Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-19

than ours; IN other words the moon turns
on its axis in exactly the same time re-
Quired for making its circuit around the
earth. This, as will be readily under
stood keeps it constantly with the same
side towards us.
Rains purify the air by washing out OF
it large quantities of foreign matter that
it has taken up from the earth. This
explains why rain water is more stimu-
lating 10 plants than well or spring
water-it is simply weak liquid fertil-
izer. In five years of observation 1t
Lincoln, New Zealand, Professor George
Gray has decided that the quantity OF
impurities brought down depends more
on the frequency of showers than the ex-
tent of annual rainfall. The annual
rainfall in New Zealand is about the
same as in Northern Texas, and Profess
sor Gray says 1t brings to an acre of ground
each year about l79 pounds OF dissolved
matter, including sixty and one-half
pounds of chlorine, fifteen pounds of
sulphuric anhydride and q little more
than two pounds OF nitrogen. The prob
ability is that our per cent. of chlorine il
smaller, say at Fort Worth, on account
OF our greater distance from the sea.
DR.. Ludwig Strives determination 81
the motion of the solar system in space,
as published in the, memoirs of the s..
Petersburg academy, Is derived from
comparisons of the positions for $500
stars recorded in catalogues of 1865 and
again in 1856. These show that the
solar system is moving towards q point in
the constellation Hercules. The motion
for 100 years, it would have been seen
from an average sixth magnitude star,
was 4 Sc seconds of arc, q rate CORES
ponding TO an actual velocity of about
thirteen miles a second. Combining his
results with those obtained by other as
tronomers, DR.. Strive finds the point
toward which the sun and its family of
planets are speeding to be still in the
constellation Hercules, and the mean
velocity to be fifteen miles second.
A first class French authority has
made these comparisons of the cost OF
different methods of transmitting the
power of a steam engine: (D Compare
tive cost on ten-horse power transmitted
1893 yards: BY cables. l. II per effective
horse power per hour: by electricity,
2.2l; by hydraulics, 300; by compressed
air, 2.9S. (2) Comparative cost on fifty
cables, l. 80 per effective horse power per
hour; by hydraulics, 1.S7; by electricity,
2.07; by compre ssed air, 2.29. (S) Com
parstive cost on ten effective horse power
transmitted 5465 yards: BY electricity,
2.64 per effective horse power per hour;
by compressed air, 1865; by cables. 4.69;
by hydraulics, 5.29. a. Comparative
cost on fifty effective horse power trans
mltted 5465 yards: By ele ctricity, 2.3I
per effective horse power per hour; By
cables, 2.65; by compressed air, 2. SO;
by hydraulics, SOP. For long distances
electricity is the most economical.
-
We look upon the South American
countries as behind US in science and
many other respects, but we are not al
ways correct in that notion. One of the
grandest conceptions of science we know
of is now in shape In the way of mail
line between Buenos Ayres aud Monte
video. They call 1t telepharge. 1t Ia
1S6 miles in length, and it carries letters
the entire distance in less than half an
hour. The boxes or packages carrying
the letters are driven by electricity.
There are two parallel lines, one for each
way. They cross the La Plata estuary a.
q point where it is nineteen miles wide.
-
From tables made by the use of synop-
tic charts, eliminating local disturb
snces, DR.. G. Meyer believes he has ao-
what other investigators have
sought to do without suocess-showu an
influence OF the moon on the weather.
The height of the barometer, in the
months of September to January. is
lowered at the time of full moon and
raised during the FIRST quarter. No effect
can be traced for other months.
-.
There are many theories with reference
to the origin of petroleum, but Professor
Edward orion, IN the last report of the
United States geological survey, finds
the following 10 be the best supported
l. Petroleum is derived from organic
matter.
2. 1t is much more largely derived
from vegetable than from animal sub
stances.
8. Petroleum of the Pennsylvania type
is derived from the organic matter of
shales, and is Of vegetable
origin.
4. Petroleum of the Canada and Lima
typo is derived frcm limestones, and is OF
animal origin.
5. Petroleum has been produced at
normal rock temperatures Gin Ohio
fields) and Is not product OF destruot-
i've distillation of bituminous shales.
6. The stock of petroleum In the rocks
il already practically oompleta