Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-01-20
POPULAR SCIENCE.

A GRADUAL increase in the Aver,
size of the skull among the natiyas
believed by a Bombay physician to
taking place as an effect OF civilizas
in India.
An electric spark in q dusty atm,
phere causes dust to settle, and if n
air be smoky clears it, This is probaIi
one reason why the air seems so cls,
after thunderstorm, even if little vi
has fallen.
IT is a familiar and yet it a]w,,
strikes one as q marvellous fact fl,
worlds may have been for years in az
istence. the light of which has not v
had time to reach our earth, and H.
we may continue to see the light Of Il
stars that have been for a long time ~
tinct.
The 600 tornadoes recorded slo
that their whirl is almost invariably
the same direction, opposite the ham
of watch: and their onward movemn
with us is nearly always northeastwar}
Their favorite time of day is know
and q tabulated list of 1852 shows neaS
'two-thirds between and 6p. m.
AN ingenious astronomical theor;
that of Mr.. Monck at Dublin, who
gests that as shooting stars are knos
to be dark bodies rendered luminG
for short time by rushing through o.
atmosphere. new stars are dark \,
.faintly-luninous bodies which acquire
short-lived brilliancy by ruship|
through some of the gaseous masse|
visible, perhaps, as nebul;n, which cxiJ
in space.
INVESTIGATIONS by DIR. r. Won Helm
holtz, described to the Berlin Rov]
Society, confirm the statements that i'll
formation Of cloud in saturated air
induced solely by particles of dust, aa|
that the finer and sparser are the duI
particles the more slowly is the clou|
formed. These results are also con
tirmatory of Prof. Tyndall's explanatid
that the blue color of the sky is due 4
floating dust.
IN order to learn why there is so mud
sulphur in stone coal, and so little frs
alkaline carbonates in the ashes u
Dieulefait has analysed the survivin
species of the families of coal planta
particularly the Equisetacen, and ll
found in them an unusually large prd
portion Of sulphuric acid. He con
cludes, therefore, that the coal plant
were more highly charged with sui phd
than most existing plants, and that i'd
that reason their alkaline constituent
assumed the forms OF sulphates instea|
of carbonates.
LIQUID oxygen. in small quantities
has been produced by number of e1
perimenters, but it is only recently thai
soliditicd oxygen has been obtained
This interesting experiment was per
formed by Prof. Dewar at the Roya
Institute short time ago. 1t was ac
complished by allowing liquid oxygel
to expand into Il partial vacuum, whe
the enormous absorption of heat wlic
accompanies the expansion resulted il
producing the solid substance. Th
oxygen i'll this condition resembles snow
and has temperature 200 degrees G.
below the freezing point OF water.
A PHYSICIAN, referring to the custoH
Of travelling on sleeping-cars with tn
berths made up with their heads to
ward the engine, said: "It is certainl
bad for the brain Of the sleeper, as it
not natural; and it is no wonder that S
! many travellers, especially those VIII
have been Oh the road extensively, e,
perience bad effects from it. Take il
fants i'll baby carriages, and no san
woman will think Of tr1ndling the We
hicle along so the child goes head first
They always, except the young and in
experienced mother, push them alon
feet first Physicians invariably adys
such locomotion. 1t is the same thin
on the cars. and no one should hesitat
about having his berth made up so as
move along feet first. tbs much bette
| for the BRAIN"