St. Landry democrat., 1882-05-06
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

the appropriations Of the British
government for scientific purposes this
year include $4,000 to the Meteorologi-
cal Council for furnishing weather fore
casts to newspapers without cost The
same liberal patron of science will be
called upon to contribute $4,000 to de-
tray the expenses Of observing the tran
sit of Venus in December. ~ h,ts.
The micro-telephone has been applied
by Count Won Eugenberg, in the Tyrol,
to the discovery of underground streams
of water. He buries several micro
phones in the soil, connecting each with
a telephone. With this arrangement he
is enabled, in theiquiet of the night to
distinguish the gErgle OF flowing water
at considerable depth in the earth.
M. Arthur NORM, of Paris, states that
experiments continued for number OF
wears by garrisoned cavalry regiments
in various parts Of France have proved
that horses are healthier and stronger
when kept in stables with doors and
windows open night and day In all sea-
sons than where they are kept shut.
Similar Conversations have been made In
stables containing large numbers OF
CATTLE which are by good ventilation
relieved from epidemic affections OF the
respiratory organs.
Prof. Nordenskjold during his Arctic
voyages was perplexed by the question,
what becomes of the babies OF animals
which die natural death. He, very
seldom found such remains, and de-
clared that on Spitzbergen it was easier
to find vertebrate OF monster extinct
reptiles than the bones OF the seal, wal W.,
rus or bird of the present day. Inc
problem is yet unsolved.
A curious burial place was lately re-
vealed in New Zealand. An immense
tree supposed to be many centuries oio'
was blown down, and a large quantlty
of human bones was disclosed In the
hollow interior, some OF the skeletons
heinr ouite perfect. The existence OF
the cemetery was unknown to the
Mooris of the vicinity, who assert that
il must date from very ancient period.
A remarkable cloud, observed in
Guatemala during eight CONSECUTIVE
DAYS of last February, was found L, TO
consist of seeds floating in the air. Inc
stream Of PARTICLES resembled snowfiakes
in appearance, and was only visible
when betweeen the observer and the
sun.
The havoc wrought by lightning is
often frightful. A few. weeks "a ago a
thunderbolt struck a chimney lou zee!
high-located in town In the north OF
France-and cut deep assure in Its
entire length. Among other examples
of like powerful effects, Arago states
that in 1862 lightning destroyed the tur,,
ret of a church at Cornouailles, and
threw a stone weighing not less than
225 pounds to distance of $50 feet
and. in 1909 wall near Manchester,
weighing more than 26 tons, was lifted
from it's foundation and removed nine
feet at one end by a very violent thun'
derbolt.
DIR. Elliott Cones new list of the
birds of North America mentions s9s
species. Only about 500 were known II
Audubon's time. .-~.--s.--
The dazzling effect Of the electric arr
is source of objection to its use as {
locomotive headlight by the French
engineers who have been trying 1t.
An oriental writer has recently giver
an interesting description OF an ancien
burial in the Chinese empire. 1t wa
the custom for the wealthy man to pro
cure his coffin at the age Of forty. III
would then have it painted three times
a wear with a composition resemb bling
siiicate paint or enamel, which formed
an exceedingly hard coating. The
process of making this paint is nov
one Of the lost arts of China. 1t thu
owner of the coffin lived long enough
the frequent painting coat beint
of considerable thickness-caused it t.
assume the appearance OF q sarcopha
gus. with foot or more OF this hard
stone like shell. After death the veinl
and cavities of the persons stomach
we're filled with quick liver for thu
purpose of preserving the body. a
niece of Jade would then be placed il
each nostril and ear, and in one hand
while a piece OF bar silver would b
placed in the other hand. The body
Tins nrenareds would be placed on I
layer Of quicksilver within the coffin
the latter was sealed, and the whole de
posited in it's last resting place. Whel
some Of these sarcophagi We're opened
after a lapse of centuries, the bodies
were found to be perfectly preserved
but they quickly crumbled to dust OF
being exposed to the air.
A London medical officer, DR.. Gibbon
is authority for the statement that, TIL
Jews of London average twice as Ions
period of life as the Christians. Pull
monary consumption and scrofula ar
almost unknown among the Jews o
the metropolis, Their children seem t.
suffer less from disease than do thos
of the English and Irish Gentiles il
neighboring localities.
A------ = -------
The Widows Snare.
- 4 ks k%