The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-10-09
Complied for THS Cannon kDfOeAsa.
PUpULAaR scIENcty NOTES.

A vast cloud df fies was observed on "a
Hudson river, between New Hamburg Aal
Eewburg, on September 4th, trsseling 10
northwsrd direction. A similar phenorne
non was ssen near HslifafD on AFptssnbs
5th. The insects, described as bslaR abcd
half an inch in lengthf With light sings
were in such numbers as 10 appear like
great dSift of black snow, driven BY utrOai
wind. A writer states that frufh the indee
mite description given by those who behslt
them, It ssems possible that they MAY have
been ichneumon Aies, which hsSe bad au
unexceptionally favorable SesS0n E,r Fisrih-
plicstion, owing IN the multitudsS " army.
worms in which they deposit their eggs
However, this theory is doubted by scient-
lsts he being correct one. and pr,n,uncs
the migrating insec,s IS strangers on this
continent
The first Chinese steamer that ever eross-
ed the Pacific Ocean, arrived at San Francis
co on August 30th, thereby marhine sa iihs
portant date in the history Of navigation on
the Poetic ocoan, as well as 10 the history |
Of Chinese commerce. The vessel, which
bears the name "Hochulg," is after the sty Ie
Of American ships, somewhat, is large and
commodious, bears powerful engines and is
capable of transporting an immense nnount
Of freight, as wen as large Plumbers Of
passengers.
A rich thins Of AntinooS had been die.
covered in Fern county, California, some IS
miles south Of Bakersfield. This ist the first
discovery Of workable ores Of antiInony ever
made in the United States, the chief sourcs
Of the metal having heretofore been the
sarawsk mine, in tie Island OF Bofneh. The
antimony;is found in true hssufe,of which
there are but three other instances in the
world-thoso found in Frieberg, Chilli and
Mexico, The proPsfty is owned by Mr.. 8.
Boushey and his two sons, and ID thought
to be of intaiculable value.
new steel bridge has Just bsSS e5fiibis;
ted over the Volga, for the sybrean and oren-
berg railway, in Russia, at a cost Of 7,0o0,-
900 rubles, or SIS 500 900. The ri7sF al tnat
point is nearly mile TiJs and fty feet
deep, and is subject to very high floods In
consequence, the fourteen piers carrying the
bridge had to be built one hundred feet
above the n1ean level of the watei-giving
them the total height Of i5o feet.
Professor Baron Won Nordenskjold has
been appointed by the Emperor of Germany
foreign Knight Of the ordre pour lie No
ite for Arts and Sciences.
Under the skillful managerheht Of Eng-
neer E. A. Buck, the great work Of recon-
structing the famous railway suspension
bridge scross the Niagara river has just been
completed. Thus by process 6f substitu-
tion an iron and steel bridge has been made
out of wooden one, aud that too without
the least interruption of trains.
Under recent experimental tesla Of the
new eight-inch chambered ride, at the San
dy Hook Navy Yard, some txcellent results
have been obtained. Before these guns were
chambered, they were fired with thirty Eve
pounds Of powder, but will now take a chargs
of 6ly-fve poundsi and ere capable of pen
etrating ten inches OF iron at distance Of
l 900 yards--carrying shot which weighs
lsO pounds.
The journal Of Telegraph is authority fof
the statement that the Western Union Tele-
graph company is now engaged in building
an entirely new cable line between this
country and Europe, of the largest wire used
for telegraphic purposes, which Is 10 Do
quadruplexed and used exclusively for cable
business.
Among other curious natural phenomena
to be found in Neyada, Is q bpring oficc-cold
water in Lincoln county. that bubbles up
over large rock and disappears on the other
side, going no one knows where. In the
same county is also q spring, some twenty
feet square. that is apparently only sbout
eighteen inches deep, with a sandy bottomj
but which in reality has no bottom 50 far az
can be sscertained. The bottom TO be seen
is quicksand, and all efforts to probe 70 1
stopping place have thus far proved iailurss
In excavating fot q sewer in Wichsg's
Park, Chicago, few days since, portions Of
a mastadon Of enormous sise were diseov-
cred. The curved tusks are about seven ieet
long, while such bones as have not decomJ
posed are of equally large proportions.
Las Placitas,a village near Santa Fs, New
Mexico, is said 10 be founded on ledge Of
rock carrying from $1,000 to $4,000 worth Of
gold per ton. Pieces Of stone thrown about
the town as worthless, for years past, have
been found To be worth $500 pound.