The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1901-09-13

i Another mountain observatory il pro.
jeeted Ii Is 10 stand at AN elevation
OF 5000 feet near Semmering. in the
i Austrian Alps. The neighboring val
leys are frequently alled with clouds,
while the chosen peak towers clear In
the starlight
i 1t has been supposed that the Hert-
xian waves. On which the wireless teic-
graph depends for its operation. Went
through The ground as well as In tho
air. for mountains oter no obstacle 10
them. But NJ. La Grange reports TO
the Paris Academy OF Sciences that
| the Hertzzian waves simply follow
along the ground. being directed BY its
surface. and that tests show that they
do not penetrate the earth TO a distance
Of eighteen inches The conclusion from
this is that there Is little hope Of Sc
curing underground wireless tsse-
graDiy.
r. j. See OF the. Naval Observatory
has announced the resuils OF new meas
u. ems s OF sagurn and It's rugs. which
differ somewhat from oder aessriniiaa
tons. lie makes the exterior d-aule.er
OF the rings about 1926 miles, the
equatorial diameter OF Saturn 1880
miles. and The polar diameter 81 $50.
the difference between the two dame
ters being 1886 miles. almost equal 10
the entire aiameteF OF the earth. MIR.
Sees measures make the diameter OF
Titan. the largest OF Sarurn's moons.
200. miles. II had previously been
estimated as high as 3.soo mlies-
X. II. Yapp. an English naturalist
who has recently explored the noun
tam ranges OF the Ma.ay peninsula, re-
ports the hitherto little known facl that
In several species Of bamboo the hol-
low interuodrs The parts OF the stems
between the joint are stored witn
large quantities OF naturally uttered
water. The knowledge OF this fact
might be OF great service In an emer-
geney. Mr. iapp also discovered TIVE
species OF FERNS growing on tie =
whose thick. heshy stems are ulled
with galleries tuuneied by ants I'll.
ferns thus forming living nests for the
auIs.
A light electric railway for passed.
gers aud goods traffic ia Russian TO
land. connecting the towns Of LODI.
zgierx AMI Pablanice. il now open The
building OF this railway has been grant
ri by the russian government on tii.
rendition that after twenty eight years
the whole line and plant Is to be- hand.
ID over to the government without any
and that after twenty
Years II has the option OF purchase
Furthermore. the company hns agreed
% pay certain portion OF the profits
% the government. This line IL inter.
sting. as II II the first electric railway
established 10 Russia.
In the constellation GerninI ~ a well.
gnown variable star. Zefa. Of Iess thnn
he third magnitude whom brightest.
$ hich. according To an estimate recent
y set forth IN the Observatory by Miss
gnes II. Clerke. may be ranked among
he giants Of starry space. The com
'arafive insignlficaBce OF Zcsn Gemlno-
um among the visible stars appears to
'e due to It's enormous distance. II re-
loved equally far away. our sun would
q only one-thIrty seven h m bright as
eta Geminorum when at ia maximum
Brightness. and Miss clcrke computes
he gravItafive power IT the star at
- times that OF the sun.
4 French writer. Henri CoupIn. says
hat the fact that. notwithstanding
aeir simplicity. the songs OF The birds
nnnot be initiated with musical In
Iruments arises from the impossibility
{ reproducing their peculiar timbrc.
he notes Of blris. while corresponding
18th our musical scale. also include
IbratIons occupying the intervals lie
vecn our notes. The duration Of birds
,pgs Is. usually very short. two or
Irec seconds for thrusbcs and chat
1cbes. four or five seconds for black
Ips. but from two to five minutes for
e lark. Monsieur CoupIn remarks
at while one In every ten species Of
nropean birds Il tunefuI. The proper
IN dimInishcs to only ono In thou
nd among the gorgeousiy clad birds
tls tropics.