The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-09-05
SCIENCE CLIPPINGS.

OSICNSE NLIF FItNSSs
AN English fish culturist has found
that six-pound eel contains about o.
100000 eggs.
SOME remarkable caves have been dis.
covered in West Austria. Two of them
will afford accommodations for 200, 900
men each.
AN invention is set to work In France
for indicating the speed of railway
trains. Tables are prepared, showing
the practical observer the exact rela-
tions the readings have to the speed.
CASES of lead-poisoning among the
jacquard weavers in Swiss factory
were traced to the dust from leaden
weights which are used by the weavers
to carry the thread of their warp.
A TREE grows round instead of square
or any other shape because there is
nothing in nature on the square, except
the forms of some crystalline minerals.
A circle is the shortest way around, and
as trees grow from common center, a
circle becomes a natural sequence in
their outward form.
IL 10 DEODOSCu W uoO OuO opCCUIOSCOpC
to determine whether cesspools, stables,
etc, drain into neighborlng wells. A
solution of carbonate of chloride of lith-
ium is poured into the suspected sources
of pollution in the neighborhood, and
after week or so the we'll water is ex-
amined spectroscopically for lithium,
which can thus be detected even if the
+ov ha11o IN cn1,,fiO,, 1oCc fhan
pint to a million.
THE average reader is scarcely aware
of the changes in the map of Africa
made necessary by recent explorations.
The great globe of the Paris exposition
was twice altered during it's construc-
ton, to accommodate itself to changes,
and it is said that two years ago some
Belgian map makers were five times
compelled to take from the press large
map of the Congo State for additions
and corrections.
NEVADA has what are termed "travel-
ing stones" They are described as be-
ing perfectly round, about as large as a
walnut and of an ivory nature. When
distributed about on the floor, table or
other level surface, within two or three
feet of each other, they at once begin to
move toward each other until they meet
in a common center, and there lie hud-
died in a bunch. They are largely COM
posed of magnetic iron ore.
A RUNNING board for the top Of cars
has been invented, it's purpose being to
prevent the brakemen from falling of
the cars. Ratings run from one end Of
the car to the other in the center, other
ratings leading from the side ladders.
Between these ratings a man might
walk with safety, the slipping outward
ly of the feet being prevented by a skirt
ing rail at the feet Of the upright rail
posts. The running board extends over
the end of each car so as to closely APP
proach similar extension on tho op-
posing car.
A LEADING fire commissioner ad.
vances the suggestion that electricity
will soon take the place of steam in fire
engines, and that the question of get
ting an engine of the greatest water
throwing capacity to the fire with the
greatest celebrity will be solved by elec-
tricity. Substitute for the steam power
of any modern engine, stored electricity
or electric power, conveyed to each hy-
drant, making of your engine pump
on wheels, and you have lightness itself
as regards weight, with almost unlim-
tied power for throwing water. This
will be the fire engine of the future as