Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-22

went down to save whatever might yet remaif
in the ship-wrecked vessel. He found the space
between decks entire, but covered with blocks
from SIX to eight cubic feet in size, and some of
them heaped one upon the other. He also af-
irmed that all the sunk ships which he had Wis
tied in the sound were in like manner sirewed
with blocks.'
SOUND OF BRLLs.-The nearer bells are hung
to the surface of the earth, other things being
equal, the farther they can be heard. Franklin
has remarked that many years ago the inhabit-
ants of Philadelphia had bell imported from
England. In order to judge of the sound, twas
elevated on triangle, in the great street of that
city, and struck, as it happened, on market
day, when the people coming to market
were surprised on hearing the sound Of q bell
at a greater distance from the city than they
ever heard any bell before. Tiss circumstance
excited tho attention Of the curious, and it was
discovered that the sound Of a bell struck In the
street reached nearly double Che distance it did
when raised in the air. In the air sound trav-
eled at the rate of from ,l30 to lao feet per
second in water, 4, ,70s feet per second. Sounds
are distinct at twice the distance on the water
that they are on land
| THERMoMRTERs.-In making thermometers the
starting points of temperature taken, by the
universal agreement Of scientific men, are the
freezing and boiling of pure water The boiling
temperature of pure water in rough metallic
vessels is always the same for the same degree of
atmospheric pressure, as induced by the barom-
eter As the preliminary, therefore, of gradu-
ating lot of Thermometers which have been
properly filed and sealed, they are taken at a
time when the barometer stands at thirty inch
es; and the bulbs being then plunged into pure
boiling water in a metallic vessel, the point to
which the murcury ascends is marked on each
tube as the boiling point. They are then trans
ferred to melting snow or ice, and again the
point to which the murcury descends is marked
as the freezing point.
OCEANIC TELEGRAPH.-Mr. Bakewel, of Eng
land, has lately made scientific statement on
telegraphic communication between England
and America He maintained that such COM
munication between the two countries, with a
single line, was feasible, with comparatively
small expense. Instead of the submarine wire
as at present used, he would have an iron wire
double the thickness, and protected by gutta-
percha. He thought siuge line would cost
f40 per mile, which, at 1900 miles, amounted
to 100000, The cost of laying down he esti-
mated at CO. 900, making the entire cost 9lOO,-
: 600. He expressed his confident opinion that
the projsot would be shortly carried out.
DEPTHS OF THF OcEAN-Professor Edward
Forbes, of Europe, has started scientific in
qairy as 10 the depth Of primeyel ocoans, ans
believes to throw light upon it by the color o
fossil shells. The shallower the water the NOR
intense the color, is the experience gained b,
o dredging in the seas of the present period and
6 reasoning from analogy, we may infer the sam
law prevailed in earlier periods. Ehrenberg
Vt too, has contributed something more to ou
e knowledge on these matters, having examined
specimens Of mud brought up from the depth 0
e six thousand fathoms, and found to contain liv
ing infusoria.