Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1901-07-27
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Aluminium and magnesium have re-
Gently been combined in Germany 10
produce an alloy which does not rust.
and which is as light and tenacious as
pure aluminium, while 1t can be worked
with the file and the lathe. 1t is named
magnalum.
DR.. Ludwig Mond has discovered
method for producing Illuminating gas
and coal gas at an expense of 4 cents
a thousand feet. 1t Is thought that this
will effect a revolution by cheapening
electric power and 1t will also have an
important bearing on the production of
open-hearth steel.
The suns surface is known to be sub
Ject to greatly increased disturbances
every eleven years, known as the sun
spot period. Auroral displays and dis
furbances of the earth's magnetism
have a similar period, and the pictures
of the corona which have been obtained
show markedly Characteristic varieties
of form dependent also upon the sun
spot period. So one Of the principal
efforts of scientists of late years has
been to obtain pictures of the corona
with as much detail as possible.
A remarkable discovery by Captain
III. f. Deasy, In the Kuenlun Noun
1ains, Is that of a species of marine
plant, called grasswrack, at an eleva-
tion of 1880 feet. more than 10000 feet
higher than the summit of Mount
Washington. The plants were not
growing, but were found. with their
leaves and fruit, deposited In bed ten
or twelve feet thick, which was COW
cred and interspersed with strata of
blue clay. The explanation offered is
that the deposit once formed part OF the
bottom of salt lake.
Mr.. Beddard, of the London Zoologi-
cal Society, calls attention to a peculiar
tty OF the ears of tigers which he thinks
may be classed under the head of pro
tectiye markings" On the back of
each ear Is very bright white spot,
and when the ears are directed for
ward these spots are conspicuous from
the front. Mr.. Beddard suggests that
when the tiger Is sleeping in the dim
light of cave or thicket the spots on
ats ears may appear to all enemy, look
ing In, as the CLEAN of Its watchful
eyes, and thus save the sleeper from
an unexpected attack.
The earthquake waves due to the jap
anese shock of June 10, 1896, were re-
corded ON the self-registering tide
gauges at Honolulu and at Saucelito. in
the bay OF San Francisco. DR.. Charles
Dawson has recently compared the cal
culated velocity of the earthquake
waves with the velocity formerly cal
culated from the usual formula. He
found that at Saucelito, for example.
the first crest of the waves reached the
tide gauge ten hours and thirtyfour
minutes after the shock, having tray
ersed IN this time the distance of 4.7S7
miles at an average velocity of 664 feet
a second.
1t has been observed that on account
or the absence of an atmosphere on the
moon, and the consequent lack of grada-
tion in shadows, the eye of the observer
is seriously misled in Judging the actu.
al relief of objects forming the lunar
landscapes. Professor Prinz. of Brns.
sells, has recently developed a method
OF avoiding this difficulty, and of seeing
Cne craters and other details on the
moon in their natural proportions. TAX.
Ing advantage of the fact that as the
moon travels around the earth the 90.
centricity of its orbit produces the ef-
fect or slow Hbration, or balancing to
and fro, which causes its face to ba
inclined now little one way and now
little the other way. Professor Prinz
makes two photographs of the lunar
object to be studied atopposte points in
the libration, and then combines them
In a stereoscope, whereupon the object
stands forth in full relief. This prin.
'ciple has hitherto been applied only 70
photographs of the moon as a whole.
and not to particular craters or regions
ZONE CENT POSTAGE COMING.