The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-08-26
For the CARBON ApvocATE.l
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

In the Shetland Islands recently q
stroke of lightning detached mass Il
four hundred tons of rock from the side
of a bill, causing it to fall into road be-
low. The lightning cuta deep rnt down
the face of the hill.
From four observations of Comet
Wells of 1882 Herr Thraen, of Diugel-
stadt, Thur;ngia, has computed set Of
elliptic elements which indicate that q
return OF that body will not occur for
about 9,6l7 years.
Crystals sometimes attain an inn
mense size, one of quartz at Milan being
three and quarter feet in length and five
aud bali feet in circumr, renee, and es-
timated to weigh over 500 pounds; while
a great berry at Grafton, n. H., is more
than four feet long and thirty-two inches
iu diameter and weighs not less than 81
600 pounds.
-Messrs. Schulhoff and Bosscrt have
worked out anew the observations record.
ed of the comet of 1912, and from the
most probable elements obtain revolu-
ton period of II years, leading them to
believe that the comet will again come TO
perihelion about the middle of 1888 The
uncertainty as TO the period of revolution
is about three and half years.
Prof Whitney maintains that the
earth is gradually drying up-a process
which commenced in cretaceous times
The increasing dryneSs, within the his:
torical period, Of Persia, Arabia, the
countries around the Aral and Caspian,
North Africa and Greece is proved by
abundant facts.
According to John Rogers, F. r. M.
s., it is claimed that modern microscopes
are made to magnify as much as 80. 500
diameters, while some regard 100, 900 di-
ameiers as possible. Such excessive am
plifcNtion, however, gives too imperfect
results and is attended by too many dff-
fculties to be of any value. The great
est living mlcroscopists are of the opin-
iOh NhuN BonSi vi OsOOO VI taOOO uluIu@
eters represents the highest useful limit
Of microscopic vision.
AT recent meeting of the Royal
Horticultural Society of London, Rev.
G. Henslowexhibited potato-tubers which
had grown upon the stalks of the plants
in the axils of leaves. He also showed
plum leaves perforated with small circu-
lar holes, caused by the lens action of
raindrops which concentrated the suns
rays and burned the leaves. Another ex-
hibitor, Mr.. Saxton, sent green, purple
and speckled pea. pods-the last result
of crossing the two others.
1t has been found that the presence
of silica is not essential to plant-erowth,
but that 1t may serve valuable purposes
is shown by the researches of Wolf After
fourteen years of experiments on the oat
plant, this observer concludes that silica
aids in the ripening of grain by causing
the early death of the leaves, which is
followed by passage of their nutritive
matters to the seeds. Thus in an expert
ment without silica 80 seeds were pro-
duced; with little silica, 80 seeds; with
much silica. 1S4 seeds. Silica also tends
to prevent the absorption 'y plants of
! superflUous quantities of essential min
eral matter, thus keeping the soil from
unnecessary exhaustion.
In a paper upon "electro-mania,
Mr.. W. Mattieu Williams says that the
leading fallicy urging electro-Inaniacs of
the present day to ruinous invesIments
is the idea that electro motors are novel.
ties, ard that electric-lighting is in its
infancy. Directly following the brilliant
discoveries of Faraday, Ampere, and
Others came numerous electro-motors,
and parade of the wonderful results OBJ
tanned with machines which, it was be-
lieyed. were quickly TO suporsede steam d
engines. This was nearly half century
| ago, aud electrical progress has been less
rapid than many seem to believe. Com
pairing an electric railway of fcrty-years
ago (upon which he himself rodel with
one of to day,and the experimental steam
railway of that time with the perfected
ard ubiquitous modern affair. Mr.. Will
liams affirms that the rate Of advance in
electricity has been far slower than that
of steam during the last four decades. As
to eleclric-lighting it is older than gas
| lighting, aud its strides have been much
less rapid aud positive. Sir Humphrey
Davy exhibited the electric light in LON
don while the city was dimly lighted by
oil-lamps, aud before gas-lghting bad
been attempted anywhere. The lamp
used by Dvy at the beginning of this
/ century WAS capable of giving dazzling
arc four inches in length being vastly
more brilliant tLaa modern arc-ligbts.
/ Even tho incandescent l,mr il nothing
new, bot was oriA Ainally invented by a
young American uamed Starr. who died
in 1917. This inventor. in whose expert
ments Mr.. Williams shared tried wicks
cf platinum and ofplatiuum and iridium
alloys. and abandoned them as Edison
did thirty years later. Various form of
carbon werr then tried including the
i eutical form now used by Edison. In
fact, !his old lamp vas almost identicnl
ia all imp rtant details with the modern
ones Of Edison. Swan aud others. It's
only scientific defect was due to the col
lechng OF carbon film an the glass globe.
The most important part Of every
business is to know what ought to be ,
done.
1t is great gift of the gods to'be
born with hatred aud contempt of all
injustice aud meanues'.
No evil propensity of the human
heart i, so pov eriId that it may not be
subdnsd by siIict discipline.
The most d-licnte. the most sensible
. ...... .st. - IN .