The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-09
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The South American station of the
Harvard observatory has obtained a pho
tosraph in Arequipa Peru, of the spec
trum of a meteor, saws an exchange. The
photograph was taken in one of the Bache
telescopes with an eight-inch aperture
the instrument being arranged in the ordi-
nary way for sky photography, with the
addition of the prism for spectrum work
Thousands of plates have been exposed in
this way ready to take the spectrum of
anything traVeTsing the heavens, and 1T is
considered sheer good luck that the me-
teOr in question was caught. A light band
of six lines, the trail of the shooting star
runs across the plate. Four hydrogen
lines at different colors in the spectrum
and two other lines, at present unknown
quantities, are shown. The four hydrogen
lines of the meteor correspond to four or
dinarily found in photographed spectra of
variable stars. In certain of the variable
stars also appears one of the lines caught
in the meteor spectrum. AS it does not
correspond to any found on the earth, no
one knows what element is represented by
this line.
Potatoes, native to Peru were discov-
cred by the Spaniards in the neighborhood
of Quito, where they were cultivated by
the natives, says Lippincott's. Condor, a
monk, first introduced them into Spain,
whence they passed into Italy and thence
TO Belgium. Humboldt says that at the
discovery they were cultivated in all the
temperate parts of the continent from
Chile to New Grenada, but not in Mexico.
In 1880 potatoes were taken from North
coionists sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh.
and were first cultivated on his estate near
CORK. Inc sweet potatoes, native of the
west Indies, were given to Columbus by
the natives of Cuba They were introduced
into Endland by Sir Francis Drake who
wrote of them in praise, but forgot 10 send
instructions TO eat only the root. The gar
dener of Queen Elizabeth planted them,
and ate some of the tops. Being disguised
by the taste, he pulled up his crop, made
fire of the pile, was attracted by the
pleasant odor of the burning tubers pick
ed up root, ate it, and, being pleased
with the taste, continued the cultivation
ana introduced them to the notice of
Others
There are many speculations as to
what is to be the fuel when coal is ex-
hausted, as some think will happen with
IN Few years. As q rule, coal is required
to generate electricity Water power will
40 40 IL IN certain localities. 1t is believed
that the electric currents in the air can
De utlIlZed, but no very successful expert
ments nave been made in that direction
A gentleman prominently connected with
one OF the scientific institutions of the
government expressed his opinion that as
we nave an abundant supply of wafer
we will be compelled to use it for fuel.
IL mas been demonstrated that it can be
burned, but a practical method must be
round, hydrogen and oxygen, the COM
ponent parts of water, when separated
furnish plenty of fuel. Could we get these
gases into the shape we need the disaD-
pearance OF coal mines need not be
small
stoves have been made to burn water If
after building a coal fire, just the right
quantity OF water could be conducted to
the bed of Goals the fire could he kent nm
until the stove burned out. One drop more
than the necessary amount however
would put out the fire. 1t is expected
matter.
The discovery that gilsonite, the new
asphaltum which has been found on In
~,
bottom from seaWeed and corrosion is
likely to end in attempts of spectators to
induce the government to open these lands
TO entry, says the Mining and Scientific
Press. II the government owns the only
Sllsonite deposit known, it will hardly con-
sent to make 1t an article of commerce
monopoly will enable our war vessels to
keep the sea indefinitely while foreign
shlps are obliged to seek port at short in
terVals to be scraped and cleaned 1t
would be worth millions of dollars to this
country in war to always have the best
speed of its cruisers available. At present
cruiser long in service, that made twen-
" Knots on her trial trip, only makes
fourteen or fifteen because of her foul
bottom, but with her hull painted with
glsonbte twenty knots could be run by a
vessel which has not been locked in years.
Inc probability that piles could be pro
tected from the teredo by this new sub
stance is not great but it would bear look
ing into At present, however, the chief
advantage of its use is naval, and this is
enough to warrant the government in
guarding it with jealous care.
1t is said that the mosquito may de-
velop in any water, stagnant or clear. Mr..
w. S. Schulz, a well-known chemist. saws
al that is necessary to procure supply
OF mosquitoes is to bring corn or any
Derry containing vegetable albumen into
contact with fresh water and allow the
mixture to remain exposed to sunlight
about forty-eight hours in a temperature
from rs degrees to $50 degrees Fahren-
nett Little INES Of living creatures viii
then be visible to the eye hanging from
the surface of the water. After six hours
each of these have feet, then a head Soon
each rolls itself into a ball, and finally
flies out, fully developed mosquito The
partly dissolved albumen has in the pres
ence OF nitrogen, decomposed and formed
a large amount of bacteria which repre-
sents mosquitoes in the earliest stage A
portion of the decomposing matter will
oXidize further. There will be constant
breeding and dying of bacteria and the
water Will become more or less saturated
with decomposing matter, on which the
young mosquitoes feed. The blood-suck- |
ing mosquito is always female. It's poison |
l1ke that of snakes, is ptomaine. Mr..
Schulz says it is the most deadly known.
The amount in 100 mosquitoes. if Injected |
hypodermically would kill man.
Paris has just now a sort of western
show la Buffalo Bill at which a band of
cowboys from the United States appears.
says the Baltimore Sun. Last week four |
OF them gave the public of the French |
capital a little unrehearsed exhibition of |
their skill on one of the boulevards Near |
the Place de Palma, a fine French poodle |
commenced to bark at their horses, with |
the result that one of the animals started |
to kick and plunge in regular prairie fash |
ion. Its rider at first took no notice OF |
this, but as the dog showed no signs OF |
abating his gambols, and Partisan ave- |
nue. not exactly being the place for parad- |
ing Mexican pOnys buckjumping cana
bilities, the American cowboy coolly took |
his lasso, which hung by the side of his |
saddle and without the least effort, to the |
surprise of the spectators, captured the |
dog. Then he quieted his mount and |
having drawn the poodle, which by this |
time began to yelp, to him, released the |
animal Now just at this moment the |
dogs master, a certain French count. |
came along, and an angry discussion en- |
sued, in which the cowboys were lost. on |
account of their lack of knowledge of the |
French tongue The result was that both |
cowboy and count We're taken to the po- |
lice station, where the lassoer of the |
French poodle was dismissed, while the |
owner of the dog, which was neither muz- |
zled, chained nor with the counts name |
on its collar, had to pay a triple fine for
contravention of the Paris dog laws.
The one-legged man buys his shoes pre-
ciSely like the tWO-lecoed man eave Daar