The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-27
FOREIGN SCleN TIFIC NOTES.

The Prussian government is considering the ques
ton OF holding universal exhibition in the city of
Berlin.
The second accent of Mount Blanc during this sea-
son has Just been successfully performed by two
English tourists.
The autumn meeting Of the scientific men OF Ger
many viii be held At Inspruck from the 18th TO the
24th OF September next
Numerous excavations have recently been made
nj Herculaneum In the presence OF number OF engi-
neer pupils from Milan, but so far nothing OF import
ance has been discovered.
The queen and the Crown Prince and Princess Of
Prussia have subscribed the sum Of 500 thalers TO.
wards the erection OF national monument to the
memory OF Alexander Won Humboldt.
rather severe shock OF earthquake was felt
in Florence on June 26, at twenty minutes past
three T. NJ. The vibration was undulating from
south to north, and lasted fully five seconds.
In prosecuting some earthworKs connected with
the hanau Railway the workers have found, about
half a league 10 the east OF the Frankfort station
some Roman graves, containing highly adorned
also discovered, supposed to date from the time
OF julius Cesar. As relics OF the ancient Romans
have ever been found In the immediate vicinity of
Frankfort, though great number Of horse shoes
toinbstones, and other objects have been discovered
al Rodeheim, league to the west OF the city, there
IN the time Of the Romans the high road from
Mayence W the Taurus fortresses on the Nidda
turned of IN northeriy direction TO avoid the
marshy plain IN which Frankfort rs situated.
curious letter has been received by the Academy
OF sciences or Paris from NJ. T.. Lcroux In which he
showed that certain rarcned gaseous substances
known 10 assume various cOlors when enclosed IN
tubes provided with conducting wiresat each end
and rendered luminous by an electric current, will
present the same phenomena by mere induction
that Is, by The influence OF a current not passing
through the tube, but close to 1t, and even with
certain interval between In another paper now
sent In ny The same writer he endeavors TO prove,
not without some reason that this induction must
play some part In the luminous manifestations OF
the electricity OF our globe, which have received the
name OF aurora bOrealis. The sheets or diff,lsed
buted to an electro-static induction, the seat OF
which seems TO be In the upper strata OF the
atmosphere. similar circumstance must, In
his opinion be the OF the sudden illumination
OF the clear part OF the sky by flash Of lightning an
appearance which had hitherto been attributed 10
ph0sph0rescence IN the atmosphere, whereas II ap-
pears rather to be the manifestation OF the return
shock Ia the upper regions The electro static in
duction OF rar6ed gaseous masses seems 10 be in
sfant aneOusly produced through the Insulating shell
OF glass that surrounds them; for In the authors
apparatus ~ IL so generated by toothed caoutchouc
disk previously electrified and made to turn. The
faster II spins round the greater Ii the luminosity
produced. in the course OF his experiments the
author has remarked that glass might be charged
with electricity with the same ease by con-
dnctors ~ by metallic ones. This Is so true that he
has been enabled 10 construct sort OF LeydeD lar,
In which the metallic arhatures are replaced by
strata OF rare6ed gas. This apparatus consists OF
lube containing another, to which II ~ soldered,
zach being provided with platinum wire and
certain degree OF vacuum made. Such Leyden jar
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