New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-26
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

THE ANCIENT LAKE DwELLERs.-Ihe SWISS
exp Oratons this year have furnished large "un'o
additional relies Of the lake dwellcrs. The most hP"l
fam NJ these luds" has boon at SeebeTg, In canton
Berne, small lake and ADJOINING pe"F
hulk remaps consisted usual and bone
implements. articles In wood and po'oIS' Ia"
pottery il very primitive. made entirely ~ manu. anu
balea before an open Are Nevertheless some OF tue
sna,inens nossess certain rude shapeliness sncieh
10 show that the designers makers OF them were NV
atogeth destitute II artistic Instinct 'ho I'm.
dUelers were also basketmakers, ana ho' u"sNi' ~
carpentry, one OF tho " iads" being pehV o''a
de exactly Ike those In Use nOw,-and the ha'o"o'"
d,es oro exceedingly well made ono wooden lns'ru-
ment bears an almost startling likeness To tine StocA u
ns,o and ht easily be converted into one; III prooa
bv served a. the af OF bone tool or weapon Tor DOT
or thrustlng Bone chisels were Numerous varying
in SIZE from four to centimctres long ana from QUO
10 two centimetras broad Arrow-heahs OF tne saine
material we're found. and the metatrsal Done Vi
fashioned into pair of forks and evidently Intended
for use at table. This gives a higher antiquity 10
forks for eating than has ever before Deeh
ascrbed TO Them and that the elegances OF NE
were by no means unknown TO the prmllVs ihhhoauts
Of the lakei aud from the number OF bone hdrplus
Sud AMONGST ho 1nt tools and weapons OF war; II is
evident that they paid some attention 70 INC auo
Of thrr rrsons The animal remains found on the turf
nor tra unmcrous Among them the bones of the
dog the badger aud the common Oter ING ldlter MeC
donbtiess moi with in the Immediate neghborhood or
Ne i.E but The presence Of the bones OF the wild OK
@ ~ ne besT Indicate that the lake- weers were bold
aud skilfn hunters As Wen as f NE most numerous
animal remains brought to light we're those eI inc com
mon cow and the moor-cOw These exist IN every stage
Of grOwth showing that their owners had taste Tor
both veal and beef, while their fohdnesl iof Ncnson
bv ne eyroTers Evidence OF like character shows
that they were hunters Of the Wild boar ana eaters OF
fine dolnescatcd pig and tho existence OF the beaver III
and m prehistoric times Is atesed by the pres
cnce among other bones Of several which comparative
declare to have belonged to that rodent one
omission on the list is striking No mention Is made OF
the bones Of horses having been found, from which
NAV b. inferred with toerable certainty that the horse
was either altogether unknown 10 tle ancient lake
dwcllers, that they had not succeeded III capturing
and tanning him.
SATURN AND MARs.-The late conjunction
OF these two bodies thus described by Professor sW
OF Rochester, To the naked eye Saturn and Mars pre-
scented a beautiful appearance The contrast OF coior
was very strong. Under the telescope the spectacle
was insplng Mars showed beautiful red disc beside
the white globe and rings of Saturn Just before sun
rise the finest possible OF Saturn was Obtained
The instrument employed q three-inch telescope
with comet eye-pcce magnifying ory-hye dlaineterS
The definition perfect, aud the shadow OF the planet
proper upon the rings was all appearances perfectly
black The effect Of the advancing sunshine was no'eu
with interest Mars retained his color wel hut grad
ualIy changed to light red dark pink Saturn be
co-,e q ghost OF himself He assumed pale leaden
hue sufficiently pronounced, however 70 distinguish
him from the light blu. Of the sunllt sky. The rings
beld their own, and very good deni III OF the paSt
coud be obtained by careful focusing and close work
ith tGe eve The two planets were kept IN the field OF
the telescope for tour hours until o'clock in the
morning. At that time the planets were hut few min
utes apart aud presented a marvellous spectacle
LIGHTNING RODs.-A correspondent of The
Boston Trareler gives in brief form these useful facts
about ughtningrods: l. The course OF lightning Is
constant or prearrauged, and n building should be
struck twice In the place the course would be the
Same both times, matter how crooked us path, pro
ydiug everything in precisely the same position
throughout the house; hence It's path can be supplied
by proper arrangement of metal 2 very small
amount OF connected metal larger than q telegraph
wire will conduct ordinary lightning stroke o.
