The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-03-03
IHritten for ths Pa1,tka .s<,es.f
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


only physical agent concerned in carry
| ing the earth's solid materials from
place TO place. modern investigations
proving that the dust carried by the
wind produces astonishing changes il
the configuration of the land. The
thick deposits covering ancient ruins
are now believed to have been largely
brought by the air. A French geographer
NJ Violet d'Aouest, after referring to
Richthofen's description of a vast aerial
formation in China. mentions having
seen on the Hanks of high mountains in
Mexico clay strata not deposited by the
waters nor by the decomposition Of tho
rocks, but produced by the dust raised
| by the winds from the plains
| and left ON the hills. These
deposits vary from 100 to 500 feet in
thickness, growing finer with increase
in height, and ceasing at the limit OF
vegetation.
New ZEALAND SPoRT.-New Zealand
now contains great numbers Of Wild cat
tie, which have descended from those
lost by the farmers during the Maori
vars which ended in 1863 Hunting these
animals is exciting and dangerous sport.
The game is not easily secured, ss the
animals hover-seemingly for protection
about thickets filed with long twininx
creepers, in which progression is very
difficult. Into these vines they dash at
the slightest alarm. seeming fully aware
that neither horse nor man can follow
them.
DIR. w. ID. Miller, of Berlin, has re-
duced the proportion of lime-salts in the
teeth of dogs more than one per cent. by
changing the diet of the animals for
four months.
When l see" observes Mr. Ellerslie
Wallace, sssuch nonsense as composite
photography gravely treated in scien-
tific manner by respectable magazines
that are read by the general public, and
even by the journals devoted to our own
craft, can only say that it makes me
feel very sorry
Electric slaughtering of cattle has
proven successful in ST. Petersburg.
death being almost instantaneous.
THE UNIVERSAL SOLVENT. Three
things were sought by the ancient al
chemist, the philosophers stone. the
elixir of life, and the universal solvent.
The last of these, though long known 4,
modern chemistry. has just been separ-
ated, but cannot be retained simply be-
cause it attacks and destroys every
thing. .This fury of the chemical world.
says Mr.. w. Mattieu Williams, sis the
element fourine; it exists peat efully In
company with calcium in fiuor spar and
also in a few other compounds, 5ut
when isolated, as it recently has been by
Nj. Henri Moissan, is rabid gas that
nothing can resist. 1t combines with ali
the metals, explosively with some, or IL
they are already combined with some
other non-metallic element, it tears from
it and takes them to itself. In uniting
with sodium, potassium, calcium, maR-
nesium aluminium, the metals beconae
heated even to redness by the fervcr cf
its embrace. Iron filings slightly
warmed, burst into brilliant scintilla-
tions when exposed to it, mauganese the
same. Even the noble metals, which
even at a melting heat proudly resist The
destinations of oxygen, succumb to this
chemical siren at moderate tempers-
lures. Glass is devoured at once, and
water ceases to be wafer by contact with
this gas which combining with it's hy-
drogen at the same moment forna the
acrid glass dissolving hydro-fiuoric acid
and liberates ozone.
THE EGYPTAN LAKE.-The Govern
ment of Egypt has Iheen persuaded to
make surveys which prove the existence
of depressed region nearly sixty miles
long by twenty miles wide, reaching q
depth of $50 to 800 feet below high
| Nsle. This depression has for several
years been held by Mr.. d. Cope White
house to he the site of the wonderful ar
tificial Lake Moeris described by Hero
dotus-fctitiously many have believed
with circumference of 450 miles. The
interest at last aroused in Egypt makes
it probable that the Nile will soon be ad-
mitted to this valley by canal eleven
miles long. The creation or restoration
of this great artificial lake will give for
| tility to WIDE area, and will reduce the
annual foundations of the Nile, while
storing water to replenish the river in
dry seasons.
A SCIENTIFIC ODDITy.-The model OF
an earthquake is a unique piece Of ap-
paratus that has been constructod by !
Toxic seismologist. Patiently ind -
boriousiy following out the accurafa
records of a modern seismoersph, Prof.
Sekiya has succeeded in shaping : lon6
coil of copper wire SO as to repxsoeaf,
with the utmost precision, the intrien1u
path described by shaken spot Of ~
earth's surface The model maenufl6l
fifty times the grounds absolute usotion
during seventy-two seconds, ard rssem
bles ball of twine unwound and throw
down in confused heap. Eumherei
tags show the progress Of the shock 20
: each second of time.
DISEASE IN WORK. Sedentsrv occ1
pations to be attended by maladies 70,
numerous to mention, but even the ou@
door work of the long-lived fsxmex /
NOT perfect guaranty Of freedom m
all ailments. A potato-diexer's disao6u
: which has been investigated 10 Rrua6fa
results from strained position of q
. legs in gathering potatoes. It akR6eI
{ the nerves of The feet and lees, proI11i