The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-28
SCIENTIFIC SOuIRS.

| Wisdom teeth, the most variable Of all
in size, shape, and general character, ara
said to shoav hereditary characteristics
more strongly than any of the other teeth.
Claims are laid to the discovery of the
| method of raising sugar cane from seed in
stead of from cuttings. The seeds were
| discovered by means Of a microscope, in
the 1owery head of the cane.
The mollusks that bore into the insula-
ton of submarine cables are pronounced
to be species of teredo. The embryo is
said to penetrate between the iron wires
of the sheathing and Turk in the jute until
strong enough to cut through the gutta
percha.
Trials Of the latest express compound To-
connective in England with special train Of
eighteen carriages developed the unparal-
leled speed of about ninety miles an hour.
The highest speed, as measured by stop
watch, was just over ten seconds per quarter
mile run.
The electrical process has been success
fully adopted in South Australia for the
recovery of the minute particles of gold
dust that have hitherto been lost in the
work of separating the metal from the ore.
The economical value of the process has
been abuudantly proved.
When the current In electric railways
passes from the car wheel TO the track, it
causes a considerable increase in friction
between the two. Expert opinion seems to
favor the theory that this additional resist
ance Is due TO ashght welding action caused
by the heat generated by the current.
The grapple plant Of the KaIahari desert
is said to be a real vegetable curiosity. In
its general appearance it looks more like
star fish than plant, and each ray or
arm is tipped with barbs, which, when
fastened to the wool of sheep, have to be
cut out as the only way of removing them.
The most recent observations as to the
amount Of heat the earth receives from the
sun show that in clear, pleasant weather
63 1-2 per cent of heat is absorbed by the
atmosphere and only S61z per cent. reaches
the soil. This figure rises in October to Al
per cent. and sinks to Is per cent. in Janu-
airy.
The alarm girdle for men-of-war or har-
bors, to protect them from the sudden at
tack of torpedo boats at night, as proposed
for usein France consists Of wire supported
by buoys placed at intervals all around the
vessel. Should an enemy break through
the lire at night light flares up and dis
closes his position.
A new and simple method of measuring
small variations Of the length Of bar has
lately been devised by means of wire Civ
ing a determinate number of vibrations.
When the bar expands the 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.
The Jester telephone, which closely re-
sembles a watch in appearance, has been
adopted In the 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 armature or
viabrating diaphragm is placed over them
as lid to the cases.
Experiments have recently been carried
on at ToulOn with view Of determining
70 what extent accuracy Of aim could be
attained at night with the use Of an cleo
trio light. 4 gun was mounted on a re-
volvipg platform, which also carried an
electric protector. The target was fixed az
a distance Of between three and four kilo-
meters, and it was found that the same &C
curacy could be attained under these con-
ditions as during daylight.