The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-11-09
9o,ENOe AND lNDU0TRN.

Free argon and helium have now
been found IN the sulphurous waters OF
springs in the Pyrenees at La Ratllere
and Bois. The gases were introduced
by n. Bouchard into . P1ucker tube con-
tanning magnesium wire, and when
subjected - the silent dischsrse OF
electricity combined with the magne-
sium. He says that they combine With
platinum in the same way.
-Mushrooms grow In immense guam
tities in the Russian forests, the i'm
habitants In some places existing en-
tirely by selling them. Kargopol In
Olonetx, sends yearly 5000 pools
(100,O0O pounds) Of mushrooms TO st.
Petersburg. The vaieties are many.
With one form, the mukhomor, the
native tribes Of Siberia intoxicate them
selves; an infusion from it has . stupe-
tying effect like that Of opium or
hAaheesh.
-Helmholtx has attributed cirrus
clouds to air waves produced when one
stratum Of air glides over another OF
different temperature and density, the
lower one being nearly saturated with
aqueous vapor. The wave crests be
come centers Of condemnation, In con-
sequence Of diminished pressure. and
appear az clouds, while the depressions
form transparent interspaces. On
this theory "mackerel sky" II pro-
duced when two series of waves cross.
insects are considered by Prof. c.
v. Rily a. undoubtedly possessing the
senses Of sight, touch, taste, smell and
hearing, that Of touch being perhaps
the only sense strictly comparable
with our own. Evidence Of other sense
organs, utterly unlike any we have. IL
not wanting. A male Japanese silk
worm moth was liberated one night a
mile and half from Gagged female OF
the species, and in the morning was at
the cage, and blind ants reduce wooden
beans to mere shells without once
gnawing through the surface.
One Of the most interesting Of Dr..
Girolamo segato's petrifaetions has
Just been found after long hunt In a
Bavarian village, and will be sent to
the Florence Anatomical museum. 1t
is the head Of . young woman who died
of consumption sixty years ago. kept ~
perfect a. the day she died, with the
blond hair wavy and soft % thst Of .
living person. DR.. Segato's wonderful
secret for petrifying the dead 90 as to
retain the appearance Of life forever
died with him, but the specimens kept
in the italian museums show no sign Of
deterioration.
-Tunneling through the Simplon
will begin early next year. There win
be two parallel tunnels, each sc, 900 feet
or about 12K miles long, 81 feet apart.
and connected at intervals Of 225 feet.
They will be $4,000 feet longer than the
st. Gothard and 81 900 feet longer than
the Mont Gents tunnel, but will be l.
500 feet lower than the two others,
which will diminish the working ex-
penses. It is expected that the work
will be completed in five years and
half, three years less time, that is, than
was required for the St. Gothard. The
estimated cost il 81. .000. 900.
Statistics Of Russian railroad con-
struction in 1893 have but recently been
published. The length opened for
traffic in that year was l,12s milea.
which IN . great deal for Russia This
made the total in operation in the eoun-
try 21,8S4 miles, Of which $3.50 miles
were state railroads. OF the whole, -
362 miles have q double track. These
figures include the 1877 miles in Fin
land and the o0e Of the Transcaspian
railroad, which are not usually included
with the Russian railroads. At the
close Of 1898 work was progressing on
1912 miles Of new railroad.