Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-02-29
SCIENTIFIC GLEANlNGS.
DRY FACTS PRESENTED IN An IN.
PERTAINING WAY.

Observation-Disclosures OF Species In the
Animal kingdOm-SOurce Of Atm0s.
pheric Electricity-Filthy Water from
Famous Well-Etc.
Compiled for tho WooD RIVER TIxEs.l
The results Of "a photographic sur
vey made in the Straits Of Sunda
since the volcanic eruption of last
August have been given by NJ. G.
Van Doom. 1t appears that the
southern part of the peak of kra-
katoa yet reTains unchanged, and
rises, with an almost perpendicular
northern edge, to hight of more
than $500 feet above the sea. The
northern part of the island, however,
has entirely disappeared, and sound
ings on the place where it had stood
reached depth of 1900 feet without
touching bottom. The lost ground of
Krakatoa is evidently found few
miles to the north, where the depth of
the water has been greatly diminished
and one old island has been much en-
larged, while several new ones have
appeared above the surface. The en-
tire examination of the north of Kra-
katoa suggested the idea that the sur
veylng ship was above crater which
had been filled with water and
quenched by it.
Efforts are being made to establish
weather service in China, with the
Hong Kong Observatory as it's center
Meteorological registers are to be sys-
tematically kept at the principal ports
of the country, and it is expected
that the Government Astronomer,
who is at the head of the project, will
ultimately be able to give forecasts of
the weather and to furnish informa.
ton to mariners which will greatly
lessen the dangers of their voyages.
The pulse beats of criminal dur
ing execution by hanging have been
recorded. After the rope was adjust
ed the pulse-rate was III; immedi-
ately after the drop it fell to ga, 81,
80, 20, and to 0 in the fifth minute
but the sixth minute it rose to 70,
then to 13; eighth minute, O.; ninth,
"a; after this no pulse was percep-
tIble in the arteries, but the heart beat
two or three times between the ninth
and nineteenth minutes, and once in
the nineteenth minute. The death
was from strangulaton, the neck not
being dislocated.
Out of the 700 species of solanum
known to botanists, according to a
paper read by Mr.. J. G. Baker before
a recent meeting of the Linnean So
ciety of London, there arc only about
six which produce tubers, and only one
of these, the common potato, solanum
tuberosum, has yet been cultivated.
The native home of the potato is in
the dry and elevated parts of Chill.
In other portions of the same country
is found another species, S. Magla,
which should be much better adapted
to general cultivation, as it grows IN
moist places. AS long ago as 1926
the cultivation of this species in Eng
land was attempted, with most prom
ising results, but was abandoned be
cause the plant was believed to be
identical with the common potato.
Another species, 5. Commcrsoni, f,om
the eastern part Of South America, is
now being cultivated expcrimentally
in France, and is likewise suitable for
damp soil; while third wild species,
5. Jamesia, is being tried in the
United States This last species is
the one which MIR. J. G. I.emmon dis
covered in Southe astern Arizona in
1881.
y French meteorologist has planted
in the ground near his house two bars
of iron, from which wires run to IA
telephone receiver. The earth cur
rents which are indicated by sounds
in the telephone never fail to give no.
tice to the observer, who consuts the
apparatus several times "A dav, of the
approach of storm from twelve to
fifteen hours in advance.
In 1881 the International Polar
Conference was organized in st Pc
tersburg, and planned the scien sitic
expeditions which were sent by va
rous governments to fourteen points
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