Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-03-07
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Venus. the morning star, is
brighter chan it ever appeared to any
man now living, and nearer to the
earth than it will be again for $40
years.
German experiments have shown
that cast-iron pillars remain nearly up
right and sustain their load in very hot
fires. while those of wrought iron bend
to such degree as to be valueless as
supporters.
Cherry tree gum is an emulation
from the trees of that name, and occurs
in shiny red Jumps. With water, in
which it is only partially soluble, it
forms thick mucilage This is not
used commercially.
ELECTRICITY on railroads will surely
not be long in coming. We are at the
eve Of greater changes than we have
yet seen. The New York street ear
lines are experimenting with promise
of immediate action. The julien
system. at present, meets with most
favor In Europe electric lines are
decided success on small scale.
An important announcement to
chemists is the recent synthesis of
glucose or grape-sugar., by Drs
Fischer and Tafel at the University of
Wurzburg A remarkable attribute of
the artificial product is that, unlike
other sugars of the same composition.
1T will not rotate q beam of polarized
light.
Since the first appearance of the
great red spot on the planet Jupiter
some nine years ago, Mr. w. F. Den
ming, the well-known English astron-
omer, has made about three hundred
observations of the phenomenon. He
believes the red spot to be feature of
Jupiter's atmosphere, and not of the
surface of the planet.
1t still seems to be an unsettled
question whether wood can be rnited
by the heat of steam pipe in contact
with it. 1t is admitted theoretically,
that it is impossible for wood to take
fire at a temperature of PIP degrees. or
somewhat higher; but it is we'll known
that there have been large number
of cases of fire reported as occurring
from this cause, and the evidence is
very conflicting
According to Besnier, leprosy is
spreading rapidly. Since the extension
of the French colonial possessions. sol
diers, sailors, traders and missionaries
have fallen victims to it in large num-
bers. Besnicr, therefore, exhorts phys
icians in all countries to study the fell
disease in order to find means Of coun-
teracting its ravages. for it has active
focuses of infection in every part of the
globe
An electrical heating stove in
vented in France, presents some inter-
esting points of arrangement and
operation. In it the conducting wires
are led through apertures in plates of
refractory clay and plumbago. and in
which wire bobbins are placed as part
of the electric circuit. To carry out
this plan the bobbins are heated by the
passage of the current. and in turn
heat the air. which is allowed TO pass
freely through the apparatus.
Scientists are asked to tell why
land that has been densely shaded. or
protected from the sun by piles of lum-
Der, brick, wood, stone or any thing
else, for a few years, always becomes
richer than adjacent land that has not
been thus shaded or protected. 1t is
alleged that a great number of facts
have been collected showing thas there
is no doubt of the enrichment of land
thus protected from the sun for any
considerable period of time, but that
no explanation of the phenomenon has
yet been reached.