Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-07
POPULAR SCIENCE.
Anthracite coal has been discovered

Anthracite coal has been discovered in
the District of Alberta, Canada.
vaseline is said to be among the best
materials for keeping bright iron from
rusting.
PAINTED windows were photographed
in their original colors recently by
Swiss doctor who has devoted long study
to this subject.
A compound composed OF oxygen aud
hydrogen has been discovered, which
will dissolve metals, aud when united
with mercury aud silver it forms pow
erful explosive.
Porcelain manufacturers in Limoges
find that petroleum and residuum oils
are far superior to any other fuel. The
discovery promises to also cheaper the
cost of making china abroad fully TWEEN
ty-fve per cent.
An instrument called photo chrono.
graph has been invented which when APP
piled to telescopes causes the star to re-
cord accurately its time of passage across
the meridian. This eliminates personal
erors in the observations.
A German engineer has invented an
instrument by means Of which the pro-
file Of a river bed can be taken when
travelling at from three to six miles an
hour. The readings of the instrument
are recorded automatically. A recent
experiment on the Elbe showed IL at with
it soundings could be taken at the rate
Of thirty miles day.
An enumeration of the mushrooms and
toad-stools known to scientists has re-
Gently been made by DR.. NJ G. Cooke,
of London, England, which shows that
1900 species of these fungi are already
known. OF this number 400 are found
in the British Islands; but of the total
only 1874 can be relied on as edible, while
thirty are decidedly poisonous.
The Astronomer Royal for Scotland
states that when the moon is half full its
brilliancy is not nearly one-half as great
as when it is quite full. He attributes
the brightness of the full moon to the
bright streaks which arc then seen over
the lunar surface, starting from the era
tiers. He supposes these to be convex or
concave, and largely invisible under
cross lights, and brilliantly illuminated
when the sun shines full upon them.
The juice of the papaw has long been
known to have the remarkable property
CT softenlng the flesh, and the leaves are
often used by natives of trop ical Americ'
for wrapping around meat to render it
tender. Dr. Mortimer Granville believes
that this property will prove of great
value in the treatment of cancer. He
has studied the matter for considerable
time, and has convinced himself that the
juice, or its active principles, would
prove an effective solvent of cancer it's
sue when used with some other sub
stance, such, for instance, at periodohy-
methoxychinolin.
The height or distance o. the atmos,
phere from the earth, to wlich it ex-
tends, is not definitely known. 1t is va.
.riously estimated at from 100 to 500
miles. 1t produces pressure upon every
spot equal to the weight of the whole
column above, This pressure amounts
to about fifteen pounds upon every square
inch. Since the pressure Of air is evenly
balanced upon all sides we are not con
scious of it. Upon the outstretched hand
there rests column of air that will
weigh 200 or 300 pounds. We are moi
conscious of this, because there is an
equivalent pressure underneath the hand
to support it.
Naturalists recognize certain num-
Der OF what we might call zoological CEN
tiers of population, says DIR. f. L. Os.
valid, aud it seems strange how COM
pletely a narrow marine channel ha'
often prevented the four footed native.
of such regions from colonizing a neigh
boring continent. Asia, Tor instance, at
one point almost touches the archipelago
of the Sunda islands, which seems to
form series Of stepping stones to the
Australian mainland, yet the geological
contrast between Labrador and Brazil is
not greater than between Hindostau and
/ Australia. From such centers of distri.
button as Burmah aud Bengal hun ireCl
different mammals have have spread
NORTH and west, hut only three of them,
avid dog and two species of rodents,
succeeded III making their way to the
land of the kangaroo.