The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-02-17
SClENCL.

antiquity Of Man.-Profcssor Nudge
has presented some interesting evidence
relating TO the antiquity Of mau iu The
Kansas City Review of Science. He
starts by assuming the correctness Of
the generally accepted opinion among
geologists that man was OIL the earth
at tho close of the Glacial epoch, and
offers evidence to prove that the anti
guilty of the race cannot be taken at
less than 100000 years. After the
Glacial epoch. gcologists recognized, :,
by their effects, three others, namely,
the Champlain, the Terrace and the
Delta, all supposed to be Of nearly
equal length. His argument for csti-
mating the duration Of these epochs
is as follows; lie takes the case of the
Delta Of the Mississippi, and notes the
fact that, for distance OF about 200
miles Of this deposit, there are to be
observed buried forests Of large trees,
onc.over the other, with intcrspaces OF
sand. Ten distinct forest growths Of
this nature have been observed, which
must have succeeded one a.U!hc~.
"These trees arc the half cyp,ess O.
the Southern states. Some have been
observed over rs feet In diameter, and
ono contained 800 annual rings. In
some instances these huge trees have
grown over the stumps OF others equal.
ly large, and such instance occur in all. .
or nearly all. the ten forest beds -
From these tacte it is not assuming too
much to estimate the antiquity of each
Of the forest growths at 10000 years.
or 10000 years for tn; n tt rests. Tt is
estimate would EOL take in account the
Interval of the time-which doubtless
was considcrablc-tlIat elapsed between
ba Il nd Z b,,,
Ing Of another. "Such evidence" con
cludcs Professor Nudge" would be re-
coived iii ally court of Jaw us sound
and satisfactory. We do not see how
such proof IL to he discarded when ap-
piled to tho antiquity OF our race.
There Is satisfactory evidence that man
lived in the Champlain epoch. But the
Terrace epoch, or the greater part Of it.
intcrVencs between the Chumpluin and
Delta epochs, thus adding to my 100,
OOUG years, II only us much time is
given to both cp0chs as TO the Delta
epoch, 100000 years in the total re-
suit"
Mr.. Clamond, IL French electrician,
has succeeded in devising Il ther- electric
battery, producing current sufficient
ly powerful TO yielu The electric light.
A factory in Paris is now, indeed,
lighted by this means. The one, com
posed Of pieces Of iron, arranged in
the form Of Il crown, which can be
heated in the interior. This Is called
the collector, its purpose being to col
lcct the heat and lhru communicate 1t
to the adjacent thermo-pilc proper.
This consists OF flexible chain, Of any
desired length, composed Of cubes OF
antimony and ziuc, sol.ercd together
ny sheets Of tin. In the compete nDpa.
rdtus there are 600 of these "couplcs,' -
outside which are fixed the plates OF
ditfuse the heat OF the collector. a
large surface is thus exposed to The air,
III order that as great Il difference OF
temperature as possible may be main
tulncd between the collector and the
difluscr, for npon this difference the
strength Of the current chiefly depends.
M. Claymond has been 80 successful
t.at with one OF his batteries he has
been enabled TO light two Of S.rrin's
lamps, and with smaller but equally
powerful battery he can light for less
brilliant lamps. This is done with the
consumption Of nine kilogrammcs o.
or about twenty pounds of coke an
hour Tor the larger, aud six and one
half rounds for the smaller, tlcmo. cl, c.
,ric battery. The enpparalus, moreover,
warmth cs we'll rs light, since its large
exterior surface causes it TO radiulc a
considerable quality of heat.
Depths Of LukcS.--ln Baikal (S:bcria)
sounuings have been, obtained, which,
for lake, are truly astonishing. 1t
the upper part the depth is 3,O27 metres
(about the height of Noun Etna), but
DOWNWARD the bottom constantly de-
ccnds, and near the opposite end, "A
distance OF some 800 miles, the tlcpth
amounts 10 3,7GG metres. The meas
urcment far exceeds anything to be
found IN the Mediterranean Sea, which
In It's deepest parts has only 3, 1877 me-
tres Of water. How such an ordinary
depression ns that OF Is .ikal could have
occurred In the midst OF 4 continent is
aproblcm which greatly puzz cs gcolo-
glsts, but the generally accepted idea
Is that it was the result Of some yolcu-
mic eruption in past agcs, and Il subsc-
qucnt subsistence OF the crust of the
earth toa vast extent. The lakes i'm
the ccnue of Ncw-Zraland arc equally
remarkable in point OF depth. Tie cX-
trcmc depths OF the Taupa and Waika-
oi Lakes in the North. and Lake Wa
katlpu III the South, have never been
iathomed. Trey are known to be very
Economical Lamps. S.-Accordlng TO a
German trade paper new kcrosine
and spirit lamp has been invented, in
winch the wick is made entirely OF glass.
several advantages urt claimed for il.
The flame cl ngs closely 10 The wick, SO
that ligh.cd lamps may be carried about
without fear OF their being cxtinguishcd
ny sudden draughls; Worcovrr, no
sparks are liberated from 1t. With an
equal amount Of this wick turned up,
much brighter and clearer light Is
obtained than were cotton ones are
used. The smoking is greatly reduced
ana ut least 10 per cent Of oil is suve,I.
Inerc IS scarcely any waste Of the
wick itself, and the Troublesome trlu-
ming ana cutting TO which lamp burn
ers are accustomed arc altogether need
less, Tor no portion OF it is carbonized.
Oscd IN spirit lamps it greatly incrcas-
es the hch, of the flame, AID finally, 1t
Is claimed that it can be DrOduccd and