The Irish standard., 1886-04-24
SCIENCE AND THE ARTS.

Az electrical signal travels at the rate
of 16. 900 miles per second
Photography of the stars now forms an
important part of the work done at the
Harvard Observatory.
German geologists estimate that the
Dead Sea will be mass Of solid salt
thousand years hence
The department of agriculture atfirms
that kerosene oil is a valuable agent to the
destruction of all insects and bugs.
| The total number Of species of towering
plants in the world is roughly estimated
by Bentham and Hooker to be 95,620.
The anthropological congress which is
soon to be held at Rome will have
novelty in collection Of 700 skulls of
criminals, numbered and classified
On clear night about 1900 stars are
visible to the naked eye. A like number
| in the opposite hemisphere makes total
of about 5000 that can be seen without
glass.
| Parian is white cement said to con-
sist OF mixture Of plaster Of Paris and
borax. -Four bushels OF parian with an
equal quantity Of clear sand will cover ten
yards superficial half an inch thick.
Charles H. Washburn has patented an
automatic steering apparatus by which
the control of the rudder of a vessel cRn
be taken entirely out of the hands of the
man at the wheel at any moment and as
suned on the bridge by the officer in
charge
| Entomologists state that in 1879 only
| lO2 fossil insects from the carbOniferous
rocks of the whole world we're known to
science. During the last five years, how
ever, the additions to that number have
been very large through the discoveries
made in Europe and Asia.
1t Is reported from north and central
Sweden that last year migratory birds
left in large numbers at an unusually
early date. Between August 16 and 18,
thouands of wild fowl were seen passing
over Stockholm, their progress lasting for
several hours at time.
Lieut. Greely believes that there is an
ocean 1900 miles in diameter round about
the pole, that never freezes, and con-
| lectures that the pole itself is the centre of
an ice-capped land covered with ice from
1, 200 to 4, 900 feet thick. These conclusions
are rejected by prominent Arctic authori-
ties in England.
The bridge to be constructed over tho
Hawkesbury river, New South Wales, will
he remarkable work. This double-track
railway bridge will be 1900 feet long, and
the piers, according to the plans, will re-
quire to be sunk about 170 feet in all be-
low tide. The estimated cost is not less
| than 81: OOO,O0
For several days visitors at Block Island
recently had numerous examples of the
phenomena of refraction. Vessels seemed
to sail the air, headlanas appeared to
hoat far above the ocean, CLASSY rivers ran
scawart through the solid wall Of the
mainland horizon and other distant OBJ
jects seemed distorted and unreal
Electricity has been brought to the sid
OF the sportsman by the use Of small
lamp for the front sight ct 81 rifle, to
render it visible in the dusk or when from
any cause whatever there is insufficient
light The minute electric lamp is fixed
near the snuzzle of the gun and shielded
by metallic-screen. The current is sup
piled by small battery In the stock.
An extraordinary feat in telephoning
was recently accomplished between st.
Petersburg and Boulogne, u distance of
2,4e5 miles. Conversation was kept mp,
Notwithstanding a rather high induction.
The experiments we're made during the
night, when the telegraph wires were not
at work. The Russian engineers hope to
succeed in conversing by telephone over
a distance Of 1865 miles.
An irish physician, DR. Henry Aacaulay /,
has made tho unique suggestion that the
f, intense heat of the sun in tropical countries
be used as all agent for cooling buildings.
| He would Use MuchOt's sun engine for
pumping cold air into factories, dwellings,
etc, as in this way the temperature may
be reduced from 1a9 degrees to 80 degrees.
This plan is available only where ice may
be obtained.
Experiments on au extensive scale have
been made in Germany to ascertain the
relative strength Of iron and steel girders.
The soft-sseel girylers proved to be 22 per
cent, and har(l-steel Orders 66 per cert,
stronger than the iron girders; and it is
remarked that it seemed pretty well
established that the strength of steel
girders is about the same for the two
hanges if made alike in section.
Eustou Station, III London, is lighted by
a. new light which seems to possess many
advantages. Ordinary coal-gas, mixed i'll
| IAOEn/ A'u W otiS w SAteA ~ WA
mon air. is supplied under the usual gas
service pressure to burners over which are
placed caps Of platinuu-wire game. The
mixture, when lighted, burns without
flame around this cap, which is raised to
brilliant white heat by the combustion.
The light is perfectly steady, there being
no flame and is not affected by wind OF rain,
More than twice as much light is obtained
with given consumption of gas as by the
old system. Twenty burners replace fifty
Of the old kind, and satisfactorily light q
platform 600 feet long.
An improved method of tanning--nane.
ly, with soap and OIL together with CAL
bolic acid---llas been brought to notice by
an Australian inventor. The skins. which
have been lined in the ordinary manner,
also haired and prepared if for the pro-
duction of sole leather, are placed in tin
bath consisting OF a mixture Of ten ga]loDs
of water, in which 200 pounds Of soap are
dissolved, and containing one gallon Of car
bolic acid, in which the skins are left until
they have become converted into leather
This process it is asserted, may be con-
siderably accelerated by adding pint OF
fresh carbolic acid to the tanning fluid
from time to time. For a softer leather
II. y I.,spo oi-; fnr