The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1890-07-04
SCIENTIFIC SQUlBS..


Wisdom teeth, the most variable Of all
in size, shape, and general character, are
said TO show hereditary characteristics
more strongly than any ri the other teeth
Claims nre laid to III. discovery Of the
method OF raising sugar cane s'nn seed In
stead Of from cuttings. The seeds were
discovered by means Of q microscope, in
the tlowery head of the cane
The mollusks hat bore into he insula.
tion of submarine cables are pronounced
to be species OF teredo. The embryo is
said to penetrate between the iron wires
of the sheathing and lurk in the jute until
strong enough Ia cut through the gutta
perChu,
Trials Of The latest express compound 10
comotivc i'll England with II special train OF
eighteen carriages developed he unparal-
leled speed of about ninety miles IN hour.
The highest speed, as measured by II stor
watch, was Just over ten seconds per quarter
mile run.
Tho electrical process has been success
fully adopted in South Australia for the
recovery Of ri,e minute particles OF gold
dust that have hitfcr;o been lost IN tht
work Of separate ing the metal from The ore
The economical value of the process has
been abundantly proved
When the current in elect ric railways
passes froln the car wheel to The track, ii
causes n considerable increase in friction
between the two, Expert opinion seems tu
favor the theory HAT this additional resist
ance is due to n slight welding action caused
by the heat generated hy the current.
The grapple plant Of the kalahari desert
is said to be Il real vegetable curiosity. In
its general appearance it looks more like
star fish than n plant, and each ray os
arm is tipped with barbs, which, when
fastened to tho wool Of sheep, have to be
ont out us the only way Of removing them,
Tho most recent observations as to the
amount of heat the earth receives from the
sun show that i'll clear, pleasant weather
63 1-o per cent. of heat is absorbed by the
atmosphere and only 26i!aa per cent. reaches
the soil. This figure rises in October to Al
per cent. and sinks to aS per cent. i'll Jnl,l-
nry
The alarm girlle for men-of-war or har-
bors, to protect them from the sudden at,
tack of torpedo boats at night, as proposed
for use in France, consists of wire supported
by buoys placed ut intervals all around the
vessel. Should an enemy break through
the line ut night light flares up and dis
closes his position.
small variations of the length of bar has
lately been devised by means of wire Civ.
ing determinate number Of vibrations.
When the bar expands tho wire becomes
less tense and gives fewer vibrations and
there is a simple relation between the num-
Der of vibrations and the length of the bar.
Tho Jester telephone, which closely re,
sembles q watch in appearance, has been
adopted in tho French government tele
phone service Inside the case are two con
centric bowls Of soft iron, each having a
coil Of wire around it. These bowls form
the electromagnetic and the armat1lro or
viabrating diaphragm is placed over them
as lid to the cases.
| Experiments have recently been carried
on at Toulon with view of determining
to what extent accuracy OF aim could be
attained Mt night with the use of an cleo
trio light. A gun was mounted on re
volving platform, which also carried ar
electric protector. The target was fixed al
| distance Of between three and four kilo
| meters, and it was found that the same nc
curacy could be attained under these con
ditions AS during daylight.