The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-10-16
Compiled for THR CARBON ADVOCATE.
POPULAR SCIENCE NOTES.


It will doubtless be ofinterest TO our read |
ers 10 know that Arctic exploration is being
more actively prosecuted this year than ever
before, and that more expeditions are being
engaged in the work of exploring than have
ever before been employed in the Northern
seas at one time. The following are among
some Of the most worthy Of notice. That Of
NJ. SibirakofF, who has fitted out a vessel at
Yokohama, Japan, to proceed from that
port and to endeavor to make the passage
Of the Polar Ocean westward TO the Allan
tic. Several Scandinavian chips have
been sent to the Obi, Yenesei, and other
Siberian rivers, on commercial ventures.
The one of most interest, perhaps to this
country is that of james Gordon Bennett's,
represented by the steamship Jeanette"
which entered the Arctic region by the way
of Behring's Strait. Nothing definite has
been heard from this party for some time.
| Another important venture is the Ameri-
can overland expedition to King Williams
Island, via Repulsc Bay, in search of relics
of the ill-fated Franklin expedition. The
steamer, "Gulnare," under the Howgate
Expedition, charged with the task Of estab-
fishing stations or colonies, and gradually
pushing them forward until the Pole is
reached, succeeded this season in planting
the first colony near Smiths Sound, about
latitude $50 North. Germany and Italy are
each fitting out Arctic expeditions. A Brit
ish Arctic expedition is being organized to
test the feasibility of Commander Cheyne's
plan Of reaching the Pole with the aid of
balloons. The results of these expeditions
will be awaited with much interest through
out this country and Europe.
The great Shoshone Falls of Snake river,
located at point ten miles north OF Rock
Creek Station, on the freight and stage road
leading from Kelton, on the Central Pacific
Railroad, to Boice City, Idaho, ninety miles
north west Of the former place, are said 10
be the most beautiful and wonderful 10 look
upon in the known world Yet, there are
but few persons that have eyer visited them,
and that place abounding with so much
grand and magnificent scenery, with SO
much picturesque loveliness, and so much
wild beauty should rest in such obscurity is
a mystery as unaccountable as it is strange
= However, as time rolls on visitors to thai
> region become more numerous, and the day
4 is no doubt close at hand when the Shoshont
| Mill ha nf h. g., II
1 ton. The mighty volume of water pour
S over a precipce perpendicular and fall
vertically a distance of two hundred anG
t sixty and it's thunderings are said to b.
e heard for miles around. A late number o
l "The Californian" most excellent scien
tifc magazine, published at San Francisco
gives lengthy and most INTEREST," ng accoun
OF these wonderful falls and glowing des
cription of the beautiful wild scenery there
q abouts.
d One of the strange and unaccountabl
facts connected with the electric telephones
|. and one giving wide and interesting fielC
J., Of study to Physiologists, is that by cuttini
g the metallic wire and placing the severed
q ends in the hands of an individual allowing
d the currents to pass through his body, th'
It sound is but slightly diminished, and mes
sages are as readily transmitted as if pass
Is ing through a continuous wire only. !
It gentleman experimenting recently took tn
/ terminals of the severed line in his owl
y hands, and, with the telephones in a con
Il venient position to his surprise actual
ID transmitted his voice through his body, an
u distinctly heard the voice OF the person Q
- the other end of the line after it had passe
ol through his own body. A continuous lin
al of persons joined together by hands, the tw
. end persons holding in their outer hand
n the severed wire will meet with like result
ID and the voice of persons speaking be easil
y heard and understood, notwithstanding u
n passage through all the bodies in the line.
e Scientists have for som0 time been exper
!, menting to determine the virtues of Il
q Australian Fever tree, known as the Euci
he lyptus, in banishing the Embellishments
Of malarious districts, and the results al
Oh said to be satisfactory. In many feve
he plagued regions in Southern Italy, Corsr
an and Algeria, whore, during certain season
Ter the atmosphere has been literally pestilei
lot tal, the planting Of these trees has almo
n wholely banished epidemic ieyers,and lar
de tracts of low grounds near Algiers,heretofo
bis unoceupied on account of theunhealthines
his the region have beentransformed through d
MS agency Of the fever tree and rendered whol
rid some aud habitable. Many districts in Il
ar country need to profit by the experience
," our friends across the water and throu
the agency of the Eucalyptus, at least,
minish in frequency and intensity the fev'
W. and pestilehtial diseases of their localities
A~ A Frenehman named NJ. Lambrigst,
'u' invented a cheap form of phonograph, a
'o" a process for taking elestrotypes of |
ing phonOgrains He claims that these electl
in types are not only cheap but durable, a
md may be employed by private students a
schools, as means Of acquiring the corr
oi pronunciation Of a language. The mach
Is said 10 be quite perfect in its workil
,ir- aud its inventor anticipates for the futl
i that the pronouncing dictionary will
NY superceded in the schools by this teaehil
ood machine, which he claims to be of fbr m
we'd resl utility.
the In Yellowstone Park, on the slopes Of
,,ad Amethyst Mountains are said To be expo
~ at different levels, large number Of soil
uls fed trees, aud the series Of sandstone q
C. oonglomerates In which they are imbed,
, of Is more than five thousand feet thick, foT
inc vertical mile of fossil forests Mus
'''e the wood structure is we'll preserved an
ol said to be iuteHningled with crystals
peV Alu~thystr and quartz.