St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-03
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The relative efficiency of electricity gas
and oil for lighthouses is to be thoroughly
tested inEngland.
DR.. KONG has attempted to show that the
first real observation of case of color-blind-
ness was made by Goethe.
The Italian Government offers $4,000 to
the inventor of the best method of transmit
ting electricity to distance.
Lieut.. julius Won Payer, one of the dis
coverers of Franz Joseph Land has given up
Arctic exploration for art, and has just COM
pleted a series Of four paintings illustrating
the last polar expedition of Sir John Frank
lin.
A German authority gives the greatest
depth of the Atlantic as 934I metres or a
little more than five and one-sixth miles.
This measurement was made in 10 degrees
80 minutes 10 seconds north of latitude and
60 degrees 26 minutes second west longi-
tude.
The number of volcanic vents in exist
ence on the globe was placed by Humboldt at
407, of which 225 had been active within a
century. The Asiatic islands were supposed
to contain about half of the latter. More re-
cent estimates allow over 900 volcanoes to
the Indian archipelago alone.
In Berlin electricity has been applied to
the Matching of chickens. The eggs are
placed in circular box, or incubator, over a
coil of wire, and the wire is heated by the
electric current A Thermometer automati-
cally regulates the temperature by cutting the
wire coil out of circuit when the heat be-
comes too great.
A recent calculation shows that man
weighing 40 pounds and running mile in
six minutes performs work about equal to
that of half-horse- engine; while walker
sustaining five miles an hour for long day
does work equal to that of quarter-horse
engine and consumes only one-twentieth of
the weight of food or fuel.
Changes have been observed in the spec
trum of Sirius which indicate that the star is
moving away from the earth much less rapid
" than formerly, and that it must therefore
be travelling in a closed and comparatively
small orbit Forty-fiye stars were studied
with the spectroscope last year at the Green
wich observatory, for the purpose OF detect
ing any changes which may occur in their
apparent rates of movement
A British scientific expedition is about to
undertake the exploration of New Guinea,
which, although the largest island on the
globe except Australia and possibly Borneo,
is one of the earth's little known regions. A
route of 1000 or 1900 miles across the island
has been mapped out by the party, and it is
expected that the trip will occupy more than
year. Places which have already been
visited by Europeans will be avoided.
Several accurate photographs of lightning
flashes have been secured by Mons. Robert
Haensel, of Reichenberg, Bohemia. The
flashes are shown as long continuous sparks,
and in one of the pictures the point where
the spark met the earth may be seen. The
landscape is clearly defined in the photo
graphs, affording a means for calculating
the length of the lghtning's path through
the air, which, in one instance, was estimat-
ed at more than mile.
Not only has oxygen been obtained in the
form of crystals, as was lately announced
but Prof S. Won Wroblewski, of Krakow, has
also succeeded in causing nitrogen to fall
like snow when subjected to temperature
af 303 degrees below zero, and in solidifying
hydrogen. The extraordinary cold measur-
ed in these experiments was produced by
the boiling of liquefed oxygen on freeing it
from pressure, and is probably the lowest
temperature ever recorded.
In view of the liability of steamships to
collision with icebergs in crossing the Allan
tic, Mr. R. A. Proctor suggests the use of the
sensitive heat-measurers of Edison or Lang
lev, for giving warning of the proximity of
ice at night or in fogs. One of these instru-
ments in the bow Of vessel would indicate
change Of temperature with the iceberg a