St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-11-07
POPULAR SCIENCE.


feet lower than they were fifteen year
ago.
A meteorological station is to be Is
tablshed at liberia, Palestine, a plac
6S2 feet below the level of the NIeditel
ranean Sea.
Electric heating is promised as one O
the new uses of electricity, and a com
pany has been organized in Chicago t.
Introduce the system.
Recent researches in medicine sho7
that persons having tendency to govt
troubles generally improve more rapid y
when they eat no fruit.
French scientists assert that the Eiffe
Tower causes electrical disturbances and
that the climate in Paris has been muci
worse since the tower WAS Quilt.
III. Olszewski has found that lquc
oxygen, instead Of being colorless, has I
bright blue color. He concludes tha
the blue of the sky may be due to the
airs oxygen.
I 1t is now the intention of European
engineers to store the waters of the Nile
to such an extent as to enable a greater
extension of the cotton and sugar cauo
crops in that region.
DR.. Pinel, of Paris, has found that
hypnotic patients obey the phonoyraph
as readily as they do a living speaker.
He, therefore, dlscards the whole theory
of animal magnetism.
A strong wind prevents the formation
of dew, by keeping the air well mixed,
and leaving no part of it in contact with
the ground long enough to become cool
and deposit moisture.
To determine whether the Joint of a
sewer pipe leaks or not, wrap it with
piece of white cloth saturated with a So
luton of acetate of lead. If it leaks,
the cloth will become black.
Humboldt calculated the mean level
of North America to be 749 feet above
the sea, and he found that in 4,5OO, 900
years the whole of North America might
be worn down to the sea level.
Coal equaling that of the finest Lebish
Valley grade has been discovered iD
Brazil, the veins being from four to
twenty-five feet in thickness. The mines
are situated at and near Sonora.
The survey for an observatory upon
Mont Blanc, Switzerland, is now beng
made, and as soon as it is shown that
iron columns can be sunk through the
ice cap forming the summit, plans for
the observatory will be prepared
The pongec silks, both plain aud fg-
ured, will be worn during the fall, tne
natural shade predominating. Combine.
ton suits in two shades of pongee will
be favored. The two shades OF brow,
and black, with delicate combinations,
will be noticeable forreception gowns.
The cultivation Of the Indiau-rub.
Der tree on the island of trinidad is re-
ceivlng much attention. A few trees of
different varieties were imported some
years ago and were placed in the botani-
cal gardens. The results have shown
that the soil aud climate are remarkably
favorable TO their cultivation.
Accordion plating, after it's brief re-
5lrement, is again to the fore for the
moment at least. A costu ne of fac
Eoolen is made entirely of accordion
)laits. The corsage is ornamental with
quare figaro jacket fronts and backs of
ine guipure lace. The upper part of
he sleeve is of full accordion plalts, the
over part tight fitting and covered with
suipure lace. The collar and bands are
If guipure. +
In paper lately read before the Scien-
lfic Section of the Manchester (EnglanA .
literary and Philosophical Society, Mr. !,
Ohm Watson maintains that the rede-
elopement of lost limbs is not unusual
mong insects. He himself has had
hree cases in which limbs have been
edeveloped and one case of complete
icatrlzation. Redevelopemcnt, he says,
an take place either at the larval or the
upal stages of an insects metamor-
hosts.
The husk of Indian corn is being used
the manufacture of paper. In some
experiments to test this use the husl1s
ere thrown into rotary boiler, and
ter being mixed with caustic soda and
loroughly boiled, they formed a kind
spongy paste, full of glutinous sub
ance. This paste was then place in
ydraullc press, so as to separate the
luten from the fibre; compact mass of
ore was then obtained, which is worked
various ways.
The ichthyosaurus which was found
dlggers who were making excavations
Saintc-Colombe in French Burgundy
one o: the largest ever found, aud can
considered one of the finest specimens
archaeological wonders. Its body,
'out nine yards in length, and its head,
re feet in length, were found in a good
ate of preservation, the anterior and j
e posterior fins adhering to the verte-
al columns. Scientists gave this ante
iuvian monster the name of Ichthyo.
urus Burgundlanus.
c. Y. Boughton, Secretary and Mana
r of the Buffalo, IN. " Seal and
ess Works, is working on an electrical
schine for conversation at long dis
aces. Mr.. Boughton is an inventor
10 has come into prominence lately
his machines for making seals,
d has two big contracts with the
'veroment for furnishing them. He is
t yet prepared to give out details of
) plan, as the foreign patents nave not ,
been obtained. He has been at work
the scheme for a year and has spent
500. The medium used is electricity.
is not system of signals, he says, nor I
ything of the kind. Tue Presidents .
ssage or the contents of a newspaper :
y be transmitted to vessel ten miles G
tant with ease. He will be ready very !