Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-11-16
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Prof Dufour states, az an overlooked
fact, that hail preventers of the nature
Of lightning rods were set up in several
vineyards of the Canton de Vaud in
1925; the object being to hinder the
formation Of hail BY withdrawing cleo
tricity from the clouds. Some of the
vineyards thus protected were destroy
ID BY hail the next year, and the ex
pertinent vas declared failure. While
doubling the influence of such apra-
ratus on hail clouds, Pref. Dufour
thinks the matter deserving Of a fresh
investigation, inasmuch as it has recent
~ been shown that the presence of
frost-which may be regarded as a col
lection of lightning reds --may greatly
lessen the frequency Of hail showers.
When long heating has driven all
cir from the water in steam boiler,
boiling sometimes ceases, and super
heating may occur with danger of ex-
plosion. Clean pieces Of zinc in the
liquid, by uniting with some Of its OK
ygen and liberating hydrogen, should
theoretically maintain boiling. AS a
more reliable plan in practice, however,
Mons. Treve advises the injection a,
tho bottom Of the boiler of hot air, or,
still better, of non oxidizing gas such
- carbonic acid-the injection to be
moderate but continuous. Superheat-
ing, which may be conceived as sleep
Of the liquid, would thus be rendered
impossible. and rapid evaporation, saw
ing Of fuel and freedom from risk would
be secured.
When the spectroscope is turned to
the sky in daylight the presence Of
watesyg vapor in the atmosphere pro
duclb = The instrument characteristic
lines known as the rain band San
quins British meteorologists expect te
base weather predictions on observa
tions Of this band, and the probability
that the spectroscope may be thus usec
il aIuatser Of much interest.
Some idea Of what is becoming Of thu
forests may be had from a consideration
Of tho amount Of wood that is being
used BY railroads. A recently PUB
lished report shows that in the main
tenauce ana repair Of French railway,
since l877ssmore than 700 fine tree,
must have been used daily for sleeper
alone; andssonaa {, ooo,o 900 cubic fee
Of timber hsse been required yearl,
for rolling stock. And yet the mile
ago Of the railways Of France is les
than ons-sixth ~ great as that Of tn
United States.zpe
A female performer in a Parisia
circus remains under water two mir
utes and a half at time. TO Apr,
ciate, says Mons Kerlus, what is in
piled in passing two minutes aud hal
without tskiag breath let anyone max
small experiment, holding his brea
~ long aspossitie while watching til
second hand ~ : watch, Few persor
reach one minute; the majority a,
obliged to take breath before forty fiy
seconds have elapsed. Sponge and pea
fshers seldom remain under water tw
minutes, and voluntary immersion
more than three minutes has ney.
been automatically observed.
Mons. d'Abbadie reports to Il
French Academy that immunity fro
marsh fcyers is often secured in vi
healthy Ethiopian regions by exposir
the naked BODY 10 sulphur mines q
low ground suffer much less from int
mittent fever than the res. Of the po
uAtion; while Mons. Fouque has show
that in Greece a once furnishing tow
1t 10000 inhabitants-Zephyria-h
bees alnost utterly dspopulat,
thEcss march fever, the decaden,
having corresponded to gradual :
soval Of sulphur mining operatio,
eastward beyond mountain range,
that a. sulphur en4nationa no long
reach the town.
Since 1876 accurate measurement
have been made to show the range
the shenSss 10 level Of many Russi.
rivers and acme of the results are 81
en- in recent paper by Mons. Til
It appears that the highest range
reached by the Okla at Kaluga, the d
ference between the highest and Il
lowest levels being as much as As fe,
while the average range from source