Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-03-08
SCIENTIFIC GLEANINGS,
DRY FACTS STATED IN AN ENTER.
SAINING WAY.
Matching Chickens by Elcctricity-Pro.
lection Against Icebergs at Sea-Hov
Life May BE Prolonged - Creates,
Depth OF the Atlantic-Efc.

Compiled for the WOOD RIVER T1MEs.1
In Berlin electricity has been an.
Piled to the Matching of chickens.
The eggs are placed in a circular box,
or incubator, over a coil of wire, and
the wire is heated by the electric cur
rent. A thermometer thus automat-
ically regulates the temperature by
cutting the wire coil out of circuit
when the heat becomes too great.
In view of the liability of steamships
to collision with icebergs in crossing
the Atlantic, Mr.. r. A. Proctor sug
gests the use of the sensitive heat
measurers of Edison or Langley for
giving warning of the proximity of ice
at night or in fo8s. One of these in.
struments in the bow of a vessel would
indicate change of temperature with
the iceberg a quarter of mile or
more away, and might be made to at
tract the attention to the presence of
invisible danger by causing a fog
horn to be sounded--or otherwise, as
might be necessary. The keen per-
ceptioE Of science, Mr.. Proctor thinks,
may thus be put on guard over our
safety when our natural senses fail.
Lieutenant Julius Won Favor, one
of the discoveries of Franz Josef
Land, has given up Arctic cxplora-
ton for art, and has just completed
series of four paintings illustrating
the last polar expedition of Sir John
Franklin.
A recent calculation shows that
man weighing lao pounds running a
mile in six minutes performs work
about equal to that of half-horse en-
CINE; while q walker sustaining five
miles an hour for a long day does
work equal to that of quarter-horse
engine, and consumes only one-twen-
tieth OF the weight of food or fuel.
Changes have been observed in the
spectrum of Sirius which indicate that
the star is moving away from the earth
much less rapidly than formerly, and
that it must therefore be travelling in
a closed and comparatively small orbit.
Forty-fve stars were studied with the
spectroscope last year at the Green
witch Observatory, for the purpose of
detecting any changes which may oc-
cur in their apparent rates of move
ment.
Well may we doubt the success of
the alchemists Of old in their search
for tho "elixir of life,' but if the views
published in England by Mr.. w. O.
Dawson are correct, modern science
at least appears to be able to retard
the progress of old age. Mr.. Dawson
tells us that the changes which pro.
duce old age are due to an excessive
action of the oxygen we breathe and
to the accumulation of lime salts in
he body. He does not state whether
he oxygen effects may be in any de-
gree counteracted, but he believes
hat life may be prolonged by rcduc-
ng the calcareous deposit to mini
mum. This he would accomplish by
plan suggested by Mr.. de Lacy
Evans. The plan is to avoid food
large proportion of earth
alts-such as the meat from old ami
nals-and to use daily, after middle
lie, several glasses of distilled water
obtaining few drops Of phosphoric |
cid. Distilled water is necessary on !
ccount of its great solvent power.
Several accurate photographs of .
ghtning flashes have been secured
y Mons. Robert Haensel, of Reich
nberg, Bohemia. The flashes are
hown as long, continuous sparks, and d
one of the pictures the point where :
nc spark met the earth may he seen.
he landscape is clearly defined In the
photographs, affording a means for
alculating the length of the light i,
ing's path through the air, which, in c
1e instance, was estimated at more ii
ian a mile. C
A British scientific expedition is fl
'out to undertake the exploration of f f
ew Guinea, which, although the pr
rgest island on the globe except U
ustraiia and possibly Borneo, is one
the earth's little known regions. :
route of 600 or 200 miles across
island has been mapped out by 4
party, and it is expected that the =: :n
p will occupy more than a year. ssa