Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-09
MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC.

According to the researches of an
eminent. Germaii naturalist, our earth
has at one time or other been inhabited
by 155, 900 kinds Of animals, of which
10000 are now extinct, while the other
1876, 900 are still with us. Among the
survivors are 1000 varieties of NAM
malta, 1900 of birds, 1900 creeping
things, 5000 of fish, 100, 900 of insects,
1000 radiata, $500 polypyfera and
l, 400 infusoria.
West Virginia has the largest and
most valuable body Of timber Of any
State in the Union. Prof. Fontaine
estimates that the area still covered
by forests is between 5000, 600 and
100000 acres, and that the value of
the surplus eXportable timber is fully
$50, 900 as it stands in the forests.
The oak, walnut, cherry. ash, poplar,
maple, elm, sycamore and locust attain
size there not surpassed on the
American Continent.
An improved nozzle for fre-en-
gines is described i'm the foreign jour
mails, the peculiar feature of the device
giving it some INN yrtapt advantages
jet formed to deliver a solid stream of
water: but, when it is desirable that
the water should be spread, slight
turn of the wrist causes a number of
metal fingers to enter the stream and
break it up into number of smaller
streams, which may be further subdi-
vided by similar fingers alongside the
jet until it falls in fine spray. 1t is
claimed for this spreading of the jet
that the water not only acts more etli-
GENTLY on the flames, but that the
spray, by driving back the smoke and
placing shield of water between the
fireman and the flames, enables him to
get sufficiently near to pour water On
the seat of the fire.
A proposal to reduce the week
from seven days to five, and, further,
to rename the days, comes from Aus
tralia Mr.. II. X. Rusden, the author
OF this scheme, enunciates his view in
paper on the week in the last volume
of the Transactions of the Royal
Society of Victoria" where he ex-
presses the opinion that while reduc-
ing the number of the days in the
week it would be good opportunity
to discard the present pagan names,
and to substitute Oneday, Twoday,
Threeday and Fourday for them
Sunday to be called Goodday. The
author IS very sanguine as to the sue
cess of his proposal, and answers the
plea OF impracticability with the re-
mark that 1.-The week itself was ac-
tually altered by the Romans, Greeks
and many other peoples; and in fact
as there is no record of any attempt to
alter the week having ever failed, the
allegation Of impracticability is 50 far
proved to be utterly baseless.
Substantially the same idea as
that described in the London Times
as a new intentionally which run
ming stream is made to propel a car in
either direction-haS long been under
stood IN this country. In this case,
the inventor constructs railroad
track alongside a mining stream which
has current, and places upon it car.
This car is provided with a .haft,
which extends out over the stream. n
wheel, similar to paddle-wheel, is
attached to the end of this shaft, SO as
to dip into the water; and gear
wheel on the shaft engages with gear
on one of the bearing wheels Of the
car, SO that when the current revolves
the wheel and shaft the bearing wheel
of the car is turned, SO as to carry the
car up .he stream. When the car has
arrived at the head of the stream, and
received its load, the gear wheel on
the shaft is disengaged from the bear
ing-wheel, and the shaft is fixed by
clutch, SO that it cannot revolye. As
one or two of the buckets or wings
of the wheel will then be in the water,
the current will carry the car down the
stream. ". y. san.