Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-03-01
Science in 1870.

The year 1870 was not characterized
I by many new or striking discoveries,
nor by many novel applications Of
science, to ordinary industry and
manufactures. What was done, was
rather a strengthening Of that which
had been accomplished in past years,
and aconfirming or rdisprOving oftheo-
ries and experiments than the invent
inc Of new ones. In astronomy, at
tention was principally directed to the
sun, on whose surface were to be seen
movements Of great extent and indl-
eating great violence: and, IS It Is
now generally believed by scientists
that the changes in the temperature
and meteorological phenomena OF our
earth are Intimately connected with
those observable in ''the spOtsN on the
great self-luminOus centre Of our sys-
tenn, the eclipse Of the 23d December
last was looked forward to with the
greatest interest by the scientific
world as likely to afford fresh infOr-
nation respecting the solar light, its
incandescence and its polarization.
Competent observers were sent out
from this country, England, Germany
and even France, harrassed as she
was, to Sicily, Spain and North Afri-
ca, where the best view Of the eclipse
could be obtained. The results Of
their observations have not yet been
reduced by comparison to exact sci
entific form but enough is known to
confirm the expectation that some
valuable discoveries have been made.
The English astronomers, LOckyer
and Huggins, have continued their
spectrOseOpe observation Of the sun,
and Professor ZelIner has published q
valuable paper on the solar protuber-
anees, theOrizing on the temperature
and pressure on the suns surface. In
this country DIR. Henry Morton, Pro-
fessor Young, and others, have work
ed with good results at the same sub
ject, and another asteroid has been
added to the long list Of fragments Of
the shattered planet.
In geology considerable discoveries
have been made. By means of the
deep sea sOundings made, at the ex-
pense and under the direction OF the
British Government, by DR.. Carpen-
ter, Professor Wyville Thompson and
Mr.. Gwyn Jeffries, it has been dis
covered that on the same level at the
bottom Of the deep sea, two different
deposits are in process Of formation,
side by side, each characterized by a
distinct fauna, and that the tempera- /
ture of the water circulating over
these two areas is very different; thus
showing that at one and the same
time strata may be accumulated con-
tanning widely different organic re-
mains. They have also found that
chalk is now being deposited all over
the bed OF the Atlantic Ocean. Many
organisms, supposed to be entirely
extinct, have been rediscovered in
these deep sea dredgings. Prof. Agas- I
siz in his reports Of deep sea dredging
off the Florida coast, states that there
is life all over the bottom of the sea.
1t is quite possible that these discOv-
cries will materially alter many re-
ceived geological theories. In botany
the French chemists, Prillieux and
Duchartre have discovered that, con-
trary to the previously accepted hy-
pOthesis, plants do not absorb any ap-
preciable amount Of aqueous vapOr
through their leaves; and NJ. Dehe- |
rain has found that the evaporation
of water from the leaves Of plants is
due to sunlight rather than to heat, |
and that proceeds independently Of
degree Of saturation or the atmO-
sphere. Meteorology is still one Of
the most backward Of the sciences, |
Notwithstanding the numerous OBJ
servations made in all parts Of the
world. The war in France has not
been without its results for science, |
it has forced the French TO pay espec- /
ial attention to balloons, and the sub
ject of acrostation has benefited there {
by. The Germans, too, have brought
all their knowledge and ingenuity to
bear upon telegrapy, and the perfec- /
ton Of weapons; but great attention I.
has also been paid to these subjects in /
this country, as well as in England .
and Belgium PHILADELPHIA Ledger. 4