The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-07-20

devised by Mr.. J. N. Helmes. II con
sists of a bomb which can be fired a dis
lance Of two miles from the coast or from
n ship, and is 80 contrived that it viii
float upon the surface of the water anc
emit a very powerful light for about al
hour. By its use in war the approach o
a hostile fleet during the night might b.
disclosed, and in time of peace it coulC
be employed with advantage in r~escuinl
crews of vessels stranded in the darkness
or in occasionally warning ships approach
ing too near a dangerous and low-lyinl
coast,
COPPER IN BLOOD.
At last it has been apparently proved
that copper is a normal constituent o.
the blood, not only of man, but of the
lower animals. In the case of the blood
of man, the presence of copper might be
thought to be accidental, and introduced
through the use of vessels of that mate.
rial, in the preparation of food. Bat ar
analysis of the blood of wild herbivorou'
animalsalso d~iscloses copper. 1t has YET
to be a~scertained whether the copper be-
longs to the plasma or to the blood glob
| ules, or both, or whether it is introduced
in the food or drink.
GYPSUM FLOUR.
Among the recent dispatches relating
to matters connected with the Rulso
Turkish wal there was one stating that
some unprincipled persons had beer
adulterating -four with gypsum. DR.
Vohl gives this method for testing the
purity of honr so treated: Mix twenty
| grammes Of the -four with twenty
grammes of potash saltpetre, and having
placed the mixture in a platinum vesse.
ignite it with a red-hot platinum wire
If the flour is pure the melted mas
will dissolve almost entirely in water
and the solution will give no preclpitate
with hydrochloric acid. If there is 6
precipitate silicates had been employed
in adulterating the -four. The acidulateC
solution should give with barium chic
ride a slight turbidity, and a decided
precipitate indicates lime of baryta.
AUToMAToN TAKERS.
A talking machine is said to have beer
invented which is able to say " wss
born in America. speak all languages,
and / am very pleased to see you. ]
thank you for your visit" 1t has been
humorously suggested that an apparatus
of this kind could be used to announce
the stations to railway passengers. This
service is now performed by brakemen,
and often in a way that makes the names
almost unintelligible. The machine is
said to contain a mechanical reproduc-
ton of the human lungs, larynx, CLOTHS
and tongue. 1t is operated by a bellows,
and is supplied with a keyboard and
pedals. If the sound can be reproduced,
there would be no difficulty in arranging
the apparatus to run automatically, like
a music box. Imagine a mysterious
voice in each car of a train saying at in
t~ervals, the next stop is at New
York E" In connection with this sub
ject it may be mentioned that Psyche,
the famous automaton chess-player of
London, continues to be a great success,
after about two years of constant exhibit
ton. No one has yet been able to dis
cover the mode by which it is operated.
MOUNTAIN OBsERvAToRIEs.
1t is quite commonly supposed that
high mountains possess one advantage
over lower levels for astronomical Obser-
vations in a dryer and less tremulous air.
But Prof. Henry Draper has tested this
question in the Wahsatch and Rocky
mountains, and finds that the popular
supposition is unfounded. Instead of
the air being better in those regions, it is
probably not s o good as at his observatory
on the Hudson. Out of fifteen nights in
the best season of the year, only two
were exceptionally fine. As a rule the
transparency of the atmosphere was
greater and the steadiness perhaps a little
less than in New York. The Lick OBJ
servatory, which the endower intended
to place on a mountain top, might, after
all, do better on the plain. Nevertheless,
it is possible that in the extremely dry
regions of the southern part of our CEN
trial area, say in New Mexico, the atmos-
pheric conditions may be favorable.
There precipitation is extremely small at
heights under six thousand feet, and the
seven months of winter which would
make observatory work impossible on
the mountains, would not be COT
tarn1