The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-10
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Water Supply Of Cities = Growing
Lilies by Arc Light = Back-Dratt
smoke Observation-Disclosures Acct
ylsne-Hes the Earth a TailP-A
Railroad Train as a Bird Trap.
New Elements in the sun-Domes-
tication and Evolution = influence
Of Colors.
The water supply plants Of the
United States are stated by Mr.. Alien
HAGEN to have reached $500 in 1897,
about three-fourths Of them being oper-
ated by pumping. Only about one
tenth Of the cities and towns have Al
tered water supplies, though the i'm!
portance Of filtration in lessening
typhoid fever is generally recognized.
M. Hazen favors slow filtration
through sand beds, but finds that filters
OF this kind are USED in the United
States only by cities Of an aggregate
population Of 26o,OoO. but in England by
cities Of 10000, 900 Inhabitants, and by a
total population in the world OF 2l,400,-
900. Mechanical filters are employed by
an aggregate population Of nearly
!. COZ, 900 in the United States and Cam
ada, although practically unused in
other countries.
The commercial use Of the electric arc
in the culture of Easter lilies is shown
by Mr.. M. G. Kolns to be quite practice
able, but he finds that this light should
not be used until the lily buds arc an
inch long and that 1t should then be
passed through glass to screen out the
ultraviolet rays. In the experiments
considered, a dark brown burn APP
peared on the plants under the naked
iiFht. The light was continued nightly
Tor four months. giving plants that
were taller and earlier in blossoming,
but less robust and with shbrter-llved
flowers, than those grown in the dark.
More perfect combustion IN furnaces
is secured by Mr.. Paul schlIcht by
novel means. He has discovered that
on properly introducing an air current
into a chimney 1t takes a course oppo-
Glte TO that OF the hot gases. and It's OK
yren reaches the centre Of the FIRE In
a heated condition favorable for com.
pleteiy uniting with the fuel.
clInker from the refuse Instructors
at Bradford. England, which lately
caused considerable expense, Is now
probably used for mortar and concrete,
proving BerViceable for reservoirs, ETC.,
when mixed with cement.
AcetyIene has failed thus far to rea-
lice ali that was expected from 1t on
account OF the lack OF really prantic-
al small generator, and It's delivery un.
der compression In cylinders 70 stu
less practicable on account Of the great
risk Of explosion. II iB believed IN
France that the system Of Claude &
Hegge will give more satisfactory re.
Suits, These experimenterB have found
that acetOne will dissolve twenty-fouF
times its volume Of gas at ordinary
Temperature and PRESSURE, and that this
would be increased TO more than 1000
volumes II q temperature Of eighty de-
Rrees below zero could be maintained,
| or to 2IO volumes at ordinary temper
atuFes under a pressure OF 10 ntmoB-
phereE. Storage In acetone solution I'M
der pressure Ii therefore the plan un-
der trial. Still greater safety Is I'm
suTed by q porous brick filter, which
II 10 placed in the reservoir aS to ef-
fectually check the gas in 1t from be-
ing lgnIted from the burners.
Astronomers are bringing forward
numerous theories to explain the Geg-
enschein, the bright patch that some
times CLOVIS myBteriously In the sky at
midnight. The light OCCURS near the
elliptic, but usually two or three de-
grees removed from exact opposition to
the nun, and 10 quite generally believed
TO have no connection with tho eGrth'H
atmosphere. A plausible, though not
wholly satisfactory, view ID that It Is n
reflection from the ring Of fragments
10 which the known asteroids belong,
Another suggestion 10 that II is COM
at-lilIe tall Of hydrogen and hellum
streaming away from the earth in o
direction opposite TO the sun, while
many astronomers ere inclined to con-