River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-30
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

| "A Midtown, Me-, mechanic has In
vented log-sawing apparatus which
has an upward as well as downward
motion. The scheme has not been
/ fully tested yet, but, if successful, win
be Il great time-saving invention to
Z lumber dealers.
There is about one pound of iron
/ In the blood of seventy-iive men, but
small as is the quantity one
hundred grains in each mamie could
not live without it, and he ought to
/ get it from his food, which obtained it
/ from the earth.
Attention has just been called in a
scientific paper TO two races of men
1 that must soon become extinct 1t is
confidently predicted that at the pres
/ ent rate of decrease the Maoris of New
/ Zealand, now reduced to less than A.
/ 900 men, from loo, 900 in Captain Cooks
days, must have disappeared by the year
I 20O0. The Laplanders are estimated
not to exceed $4,000 in numbers, and
are gradually becoming fewer.
Following the disappearance OF the
upper limb of the suns disk at sunset,
/ there has been observed the phenOme-
non OF beautiful green ray, its flash
being as rapid as that of lightning and
only visible under rare conditions of
clearness of the sky. The explanation
offered for its appearance is that of the
simultaneous contrast of colors, the
theory propounded originally by NJ
Cheyreul.
The frequent need of using light
in the studios of photographers, either
from the direct rays of the sun or from
the reflection of colored light from high
buildings, is well known. WaXed
paper of the tissue sort. is now be-
lieved TO be one of the best mediums
for this purpose, since it allows a large
percentage Of light to pass, the latter
being at the same time equally diffused.
Pictures NAV this way be made as
quickly as if there were no medium in
terpOsed.
Experiments made by electricians
| seem to demonstrate that the atmOs-
phere, when free from foreign matter.
can not hold electricity, nor serve as a
conductor. The floating particles of
/ dust are, it would appear. an impOr-
tant element in the phenomena OF u
thunder storm, the passage Of which
/ always leaves the air SO clear and ciean.
The peculiar danger from lightning in
a manufacturing town. with its smoke
laded atmosphere, seems thus TO be
-.siantifan1ftr nutfs.ruaA
A highly important industry is
springing up in the United States, that
Of "muzzling' oysters, Ivy which they
san be sent long distances in their
shells with perfect safety. Until re-
sently, the general practice was to
/ pack the raw oysters in ice. but u L
/ len rise of temperature is liable 10
render whole weeks supply useless.
/ Oysters feed twice a day; and never
| open their shells except at feeding
/ .ime. When taken out Of their natural
/ element. they attempt 10 feed at regu-
/ lar intervals, and SO soon as the shells
open. the liquor they contain is all lost,
/ he air takesits place. and the first stage
( Of decomposition sets in. As long AS
! the shells are closed. the oyster is
/ it to eat; it feeds on the liquor in the
she'll, and will thus keep in good con-
/ 1itiou for considerable time. To Sc
cure the keeping Of the shells closed,
a method has been invented of tying
/ (''muzzling') them with stout wire,
which can be done with great rapidity,
and now arrangements are being made
for dispatching American oysters in
/ heir natural condition all over the
civilized world