St. Landry democrat., 1882-04-22
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY,

The element calsium has been Sc
cured in an isolated condition by Ger
man chemist, Herr Setterberg. 1t is
found to be silvery- white metal, re-
sembling sodium and potassium in gen
eral behavior. Calsium had hitherto
resisted all efforts to seperate it from
its combination with oxygen.
According to Mr.. P. S. Sclater, F. R.
S., the term lipOtype, which is cOmpar-
atively new to science, is employed to
indicate animals which we should nat
urally expect to meet but do not find in
certain parts of the earth. For instance,
Australian lipotypes are monkeys, vul-
lures and woodpeckers.
Prof. Dufour has presented new
and interesting proof that the earth is
round. The images of distant objects
reflected in the Lake of Geneva in calm
weather show just the degree OF dtstor-
ton which careful mathematical cal
cuation would predict on account of
the shape of the earth.
Mr.. w. III. Preece, f. r. S., states
that the explosion of a cannon can be
heard to a distance of twenty to twenty
five miles; and instances are known
where the BON bardment of a town has
been heard at distance of one hundred
miles. 1t is very we'll known he thinks,
that the roar of the guns at Waterloo
were heard on the English coast, more
than one hundred miles from the battle
field.
The vineyards of Russian Turkistan
are being destroyed by a parasitic fun
gus known as erysiple.
The sand of the Sahara desert is some
times heated to Il temperature of 300
degrees Fahrenheit by the vertical rays
of the sun. This gives rise to a scorch
ing wind-the dreaded Simoom--which
is rendered still more terrible by the
burning particles of sand it carries
along. In 1918, Bullhart registered 1879
degrees in the shade during the preya-
lence of the presidential blast.
The ventilation of the great Alpine
tunnels under Mount Gents and the St.
Gothard so as to free them quickly from
the smoke OF trains has been a work of
much difficulty. 1t has been proposed
70 create current OF air by the keep
ing OF large fires at one end, but the
expense has been found excessive. A
French engineer. M. Pressed suggests
that the same object may be attained
by cooling the air at some point in
the tunnel by water, which would give
the difference in density of the at
mosphere necessary to cause draught.
Cool mountain streams are numerous
in the Alps, and could be readily ap-
piled to the purpose.
The sale of three hundred telescopes
in France during the two years ending
last October is cited by NJ. Camille
Flammarion as showing to some ex-
tent the remarkable growth OF astro-
nomical taste in that country The
demand for M. Flammarion's books is,
ctriiy fyrn IF
them having quickly reached an aggre-
gate circulation of $4,000 copies, while a
third has lately appeared in its thir-
teenth edition.
The librarian of the Alessandrina
Library at Rome, Prof. DeMaes, claims
to have evidence that a great Egyptian
obelisk is buried in the vicinity of the
Piazzi di San Luigi di Francesi, near the
side entrance to the Senate.
The ground in the Jura mountains is
in state of movement, as is shown by
some curious observations pointed out
by M. Girardot. Villages that were in
visible to each other at the beginning of
the century, or even thirty or forty
years ago, are now visible. First the
roofs appeared, and then the upper part
Of the walls. Such is the case with the
villages OF Doucier and Marigny, near
LIKE CudlulN. CuduScS
have been noted even within ten years.
Sixty per cent of the mechanical ener-
gy converted into electricity and APP
piled to a Faure storage battery has
been re-converted into work on dis
charging the battery.
The story is told of the famous Ger
man scientist, Alexander Won Hum
boldt, that, being engaged in expert
mants with Gnv-T,usSac in Paris in
needing large number of Glass tubes
on which very heavy duty was i'm
posed, he instructed the manufacturers
to seal the ends OF the tubes and label
them German air." The air of Ger
many was not on the list of duty pay
ing articles, and the tubes duly passed
the customs officers without any de-
mand.
The desirability of connecting light
ming conductors with gas and water
mains has been recognized by the Sax
on Government, which has issued in
structions as to the best methods of
making the connections.
Assays of several hundred million
dollars worth of the native gold Of
California have shown an average
proportion of $50 thousandths of pure
medal. The gold of Australia gives an
average of $50 thousandths.
SMALL-Pox-A case of smallpox was
developed here last Monday. The vic
tim il Col. N. l.. McGinnis. The di-
sease is supposed to have been contract
ed while Colonel McGinnis was in New
Orleans some two weeks ago. The
Board of Health have taken every pre-
caution to prevent the disease from
! 11nn