Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-03-09
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

sP llace Electric Exhibition in London
are electric till tell-ta es said to b.
capable of recording the amounts PLACED
, in the ills and to be 5, arranged tina
they cannot f.lsfy; silktesting ma
chine, which records by'eectrical means
the defects in thread Of silk passed
through it at the rate of u mile in ciyh
minutes; en- electrical water level indi
Gator, showing, at any distance and by
means Of Il single wire, fluctuations il
the height of water in reservoirs, tanks
: am-boilers and tidal waves; and o
system Of time-keeIiny i'll which any
number of clocks are worked by one
srcgula .or, the whole arrangement be-
ling electrically selfactiug, neither the
regulator nor tho clocks requiring
winding, setting or adjusting.
A prize of about $1,000 is offered
by the Rcale Istituto Venet6 for the
best history of the experimental meth
'od" in Italy. The application of this
method to the physical sciences il
chiefly to be expounded. Memoirs
must be sent in before the end of Feb
sruary, 1885.
Mstcoric stones sometimes fall in
lone or two masses, and q. other times
sin q large number of fra ,ments-thous-
ands perhaps-which are scattered
over acres or even miles of ter
ritory, while on some occasions the
fall takes the form of showers of fine
dust The quantity Of mineral matter
thus falling is often very considerable.
In 1911 shower Of i.iahy hundred
stones occurred in Crsma, one of the
pieces weighing 260 pounds and anoth-
or 100. On the west coast of Green.
land were found the largest unbroken
masses on record, and the largest spec
linen, weighing % tons, is now in the
Royal Academy Of Stockholm. A well
founded estimate places the number
-of aerolites which reach the earth an
nually at 5000 at least 1t is prola.
Bile that in early geological ages the
fall was much greater than now. 1t
has continued year after year through
vast lapse Of time, furnishing good
grounds for the extending belief that
sthe earth has derived material additions
to its substance from the accumulation
Of meteoric matter.
A. WE'LL fms the decay of teeth to
DO caused by the development of
fungus. The acids of tho mouth may
promote decay, but cannot give rise to
it. He concludes furtI er that diseases
of various parts Of the | ody may be
clearly traced to excretions from the
mouth and teeth.
Cases Of diphtheria are reported by
medical authority to have resulted
from damp walls. The walls become
wet, then mouldy, and clusters Of fungi
ssoon appear, when the children sleep
ing in the room were attacked by diph-
liberia.
From observations of the diffusion
-of sunlight by 81 uds, NJ. Clemandot
was induced to experiment with min
,eral wool, or spun Stag, in order to as
certain its effect upon the light Of the
electric arc. He has found that when
tho rays pass through this substance,
seventy-6ve or eighty per cent. of the
light becomes available for illumina-
ton; while the ordinary processes make
useful not more than forty-fvs or fifty
zper cent.
Tsnsits of Venus across the face Of
the sun have been employed by astron.
somers to determine the SUMS distance
from the earth. These transits recur
at alternate intervals Of 8 and 1914
and 8 and l054 years. The trausits
OF l76l, 1869 and 1864 were observed |
with great care from various parts of |
the world. The transit of 1874 espec.
tally was . matter of great interest and |
attention, as it ives hoped that the er.
Tors from previous observations might
b corrected. Observing parties were
.scnt out by many countries, and i'm. |
proved means of Investigation nota-
bly, photography--were employed. Re-
suits have not yet been given in full,
but as nearly as can at PRESENT be
judged, the distance of the sun is about
$4,000, 900 miles. The next transit
Of Venus will occur December 9th of
the present year, aud will be the last
Tor nearly century and y quarter.
The occurrence of this phenomenon
will form the astronomical event of the |
year. Already observing expeditions
are being organized in various parts of
the world, and localities for observing
ltations are being selected. Bad wealth |
or interfered seriously in 1874, and
stations will be chosen with special
reference to the probability of clear
weather.