The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-06-11
POPULAR SCIENCE.


A deposit of natural coke. in a vein
ten feet thick. Is being utilized by
mining company ut Las Prietas. Son.
ora, Mexico. 1: is supposed to have
been caused eitaer by volcanic action
or by surface coahagration.
The death rate for children under
five years of age Is 63ls per 1000 In
England. This Is a better rate than
any other country except the United
States. There the rate Is only 50 per
1000. while In Austria and Italy It Is
over 10 per 1000.
The extremely sensitive test-paper OF
X. Dietrich Is made by painting alco'
holic solution Of shellac and huorescein
on q black background. The slightest
trace Of alkali causes characteristic
green fuorescence. one part OF am
monia In one million being detected.
The magnificent Victoria Falls on
the Zambesi. discovered by DR.. Liv-
Ingstone in 1855. will soon be accessible
to the ordinary tourist A section OF
the Cape-to- Cairo Railroad from Bulu'
wayo to that river Is expected to be
opened next year. A great steel bridge.
having one span of 500 feet. will carry
the line across the falls. A railway
exploration party has been dispatched
over the railway route beyond the
falls as far as Lake Tanganyic2.
A new source Of malarial fever has
been discovered by one Of the assist
ants Of the Liverpool School OF Tropi'
cal Medicine now at work on the west
coast of Africa. Hitherto this com.
plaint has been attributed to the bite
Of malarial mosquitoes. but the result
of recent investigation proves that
there Is another parasite which Is
equally as deadly In the propagation
of this malady. The new disease
bearer Is said to resemble the insects
which causes fly disease" among
horses In South Africa.
Several persons In New York City
are experimenting with sun rooms on
the roofs Of their houses as cure for
consumption. Such rooms can DE
erected at small expense. the walls and
roof being Of glass firmly fixed In an
iron or steel frame. The sun heats
the room comfortably in all ordinary
weather, and there Is no lack Of fresh
air for ventilation. 1t has been sug.
gested that In case Of needed rigorous
isolation a patient might easily be
treated In one Of these roof-top rooms
without danger Of contact with others.
The Russian Arctic explorer. DR..
Alexander Won Bunge. declares In
recent magazine article that Andree
was a victim Of international rivalry.
the success Of the Norwegian Nansen
having led him impetuously to UNDER
take his perilous trip In the hope OF
surprising him and thus putting Swe-
den In the lead. The newspapers. he
adds. had good deal to do with the
execution Of the wild scheme by urs-
Ing on the balloonist. Another writer
states that financial complications re.
sulting from the preparations for the
trip compelled Andree to attempt 1t.
n. Stazzano has heretofore noted
several facts going to show that the
aurora borealis is Of terrestrial origin.
that 1t Is intimately connected with
the phenomena classed as meteoro-
logical: and now shows from statis.
tics that low pressures Of the baro-
meter are the sign Of the most direct
connection. auroras Increasing In fire.
quency with low pressures. They act
not only to extend the aurorol zone
which. in both hemispheres. follows
the line of polar pressure. but also
the period OF the low pressure infiu-
ences both the diurnal and the month.
ly period of the aurora.