Lightning seldom II goes below tho top floor OF
house provided with gas water pipe. or be-
low the uppcrmost floor that contains them
In wooden house provided with pipes, IL lie more
difficult to state its beforehand although Il vii
generally strike the chimney ana end nj the wei u
drain If the house fits course through the house
being governed by the amount Of moisture in the doT-
ent timbcr plaster, etc., in the absence OF any metal
conductor lgbtningrod does not attract lightning.
strictly speaking it simply conducts 1t Ike any othnr
metal. A great many people Will put zinc 1ashings.
copper CUTTERS iron cresug and metal OF all forms Oh
their buidngs and never fear lightning but make that
same metal ia the form Of lightning rod ana tney
would not stay inside the building during thunder
shower. tin roof connected with the earth by water
spouts or metal in any FORM makes eX-
cccnt lightning rod there is no need OF separating
your tin roof from the wood with glass the electricity
will ne yer leave metal for wood II the metal continue
10 moist earth All metals conduct sufficiently well Tor
ngbtnincrod. The principal requsitiOn Is perfectly
contiguous rod going ia the most direct line from the
highest points to the moist earth theoretically copper
is six times better conductor than IRON, but pract
cally for lightning rod iron ia nearly as good con
ductor copper IL MAKES VERY me nrSy,ded II is
strong and substantial. SIR W. snow Harris is PeIhips
the best authority on liQhtnngrodS' nu Pro1ao 10 %
the safe side, he recommends iafRe IoG. nc hu-
yises the OF rod threquhrefs or an men III udn-
e'er although he admits that probably meyer n the eA
perlence Of mankind has rod Onehai men III diameter
been melted, and In every case where roo quar-
ter inch In diameter has been melted has been In he
form II chaln this OF course, giving snal connecting
ponts between the links. offers great resistance, CON
There ltle doubt but that solid iron WIRE oneqndr-
ter inch in diameter, Will conduct any ordinary
charge OF lightning in safety, observing the necessary
arrang ements. the most important OF which Is the
ground connecticut
DISTINGUISHING FIREs.-Sulplide of carbon
Is now largely used Paris for extinction Of chimney
fires Dr. Heeren has remarked in the Hanover Society
Of Engineers that. according 10 his experiments 100
grdmmes Of the suphide. consumed in a shallow open
dish with free Of air require fully six minutes,
and the sulphurOus and suphur1c acids formed must
undoubtedly De much diluted by the large amount of
nitrogen in the ar required for combustion while they
mist be greatly expanded by the high temperature
Dr. Heeren therefore recommends the use Of condCIscd
7UlphurOus acid powerful agent Tor the purpose
question.
HORRORs OF THE PERIHELIA-Nlr. r. a. Proc
has been expressing his views upon the predicted
planetary troubles or course, he styles the gloomy
forebodngs propOsterOus In FAR he says such
predictions ssve the mark are based on the idea that
the planets influence the suns photosphere, may say
SO much as this, that instead OF the giant planets Jup
ter Saturn. Uranus ana Neptune being the chief solar
dsturDers according to those students Of Science
who maintain this theory, Venus would be and Is
powerful Than OF those planets, and our earth
powerful than the three outermOst OF the giant planets
To see this It is only necessary To remember that the
tide-raisng power Of planet or other orb Uhat being
the nature Of the Influence assumed according to this
theory) does not diminish the square of the distance
increases but "a the cube n the distance Increases