New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-01-11
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

SCIENCE FOR The PEOfLE'
ELrCTRIcIrY IN SILK WINDING.-An IN
yentor in this cty.s ys The Seientne American ''"'
10 have perfected electrical device whicn VIII w"
teriolv reduce Il cost OF silk reelng and so make inc
nroduct,on of silk commercially prohtaoio III 'niS
country Frcm their exceeding iineneSs inc SILK S'u
are liable TO freak while bang unwound nom Inc co.
eoons making necessary close attention on the part OF
Tho person superinteudng the work The STRANDS VI
A from four coo ous are usually out on one reel 10
form a single thread, and one woman cannot 90 moIc
than attend at mos; 10 two reels II has poen clah'u
by many interested in the silk trade tha' ho VA
chnery could be ma &c delicate enough to watch thiS
work automatically. The attention OF the inventor was
drawn this subject two years ago ana he naS MY
perfectcd his application of the electric current 10
This work Bv running tie strands over calclu'! '''
anced wires when one breaks the wire drops l"'' nv
cury and closes circuit which acts on an cieC"o ''P
in the reel Tue work thus stayed until the sr"nu
splced ard the circuit broken. In tins way inc c'V
,r,cv watches the strands. and the attendant has OILY
20 notice the reels and start them when they STOP ~
tho old way not than six pounds 81 sE conI n,
wound in a week; bv this invention II Is cldIu'u INC mo'
forfy pounds will he wound IN the same ti'u ,n
Tue promoters Of this invention T., nope Sis country
increase greatly the silk industry IN LUIS ,d IN ths
Owing 10 the cost labor, cocoonS are mol r@eeu n
country TO any great extent Ihct exported
for recling aud then much OF the raw SIN ~ LA ~ ,6
cocoon can cEcaPly wound Of here In [hc mar me
where the mulberry is common, II steIe'eu 'n"' "0
TRIcHIxE IN FIsH.-Mr. Fred Mather' the
well known pisccuturst, is editing very interesting
Asbinc department in The Cheaqo Fieid In a recent
article he refers the reports that tnchn3 au Dreh
fonnd in fish, disscnts thercfrom vigorously and oers
to cat any fsh said to be affected by them
Mr. Mather then enters into some details
on the general subject OF parasites in man. ana many
,nns M as follows We think we are correct ID assert
inc that SO far az Is known there is no evidence th
any human being has suffered from parasites pIVuu
by eating fish" MI Mather speaks as one having S Su
ILoritv and his opinion will Tend to alay any alSh tn"t
the reports may have created
A New ELECTRIC LIGHT.-AnOther form of
electric light Ia. been added to the many recently de-
yi.ed within the past few months The inventor 10 MT
n H. Bruce. Of Troy. y. Y. The machine Is simple not
exceeding five pounds in weight and possesses at least
one novel feature Tie Troy Times gives this description
OF the apparatus: con circular STAND, partly Woou
md partly brass are mounted two small posts, eighteen
md twenty inches in height From these two arms pro-
iect toward each Other for the support OF carbon can
die Outside the longer post is brass tube between
one ana two inches in diameter, and twelve inches long
Within il weight two inches long which Is made 10
follow the sand with which the tube is filed as 1t runs
out OF a small orince al the bottom As the sand goes
ont the weight. sinking with low and regular move
nept raises bv mcans OF cord aud pulley, second
carbon candle l such way that the upper END Is IN
close proximity constantly with the lower end or the
upper carbon candle Wires close the circuit between
the cllboDs and powerful dynamoe!ectTc machine
supplies the current by means OF Httie contr."nre
sand may he increased diminished at pleas
IRE. The clrb0ns give out a steady; Drii!Hnt
light. equal To 1j00 candles last seven hours, ana
may b. obtained for - hundred The inventor de,
tiSns HI, hight for ne illumination OIL PARKS srce'S aN'
for coast service only"
PLANETARY PHKNOMENA-A very interest
tDg conjunction OF the planets Jupiter and Venus taxes
place on the evening Of the 23d inst Venus
will he below. or south, Of Jupiter, and when
Mt their nearest approach tie two bodies Will
not be more than one degree apart The
new moon will also be found little to the cA or left,
of the planets On account OF their ncaness TO The
sun however, the spectacle Of the conjunction
Of these brilliant planets, with the crescent moon
in attendance. VIII not he striking as If it
had been visible under favorable conditions Jup
ter sets that evening az o'clock, and the phenomenon
will be best about half an hour carier-On the last
day Of the present month there VIII also be an
occuaton by the moon OF the Pcadcs or Seven Sisters
The moon will begin passing this cluster directly
after sunset evening, and she VIII be about nine
days DID, the disappearance oil the stars Delhu eI m
vancing dark edge VIII be very interesting when viewed
through small telescope or even Good opel" glass;
AN EARLY AND SUCCESSFUL ELECTRIC LIGHT.
"A letter in The Salcm CIass. ObSerrer from Professor
Farrar OF the Torpedo Station at Newport r. L. shows
that as early 1859 he had succeeded in dividing the
electric current, and lighting his house successfully
by electricity a gavanc battery says the Professor
of some three dozen siXgalOn Jars was placed III the
cellar OF the house. and this furnished the electric cur
rent which conveyed by suitable conducting wires TO
the mante-pece OF the parOr, where were placed Two
electric lamps on each end OF the manclpece Either
lamp could be lighted at pleasure. or both al
once by simply turning n little button to the
right for light to the left for dars. No matches no
danger no care 10 household, ~ anyone except
10 tie man who attended to the battery This light was
noticed as being soft mild agreeable to the eye, aud
more delightful ~ read or sew by than any lsht ever
seen heOl It, discontinued, al thdt ume lOf
The simple mat the aclds and enc consumed III
the battery made the light cost about -FOUR
Ca.-light. that have cheap electricity IRON
Ihe dvuamoecctric machine, We may soon expect bet
fer thu rs OF the wear 1870 subdlNdcd an clec-
tric current into fortytwO different branches putting
with electricity from machine. which ana not weigh
more than 500 pounds, and which was uilNeh Dy
small steaInengine.'
THE SIZE AND FIGURE OF TIE EARTH-
Pro sor Listing gives in tue AStOHOmiSche AGchTtc-
ten the following results OF ms determination Of the
constants OF the calths figure: Equatorial
radius, G.377.377 metres; polar radius, G,333,21O
metres; mean radius. G,377,000 metres; equa-
toraI quadrant OF 800 metres meridian quadrant
10000 gOJ metres; cc,cnrici;y OF meridian section,
$3.50; length Of seconds pendulum At equator,
d. and pole 99l.99is, 993'572l ana 99Gll9j mill
metres respectively; force of gravity Al equator, 40
and pole. 9.7-O72-, 9sOGl6j, and 9S3lGo3 metres
respectively; also IN general the length OF the
seconds pendulum equals in milmctresl 99O994S plus
5l5f7 times the square OF the sine oi the dltule ana
the force OF gravity equals IN metres - f-OfZS Wus
OOJOs7J times the square OF the sine OF The. laude
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