New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-25
SCIENCE FOR TIE PEOPLE.

The means of making observations to deter
mime approaching changes 81 the weather are constantly
Increasing Tie fuly equipped meteorological ohserN-
aory OF thc future must have set OF instruments lnat
win show variations the magnetic currents OF e''h
and air should also according to the deductions
of NJ Aonsuy. ava instrument "a measure the twinkuns
OF the stirs called scntllomeer. This couirVance
makes hc image Of siu around In circle so that
lccause OF the peculiarly our eyes known as per-
sstence 90 vson" the appearance would oe th oi lu
rnous ring 10 tlo lteat were ~tcaiy lfthc rt~nS!es
the luminous ring Is broken into circle o. beads by
counting the number OF beads, the comparative amount
az tnkling may DC ascortaucd and reduced O. figures
All stars twinkle less they rise higher toward the zen
i,; even Of planets twinkle when near the 10
rzon-Icrcury AWAY does. Taxing the speciosc'Pc
division OF INTO classes as defined By S'ccm II IS
found oy NJ Montcuy that white stars twinkle 50
tincs ucr second, yellow stars Ga, and stars
with chauneIed spcctra oaly 90 tmes Inc
more the spccJrua OF a star is interrupted by
St. dark lines the less frequently tTnklcs per seco'
But tic results promising moot immediate value are those
OF observations ts relation OF twinkns to weather
Yhen three DAYS o. rain 40 hand, the tfet oi nc
being the day Of observation the tWlhl'g rosy
day, 7S Tor day OF rlia distant "a h29if o
distant 50 times per second. The SENT latohs increases
with singular regularity from 30 ln midsummer % wv
in midWiutcr Tie approach Of violent storms is se
caiy indicated by Increased twinknc beautiful effect
Of sciu.latiou may be obtained by means Oh loIeScl
OF even an operas that ont OF focus SO 70 tueS
the Image a star iuto diss lhe dsS as tLe s','s
ink q
disks Of different cooTs were rapidly ana SucVesslNeN
presented.
San Francisco has found new scare about
the Chinese The report is that there l. cholera in tho
ports OF China aud The authorities at the Golden Gate
are urged impose stringent quarantine regulations on
vessels from Aslauc shores
Experiments 10y Prof. Marker and Schultze
show that ar and gases pass through the walls OF bui-
ings with wonderful facility All tnat is necessary 70
promote tie passage is difference o. temperature OF
ten degrees between the inside and outside ain TIC
figures given are as follows per hour, for each square
yard Of wall surface through sandstone ~ cubic Ieot
through ouarisl limestone, G5 through brick, 10;
throu-h furry limestone 10I This fact OF the pene"-
ton and flow o. gases through stone mas an Important
bearing Oh c construction Of wholesome residences Most
people are under the impression that cellar Is lined
with Portland cement the dampness md malaria OF the
Garth beneath will be shut OF II not in some way Iso-
vented earth vapois pass upward into tho building ana
that part OF the process ia usually FASTENED in the winter
months nv a furnace IN the collar Doubtless many
maaIia diseases such typhoid fever and dphtheia'
NAV thus DE proqacatcd in cities, especially where the
building sites are imper.ccty drained or are " made
ground" The experiments referred to are An additional
proof that Portland cement lining VIII not cut on tho
Iaaious ases indeed might also he inferred from Its
porous character Tho only effective barrier against ioul
an ANA dampucss must 1e some substance WhlcA b hot
permcatle. Probably this result might be attained by
means OF layer NJ asphalt or Oitume II IL were eNg
spr al, aad weighted So as 70 Keep ~ place II We" VI
yeutbc, IL =. not too much 70 hope that modern saiiy
improvements may largely taV,e llv I'D ia
cities with many residences the improvement Aeeu' 10
begin at the bottom.
California suffers from the phyllOxera the
insect winch las havoc III the vineyards o! France
ii ia spreading it's ravagcs though at present they IRE
mostly confined to G track OF miles square near So
mona No efficient remedies have as vet been applied.
IL general the CaUforuaE not solely dependent upon
their vineyards and If this insect pest becomes serious
-lfo Dl
that region.
An invention That seems likely to counteact
the most frequent cause fires that break out in the
wreck Of railway trains. is announced from Omaha
such fires are he majority Of INSTANCES knded from
Goals that thrown 80 the time OF tie accident ont or
tho stoves which are used 20 heat the cars and is easily
capable Of proof that the burning OF railway WRECKS
occurs much more frequently during Of the
year when cars heated than when stoves arc not
used. Tic ingenuity Of inventors has been chiefly
directed toward obyiaJus this risk by making The stoves
90 secure as spill the fuel when upset but such
contrvances meet only partial success, because Of the
possibility that the conclusion may be violent as to
break the stove 10 pieces There have becn several III
genOus devices for Obtaining heat without iuclbunng
stoves, bus they do not seem to have met tho want,
though one OF theia-l footstOve in which lime was
slaked-was said 10 be successful IN Germany, but
would not be likely in climate The iuvcn-
ton at Omaha OF much simpler kind lis dc
sign to put fire in stove, III ease the stove is
wholly partly upset. 1nis is accomplished D} sur
rounding tie Stove with jacket containing water.
Openings the Jacket communicate with The interior Of
The stove that II the car Is much tilted ron level
The water will flow the Stove and exlinguish the fire
II the details Of the invention are as simple as ITS
essential idea there should be nothing ID the way Of ITS
success.
Prof Ward Of Rochester is rejoicing over
the ARRIVAL Of celebrated Stuttgart mammoth whose
remains have CLOSED the Atlantic in safety. II is to be
mounted for the University OF Virginia. Already it has
cost S7Gs in freight On the other hand, the reported
discovery OF whole mammoth, with ITS flesh and hair
complete Toms, Siberia, proves sadly exaggerated
Tie ST. Petersburg Academy OF Sciences sent expert
with orders buy and preserve the curiosity but he
found only large piece o. the flesh OF mammoth with
SKIN and hair The OLD specimen ri the ST. Petersburg
Museum though half its flesh has been eaten of By
wolves is stl the best
The speed Of any satellite in its orbit bears,
rs is well known relation TO the which at
tracts IT, The proof THIS mathematical relation Of the
moons motion to the cars enabled Sir Isaoc New
ton 20 demonstrate the doctrine OF gravity. The
verse Of this proposition helps the astronomer to cac
late exactly the OF planet from the speed Of its
satellites. In the OF planets that have no known
satellite she only be appro1mGted by tedious
calculations the attraction they impress upon their
nearest hbors-oiher planets whose orbits they dis
teri These calculations gave for the OF Mars the
2GsO337th part OF the OF the sum- according 10
Burcnhald; that would be about seventh Of the
Of tine earth. verrer's pror0cted and elaborate stu
dies gave the 2gGS 3O0tb part OF the suns the
correct figure Prof HANS discovery OF the satellites of
Mars enables him to put this question rest giving the
figures as 100000. Although near lie Nerrers eStl-
mate this reduces the weight o. Mars stin further and
81 certain that that planet has not quite eighth
the mass Of the carth.
In a facetiOus letter correspondent enlaTges
upon notion that IL many Of readers try the viz