The morning call., 1894-02-11
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

About year ago the interior teegraphic
dispatches contained an account OF wind
storm In Missouri, which not only blew down
houses and fences and caused great loss of life,
but actually stripped the feathers from
rooster The correspondent stated that not
even the pnfeathers were left, and his descrip.
ton OF how the cock next morning strutted
forth, tapped his naked wings and crOwed in a
somewhat disfgured- butstill-in-the-rng style
caused considerable merriment. 1t was rea-
soned that wind of such force would have
blown the fowl 10 Jericho, and the writer was
set down as a Munchausen. Scientific research,
however, sustain the story, but ascribes the
roost RS condition 10 another cause. writer
III Der Stein der Weisen says: Among The most
astonishing effects OF whirlwinds must be
Teckoned the well-supported facts that, Oh
their cessation, birds exposed to them
have been found stripped OF their
feathers, and people with every shred of
clothing torn from them. These effects cannot
possibly be ascribed TO the wind. The force
necessary would have sufficed TO transport the
objects away bodily. Numerous similar occur
rences were observed in France in the lorna
does which prevailed there three years ago, and
these were gradually brought under investiga-
ton. over The whole region affected trees were
found rent in manner which could not pOssi-
bly, have resulted from the wind. These were,
hrSt oaks split down the center for length of
twenty TO twenty-five feet; second poplars and
beeches Tor lengths OF six to twelve feet were
shivered into sticks OF uniform thickness tor
example, a beech tree sixteen inches diameter
was SPLIT into more than 500 sticks a centime-
ter thick, two centmeters Droao and three and
half centimeters long,; third, frs and other
resinous trees had their stems cut clean
through, leaving almost even surfaces. These
phenomena and others of kindred nature can
be ascribed only TO electricity.
The straightness Of the so-called canals on
the planet Mars makes an explanation of their
presence difficult. There is no parallel on this
earth. They are too straight TO be cracks in the
surface, rivers or mountain ranges. Carl Wins
low says that the cause must be looked for in
other heavenly bodies, as il is probably too
powerful to be found In the planet itself.
planet, an asterod striking Mars would make
a straight line on the surface where it scored
. and the theory that the peculiar straight
marks observed on The planet are caused by
collisions is supported by The fact that Mars is
more exposed 10 such collisions than any other
planet. Between Mars and Jupiter are in
Vulnerable asteroids Their orbits are very
eccentric, and some Of them are at times nearer
the sun than TO Mars. AS their orbits traverse
IN of Mars The possibilities of collisions are
the greater. III the collision is tangential The
meteorte Will make grooves or burrows like
those now known as canals. This Will happen
when The velocity Is greater than that OF Mars.
Ii very great the meteor will cont inue its
course. Another theory is that the canals
which have caused such widespread comm enI
are but optical Illusions.
Interesting Investigations on the vitality of
cholera organisms have been maze by Wer-
nicke, the result showing that the fumes of
tobacco are fatal TO this class OF baccli. Small
pieces Of linen smoked in cholera. broth cul-
lures were rolled up IN various kinds of tobacco
and The latter MADE into cigars. at the end of
twenty-four hours only few baccilh were
found on the linen and none on the tobacco.
On sterile and dry tobacco leaves the baceili
disappeared In one-half TO three hours after In
oculaiion. When envelope1 in tobacco smoke
they were destroyed In broth cultures and ster-
iliZed and unsteriliZed saliva in five minutes.
On actual experience the antiseptic properties
of tobacco have not infrequently been met
with. For instance, during the Influenza cpl
demic in 1889 the operatives In tobacco fac
tories enjoyed immunity from the disease. Out
OF 1900 people thus employed In Genoa not
one was attacked. and at Rome the experience
In tobacco factories was similar.
The electric motor Is considered tho motor
par excellence for the uses OF artillerists, and
II is expected that IL will soon be brought into
practical use. AT present ALI big guns whether
on board ship or IN a fort are manipulated by
steam or by hydraulic power. 1t Is now pro-