The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1871-11-08
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.

Professor Bottger announces the discov-
cry of a new re-agent, which, he asserts, Is
highly sentitive to the alkalies. 1t is a col
oring extract of the coleus verschaffetti, and
is produced by digestion. for "a hours, in
pure alcohol, TO which a few drops OF sui
phuric acid have been added. The hue is a
brilliant red, which turns green on contact
with any alikali. 1t is not affected by car
bonic acid. and will detect the slightest trace
of ammonia in Illuminating gas, If moist
ened and placed against an open jet. The
presence of the minutest quantity of a car
Donate vi any of the alkalies is detected by
it.
After a very cold snap, one in the deep
woods will hear the frequent cracking Of
trees. This is observable only after the
weather has BEGUN to moderate and before
it reaches the thrawing point. Why is this?
The cause is the contraction and subsequent
r~e-eXpansion of the interior of the trees
caused by the change OF TEN erature.
when L open the door on a cold frosty
morning, the steam of the room is suddenly
from the door. Explain the r~eason." Hot
air can take up more moisture than cold air
if it is saturated with steam and cooled off
by the admission of air from without, part
of the water which was held in suspension
Is precipitated and appears as fog.
Professor Roscoe, FRS. of Manchester,
England, has devised some very curious
and interesting lecture experiments illus
trative of the action OF the chemical rays
upon certain descriptions of common mat
ter, one of which is the following: A bulb
of very thin glass, about the size of a hem
egg, he fills in the dark, or by the aid of a
yellow light, with a mixture CT pure hydro
gen and chlorine gases, the gases beng pro-
duced by the decomposition of hydroch-
loric acid by the voltaic current. The room
being darkened the bulb thus prepared is
placed in a foursided lantern provided
with red and blue glasses. Now having
covered with a cloth all the sides of the Ian
tern except the one fitted with red glass,
the lecturer places a ~long-stoppered glass
jar flied with nitric oxide and bisulphide
of carbon vapor in front of the exposed
side and on applying a burning match to IT.
mouth a brilliant flash of pale blue light,
rich in chemical rays, is the result. But al
red glass absorbs such rays, none can ger
through TO the glass bulb which is fixed in
the lantern. A secOni jtr of the mixeC
vapors is next fired in front of the lantern.
side fitted with blue glass, and as the lattel
transmits the chemical rays, the union o
the hydrogen and chlorine gases is the re
suit and the bulb is burst In The explosion
which follows.
LewenbOck tells us of an insect seen Will
III IDiCIpsCbIt " WHICH 10 UDU.UUU WOull
not equal a mite. Insects of various kind
may be seen in the cavities of a grain O
sand. Mould Is a forest of beautiful trees
with the branches, leaves, and fruit. But
t~erfiies are fully feathered. Hairs are hol
low tubes. The surface Gf eur bodies I
covered with scales, like a fish: a singh
grsin Of sand would cover $50 of the scales
and yet a scale covers 209 pores. Through
these Harrow openings the sweat forces il
self like water through a sieve. The mite
make 800 steDs a second. Each drop G
stagnaDt wafer contains a world of ANNA
ted beings, swimming with as much libert,
as whales in the sea. L 'ch leaf has 3 colo
ny of insects grazing on it like cows on
meadow. Moral: Have some care as t
the air you breathe. the food YOU eat, an,
the water You drink.
DISTANCE Measuring TELESCOPE -
very ingenious di-rance-messuring teles
copa has been constructed by Mr.. Eliot, tn
eminent London Optician. With this in
frumen the measurement of distances i
accomplished b. means of two wires place,
horizontally in the eye-piece, which, by
beautiful mechanical arrangement. have
Simultaneous movement from the center O
axis of the telescope.
The object to be observed is thus AWAY
in the center of the field IF view, enablin,
the observer to see it with the creates
clearne>s and precision, and under the mos
favorable conditions for estimating distau
ces. In practical use, the two wires ar
placed IN contact by turning graduate,
ring on the eye-plece from lett TO right, an,
the edge OF the fixed index is then at {
The telescope is now focused to the Chjpc
under ob>erVatiOn until it is seen distinctly
then the divided ring is turned until he OF
lect is seen exactly between the two wire:
The required distance is then shown LIDO
the divided ring With great power.
IMPROVED MININS LAMR.-The Mechlr
les Magazine (EnglIsb) describes a newl
invented safety lamp for miners. 1t is cor
structed of a metal case. with an orifc
three inches in diameter, through which tb
~ light issues, the glass which Hills this or
flee being preserved from injury by sewers
crossings of strong wire. The air is &C
mitted through an aperture 10 the bottom
and the hot air goes ont through another a:
the top of the lamp. But these aperture
are covered with ~wire-gauze, protected i
such a way as to prevent the danperou
Practice of miners Lighting their pipe
through the gseZe, which is often don
with the lamps now in use. I'll
lamp. made OF common sheet iron, weigh
about two pounds. One difficulty wit
mining lanterns has been tie breaking {
the glass when it is brought into contra(
with the flame; but in the case of this lamI
the light goes out Immediately on the Ian
tern being held in such a position as (
bring the top of the flame under the glass
while held in any other position, the ligh
remains burning. Another valuable featur
IN this invention, is, that as soon as tn
lamp Is taken into an atmosphere OF fir
damp, the flame begins to flicker, more @
less. according to the quantity offire-damr
and eventually goes out.