Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-03-15
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

man DrlCk.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Just before the recent opening of tel
egraphic Communication with Zanzibar,
an interruption in the working of the
cable occurred, the cause of which was
found to be rupture arising from the
action of submarine volcano about ten
miles from the Zanzibar landing place.
This is probably the first instance of
volcanic interference with telegraphIc
operations.
DIR. v. Jagielsky asserts that the
Tartar steppes, Iceland, and the Shet-
land, Farve and Hebrides Islands, are
almost entirely exempt from consump-
ton. These places being low elevations,
the fact tells somewhat against the es-
pecial or exclusive value of mountain
climates. DIR. Jagielsky is inclined to
the opinion that the immunity is large
ly due to the universal use Of koumiss
and similar drink called "bland." A
large number of medical men share the
belief that if anything will check the
progress of lung diseases it is koumiss,
especially in warm, dry climate, like
that of the Tartar steppes during the
summer months.
By means of his newly-invented ther-
mopile, for the measurement of infni-
tessimal degrees of heat, MIR. Edison
asserts it to be possible to measure the
millionth part of degree Fahrenheit.
Nor is this all, for the new marvel will
show infnitessimal changes in the mois-
ture of the atmosphere" changes which
are hundred thousand times less in
quantity than those that can be indicat-
ed by the present barometer.
The petroleum lands of Peru extend
along the coast distance Of one hun
dred and twenty miles-the tract en-
bracing about 100000 acres. Where
the waters of the Pacific have worn away
the rocks at places along the shore, oil
trickles out at low tide, and for ninety
miles this outcrop may be followed along
the surface of the ocean.
1t is expected that electric motors
will soon be adopted on the street rail-
ways of Berlin.
DIR. Delamotte, an eminent savant
who is thoroughly conversant with the
geology and geography of Egypt. is of
the opinion that the ancient Nile had Its
origin in a lake much larger and higher
than the Victoria Nyanza and Lake
Tanganyika of to-day. From this lake
he thinks the water distributed through
various river channels, rendering fertile
a great area of the country which is now
a dried-up desert. The wearing away
of the Niles cataracts gradually formed
one deep channel, into which all the
water was ultimately diverted. Evidenc-
es of the dried-up rivers are now found
in great beds of sand, called by the
Arabs of the desert Bdhr- -Abtdd, or
''rivers without water" To again dis
tribute the water through these ancient
channels and thus restore great extent
of territory to its ancient fertility, in
creasing the arabic land of Egypt ten
fold, DR.. Delamotte believes may be
accomplished by raising the Niles cata-
racts-in other words, by creating a
suitable system of dams and locks. The
Khedive is said to be greatly interested
in this scheme of restoration.
According to Sa Mature. modifca-
tions of Edison's photographic matrices
has been invented by substituting stear-
inc for tin-foil, and electrotyping the
impressed surface. 1t has been suggest
ed that these electrotypes, which can be
made very cheaply, may render great
service in the study of foreign languag-
es, for they preserve indefinitely and
repeat as often as desired words that are
the most difficult to pronounce correctly.
A veritable pronouncing dictionary
might thus be made-an undertaking of
which the widest fancy would not have
dreamed few years ago.