St. Landry democrat., 1892-08-13
POPULAR SCIENCE.

An alloy of gold and aluminium has
recently been made.
The earth at the equator moves at the
rate of mile in 3.6 seconds, four-t enths
of second slower than the velocity of a
cannon ball.
A French firm is introducing new
printing paper prepared with citrate of
silver, which is said to possess many OK
cellent qualities.
In speaking of the solidi6cation of a
body by cooling, Professor Dewar says
that water can be made to become solid
by the evaporation of Il quarter of its
weight.
Investigations of rain drops lead to the
conclusion that some OF the large drops
must be more or less hollow, as they fail
when striking to wet the whole surface
Enclosed within the drop.
More dogs 90 mad in cold weather
than in hot, as shown by statistics. Can
ada and all Northern countries show Il
large amount of cases, while in India
and Africa the disease is exceptional.
Lighthouses are classified by orders
depending on the height and diameter of
the Illuminating apparatus. There are
four orders, the first three being used
for sea or coast lights, and the fourth for
harbor purposes.
Scientific men now declare that eating
before sleeping is of great benefit, and
that bowl of bread and milk, or a
saucer of oatmeal before retiring will in
a short time result in an increase in
weight, strength, and general tone.
The results of experiments on hasten
ing the termination OF seed show that
camphor and oxygenated water appear
to be the most energetic excltants, not
only as regards the acceleration of
termination, but as affecting the vigor of
the plants.
Fatigue caused by brain work, says
Professor Mosso, of Turin, acts as
poison which affects all the organs, es-
pecially the muscular system. The blood
of dogs tatigued by long racing, when
injected into other dogs, makes them
exhibit all the symptoms of fatigue.
On the subject of the swaying of lofty
chimneys it is declared to be absurd to
hold that chimney, say 400 feet high,
would sway sixteen inches. The slight
est vibration is felt when on tall Chin
ney and Il inches is thought to be about
the extreme amount of swaying that
takes place.
A report recently published in Hol.
land proposes to close the Zuyder Zee
by means of dam that shall be con-
structed from the mainland, on eacl
side of the Island of Wieringea. The
idea is to drain this area, which will
then be exceedingly valuable for agri-
cultural purposes.
There was recently transported from
the mine of the Santa Barbara Asphalt
Company, of La Patera, Cal, large
block of asphaltum, weighing as it was
taken from the mine some two and one
half tons, and believed to be the largest
block of asphaltum ever mined in one
mass. The mine in question has only
been opened about one year.
Tt is stated, in speaking of Maxim's
at aerial navigation, that he
has got so far with his motors that he
has obtained steam equal to 100-horse
power with Ole square foot of CRATE, or
rather the equivalent of CRATE, for he
burns liquid fuel. The heat generated
is so intense that no boiler plate has thus
tar been made that can stand it.
The electric welding of street railway
rails as substitute for fish plates has
been the subject of experiment for some
time at the works of the Johnson Rail
Company, Johnstown, Penn. The ex-
perlments are now said to be entirely
successful, and it is possible to weld by
electricity two pieces of steel of two
square inches section, and solid steel
rail, three or four miles long, can be had
if required.
It has been suggested that the Gov
ernUent meteorological reports should
contain statements from electricians in
every large centre of Geographic COM
munication as to the electrical phe-
nomena as forces in the atmosphere.
That atmospheric electricity has marked
effect on telegraph wires is we'll known,
as at the time of the recent aurora it
was possible to send messages without
the use of batteries.