Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-02
SHIPS OF SCIENCE.


The temperature of the Gulf Stream
has been found by Capt. Pillsbury to
range from 42o to 80. The greatest
velocity at the surfaceis ~ knots, but
the fluctuations are frequent and
great.
THE brightness of some stars varies
periodically, more than lO8 so-called
variable stars being known, while
many more are suspected variables."
The periods range from q few days 70
many years. Thevariatiop is usually
slight.
The rapidity with which stalactites
areformed under favorable conditions
bee. This old gate in the walls of the
city was rebuilt in 1857 of a grayish
limestone, and the constant dripping
OF water from the crevices has made
deposits of rather dirty limey matter.
In many cases regular stalactites have
been formed, some reaching length of
foot and half, and being at least
three-quarters of an inch in diameter
at the base.
PHOSPHOREsCENCE Is observed in a
great variety of marine animals, but
Prof. W. c. Mcintosh remarks that the
functions Of the luminosity cannot yet
be explained, the conditions under
which it appears being very diverse.
The numerous views which have been
advanced to account for the phos-
phorescence itself range over a wide
area--from it's production by electrici-
r W hvyo 80
ter, by putrefaction, by inhibition of
light, to its manifestation as a vital
action in the animals, or a secretion
of phosphorescent substances.
In some recent scientific experiments
on the effect of "old, two frogs were
frozen solid in a temperature of about
2O0 F., and kept in that condition for
half an hour. On thawing slowly they
recovered perfectly, but it was found
that longer periods Of exposure invari-
ably killed the animals. The expert
ment was tried offreezing Theoretically
sealed meat, SO as to kill it's bacterial
organisms, and thus render it incapa-
BILE of putrefying. It was found, how
ever, that so low O. temperature as
go below zero would not destroy the
vitality of micro organisms. 1t was
thus made clear that the attempts to
preserve meat for a lorg time by q
momentary freezing of it must be
abandoned.
1T is generally supposed that the
North Arctic Zone is extending, and
proof is assumed in the increase
of ice on the eastern shores of Green
land, and in the fact that barley,
which was successfully grown in Ice
land from it's first settlement in $40
down to the middle of the fifteenth
century, is no longer cultivated there.
The Icelandlc government has, how
ever, lately attempted to grow barley
IN the island on q considerable scale
and the results were very favorable.
Norwegian barley from Altenjord, the
extreme north of the barley growing
zone, was planted and fit for cutting
in eighty days. The decline in barley
cultivation in Iceland is really due to
the fact that cattle breeding pays bet
ter.
A CURIOUS case for the study of the
geologist was unearthed the other day
in Indianapolis. w. w. Worthington,
foreman of the work of improving the
courthouse yard, had occasion to
break in pieces a huge slab of lime
stone from the quarries of Green's
burg, Southern Indiana. The piece Of
stone was about fourteen inches thick,
and in the heart of it was imbedded
part of huge sea crawfish lobster,
the vertebre and bones correspond
ing precisely to those of that we'll
known animal of the crustacean va
riety. The specimen obtained meas
ured eighteen inches in length, and was
evidently but two-thirds of the entire
animal. 1t has been sent to the geo.
logical department of Purdue Uni
versity.