Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-11-03
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1t is an unexplained fact that glow
worms are much more brilliant just
before an approaching storm than at
any other time.
The most active volcano in the world
is Mt. Sangay, II, 100 feet, situated on
the eastern chain of the Andes, South
America. 1t has been in constant erup-
ton since 1928.
The atmospheric ocean surrounding
the earth is frequently disturbed by
gigantic waves, which are invisible ex-
cept when they carry parts of the air,
charged with moisture, up into cold
er atmospheric stratum where sudden
condensation occurs. In this manner
long, parallel lines of clouds sometimes
make their appearance at a great
height. marking the crests Of ripple
of air waves, running miles above our
heads.
Prof. Alexander Agassiz, with q
corps Of men of science, and under the
auspices of the United States Fish
Commission, set sail from San Fran.
cisco about the middle of August, in
the steamship Albatross, on one of the
most important scientific expeditions of
recent times. An immense area of the
Pacific Ocean, including the Paumota,
the Friendly, the Ellice, the Gilbert
and the Marshall Islands, and many
unnamed groups of coral islets, will be
thoroughly explored for the first time.
The voyage will cover about 10000
miles, and the explorations will include
the life and phenomena of the sea from
its surface to its greatest -attainable
depths.
1t has often been suggested that the
brilliance of the suns disk is due to in
candescent particles cf carbon, and
within a few years past the presence
Of carbon in the sun has been demon
strated by the spectroscope. Lately
Prof. Hale, the director of the Yerkes
Observatory, has shown that there is
thin layer of carbon in the lower part
of the suns atmosphere. 1t surrounds
the solar globe like luminous shell,
and under normal conditions is proba-
bly, not more than five hundred miles
above the suns surface. But when an
eruption takes place from beneath the
carbon layer, like all the other con-
stituents of the solar atmosphere, is
broken up and locally dispersed by the
tremendous agitation.
The work of keeping the mouth. of
the worlds greatest commercial river,
the Thames, open and free for ships of
all classes is not lacking in difficulty.
The shifting sands continually en-
c-oach upon the channels Of the great
estuary, and the latest surveys show
that the Duke OF Edinburgh Channel,
which is at present the principal pas
sage into the Thames for heavy yes
sells, has narrowed since 1882 from a
mile and half to about half q mile.
'Its total obliteration, which seems by
no means impossible" says Nature,
would entail long circuit at the time
of low water" The Middle SWIM"
the main route for traffic between Lon
don and the north, has also contracted
and shoaled much within late years.
Occasionally small diamonds have
been found among the ridges of gravel
brought down from the north in the
age of the glaciers and scattered over
the States bordering on the Great
Lakes. Prof. Hobbs. of the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, thinks that these
diamonds, came from some place in
Canada, and that by tracing back the
line of advance of the glaciers the orig
inal location of the gems may be dis
covered. An effort to carry out Prof.
Hobbs suggestion is to be made, and
Prof. Fl. L. Fairch1Id, of the University
of Rochester; Prof. 1. G. Russell, of
the University of Michigan; Prof. j. P.
Iddings, of the University of Chicago,
and Prof. o. G. Harrington, of the Field
Columbian Museum, will cooperate by
examining, without charge, suspected
gems found by persons living near the
glacial moraines.