The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-05-12

!
More than one hundred and twenty
five mountains in North Carolina have
been measured by Professor Guyot OF
Princeton College. Of this number the
lowest is some two thousand five hun
dred feet high, and the highest is six
thousand seven hundred and seven feet
high. There are fifty-four mountains
more than six thousand feet in height E;
forty-fve mountains more than five
thousand feet in hei ght, but not as much
as six thousand, and fifteen mountains
more than four thousand feet, but not as
much as five thousand feet high. Black
Mountain is the highest, being six thous-
and seven hundred and seven feet high.
A series of experiments on water me-
tiers at Wiesbaden serves to show the
imperfections of those instruments. The
record is the more significant, as the eli
mate to which they were exposed is not
nearly so severe as our own. About one
meter in every eight stuck fast in the
course of the year, and had to be taken
out. Besides these complete stoppages,
there were minor disorders which affected
eight per cent. of the rest of the lot.
Four different kinds of meters were en-
plOysd, each had its vices, and one kind
would not register at all with small
flow while another kind, when it got
out of order checked the flow altogether.
Our knowledge of the properties of
tungstate of soda will have to be ex-
tended before we shall be justified in
claiming for it all the virtues. DIR.
Alder Wright, Of London, has been CIV
ing lectures, accompanied by expert
ments whose purpose was to show that,
when mixed with ordinary starch, the
tungstate made muslin fabrics unin-
fammable. At South Kingston, the
other evening, these experiments were
repeated once too often-the muslin blaz-
ing up as soon as light was applied to
it, and burning to d cinder before the
flames could be extinguished. An
investigation failed to detect any mis-
take in the preparation of the COM
pound.
One of the most ingenious adaptations
of science to modern warfare has been &C.
complished by General Chazal, the late
Belgian Minister of War. A camera OBJ
soura securely protected is arranged in
such a place that on a table in the
interior may be thrown the image of
river which is protected by torpedoes,
the position Of each torpedo being accu-
rately marked on map spread out on
table, which precisely corresponds to the
refracted image of the river. In case the
river is invaded By hostile vessel, the
operator sees the vessels image moving
silently over the map until it covers a
spot which indicates the station of a tor.
pedo; as each torpedo is carefully num-
bered, the operator has but to mention
the numbe- to his watchful assistant,
who quickly closes the circuit, and in
another instant the electric spark ex-
plodes the torpedo beneath the vessel.
If the first torpedo fails, the vessel can
scarcely escape all that underlie her
course.
A new departure in matchmaking is
announced at Auburndale, Mass. With
the ordinary watch chief item of ex-
pense is in adjustment. This is now per-
formed by hanging tie watch in various
positions, ascertaining thus whether the
balance wheel is heavier at one point
than at another, and tightening the
wheel wherever it is too heavy. (There
is further adjustment needed to COM
pensate for difference of temperatures
The new watch contains fewer works
than the ordinary one, and these are set
around the center aud driven by main
spring beneath them. BY means of a
toothed rim around the watch, inside,
all the works are made 10 perform a
complete rotation around the center of
the watch-aside from their own proper
motion-completing the performance
once every two hours. Any irregularity
from difference of weight of parts of the
machinery is thus wholly compensated,
no matter what may be the position in
which the watch is carried, since in any
and all positions the center of gravity
for the machinery, for any two hours al
a whole, will be uniform. A factory has
been started to make the new watches
and it is expected that they will bt
cheaper than the old ones. At all events
the invention can be properly designated
as revolution in matchmaking.