Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-10-21
From The Scientific American.
A column of Interesting Vaxictios

A Californian walking along the streets VI new
York, and seeing thrown out from n cellarexcava-
ion some oil the red gravel which is 40 common in
this city, is always tempted tn stop aud "pros
pect" IL by washing ont pan-full OF dirt; II re-.
scmblos 40 closely the gravel among which largo
portion of tho gold IF California is found. The
gold bearing rocks all over tho world are oi the
same geological formation as the gneiss tpr,aoun.
ced nise) or strntinied granite of Manhauen Island
These are the metamorphio freaks which were do
posted in layers ia tho water. and were aforward
crysaaed by heat; they cxhIliied both tho crys-
tnllinc and tho stratiHed structure.-The aurora
nf the 2Sth ult.. AZ far South rs Calves
ton. Texas, whore it ,isiblent ~ o'clock in tho
evening. II lasted about II minutes This phe.
nomenon is really in that locality and it was
ut first quite generally attributed to the ros on the
praires
Tho Saxons frs introduced nrehery,in tho time
If Neltgeur 1t was dropped Immediately after
the conquest but revived by the crusaders, they
having elt tho eff, cts Of it from tho parthians-
Bows and arrows, as wcapons "f war; were in use
with stone oannon-hall. M late NJ l6l0. II in sim
gular TINT all the statues Tor The encouragement OF
archery were framed uiirr the inventon Of gun
powder and firearms. Vow trees were .ncoura.
ced IN church yards. for the purpose Of making
bows, in l742. Hence their generality in church
Yards in England ut the present timo--'Gerogical
formations ME going on nt the present day tho
same as in nges past. Large swamps Of vc2otn
NV ih'tcT VilWHVlHU p'H', p'Ht ~
ing into Ignite. nrd Ignite il boing transformed
into coal. In somo places, rocks nre being formed
hy depositc ut tho bottom oF tho ocean; in other
places rocks arc being slowly raised nbo,c the lev
II of the sea-.
There as PAS gus-leht comganies in the United
States, with nm aggregate capital ot 10000 600.
The price Of gas ranges from 81 so to 81 per thou
sand feet. There urc but comparatively iew in
stances. however, where the price excc"ds 81.
THO Russian Empire contains !. 900, ,2q7 squarc
mlr~; tho British empire contains ,56SSol square
miles; tho United States (before the purchase Of
trizona) containev 2,063, AGO square miles The
population of tho Russian empire is Oh, 80 ,568;
TINT ofthe British cmpiee. l6l ,50l ,034 and TINT
of tho United States census Of la50) 23.3G3.327.
Twenty and ono-fonrth pounds of SUI phur, and 10
consist Of l0l pounds of sulphur.and 10 pounds VI
oxygen. Among tho sovereisns Of Europe to whom
Columbus applied to for MD in his enterprise, was
Henry VII, of England. This is n convenient fact
IL connect in tho memory ol tho dates oil Englhh
and American history.
Tho invention of bells is attributed to Polonius
Di>ho 's of Nola. cnmpanin, about tho year 400
They wcrc first introduced into churches ~ de-
fence agains, thunder aud lightning; they were
frat put up ut Crcyland Abby. ilncoll shire, in
949. In the llth ernn'y, nnd Inter, it was tho
custom IT, mptze them in the churches before they
were used The cnrtcw bell was established in
1913 Il was rung nt eight in tho evening" whom
people were obliged to ru ont their fires aud can
dles. Tie custom wn' abolished in 100. Belimen
we're arpruatod in l.oedon in 1856 TO ring the
lclls and cry oul, "rnke ARE # your fire and
candle; he chario,alc to tho poor, aud pray for
the den Il"
II is the opinion Of persons acquaiated with the
character and circumstances of Louis Napnleon's
mother. that there is not drop Of the Bonapnrts
hi'od in his veins. The marriage oi Joscphin6's
daughter. lloriense Beauhairnns. with Napo.eons
brother. Louis Bonnpnro. wns contracted for
state purposes. aud WINS intensely rcpugnant to
the feelings of the beautiful girl, who in love
ut the time with another man.--In our revolution
nr,und the sun, wo are mol carried by the earth,
hut revolv" by the direct attraction of tho sun
upon ourselves. If the earth could be anniha-
tod, with everything upon it except one man. no
would, of course, Immediately die for want Of air;
the bony, in the course Of halfan hour, would be
frozen solid by the intense cold which prevails In
space and would continue its flight with voloc-
ty sixty times that of a cannon ball. in its long.
curved track around the sun, and would thus
vulvc forever. Forty pounds Of sulphuric acd
consists Of sixteen pounds of sulphur and twenty
fur mounds of oxypen