Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-30
SCIENTIFIC SKETCHES.

CutAtACo W cuPpOio. W ~
SCIENTIFIC SKETCHES.
SCIENCE, THE BASIS OF CIVILIZED LIFE,
BROUGHT WITHIN THE VISION OF ALL
WHO WILL READ.
Reported Solely for Tile Western Kansas
World.
LIFE IN OTHER SPHEREs.-Proctor ar
CUES that every celestial body must at
some time pass through ife-supporting
period, which must be very short
compared with the duration of the worlds
own existence. Concerning the date Of
the life era in other worlds than ours he
remarks: I'm the presence of time-inter-
walls seen to be at once infinitely great
and infinitely little-infnitely great COM
pared with the duration of our earth, in
finitely little by comparison with the
eternities amid which they are lost-what
reason can we have, when viewing any
orb in space from our little earth, for say
ing, nov is the time when that orb is, like
our earth, the abode of life? Why should
life onsthat orb synchronize with life on
the earth? Are not, on the contrary, the
chances infnely great against such CO.
incidence? If, as Helmholtz has well
said, the duration of life on our earth is
but the 'minutest ripple in the infinite
ocean of time and the duration of life on
any other planet of like minuteness, what
reason can we have for supposing that
those remote, minute, and no way associ-
ated waves of life must needs be abreast
of each other on the infinite ocean whose
surface they scarcely ripple? : 1t
is more probable that life is wanting than
that life exists at this present time. New
ertheless, it is at least as possible that
every member of every order,-planet,
sun, galaxy, and SO onward to higher and
higher orders endlessly-has been, is now,
or will hereafter be, Gfe-supporting after
it's kind"
Nv
Observations on the incandescent cleo
trio light, which decreases in luminosity
after certain strength of current is
reached, lead a French Investigator to
that heat radiations, which are
at first dark and then luminous, passing
from red to white, ultimately go beyond
the violet rays, and at very great intens-
ty cease to be visible.
.**
PAPER RAILRoADs.-The paper rail
seems about to become practical reality,
\ large establishment for the manufacture
If rails OF compressed paper being pro-
ected at st. Petersburg. Among the
Advantages claimed for this material are
extreme durability, cost about one-third
is great as steel, ightness, greater adhe-
lion to the driving-wheels of the engine,
md reduction in the wear and tear of
both the road and the rolling stock.
~
M1sNAMED AN1MALs.-The weight of
scientific opinion now favors the view
hat flying fish" do not fly. The mus
les of flight in birds average in weight
,ne-sixth OF the whole body, those of bats
while those which have
,een supposed to enable the fishes to fly |
ire only one-thirty-second. The impulse
C the propulsion of the Aying-fish is
delivered while they are still in
he water by the exceptionally powerful
muscles which cover both sides of their
,ody.
~
Prof. Langley's recent researches have
ed him to conclusions which imply that,
n the absence Of the absorbing atmos-
here, the earth would receive sufficient
leat from the sun to melt an ice-shell
bout $50 feet deep over the globes en-
ire surface.
~
The extensive collection OF meteorites
t Vienna now contains specimens repre-
enting 35S meteoric falls. Other valua-
lie collections are at London, Paris and
Ialcutta.
~.
1t has been suggested in England that
be telephone may be advantageously
sed to transmit messages between suf-
erers from infectious diseases and their
riends.
~.
Zinc dust has been found by an Eng
Ssh investigator to absorb hydrogen from
moist atmosphere at moderate temper
ture. 1t has, in fact, the power of oc-
luding the gas after the manner of spon-
y platinum.
~
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA.-The prin-
ipal astronomical event of 1886 will be
be total eclipse of the sun on the 29th of
lugust. The line of totality in this
clpse will cross the Atlantic ocean, trav-
rising land in the West Indies just after
nnrise and in southern Africa toward
unset. On the coast of Benguela the
,tal phase lasts nearly five minutes, and