Fort Wrangel news., 1898-06-15

A new Russian roofing tile is formed of thin wood sheets, so glued 10 one another that the grain of the wood Is crossed, thus obtaining thin, elastic plate which cannot be twisted out of shape. They are pitched to make them waterproof and may be fircproofed by saturation with soluble glass. The weight per square yard is but twelve pounds.
 Leaks in steam pipes are easy to heal with manganese cement, when hardenS in few hours and k prepared by thoroughly mixing four parts black oxide of man -anrSc, ten parts litharSe, i've parts minium, i've parts crude limestone and five parts yellow ochre, all powdered. with some boiled linSeed oil and kneadlng it to q paste, with some asbestos fiber.
 Everybody has noticed the sudden cushes of rain which occur during thunder-Storms. Prof Cleveland Ab- be, the mcteorologlst has lately inves- tigated the connection of these rain guSheS with the occurrence of light ming, but the question K still left to be decided whether it k the rain which brings about the formation of light ning or the lightning which causes the gushes of rain. Further information on the subject Is desired.
 Much difference of opinion exists concerning recent observations of the planet Venus Signor Schiaparclli and Mr. Pcrcival Lowell assert that the planet always keeps the same side to- ward the sun. and Mr. Lowell thinks il is q lifcleSs desert, baked on one side and frozen on the other. On the other hand. Monsieur Camille Flammarion, after reviewing tAe evidence of various observers, announces the conclusion that the maps of Venus made up to the present time are illuSions.' He thinks the planets atmosphere prevents Us from seeing it's real surface.
 In recent address on the achieve ments of hygiene Professor kober, of the Georgetown University. quoted the following facts to illustrate what the introduction of gcrmicides and antisep- tic methods has accomplished: During the Crimean war many more than half the amputationS that were performed resulted in the death of the patient, tho exact percentage of mortality being 63.5. During the American Civil War the mortality from amputation was still 4S.7 per cent Then the new meth odS came to be more and more employ ed. and In 1S0O the statistics of ampu- tation showed that the mortality was but 50 per cent.
 Glaciers yary in length from year to year, and apparently in cycles of years also. those of the Alps having shown q general diminution since 1850. An in- vcStigation of the changes of arctic glaciers has now been made by M. Ch. Rahot. There k no sign of q general retreat corresponding to that of the Alps. but in Greenland the ice is at present at maximum, and station ary. In Iceland there was a general increase in the eighteenth century, in- terrupted by partisan decrease. There came a very extensive advance during most of the present century, q slight retreat-not comparable with that of the AlpS-haying begun in the north of the island about lS55-1s6o, and twenty years later in the south.
 Shells filled with frozen dynamite are one of the most recent inventions for killing people The inventor de clares that these projectiles when fired will smash anything into little bits whether il be q wooden box or m iron clad. The frozen dynamite Is packed in the cavity of the shell, and does not explode until the missile strikes an ob- jert. Another entirely new feature of the missile Is slow burning fuse, suf fiirntly insulated from the charge to prevent premature explosion while the shell is trayersing the designated dis tance. At recent trial, a shell went clean through a three-inch steel plate at range of one hundred yards and then exploded, shattering the plate to bits.