New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-05
LAST YEARS PROGRESS IN SCIENCE.

Although the record Of scientific work done
last wear contains no one discovery or achieve
ment which stands out conspicuously ike those
~ Rantcen and Marconi. II abounds In distinct
and practical successes.
Headway has been made. for instance. In the
endeavor to give the world cheaper ana more
efficient Lights Just now the most promising
line OF experiment appears to DO not win
vacuum tubes, but with incandescent minerals.
The old magnesium light immersed Dit or
magnesium In an oxy-hydrogen flame Nerns'
heats the metal. OF, rather. the oxioe Oh IT, Wy
electricity until II Elows with Dazzling pr''i-
fancy CAM employs tiny tube OF alur''hui"
in place Of the carbon flament. ana d'spehse'
with the vacuum. Welsbach applies 70 the e'ec-
,rc ,amn the same principles II not the same
refractory earths. which he used In his now
famous gas burner.
Wireless telegraphy Is still in an experimental
stage OF It's development. but has been In service
for commercial purposes between the Isle or
Wight and the mainland Of England for a year
or more Meantime. Professor Rowland. OF
Johns Hopkins University. has perfected MS
system OF sending twelve or sixteen messages
over one wire. a wonderful advance upon Edi-
sons Quadrupex.
The continuance OF the bubonic plague IN
India has afforded a chance amply to demon
strate the efficacy OF Hankine's protective
serum The value Of Sanarellis antitoxin Tor
yellow fever still remains open to question. and
doubts have even been expressed as to the
pen,,neness Of his supposed discovery Of the
yellow fever microbe Perhaps the most dis
tinct advance In the treatment Of bacterial dis
ea.es ,s the application Of the antitoxin OF
tetanus directly to the brain tissue. where Its
al m ha mi
potent.
Astronomy has reported the existence OF
tiny planet whose orbit overlaps that OF Mars
in such a manner that the little globe may APP
nroach within twenty million miles Of the earth
at times Wits ID @" has not yet received
decent name but has created a considerable
sensation Michelsons new type OF spectre
scope possessing higher dispersve power than
either the prism or attraction grating, is likely
TO prove a useful agent in laboratory work, as
well as In astronomical research.
In nopreyious year, probably have 80 many new
chemical elements been discovered as In 1898
The supposed finding in volcanic gases In Italy
81 coronium. the distinctive element Of the solar
corona has not yet been verified, nor has MT
Rrushs belief as to the existence In our air OF
a gas many thousand times lighter than hydro
pen been confirmed. But Ramsey and Crookes
have added four new items to the list OF known
elements.
Triplers rather necromantc experiments with
Iinuid air have COMPOUNDED some OF the scien-
tiGc people who thought that his method OF OBJ
tanning that commodity was impracticable. ana
have called attention In striking manner TO
n rem rkable mechanical achievement Ana
inst at the close Of the year the eminent SWISS
sayant Pictet, who has been pioneer In the
work OF reducing gases so liquid form. comes
70 America with an astonishing scheme for cur
ing sick persons by subjectng them to tenn
perature Of more than 100 degrees below zero.
The war between the United States aid Spain,
besides illustrating afresh the value OF fireproof
construction on ships and OF water-tube boilers.
has inspired Calling to devise process for the
manufacture Of ordnance In one-sixth the time
formerly required and has given Holland a
long sought chance to demonstrate the feasi-
bility Of submarine torpedo-boats. Lakes boat.
intended for peaceful operations on the bottom
OF harbors and rivers. is also among the nov
elites Of the year.
In spite OF some rather untOward circum-
stances. for which the Signal Service was not
AT all responsible. good work was done In study
ing the enemys positions and works at Santiago
from a balloon. and fresh testimony has been Sc
cured as to the utility Of this apparatus In time
o. war
= .merous expeditions organized to hunt for
Audree and his party have failed to obtain a
c,ew that Is entitled to the slightest confidence.
And the Belgian Antarctic expedition OF 1871.
which was to land at Cape Adair and send word
IN to Australia last spring. has also been lost.
annarently The latest ventures In Polar re-
search are those Of Pcary who was followed all
~. wav m the west coast of Greenland by the
hound,ike sverdrup, and Borchgrevinks ex-
,oa,,,on 10 the Antarctic continent. along
rs.r,y the same line that the Begans intended
,o pursue. Geographical enterprise has been
particularly active In Africa, and fossil hunters