Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1891-06-18
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

COMPRESSED coal-dust is coming
into extensive use in France.
An electrician predicts that cleo
trical fireworks will soon suppressed,
those now used.
A wool of good quality is said t.
have been made flom the fibre O.
the fir by the aid of electricity.
Thunder-storms are gradually de
creasing in number in the larger
towns of Natal South Africa, accord
ing to the Superintendent of the
Natal Observatory.
More than 40 different applica
tions of electric motors have been
enumerated, and the number is still
increasing The sizes of the motors
range from those having the power
of a mouse up to one of 5000 horse
power, which is in operation near
London.
The entire annual rainfall of the
United States has been estimated
by Prof. T. Russell, of the Signal
Service, at about 1400 cubic miles.
The water would fill ditch, half a
mile deep and a mile wide, extending
from New York to San Francisco;
and the average entire fall per sec
ond would fill a cubical box with
edges of 1877 feet.
An alloy closely resembling gold
has been made by German chemist
by fusing copper, heating it to a
certain temperature and combining
it with six parts of anthony, then
adding magnesium, calc-spar and
charcoal ashes. The compound re-
tains its color, and is not oxidized by
ammoniacal or acid vapors. 1t can
be rolled, hammered and soldered
like the genuine metal, but is harder.
SINCE March, 1890, Peruvian rail
roads have been experimenting with
g heavy residuum oil from petro-
leum-with a fre-test of about 5000
F.-as a substitute for coal. So
satisfactory have been the trials that
the fuel-oil is to be used on all loco
motives of two railway lines, and on
several steamships. The weight of
oil consumed for a given service has
been slightly less than half that of
coal.
STEAM IN GERMANY.
A monument commemoratiug the
introduction of the steam engine in
to Germany has been erected at
Hettstedt. The first engine was
obtained by the Prussian Govern
ment from England in 17SS, used a
short time for pumping water from
the Mansfield copper mines, and in
1875 was removed to Lobejun, where
it continued in use until 1913. In
1867 the old steam cylinder was
transferred to a nelghboring mine, in
which it still does service.
COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY.
Experiments by an English photo
grapher, Mr.. A ". Scott, of Weston
haYe been based upon
the theory that there are four pr,
mary colors-Green, red, blue and
violet. Pictures are simultaneously
taken by four different lenses, in
front of which respectively is
screen of one of these four colors.
The negatives are developed in the
usual way, when the pictures are
thrown upon a screen by four lenses
having common focus, each picture
being projected through screen of
the same color as that originally
used. The result is a picture having
the colors of the original.
FOREST TEMPERATURE.
From observations in Germany
and Austria, Prof. Muttrich has
made comprehensive study of the
influence of forests on the daily
variation of air-temperature. The
influence consists in lowering the
maxima and raising the minima, and
IS greater in May to September or
October than ID other months. The
cooling in summer is greatest in
beech woods, less in pine, and least
n fir, increasing with the density of
he forest. In the second half of
June the airtemperature of forest
and open country was found to be-
come equal soon after 5 A. NJ. and
P. NJ; the maximum was about O.
10 lower in the wood and the
ninium o. 60 higher; while in Nav
20 September tie difference some
lines reached 2. 10 The daily
mean was about 10 less in the for
EST.
Important Trade Name Decision.
Judge Thayer, of the United States Circuit