Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-16
POPULAR SCIENCE.
Astronomical Phenomena Formation
in TeIas-Eiectric Lights and Vegeta-
tion-Elpctricity in the Dairy, Etc.


The astronomical phenomena of this
week may be put down as specially in
teresting, yet no extended mention Of
any of them is called for at our hands
owing to the fact that in these notes We
have already pointed out similar pheu-
omena with view to locating the plan
cts. On this, Sunday night. N2th) q,
the moon will be iu conjunction with the
planet Mercury, but the moon being
very near its charge, which takes place
on the 18th, the conjunction will be in
visible.
Mercury is the nearest positively
known planet to the own, and the
smallest in our regular planetary sys-
| tenn. His diameter is 5000 miles, and
| his distance from the sun 50, 900 900
miles. There is supposed to be another
| planet inside the orbit of Mercury,
| which astronomers have named Vulcan,
yet nothing is yet fully known with
| reference TO the matter.
| On Tuesday night Q4th), the moon
will be in conjunction with Uranus, but
this conjunction will also be invisible.
| Uranus is the seventh planet IN our sys-
tenn, reckoning from the sun. Size of
planet 3S, 900 miles in diameter, and dis
lance from the sun / 1853 900 900 miles.
On Friday evening Q7th) the moon
will be in conjunction with Venus. our
beautiful evening star. The conspicuous
star seen only about one degree from
Venus on this same night is the fixed star
Antares.
The calculations upon which we draw
for this information were made for the
longitude of Washington City, conse-
quently we don't find the conjunctions
appearing so close at Fort Worth as they
would appear there. In most cases the
moon and the planet are about as near
each other the night before as they are
on the night named.
-
AS was stated in former note of this
column, Fort Worth sits upon what is
known to geologists as the cre;aceous or
chalk system. Some of our people have
expressed surprise at this, giving as a
reason that they can see no chalk. They
do see chalk every day of their lives
when they are out on our streets. Pro-
fessor Dumble, state geologist, says in
his first annual report, page XIV:
'Chalk is essentially deposit formed in
deep seas, and usually contains remains
of minute forms of life, which existed in
the water. These (chalk) deposits may
retain their original character or be
hardened by various agencies into lime
stones 1t will thus be seen that all the
limestone underlying Fort Worth is sim
ply hardened chalk. Time was when it
was soft like the ordinary chalks, but
some agency has hardened it into lime
stone. If you examine specimen
closely you will discover that it pre-
sents much the appearance of ordinary
chalk, about all the difference to be
noted lies in the fact that it is too hard
TO mark with.
Professor R. 7. Hill in first annual re-
port geological survey of Texas, page
los, says of this chalk formation, that it
Occupies the area of the state known as
the black prairie, the grand prairie and
the two cross-timbers, and unstudtes
areas in the eastern and trans Pecos
regions. To these chalk
strata the state owes a large part of her
agricultural and general prosperity, for
they are the foundation of the rich
black waXy and other calcareous soils of
those regions. In addition to their ]
agricultural features they are the most
productive source of building material,
while adjacent to the parting between
them, extending the entire length of the
state and depending upon their strati-ssI
graphy, is remarkable area for arte-
sian wells, as seen at Fort Worth. Waco,
Austin, Taylor, San Marcos and else
where
With reference to the chalk region q
Professor Hill further says in the same
report, page LOG: "The rocks originated
as sediments of the Atlantic ocean, laid
down with great uniformity during two
of the long epochs of subsistence and
emergence when the waters covered this
region many hundred fathoms deep.
These ancient sediments are now more or
less consolidated, and are elevated in to q
fertile land which is decomposing under
atmospheric conditions into soils and de-
brs, and in its turn being slowly trans 4
ported to the ocean, where it will make
other rocks. They now occur in regular
sheets or strata, dipping beneath each |
other toward the sea. while the project
ing western edges, each of which wealth |
ers INTO and imparts its individuality tod
its own peculiar belt of country, outcrop |
In long, narrow belts, sub-parallel to the |
present ocean out line. Thus it Is thai as |
one proceeds inland from the coast he |
crosses successfully lower and |
lower sheets of these formations. The |
oldest, or lowest, in q geological sense, |
Of these outcrops, forms the upper cross |
tim bers, those above these make the |
grand prairie, the next sheet forms the |
lower cross tim bers, the next the black |
prairie, etc. Each of these weathers |
into characteristic soil, which, in its
turn is adapted to a peculiar agriculture. |
Each has Its own water conditions and |
other features of economic value.
-
The influence of the electric arc light,
such as is soon to illuminate all Fort |;
Worth, is said TO have been strikinRly !
shown in Berlin in the spring of this
year. On some large lime trees, the
branches under the electric light dis
played new leaves of considerable size
while the buds on the opposite branches
" here the light does not strike were only
Just beginning to develop. The effect on
vegetation to result from the general
lighting of city may not be great
enough for one to note it, yet, If this
Berlin report be correct, and the Berlin
scientists are seldom much off, our cleo
ric lights will really give US an earlier
pring Clittie earlier though it may 5e),
han has characterized our locality in the