New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-12
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE

NJ Lowe has q brief but timely article IN Science %
serrer for June the folly OF refrgerang ships Tor
the destruc6n OF yellow fever germs Mr.. Lowe says !;
In the case OF ship. floating In medium. the temper
AZURE Of which far above freezing or as may be the
case i'm the Gulf OF Mexico at from 6O' to 75o Fahr
although the general temperature OF the air III the ine
rlor Of the ship may be considerably below freezing
even enough so for the deposition OF frost upon objects
contained therein 1t Is no evidence that the cracks ana
crannes which nearest or next the SKIN OF INC snip
Will be thoroughly refrigerated. but on the contrary
they will constantly have their temperature restoreu
them by convection OF heat from the water lying against
the wall Of the ship, and were it possible for frost
TO collect upon the sides OF the ship, 1t could compee
overlap such crannes without reducing the nclosed air
or substance to the freezing point II may, then he as
serted that practically impossible so thoroughly 10
absorb the heat from these nerstices as TO maKe te
destruction Of the spores matter OF certainty Ihe
thermal condition OF the hold OF ship under process o
refrigeration supposng that thorough circu'a-
OF cold currents could by possibility be estaD
shed il no evidence that IL impossible for yellow
fever germs still there II is reasonable then
suppose that the cause OF the recent failure 10 assn
obliged IN return TO port on account the fever again
breaking ont after the vessel had been thorOushy
treated by freezing process may be referred 20 rue
circumstances above giveu. owing to essential differ
euces IN construction iron SHIPS are more rsPtcalg
even in the case Of wooden ships, little
cOuragement Tor perseverance IN THIS method
THE PROBLEM OF FLIGHT.-At the last
meeting Of the Aeronautcal Society of Great Britain
Mr. Glasher, who presided announced that during tine
past year the English Government had been expert
menng with balloons TO see how far they were appca
bic in actual warfare, but without any great success
Mr. Breary called attention TO the model OF new ma
chine i'm which ght was effected by impartng wave
like action 10 a loose surface extended I'm the direction
of It's length This discovery enabled them 10 make
very large surface effective for support which, WIN
wings alone, appeared 20 be impossible. or course
like every machine intended to find support in the arr
II must he balanced but In the model before them sch
was ITS stability that an inch or less did not aec
IT, So that they we're at liberty contemplate the con-
strucon Of an aeria vehicle the dimensions OF when
would suffice TO maintain in motion 600 OF 700
square feet of canvas, actuated by steam power anu
capable Of supporting the additional weight OF man,
whose weight, together with the machine, wonld NOT
certainly exceed 500 pounds and they could contemplate
the man as being able TO move few feet backward or
forward without much affecting the STABILITY OF the ma
chine As the future of aeronautcs Mr. Breary sald
members Of the society, IN were now I'm FAR more
favorable position than they had ever been yet 70 FORM
diions necessary for flight were pretty wen
aud there remained but the mechanical difficulties
which would be overcome by experiments
NEW SPECTROsCoPE-Dr VIM. w. jacques
of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. has IN
vented a form OF spectroscope, which greatly eA-
tends the possibilities OF spectrOscOplc research Nv
enabling the experimenter to study not only
the rays of luminous gases, as at present,
but also those emitted by solid and hqWd
incandescent substances. BY the new Instrument,
too the student measure the relative lntenstes Vi
the different physical rays. During the past year DE-
Jacques has made with this spectroscOpe an extensive
series Of measurements, OF variety OF substances d-
erIng widely in physical and chemical properties from
which ne has determined their molecular weight and
o1tginu IN
Of the molecules The similarity of the kinds and nten
sites OF the rays emitted by all substances and the DIFF
fercnces differences IN the weights OF the mole
cues. point strongly to the conclusion that
all matter is made up OF ultimate particles
which are alike, and that different forms OF
ment Of these particles in the mOlecue This view. It
will be remembered. vas lately advanced Dy MI LOCK-
YER of England. a suggestive and TemaIkiple paper
read before the Royal society and Is somewhat sng
lar 10 find Dr. Jacques reaching sil. 1 Isi
experiments have been embodied in neat Illustrated
pamphlet published by the Cambridge university IIeSs
INDIAN CYCLONEs.-The study of meteOrlo-
ogy is making rapid progress ia Hndostan Forynine
observing stations in 'ull operation, ana day
reports from them regularly teegraphed ana cir
cuated together with photographic weather chart
one of the most important and Interesting objects OF
study has been the fearful cyclones which seem to take
their rise in the Bay of Bengal and prove so terribly de-
trucye 10 both life and property. According to lndlan
meeoroOgsts tho anecedent conditions OF these cy-
clones are calm the sea, with barometIc
pressure equal or neatly equal around the coasts Under
these circumstances large quantity OF yapor Is pro-
uced by the solar heat and, being unable 10 escape
apatn condensed and beraes great amount OF latent
heat over the place OF its production. The replacement
Of cooler by warmer induces local dimnuuon OF at
mo pleric pressure, and this causes violent mdraught
OF air IN which cyclonic circulation is developed by the
earths rotation according 10 known laws. The accept
ance Of this theory leads to the conclusion that by fur
her observation, and clegraphic communication with
the Andaman and Nc)bar Islands the initiation and ap-
proach of a cyclone may he forcSccu and ore;od, and
threatened portions Of the might be warned
davs I'm advance Warning Is the more necessary, as the
cyclones much destructive on the lana than on
Inc sea The coast of Southern India is generally low,
and requires in many places protection by embank-
meut For OF this protection 10000 persons per
lsAed al MAJ upatam IN "A single night under the storm
wave raised by IA furious cyclone.