The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-10-16
SCIENTIFIC

| Compiled for the Leader.
NJ. Toussaint finds that the virus Of
tuberculosis retains its power under
conditions which completely destroy
the germs of other contagious maladies.
As an illustration Of the present
widespread interest in electrical mat
tiers it may be stated that six papers de-
voted to electricity and its applications
are now published regularly in Paris.
At a recent meeting Of a French as
ISOLATION a system of cremation by cleo.
tricity was proposed. By this plan the
electric current reduces the body to
ashes without the introduction OF fore
ign substances.
Mr.. Swan, the inventor Of the Eng
lish rival Of Edison's lamp, recently ex-
hibted a two-ealdle power lamp de-
tached from any wire and portable. 1t
could be kept lighted for six hours by q
small Faure secondary battery not ex-
ceeding ten pounds in weight.
At the Royal Aquarium, Westmins-
ter, the experiment of lighting the tanks
by incandescent electric lamps has been
successfully tried. The lights are sub
merged In the tanks, and do not appear
to disturb the fishes in the least, while
the water is lighted up with q brilliancy
which could be attained in no other
way.
A London nautical journal has
found that sixty-three per cent OF the
storms starting In this country across
the Atlantic reach Great Britain, from
which it appears that the proposed in.
ternational interchange Of weather sig
mails would be a great benefit to the
English people. Storms seldom cross
to this country from Great Britain, SO
50 that the chief advantage of the inter-
change to the American weather service
would be found in the additions made
to the worlds knowledge of meteoro-
logical science.
NJ. CASTOR T~isandier's little balloon
at the Paris electrical exhibition has at
tracted much attention. The balloon
is of an elongated egg shape, with con-
ical ends, measures eleven and one-half
feet in length and four and one-quart-
er feet in diameter, and has a lifting
power Of a little more than four pounds.
1t is driven to and from across the
Palais de L Industric by a Trouve ell
ectric motor weighing less than half a
pound, which is operated by u current
from a Plante' battery Of a little less
than three pounds in weight. NJ. Tis-
andier has made some interesting cal
culations from the results of expert
ments with this tiny mrostat. He finds
that an electric motor developing six
horse power could be made with q
weight of eco pounds, with 1880 pounds
Of battery. 1t would be easy to raise
this by an elongated balloon of LOG, 900
cubic feet capacity filled with hydrogen.
Such a balloon would be 131 feet long
and A feet In diameter in the middle.
and would have an ascensional force of
1900 pounds. Deducting weight of
balloon, motor and battery, 1900
pounds would be left for passengers and
ballast. In calm weather such an air
ship should have a speed of twelve to
fifteen miles a hour. and in currents its
direction could be directed to some ex-
tent. The battery power, however,
would last but a short time, so that a
balloon constructed on this plan would
evidently be valuable only for purposes
of experiment; while this estimate
makes it quite apparent that the motor
described would, in the somewhat i'm
probable event of the practical appllc-
alton Of power to balloons. be found
much less economical than steam.