Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-04-16
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

miner. 1ne nSnt secured III This
way is very brilliant, and all risk of
explosion is avoided.
Commander r. E. Harris recounts
a strange experience off the Malabar
coast. On a clear, starlit evening
q bank of light was observed upon
the horizon, which gradually APP
preached until the vessels became
completely enveloped in great mass
of luminous matter. The light ap-
peared to advance in waves many
degrees above the waters surface,
like highly luminous mist, and OBJ
sculed by its intensity the distant
horizon. g. If the sea could be con-
verted into huge mirror. says Mr..
Harris, "and thousands of power.
full electric lights were made to
throw their rays across it, it would
convey no adequate idea of this
strange yet grand phenomenon"
The singular spectacle gradually
faded, although quite brilliant after
half an hour hal elapsed. Mr..
Harris believes the ,;ht to have been
due to the eel :; influence of cleo
tro-magnetic currents upon some
organic animal or vegetable sub
stance in the atmosphere. 1t seems
to have borne strong resemblance
to the aurora of polar ATTITUDES.
In Germany large quantities of
glucose, or grape-sugar, are
made from old linen rags. The rags
are converted into dextine by treat
ment with sulphuric acid. This is
washed with lime solution, when
the addition of stronger sulphuric
acid changes the dextine into glu-
cose. The process is economical,
but popular taste revolts against the
use of sweets from old rags, even
though the product is chemically
identical with the best grape sugar.
AS consequence the interference
of the German government with this
industry is anticipated.
A Munich professor thinks it pro-
bable that the molecules of marsh
gas MAJ attain sufficient velocity to
carly them beyond the sphere of the
ealth's attraction, and that the ex-
halation of our marshes may thus
contribute to cometary bodies.
The earth turns upon it's axis with
a surface velocity of over one thou
sand miles at the equator, while at
the poles the rate is reduced to zero
A scientific gunner states that, I'M
der special circumstances, heavy
guns with long ranges have to be
corrected for the different rate of
rotation of the earth at the place
from which one is fired and at the
point where the shot fall, which
difference may cause as much as
two yards DETECTION to one side or
the other in firing north or south.
The earth's rotation is thus actually
made visible.
The chaetodon, beautiful fish of
Japan, is endowed with a sort of
gun to aid it in securing its prey.
Seeing fly lighted near the surface
of the water, the fish gently ap-
proaches, and, aiming it's beak, fore
IDLY blows drop of water at the
unsuspecting insect, knocking it
from its perch into the water, where
it is easily seized.
The Amazon river is sail to be de.
creasing in volume from some I'M
known cause, giving rise to some
anxiety among inhabitants along its
banks.
Two German brothers, according
to the late George Henry Lewes,
always had sensations of colors ex-
cited by sound; and both were nc
customed to designate particular
tones by colors. The shrill womanly
tone of some mems voices they called
yellow; the rasp;ng voices of others
were to them brown. A German
scientist investigated the singular
case, and found that each tone had
corresponding coler to each of the
brothers. Thus to one the tone " d"
appeared a minslipg of dark-blue
with brownish violet; to the other, a
chestnut-brown with bright streaks.