The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-05-04

fifteen measured So Is; of sixteen, 80; of
seventeen, 32.6; and OF eighteen, 32.5.
Pupils of the same ages who had been at
the school for a considerable time measured
30.6 32I, "a 2, 35.8, and SS.S.
The question is now asked whether the
increasing transfer of iron from the earth's
interior to its surface can have any influence
upon the weather. It~seems that, at least,
the vast masses of iron that are being spread
out in railways, bridges, ETC., must effect
the electric currents which move about the
earth.
According to Tyndall, not more than
one hundredth part of the heat evolved in
an ordinary gas fame is converted into
light. To increase the Illuminating power
means must be sought to raise the tempera-
ture of the carbon particles to which the
light is due.
Copper has been regarded as very pois-
onous substance, but, after long expert
menting with its various salts upon dogs
aud upon himself, Mons, Galippe has con-
eluded that it cannot cause fatal poisoning
DR. Genzmer states that the sense of
touch is present. in infants at birth, although
the faculty of feeling pain is slowly devel :
oped, and is clearly indicated only after
the child has reached the age of four or FIVE
weeks; smell and taste are not distinguish
able in newborn infants; hearing is per
ceptible in the first, rat latest the sec
ond day Of life; light is quickly perceived
Immediately after birth, but evidences of
complete visual power do not appear for
four or five weeks, and it is only after four
or five months that colo-s are clearly dis
tinguished.
One of Prof Simon Newcomb's latest pa
pers in a discussion of all the transits of
Mercury hitherto observed, in which he de-
cides that Severrier's theory Of the exis-
tence of unknown planetary bodies nearer
the sun than Mercury is extremely i,nprob-
able.
Various travellers have observed in des-
erts, on mountains, in forests and in valleys
= peculiar and impressive sound like the
tolliag of distant bells. The phenomenon is
doubtless produced by air currents, but in
some instances it has appeared to be due to
the friction of particles of sand rolling un-
der the feet. 10 prove the correctness of
the former view, Mons Forel has made a
very pretty experiment, in which he has,
as he believes, reproduced the phenomenon
artificiallu fT,lSor r,Aa ,oIo H.
country when brisk breeze was blowing.
he held the gun in the wind at an angle of
about forty-fve degrees, and soon succeeded
in getting sound which shepherd near
by declared was the ringing of bells in a
neighboring village.
In view of late uses-or misuses-made of
dynamite, and the iuaccuracy of many state
ments concerning it, Prof. Proctor's knows-
edge reminds its readers that "the base of
this extremely powerful explosive is nitro,
glycerine-sometimes known as nitroleurn-
which is an amberlike fluid discovered by
Sobrero in lS47. Nitro-slycerine itself is
mace by adding glycerine, in a manner not
necessary TO particularize, to compound
oiAAS1 VI oNC pobIt VI ulSFIC aC1O ana Two
parts of sulphuric acid. This terrible agent
is known as glonoin oil, and is yellow oily
liquid, of specific gravity ranging from L.
525 to l.6. It has pungent taste, and but
one drop placed on the tongue induces in
tense pain of the spine. Soblero, when he
discovered this fluid, was student at the
famous Pelouze observatory, Paris He did
nothing to develop his discovery; but Alfred
Nobel, Swede, being in want of a new
blasting agent, experimental with the new
hquid, known to be highly explosive, and
by adding other ingredients obtained the
now well-known dynamite. This, as usu,
sliy manufactured, is composed of infusorial
earth, porcelain earth, scoa!- dust, siliceous
ashes, ETC., and all this base has to be sat
urated in q certain. proportion with the
nitro giycerine The process of manufacture
is dangerous, and the cost about four times
that of gunpowder, while its power is, per-
haps, ten times greater. Besides dynamite |
other explosive compounds have been made |
rom o-glycerine, such as dualline, |
of wood gunpowder soaked
With this terrible oil, while lthofracteur |
consists of fifty-two parts of nitro-glycerine,
thirty Of siiex, twelve of coal dust and two |
'f sulphur. Then there are varieties known |
respectively as colonia powder, lignose,
'ebastine, -hsracline, and fulminatine."
Dr. w. H Stone pronounces stammering
! disease of modern civilization, and states |
hat Livingstone never met with it among
he savage tribes of Africa. Statistics show
hat in civilized countries twp persons stan-
ner in every thousand.