Frederick citizen., 1895-02-01
prepared weekly for the citi.enl

While everybody now knows that
bacteria are universally distributed,
not everybody, says Prof. Marshall
Ward, has a true conception of how
really minute they are. and how rapidly
they multiply. One of the largest spe-
cies-the bActerium of the anthrax
disease is only l-l2,5O0 Of an inch IN
length, and 500, O00,0 900 of them could
be put in a drop of water the size Of a
pin's head. A single spore in II hours,
under favorable conditions, will grad
ualy elongats into a continuous thread
like chain of miscropic sausages-
fully l60,00O,000 times the length of
the parent germ. This is only the
ease when grown with plenty of nutri-
ment, gentle warmth. and in darkness
Sunlight is natures means of their
growth, and if strong enough stops it
altogether, by killing Off the spores,
the actinlc rays ofthe spectrum being
those most active.
By Wilson's method OF preparing
calcium carbide in the electrical fur
mace, 1t is estimated that a short ton
Of the material can be produced in
North Carolina at cost of SIS 90.
From this. by simply mixing it with
water, may be obtained l0,500 cubic
feet of acety line, which. when u suit
able proportion Ofair is added, is equal
for illumination to 100000 cubic feet of
ordinary city gas. The calcium car
bide is readily transported, and seems
70 solve the problem of cheap gas for
out-of-the-way places.
A bottle containing hydrofuors-
licic acid, which was recently found af-
ter having been put away II years. is
the Interesting object To which II err
u. CesarO has called the attention of
the Berlin Chemical Society. The
glass ab we the liquid Is deeply cOrrod-
ed and from one of the eruslols has
been taken white mass having the ap-
pearance aud composition of the gem
opal.
A zoologist has described ten cases
OF annelids having fOrked tails, the du-
plIcate appendage seeming to have
been produced in the adult as result
OF injury.
The idea that perpetual motion may
be realized, or that u machine may be
made TO run Stself until worn out, is
one of the most fascinating and persis-
tent fallacieS that has ever gained "a
hold upon the human mind. Most of
the machines of this kind have existed
only III the Imagination Of the iuven-
tors, but some of the motors have actu-
ally been built, and a few of them have
been shown i'll operation. An inter
esting example, recalled the other day
by President Henry Norton, of the
Stevens Institute of Technology, is fur
nished by the once famous Readhefer
perpetual motion machine. Large sums
of money were sunk in this, AS well as
in more recent schemes like the "Kee-
ly Motor" and for the purpose of ex-
posing the fraud involved, IA small
model was constructed about 80 years
ago, Dy Mr.. Isaiah Lukens, at the sug-
gestiou of Mr.. Nathan Sellers. This is
preserve IN the collection of the Frank
lin Institute at Philadelphia. The
model consists OF u horizontal circular
tatle on pivoted vertical shaft, with
two incllued planes, mounted on
wheels on the table and a car contain-
ing two removable weights on each ill.,
n ,..I al. I
incllued planes aud the cars are SUP
posed tn transmit To the central shalt
the tendencies OF the inclined planes to
ruu tom under the cars aud of the
Cars To run down the inclined planes,
anu these tendencies are supposed to
Rotate the central shaft The arrange
ment is admirably simple in more
ways than one, tut, it is wonderful TO
relate, 1t seems TO work. The machine
stops when the weights are removed
from the cars, but starts when they
are replaced, aud under favorable con- J
oltlnns may run iudetiniuiteIy This |
stai Il ny phenomenon tends To shake |
the novIce's faith in the conservation |
OF energy. Close invest CATION, how-v-
er, reveals the fact that the base of |
the machine hides train of clock |
work, whose spring can bs wound |
through one Of the ornamental knobs |
OF the models glass case. This clock |
work drives the plate on which the |
central vertical shaft is pivoted, and !
the frlctlons are 50 adjusted that when |
the cars are loaded the turning plate |
will drive the shaft, but without the |
weights IN the ears the friction ia in. |
sufficient.
From the Swiss meteorological rec |
ords since 1883, DIR. G.. G.. Heiss finds |
that hail is more frequent in valleys |
than on mountains, that it occurs Of |
tener near marshes and in lake valleys |
than over wooded country, and that |
river valleys in the paths Of thunder /
storms favor its formation, while cult |
waited land and hilly forest reduce the |
intensity OF halstorms.
A rapping and talking table is an /
parlor wonder described /
by Vienna journal. 1t is an ordinary !
stand, with hollow leg and foot and
top having circular hollow
covered By piece Of wum an eighth
Of an inch thick. A Lecl ,nche ple-
nieit Is hidden III the foot From this
battery two wires lesd To an ,lectr,s
nIagnet coil and Two metal rugs in the
c"vI:y Of the tabletop. one ring leing
iiticned To the thin cover, and ~ AZ
ranged that when hand is laid with
VOnie pressure upon the c~ntrr uf the
abe the electric cilcuit Is closed. The
magnet Is thus CAUSED 10 attract Mn
IMMATURE hinged 10 the thin hazard