Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-01-10
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
npiletl cor the wooD k1vEa rIxxa.]

~~@Fssss
= Some French scientists now regard
the zod'ncal light Ms simply a refecti' n
Of light from the Illuminated part OF
the earth upon all open stratum of
the atmosphere.
A possible source Of danger to ma
riners is suggested by report that
during the night Of Aug. %. 1884,
the lantern of Cuban lighthouse WAS
surrounded BY such cloud Of red in
sects that the light. as seen from dis
lance. wss changed to decidedly red
color.
| A subtcrranean observatory is being
established in very deep coal mine
near agasak', Japan, the object be-
ing to determine what connection ex-
lists betw~e" earthquake phenomena
and those meteorological phenomena
belonging to the earth surface, such
as storms, tides. etc. The protector
is Prof. Milne, of the University of
Toxic, the interchangeable student of
earthquakes in the land in which they
are most frequent.
While some naturalists have seen
ressons for believing that light Of
some kind must exist several thousand
fathoms below the surface of the sea,
it is very improbable that sunlight can
penetrate to such great depths. AT Il
depth of $50 feet in the Lake of Ge-
neva, Messrs Fol and Sarasin have
lust found that the strength Of the
light in the day is about equal to that
which we perceive in clear moon
less night. At 4U0 feet below the
surface the light is still quite strong.
| Attempts to determine the speed Of
!. thought have been made by Prof
Donders, of Utrecht, with two instr,,.
ments, which he calls the noe,natacl,O.
graph and the noematachometer. lie
has found that the brain must act fo
.O69 of a second to produce single
idea, but this time will probably be
shown to vary with different brains
For the eye to receive AN impressio,
requires or Of second, and the ca
,, needs .l49 of second to appreciate
: sound, the action OF the eve beng
nearl y twice as rapid as that of tn,
ear.
j. Recent researches have shown tina
: rar id motion has a remarkable effec
in destroying the organic impuritie
in water. This leads Mr.. Mattie'
Williams TO remark that the steam
, boats on the Thames, Of which con,
8 plants have been made because thu
! disturb the bottom, are really yer
valuable agents from sanitary poi',
I Of view, for the violent agitation the
produce must greatly lessen the river
o foulness. The steam tugs which ag
J. tate otherwise stagnant canals mus
u. also be regarded as great benefactor'
= a German Investigator, H. r. Cor
). pert, has made some experiments t
It determine whether, as had been pre-
" viously stated, plants, bulbs and root
are killed by sudden thawing, and NJ
Q by the preceding freezing. He sui
:, mitted potatoes and the bulbs Of h,
v acinths, narcissus, etc, to a temper.
4 ture OF about three degrees belo
e freezing, and then suddenly to filtee
:, degrees below freez ng. This killc
all the bulbs, whether the
were afterward thawed eth.
y slowly or rapidly, but none {
e the bulbs were damaged by exposur
o simply to three degre es below freezin,
n the potatoes only being frozen.' C-
% tain flowers which were tried wei
killed directly when frozen, and coul
not be revived by gradual thawin{
The buds of some woody plants boI
u temperature OF zero, or a few d.
grees below, and subsequent thawin
at ~ degrees without injury.