The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-09-03
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


Sufficient power fr the automatic
winding of clock has been obtained
from the expansion and contraction
OF column of alcohol under the daily
variations Of temperature.
Many steam-pipe explosions are due
to water-hammer action. In late
paper Mr.. G. e. Stromeyer showed that
a plug of water only six inches long
propelled only two feet under n pres
sure of Is pounds would exert a pres
sure of G400 pounds on being suddenly
stopped.
Sweden is about to establish a sta
tion for wireless telegraphy, and the
recent Diet voted the necessary money
therefor A start has been made al
ready with the preliminary work of
establishing this form of telegraphy
between the island of Gothland and the
mainland.
The Japanese military authorities
In Formosa have lately made an in.
teresting experiment by mechanically
protecting soldiers from the bites of
mosquitoes. A whole battalion of sol
diers was protected for 161 days and
not a single case of fever was OBJ
served. During the same time and at
the same place 259 cases of malaria
occurred IN another battalion not so
| protected. 1t would seem that the
scientific demonstration OF the agency
OF the mosquito in producing malaria
was complete.
The popular notion about South At
rica is that 1t is vast. dry. treeless
| plain. little suited to crop farming or
stock raising, but it is really one of
| the best regions for sheep. The west
ern half of 1t Is almost rainless, and
| all but the coast lands along the south
| and east have a deficient rainfall, so
| that farming is not possible. But over
| nearly the whole area nutritious
| grasses grow, and water can be had
| for stock simply by sinking wells. 1t
is estimated that before the war 49,
| 900, 900 sheep were grazing in the
| Great Karoo desert in the northern
part OF Cape Colony, and the focks of
| the Transvaal were without number.
In the water supply and irrigation
| papers of the United States Geology
| Servey mos. 81 and 61) are lists of all
wells in the United States deeper than
| 399 feet. The cables give the depth
| ..r .sAI1
per minute, etc. References are also
given to publications relating to the
wells of each particular region. The
| large product of natural gas in the
east and in the west, the enormous
| output from the oil fields of Califor-
mia. Texas and the east. and the con-
siderable and indispensable water
| supply furnished by deep wells on
| the plains and in arid regions make
| concise information of the sort of
| great use to all those interested in
| the economic development of such
| productive fields, as well as to scien-
t.fic geologists.
| II Is we'll known that many diseases
are propagated by vermin. Flies
transport tuberculosis, mosquitoes
| yellow fever and malaria, rats the
| plague. Mr.. V. Haazen in the An
males de Pharmacie reports the result
of experiments on the destruction of
vermin, that are of immediate prac-
tical Importance. Bedbugs resist
exposure for "a hours to an atmos-
phere containing six grams of formic
aldehyde per cubic metre. With eight
grains a certain number died. All per-
isf1ed with nine grains per cubic metre.
The gas furnished by the burning of
rs grains of sulphur per cubic metre
also destroyed all these pests. Flies
and mosquitoes are killed by two
grains of formic aldehyde per cubic
metre of air. Fleas are destroyed by
seven grains per cubic metre, or
by burning sulphur. Rats and mice
are destroyed by 36 hours exposure
to an atmosphere containing Is grains
Of formic aldehyde per cubic metre.
but the full exposure of 36 hours
must be given; "a hours is not suf
| ficient