable as Austen's de-
claration is, We would by no means be will
ling to take the chance of living until it was
made good by the building of the tunnel