Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-03-25
srlENTIEIC Ann MpUsTRIAT.

tion Of an automatic switch IN Cele-
phonic circuit, SO that any one in con-
neotiOn with q telephone exchange
may communicate with any other per-
son, similarly connected, without the
interventiono an assistant at the CEN
tral Office.
A small crater is,stated to have ap-
peared near Palermo, on the west side
Of Etna; and the other craters are again
issuing saltish-oily fluid, which has
formed q small lake and is iniuring the
neigbboring fields. Numerous slight
shocks of earthquake have also been
felt to the north-northeast and south
southwest of Etna; jets of steam have
issued from the new craters, and steam,
mixed with ashes, from the central one.
j. f. Everhart has in his possession
what may be called hieroglyphical
stone, taken from mound built by the
Mound Builders at Brush Creek, Mus
kingum County, Ohio. Its dimensions
are: Length, 123 inches; width, III
inches; thickness, four inches. The
material is red sandstone. The hier-
oglyDhics are in in two parallel col
uInns, and the owner is anxious to have
them deciphered. .. ...l XIII.
Preparations of the hemp-plant,
when taken in excess, produce singu-
lar effect upon the mind. Under the
influence of large doses of hemp men
lose all sense of fear, and it is often
taken by the Indian sepoy before he.
goes into action. On account of this
s1-o.,o,,k-, Abo Aerb sr,o a vo .JsoVaOvtod IN
have used it freely in their recent war
with the English, and the fierce on
slaughts of small parties on the foreign
soIdiery are attributed 20 this cause. y,
General Ruggles, Of Virginia,
thinks he can control the elements by
the aid Of an appropriation. He
claims that the diffused mists passing
over wide regions or localities suffering
from unusual drought may be readily
consolidated into rainfalls by Goncus-
siOns and vibrations aTtitiCialIy pro-
duced. The method contemplated by
General Ruggles' patent is to send into
the clouds skeleton balloons filled with
cartridges of dynamite or smaller ex-
plosive materials, and to explode the
contents by magneto-electricity through
light metallic wires connecting the
balloon with the earth. vt.a h. taI,.
Major Sharrat says that the pre-
vailing ignorance Of the proper way to
burn Illuminating gas results in great
injury to health and comfort as well as
in heavy peeuniary loss. He estimates
that Of all the gas which passes through
a meter, from thirty to fifty per cent, is
wasted. The principal causes Of this
enormous waste are bad burners, ex-
cessive pressure, and unsuitable ar
rangements of gas globes and fittings.
To insure the best results with the
greatest economy it is essential to burn
gas under low or very moderate pres
sure, with the aid of good burners and
efficient regulators.
Nothing has been seen yet at the
north of the great comet observed by
DIR. Gould in South America, and an
nounced by him as passing the sun
northward. And it seems as If the
great unknown had thought better of
the proposed visit. A second dispatch |
from Dr. Gould, received by Professor
Peters at Kiel o. day after the FIRST one,
announced that the erratic visitant was
moving southwark. Both statements,
says Nature, may possibly be correct /
for the times TO which they refer, as
the case may be similar to that of the
great comet Of 1849, which swept /
around the sun with velocity of $50
miles per second, and almost grazing
his surface. passed from ascending to |
descending node in two and o quarter |
hours. ''
Professor Riley states that the
phylloxera has established itself in
California, in the SonOma Valley, and
destroyed hundreds of acres ofivineB in
the most important wine district in the
State. The insect appears to have I'M
d6rgone ao0nsiderablechange in habit,
which modification very muChlliIhits itsl
destructiveness IL is steadily spread
ing from infected HoehtreA, but very
slowly indeed, compared to It's spread
in France! 9PrOf.tE, W. liHilgard bel
lieVes this to be due7to the noh-appears
ance Of the winged female, aB he has
not been able I'D obtain III. mo ohei
seems able in this valley to give any
suggestion as to how the pest may BE- |
successfully fought. Every variety ofE
vine planted In the valley has been all
tackled, and partly Of wholly destroyed |
The Joargalof Science reports that
Herr Faber, lately exhibited his new
speaking machine before the Physical T
Society, London. Itis designed 20 inn,
itate mechanically the uttef4DoeOig Che
human voice BY means elaftih6ial Or
gansof articulation made on The human
model, and ii is worked by keys like o
musical instrument. A bellows made.
ofWbpd and india rubber SERVES fGi |
lungs A small windmill is placed III 4
front Of the bellowsoto give triaing n
sounds. The laTynx iamade Of q single \
membrane Of hipp0potamus hide and
india rubber. A mouth with two lips, /
a tongue, and an india rubber nose
complete the organs Of the apparatus.
Fourteen distinct sounds were uttered
byit and by combining these anyword |
in any language can be pronounced /
Laughing and whispering we're also
produced, and the pitch was raised or
depressed at pleasure. IS
Il