Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1901-08-01

the Academia del CImento used such
an instrument IN 1861, and they were
known IN Paris in 1869. Fahrenheit,
however, appears To have been the first
to construct, in l7l4, mercury ther-
mometers having trustworthy scales.
The use Of the boiling point OF water
as the upper fixed point was suggested
by Carlo Renaldini in 1894.
A curious phenomenon was observed
at the village Of Le Ghazil, IN the
French Alps, recently. One day toward
evening the inhabitants were disturbed
BY load rumDling in the vicinity of
Mont farand, which increased in in
tensity. Looking toward the scene OF
the disturbance, the villagers were
further startled by seeing bright flashes
OF fire At first the unusual spectacle
vas attributed to volcanic agencies,
and party Of civil engineers set out
to examine the cause Of the phenome-
non. rhey discovered that the intense
dry heat had caused the chalk rocks on
the summit Of the mountain to crack
and to break away in all directions.
These rocks had descended the noun
tam like an avalanche, and being
/ lIlIthiG NtlHtt " IlIi SiICAb ~ hcot''''
ing they had struck one another with
terrific force, scattering brilliant show
er~ oi sparks in all directions, with
such rapldlty that they resembled one
single sneet OF flame.
Another attempt to ascertain the
difference in the longitude between
London and Paris is shortly to be made
by the Greenwich and Paris observers,
respectively. This Will make the
lJurtu occasion upon which these Two
gb-cryatories have endeavored to
settle this point, but their results
have aINay- differed. At the beginning
~ tine last century the difference III
Iuuzltlic wa- estimated by primitive
meLAOIs to amount 10 min. 2l12 sec.
Hueu tine electric telegraph came INTO
Use determination by TINS means
proved the calculation to be one
second IN excess. As time progressed
various circumstances proved that even
this estimation was tallaclOus, and IN
/ s. determined attempt was made
BY Two French astronomers at the
ParI- observatory and two astronomers
at tine Greenwich observatory, re-
-peetIVely, to ascertain the actual
difference. Notwithstanding their
working in onjnnction, no final data
Was attained, for, whereas the French
.rOd lsts calculated the difference to be
. minutes y seconds and some few
hundre1ths Of a second, the Green
WIch observation was fifth OF a
second less In 1892 another attempt
IA. made on precisely similar lines.
and again the English calculation was
auaut one fifth Of second less than
the French result 1t is anticipated
that the progress Of geo1esy within the
past nine wears will enable the results
of the two observations to coincide
this time. 1t j. Imperative that their
calculations should be the same, since
nations often divide their territories,
when no natural boundaries are possl-
! bic, bp longitude and latitude. For
instance, the boundary line between
south Australia and New South Wales
II uomlnally by longitude l4l degrees
east of Greeuw lch. relegraphic calcu.
/ IatIous, however, prove this delimlta-
tion to he erroneous by several hun
3red feet, result probably due to un-
crrtaiutIcs in the determination OF the
+ longitude. such Inaccuracies, trltilng
/ though they may appear from an
eyauescent point OF view, are OF vital
/ Importance IN discussions over the
boundaries between different countries,
and may possibly lead to serious re-
suits For example, the exact delimi-
tation oi the boundary line between
/ Canada and this country In Alaska,
which is at present under discuss On =,
! depends upon the astronomical observa-
tions. 1t will thus be seen that if the
I English and French observers can sue
coed in their measurements, or ascer-
/ tain the sources OF error, they will
nave accomplished a valuable service.