The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-01-24
POPULAR SCIENCE.


A Cincinnati scientist thinks that in
five years all the telegraph wires will be
made of aluminium.
In the recent autumn maneuvers in
Germany the certifying of an intrenched
position with barbed wire fencing was
found to be very efficacious.
Voightlander, famous optician, of
Germany, perfected new lens which
gives very wide eagle, working with
large aperture. This invention makes it
possible to use the lens in very confined
situations, such as rooms, for groups, or
single portraits.
The Geological Society of London has
just receive a white peacock This bird
preserves the markings which distinguish
the species, particularly the large eye
like spots on the-tail feathnes. The effect
Of these spots Is most remarkable. They
are exactly like the pattern on a damask
tablecloth.
A new candle has been brought out
which extiuguishes itself in an hour.
This it does by means of an extinguisher
Of tin which is fastened in the wax by
wires and which efTectually performs its
task. 1t is only necessary TO remove this
diminutive extinguisher when its work
IS done, and the candle is again ready to
burn another hour.
Professor Hazen of the Signal Office
who has been stopping on the mountain,
boT5.,,.. tbo+ h. - eo,,r,1 4l,o e,-,,1 on
of the extraordinary velocity of the wind
on top of Mount Washington. His idea
is that the great CULTS below compress the
atmosphere, which, seeking an outlet,
rushes up the sides of Mount Washington
and sweeps over its summit.
A correspondent of Forest and Stream
reports observing true Southern mock
ing bird as far north as forty degrees
north latitude That queer marine ami
NAL, the Portuguese man-of-war, was
found last summer 1000 miles or more
north of the seas it is usually confined to.
The invasion of this zone by the tropics
IS peculiar feature of the year.
DR.. Armaur Hansen, a Norwegian
savant, recently visited this country, and
in Wisconsin and Minnesota examined
number of lepers who had emigrated
from Norway. He arrived ut the inter
esting result that of 100 Of such emigrants
the offspring had remained free to the
third generation. This, the author be-
lieves, shows emphatieally that leprosy
Is not hereditary disease.
In all Of the London streets which are
lighted by electricity the gas-lamps have
been retained ready for immediate use.
Whenever the slightest interruption oc-
ours in che electric lighting the police on
duty Immediately proceed to light all the
gas-lamps The gas thus consumed is
charged to the electric-lght companies
and deducted from the rental paid by the
city for the use Of its lights.
An Austrian savant has obtained har-
vest of 1000 sponges which are the result
of an experiment Of literally sowing small
parts of living sponges in soil favorable
to their production. The Austrian Gov
eminent is much pleased with the expert
ment, which is TO be repeated on large
scale in Dalmatia. The cost of the 1000,
which have been growing for the last
three years, is little over S55, every
thing included.
The belief that smoke from soft coal
may have beneficial sanitary effects is
gaining ground. 1t Is claimed that the
sulphur in the coal when burned becomes
suiphurous acid gas, a well known disin-
fectant. Further, that creosote and its
allied products sse thrown off with fumes
of bituminous coal, and that an atmos-
phere charged with carbolic acid must be
freer from germs OF disease than an ap-