The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-10-07
POPULAR SCIENCE NOTES.

THE HELroGRAPH IN TIE WEsT.-The
West is the true home Of the heliograph.
The Department Of Arizona, during the
recent troubles over the late lamented
Geronimo made what might have been
termed a photographic survey Of the seat
of the Indian troubles, and located on
the maps the available points Of observa-
tion, with the direction and compass
bearing OF the other visible stations. In
this way the country was covered with
network Of heliograph posts, and the OBJ
servers at each station kept flash
ing into headquarters the latest news
of the movements of the hostiles
| The Indians. under this cross-fire OF
mysterious sun signals, decided that the
devil was in league with the troopers.
and their superstitious fears, added to
the constant marrying from the widely
scattered parties of cavalry, brought
them 10 terms. as never would have been
done but for the use vf the fash signals.
The distances covered by some Of the
heliograph stations were remarkable.
Fifty or sixty miles was considered moth
ing unusual, and on one reach" 125
miles were covered without an interven-
ing station.
New THEORY OF SLEEP.-Some dis
cussion has been going on con-
cerning Herr Rosenbaum's recently
proposed theory Of sleep, namely, that
the anemic condition of the brain is due
to an excess OF water in the brain cells OF
that body. The supposition, as stated.
is that sleep is essentially a matter OF
| c,ttAn ap1 ha 1iranH in
thought to be fatigue OK the nerve cells
which communicate with the heart and
bring about some change in the circula-
ton; the nerve cells are thus supposed
to be full of water when sleep comes on,
and this water during sleep passes into
| the venous blood as waste and the nerve
cells then receive nourishmen. from fresh
arterial blood-then, when the process is
entirely over, the sleeper awakes. Ac-
cording to this theory, sleep is not solely
healthy because it rests the body and
brain. but also because it invigorates
them. 1t is also to be inferred from
Rosenbaum's theory that the nerve cells
and brain of infants who sleep so much
must contain more water than Is to be
found in those Of adults, and that the
effectiveness OF brain cells is in inverse
ratio to the water contents. OF not in
ferior interest is tie theory of DIR. James
Cappe, of Edinburgh, and also held by
some other eminent scientists, namely,
that the veins of the pamater, the inner
membrane of the skull, are capable OF
congesting and dispensing comparatively
large quantities Of blood--that congcs-
ton produces vertigo and senselessness
or stupor-and that the dispersion of
blood from the brain cells produces a
slight compression on the surface of the
brain and thus brings about sleep
SUB-ATLANTIc TELEPHoNY.-There is
general impression abroad that tele-
graphing through the Atlantic cables is
conducted much as is telegraphing over
any ordinary wire; that the telegraph
operator sits by an ordinary ticking in
strumcnt and hears words spelled off by
the simple dot and dash system. The
cable of 1893 is not much better than
it was when Cyrus Field first saw il in
working order. 1t can only transmit
about eight words minute, and these
words are not indicated by a ticker, but
by faint flashes of light between the
| poles of the cable instrument. The dis
tinguished British electrician, Sivanus
| G.. Thompson, before the Worlds Fair
! Electrical Congress last week explained
that instead of eight words minute, it
would be possible to send through the
cable 400 words in the same time through
a line of the same resistance but dcsti-
tute of capacity. The British electrician
believes compensated cables of new
type to be practicable, and that means
for attaining ocean telephony is within
the grasp of electricians of this date,
many prominent electricians to the con.
trary Notwithstanding. He says: 1T
may be needful to begin with some shorter
line than an Atlantic cable in order to gain
experience. But an Atlantic cable con-
structed on the new plan will not cost
much more, when laid, than one of the
old type, and whether or not it is sue
cessful in conveying telephone speech
it will certainly transmit telegraphic
messages at u greatly accelerated speed
of signaling. If one Atlantic cable can
he constructed To do the work now re-
quiring eight cables, that cable will be
constructed. Acceleration of the ocean
telegraphic service is in itself desirable
step in advance; but the advance will
not be complete until telephone speech
is transmitted from shore tn shore" Ii
is this tremendous resistance and lack of
capacity, which difficulty electricians
have thus far been unable TO overcome,
that has made telegraphy under the
ocean very slow, and telephony seem Inn
possible. With the compensated cable
which Prof. Thompson recommends, the
| Al
worlds will be annihilated. Europe and
America, before another decade has
rolled around, will be saying, not writ
ing, "Good morning to each other in a
dozen different languages.