The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1880-02-04
NO. 5.

DIR. Siemans, the eminent scientist,
has estimated that the entire coal sup
ply of the world would be required to
furnish sufficient power to pump back
the water which flows bver Niagara
Falls in a single year.
Ii is stated that NJ. de Bragga, who
has charge of an expedition to Senegal,
carries an electric battery i'm his pocket
communicating with two rings ON his
hand and with other apparatus about
his person. When he shakes hands
with a savage chief, that individual will
be surprised by an electric shock run
ming up his arm and lightning playing
about the head of his visitor. He will
naturally believe the stranger to be the
devil, and treat him with due respect.
The first minor planet, or asterold,
was discovered Jan. LIST, 1901, the first
day of the nineteenth century. Over
two hundred Of these minute worlds
probably varying from ten to three
hundred miles i'm diameter-are now
known, and, a. everybody is well aware,
the number is being rapidly increased.
"A dangerous and infectious disease
among bees is reported from Italy. 1t
is caused by a microscopic fungus, and
spreads very rapidly.
Forks have lately been found i'm the
debris of ancient lake dwellings-prOv-
ing their Use in a crude form in prehis-
toric times. The relics found were of
bone, and rudely fashioned, although
little doubt exists as to the purpose tor
which the implements weredesigned.
DIR. G.. Wilks described, at a recent
meeting of the London Clinical Socie-
ty, a remarkable case of lightning
stroke. A farm laborer was struck by
lightning while standing under a will
low tree, near the window of shed in
which his three fellow-workmen had
just taken shelter from violent storm
of rain. His companions found the tree
partly denuded of its bark, and the pa
tents boots standing at its foot The
patient himself was lying ON his back
two yards off, and, though he was pre-
viously fully clothed, he was now abso-
lutely naked. He was conscious, but
much burned, and his leg was badly
broken. The field around was strewn
with fragments of the clothing. The
clothes were split or torn from top to
bottom, but showed evidence of fire
only where they came i'm contact with
metal, such as his watch and the buckle
of his waist belt. The left boot was
torn and twisted INTO fantastic shapes,
but the sole was uninjured, and there
was no sign of fire upon il the right
boot had the leather much torn and the
sole rent and burned. A hole was
burned through the ease of the watch,
and the chain was almost entirely de-
stroyel- The stockings We're split down
the inner side. The hat was uninjured.
The patient stated that he was struck
violently ON the chest and shoulders,
became envelOped i'm a binding light,
and was hurled into the air, coming
down on his back, and never losing
consciousness. His body was covered
with burns, "a broad crimson band of
burning passing down each thigh and
leg. Twenty weeks after the occur
renee he was discharged completely
healed. Dr. Wilks remarked on the al
most complete exemption from injury
of the nervous system and on the prob
ability that the clothes being wet acted
rs good conductors, and so diverted the
electric current from the great nervous
trunks, thus saving the mans life.
Meteorological observations have now
become 80 extended that evidence is
rapidly accommodating to enable us to de
termine positively the source of the cold
aerial waves which sweep across our
country during the winter season. The
indications are that we owe them to the
great area of high barometer i'm north
eastern Siberia, where the pressure some
times exceeds 81 so inches, and the tenn
perature falls as low as IS degrees below
zero. The pole of greatest cold is in the
neigbborhoOd Of YOkutsk, on the Lena,
where the average thermometric reading
i'm January Is IL degrees below zero, and
where tine severest cold exceeds by 10
degrees that experienced in high arctic
regions. This is also the region of the
highest barometric pressure known in
winter; and from it, doubtless, proceed
the waves of intense cold which play
so large part in our winter experien-
ces.
Experts i'm metorology describe all
storms a. rotary, and caused by the
meeting of opposite currents of air of
different temperatures having a local
motion around constantly advancing
centre. North of the equator this mo-
ton is almost universally from right to
left; in the southern hemisphere the rule
is reversed. Ninety per cent of the tor
nadoes noted i'm the United States i'm
the last eight years have pursued gen.
eral eastward course, with greater or
less DETECTION to the north.