The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-06-20
Sparks Of Science
THE ST. GoTHARD TUNNEL.


The Swiss Government is publishing
monthly reports Of the progress made in
the accomplishment Of this work. The re-
port for March shows that the boring was
advanced 500 feet lineal-the proportion
on the Swiss side being greater than that
made from Airolo by nearly third. The
total length gained since the first trials
were made, sixteen months ago, is seven
eighths of mile, Of which nearly l 200
yards are cleared out to the complete sec
tion If the tunnel. On an average, $3.50
workmen are employed daily, including
those engaged in the extensive workshops
outside each of the two openings. The
boring from the Swiss end still continues
through solid gneiss rock At the southern
end the mchschist through which the
boring is carried, is growing softer As the
work advances quartz which at first
pervaded it having disappeared The
quantity Of water which leaks iuto the tun-
mel from springs that are tapped is quite
insignificant. The Belgian boring machines
of Dubois and Francois are working with
perfect success, six being used at either
end-those of Messieurs Somneher, Me
kean and Fenoux, which have lately been
ordered, and being employed solely on
what may be termed supplementary pOr-
tions of the work No estimate is made
Of the time it will probably take to com
plete the tunnel Ii is noted that the tenn
perature within the tunnel is remarkably
equable, varying little during the month
from 7S degrees, while outside the average
was Al degrees.
RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC OPERATIONS.
The Russian Scientific Expedition to
Anu Daria was to leave st. Petersburg
Sunday, April rs. 1t is to be commanded
by the Grand Duke Nicholas Constantine
witch, assisted by Col. Stoletoff, and DIR.
Moretf az secretary. Ii comprises twenty
five persons, whose work will be divided
into four sections, the Trigonometrical
and Typographical, the Meteorological, the
Ethnographical and Statistical, and the de-
partment of Natural History. The ex
plorations will extend beyond the confines
Of the Russian Territory, in the Khanate
Of Bokhara, up the course Of the Anu
Daria, if the political aspect Of affairs in
Central Asia will permit.
AprOpos to Russia science, we remark
the interesting fact tn to Peter the Great
belongs the honor Of making the first at
tempt at deep-sea dredging. The expert
ment was tried in the Caspian Sea with an
apparatus constructed by that remarkable
man and illustrious monarch 1t was
shaped somewhat like pair of ice-hooks,
such as are every day seen i'll the hands of
the 'ice-man. 1t was so contrived that,
when it touched the bottom, the plummet
would become detached, and the hook
would bring up specimens Of the material
which lay in the bed Of the sea.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMONDBEDs
In paper on the mode of occurrence of
the South African diamonds, read before
the Geological Society of London, by NJ
Z. S. Dunn, the author states that the
gems occur in peculiar circular areas which
he regards as "pipes that formerly con-
stituted the connection between molten
matter below and surface volcanoes. The
surrounding country consists Of horizontal
shales, through which these pipes ascend
nearly vertically, bending upwards the
edges of the shales at the contact. The
rock occupying these pipes is regarded by
the author as probably gabbio, although
in very altered condition. Interslated be-
tween the shale-beds are sheets of dolerite,
etc., and dykes of the same rock also in
Iorsoct the snales AZ frequent intervals.
Within the pipes there are uDaltered
nodules of the same dolerite. With regard
to the relation Of the diamonds to the rock
of the pipes in which they are found, the
author thinks it probable that the latter
was only the agent in bringing them to the
surface, large proportion OF them con
sisting of fragments. The diamonds fur
nished by each pipe differ distinctly in
character from those found in every other
pipe.
SENDING MAPS BY TELEGRAPH.
A novel application of the telegraph has
been devised in France,-the transmitting
copies Of maps and diagrams. A numer-
ally graduated, semi-circular plate Of glass
Is laid by the telegrapher over the map to
be transmitted, and pencil Of mica at
tached to pivot slip Of metal, also divided
into numbers, is allowed to move over the
plate. Looking through fixed eye piece,
the operator traces out his map on the
glass with the adjustable mica pencil, and,
noticing the numbers successfully touched
on the plate and on the moving metal arm,
telegraphs them to his correspondent, who,
by means of an exactly similar apparatus,
is enabled TO trace out an exactly similar
map.
The Carrying Trade Of the Lakes.