The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-05-06

OF stars; that the process OF deVelopment
is still going on in that region, but that,
if there be among the comets travelling in
regular attendance upon the sun one whose
orbit intersects the suns globe, it must
have struck before the era of man.
A RECENT invention provides for street
cars an improved rotary cumulative brake,
by which the power lost in stopping the
car is stored and utilized for starting the
same; this is done by friction wheels
worked by contact with the car wheel
when applied by the brake lever, produc-
ing the winding up of one or more springs,
the locking of the same by pawl and rachel
devices on the shafts of the friction wheels
until the pawls are released by treadle,
and the power stored up in the springs
applied to the wheels for starting the car.
The brake mechanism may be used in
either direction, the friction wheel shafts
sliding in guide slots OF the car frame. AS
soon as the car is desired to be started, the
brake lever is held in backward direction,
so as to press the friction wheels against
the car wheels; but at the same time a
treadle, operated by the foot lifts one
pawl out of the rachet-this pawl releasing
by its pivot joint, the second pawl, SO as tc
throw the joint power of the springs on
the friction wheels, and by the same on
the car wheels, thus assisting materially in
starting the car.
| In some observations on new theory
Of tides and waves, Prof. Taylor advocates
the view that the level of the ocean is
nearly represented by high-water mark on
coasts and bays where there is free access
of the tide, or in channel without con-
slant flow. He states that he entirely dis
believes in tidal action having the smallest
effect on the rotation of the earth, and that
the assumption of IA vast heap of water
travelling in one direction is great error.
He also suggests that some geological diff
culties, such as the evidence that tides
during the quaternary periods were three
or four times as large rs at present, may
be nationally explained by periodic changes
in the position of part of the interior of
the earth, rather than by supposing the
occurrence of great changes in the distance
of the moon from the earth. 1t is hardly
necessary to remark that this view of the
subject, though SO plausibly presented by
DR.. Taylor, is not likely to be generally
accepted.
II appears that the German army is
having the benefit of the latest improve
ment which has been brought forward in
d. the way of glass-that is, their old water
bottles have been abandoned, and substi-
tuted by a new pattern expressly con-
a structed in glass toughened by means of
the well-known Bastie process 1t is
stated that these new TASKS may be flung
Oh the ground without danger of breaking,
are net damaged by the ordinary casualties
of conclusion, and do not crack if filled
with hot fluids. The oppers-invented
specially for this purpose by Piritzner of
Berliu-are those known as pneumatic
shoppers, in the construction or operation
, Of lever presses disc of india rubber into
contact with the sides of the neck. The
flask is opened or closed by simple pres
sure on the lever, on being raised OF
lowered.
M. BERTEbn1, after studying more than
&c, 600 observations, reaches the following
conclusions, namely that the oscillations
of isolated pandululns are generally parallel
or pendicular to the axes of valleys o,
mountain chains; these oscillations are not
dependent upon local viEratory movements,
nor on the velocity or direction of the
wind, nor on rains, nor on thermometric
, or electric changes. He finds that the tro.
mometric movements are the most vertical al
the time of earthquakes, Another very inter,
esting conclusion arrived at by M Bertelli,
/ in this connection, is that the positions OF
the sun and moon seem to influence the
movements of the pendulums, but they are
especially frequent when the barometer
is low.
A MECHANICAL horse has been exhibited
in Berlin, and is decided novelty The
) rider is mounted on hobby between two
! high wheels, and moves his legs in rising
| and falling in the saddle, and the ma
, chine goes along at ths pace of a'fast trot
. ting horse. 1t is all the same whether the
: machine goes over the stones or move'
t swiftly on the hard highway, and the fa
$ cility with which the strange steed turn
around corners exctes, 1t is said, the ad
miration of all beholders.
. f...,s ------Ss---~~--
, Fine black tea has been grown fy,
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