Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26
other form) to those students who wish to
take notes.

Fiske, in lecturing before the New YORK
| Electrical Society, at Columbia College, de-
scribed the part that electricity would play
in case OF an attack upon New York. Prom
inent among the various appliances that
would be called into immediate requisltion
would be the various systems of tOrpedoes,
| which would be launched from the prepar-
| ing stations at Coney Island, Sandy
Hook and elsewhere against the ironclads OF
| the approaching enemy. The question OF
| ballooning, for observation and Tor the
dropping of explosives on the decks OF the
enemy, would be agitated anew over the
! question OF balloon propulsion by electric
lty. Electric launches, arranged to carry
torpedoes, would steal noiselessly out at
night on their errands of destruction. Elec-
trlc picket boats OF smaller size would scout
the waters in pursuit of information or to
convey dispatches numberless; electric sub
marine boats would spring into being and,
secure from detection below the sur ace OF
the sea, they would carry enough explosives
to utterly destroy the proudest war ship oil
| the world. 1t heing apparent that the reg
ular army and navy of the country would
be unable, in the event of a sudden war, to
handle all the electrical WORK that would
certainly be thrown ON them, Lieutenant
Fiske proposes the formation or a corps OF
naval and military electricians to assist the
regular army and the navy in its work.
Such corps might exist in every principal
seaport town on the coast.
The POLYMETER. - An instrument
termed ''polymeter" is now used for meas
urlng and regulating the requisite quantity
of moisture, or so-called humidity the at
mosphere. 1t is designed also to determine
the vapor pressure and temperature. 1t is
OF special value in technical industries.
being largely used in cotton mills and paper
starch actories, as we'll as in hospitals and
| private houses. -..
NEW THEORY OF SEASICKNESS.-A
| new theory of seasickness has been recently
| offered by Monsieur Rochet. Accepting the
view that the symptoms are those of cere-
bral anemia, he accounts Tor this anemia
by the isorder brought into muscular con-
fractions through not being used to such
sudden movements as those of vessels. Mon
sleur Rochet's advice is, not TO look to aDaes-
thetics, soothing drugs, ETC., for relief. but
rather to muscular excitants,. and above all,
to seek in voluntary movements a compensa-
ton for the reflex movements which are not
produced. He recommends strychnine,
veratrine, ergot of rye and drinks charged
with carbonic acid.
SPoUTING CowLs FOR STEAM BOILERS.
"A novel appliance has been introduced in
England in the shape of spouting cowl for
promoting active water circulation in steam
boilers fitted with Galloway tubes. The
cowl is fixed on the top Of each Galloway
tube, without, however, interfering with
the structure OF the boiler. The cowl cuts
of the local movement and causes the clrcu-
latlon to become general. A certain
quantity OF water escapes in thin
stream from the lips of the cowl, and there
are special facilities lor the disengaging of
The steam carried up, in the water. The
amount OF primlng is thus materially diul-
ished, and the UNIFORM. temperature secured
in all parts OF the boiler conduces to
its preservation and greatly diminishes the
deposition OF scale. In addition to these
advantages, the indirect effects of this ap-
pliance are economy of fuel, economy Of
time, reduction OF the cost oil repairs, and
increased length OF lie of the boiler.
VALUE OF ASTRONOMY IN NUMIsMAT-
ICs.-Dr. A. Vercoutre points out that a
knowledge of the star maps may be a great
help to the numismatist. Many Of the coins
and medals of the Roman Republic have
the stars depicted in their proper positions
relatively, and consequently enable the
nuInismatist to decide the date of the coin,
and also help the astronomer to form some
idea OF the proper motions of the stars.
PROGRESS OF ASTRONOMICAL Pho
ToGRAPHY.-Prof Holden gives an inter-
estlng account of the Photographic appara-
tus, and the work done in astronomical
photography at the Lick Observatory. He
states that the negatives taken there bear
easily an enlargement of $40 diameters, and
even double that amount. From an exam.
ination of the best pictures taken at the OBJ
servatory Pro-. holden finds that parallel
walls on the moons surface, whose tops are
not more than 200 yards or so in width, and
which are not more than 1000 or 200
yards apart, are plainly visible. There is
no doubt that enlarged photographs are ca
pable OF affording more information regard
ing the moons surface than can be gained
by years OF diligent observation, and when
the larger lenses now found necessary are
brought into use, marvellous strides in this
direction may be looked or.
of various forms OF disease by surface appli-
cations o, hot and cold water mas been found
to be exceedingly success vi. An adapta-
ton of this idea in which the water in no
way comes in contact with the person, but
at the same time is made the vehicle by
which the heat and cold are applied on the
affected parts is new tubular baudage. 1t
is made in four parts, the first being a head
upd hat
stream OF hot or cold water can be made to
enclrcle the head and flow away, being all
the time enclosed in the tubular vessel,
Other bandages are specially adapted tor
throat and spinal trouble.
THE STORM KING.-Captain Jorgensen,
the inventor and navigator of the lifeboat
Storm King, which has just made the voy- |
age from England to Australia, stated in |
Melbourne that his invention was especially |
designed to be of service when vessels sank !
without warning through collision, or in |
any case of sudden panic. II was impossi- |
BILE In large vessels carrying 1000 or So to |
have boats sufficient TO accommodate the |
whole, and il there were, there would not be |!
sailors enough to man and navigate them. |
Such vessel, however, could carry boats |
ready pieced together, after the Storm King |
pattern, sufficient to accommr date 600 or 700 |
people, and other separate sections could be
slowed IN different parts OF the ship. The |
value of these sections lay in the fact that
they did not need to be put together in
order to be used. Each section would form
a perfect life-saving apparatus, ana although
it would not be possible to navigate them
until they were Joined together, each would
contain water and provisions ior IA DAYS,
and would suffice TO preserve life ior that
period