The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-11-28

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
Vesta is the only one OF the smaller
planets which can be seen with tho
naked eye. rs diameter Is only 800
miles. add lbs whole surface but one
ninth that Of Europe
Crystallized nitrogen Is one Of the
greatest chemical curiosltles. by cool
ing nitrogen gas down TO 307 degrees
below the freezing point and then al
lowing It to expand, solid snowlike
crystals are formed.
According to The Petit Parisien, tho
French government. being satisfied
with the result of the trial of a new
niIo-glycerine powder, has secured
the patent rights from the inventor, a
chemist named Luciani.
The nation and the states agree on
The importance Of preserving free ac-
cess to natural beauties. The Yosem-
tie valley and the Yellowstone region
are great national parks; the safe Of
New York has, for many years, main
tanned the banks Of the Niagara river
a. a public reservation; Massachusetts,
has made the banks Of the Charles
river a parkway, and has bought at
tractive lands in different parts of the
state for the free use Of the public;
and now New York and New Jersey
are planning to preserve the Palisades
Of the Hudson. Besides, they publish
valuable information about the regions
so preserved, and thus make them Of
more than esthetic Importance The
last report Of the Niagara Falls COM
mission, for example, contains an elab-
crate guide to the geology and pail
eontology of thar region.
A committee Of the Paris Academy
OF Sciences has JUS reported on an
experimental determination of the
amount of carbonic acid gas in the at
mosphere. Air subjected to the action
of alkali or baryta gives up about 30
htres Of the gas per 100 cubic metres
Of air If, however, it is continuously
passed for long time, through quick
silver and exposed to contact with the
alkali or baryta, it is found that sec
end supply Of caIbonlc acid gas can be
collected, varying in amount from four
to 80 litres per 100 cubic metres of air.
1t is certain that the second supply did
not exist during the first experiments.
Whence does it come? 1t can only be
produced by the transformation Of
some volatile carbon compound pres
emit in air. Further experiments now
being made are needed to decide what
compound it is that is so transformed.
Professor Marcy of Paris, to whose
researches we are principally indebted
ed for the cinematograph, and other
machines for producing animated pic
tUIes," has lately been given special
attention to the investigation of ath-
letic feaLs by means of his peculiar
photographs 1t is said that by study
ing the photographs closely, it is posi-
bile not only to discern how the feats
are done, but, with little practice, to
initiate hem more or less successfully.
A high jumper for instance, without
raising the centre of gravity of his
body any higher than another jumper,
is seen to clear several more inches
by keeping his head and shoulders
low. His back is bent thus bringing
down his centre of gravity as low as
possible The other jumper puts forth
much greater muscular effort, large
Fart of which is wasted in elevating
his head and the upper part Of his
trunk, and thus raising his centre OF
gravity Professor Marey's photo
graphs show all this plainly.