Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1900-04-06
lts)Sa3ClenCe
Il 4 H., Ap
! : ssIIlventiOn

An addition to the known mineral
treasures of the frosty north Is made
by the recent discovery of gold depos-
its in Siberia, on the northwestern
shore Of the Sea Of okhotsk. The Rus
sian Government has taken charge of
the new gold fields, and is preparing to
lease them to parties who wish to try
their fortune in developing the depos-
its. A fresh impulse is thus given to
the opening up of Siberia.
During the volcanic eruption in the
smoke rose to a height of between five
and six miles, and then drifted away to
the northeast. At distance of 600
miles from Hawaii it settled upon the
surface of the sea, and was then car
ried back by the northeast wind to its
place of origin, where 1t arrived fort
night after its original departure, and
covered the entire group OF Islands
with its heavy pail.
1t has usually been assumed that the
atoms of which all matter consists are
indivisible, but Prof. J. ]. Thomson. OF
the Royal Society of Great Britain,
thinks that he has found evidence OF
the divisibility Of atoms. Experiments
with cathode rays indicate, he says.
that the stream of electrified particles
projected from the negative plate con-
sists of corpuscles torn from the atoms
composing the electrode, and not OF
the whole atom themselves. These
corpuscles are very small portions OF
~,
Between the northern point of Long
Island and Watch Hill lies row OF
little islands, two of which, Plum Isl
and and Goose Island, possess pecu-
liar form of mineral wealth. 1t con-
sists In heaps of richly colored quartz
pebbles, showing red, yellow, purple
and other hues, which are locally called
agates. They are used In making
stained glass windows, and there is a
sufficient demand for them in New
York to keep the owners of one or two
sloops employed in gathering them
from the beaches, where the waves
continually roll and polish them, bring
ing out the beauty Of their colors.
1t Is computed by statistics that the
average annual rain fall in the United
States would, If by some magical or
mechanical device all gathered into one
place, exceed by four times the vol
ume Of water in Lake Erie, which has
an area of nearly 10000 square miles,
and an average depth of 200 feet. The
annual rain fall is computed to be In
volume about the same as all the water
In the Mediterranean, and any person
caught in storm without an umbrella
may. If Of a philosophical disposition,
take this fact into account as evidence
of the truth Of the ancient saying that
nothing is really so bad but it might be
considerably worse.
Prof. James e. Keeler, director of the
Lick Observatory, reports that the
Crossley rejecting telescope Of that In
sttution has made about seventy pho
tographs Of nebulae during the past
year. showing many new features from
which highly interesting conclusions
may be drawn. On nearly every pho
tographic plate exposed, from one to
sixteen new nebulae have been found,
and Prof. Keeler estimates that the
number of new nebulae in the sky
within reach of the Crossley telescope
may be as great as 100000. How the
Imagination Is stimulated by such n
pictuia the heavens, sprinkled over
= lssazaae. LII sks, more
neil than thistle-down sa appear
ance. Jet capable by condensation of
forming worlds and suns--the filmy
embryos Of future stars!