The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-14
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

Mr.. Robert H. Scott, Director of
the Meteorological Office, states that
out of 525 colliery explosions recorded
in 1868, 1869 and 1870, 40 per cent. may
| be reasonably connected with disturb
ance of the barometer, % per cent. with
abnormally high temperature, whilo
only 90 per cent are not tTaceable 10 at
mospherie agency.
STEAM VERSUS FIRE.-The following
facts, clipped from the Boston Adrcr-
tiser, are from the report made 10 m
insurance company over twenty years
ago, on the application Of steam TO tho
extinguishment of fires. Steam posses
ses decided advantages over water, as il
is net so liable to injure goods or furni-
ture, while it can penetrate TO places
which n stream could not be made TO
reach. The experiments we're made in
large mill, through which suitable
pipes and connections had been laid,
communicating with the diffent rooms.
A box of waste cotton was ignited in
the Hecond story, making fierce blaze.
Steam WINS turned on, filling 6rst tho
upper stories and finally reaching and
completely extinguishing the blaze.
After trying this experiment with dry
and placed in various positions on the
stairs and floor, with the wicks very
high, producing flames. It was re-
marked that each lamp, as the steam
reached it, was Immediately put out
Steam, it was shown, can be let into any
and every part of the mill in much less
time than water could be under the best
arranged water mills. In case of fire,
Al = -.
surface in all positions, and will follow
fire into every recess, hole, or crack. IL
will, in fact, precede the flames, and,
covering every thing in its course with
water. prevent their spread.
DENOMINATION OF LTSfBs.-If' n lob
ster's claw is broken off below the third
Joint, another will soon appear in mini
ature at the end of the stump. About
the third year it will overtake in size
the one on the other side. This explains
why the pugnacious creatures are so ire-
ouently noticeable with one large and
one small pair of fighting shears. At n
particular season, the males engage in
ferocious combats, cutting each other if
they can. Nipping off the sword arm
of an opponent is a point of sanguinnry
They quarrel worse than
congregation Oh NhllOEh Ol ~
When, by accident or otherwise, n Bra
lillian lizards tail is missing, another
crops out Immediately, requiring consid-
cradle time, however TO develop into
full proportions II is TO them as indis-
pensable an appendage as n balancing
pole in the hands of rope dancer In
their centers of gravity
while racing through the top OF n tree
in pursuit Of prey. Could fox run
without tail? But a second one never
grows. no he is crippled for life when
that is gone. Some Of the nevis have
a new eye generated, il gouged out,
which will ultimately exactly correspond
with the old one in color, function, and
visual perfection. All the mammaliA,
ourselves, have something Of
that remarkable regenerating property
particularly exhibited in the reunion
IF broken bones, which shows gradu-
,ted relationship to the lower forms,
even TO reptile life. Such arc the de
luctions of science, unwilling as somo
nay be 10 embrace the doctrine Of evo-
utiOn