Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1884-07-23
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Mons. Honigmann, of AiX-la-
Chapelle, propels locomotive with
out fire and without coal by means of
caustlc soda.
In the Philippine Islands luminous
paint is used us a safeguard against
| earthquakes. Patches of the paint
are SO placed throughout dwellings
| that the occupants may be quickly
guided to the street at night on the
first warning of an earthquake. Time
for escape is thus gained before the
buildings fall.
A member of the London Anthropo-
logical Society lately discovered a
primitive stone axe in actual use by q
Londoner, who was chOpping up fire
wood with it. The axe, whose keenly
sharpned blade was a large piece of
the stone known as banded ebert. was
brought by sailor from the Andaman
Islands, in the bay of Bengal.
Mons. De Rochas intimates that
Franklin was anticipated in his dis
cOvery of lightning cOnductiOn, as
the ancient Etruscans appeared to
understand the art of guiding the
lightning. Servius relates that in
ancient times the priests ignited
their sacrifices by lightning, and on
one occasion Tullius Hostilius neglec.
ted the precautions laid down by
| Numa and was struck dead in conse-
quence.
DR.. Pehl, of st. Petersburg, has dis
| covered that bacteria are much less
numerous in running water than in
still water having apparently the
same chemical composition. He be-
lieves that germs are destroyed by
rapid motion, and that water may be
rendered comparatively pure by pass
| ing it through a centrifugal machine.
Mr.. Benz Rhodes estimates the
average power of Niagara Falls as
| 100000 horsepower, on the total
fall, including the rapids above, 230
feet. He places the cost of q plant
necessary to utilize this power trail
form it into electricity and trans
nit it anywhere within a radius of
500 miles, at s$5,000,0 100000. The
economy of the power is shown by
the calculation that its use instead of
steam would effect a saving of $40 per
annum in the cost of running each
electric light used in the city of Buff
falo.
Two peaks of the Alps exceed 49,
| 600 feet; while in the Himalayas more
than 1000 have been measured which
exceed 10000 feet. and it is estimated
that at least 1000 exceed this height.
In the Himalayas the feat of climb
| ing to an altitude of $4,000 feet was
lately achiyed by Mr.. w. w. Graham
| but this height must be surpassed by
5000 feet before the highest point in
the range can be reached.
Prof. G. w. Hough, director of the
Dearborn Observatory, favors the
theory that the much-discnssed red
spot of Jupiter. which became visahle
several years ago md has just dis
appeared, is really q portion OF the
solid body of the planet which is oh.
scured by clouds during long seasons
This view is confirmed by the fact
that Hook ind Cassini, in the year
1864, 1865 and 1866, observed IL great
spot Oh Jupiter, which SPOT re-
appeared and vanished eight times be-
tween 1865 and 1708 and was inyisi-
BILE from the latter year until lib, it's
longest period of continuous visibility
being three years and of absence five
years.
The present summer promises to be
an important one for science in
America. The annual meeting of
the British Association for the ad-
vancement of science takes place this
year at Montreal, from August 9th
to September Cd, and is to be closely
followed by the American Associa-
tons meeting at Philadelphia, Sep
TENDER 4th to IL. An international
electrical exhibition will be in pro.
gress in Philadelphia in September,
with probably an electrical congress.
A greater number foreign savants
will undoubtedly visit this country
than were ever before present at one
time.