The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-03-24
SCIENTIFIC sIIsCELLANY.


Many astronomers have held the
opinion that Alcyone, the chief t a o.
the Pleiades, is the centre about which
our solar system r~evolves. Very Gu
riously, an extraordinary importance
seems also to be given this group of starr
by many savage and semi-civilized
tribes, who have peculiar beliefs con.
corning it, apparently handed down to
them from antiquity.
Another prehistoric canoe has been
discovered in the old bed of the Rhone,
in France. 1t is about 3S feet long,
three feet wide and two feet deep. 1t
was excavated from an oak log, which
was left in its original form with the
exception of the ends, which were bevel-
ed so as to give a sharp PROV and stern.
Numerous cases of fire from the spont-
aneous ignition of coal have been re-
corded. After considerable experiment
ing, MIR. W. NJ. Williams has conclud-
ed that spontaneous combustion takes
place in some degree In all cases where
coal is exposed to the a~tmospher, al
though the combustion may proceed so
slowly that the rise Of temperature will
amount to only a few degrees.
Granular vegetable carbon saturated
with s%ulphuric acid, Of which it holds
about seventy times its own volume, is
now being tested as a destroyer of phyl-
loxera. Buried amongst roots, it
gradually gives of sulphurous acid gas,
and this being hea sier than air, not
only permeates the soil, but hangs about
the surface and asphyxiates the phyl-
loxera.
Prof. c. Bling has announced the dis.
covery of sleep-producing qualities in
oZone.
Icebergs are often of enormous size,
measuring miles in area and many hun
dred feet In thickness. Hayes saw one
reaching an altitude Of 3l5 feet above
the sea, and most of the Arctic explorers
have encountered bergs of 200 feet or
more in height. Pyer has estimated
that in an iceberg 200 feet above the
water a total height of 600 to 800 feet
may, as rule. be inferred. An excep-
ton TO this rule must be the bergs Capt.
Ross saws ground In 1900 feet OF water.
A mass Of ice floating in the Southern
ocean is reported by Capt. d'Urville to
have been thirteen miles long with vert.
ical walls 100 feet high.
In a recent address in justification of
compulsory vaccination, DIR. w. B.
Carpenter, the eminent British physio
logist, presented some interesting statis-
tics showing the decrease of smallpox
In Great Britain with the adoption Of
modern protective measures. From
1850 to the commencement of the pre-
sent century the average annual mum.
Der of deaths from smallpox wa up.
wards Of 40U0 for each million of in,
habitants. For the decade 1S01-10 the
yearly smallpox mortality was 2,040
per million inhabitants. In 1895 1t
had fallen to $50. In 1910 means for
vaccination were provided by t~hegovern-
ment, and the annual rate fell to 400
per million. Then came compulsory
vaccination in 1858, and in the decade
1s51-60 there we're each year but 27e
deaths from smallpox In each million
inhabitants. In 1S61-S0 the rate was
greatly increased. but the circumstance
were 80 decidedly exceptional that these
years can afford no basis for an argu
ment against vaccination.
Archaeological researches have shown
in%disputably that the art of weaving
was practiced in prehistoric times. II
may even date back nearly to the Gre
alton OF man, Is fragments of woven
cloth have been found among the relics
Of the Lake Dwellers, who are supposed
to have been about the first represent.
atives of the human race. The Bronze
Age furnishes specimens which place
the art above most others in degree OF
perfection, even fabrics of wool being
found In the remains of Denmark,
| Scandinavia and England-the re.
mains of France and Switzerland yield.
ing linen fabrics. The Oldest historic.
al reference to the art of weaving is
furnished by the Bible. Job lamented
that his days were passing with the
fieetness of a weaver's shuttle; and
Joseph was attired in ''vestures of fine
linen.n