The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-12-09
For tho CARBON ADVOCATE
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY,

t doubt their identity until after close ex-
, animation. This was particularly true
/ Of coniferoas trees.
J Prof Fleming Jenkin remarks that
it is generally supposed that electricity
will supersede steam; but what has thus
far happened is that tho work Of the er.-
gines is employed to produce electricity,
while electricity affords us the best means
yet of distributing power.
Water issuing from hydraulic pipes
exert1 an astonishing erosive power. In
one hydraulic mine pebblc-load, /
stre'm working eight months in year
has in four years cut channel in solil
slate rock three feet wide and fifty feet
deep according to Packard
Herr S. Welt endeavors to account
for sun-spots.b by a new theory. He thinks
they may represent AREAS on the sun tn,
are vastly hotter than the bright surface
surrounding. instead of being cooler hs
astronomers generally believe. They ara
regions so extremely hot, be supposes,
that the beat radiatlons have reached tho
intensity ofultra-violet fred y rays; the.s
being invisible the spots consequently
appear dark.
-Afessrs Fr-Zon, Dumont and Franz
con have produced novel substance in
the form Of solidied petroleum. Tho
solidiication is effected by mixing petro-
leum after its first distillaticn with twen-
ty-fye per cent. of the purified juice of
plants belonging TO the family of En-
phorhiacea, the mixture being subse-
quantly distilled again and refined in tho
ordinary manner, The solidfied petrole-
um burns like tallow, and may be used
for lighting or as lubricant.
"A novel and and remarkable thermo.
chemical battery has been produced by
Mons. Brard, of La Rochelle, which ho
regards a solution of the difficulties ex-
perienced in getting an efficient electric
current from heat. 3. The battery consists
essentially of slabs Of prepared carbon
containing nitrate of potash. When
these are burned continuous current IL
generated until they are consumed. A
slab six inches long, two inches wide and
an inch thick lasts an hour or two hours,
and will ring an ordinary electric bell:
and three or four. slabs connected to in
crease tension will decompose, water.
Speaking of L"waste," lfavorite
theme, DR.. Siemens lately said that he
had been experimenting at his farm OF
Tunbridge Wells with the object of util-
izing to the fullest possible extent the
beat applied to steam1engine. His en-
gine drives dynamo-electric machine,
which not only lights his greenhouses
at nj sht, but also furnishes artificial sun
enabling him to rapidly: grow fruit in
the depth Of winter. Nor is this all for
the. escaping; steam from the engine in
made to heat the greenhou uses and other
places in winter, so that he expends but
little more fuel since he started the cleo
trio light and sdynamo.machinesthan he
did before iniheatingithose houses.
-Archeologists know that ropes date
from very remote period, and had reach
ed state of considerable perfection at
the dawn of the historical era. The first
ropes were probably made from the fibres
of the inner bark Of trees, from grasses,
or from the hides of animals. Among
the relics of the ancient Egyptians hays
q, been found sculptures showing the pro-
cess of rope manufacture practiced more
, than 1000 years ago, while the Oldest
records Of that people represent we'll
made ropes capable of sustaining enorm.
Gus burdens, 1t appears that FAX and
the fbres of the duto tree wers employed
for those ropes,
Q -Dnring the French invasion Of Mex
Q leo a plant was discovered which vas
found to possess the property-when
chewed or crushed-of stopping henloi-
rhaSes. To the native Mexicans tLis
: plant was known by name which may
be rendered as "Fowl@ort." The dissov-
erer carried specimen to Versailles and
S planted it in 1867, and it has since -four
ished, lowered and fruited without sp-
u parent change in its peculiar qualiti,s b.
The action of this plant Is said to exceed
v that Of all styptics known, and tbs Valu-
able pro, erty is likely to give it wider
extension, especially as it seems to be 80
!. readily &c limated in foreign lands. Its
r, botanical name is Ira lescanlia erecta
(Jacq.)
|. 1t is proposel to place The islands OF
Mauritius and Reuniol in communica-
y, tion with each other by means OF an sop
teal telegraph" The stations will bu
4 abort l3i miles apart, aud will occupy
an elevated SPOT on each island. From
either station signals will, by the aid Of
$; petroleum lamp, be flashed across the
- intervening stretch of the Indian Ocean
to the opposite station, where they will
l. be reesived 10y telescopic apparatus
(, which it is proposed to arrange so as 10
] AhC uhsNth.
n successful this system of signalling ia
10 expected to provo Of especial value in
sending warnings of the approach of cy
e clones.
Since ls43 an average of 575 earth.
quakes year has been known to occur
4 Mallet has collected the records Of 6, S3l
rs earthquakes which took place over per
6 iod of3, 456 years previous to 1850. but 4.
2lO of them occurred during the last fily
ot years. 1t seems, therefore, that our eartll
At is almost constantly shaking at some
1t point, ana no part Of the world is entire
: ly free from tremors of some degree.
Prof. Milne has recently urged that the
study OF earthquakes shouId receive NOR,