The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-06-09
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


The consumption of rubber in this
country is steadily on the increase. the
imports last year having been 27.OO0.-
600 pounds, the greatest amount ever
known.
DIR. 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
"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 II
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.
| I'm carefully compiled table OF
labor statistics in the United States,
France. England and Germany, it APP
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
rapidity in New York. 1t is said thai
not less than seventy-five to one hun
dred young girls and men graduate
every week and start out to earn a l!v
ing in this trade. 1t has been recently
shown by statistics that the difference
between tho wages of men and womer
in that city who do the same work i
from one dollar to twelve dollars
week in favor of the men.
Palladium. metal of the platinum
group, but of far lower density thar
the latter. may be substituted for stee
in the manufacture of watches. Palla
dunn is absolutely non-polarizahle. ant
it is unaffected to any noticeable OK
tent by the presence of a magnetic field
Besides this, it has the incidental I'D
vantage of being rust-proof. The dis
covery is due to c. A. Pallard o
Geneva, Switzerland, and watches ar
now being constructed with this metal
Sir John Herschel's opinion tina
the full moon has tendency to clea
the sky of clouds is supported by recon
observations. In reference to the com
mon belief that ring around the moo
is indicative of the approach of storm
it is stared that, out of sixty-one luna
halos observed near London, thirtv-fou
were followed by rain within twenty
four hours, and nineteen within fou
days. Meteorologisrs generally agre
that the moon exerts some influence o
the weather; but as to the extent of ths
influence they differ greatly.
The calculations of a recent write
! on the subject show that an enormou
amount of vegetable matter is require
to form layer of coal. it being est
mated that it would take not less tina
, 1000. 900 years to form bed of COZ
, 1OO.fect thick. The area of the COZ
fields of the United States is betwee
800. 900 and 400. 600 square miles. whic
is quantity sufficient to supply the cl
tire world for period Of 1000 year
, One million tons of coal are taken fro
I these beds every year.
Artists always seem ut loss
deal with the color of the sea, and fe
. are those who please the public. Pro
Tyndall has come to their aid. +
! recognizes three principal hues in 81
: waves-blue, green and yellow. Sol
! particles held in the water act as m
mute mirrors, rejecting the light whit
: penetrates the liquid. The rays whi'
; are sent out, after having travers'
only a thin stratum of water, preser'
their yellow parts; but if the reflection
: are attenuated the water appears gree
! and if they do not exist at all. the $,
being clear and free from muddy ma
: tiers, the color is deep blue. In an j
!. digo sea the crest of the waves W
{. appear green on account Of their la'
|. of thickness. Seawecd, animalcule
: and other local or accidental caus
q may have much influence on the col
Q of the water.