The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-26
SCIENTIFIC.

A system of one hundred electrically-oper-
ated clocks at Brussels Belgium, has been
in use, with some notifications, since April,
The smallest Towering plant yet discov-
cred is the wolffia brasiliensis of the duck
weed family, which appears on stagnant
pools as a green ball q thirteenth of an
inch in diameter.
A case of pulmonary tuberculosis in
goat upsets the belief in the immunity of
this animal and shows that the milk of
goats should be used with the same care
against infection as that /of cows.
The first English dry dock. late researches
by Mr.. Max Oppenheim show was ordered
by Henry VII in 1895 for Portsmouth, and
was finished in 1896 without foreign assist
ance, although dry docks appear to have
been already in use on the continent. The
dock, which was large enough for three
masted ships, was of wood and cost El9S.
The effect of certain metals on photo
graphic plates seem to be due to vapor of
the metals Evidence of this has been OBJ
tanned by Professor j. ]. Thomson, acting
on a suggestion from Sir George Stokes,
by passing a stream of air between zinc
plates and the sensitive plates the air
causing a distortion of the photographs
From ten years statistics at 27S stations
in Cape Colony, DIR. A. Buchan finds that
the annual rainfall over South Africa to
the north of the latitude of Clanwillam
steadily increases from west to east, the
amount on the Atlantic coast falling short
of five inches a year, whereas on the east
coast for some distance to the north and
south of Durham 1t exceeds forty inches.
On the south and southeastern coasts 1t
exceeds twenty inches.
A singular discovery was lately made by
firm of Belfast contractors who had I'M
dertaken to restore the leaning spire of an
ancient church at Newmarket, County
Cork On attempting to take down the
spire it was found that the stones of which
it was built were Theoretically bound to
one another with a combination of molten
lead and sand, which rendered it absolutely
impossible to separate one stone from an
other. the whole Spre being. as it were, one
solid block. The whole building, in fact,
had been erected with no mortar except
the mixture of lead and sand. AS the spire
could not be taken down, IT was lngenlously
moved entire and brought back to its orig
inal perpendicular position.
Attitudes are calculated from barometric
records according to a formula worked out
by Laplace. 1t is important to know how ac-
curate this formula really is, and to test it
Cailletet has devised Photographic camera,
to be carried on balloons, for recording at
the same instant the height of the barome-
ter and the actual height of the balloon as
shown by the distance apart on the photo
graphic plate CT prominent objects on the
earth's surface. The apparatus consists of
prismatic box, with lenses on the upper and
lower faces between which band of sensi-
IlZGQ cSiIulOlQ Is moved DY clOCKWOrK and
exposed at regular intervals. One lens gives
a picture of the scenery below, the other of
the needle of the barometer, and in recent
ascent to a mile and a half twenty pho
tographS were obtained.
Ozone, on account of it's powerful oxidiz-
ing action on organic matter, may play a
considerable part in purifying the air 1t
may not be generally known, the London
Lancet points out, that a very ~'mple and
effectual way of bringing oz' into the
house consists in first suspel moist
linen sheets in a keen dry wind, id after
ward hanging them up in the house. The
air in the room will thus become consider
ably charged with ozone, and its presence
will be easily detected by its peculiar smell,
While moistened starch todide paper will
instantly turn blue. Why ozone is accum-
uated in wet clothes in this way is not
quite understood but it may be due to the
rapid passage of the oxygen in the air over
large wet surface. 1t is not improbable
that this interesting phenomenon has much
to do with the cleansing of our linen
ticleS of clothing. The smell of ozone in
big laundries on bringing not quite dry
linen in from cold dry air is almost more
than is agreeable.
Seeds of the kola tree (cola acuminata)
are stated by the secretary of the Royal
Botanic Society to have been planted at
Kew as long ago as 1880, and the plants
propagated were distributed to numerous
tropical stations, where the nuts are now
produced Until recently, however, there
has been no great demand for the produce
ton, Notwithstanding it's very remarkable
properties. The nuts, several Of which are
contained in fleshy fruit four to six
inches long, have been used in their native
home in West Africa as far back as it is
possible to trace, and they give to people
eating them great endurance of prolonged
labor and exertiOn without fatigue, the kola
paste being estimated to be five times as
sustaining as cocoa. The kola nuts con-
tain over per cent. of caffeine. They are
claimed to lack the tendency of coffee and
cocoa to create biliousness, and that of tea
to cause nervous excitability, while being
far more nutritious than any of the three
In medicine they act as a powerful nerve
Stimulant.
1t is very curious that the great obstacle
encountered in tunneling under the snow
covered Alps is the excessively high temper
allure. In the construction of the Mount
Gents tunnel, according to statistics COL
lected by NJ Victor Brandicourt. the high
est temperature recorded was IS degrees +.
which was reached at point near the GEN.
ter of the tunnel, about 800 feet beneath
the mountain summit, on which the mean
temperature is q degrees. The st. Gothard
was still hotter, a temperature of 95 degrees
having been observed in the center for sew
erai Gays. Such neat, in moisture-laden
ana impure atmosphere, could be endured
but five hours day for two days in three
and so prostrating was the labor ut Mont
CenlS and 81. Gothard that the physician
who attended the workmen ten wears re-
ports the number of invalids to have been
as great as sixty to the hundred STRANGER
still was the appearance of a tropical dis
ease-due to intestinal parasites-shat is
known only in the hottest regions of the
earth. Even greater rock Temperature are
expected in the great tunnels projected in
recent ysars.those of the Simplon, St Rer-
neerS predicting that under Mont Blanc
heal, considerably greater than 100 degrees
possibly above l2o degrees will be reached
Improved methods of ventiiating cooling
and working will all contribute however
toward overcoming the difficulties of WORT,
ing.