Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-07-03
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Mr.. Geo. II. Barton states in Science
that the lava stream which burst from
the side Of the Hawaiian volcano OF
Mauna LA on the 9th Of November,
1880, continued to Aow slowly down the
mountain aud aero IS the country for more
than nine months, at the end Of which
time it had extended over distance Of
about - miles. A part Of its course
passed through forest, where the lava
became sufficiently solid before the large
trees we're burned TO retain complete
moulds Of Their trunks, and from these
perpendicular moulds the lava was found
to average 20 feet 10 thickness at this
psint. Mr. Barton roughly estimates the
quantity Of lava emitted at something
more than SOC, OOO, 900 cubic yards. The
rapid cooling and solidifying Of the sur
face of the lava while the interior was
still flowing caused a considerable part
Of the stream to take the form Of tun.
mel
Dr.. Percy Pope, an English physician,
maintains that diphtheria is produced by
some influence Of the soil, as he finds
that it chiefly occurs among dvellcrs on
clay. He thinks that observations which
have been made indicate that the clay
may foster a germ which will cause the
disease.
As result Of his extensive experience
in building compressed air locomotives
for European mines, Col. Beaumont states
that one cubic foot Of air under pressure
Of 1000 pounds 70 the square inch vii!
convey load Of three tons distance Of
one mile on any Of the colliery tracks.
Mons. villcrmos, French horicul-
turi.t, has met with remarkable success
IN treating sickly plants with warm water
Its supposed that the warm water washes
certain injurious acid substances away
from the roots, thus removing the cause
Of the weakness Of the plants.
The art Of sewing has been known
from . very remote period, as is shown
by the fact that bone needles have beeu
fosnd among the Oldest remains Of the
Swiss lake-dwellings and in the caves Of
France and Great Britain which were
requested BY man during the reindec,
sge. Some Of these early needles were
perforated 10 the middle-which was thu
thickcst part-and others were pierced
= Tie larger end. A French cavern ha.
yielded needles much superior 70 thos.
Il the ancient Gauls and to the ivor,
Seedles Of the modern Esquimaux, espec
ii skill having been applied to the Dor
ig Of the eyes, which must have beer
done with q enc flint drill. The Swis.
hks-dwcllers used linen thread or bark
6ber for sewing, and made garments from
woven fabrics Of linen and bark ~ vel
- from the skins Of animals. The cave
pesph,employed thread made from split
tesdons perhaps strings Of gut, and the
&ncnem Of some Of their needles has sug
gsssed the probability that they perform
Cd some more delicate work than The
sewing Of skins.
Mons Angot having drawn the atten
ton Of the French Academy Of Science,
70 the fact that = series Of brilliant twi
lights WAS observed in Europe in 1881
Mons. Tiasandies has pointed out tia,
the effects were predicted, - in 1893
BY great volcanic eruption, which &C
CURED in ~ Sicilian Sea and caused .
large quantity Of 6ne ashes to be thrown
high into the aig.
An English writer states that the Than
Shan ssnge Of mountains in Central Asia
htventy-6vs times - large as the Swis.
Alps, covering ~ area equal to France
AID Spain in extest, and forming pro.
tabensce upon the esrths surface con
Ederably greater than the aggregate Of
u the mountains Of Europe. This re.
variable range is supposed to have no
less than $500 glaciers, and it has SNOW
bridges mile in length and more than q
hundred feet in thickness.
Dr.. Nntgraf is-about to take . speak.
ing phoDograph into the interior Of Afri.
@ for the purpose Of fixing the speech
asd melodies Of hitherto unknown tribes.
If Successful, he will forward the iudeut.
ID lhonograph plates to Berlin, where
German scientific men will place them
apos q duplicate instrument and cause
them to,se-emie the sounds received, thus
reproducing in the seats Of European
learning the utterances Of simple savages