The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-04-25
Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.

After reviewing present knowledge, Maurice
Loewy, the French astronomer, finds that the
moon, though apparently once part Oh the
earth, has reached later stage IN lie, alter
passing through different phases OF evolution.
Its mountains are higher than those OF the
earth and unlike them, showing no ramlneo
chains, no valleys with common outlet, out
circular pits skirted by steep mountainous
walls. A thin atmosphere seems to remain stiil'
Over the entire lunar surface the conditions
seem to be those of our highest mountain sum-
mits-small air pressure, excessive dryness, and
low temperature-and,a as there is no life on our
mountain tops, there is little reason to believe
that the moon is inhabited. No signs of the
work of floods can be detected. The moon
seems to have passed rapidly from the state of
condensed steam to the solidiication of water,
and is now planet preserved by the disappear
ance of water and air, the two agents which af-
feet all changes.
The problem of giving prompt relief to vic
Tins of accident in rural districts is being work
ed out by the State Ambulance Association OF
Saxony. Covered wagons and wheeled stretch
ers to be moved by hand are distributed in suit
able places, and each is provided with care
fully packed chest of bandages. Each package
contains just the articles for bandaging the in
jury for which it is intended. The packages are
clearly indicated by inscriptions on the cover,
and every prec&ution is taken to prevent the re-
turn of partly-used bandages, which would.
soon render the use of the chest unsafe.
80
The new Austrian steamship propeller practi-
cally has eight blades. the four that usually run
out from the boss being changed to straight sup
ports for the four propelling blades, which are
at the usual angie, and meet at the outer end OF
the boss. 1t is claimed that vibration is abolish
ed and coal consumption reduced.
A+s
At the tidal-power station of Ploumanach, on
the northern coast of France, the difference of
tide level is about 20 feet. The storage reser-
voir is a natural pond of four acres, having the
form of a triangle with the base toward the
shore and in the embankment separating this
from the sea are automatic gates which open
when the level of the sea rises higher than the
water in the pond, and are closed by the weight
of the water in the pond when the tide recedes.
The two water wheels of the station drive dy-
namos, which, aided by storage batteries, are
used for electric lighting. A prominent British
engineer, James Swinburne, foresees the failure
of this and all other plans for using the tides as
a source of electric power, on account of the
great expense of working turbines on variable
pressures or any kind of storage.
~
The novel method of propelling balloons pro-
posed by DIR. F. d. Cooke, of the British Aero
nautical Institute, is an imitation of that Of
fishes. These animals propel themselves in
wavy line by the use of tail and head, stroke
of the tail from side to side forcing the body
forward, and the head counteracting the ten
dency to veer from direct course. Two pro-
pellers, one on each side, would be placed near
the rear end of the navigabe balloon, with
rudder at the forward end. Alternate motion
of the propellers would give progress in wavy
line with less resistance than would be encoun-
tered in a direct line, and the rudder would
prevent turning aside.
-.
The growth of crystals is so directed by P. de
watervile as to give the transparency and lus-
ter of cut and polished stones The method is
simple, the small crystal being 80 mounted that
while growing in a saturated solution it can be
continuously rotated at the rate of several rota-
tions per second. Potassium and ammonium
alumns, copper sulphate and sodium chlorate
give particularly fine results.
80
The electric life-saving hook Of j. M'Kenna,
a Scotchman. is long pole with hook and an
electric light at the outer end. The light is
made to glow when seeking body in the water
at night.
Observations by kites from steam vessels give
promise of greatly extending our knowledge of
the upper atmosphere. A report has just been
made by w. H. Dimes to the Royal Meteorologi-
cal Society of work done in this way last sum-
mer off the west coast of Scotland. The appa-
ratus included box kites similar to those used at
Blue Hill in Massachusetts, with eight miles of
temperature at an average height of 4I40 feet
and 3S charts from the self-recording instru-
ments with an average height of 5000 feet. The
greatest height reached was 1900 feet, four
kites being flown on one wire. 1t was found
that the average fall in temperature in rising
from the sea is 10 for every 800 feet, and the
upper currents proved to differ in direction
from those below much less than was expected.
The airs moisture, as rule. increased up to the
height of mile, then decreased.
-.
The hearing of fishes has been much debated.
The presence of an internal ear has given reason
for believing in the existence of this sense, but
other evidence has led to the conclusion that
the function of the ear is to preserve the equi-
librium of the fish in the water, sound being
felt through the skin and not heard. From late
experiments, in which the nerves of the skin
and of the ear were cut in turn G.. A. Parker
finds that at least one species Fundulus hetero-
clitusl must hear with the ear.
-.
Rubber sponges are claimed to equal the
natural sponges in elasticity and absorbing
power, and to be more durable and cheaper.
They are made by mixing crude rubber with
sulphur, melted paraffin and water, working
the whole between rollers, shaping the mass into
balls, and finally heating. The first heat forms
gases, making the balls porous, then the temper
ature is raised to the vulcanizing point.
"a
The pocket telephone of the Vienna police is
no larger than a cigarette case. On applying it
to q fire-alarm box, communication with head.