The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-02-23


In the German weather reports since 1879 Dr.
Less has found twenty eight cases of snowfall at
temperatures between IL and So degrees. Thunder
accompanied eleven cases.
Shells found in the lower levels of the caves at
Dordogne, France, indicate that the Neanperthal
man made common use of the oyster, which il thus
proven to be the oldest domesticated delicacy
known to man.
"A Partisan circus presents the spectacle of a
fortified harbor, in which a naval engagement takes
place. The miniature vessels are manoeuvred and
the guns fired from behind the scenes by means of
electrical apparatus.
The world now has IOI geographical societies
and $50 geographical periodicals. France and her
colonies have 90 OF the societies, with $4,000
members; Germany has % societies, and 1920
members and Great Britain and her colonies have
societies. and 200 members.
The plate rolling lnil at the St. Jacques works,
Of Chstilon- Commentry, has cylinders 2s feet in
diameter and nineteen feet long with total weig
of % 900 pounds each. They are soon to be made
capable of rolling fagots five feet thick and ingots
weighing more than 10000 pounds.
1t is expected that an expedition of hardy
Norwegians will start for the North Pole in 1890
by way OF Franz Josefs Land. DIR. Nansen the
bold explorer who crossed Greenland's ice-felds
last summer, will probably be offered the leadp-
ship. The long w-shoes effectively used :.
Greenland will doubtless constitute an important
part of the equipment.
An interesting fact Is that one of the greatest
problems now perplexing scientific men-the pro-
duction of heatless light-has been already solved
by nature. The light from q luminous beetle
sufficient for reading q newspaper-is shown by
the spectroscope to be all of kind, and Just the
kind for seeing, while the thermopile finds no
evidence of heat Yet in all artificial Zig ats
vast quantities OF fuel wasted for useless
heat
AVIAN VENTRILoQUIsM.-A Canadian ornitholo-
gist, Mr.. +. +. Thompson, attributes considerable
ventrilOquial powers to some birds When
prsed in the act of singing these eathered ventril-
oquists become silent for a few moments, and ;hen
give forth faint song, that seems to come rom
far away, though the singer may be only few feet
distant This curious deception is especially
noticeable in sparrows, but has been observed also
in thrushes and robins. :.
SIZE OF ToRNADoEs.-Prof. J. u. Finley gives
the width OF the path of destruction in tornadoes
as determined from the records of eighty eight
years, at from 10 to 500 feet, the average being
1863 feet. The length of the tornado track varies
from 800 yards to about 200 miles the average being
2l79 miles. The velocity of progression of the
tornado cloud varies from to 100 miles an hour,
the average being All miles. These extremes
may often occur in different portions of the track
of a single tornado. The shortest time occupied by
the tornado cloud in passing given point varies
from IAN instant" to about twenty minutes the
average being seventy -four seconds.
HEREDITARY INFLUENCE OF AGE.-The influence
of the ages of parents upon the vitality of children
has been Investigated by Nj. Joseph Korosi, of the
Buda- Pesth statistical bureau. From about so 900
data he draws these conclusions. Mothers less
than twenty years old and fathers less than twenty
four years old have children more weakly and
more liable to pulmonary disease than parents of
ripper age. The healthiest children those whose
fathers are from twenty-five to forty, and whose
mothers are from twenty to thirty. In the best
marriages the husband is older than the WIFE, but
woman of thirty to thirty five will have stronger
children If her husband be little-not as much as
fv years-the younger.
THE BLowN-UP MoUNTAN.-The great earth
quake at Ban dali San, Japan, was undoubtedly
pent-up steam, either alone or in conjunction with
volatile gases. A late visitor to the spot, Mr. "
Harley descrihes the changes nresentad "a trnly