New-York tribune., 1878-02-23
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

JxD,,N A.Tror-rrtFs-Furthcr discoveries
have been made the Cook farm, in Iowa "h1Fe 'e
relies were found several months ago by the Rev MT
Gass. which have been the subject of so much Discus
son as to their geruucuess. The new discoveries were
made after prolonged and fruitless exploration, by
party which incirded the secretary OF the Davenport
Academy of Science. Under buried wall tbey iOuho
cavity containing limestone tablet on which Is en-
erayed very roughly. human figure as;ride circle
with adal extending from II rs to represent the
sup Within tie circle IS a crescent. which or may
not represent the The human hlure seems to Ge
holding some emblcus OF authority. over his heao an
engraving represents copper axe, such as bas p''h
elsewhere found in Indian graves. AZ each corner "
"brd pipe" il, figured the head OF each bird h"d quartz
crystals set eyes but these are now deiacAeu ey
had been fastened 10y kind Of white n'cA' "'ch
has lost lis adhesive power. Characters m"ue win
lines and dots appear on this tablet ana II Aleu
that five OF these characters are identical WIN th"se
fourd on the slabs discovered last year, which nave
called forth so much discussion. The principal hgileS'
and The pines and axe. coOrcd bright red shell
was found containing The red pisnent used for color
Ing these figures. There are seN. RAJ "itI WIi,s ~
eiuartv besides those above noticed, TO tLc TABLETS
found last year.
ALLEGED CURE FOR HYDROPHOBIA.-ArS.
Jane Gray swisshelm contributes the following TO the
long list Of reputcd for hydropobia Crate TWO
ounces OF The dried root Of eecampane and bon! II II
pint OF new milk. Two of the dccocdon are to
taken on each OF three successive mornings in all six
ounces) while fasting; and the patient is 10 iast SIX
hours after taking the medicine. Mrs. SwssAelm speaks
OF very numerous and instances one that was
effected fter spasms mad begun A. doctors geneiay
admit their ignorance OF any cure ioT Yoroph0Da' @
vice from outside the profession s not obTusVe a"d
may be OF service
LIMIT TO SIZE OF TELEsCOPEs.-In recent
lecture before the Chestnut street Club OF Boston, Pro
fcssor Bcujamn Perce Of Harvard University adycr;ed
10 the Gcuties that aeud the OF large telescopes
He thinks that the instrument at Cambridge Q3lEeh
refractory has proved richer in results than the one at
Chicago QS12nch) the Naval Observatory telescope
(26-uch) Atmospheric disturbances interfere most VIII
tie largest instruments. There cnly two or three
nights I'm the year when the Cambridge telescope can DC
ufed to the advantage, and Professor Peirce thinks
that glass OF ten twelve inches is more servicane
than largerCne He is reported as saying that goo"
night for the Washington telescope cennot be expected
more than in three four years III mnch larger
Instruments constructed, they are not hfcy 10 be o.
service more than in century. These views seem
exaggerated l. may well he doubted whether the
mo ons Of Mars The companion of SIRIUS weud nave
been found by OF the smaller Instruments though
after the discoveries made with the larger teles
copts the faint objects perceived ana studied WIN
inferior optical power Perhaps much depends. III the
uso Of Telescopes the acuteness oi vision ana Ine
ment, within certain limits
BURNING POWDER IN GUNs.-A correspon-
dent of Forest and Stream suggests method OF
making cartridges which will burn their powder to
greater advantage than in the ordinary loading He
connects the bail roll of paper that Is lined with au
explosive conpOuni the roll about one eighth of an
inch thick and inches long; 1t reaches the rear end
of the cartridge case and the gunpowder is filed IN
around it, The powder viii thereby be thoroughly hred
and its force will be expended against the base OF tie
ball 1t is stated that smaller quantity OF powder can
he ccacOusly used in such cartridges tic penetrating
power of the ball is increased, and the recoh OF the gun
Is diminished.
Cosr OF TIE ELECTRIC LIGHT.-Tbe vary
ing estimates Of the cost Of electric illumination nave
been noticed previously in this column \ Aslatement
appears III French paper Othe effect that the alternate
current required for the Jablochkof electric candle
makes it alout eight times expensive rs ii would be
II worked by a current. The cost for hight OF
1000 candle-pOwcr is said 10 be about francs $50
ccnts per hour On the other hand the Brush dynaldo
electric inachinesn American invcntion-s represented
as furnishing light Of 1000 caDdepower at Gl cents
per hour The estimate thus made for the work OF the
Brush machine and engine Fuel per hour 100 pounds
of coal. 10 cents oil, waste, etc, cents; car3ons
burnt lamps 16 cents j. per cent on cost f"i
interest and wear 13 cents; wages OF engineer 20
cents; total, 81 cents. Product Through four lamps
bx eaua 10 that of 500 gas burners each of five feet
per hour. Comparative cost OF light by gas, thirteen
times that OF electricity 1t will be seen that the es
mated cost Of the glt from the Brush machine Is one
sixteeulh of that from the Ja5locEkof system The
estimate Of the latter doubtless cones from rival
that Of the former from friend OF The lnVent0r ou'
the discrepancy Is beyond all eApIihaLoD'
PHYsIC FOR GRAssHOPPERs.-POisOno quail
tics are populrly attributed to the castoroi bean the
fruit OF Ricinus coinnns According to the statements
OF California newspaper, this property extends to the
leaves sufficiently make them OF use in destroying in
tecs By distributing the leaves where grasshoppers
were numerous great numbers Of the nsects were soon
killed The effect poison upon the grasshOpper is
sd apparent very shortly after ii eats portion OF
leaf The insect bew GeCed vanly attempts TO
jump or fy, and finally, tumbh ng over, oles.
ADVENTURES OF A Observation-Disclosures
Lewis Swift Rochester, well Known dscoverer Of
comets, describes neteorite recently obtained from
Augusta Co.. Va. Three others. OF similar general
characteristics, have been found i'll that part OF virginia
aud surmsed that they all fell in one shower OF
The extreme dimensions Of this meieorite are
1s l1l and inches; its weight is 152 pounds II was
originally found in 1858 1852 a farm near Stain-
ton By a negro who noticed its great weight and carried
Il miles find purchaser but vailly though he
offered 81 II laid for several years behind black
snitl's shop Then it was used i'll building a stone
fence ii heavy and shapeless II soon fell out
list afterward selected 1t suitable for use as an
anvil i'll hammcrng out gold plates. The stone next
formed part The wall OF cster, aud was there rcc0g
nzcd FOR tie first tune as meteOre Dy MI M a. Si-
ler OF Staunton.
SPIDERS TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD
AT a recent meeting of the Philadelphia Academy OF
Sciences, Rev DR.. McCOok contributed an interest
Ing essay spiders One species. the Sa1otes reaGtor
ius distributed with little vsration in form or color
arOuud the world. From cabinet specimens, ne co ld
tace II (cOng Westward from the extreme eastern
limit Of this co9tlnen: 10 the extreme western coast Of
Africa found tho line OF distribution TO coincide
with the belt northern trade winds. tie thinks the
spiders migrated from point TO point by tirOwne out hnc
threads snspendin themselves so as 10 Oe CARED
by the wind. So he has been able to prosecute
ths inquiry there corresponding line OF dS'rlbniOh
for these spiders in countries swept by the southern
I'm dc winds Tie theory needs further facts TO tic