The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-20
SCIENTIFIC.

Red rain DUST from heavy fall at
Melbourne in 1896 has proven identical in
composition with ordinary soil from vol
canic rocks.
A bar of soft metal is used on Dresden
electric lines instead of the trolley wheel
and is claimed to wear the wire less and to
be more convenient.
A remarkable object that rather resem-
bles some obscuring medium than nebula'
is the unique discovery in the constellation
OF Perseus lately made by Rev. L. E. Espin.
unique forest of immense palm-like
stalagmtes has been discovered by M. Mar
tel in natural pit in the limestone of the
LoZere France. They are at the lower end
of an immense SlOping chamber reached by
descending a perpendicular shaft about two
hundred feet, and many are very beautiful,
while one is over ninety feet high, nearly
touching the vault of the cavern.
The largest quartz crystal known is that
found by Mr.. j. E. Burton last December
in a mine of Calaveras county, California
1t is reported to be IL feet inches in cir
conference, feet inches long, 3 feet
inches wide and 3 feet inches high, and
that a large point in the center would cut
pure ball of crystal from Il to IA inches
in diameter.
German figures credit various woods with
the following heating capacities: Linden /;
fir, 0.99; elm and pine, 09S; willow, chestnut
and larch, O97; maple and spruce, O.96 black
poplar O95; alder and white birch O az: oak
092; locust and white beech OBJ, and red
beech, 090. Modern scientific research gives
us another surprise in thus showing that
the soft woods have greater heating power
than the hard
The mud from coal washing is utilized by
a Friedrichsthal engineer. He finds the
mud to consist of two portions-one being
chiefly clay and the other particles of COAL
and he separates them by drying and sift-
ing, the clay passing through as fine dust,
while the fine coal is retained by the sieve.
The coal contains little ash and is adapted
for various purposes, while the separated
dust has proven not wholly useless,
English botanists have called attention to
the suitability of the spore dust of certain
fungi injecting cereals for use as color
ing matter in the paints of artists. Moist
ened with alcohol and mixed with gum, oat
snIlt forms water-color pigment of fine
selta deep brown shade, that may be
hghtened by mixture with white, and has
proven to be little affected by sunlight,
Similar spores, it further appears, are used
by Japanese ladies as a pigment for paint
ing the eyebrows.
Improvement of the gas engine seems to
offer a promising field for some inventor.
The exhaust gases in the average engine
are heated to about $50 degrees Fahrenheit,
and technical authority calculates that a
reduction of this to 300 degrees. with the
same initial temperature, would increase
the theoretical efficiency from So degrees to
as degrees External refrigeration is
thought to be a necessary evil In present
practice the losses by radiation and con-
duction are about 60 per cent, and only
about IL per cent. of the total heat of COM
bustion is converted into available power.
and almost equal percentage passes use
lessly away with the exhaust gases.
If the light from an arc lamp be brought
to focus within vessel containing moist
dust-free air, Mr. C. T. R. Wilson. an Eng
comes visible in the course of a few min
utes along the path of light The cloud
particles remain in suspension for hours
after the light has been cut off. Further
experiment proves that these clouds. unlike
those obtained by Tyndall and by Aitken by
the action OF light on various vapors are
due to the ultraviolet rays alone and il
is suggested as possible that the particles
giving the blue of the sky may be due to
ultraviolet rays probably plentiful in sun
light as it first enters our atmosphere
Iridescent films are ingenously fixed and
adapted to purposes of ornamentation by
the director of the physiological laboratory
at the Sorbonne. A sheet of impermeable
paper or other material is placed at the bot
tom of a vessel that can be completely
emptied by a stopcock the vessel is filled
with water and little resin, bitumen or
tarry matter in volatile solvent is dropped
upon the surface. AS the solvent evap-
CRATES the film becomes beautifully rides
cent, the colors changing with the vibra-
tons of the particular tone produced If
whistle other musical instrument is
sounded On allowing the water to run Off
the film becomes attached to the paper and
impartS to this, when dried, the appearance
of watered silk or the glossy iridescense of
certain birds and insects.
During the last ten years q great many
night photographs have been taken by NJ.
G. Loppe, of Paris, who has acquired great
skill and has obtained some very remarka-
BILE negatives. Exposure and focusing Of
fer the chief difficulties The former IF
course, must be quite long. and must be
varied according to the intensity of the
light and the sensitiveness OF the plates
used. To focus accurately requires prac-
tice and patience on account of the feeble
ress of the illuminated image on the screese
Between 10 and IL o'clock Of an evening of
last May two distinct and extraordinary
photographs Of the Eifel tower were se~
cured, the first showing the tower through
q deluge Of rain Is il was struck by q bol3