Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-09
scientific Notes..

|
mr. M. BergsHian comes TO the couc.u-
,;or that a mixed climate, with relatively
,n;,J winters aud warm. sunny summers,
T. The hest suited for the vegetation OF the
temperate zone.
since the Inauguration Of cheap telegra-
nby In France the number Of kilograms
sent in that country has increased enor.
mously. Last year there were So tele-
grams for every 100 OF the population.
Tire tonnage Of the effective armored
fleets Of the leading naval powers OF En-.
rome Il rs follows: England. $500 tons;
France, 201.Is0; Germany, 7f,O07; Aus
tria, 63,1l0; Russia, 1891; aud Italy So
905.
The International Geological Congress,
n Is announced by Professor John Nc
Kenny Hughes, OF Cambridge, England, Is
postponed TO September. 1885. in conse-
auence Of the outbreak % cholera in the
South OF Europe.
Mr.. Twynam, OF Winchester. England,
asserts that a single grain OF wheat has pro-
duccd tbiriy-nine ears, containing In all
D e00 grains, and that three Of the largest
Of the ears had respectively lOi, 1OS, and
l0i grains.
NJ. LawroG says. in the Bulletin OF the
Paris Chemical Society, that in the action
Of Natalie glucinum upon mercury dime
tbyl. we obtain a white. crystalline, vola-
tile substance, which ignltes on contact
with water.
Consul L. l.. Layard. writing from
Soumea, docs not consider a circular rain
bow seen from hilltop an unusual phe-
pomenon. u depends, OF course, on.thc
nosiliou OF the observer as regards the sun
and his "coign OF vantage "-namely, hly-
ing a space below him. In such II uat!on
he has seen one several times in his life.
An international exhibition Of inventions
and Of musical instrument, is 10 be opened
In NAV, 1885, IN the buildings now stand
ing in the gardens Of the Royal HOrti-
cultural Society at South Kensngton, Lon
don. IL Is not proposed 10 allow space Tor
manufactured goods unaccompinied by
any illustration OF the process OF manuiic-
ture.
Olzewshi has employed air rs a means
for cooling purposes. He has obtained
c. G. in liquid state and submitted u 70
evaporation at Il pressure oi one Amos
There or even in Il vacuum. In the latter
case he has Obt1lncu temperature ~ ioN
- -2OJo ceutigrade. The temperature OF
nitrogen evapOrating in vacuum he sup
poses 10 De Pip.
Wood may acquire an oak. walnut or
chorry-ircr color by staining IL with ordi-
mar, tmciure Of iodine diluted with spirit
until the exact shade is obtained. White
shellac must be added to the iodine soiu-
ton il the stain is 10 be made permanent,
or the wood after the stain is applied may
be French polished. The iodine may be
laid on with a rlg or brush.
Hongmann's locomotive i TO be intro
duccd i'm the It. GOthard tunnel. II can be
charged from a stationary boiler with steam
and hot water sufficient to make the TWEEN
ty-minutcS' Journey through the tunnel
without repairing any fire. II therefore
does not vtiatc the atmosphere with smoke.
The exhaust steam is taken mp by an aka
line solution in a special chamber.
Sponges which are kept for a few hours
in solution OF bromine (mlde by adding
about ten drops II every five ounces OF
water acquire fine light tint. which may
lie still further improved by dipping them
in dilute ,uiphuric acid ana then washing
them well in water This i 4 far better
way TO bleach sponges than the chlorine
process. which is unsatisfactory at the best.
or the tedious sulphuric acid method.