Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-16

light can be seen. After awhile one is 200
feet below the surface, on the brink OF an
awful precipice. Eighty feet more by lad
der, and the explorer is but on the mouth OF
the cave. The descent continues by ladder,
when vast chamber is reached, with seven
various wells supplying seven various wa
tiers. Going in still farther, behold the
great crystalline basin, 1.400 feet from the
mouth of the cave, and 450 feet beneath the
surface of the earth.
PRAIRIE Doc PEsT-Prairie dogs are
dangerous pest on the plains of Kansas and
Nebraska, says the st. Louis Globe Demo
crdt, for if you are riding along at gallop
after your herd and your horse sets his foot
in dog hole, you will get q tumble and
the horse will be lucky to escape without q
broken leg. The farmers shoot and trap
them, put poison in their holes, pump
sulphur vapor in on them and devise
hundred other ways for their destruction,
but they seem to thrive in spite of all the
plots against them.
A few years ago farmer in Western Ne
braska had an 80-acre field that was COM
pletely covered with their holes, and con-
tracted to pay a man $125 to break up the
dog town. The dog killer kept at the job
for nearly a year. and killed over 1000 Of
the dogs, and even then there were so many
left that the owner of the ground refused to
pay him all his money, and he was obliged
to sue. 1t is almost impossible to extermi-
nate them, and Tor years after a dog town
has been deserted the grou nd is dangerous
for horsemen and cattle,
THREE GREAT SPRINGs.-It is not gen.
orally known that Missouri has three of the
largest springs in the world. One is near
the headwaters of Current river, another is
In Dent county, near the head of the Mera-
mec, and the third IN Howell county, at the
head of Spring river. The one in Dent
county is so large that it was proposed to
supply the whole city Of st. Louis with its
water by running an aqueduct from its
neighborhood to the city reservoir, while
the Spring river spring furnishes the water
to run several mills which are situated close
to the head of the stream which it pours out
Of the mountain side. ANY one of them
will compare favorably in size with the
Crawfsh spring in Georgia, or with any
other large spring in the United States.
SUN SPoTs-One of the most intensely
interesting and beautiful appearances on
the solar disc is the sun spot, with its um-
bra accompanied by its nuclei, bridges,
clouds and wells, its penumbra with its
plumes aud hlaments, the facula and the
stupendous commotion that is continually in
progress near the spot. As these spots re-
main for two or three months on the average
before disappearance, we have been able,
says Mr.. H. Clements. in the Newberry
At, H. 81,
the sun takes to revolve on its axis. These
spots travel from the eastern to the western
edge of the sun in such a way as to show
that they form part of, and are really at
tached to, the suns disc. The average time
taken by a great many has been found,
giving about % days as the period taken by
the sun making one revolution on its axis.
| Many are very large, some single ones
measuring 40, 900 or so, 900 miles across, and
groups of spots have been observed covering
upwards of 100,00O miles. The largest sun
spot of which We have any record was seen
in 1858, measuring 49, 900 miles across, or
about eighteen times our earth's diameter.
1t is considered remarkable that sun spots
are very rare on the equator, and beyond 3so
OF latitude-the vast majority occurring be-
tween 100 and 800 north and south of the
suns equator.
From prolonged study of suns spots,
Mr.. Clements has become convinced that
their immediate cause is the alteration OF
the solar photosphere by the planets. He
has always found that when the planets
were in line on either side OF the sun that
| that was the time of maximum spots, and
that when the planets were out of. line and
equally distributed around the sun there
was a minimum of spots. On an average it
is about II years from the time of one maxi
4 fn fhn inf val
between a minimum and a maximum being
about Az years, and about 615 years be-
tween a maximum and a minimum. Mr..
Clements does not think that sun spots have
much, if any, influence on the earth's met
eorology, but he is convinced that they have
| a powerful effect on terrestrial magnetism
and on auroral displays, which seem to be
intimately connected with them.
INA Cows FooT-A few weeks ago
Thomas D. Addison, dairy farmer living
at Fairfax station, Va, on the Virginia
Midland Railroad, "a miles from Washing
ton, discovered imbedded in the hoof OF one
OF his cows large seal ring. The ring was
a very handsome one, and had engraved
upon the seal the coat of arms of Mexico, the
word, "Mexico," and Spanish word that
the finder could not decipher. Inside were
the words, "H. j. Hunt, Worth's Div
Mr.. Addison reported the finding of the
ring to the Alexandria papers, which pub
lished short notice OF it. Soon afterward-
says the Je,celer's Weekly, he received let,
ter from Colonel Pitcher, U. S. A, now liv-
ing in Washington, saying that he was an
intimate friend of Colonel Hunt, and served
with him through the Mexican war. When
the officers OF Worth's division left Mexico
they wished to have mementoes of tine DAYS
and nights spent together there, so all had
rings made alike. During the rebellion
Colonel, promoted to Brigadier General,
Hunt commanded the Federal artillery that
at one time were stationed in Mr.. Addison s
meadow, and the ring was lost by him at
that time. General Hunt died two years
ago. His family now lives in Washington,
and MIR. Addison has turned over to them
the ring recovered after q lapse of more than
q quarter OF a century.
FOXES THAT FLY.-The flying fox is a
most peculiar animal, not unlike a nam.
moth bat. Oue sees them in surprising
numbers in different parts of India, especi.
ally on moonlight nights. They are very
disastrous to choice fruits, but their princi.
pal food is the young leaves of the gum
| trees. At times they visit certain cultivated
sections in such hordes as TO sweep away
| every green leaf, tike swarm of locusts.
| European sportsmen have eaten them, and
| pronounce the flesh to be palatable, but the
| natives never eat them.
The flying fox is unable to take fight
from the ground. By means of its sharp
claws, however, it rapidly climbs a tree,
| from the branches of which it throws itself
| int ho ~ ak oh hvo N