The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-06
SCIENTIFIC.

A new speaking tube for steamers has the
pipe insulated by a waterproof textile COW
erng which makes it easy to hear speech
in the engine room from distance OF three
hundred feet.
Evidence of the complexity of cathode
rays is found by NJ. H. Deslandres in the
fact that when a ray is turned aside by
neighboring body it is divided into several
unequally deViated rays.
Anthropologfsts have ascertained that the
Andaman islanders, the smallest race OF
people in the world. average less than four
feet in height, while few of them weigh
more than Seyenty-tiVe pounds.
"Growing pains" are a myth, says DR..
Irving S. Haynes. The pains mean Potts
disease of the spine. and the ignorant or
lazy doctor does not find it out until the
limp or the hump on the back appear.
Darwin's view that the human beard is
hereditary remnant of animal growth is di-
rectly opposed by A. Brandt. This writer
believes that it has been acquired in mans
development, and that the occasional beard
of women is prophetic of a coming time
when all women will be bearded.
From records extending back to 1889. NJ.
Camille Flammarion finds that the rainfall
of Paris has gradually increased about
three inches being now a little more than
twenty-five inches a year. The amount of
difference seems to indicate that the in
crease is real and not due to greater ac-
curacy of observation.
The Investigations of M. Meguin have now
made it possible to determine with great
precision the time of death of a person by
noting the bacteria present in the body. He
has concluSively proven that the successive
forms always arrive in the same order from
indignation of the Oody-a fact that has
been shown by several interesting exam
pies to be of great practical value.
The actual effects of deforestation upon
climate are not definitely known, although
trees are believed to exert marked inf1u-
ence In his recent lecture on Kimberley,
Dr. William Crookes mentioned that over
million trees have been cut down to supply
the diamond mines, and the country within
a radius of one hundred mics mas been de-
nuded of wood. The frequent dust storms
of summer are among the injurious effects
supposed to have been thus caused.
The director of the gas works at Aix-les-
Bains, France, has perfected a simple sys-
tenn of automatically lighting and extin-
gushing gas jets from any distance The
burner is closed by a steel plate, which is
magnetized and drawn aside While an cleo
trio current is passing through 1t, the es-
Gaping gas being ignited either by spark
from the plate or the incandescence of a
suitable material. The plate tails back
over the burner on being demagnetized
A supply of spring water it Kiel, Ger
many, is SO strongly charged with iron as
TO be unsuitable for use. To improve it, the
tenn of metallic channels and cascades, then
to pass through a bed of coke ten feet thick
and finally through sand filters, each about
sixty-five feet long and forty-nine feet wide.
The treatment has proven SUCCESSFUL IN re-
moving all iron leaving the water unobjec-
tionable in color. taste and smell The bed
of coke is divided into eight compartments,
which are washed free from iron once
week by isolating a compartment at time,
and the sand filters are cleansed by reIRac-
ing thin upper layer with clean sand
J-xtr n "a have
been built upon new variety of asphalt,
locally known as .Munjak." which was not
. long ago found in large quantities in Bar
BADGES. 1t exists near the surface of the
ground. in seams from one 10 two feet
thick. 1t is supposed to have been formed
by the drying up and consolidation OF
petroleum. which occurs with it, and. while
its composition is very similar TO that or
Trinidad pitch, the Utah uintahite or gil
sonite and the Canadian aibertife, It Is