Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-25
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

There has been an earlier departure than
usual of the swallows and martins this
year from Paris. They left about the end
of August instead of October.
PIante has increased the capacity of his
acoumulators by producing, by the change
of the direction OF the primary current and
the ceasing of its action at times, deposit
of lead on the electrodes.
a special mission is to be sent to Japan
by order of the French Minister OF Agri-
culture to study the cultivation of the vine.
In Japan the vine grows almost up to the
region of snow, and it is hoped that the
Japanese plant would flourish in France.
Professor Fresenius has undertaken the
superintep dence of the manufacture
of a new fatty matter, adep-
sine," which is obtained from pet
roleum. 1t is produced as yellow and
white solids, and as transparent colorless
oil. Adepsine is said to be free from acid
iGy, and it is not oxidized or resintied by
the influence OF the air.
Commander Frene has communicated to
the Academic des Sciences the results of
mis- experiments on board the Desaix on
the boilers of that vessel. He places zinc
plates on the inside of the iron boilers,
which thus becomes voltaic elements. The
zinc is oxidizsd and hydrogen is liberated
from the water, which prevents all danger
from experimenting and protects the boiler
from the incrustation of any matter held in
solution by the water.
The Photographic Ne,rs describes an in
teresting experiment in photography, or
signaling by sunshine, in Egypt. Col.
Keyssr assembled one of the pyramids near
Cairo, and setting up a photographic mirror,
reflected ray of sunshine all the way &c
Alexandria, a distance of some 40 miles.
The signals, appearing like pin points of
brightness, were distinctly readable on the
coast, and took the form OF message from
Sir Garnet Wolseley to the Khedive.
At the Munich Electrical Exhibition one
of the curiosities was telephone trans.
hitting music performed at ODER Ammer-
gau, over distance of sixty-three miles.
At the palace hugh telephone arrange.
msnt brought over music from the English
Cafe, so that the whole immense audience
could hear the pieces quite distinctly.
But perhaps the most significant exhibit
was single wire which conveyed electrical
energy distance of thirty. seven miles
generated. This augurs future for the
economical use of labor which may have
far reaching results.
DR.. Brard. of La Rochelle, has described
before the French Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science a method of general
ing electricity by combustion, He uses a
brick OF carbonaceous matter, and brick
of nitrate of potash or soda separated by a
I sheet of asbestos. Strips of brass are i'm
bedded in these bricks TO carry off the
electricity developed. When placed in a
furnace the carbon is oxidlzed and an cleo
trio current is generated, This is, we be.
lieve, the first successful experiment in the
direction OF obtaining from coal the elec-
trical force which it may be assumed is
given out in the process of combustion.
Professor Bischoff'a system of water Gil.
trstion has been for some time before the
public The use of spongy iron has now
| been applied on large scale TO the water
obtained from the river NeGte for the sup
! ply of the city of Antwerp. DR.. Frank
| land has visited the Antwerp water works
at Waelheim, about fifteen miles above
that city, and reported on the results OF
| his inquiry, He attaches especi i value to
| the fact that spongy iron filtration sis alb
solute fatal to bacteria and their germs, -
and ne considers it would be "an invalu-
able boon to the metropolis if all water
supplied from the Thames and Lea were
submitted to this treatment in default of a
new supply from unimpeachable sources. ~