New-York tribune., 1879-01-04
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

A SINGULAR TRANsIT-Astronomers are not
always content with predicting trausits OF the INFERIOR
plsnets visible on the earth At the last meeting OF the
Royal Astronomical Society, London MI MARIN canou
attention to phenomenon occurring this year, which
thonrb ~ could not he seen here possessed perhaps
at least as much interest to astronomers as 'o'"i
eclipse OF the sun, visible only near one OF tue poe'
The phenomenon in question would only Dc seen "
astronomers on the planet Mars On November L.
1870 about two minutes before III, Greeh"iCu "o""
time small black body would make its appearance ou
The south following side OF the disc OF the sun i'll
minutes IL would have fully entered upon the disc anu
would proceed slowly from left to right III ule0'
little inclined TO the ecliptic of Mars ABOUT q
past Al another and bigger black body wou'u VI"
croach upon the disc and would occupy tweh'S oHo @
minutes before II had fully entered upon H. 'heso
lodes were the moon and the earth, and they "o"iu
b. visible from all parts Of planets whcre 'he s" ~
above the horizon. But observers placed aIohs w
tain zone or track would have the opportunity VI sVN
,br o.d opparently bigger body the suns DISC
Itvas AZ present somewhat uncertain, AT Wh"' 'i'"o
this third body would make its appearance p'oO'!
ohout n ou,rtcr 10 Al, while the moon was ye'
alone on the suns dice. THIS third bodS "ouu 'oiN
from the right hand side in direction at sIhU VI
about 20o toward the south al Whc9 pG' obssryers
fonrh cenrnaci Ou the station, nut MARTIAL opseINcs
,vsId have 10 be very quick 10 observe all the contacts
the time for dolnA so would 1G % %thJ hodv vas
sOmo twenty thirty seconds. Ihls thif1 pou3 mdS
Pbobos the inner satellite, but observers on WARS Wo9
I've fgr
moon in tlst Of PhoboS since I'D the e9sS SS - W.
Martial wear were no less than ABOUT l"oo udI
sis Of PnObOs across the sun visible RON SOM pl' :"
othaT of The papet while the number OF translts OF
Demos about 133 On the Other haho uansi's @ Ui
the earth aad moon were rare occurrences ' iSt o1 m
having taken place Ia the year 1oOO WDle lnc neA W
follow would happen In 1900. ABOUT quh,Sl ~ aU,,
The moon which meanwhile had apparently drawn
nearer to the EARTH would quit the sun DISC anu s
last external contact of the earth with me disc Wo
con act about halfpas llh. Ph0bos would AGAIN cross
the suns disc for certain stations alltr a'hS San
ep oil ttr1.. "a
How TIE ALPS WERE FoRMED.-Professor
Judd OF the Royal School OF Mines, London, gave re-
Gently an interesting explanation OF the formation OF the
Swiss Alps The results OF geological observations he
said show that four stages be recognized in the his
tor, of these Alps First the existence OF line OF weak
ness in hc eaIths crust nearly cOincdent Win the line
OF the present mountains This evidenced by the fact
that along this line of weakness there were volcanic
pubursts results Of which can still be traced Sec
ondly there followed along this line Of weakness de-
presson and this huge trough Of miles in extent
there were accumulated sands mestencs and cays by
Sarious forms water ageDces, and by animals hVlhg
In the waters. Thirdly, there followed the consolidation
Of these soft and loose materials. There evidence tha
the accumulation was OF from six to seven miles IN
thickness aud the weight Of the superintendent
material on the lower strata would have share III
effecting consolidation But this was not all In
fer this vast covering heat had led to erystallza
on from fusion There was too, the crushing III from
The sides Of trough This illustrated by model OF
the late Sir H. de la Beche, where Lateral pressure was
employed layers of different COOred clOth SHOWING
how Crumplug resulted with upliiing OF paris OF me
accumulated mass. Tourtoly, there had been the
sculptunng Of all this into its present form when was
the work Of rains and frOsts Some OF the existing
peaks even 5000 feet high were composed eDtIty %
Inc dsiuteEratcd material resulting from the acon OF
the water either ice in glaciers or as ram ana streams
The amount OF material removed IN tins way was so
stupenOus almost staggering TO try 10 grasp the
facts The sculpturg Of the contours SIM gong on
mis- fourth stage was OF quite recent date, speaking
CeOogcay; but the whole history involved lapse or
time which al tne beginning OF TINS century pos0Ies
would have been prepared to grant, even II thls
tuceacqured knowledge of Facts had been plesenedo to
them.
pRFsFRvATIvE GASES AND NAPORs.-Sum-
ming up his experiments IN preserving ami
mai substances Dr. Richardson gives tie following re-
tuts as the value Of various gases ana NdporS lie
SAYS Tne best agents the class Of and vapor
are ammonia hydro sulphlie, suphurous acid, cyan
oseD and methya For the perfect process Of pTeserya
ton for period sixty days at least all these may be
accented az prescrvaves which would bear any reason
able strain OF heat and motion during transit from one
part of the world to another, excepting, aw1ys these
accidental changes which and then occur, and
which yet remain nexplained The four preservatives
named preserve the structure Of the animal substance
only from decOmpOsiOn they do not preserve the color
The color can he preserved by carbOnc oxide or by
medium containing CarbOniC oxide such as coke VapOr
or coal gas by oxygen in hs free state Coke Vapor
ls ON the whole the most ready menstruum for use
everywhere, au0, l nay duu tIat IL - pWlo uHVp'
Iecticnable in regard TO communication OF taste or
pdor None OF these absolutely perfect. Ammonia
fails because retained IN the substance OF the hesh
md gives unpleasant taste SulphurOus acld lalIs
because 1t does not preserve for sufficient time after
the specimen IS removed into the open air and because
timparts slight acdity DESTROYS the natural Odor OF
freshly cooked meat aud conveys TO perceptDle de-
gree the idea of meat that has been saled CyanoGen
fails for may say the almost exclusive reason mat
is dangerous agent unless be useo WIN he nost
Ia,
mpthyla fails that il conveys taste, and the idea or
n preparation by sailing. Ths ammOnlated ana sulphur
cited parIu TAIL because OF the IeeHtoh ol INC taste
md OdOr OF the paIafn.'
New USE OF ELECTRICITY.-The French
Minister Of Public Works according TO the MOniteW
ScicuHfquO has been experimenting on the River Lot,
IN Avevron with electric apparatus designed to re-
produce automatically, from higher TO lower point
OF the rver the variations OF level so as TO give lnne
aia,e warning Of foods and enable the inhabitants to
make what preparation they can The experiments
were made between two points about mile apart Al
the higher, LarOque is float which follows the upward
and dow, yard motion OF the water (withont being
affected uy the currentl. II communicates its move
ments through battery and conducting wire TO the
needle Of a graduated scale at Capdenac the lower
popt and the needle thus indicates all the fluctuations
Of level At a certain point the scale is the word
danger and when the needle reaches this, 1t sets in
action number Of bells in the houses on the banks,
connected by wire with the instrument Thus the in
habitants are warned to make ready This curOns
apparatus the invention of NJ GfOs OF KOdeZ ana II
has met with the high approval from the Ministry Of
Public Works and the General Council OF AyeyrOn.
The need of something of the kind has been strongly
ie floods IN that region have proved very disastrous
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RELIGIOUS IN7ELLIGENCE.