The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-30
sCINTnLATIoNs OF SCIENCE.
Curiosities and Discoveries In the World Of
Progress,

Curiosities and Discoveries In the World OF
Progress.
A properly developed, full-grown
man weighing 154 pounds ought, ac-
cording to Prof. Huxley, to consume
daily 5000 grains of lean beefsteak,
5000 grains of bread, 1000 grains OF
milk, 5000 grains of potatoes, 600
grains of butter and 22,900 grains of
water.
Tests have proved that one pound of
powder in small blasts will loosen
about d tons of rock, and in large
blasts about q tons. In day of ten
hours one man can bore with bit an
inch in diameter from SO to 100 inches
deep in granite, or from 800 to 400
inches in limestone.
A specimen of ignite from the de-
posits of the Souris Valley, Manitoba,
gave on analysis the following result:
Carbon, 52.56 per cent; hydrogen,
3.52; oxygen and nitrogen, 18.47; sui
phur, O.42; ash, 4.53, and water, 20.70.
The color of the ash was buff. When
ignited good flame was produced,
with intense heat.
Representatives of the Spanish Gov
ernment have recently visited Eng
land for the purpose of inspecting the
various establishments where large
guns are made. They have placed in
Sheffield an order for the plant neces-
sary for turning out forgings for the
heaviest possible ordnance. Ihe
plant will cost at least $1,00O,O00.
How to produce painless death in
the lower animals has been carefully
studied by DR.. w. B. Richardson. He
seems at last to have succeeded in se-
curing euthanasia for them. The ami
mails to be destroyed are placed in a
chamber into which is forced cur
rent of carbonic oxide passing at 80
deg. Fahrenheit over a mixture of
chloroform and carbon bisulphide.
Extinction of life is soon effected in
the chamber by the lethal nature of
its atmosphere so brought about.
To determine the vexed question
whether the level of the Baltic was
rising or sinking, watermarks or
gauges were set up in 1850, renewed
about a century later, and finally re-
paired last year. At short, regular
intervals the gauges were inspected,
and the readings carefully noted.
The records of 1874 years now show
beyond all cavil that while the Scandi-
navian coast has been steadily rising,
the southern littoral of the Baltic has
been steadily sinking. Since 1850 the
coast of Sweden has been upheaved
on an average nearly fifty-six inches.
| No change has been perceptible on
line which passes from the Swedish
coast over Bornholm and Laland TO
the Schleswig Holstein shore.
At the late meeting of the Associa-
ted Swiss Societies at Berne, M. Null
haupt suggested the formation of an
international geographical bureau for
the purpose, first, of carrying out the
resolutions arrived at by international
geographical congresses; second, of
making exchanges every month, or
oftener if need be, between the eighty
odd geographical societies; and, third,
of publishing in the four or five princi-
pal languages summary of the con-
tents of the publications of the various
geographical societies. He further
proposes that the expenses be shared
by the many societies which would be
benefited by the execution of the pro-
ject.
Dumont's sewerage scheme for Paris
contemplates the construction of
drain about one hundred miles long
from the city to covered reservoir be-
low Herblay, on the right bank of the
Seine, and between Dleppe and Tre-
| part, and the establishment of pump
ing stations at Eragny and Serifon-
taine. 1t is estimated that for nine
months in the year, almost the whole
or the sewage will be taken up by irri-
| cation. The entire cost of coDStruc-
| ton is expected to be not more than
$12.000.000, and it is anticipated that
the maintenance of the pumping sta
tions will be fully secured by the sales
of sewage for irrigation purposes.
Only during one-quarter of the year
will much of the waste of the French
capital reach the sea at all.
A new form of apparatus for deter
mining the compressibility of water
has been exhibited by Prof. TAFT be-
fore the Royal Society, Edinburgh.
Instead of measuring the compression
caused by a given pressure he now
measures the pressure required to
produce a given compression. His
new arrangement allows him to make
| anv number of measurements in rapid
succession at any one temperature;
and then the temperature can be
raised and corresponding measure
ments made without once opening the
compression apparatus. Experiments
which formerly would have taken
weeks for their completion could now
be accomplished in an afternoon. He
hopes to demonstrate, as soon as he
has practical working specimen of
his invention at his command, that
the diminution of compressibility at
higher pressure becomes less at higher
temperatures, and may even become
an increase for the first few hundred
atmospheres' pressure.
The Birthplace of the Monsoon.
In the plains of India at the COM
mencement of the monsoon storms
i ioh ha ioht Lilo