New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-28
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

Coast Survey The bathOmeer Is meant 10 DC 10 the sea
what the barometer is to the air. the latter giving the
weight of the column above IT, the former the weight OF
the column below. The bathometer operates by ndeat
ing difference in attractive power or gravity Gas
evinccd by change weight Of bodies the snrfaceD
which il found different parts OF thgobc, according
the material Of the globe at given point
IL denser rarer than the average As water
is three or four times lighter than the land
crust Of the globe stratum of water has less at
tracve power than one Of land that u.s. bodies upon the
water will weigh less; and the difference OF weight
must be exactly proportional to- and consequently
measure Of the thickness of the stratum OF water IL
follows that IL the bathomeer works perfectly IL VIII
constantly give, while vessel at sea, an lndcaoh vi
the depth of water beneath the sp viii give soundhes
without the trouble of casting the lead" Prof Agassl
very iavorably Impressed as to the practical
OF this invention lie sals that the Instrument u 80 sc
sitve that II is affected by the mere approach OF an Oh
server yet he does not thuk that tie motion oi Nessi
AT VIII derange the apparatus or pleFehu oos a.
only "A fraction of the depth beow-t fraction su'iIet
than the probable error OF soundlnes Wiicu N'ssu
under BY of this Instrument deep-sea eo,Iu-
lnls may he taken continuously on every VOYAGE
depth OF the ocean eY,rywherc may be even uiS
taiued But course tins will supersedc tue useiu-
OF sOundlnss III detecting the presence VI "oi
currents IN determining deepsea tenpeia'ures' 1i
showing the character OF the bottom at any gNen
locality.
The controversy as to spontaneous genera
ton stI goes on. 1t is claimed by the friends OF Dr.
the opponents of his hypothesis lhciudhS
Prof. Tyndal have not tired the experiments winch tue
learned Doctor described under the conditions when lie
imposed. They say that the opponents of spontaneous
generation are afraid to give it fair trial Although the
weight of scientific authority against Dr. Bastan' lac
match for able an antagonist as Prof. lyn-
dali in the of words. and * fairy entitled TO ofeolI
for marvellous IerllIy OF sehLs III discovering HI"
modes OF experiment 10 support MS theViA'
Quite recently the following remark was
heard from Of party Of ladies visiting the Peabody
Museum at Eew-lIaven; they were looking at case
containing large specimens OF BRAIN corais and the ke:
See the toadstoOs! never those in Museum be-
fore. Here are turned wrong side up similar
mistake made by more distinguished party
ID WAC during the period when great effort was Ihtde ~
the Lac prof Agssiz 20 obtain Appropriation from
the Massachusetts Legislature TO aid the Museum Oh
Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge. Committee OF
Legislators visited the Museum. Their leader was
strongly opposed to granting additional funds for seI
r purposes and took every opportunity to enforce his
views stopping before Of corls, he Ehcftd tie
0t1er commute uen around and nardnEued them
tli,: " Here have ialr sample Here Is what Is
called science AgIssIZ mica mp tiis wuOe ease "Iti
toadstoOls. Ihisis wnat We are giving money ior'
Experiments in electric lighting have been
recently made at Russian iOrtrcsses with various
machines The conclusions arrived at are ta te electro
hgut may be Of great service III all the iortc's's'
Each fort VIII send to st. Petersburg an intelligent officer
and ,ulolliccr to learn how 10 work the apparatus.
The artillery comnandans recommended to take fire.
queut oppor unitcs of using it, In war, electric lamps
on a traverse snoudcring wallplece might be de-
struyed 10y shrapnc and to cover would be Inpfic
ticable a. this would Zee thick, Mud would deaden
tire light too much Itis advised to place the lamp
much as possible WITHIN the tort 10 Use II chiefly Or
discovering enemy. ana determining his position
Ing 10 taDc OF distances lastly To dispacc Inc aplr-
wth reference aown locdy, and thcu mr. accord
frequently and prevent the enemy taking proper
aim.
The excitement over the advent of the Colo
RADIO po;ato-5ug s the increase in England. Tie
alarm,is have noeu subjected To- some unjust rid
cue ~ for instance cOucenns the statement that the
nsccs were found Ia the shores, and that
they occasionally boarded outwardnOJd ycssls. Ii II
true that at certain times the potao-bugs a.one our
shores did fl - blown on to tne IN considerable
numbers. Tncy several tunes lasl ON tie
Coney Island beach. washed ashore By the SURF IN One
narrow rows inch or two deep. The curious feature
ABOUT ibcir Sc;,-batAiHg excursion that the bugs
came back quite as much alive ever. In descriptive
notice II the insect la recent number of Nature there
l. strange instance OF the righteousness OF scientific
10 tie All airs of the world large Describing the
relatives OF the Colorado beetle, the paper to
good species PoiygraDH,a jseta, which through
the Confederate states of North America" If the bugs
nave landed ia Ireland they might. with much pro
prictv he sand to have invaded the domain of the Fenian
Republic Bat excuse ior sucn slips on the pare OF
l{rt s writers Is found that The! al
castOuc enc copaa IN winch the Confederate states
II
country.
In experimenting lately at the SOrbonne,
rs with view 10 industrial transformation OF tetra-
chloride Of carbon INTO clurOiO1n. VI. hOrcl found II
hardly possible 10 obtain chloroorm more cheaply by
mis- way; but being struck with the similarity III the
formula OF the Two substances the idea suggested 10
try the pure etrciorde an anIsthciic lie did 50
and found ii had superior power to choroiOr, with the
same general effects The first period, that Of excta-
ton. is more marked than with chloroform; the two
other periods that 81 hsensbIty and COLLAPSE are den
teal with those Of chorolorn The price OF this an
men have already occurred with chiorOOrm ana ether
OoIe than 200 record special interest at
iaches 20 efforts 10 improve on the means 'i anes-
thesa.
The personal equation" as it is termed, is
matter of some importance in astronomy Ii may he
defined is the tmciiIereucc the capacity Tor per
ccyiug on Use part OF observer. Ii Is the error which
each person makes In noting the instant a. which star
performs its transit The wires ia the telescope
(Which appear the field OF view like the Latitude and
longitude lines Oi 4 mapl. The difference o time in
noting r. the personal equation-yarics with each
observer but is usually less than second Of time
Essays enough 10 make respectable library have been
written on the subject, and There various devices On
The one hand diminish eliminate the error during
the act OF observation, aud the other 10 find it,
amount afterwards and make suitable allowance or
correction Prof. = T. Langley oi Allegheny ooeerN'"S
las recently invented aud dcscrbcd method for elim
mating Tie during observation Briefly stated, Tie
device dealing with the eye Of the observer
much as II il were rcceiyngpate for instantaneous
photography instead of brns continuously illuminated
the cross-wres of the telescope ouly appear IN the
Held OF view for an instant, when electric
spark flashes within the instrument. An apparatus CON
ncccd with ci1ck by which Tie hsh is made To occur
at successive intervals which exactly correspond
~ the passage OF The star from wire 10 wire.
OF courss the apparatus has TO be set Tor
each star, according to the stars decuation; but