Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-13
BITS OF SCIENCE.

The proportion of color-blind persons
among the Quakers is nearly 6 per cent,
while the percentage in the general COM
munity is only 81.
Communications have recently been
sent by telegraph from London to Cal
cutta, distance Of 1000 miles, through
single wire. The speed was from twelve
to fourteen words a minute.
Mount Everest, 29,OO2 feet above the sea
! level, is not, after all, the highest peak of
the Himalayan chain. A recent traveller
declares that there are two peaks to the
northwest of Mount Everest which are
much higher.
Glass vessels, brass tubes and other ar
! ticles have been coated by j. Emerson
Reynolds with nitrous galenoid deposit
through the decomposition of an alkaline
solution Of lead tartrate with sulphur
urea.
Mr.. c. NJ. Hoyey tells the Massachusetts
| Ploaghnldn that he would as soon think
OF rubbing off the buds of a tree of any
kind, and then expect it to make a good
growth, as that a potato with its buds
broken off would produce full crop.
A man during lifetime of so years, ac-
cording to paper recently read before
the Academy of Sciences, Paris, sleeps
away an aggregate of 5000 days, works
days, walks away 800 days, is i'll during
800, and amuses himself with the remain
der of his half century on earth.
At the suggestion of Prof. Gray, the
electrician, Chicago jeweler has made
watch which it is claimed is proof against
injury by electricity. 1t has rim of cleo
tro-plated iron as guard. Two watches
One so guarded and one unguarded-
were subjected to test with strong mag
nets recently. The unguarded watch
stopped instantly, but the other was not
interfered with.
About pint Of the celebrated chalybe-
ate waters of Tunbridge Wells, England,
have been found to contain the following
substances: Nitrogen, 0.59 cubic inch;
carbOnic acid. / cubic inch; oxygen,
trace; carbonate of lime, 0.03 grain; sui
plate of lime, OH grain; chloride of So
dunn, 0.30 grain; hydrochlorate of mag
nesia, O.03 grain; hydrochlorate of lime,
O.O5 grain; and protoxide Of iron, OBS
grain.
The Boston and Providence Railroad
Company has placed upon trial, near the
West ROXbury Station, new invention
In the place Of planks, which are gene
rally used, but which rapidly wear out
and decay, cast-irOn plates have been put
down. They are about two feet wide, and
in length fill up the space between the
rails. They are made with blunt projec-
tions of an inch or two, so as to give
horses a firm footing, and the whole plate
is Slightly browning. 1t is understood to
be the invention of Superintendent Fol-
som, and promises to be a success.
AS showing the effect of darkness upon
flowers, an English experimenter planted
a hyacinth bulb in October, 1882, and as
soon as 1t commenced to sprout removed
it to a perfectly dark but well-ventilated
place. In March, 1888. stem Of dark
purple flowers was produced, the leaves
of the plant being totally colorless. In
October, 1888, the same bulb was again
planted, and was grown in the light
through the winter. 1t has Powered again
this year and the flower cluster is smaller
and less deeply colored than that which
came forth last year in the darkness.