New-York tribune., 1877-03-10
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

Milk. dried in cakes thoroughly, and then
Ground to a fine powder and mingled in suitable propor
tons with farnaceous substances such as oatmeal Is
among the latest Of European preparations for use on
nponerly rT0tected from moist air, almost indefinitely
Various dishes which it forms an ingredient are spoken
Of as very paatable.
This is certainly the era of explosions VI
nl peaceahe things board Of man-ofwar the water
tank might he supposed least likely go of with bang
But the unexpected precisely the thing that nap
pened when workman brought lighted candle near
the wstcr-tank OF H. NJ tOrpedoship the Nesuvus. An
eSposion occurred that the side of the tank
Investigation showed that calyanc action had prey
onsy taken place between the water the zne ara me
iron-the tank being made OF galvanized iron-ahd =
bSeen i,orsoned i'm the tank People who csterns
of galvanized iron will please take notice.
The project for a railroad across the Great
African Desert, which has been much discussed by
French scientific authorities has received i'm
pulse at the hands OF the celebrated traveller G Rohis
The French notion was to draw the commerce OF tie
Soulan through Algeria Dr. ROhs advocates III feteF-
faaia's QiaheiluGen q route between Tupoli on the
Mediterranean and Kuka Lake Chad. The line VIII
cross 200 miles OF desert but Dr. Rohifs thinks thai 1t
wi find sufficient water supply. One thing is toloraby
certain ahnut sucn n railroad: il will not
element in its prOspe iy such as all American railways
hope for by building up business from its way-sStions
The modern science of ship-building has
widely dvergcd from old methods. The British Gov
ernment authorized the construction Of six corvetes
made Of mild steel and iron, covered with wood and
shcaihcd with copper Each vessel to be OF 2377 tons
measurements have engines OF $500 horsepower; TO
carry IA guns and IL is expected will have speed of
20 per hour. The stems Of the vessels arc n
tended to serve somewhat they cast Of gun
metal each Of one entire piece which weighs about 10
TONS in length about 40 feet greatest breadth ieet
tlIckness in part 10 inches The shape OF this PROV Is
somewhat like that OF an ancient "afsSy: & MOS, MOS oi
qurcd only fortaishts work each; if made Of wrought
iequhcd. For some unexplained reason each Of the
names given 10 the six vessels begins WithC.
Nearly all the recent experiments with the
radiometer-that most perpexng OF scientific tOys-have
pointed to the conclusion to the cause OF its
movements. The inventor OF the radiomee=, Mr.
Crookes has hitherto planted himself squarey
upon any theory explain the rcyoutons rut he has
seemed to favor the notion that the vanes were mpeed
by the force of direct impact from the luminerous ether
II he ever he'll that theory he has certainly abandoned
st. The view which he accepts Is that of The most
of the distinguished experimeneIs who have varlousE
tcstsd instumcntthat the vanes reVOve because OF
The internal movements Of the small quantity Of or
mir Imprisoned within the bub. This view Is rendered
small babs show very much greater speed than be
attained in large bulbs seme OF the new eXpenm%sns %
Mr CroOkes bear a resemblance 10 those winch PrOf
Rood Of Columbia College announced last summer
MeteorOlOgy will never attain its full rank
ancng the sc until the of the movements
OF wind and Storm as well their average directions,
arc ascerained. An advance in this particular Is re-
corded in Germany. NJ Gustayc Heilnann had ascer-
tanned by careful comparison that during the summer in
country there two periods of maximum rainfall
separated by dry period. With the first of these rain
rarloGs, ana partly preceding it, IN June, there is
through limited strip Of county succession Of cur
rents Of cold air, coming from the Atlantic across the
coast Of the NO,tR Sea, and moving from northwest to
southeast over middle Europe. ~ iehnann cOhcIGGys
that the cod caused by movement 10 supply
the place oi heated air rising from the great European
ielethcpug ll late IL the spring and cary III sum
Incr T.y winds which are thus ultimately drawn ron
the North Atlantic surface cold and heavily changed
with watcry Napor nd tAeir advent determines the DC
ginning Of summer rains in Germany.
Prof. c. V. Riley, who has eaten grasshoppers
cooked in various ways asserts that they not bad to
take To judge lis descriptions OF the roast 1y or
frtc; popular objection TO eating the jumpers s
founded on ignorant prejudice. Now II the insects
actually grew the green things that they feed upon,
as a vegetable, animal product, they wouc he re-
arged AS a choice luxury. Perhaps such pOstmortcH.
honor awaits certain caterpillars in New-Zeaand Mr.
T. T. NcwbtTy recently presented sOnc specimens OF
these culosites to the California Academy OF Sciences
Tie caterpillar has been originally buried as an egg or
lsrva, rec inches below the surface OF me ground
There seized by parasitic plant OF RAPID growth
;ad tboncc.ortA became ehecualy translated as
was Bottom thr weaver IAe outlines ana lnaIEinSs Oi
!: yeeotabe 4 clrious furry, ornamental top is de-
veioped. it grows head upermost The interior -
white and lie 0er l. hhe that Ol lhe ci,t0i cGfotu'
The Plant Is OF fIDgOid type and attains night Oh
Three or iOur .ncAes.
The Indian relics discovered by the Rev. j.
Gass in a mound near Davenport, Iowa, continue to
evoke discussion They Of tablets OF dark coorcd
slate with pictorial cnslayinss Of which represents
funeral pyre OF a sacrifice, around which dance is
taking place; twenty-five and the sun and moon
ar,, also shown and there lines OF written IAN
guage in unknown characters. On the reverse OF the
tablet which rather than foot square and about
1i2 inches thick there are sketches OF nen' several
onadilpeds dncadng two mastOlOnsl, some bids and
trees Another tablet has dial with four concontr,c
circles within which are marked the four cardinal
points and twelve cqu distant characters supposed 70
represent the signs of the zodiac There is no doubt
Tia, tlest relies found OHg with human remains,
among layers she'll IN mound. II put there FOR the
purpose Of impOsturc they have been skihuy placed
All authorities agree tdat IL the reIlcs are genuine they
are by far the important archaeological treasures
yet foupd In this country.
One of the most remarkable appearances
which has been seen on the planet Saturn suce the time
of erscbe was noticed by Prof Hall OF the United States
Naval Observatory Dec.7. spot so bright that it
could be seen with small telescopes suddenly showed
is near the equator of the planet II gradually spread
out along the equator, finally TO present the APP
pearapce Of strip extending some 9Oo The bright
t part was not iu the middle OF the strip but near one
end as il the shining had spread itself out in
one direction only. The discovery at once cOnmu-
nieaed several American astronomers and the spot
was observed at Albany Hartford Nassar College ana
elsewhere II was watched during most Of month.
when tie planet approached near 10 the sum- ana the
baud became faint tiat no ther accurate osstrya-
tjos could bc made IT, IL does not appear TO nave
bne seen in Europe at al, the astronomical Journals
which have 10 hand are entirely silent on hc Sp-
feet. The spot was utilized ty PfQi nan 10
fhp time Of rotation OF saturn wch no one DuI i'lsehl
had hitherto done. The result was about 10 nous ID
minutes hardly minute different from Herscheis eS'l-
mate