Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-25

! of the earth.
On Wednesday evening (24th) the
moon will be in conjunction with the
planet Jupiter, thus enabling our young
folks to locate the greatest planet in our
solar system. Jupiter is now very bril-
liant, fact that has caused certain ig-
noramuses to point him out as q rare
visitatlon-'the Star of Bethleheml"
to appear regularly at periods 100 years
apart. Nonsense! There is no such pc
riodical visitor known to astronomers.
The orbit of Jupiter is next outside
the orbit of Mars. Distance of the
planet from the sun, 476 900 ZOO miles.
Size of the planet, Sc 200 miles in diane
ter-almost as large as would be all the
| other planets could they be rolled to-
| gether into single sphere.
Since 1t has been settled among scien-
lists that consumption is due to bacilli
the opinion seems to be rapidly gaining
ground that the disease might be stamped
out, as we say. Heretofore consumption
has been regarded as entirely incurable,
but in late series of experiments DR..
Coch found that certain bodies, such as
volatile oils, and certain metallic salts,
such as nitrate of silver and preparations
of gold, even in very small doses Zone to
L ZOO. 200, and even less), destroy the
bacllli of consumption in q very short
time. He therefore concludes that in
the course of time some drug may be
discovered that will cure the disease by
destroying the baoilli without injury to
the body.
Germany is the only country in the
world that makes vaccination for small
Go
eral vaccination at stated periods. As |
result smallpox is rapidly disappearing. |
a recent report giving the deaths for the |
whole empire as only 1917 in 1886, 1863 in |
1887, and ITO in 1888. OF the deaths in |
1888, about four-fifths occurred in parts
of the empire Immediately bordering
countries not protected by vaccination.
Comparing the deaths of the larger cities
with those of cities in other countries,
the death rate from smallpox was 1S6
times as great in Austria, thirty times as
great in Hungary, sixteen times as great
in England. twenty-four times as great
in Belgium, and twice as great in Switz-
erland.
NJ. Adametz, the noted scientist, es-
Inmates that $50 grammes (about three
fourths of pound) of cheese may con-
tain as MANY living organisms as there
are inhabitants upon the earth. In q
soft French cheese when fresh, he found
from 80, 900 to lac, 200 microbes per
gramme; and in similar cheese seventy
one days old there were $780,
700 bacteria per gramme. a
denser soft cheese contained ,200,-
days old, and 2 200 900 when
forty-ive days old. The center is the
least densely inhabited, as many as
3 900, 900 to 5000 900 organisms per
gramme having been found near the Pc
riphery of q soft cheese.
-
The average level of the solid earth
has been calculated by DR.. John Murray
70 be 14O0 fathoms below mean sea-level;
but more recent explorations show
greater ocean depths, according to DR..
4. r. Mill and mean sphere-Ievel at a
lepth of 100 fathoms. That Is, all the
and above the level of 100 fathoms be-
heath the sea would have to be filed into
he greater depths in order to give equal
height to all parts Of the solid earth.
-.
Commander Defforges has made a
ong series of observations on the peudu-
um in the hope of more accurately de-
the figure OF the earth. In
'aper to the Royal Astronomical Society
he other day he referred to the import
noe of the work as affecting the units
!sed for all astronomical measurements,
nd mentioned that great differences ex-
st in the pendulum determinations of
he force of gravity thus far made. One
f the chief causes of these differences
10 believes to be vibrations of the sup
ri MI ha
q order to determine the small motions
I the support, he has lens attached to
and another to a fixed object at its
lde. On bringing the lenses close to- :,
ether so that Newton g rings could be
bserved in the film of air between them,
very small motion of the support
aused a considerable oscillation of the
ngs. In this way he could detect the
lotion produced in the support by
erson walking up mountain 500 yards
way. -.
During the past three years Mr.. Fl. Fol
as been making excursions into a region
tile frequsnted by man-that lying be-
cath the surface of the Mediterranean
nd has gained larger experience of q
lbaqueous existence than any other per-
IN has enjoyed. After q short time his
wing dress became not at all disagree
Die, though he found 1t advisable not to
'ntinue "dive" beyond about quar-
T of an hour. He found charm in
le unfamiliar sights in the sea, and was
Die to make unexpectedly good natural
story collections. He declares that the
,tion Of walking upright Is false one,
1t Is necessary to incline the body for
ard at least forty-five degrees. After
q first few yards down, all the light is
blue that even red objects cease to
pear red. The limits of vision are -
eatly shortened, and at a depth of 100
ct it is possible to see In horizontal
rection only about twenty-five feet un-
r clouded sky to perhaps eighty feet
der the most favorable conditions.
lis difficulty OF seeing through the water
mentioned as likely to prove serious
stacle in the way of submarine navi-
ton.