Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-04
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

such artistic design that they might
serve as elegant models for modern
potters.
Forty-three small planets, or ono.
fifth of the total number now known
have been discovered by Prof. Peters.
of Clinton, N. Y. For this service
to astronomy he has been awarded a
piizs by tho French Academy Of
Sciences.
Experiment shows that tarrinc
ropes slightly diminishes their
strength against pulling strain:
but ropes SO treated maintain a high
average of tenacity much longer
than .untarred ones, on account of
the protection the tar affords against
atmospheric and other causes of de.
terioration.
Authorities disagree somewhat as
to the highest recorded velocity of
tho wind. AS to velocity OF wind
blowing in straight line it is claimed
that ITO miles an hour has been re-.
corded; while a cyclone, or wind
with rotary motion, attains o much
greater velocity-probably $50 miles
an hour having been observed.
Measurements Of such oxtraordi,A
nary gales are obtained with diff.
Guilty, and can hardly no CDR sidered
accurate.
1t is believed that the darkness of
the deep.sea may DO mitigated to
some extent by the phosphorescence
of certain animals. Prof. Moseley
thinks it probable that such of the
denizens of the oceans depths as
have eyes congregate around these
light.giving forms, or grope their
way in the gloom from one bunch
to another as they lie scattered over
the ea.bottom--just as traveller
may half-feel, half-see his way from
lamp.post to lamp-post in a London
fog at night.
DR.. G. W. Siemens has been ex-
perimenting for some time with an
electric furnace tor the purpo"e of
melting in considerable quantities
highly refractory metals, such as
platinum. isid md steel. The
results obj are very satisfac.
tory. So I'M (9se was tho heat &C.
cumulated BY the electric current in
ono of these furnaces lately exhibited
in London, that in about twenty
minutes two pounds of broken files
were completely melted. 1t is stat.
ed that the arrangement may be up.
piled on large scale.
"A mathematical prodigy has lately
been exhibiting before the French
Anthropolo9ical Society. He is an
Italian boy of ten or eleven years,
with an intelligent look and large
head, but not remarkable in appear
ance. Among various calculations
be was asked to multiply 3,OOO,249
by 24O,073. The operation took
him two minutes, when he gave the
exact result. This boy can neither
read nor write. He has just be-
come acquainted with figures, but
declares that he can calculate less
easily than before learning them.
A lato cattle plague in certain
Russian provinces resulted fatally to
seventy6vo OF eighty per cent. Of all
the animals affected by it. Seeing
no escape for his cattle, one individ-
ual resorted TO the experiment OF in
oculating his healthy beasts with
tho virus taken from the diseased
ones. On the tenth day after the
operation all the cattle experimental
upon were taken i'll, and it is re-
ported that but eighteen per cent. 4
died, leaving eighty-two per cent Sc
cure from the epidemic. So salts
factory is this result. that the expert
ment is to be repeated on large
scale.
ga Boston physician" writes
Prof. r. A. Proctor, " from the re-
suit of his experience states that the
use of high-heeled boots causes in
jury to the eyes-not only weaken
ing the sight, but producing sem
sation Of constant pain. 1t is not
SO surprising as might be-
that tue eyes should thus, :