The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-03-12
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

Prepare expressly Tor the EhPoklA NEWS
a Frenchman has succeeded in making
Il watch which, in addition 10 the time of
day, indicates the day of the week and
month and each phase of the moon
The topophone is a new scientific in
trument for determining the direction
from which sound waves come. Aside
from its value in acoustic Investigations,
it must prove practically useful at sea in
locating fog signals.
4 remarkable popularity of the ma
tivcs of southern China Is that the great
c-of each foot is separated from the
others like the thumb of the hand, and
can be used in much the same manner,
although not to an equal extent.
Carbonic acid, when pure, is most
active and fatal poison, destroying life
and extinguishing flame, not from the
absence of oxygen, as is often supposed,
but from the presence of active qualities
which are destructive to life and combus-
ton. If inhaled pure, instantaneous
death results.
The surface of Great salt Lake has
risen eleven feet since 1867. Prof. King
believes this rise to be due MOTTO the cul-
tivatioh of the surrounding country but
to- a climatic oscillation that began about
1860, and which is the first of its kind
and extent that has occurred within at
least two hundred and fifty years.
Among some mineral specimens from
a South American mine, the remarkable
discovery has been made of an ammon-
tie "a fossil shelly transformed into native
silver. Long ago the chemical action
between the shell and the silver ore with
which it was in contact resulted IN the
gradual disappearance of the original
shell, metallic silver being deposited in
its place.
A quantity of -four was exposed by a
French cxperimenter TO a pressure OF
three hudred tons, reducing it to one
fourth It's original bulk. 4 portion of il
was then placed in cans and sealed, the
same being done with some impressed
flour. A year afterward the cans were
opened, when the impressed flour wa:
found to be spoiled. while the pressed
was in excellent preservation.
| According to Dr. Emil Holub, relics
of an extinct race of much higher cul
ture than now belongs to any native
tribes have been found in the interio
of south Africa. Among the remains
are seen workings of ancient mines
some even of gold, and the ruins of rud
Qualifications. These evidences remint
the great traveller of the African empir
of Monomatapa, as mapped on old Port
ugese charts.
Ammonia, so useful in agriculture an
the arts, is a compound of nitrogen an
hydrogen; and for long time som
method of utilizing the nitrogen of til
air in its production has been sough
The desired result has Mt last been a
tanned by two European chemists, VIII
cause hydrogen to combine with at no
pheric nitrogen in suitable apparatus
the aid of electricity. The economy {
this process remains to be shown.
The original home of various plant
Is thus stated: Cabbage grew wild i
Siberia; celery originated in Germany
the potato, in Peru; the onion, in Egypr
tobacco, in. South America; nillet,
/ India; the nettle, in Europe; the citrol
in Asia; oats in north Africa; rye, in
: IBERIA; parsley, III Sardinia; the parsnil
in Arabia; the Sunf1owcr, in Peru; til
horse chestnut, in Thibet; the ounce,
Crete; the horseradish, in the south
Europe; and the pear is supposed to /
native of Egypt.
That certain insects possess a powt
taken to reason is illustrated by Gleditsc
a German naturalist, who relates that /
one day spittcd toad on stick while
he fixed upright in the ground. II
odor Of the decaying body of the repti
attracted Il number of burying beetle
but as they found they could do nothiT
with the toad while in the air, tho
E mined under the base of the stick unit
: it fell, when they buried toad and site
/ together Such an engineering attem
: would seem to indicate the presence of
= definite purpose.
The announcement that Balmain
S Summons point is soon to be Offered
|. the market has aroused much interest
England. The preparation is bas'
upon the well-known phosporesce
property of sulphide of calcium, Il
principle being that lately applied
n producing self luminous clock dia'
Articles coated with the paint continl
n to emit a gradually decreasing pho
phorescence for some hours after e
), posure 10 strong light, and it
claimed that this property W
be retained for eight or Il
= years. The range of application ,f ii
7" invention is great, bat it must prove
pecially valuable in spirtvaulis, powd
l. magazines mines, and ali places whe
ordinary lights can only be used at CT
y siderable risk. 1t has been sanguine
e suggested that the time may come VIII
gas and electricity will be superseded
~ the use of coating for walls which, dl
II ing the day will absorb sufficient liz
r. to continue luminous throughout t
night.
m G D pIHCc