The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-28
cUR1osITIEs OF SCIENCE.

ZONES, in Bolivia, where it occurs extern
sively in the condition of a sand-like
powder.
"A successful method of gas lighting
by galvanism has been devised in Eng
land, whereby all the street lamps of a
town can be simultaneously lighted from
any distance.
Thirty-fve boiler explosions oc-
Cured in France in the years 1870 and
1871, of which all but five were due to
carelessness of construction or inspec-
ton, or to want of proper management.
/ Decidedly the most cheerful social
institution we have heard of is a suicide
club. The members meet once a year
with feast and trimming cups and
jovial song, but for the fortunate mem
Der who draws the poisoned almond
| from the cake, at desert, this convivial
scene is the last of earth. He eats it
and dies. This is in Paris, of course
Copper lightning rods are in gene
raj use on the vessels of the British
navy. They are so arranged that
| whether the mastS are raised Or low
cred, whatever the position of the ship,
an r1nbroken line of metal extends from
| the loftiest point to the bottom of the
hull. It is said that this arrangement
insures practically perfect protection
against damage by lightning.
"A recent food in Ceylon compelled
many of the natives in the western pro-
vince of that island to seek refuge from
the waters by climbing into cocoanut
| trees. These were found, in many in
stances, to be already occupied by
| L IL L.
cape drowning. The reptiles were very
fierce, and did not yield place to the ma
| tives.
1t is said that Prof Tyndall warmly
supports the project of new English
expedition to the North Pole, which is
so strongly favored by the Royal Geo
graphical Society. The design is, in
the first instance, to explore the north
ern shores of Greenland from Smith S
| Sound. It is understood that Mr.. Glad
stone is disposed to afford government
aid
There is not vestige of the former
man left in Chief Justice Chase. His
most intimate friends do not recognize
him. From the handsome, smooth
faced, portly man, he has become tall,
heavy, thin man, with yellow beard ;
his mind is clear, but his voice is weak,
and the thin lips culver from paralysis.
! He goes about, the ghost of his former
self.
The authorities of the city of Flor
ence have erected fine astronomical OBJ
servatory on the striking eminence from
which in former times the famous Cali
leo made most of his discoveries. At
the present day Florence possesses in
| DOnati IN astronomer of very high dis
tinctiOn, whose name, as attached to the
most brilliant comet of recent years, is
known throughout the world.
A lady was told the other day by a
travelling gentleman travellers, you
know, are proverbially given to fabrica-
tom that every lady who had a small
mouth was provided with a husband by
the government. 18th it pothible %
said the lady, making her mouth as lit
tie as she could. The gent added,
"that if she had a large mouth, she
was provided with two husbands. "
"My gracious" exclaimed the lady, at
the same time throwing her mouth open
| to the full extent. The gentleman be-
came much alarmed, made his escape,
and has not been heard of since.
They have a baby hippopotamous
at the London Geological Gardens. Out
| of fifteen of these animals born at the
various geological gardens in Europe,
only one has survived to maturity and
he was finally burned alive. Mr.. Frank
Buckland entertains great hopes that
| the present infant will live to grow up.
| He reports that the mother is extremely
savage, roaring and believing tremen-
dously If in the least put out, She
seems to remember that her last two
! babies were taken from her, and to be
constantly in alarm lest this one, which
has been named Guy Fawkes, should be
surreptiously removed.
Mr.. Edward Whymper, the we'll
known mountaineer who first assembled
the MatterhOrn, devoted last summer to
a scientific exploration of the west coast
of Greenland, north of the Arctic Circle,
in the vicinity of Disco Island. The
acquisitions of the trip comprise a fine
| collection of fossil plants, stone nipple
| ments. and natural history specimens.
He found that the loftiest mountains of
Greenland proper are two Thousand feet
higher than has heretofore been sup
posed. He assembled one about seven
thousand feet in height The atmos-
phere in these regions is marvelOusly
clear. Writing Of his ascent of Hare Is
land, eighteen hundred feet high, he
says From the summit, at midnight,
[ distinctly recognized the mountain
call Sanderson's Hope, near Upernavik,
which was distant from me one hundred
and forty miles p
M Babinet, the French naturalist
and astronomer, whose death occurred
recently, was an able but eccentric man.
He devoted much time and labor to the
study of the phenomena of refractiOI
of light, and to this end was continually
busy in the examination of diamonds
rubies, and gems and crystals of every
kind. The Paris correspondent of the
4tbc1lOe19t says: When he had very
little in his pocket to get a meal with
he bought eagerly some topaz or anne
thyst for 500 francs. Every lady Of
rank or fortune whom he visited, an6
he knew many who were delighted tC
talk with him, was pretty sure to bt
pestered by him and necessarily solici
ted for diamonds Then he came bach
to his abode near the Luxembourg
stretched his limbs upon an old carpet
strewed the diamonds all around
lighted lamp, put it down, and hav
ing a loaf of common bread and jug
of water at hand, went on analyzing
cutting precious stones and killing his
eyes until morning"
An impression that still water il
pools and in canals where there is
scarcely a movement is extremely dan
gerous, and especially when covered
with conferva, admits of question
At the Hague, the capital of Holland
threaded with canals in which no cur
rent is perceptible, they are so densely
carpeted with a thick green scum that
strangers turn away from them in fear
as though they were poisoning the at
mosphere. But no such apprehension
as being charged with mephitic gases is
expressed by the inhabitants. They
neither see nor imagine any sanitary
disturbance from such source. Inves.
tigation shows that the conferye is 8
vegetable growth, actually modifying
and purifying exhalations passing uT
through the delicate covering. So much
for fact With us, green pool near 6
dwelling is denounced as a nuisance re-
curing immediate destruction because