Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-30
TIE HERALD.
Reported for the Grant County HERALD.
Popular Science Notes.

Der the Atm, travelling IN northward
dir, elton. A similar phenomenon
was seen near Halifax, Nova Scotia,
on September 9Th The insects, de.
scrlbed as being about halt inch in
length, with light wings, were in such
large numbers as to appear like
great DRIFT of black snow, driven by
a strong wind. A writer states that
from the indefinite description given
by those who beheld them, it seems
possible that they may have been
ichneumon flies, which have had an
unexceptionally favorable season for
multiplication, owing to the multi.
tudes of army worms in which they
deposit their eggs. However, this
theory is doubted by scientists as be
ing correct one and pronounce the
migrating insects as strangers on this
continent.
The first Chinese Steamer that ev-
er crossed the Pacific Ocean, arrived
at San Francisco on August 90th,
thereby making an important date in
the history of navigation on the Pac.
ific Ocean, as well as in the history
of Chinese Commerce. The vessel,
which bears the name "Hochung," is
after the style of American ships,
somewhat, is large and commodious,
bears powerful engines and is capa-
bic of transporting an immense
amount of freight, as we'll as large
number of passengers.
A rich mine of anthony has been
discovered in Kern county, Califor-
mia, some thirty. five miles south of
Bakersfield. This is the frat discov-
cry of workable ores of aptimcny
ever made in the United States, the
chief source of the metal having
heretofore been the Sarawac mine,
in tho island of Borneo. The anti
mony is found in q true fssure, of
which there are but three other IN.
stances in the world-those found in
Freiberg, Chill and Mexico The
property is owned by Mr.. S B1u-
shey and his two sons, and is thought
to be of incalculable value.
A new steel bridge has just been
completed over the Volga, for the
Syoran and Orenberg railway. 10
Russia, at a cost OF 900, 900 rubIes,
or S., $4,000 The river at that
point is nearly q mile wide and fifty
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
mean level of the water, giving them
the total height of $50 feet.
Professor Baron Won Nordensk.
jold has been appointed by the EN-.
peror of Germany, foreign Knight
of the Ordre pour le Mtrite for Arts
and Sciences.
Under the skillfpl management of
Engineer E a. Buck, the great work
Of recopsEructipg tho famous rail.
way suspension bridge across the
Niagaaa river, has just been COM
pleled. Thus by process of sub.
stitution an iron and steel bridge
has been made cut of wooden one,
and that too without the least inter-
ruption of trains.
Under recent experimental tests
of the new elght-inch Chambered
rife, at the Sandy Hook Naval
yards, some excellent results have
been obtained. Before these guns
were chambered, they were fired
with thirty.five pounds of powder,
but will now take q charge of fifty
five pounds, and are capable of pen-
etratiHg ten inches Of iron at dis
lance of 1000 yards--carrying
shot which weighs $50 pounds.
The journal Of Telegraph"Is au
thority for the state ment that the
Western Union Telegraph Conn
psny is now eng aged in building an
entirely new cable line between
this country and Europe, of the lar>
gest wire used for Geographic pur-
poses, which is to be quadrupIexed
and used exclusively for cable BUSH
ness.
Among other curious natural
phenomena TO be found in Nevada
was recently discovered in Lincoln
county a spring of ice-oold water
that bubbles up over large rock
and disappears on the ether side,
going no one knows where. In the
same county IS also large spring,
some twenty feet square, that Is APP
parently only about eighteen inches
deep, with "a sandy bottom, but
which in reality has no bottom so
far as can be ascertained. The bot
tom to be seen ia quioksand and all
efforts to probe to stopping place
have thus far proved failure.
Ia excavatiug for a sewer, in
VI .ker's Park, Chicago, a few days
n, portions of mastOdon Of
?" nous sizs were discovered. The
ne - tusks are about seven feet
- /, while suoh bones as have not
decomposed are of equally large
proportions.
1t has been demonstrated by the
American Science Association that
tbs one discovery made through
sG!euce-that lard oil, when subject
ed TO heat of $50 degrees, Fair,
Is superior to sperm oil in hGidity
rod Illuminating power-ssvcs the
Government OF the United States
over 500 900 ye@r,
Las'Plaoitas, . village near Santa
Fe, New Mexico,is said to be found
cd on = ledge of rock carrying from
$4,000 to $4,000 worth Of gold per
ton. Pieces of stone thrown about
the town as worthless for years
pat, have been found to be worth