The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-05-10
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The consumption of rubber in this
country is steadily on the increase. the
imports last year having been 27,000,-
900 pounds, the greatest amount ever
known.
DR. Schliemann has discovered the
location of the temple of Aphrodite
Urania in Cythera. Rain-storms and
an inundation of the river compelled
him, however, to return to Athens via
Sparta.
-Ironwood and iignum vitae are pre-
ferred for heavy canes, and bamboo
and malacca sticks for light ones.
British Columbia redwood, however, is
said to make as heavy cane as any
wood known. 1t has rich port wine
color and is very handsome.
A large steel company in Chicago
has decided to substitute crude petro-
leum for coal. This oil will be used as
fuel for thirty-six large boilers. and if
every thing goes we'll an attempt will
be made to use the oil in the heating
of ingots and blooms. The oil will be
forced into tanks and supplied to the
boilers by the force of gravity.
in y carefully compiled table OF
labor statistics in the United States,
France, England aud Germany, it ap-
pears that labor of all kinds. skilled
and unskilled. is paid over one hundred
per cent more in the United States
than in any of the other countries
named. In some cases-notably in the
wages of women-the difference is over
three hundred per cent. in favor of the
United States.
-Typewriting and stenographic Of
fees are multiplying with unusual
not less than seventy-five to one hum
dred young girls and men graduate"
every week and start out to earn liv-
| ing in this trade. 1t has been recently
| shown by statistics that the difference
between the wages of men and women
in that city who do the same work is
from one dollar to twelve dollars a
week in favor of the men.
Palladium. a metal of the platinum
group, but of far lower density than
the latter, may be substituted for steel
in the manufacture of watches. Palla-
dunn is absolutely -polarizable, and
it is unaffected to any noticeable ex-
tent by the presence of a magnetic field.
Besides this. it has the incidental ad-
vantage of being rust-proof. The dis
covcry is due to G.. A. Pallard of
Geneva, Switzerland. and watches are
now being constructed with this metal
Sir John Herschel's opinion that
the full moon has tendency to clear
the sky of clouds is supported by recent
observations. In reference to the COM
mon belief that ring around the moon
is indicative of the approach of a storm,
it is stared that, out of sixty-one lunar
halos observed near London. thirtv-four
were followed by rain within twenty.
four hours, and nineteen within foul
days. Meteorologists generally agree
that the moon exerts some influence or
the weather; but as to the extent of thai
influence they differ greatly.
The calculations of recent writer
on the subject show that an enormou:
amount of vegetable matter is required
to form layer of coal. it being esti
mated that it would take not less thar
100000 years to form bed of Goa
100 feet thick. The area of the Goa
fields of the United States is between
100000 and 400. 900 square miles, whicl
/ is quantity sufficient to supply the en-
tire world for period Of 1000 years
One million tons of coal are taken from
these beds every year.
Artists always seem at loss t.
, deal with the color of the sea, and few
, are those who please the public. Prof
, Tyndall has come to their aid. HI
, recognizes three principal hues in Sc,
\ waves-blue, green and yellow. Soil,
0 particles held in the water act as mi
mute mirrors, rejecting the light whicl
penetrates the liquid. The rays whicl
are sent out, after having traverse'
only thin stratum of water, preserv
r their yellow parts; but if the reflection
Q are attenuated the water appears green
I and if they do not exist at ALL the se
r being clear and free from muddy mat
y tiers, the color is deep blue. In an in
|. digo sea the crest of the waves vii
: appear green on account of their lac
of thickness Seawecd, animalcules
/. and other local or accidental cause
! may have much influence on the colo
: of the water.
Tact in ean.Year Maftere