The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-24
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Free argon and helium have now
been found in the sulphurous waters Of
springs in the Pyrenees at La Raillere
and Bots. The gases were introduced
by NJ. Bouchard into a Plucker tube con-
tanning magnesium wire, and when
subjected to the silent discharge =
electricity combined with the magne-
stun. He says that they combine with
platinum in the same way.
Mushrooms grow in immense guam
titles in the Russian forests, the in
habitants in some places existing en-
tirely by selling them. Kargopol, in
Olonetz, sends yearly 5000 pools
QSO,O0O pounds) of mushrooms to st.
Petersburg The vaieties are many.
With one form, the mukhomor, the
native tribes of Sibel ia intoxicate them
selves; an infusion from it has a stupe-
flying effect like that of opium or
haSheesh.
-Helmholtz 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 condensation, in con-
sequence of diminished pressure, and
appear as clouds, while the depressions
form transparent interspaces. On
this theory 'mackerel sky" is pro-
duced when two series of waves cross.
Insects are considered by Prof. C..
" Rily as 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, is
/ not wanting. A male japanese silk
worm moth was liberated one night a
mile and half from a 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 petrifactions has
Just been found after a long hunt in a
| Bavarian village, and will be sent to
the Florence Anatomical museum. 1t
is the head of a young woman who died
of consumption sixty years ago, kept as
perfect as the day she died, with the
blond hair wavy and soft as that of a
living person. DR.. Segato's wonderful
secret for petrifying the dead so 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 will
be two parallel tunnels, each 66, 900 feet
or about 121s 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 Cents tunnel, but will be >.
500 feet lower than the two others
which will diminish the working eX'
penses. 1t is expected that the work
will be completed in five years and 6
half, three years less time, that is, thar
was required for the ST. Gothard. The
estimated cost is 81 100000.
Statistics of Russian railroad con
struction in 1893 have but recently beer
published. The length opened TO
traffic in that year was lips miles
which is a great deal for Russia. Thi
made the total in operation in the coun
try 21,SS4 miles, of which $3.50 miles
were state railroads. OF the whole, 4,
362 miles have a double track. Thes'
figures include the 1917 miles in Fin
land and the 905 of the Transcaspial
railroad. which are not usually included
with the RussiNn railroads. At tn
close of 1893 work was progressing oil
3,9l2 miles of new railroad.