Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-10-16
Scientific Chips.


miles of telegraph lines along the
railways where the poles are of iron
1t is liz awise being tried to some ex-
tent in Prussia. The very low prices
now ruling will do much to further
this substitution.
Twenty years ago sonorous sands
we're quite rare, and were something
of curiosity. During the interval
they have been found in many places,
and already seventy-four American
and thirteen foreign localities are
known. When suddenly compressed
between the hands these sands emit
musical notes, the pitch rising as the
quantity diminishes. The loudest
notes may be produced by the sud-
den impact of two bags filled with
the sands. The conditions of sonor-
BUSINESS seem to be perfect dryness,
a uniformity of grain varying from
one-tenth to one-ffth of an inch in
diameter and entire freedom from
dust. Such sands, when wet, gen.
orally become quicksaDds, a modern
| siren.
The yield of borax in the United
Safes for the past year amounted
to 800 tons, all of which came from
tho two States of California and Ne
vada. The supply is practically in
eXhausiib,e, for the salt is leached
from the sol. during the rainy season,
ard the deroslts when worked out
nre gradually renewed by the repe!i-
iion of this process. With the ir-
creased supply of the mineral many
new Applications have been devised.
AT one time it's use was almost en-
tirely cohfned to fuxing purposes
for metallurgical operations, but il
is now employed also for glazing
iron and pottery, for the manuiac.
trraoi-seap. for softenipg water, and
its latest use is in preserving packed
meats.
Something novel in the way oi
safes has been invented by the IA
nous engine builder of Providence,
Mr.. William Corliss. 1t consists oi
two spheres, one revolving within
the other, and its particular novelty
lies in the fact that it has no door,
One-third of each sphere is wanting
SO that when the open parts come in
line with each other free access may
be had to the interior. There are
only three parts to the casting, the
outer ball being made in two parts
and bolted together around the inner
one. They are burglar proof, as
they cannot be forced and robbed Of
their contents in the time at the dis.
posal OF the thieves. or with the tools
they possess. Twenty-Five are al
ready in use at Providence.
The Bassano- Slater telephone,
which WAS announced somo few
weeks ago as successful inst,u-
ment, which was claimed not to be
an infringement on the Bell monop-
oily, has been promptly brought into
the courts by its powerful rival, and
by legal decision as promptly
crushed. But this continued result
seems not to discourage new inven-
tions in the slightest, for the profits
to successful competitor would be
so great that as one claimant is dis
posed of another is ready to wage
battle. Among the latest of these is
the Irish telephone, which is similar
to Bells in having the transmitter
and receiver identical and inter.
chaugeable, but differs in having the
diaphragm fixed at the center and
fIae to vibr1ie at the edges.
Mr.. Smellie, an English engineer,
has recently been advocating the ro-
tation Of the earth as the sole Snd
sufficient cause of the currents oi
both ocean and atmosphere, and
founds his theory upon simple ex-
pertinent. If, says this gentleman,
a vessel partially filed with water be
made to rotate in q horizontal plane
the vessel will slip from under the
water, as it were. and no matter how
long the motion be continued, OF
what Velocity be attained, the lag.
ging of the water will always be ap.
preciable. Such, he argues, is the
explanation OF currents. Ihe earth
rotating towards the east the waters
of the ocean will lag behind, and 9
westward current result. The
earth's rotation is probably an active
cause, but it is impossible to ignore
thermal influences and reach o true
conclusion.
Rather a scanty crop of medals
was gathered by Americans at thu
International Exhibition in London
For one thing the display from thi'
side of the water was much smalle
than had been expected, and thi