Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1901-04-19
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The number of known explosives is
stated to have increased from twenty
five to LOO in thirty-two years.
Cold is not fatal to micro-organisms.
DR.. Macfayden and Mr.. Rowland find
that an exposure for ten hours to u
temperature of 250 degrees C. has no
appreciable effect on the vitality of mi
cro-organiSms.
Prof. Fleming of London University
is now conducting important expert
ments in connection with the transmits
sion of electrical energy. 1t is said that
the professor has discovered means by
which power can be distributed with
out wires by utilizing ether.
Caterpillars occasionally crawl from
their hiding places on warm days in
winter. The most common of these is
thick furred worm with a red coat
banded with black, which has the ap-
pearance of chenille. OF the caterpil-
lars that live through the winter large
number belong to species that require
more than one season to develop from
the egg to the perfect insect.
Moscow is probably the worst-paved
city in the world. Great cobblestones
driven by hand into loose bed of sand
form 4 roadway which Is always dusty
in summer and muddy in autumn and
in many of the roads there is no at
tempt at roadway of any kind. The
streets are badly watered and cleaned.
The yearly expenditure for these two
operations is only about $155,9OO.
Every traveller in France has been
struck by the sight of multitudes of
slender poplar trees growing by the
roadsides and brooksides. Two or three
times In twenty years the branches Of
these poplars are trimmed, and the
light wood thus obtained is dried and
sold to bakers, whose practical science
has taught them that the quick, intense
heat produced by burning poplar is ex-
fcellent for giving thick crust to their
bread. q"
IA guta.percha substitute has recent
ly been patented. 1t consists of a mix
ture of pulverized peat and resin oil.
The peat is dried thoroughly and is
then pulverized and sifted until 1t Is
about the tineness of flour. 1t Is then
mixed with equal parts by weight Of
resin oil and 2 per cent of amyl acetate.
1t Is then stirred and worked until 1t
forms a smooth, >dough-like mixture 1t
can be worked into shape and is semi
hard like gutta-percha.
In Central Africa are found districts
which impress the beholder' with the
belief that the hand Of man has shaped
their features, although there Is now
no population capable of producing
such effects. These districts, near Lake
Tanganyika, are called park lands"
and their origin was recently explained
before the Linnean Society in London,
by Mr. Moore, as, being due to the
spread oftvegetation over a light sur
face soil gradually deposited above the
salt steppes left by former lakes. In
some places these districts are covered
with natural plantations that have a
quite homelike look"
The balloon races and contests con-
Quoted in connection with the Paris
Exposition were productive of some
very interesting results. Every Sun
day the spectacle was witnessed of a
large number of balloons starting on
their journey. "One afternoon" says
A. Lawrence Rotch, at balloons rose
successfully, each aeronaut endeavor-
ing to land as near as possible to some
point that he had fixed beforehand"
BY taking advantage of the various
air-currents and skillfully manipulating
the guideropes, surprising results were
obtained. One aeronaut, after travel
ing 30 miles, landed within half mile
of the goal he had set out for. The
greatest height attained by any of the
aeronauts was 27,000 feet In the long
distance race six balloons started, and
three of them landed in Russia. About
1,400 miles were travelled in 81 hours.
CHARMED BY WILD BEASTS.