The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-12-28
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


jack.
Louisiana has but tenth of the
ara BILE land under cultivation, but pro-
duces 100, 600. 600 pounds of rice, $50. DOC
hogsheads of sugar and 500, 900 barrels
of molasses.
The American locomotive is finding
its way into every quarter of the globe
Chile has now given an order for twelve
at cost of $1,000 600. During the past
two years we have sent 355 to South
America and seventy-ive to Australia.
Brazil, it would seem, orders all the
headlights used on its locomotives in
this country.
The cave animals of North Amer
lea, according to Prof. A. S. Packard,
OF Brown university, comprise one
hundred and seventy-two species of
blind creatures, nearly all of which
are mostly white in color. He de-
scribed their anatomy and discussed
their origin in an exhaustive paper
read before the National Academy OF
Sciences.
The physiological mechanism of
blushing has been carefully studied.
md shown to be momentary fainting
fit provoked by certain emotions, the
heart stopping for second, after
which the organ starts with new force
and sends the blood bounding through
the arteries. The relation between
the physical blush and the feeling
which causes it has not been ascer-
tanned.
Over forty railroads have gone into
the hands of receivers thus far this
year They represent about $4,000
miles of road, with nearly 900 millions
of bonded debt and 4O2I millions of
stock debt. In the disastrous years of
ls7S-74, the mileage of roads which
fell into receivership was 16, 347 with a
bonded debt OF 5532s millions and
stock debt of 3721z millions.
Street News.
This seasons orange crop in Florida
was much above the average in guam
tity, being estimated at 5000, 900 boxes,
and was much earlier than usual
While during the whole of last season
some 50, 600 boxes were shipped through
Savannah to New York City, more than
$4,000 boxes nave already been shipped
this year. Usually large shipments
have also been made to Europe, where
Florida oranges are now beginning to
compete successfully with Mediterra-
mean fruit.
The much-disputed question of the
loftiest mountain on the North Ameri-
can continent has at last been settled.
John Partridge, secretary of the Geo
graphical society of the Pacific, has
received letter from the chief of the
United States coast and geodetic sur
vey, Washington, D. c., stating that
Mt. Orizaba, in Mexico, is the highest.
Mt. st. Elias, Alaska, has for many
years past been considered the highest,
but Orizaba has been proved to be the
higher by 800 feet. The exact figures,
as forwarded to Secretary Partridge,
are: Mt. 0rizaba, 1854 feet; Mt. st.
Elias, 1908 feet.
The total heat of com 5ustion of one
pound of hydrogen is So 32 units, and
of one pound of carbon 1850 units. it
requires 1, 213.4 units Of heat to convert
water at temperature of zero to steam
of 100 pounds pressure, but as steam is
generally generated from water aver
aging about sixty degrees the total
heat required to convert it into steam
is only l, 1873. units, and one pound Of
bituminous coal of average quality con-
tains heat enough to convert twelve
and one-half pounds of water at this
temperature into steam of 100 pounds
absolute pressure.
-0verproduction has become a SUBJ
ject of serious concern with those in
terested in several prominent industries
of the west There is prospective de-
crease in California's vintage, little
money in cattle raising, and horse rails
ing has similarly slumpei. A few days
ago the Missouri State horticultural
society occupied itself in serious con-
sideration of the topic Secretary Good
man said that SO many millions ofapple
trees have been planted in the past few
years that soon there will be portions
of the country where it will not pay to
gather the fruit. Something like 100.-
00o acres have been planted with apple
trees in the past three years in south
ern Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas.
One speaker thought the fruit business
would meet general failure soon, and
later would become success with q
few after many had gone to the wall.
Dainty Collarettes.