The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-29


poured into the remaining space. The casks
are then Theoretically sealed. and, as they
are perfectly full and kept cool by the
frozen masses, the milk cannot be churned
into butter in transportation, and may be
kept in good condition for at least twenty
days. This makes il possible for the Danes
ana Sweues TO supply even England and
france with whole cargoeS of milk.
The tide-like effect of gales on lakes hav-
ing no ordinary tides is very considerable
In the Caspian, says Mr. w II. Wheeler
a gale will raise the water on one side six
feet causing total difference of level of
twelve feet; in the Baltic easterly gales will
produce change of eight feet; and in Lake
Erie heaVy gales occasionally cause a diff
ference OF level of more than fifteen feet.
Education of the protoplasm is Professor
Ray Lankester's explanation of the pre-
vention or cure of severe disease by mild
NEGOTIATIONS. Protoplasm can be taught to
tolerate chemical action from which it
naturally shrinks and on growing to the
edge Of a. solution of sulphate of iron would
at first draw back and then plunge in, there
atter having no fear of Sulphate of iron.
Certain corpuScles of the blood are attracted
to disease germs and swallow them. But
the bacteria in turn produce a poison that
the latter by gradually increasing doses that
they are made capable of resisting the full
poison of the disease.
The observations of earth currents at
Greenwich Observatory have been made
practically useless for several years by the
electric railway from Stockwell to London,
modern instruments being so sensitive that
indications of the current of this railway
have been detected more than one hundred
miles away. An early effect of the railway
led to funny experience. The generating
station was visited by the magnetic super
lntendent of the observatory, and on his
return to work the tracings of his magnets
showed curious detection, which continued
day after day-but only during the hours
OF his attendance. The idea that he was
magnetized was startling one! But one
day he left his umbrella at home and there
was no disturbance, the umbrella having
the power station.
The dark days which formerly brought
such CONSERVATION to the world are usually
supposed to be due to smoke from extern
sive forest fires or to volcanic dust The
direful import of New England's dark day
Of 1870 is still matter of local tradition,
but an even more remarkable occurrence
was recorded in 1888, when blush haze
ohscured the sun for many days through
out Europe and northern Africa, and to
some extent in Asia and North America In
July, 1896, a thick smoke covered the whole
Of Siberia for eleven days, the nights very
s1ngularly being clear A Russian astrono-
mer, M. Adam Rzyszczewski states that
there We're no large fires and no valcanic
eruptions in northern Asia, and concludes
that this was a cosmic phenomenon, due
perhaps to the passage of part of the earth
through a gaseous nebula or the tail of a
comet. Hay cut during the smoky period
was reported to poison sheep.
Modern refinement in scientific research is
strikingly illustrated in the bolometer. or
heat balance, of Prof. S. p. Langley, which
is designed to measure extremely small
amounts of radiant heat. It's action de-
ponds upon variations of electrical resist
ance produced in strips of platinum by
changes of temperature, the alterations
thus caused. in the strength of the current
passing through the metal being registered
upon a delicate gaiVanometer The instrll-
ment, first described in 1881 has now been
so improved that it's sensitiveness is 400
times as great as at first. Changes of much
less than one ten-mllionth of a centigrade
degree may be detected by it, the accuracy
is practically absolute, and it's precision of
pointing is such that it may be directed to-
ward any line in the spectrum with a prob
able error of little more than second of
arc on the first observation. During recent
years the bolometer has been employed in
Washington in mapping the lines in the in
visible portion of the spectrum, the observa-
tions being made in a chamber whose tenn
perature is automatically kept constant
within one-tenth of a centigrade degree.
Among the advantages to be looked for
in electric torpedo boats are the lack of
flaming tunnels and noisy machinery to give
notice of approach freedom of risk from
cut steam pipes or wrecked boilers, dimin-
ished upper works to serve as a. target, and
ease and rapidity of manipulation by the
commander with one hand on the control
Ter. A writer in the Electrical World sug-
gests the possible suitability of primary bat
teries. For 140-foot boat, with a displace-
ment Of 10 tons, engines of 1000 horse
power are necessary to give a speed of
twenty-five knots, and a weight of seventy
five tons is all that could be allowed for
batteries and motors. Four motors of five
hundred horsepower weigh
about twelve tons. This would permit the
carrying of two hundred cells consisting of
thirteen zinc plates eighteen inches square
and twelve plates of like size of copper
oxide compressed on copper with an cleo
trolyte solution of strong caustic alkali.
Glass jars of nineteen inches cube with
water-tight covers would contain the ele-
ments. If such a battery would work salts
factorily, it would drive the vessel at full
speed for one hour, or about one hundred
miles at ten knots.