Connecticut western news., 1879-09-10
NOTES AND COMMENTS.


 able Professor Peirce, of Harvard, on Meteors. One of the most difficult of all physical questions is that relating to the sources of the suns heat. That this heat is kept up by constant supply of meteoric bodies is not novel idea, but Professor Peirce's indorsement of it will certainly give it greater weight than 1t has generally been accorded by astrono- mers. Professor Newcomb well states the chief objection to the theory when he says that to maintain the solar heat in this way would require quantity of meteoric- matter so far beyond all req sonable possibility that the supply of heat cannot thus be accounted for. And accordingly, in common with many other men of science, he favors the contraction theory, which is in accordance with well. known natural laws, and admits of accurate mathematical investigation. That large numbers of meteors fall into the suu is undoubtedly true; that they fall in such quantities and with such force as to keep up the enormous supply of solar heat is theory open to many objections, and likely to be fercely dis puted. Professor Peirce will there fore stir up anew the controversies over the fuel of the sun. This is physical and not purely astronomical question, and is to be decided by reason and anal ogy rather than by observation.
 The big Krupp gun, breech-loader made of steel, was tested fortnight ago. The charge of powder was 40 pounds, and the weight of the shot 1,712 pounds. The velocity attained was 1850 feet per second at the muzzle. In each of the three rounds the weight of the powder charge was 440 pounds. The shot in the second round weighed nearly 1,7O9 pounds the velocity was 1,644 feet. In the third round the shot weighed 1,707 pounds velocity 1,65t feet. The first and second rounds were trial shots, for the purpose of obtaining the range. The target was distant 2, 735 yards. The first shot went over the target, the second fell short of it, but the third made good hit. The great gun-maker contends that the real measure of the power of gun is the height to which it would be raised by the power which is imparted to the projectile when fired. Krupp, with his great breech-loader, gives to proiectile of 777 kilo grammes velocity of 5O2 metres per second. This force would lift more than 10, 900 tons metre high, which is the same as raising the gun itself to height of 40 metres, or 45s feet. The energy of the shot fired by the Fraser 80-ton gun would raise the gun itself to the height of 121 metres, or 397 feet. So also the Arm strong gun of 100 tons develops an energy sufficient to raise that gun to an elevation of 125 metres, or 410f The power of modern artillery is well illustrated by the fact that the shot flies on it's way with force sufficient to raise the gun itself to an altitude equal to that of the gilt cross on the top of St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Krupl himself lays claim to power sufficient to make his steel breech loader oi seventy tons soar at least fifty feet above the topmost point.
 The announcement made by the Oneida Community has been followed promptly by the abandonment of the system of " complex marriages" on the part of the Society at Wallingford, Conn The "family" there has been reduced to about twenty members, and these must now take their choice of marriage or celibacy, and it is thought that those who are most faithfully attached to the doctrines<of the Community will prefer the latter. It is significantly stated that the women of the Community are unanimous in their expression of ap proval of the new arrangements.
 A pulpit telephone has been put into church at North Dana, Mass, so as to connect with the sick room of lady who has been an invalid for twenty-five years. The first message to her from the pulpit was, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" A lecture on the telephone is to be given to defray the expense of putting in the instru' ment.
 The discovery of two new metals is announced, named samaritan and nor. wegium. Paradoxical as it may sound to speak of the finding and christening of hither to unknown metal before it has been either seen or handled, yet such if the case with samaritan. As happened in the instance of the metal gallium, il has first become known to science by means of the spectrum analysis alone nor can it be doubted that in the verif. cation of its existence by the senses il will in due time follow the same prece- dent. Lecoq de Boisbaudran found, as he was examining mineral known under the name of samarkite, an emis- sion of unfamiliar rays. He has inferred thence the existence in this mineral of 8 new metal which he has accordingly named samaritan, and all he has now to do is to isolate it from the other ele' ments with which it is as yet combined. This has already been done for the other new metal. Norwegian, periodically so named after his fatherland by it's dis coverer, Prof. Tellef-Dahil, of the Uni versity of Norway, who detected it In g metallic compound of arsenic and nickel. The Professor has even determined the principal properties of his new metal, which he describes as being white, slightly malleable, of about the hard.