The herald., 1898-01-09
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BREV|T|ES Of SCIENCE
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A mountain railway of a new and eX-
traordinary type is shortly to be opened
on the Hochstauffen, in Bavaria. The
traction is derived from a captive bal
loon in making the ascent, whilst the
descent is accomplished by the force OF
gravity alone, the balloon acting as
check to prevent accelerated motion. A
single rail is used for the purpose, direct
ing the course of the train only. 1t is L
shaped, the car gripping it from the sides
and from below The balloon has
diameter of sixty-six feet and lifting
force of 10. $50 pounds. The risks appear
to be considerable, and the mode of trac-
ton likely to be interefered with by the
weather, but the promoters anticipate
success.-London Echo.
4 4 +
The smashing point" of incandescent
lamps is a term often met in technical
literature, which is apt to puzzle the un-
initiated, although the term is well
chosen. All bulbs in use gradually grow
darker and darker, until there is very
serious observation of light, and 1t Is at
certain point in this process that the
sma ashing point occurs. The darkening
observed is due to the gradual disinte-
pration of the filament whereby minute
narticles are thrown off and deposited
on the glass walls. This naturally af-
fects the resistance of the filament and
results in gradually decreasing the can
dle-power, while increasing the con-
sumption of current until the light pro-
duced by such a lamp costs more than
the light given by new lamp plus the
| 10, This iS the gm1 Shing
point, when it is economical to destroy
the old one to substitute new plan.
\ \ \
Some curious statistics have been
lately worked out by well-known
scientific man as to the amount of salt
held in solution by the oceans of the
world.
He reckons that 10000, 900, 900, ,000, 900
tons of salt exist in the water. These
figures, of course, convey no impression,
but it would be enough to cover all the
land of the earth with a solid layer of
! salt 1000 feet thick.
| Roentgen rays have proved OF great
! assistance to the surgeons of the British
army in dealing with gunshot wounds
among the troops engaged in the luck
less expedition on the Indian frontier.
The Smithsonian institution has just
come into possession of what is believed
to be the first original telegraph instru-
ment constructed by Morse for actual
use. The first line was in Baltimore, be-
tween a school and a church, of which a
DR.. Scheib was respectively master and
pastor. 1t was over this line that the
experiments were made that led congress
to appropriate $50 00G for the line between
Baltimore and Washington. The instru-
ment above referred to has been in the
possession of DIR. Scheib, an intimate
| friend of Morse, who, having just died,
beoueathed it to the Smithsonian muse
UNI.
Perzon. the great French lion tanner,
owed his success to the use of electricity
in tanning his beasts. When wild lion
or tiger was to be tanned, live wires were
first rugged up in the cage between the
tanner and the animal. After time
Perzon would turn his back, and the
wild creature would invariably make a
leap at him, but, encountering the
charged wires, would receive a para
| lying shock sufficient to terrorize it for
ever. This lesson would rarely have to
be repeated, as the mysterious shock
was not readily forgotten. Before the
use of electricity for this purpose was
made, the tanner had to keep his eye
| fixed on that of the beast constantly.
4 + \
Bicycle tires are to be kept free from
punctures by a new armor, which Is
| formed of fiat links Of sheet metal WOW