The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-26

by number of wicks, vaporiZed there by
small external flame, and after two MINUTES ,lIs
and half supplies sufficient vapor TO keep
the mantle at a white heat. The disad-
vantage OF this burner is the delay or two
minutes and a half before it is ready Tor
use.
The method proposed by Herr +. Moyat
for producing large artificial diamonds con-
sists essentially in sealing pulverized coal,
iron chips and liquid carbonic acid in
strong steel tube. and submitting to the
action of the electric arc. Unlike other
methods, this process generates enormous
pressure during the operation OF the eiec-
trio current, and 1t is believed larger dla-
mondS will crystalline out as the mixture
cools.
The reproduction of the truffle is per-
picking problem for hotanists- Some land
owners of Lot and Correze have been ex-
perimenting to determine whether the
spores are not diffused through the inter-
medium Of cattle and particularly of GER
tain domestic animals of quick digestion,
but M. Grimblot seems to have proven that
| the diffusion of the spores is effected by
wood mice. This throws doubts upon an
probably without good reason. that both
this valuable fungus and the common mush-
room produce spores which will not develop
until they have passed through the inteS-
tines Of the cow or horse
The walking of a fly on the ceiling is
familiar phenomenon not yet fully under
stood recent paper by Mr. d. H. DER
hold mentions that the microscope quickly
dsproves the old theory that flies hold to
smooth surfaces by means of suckers, and
that Hooke's idea that flies stick to glass
by a ViscOuS Secretion was shown a dozen
years ago to be only partly sound DR..
Rombout has established the fact that the
HES hang on by the help of capillary adj
hesion-the molecular attraction between
solid and liquid bodies 1t is true the foot
hairs are very minute, but, as each fly is
said to have 10000 or 1900. we need not be
surprised at what they can do.
Our condition Of hairlessness has been
subject of study by DR.. Exner. a German
biologist. Our ancestors he holds, were
totally covered with hair, and its disappear
ance may be accounted for by the fact that
it's absence was regarded as a beauty, pref
erence being given in choosing mates to
those having the least of it, The hairs are
modified sense organs, which have lost all
connection with the nerves. Primitive man
was probably clothed in an irregular cover
ing of hair, which varied in length, color,
structure and thickness with the functions
Tor which it was intended. The hair now
remaining was left for a definite purpose.
Certain hairs serve as organs of touch,
notably the eyelaSheS, and in q less degree
the eyebrows. Both serve to protect the
eyes. IL animals the hair serves to maintain
and regulate the body heat, but in man the
hair of the scalp alone has such purpose
Few scientific deductions are more strik-
ing than the recent one of Lord Kelvin on
the worlds underground fuel supply, much
of which is still hidden. The coal is the
residue of ancient vegetation, and the oxy-
gen of the air was probably all derived
from this vegetation, which experiment
shows must have furnished three tons of
oxygen for each ton of coal This is the
proportion of oxygen consumed in burning
ccal. The surface of the earth has an area
OF 5lO0OOOOO millions of square meters, each
r11nfa hoo ~ir xNE
which two tons is oxygen, and q simple
calculation shows with great probable ac-
curacy that the total fuel supply in the
earth is 100000, coo millions of tons. 1t was
determined in 1881 that England, Scotland
and Wales had $4,000 millions of tons of
coal surely available, with $1,000 millions of
tonS more possibly available. This is more
than Great Britain could burn with it's
own air that country having, therefore,
mere than an average supply.
Methods of overhead connection for cleo
trio cars without the use of trolley wires
have been devised by a French and a Ger
man engineer. M Bochert and Herr Rott-
sieper. The former places along the top of
each car conducting rail- to which the
current passes from arms projecting over
the track from side posts, and connects two
or three cars together in such a way that
constant connection is kept UP as the cars
pass In turn under the charged arms. The
drawbacks to this system the great
NUMBER OF posts required and the necessity
or running more than one car at a time.
These objections are overcome by Herr
Rottsieper by the use of a secondary bat
terry, which is fully charged at the terminal
stations and partially wherever a stop is
made the stopping stations being at charg-
ing posts where the conducting rail-which
may be on the side of the car instead of on
top-is automatically brought into the cir
cult from the distributing station. This
system requires few posts, while the ac-
cumulators, being recharged at short inter
walls, may be of the lightest character The
current, OF course, is transmitted from post
to post by underground wires