Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-17
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Daily . Ea9le
THE WORLDS WONDERS.
Natures Many Forces and Some
Of Arts Great TriumphS.
Scientific and Practical Discoveries Made
During Recent Years-HistOrical Notes
and Domestic Suggestions-Loca-
tions of the q. 5. Capital
REMEDY FOR TIE WHITE GRUB.

REMEDY FOR TIE WHITE GRUB,
The use of benzlne has been found effect
ual in France in destroying the white
grubs (the Larvae of the May or dor bug,
which often do immense damage, especially
in dry seasons, to lawns, strawberry plants,
Seeding plants and other nursery stock.
3 Holes are made in the ground infested with
the grubs with one of the sharp iron dib-
bles used sometimes in transplanting small
plants, and the benzine is poured into them.
Fifty grains of benzine are used to the
square yard, and care is taken to insert it
above the feeding ground Of the grubs. In
an experiment recently made by one of the
+ French forest officers and reported at a
meeting of the National Agricultural So
j ciety, the grubs on twelve acres were de-
stroyed at a costof three dollars and twenty
cents per acre.
AN ELECTRIC CLOCK.
A great deal of interest has been created
IN France by the novel form and operation
OF an electric clock, recently introduced, the
popularity in the construction OF which con-
slsts IN the presence Of two kinds Of batter
les, one wet zinc-iron clement and the other
dry zinc iron element. The former consists
of an iron bottle five and onekaf inches
high by three and one-half inches in dame
ter, which forms one electrode; the other
India-rubber stopper INTO the center of the
bottle, this being filed with caustic potash
and oxide of mercury. There Is no dia-
phragm, and the zinc is gradually consumed,
while the oxide of mercury is reduced; tho
e. n. f. is 1.3 volts, and the internal resist
ance is q Of an ohm. These clocks receive
an impulse forty times a minute, and ex-
hiblt 10 weakening of the power either IN
the dry or the wet cell. An easy calcula-
ton will show the interesting fact that the
total number of electrical impulses exceeds
twenty-one million per annum-certainly
most severe duty for any battery.
MICROBES DESTROYED By STEAM
The experiments Of steam disinfection,
recently tried in Jacksonville, have proved
that the steaming process is thoroughly
efhcacious in destroying microbes in gen.
eral, and also the yellow fever microbes
Active germs placed by DR.. GIbier IN q
gelatine filed glass tube terminated, show
ing unmistakable life and activity. Microbes
subjected TO the steaming process, though
for only ten minutes, and under very i'm
perfect conditions, were afterward sub
1ected TO the same cultivation, but re-
NAMED entirely inert.
NEPTUNE'S SATELLITES.
n. TIsserand has presented a report to
the Paris Academy of Sciences concerning
some remarkable observations of the sat
elites Of the planet Neptune, which was dis
covered in IS47. The angle which the plane
of the orbit of this satellite made at that
date with the ecliptic was about thirty de-
grees, but this angle has now increased by
at least SIX degrees. The satellite moves
around its principal in an opposite direction
10 that usually followed by other satellites,
30 that question might be raised whether
In the course of time this variation in the
inclination Of the plane of its orbit might
not end in its movement around its prin-
clpal becoming normal. II. Tsserand
showed that this variation of inclination
was due to the oblate or fattened condition
of Neptune at its poles, and that it will COM
plete its limit within a period Of five hun
dred years, at the end of which time it viii
be as it was IN 1917.
VARIOUS LOCATIONS OF THE CAPITAL.
The Capital Of the United States has been
located at different times at the following
places: At Philadelphia from September
8, IVA, until December, I176; at Baltl-
more from December 20, 1776, to March,
IN; at Philadelphia from March 4, M to
September, III; at Lancaster, Pa, from
September 81, III, TO September so, 1777;
at York, Pa, from September 30, III to
July, IT'S; at Philadelphia from July p 177s,
80, 1888, TO November 20 1873; Annapolis,
Nd, November 20, 1853, to November 80,
1854; Trenton from November, 1854, to
January, l7S5; New York from January IL,
1785. to 1890; then the seat of Government
was removed to Philadelphia, where 1t re-
manned until 1900, since which time it has
been at Washington.
KEEN SENSE OF PRESSURE.
The relative sensibility TO pressure of diff
ferent parts of the body is ascertained by
placing weights OF the same size, but of diff
ferent amounts, upan the skin. By this
means it has been found that the parts
which have the keenest sense of pressure
are generally those in which sensibility to
touch is most developed The smallest
weight which can be perceived is three one
hundredths of grain, and this is recog-
nized by the skin of the forehead, the tenn
pies, the back Of the hand and the forearm
The tips of the fingers can perceive a
weight of three-thlrtieths of a grain, the
chin and the nose one of three-f ourths
OF grain, while the finger nails do not
notice one weighing less than fifteen grains.
Considerable pressure may be exerted
without its being perceived, if it is uniform.
Thus when the hand is plunged into mer-
curry the increased pressure is only at the
line corresponding with the surface OF the
fluid.
sMoKELEss GUNPowDER.
The British Government has at last set
tied on white, almost smokeIess, powder
for use in firearms. The Importance Of this
statement is evident in view of the fact |
that until the powder had been decided /
upon it was impossible to ascertain &C
curately the length of the cartridge, and, |
consequently, the proportions of the coming 4
weapon. There is, therefore, no longer any 4
obstacle in the manufacture of the new
magazine rifles, the production of which /.
will make rapid progress after the new
year. The powder gives out very small I
report-not much greater than that Of an
air gun.
FANS PoR MOVING VEHICLES
A fan for cars and other moving vehicles |
Is a most admirable invention. To one of /
the wheels OF the vehicle a pulley is at /
tached by belt TO vertical shaft, having |
suitable bearings on one end of the car,
adapted TO be clutched and unclutched from
another shaft extending the length OF the
car. The fan-shafts are across the car. and
are operated by belts or cords from the
first, keeping fans along the top Of the car
in vigorous motion, causing q constant cir.
cu!ation Of air.
a KING IN EXILE.
lie stu Dresses Gorgeously, Though He
l. a Monarch without Subjects.
At the Government House receptions
and on other gala occasions here,