The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-06-28
Curious Facts.

The principal mouth Of the Rhine. du-
ring the Roman sway, is all but oblitera.
ted, and fortress of hewn stone, which
commanded the mouth Of the river, Is
now buried under the waves, more than a
mile from the present shore. The whole
coast of Holland has greatly recedcd from
its earlier land marks. In 1881 there was
q great submerSion in the southeast OF
Holland, when the waters Of the Mouse
and WAL suddenly overwhelmed 70 vii
lagos. destroying 100, 600 human beings ;
and the Subsoil sank at the same time,
since which time the whole region has re-
manned under the surface.
Out of four thousand known volcanic
crate,s, only about one hundred are now
active. There are about two thousand
eruptions in century, or twenty per an
mum.
Human growth, according to Prof
Quetelot, is not completed until the 25th
year, at least in Belgium. But this pc.
riod is supposed to be shorter in other
countries; certainly within the tropics
and in very warm regions, where devel.
opment and decay are universally allowed
to be rapid.
Water, slightly frozen, may be made
to bear a heavy wagon by cutting reeds,
strewing them thickly on the ice, and
pouring water upon them; the whole by
degrees become frozen into solid mass.
Freckles, tan, &C., are produced by an
excessive light, which acts chemically on
the skin, producing sometimes blistcrs
even. In cases Of small pox, it is neces-
| sary to keep the patient in darkened
room. or the light will aggrayate the peck
mark.
Whenever there is shallow water green
: will be produced by the underlying yellow
, sand, which, even in the absence Of YER
dure on the shore Of sea weeds beneath
always imparts greenish tinge to the
sea. The blue Of the sky ard yellow Of
the sands meeting and intermingling in
5 the water, form the green Of the sea the
r water acting as the medium in which the
mixing or fusing of the colors takes place
We are accustomed to think of heat on
: ly in that respect in which it affects our
= senses; but in fact the greater part Of il
is in hidden or latent state, and nobody
q is SO cold but that q great amount Of heat
: can be ELECTED from it, either chemically
;. or mechanically. "If, for instance" say,
e President Hitchcock, "all the heat con
II tanned in the snow and ice that has man
tied New England during the presen
winter had been suddenly extracted ,ther,
II can be hardly doubt but general con
e fagra.iOn of the surface would have beer
=, the result"
Water gives out lO4 degrees Of heat ir
: freezing, which becomes sensible. Tn,
e great amount of congealation in cold coun
n tries is doubtless one of the principa
causes that render them habitable ant
comfortable, for the harder the frost, til,
greater the amount Of heat given out
i On the other hand, when water evapo
rates, it takes up into latent state nearly
!. l08 degrees Of heat; aud thise probably
it is chiefly that renders the tOrrid Zon
y tolerable, since the heat of the vertical SUI
q must produce vast amount Of evapOra
j. ton. Thus beautifully is our syteln bal
anced, to secure the welfare of man ant
the inferior tribes.
The body of mddling- sized man con
!, tains pound of phosphorus, which, il il
If free state, and inhamcd, would burr
e him up and everything around him.
= The quantity Of water apeEated from
the surface of Great Britain annual,
: amounts to 80 inches, or l42, 900, 900, 00
r of tons; while the quantity Of rain tina
!. falls amounts to $4,000, 900, 900 tons.
There are few of US who do not re
= member the childish wonder we once fel
: on hearing the resonance produced b,
i placing a sea-Shell to the ear-an effec
h which fancy has likened to the roar of tn
4 sea. This is caused BY the hollow form
of the shell, ind its polished surface, ena
: bling it to receive and return the beating
+ of sounds that chance to be trembling il
= the air around the shell.
e The cicada spumara, species Of locust
j., can leap two hundred and fifty times il
length. If q man could leap the sam
distance in proportion to his length, h
: would be carried quarter Of mile; o
e if he could leap as far in proportion to hi
weight, he might jump around the glOb'
ut one bound.