Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-09-27
SCIENTIFIC MATTERS,

Is SCIENTIFIC MATTERS.
INTERPRETING AND USEFUL 1NFOR-
NATION.
Electricity and thu War in the East
Curious Property of Aluminum-
New Lightning Cnlculators-An
Electric Quilt.
1t is interesting to note the impor-
tant part played by electrical applis
ances In the war now being waged be-
tween China and Japan. The Jap
anesc. especially are quick to turn to
account any advantage offered by
scientific appliances, and in Corea they
have materially strengthened their
hannds by taking possession
of the lines and stations of
the telegraph service. Their
men are trained in construction, us
well as in actual manipulation, and can
be trusted to keep the lines in work
ing order as long as they retain con-
troll. The Mikado's people have taken
very kindly to the telegraph since it's
Introduction in 1870 Their first install
lation Of a couple of short lines, about
forty miles long altogether, speedily
grew into 1000 miles, and now the
wires devoted to the service measure
close on $4,000 miles, including sever
al submarine cables Of various lengths,
one of the longest being that connect
ing Nippon { the main land) with Tsu-
shima, the large island between Japan
and Corea, a position which, as may
be readily imagined, is just now of the
utmost strategical importance. Sc
well, indeed. have these clever copyista
appropriated and utilized the tele-
graphic Developments of Western civil
lization> that there Is now hardly .
point on the coast more than O few
hours distant from telegraph Office,
so that feet runner could convey the
news of a hostile descent to the ada
cent outpost, and defensive force be
called to the threatened region in less
time than it would take the Chinaman
to determine upon their point of at
tack This was demonstrated very
clearly in 1876, when the news of the
Satsuma rebellion was brought by
boatman to Kumamoto in one night,
and flashed to the capital almost before
the insurgents rear guard had cleared
from Kagoshima. The consequence
was that the rebel Gen. Saigo was
promptly met and snuffed out before
he had reached territory in which his
forces might have become dangerous
through being augmented by numer-
GUS sympathizers. But for the tele-
graph there would doubtless have been
serious trouble, for it would have tax
en- fortnight for runner to reach
the capital, and the delay would have
been all in favor Of Saigo. In the mat
( ter Of field telegraphy, too, the Jap
anese are adopts, their portable instru-
ments, etc., being modelled upon ap-
paratus which they have imported from
Europe. The posts are made In sec
tons, with spiked bases to stick in the
soil, and the wires run out from reels
on light hand-barrows. The Japanese
are entirely undisturbed by any con-
siderations as to patent infringement.
When the first telephone receiver
reached Japan from America it was
received with delight and enthusiasm,
and within week or so, there were
some Edison receivers of native make
being experimental upon. The police
and fire brigade system Of telephone
alarms and calls now established In
Japan are complete in every detail.
Many of the Japanese vessels are fur
nished with the electric light, and 1t Is
stated that the manipulation of the
projectors is remarkably efficient No
tice has been given that owing to the
outbreak of the war, lights on the
Formosa coast have been extinguished,
and no doubt others, both in japan and
China, will also be put out, or false
lights substituted, to suit the purpose
Of either. 1t will therefore be neces-
sary for all steamers navigating those
waters to be extremely careful, and a
correspondent Of a London daily sug-
gests that one Of the best precautions
is to use the submarine SENTRY" as
by it's aid a vessel going at ten knots
can be assured that she has at least
twenty fathoms Of water under her
keel, and warning is given on board
if less depth is reached, thus giving
ample time for position to be verified.
The submarine sentry" is a recently
invented electrical arrangement for
giving the warning mentioned.
Curious Property of Aluminium.
NJ. Margot has discovered peculiar
property of aluminium. If glass be
rubbed with piece Of this metal, very
brilliant markings will be obtained
which cannot be washed out. This
tendency of aluminium to adhere firm
ly to glass, and to silicious substances
in general, is especially manifested
when the rubbed surface is wet with
water or simply covered with a stratum
of aqueous vapor. This discovery has
been turned to account in the produc-
ton of some very beautiful decorative
effects. With small aluminium wheel
which revolves very rapidly, designs
are made upon glass after the manner
of ordinary engravers. The designs are
metallic. changing in color and brilliant,
and when they are FURNISHED with a
| r4o,1 tool +hov aSc11mo tho annaarH noe