Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-12-18
EknxsSCience
. seIivemntion


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One of the most durable woods Is
sycamore. A statue made from 1t now
in the museum of Gizeh at Cairo, Is
known to be nearly 5000 years old.
Notwithstanding this great age, 1t Is
asserted that the wood itself Is en-
tirely sound and natural In appear
ance.
A new fuel is being manufactured
In California which is made from
twigs and leaves of the eucalyptus
tree mixed with crude petroleum. 1t
10 said to burn freely and give good
results. Piles made from this tree are
immune from attacks by the teredo,
and last longer than yellow pine The
demand for them is greater than the
supply.
An innovation in the line Of railroad
telegraph service has been put into
use on the New York Central Railroad
between Utica and Albany. BY the
means Of the apparatus a single wire
can be used for telegraph and tele-
phone messages at the same time.
While the operator is ticking away
telegraph in Morse code another per-
son can telephone message without
the slightest interference.
In a recent report on the results of
extended measurements of mental
traits in the two sexes, Prof. q. L.
Thorndike said that in the measure
ment of abilities the greatest differ
ence found was the female superiority
In the tests Of impressibility. such as
the rate and accuracy of perception,
verbal memory and spelling. In these
matters only about one-third of the
boys reach the median mark for girls.
In general the girls were found to
be mentally less variable than the
boys.
The War Department, cooperating
with the Sheffield Biological Labora-
tory at Yale, has detailed 20 men from
the Hospital Corps of the army to
60 to New Haven under charge Of an
assistant army surgeon, and submit
to experiments intended to determine
whether physiological economy In
diet cannot be practiced with distinct
betterment to the body, and without
loss Of strength and vigor. Profess
sor Chittenden of the Sheffield Scien-
tific School says there is apparently
no question that people ordinarily
consume much more food than there
is any necessity for. and that this ex-
cess is, in the long run, detrimental to
health, and defeats the very objects
aimed at.
electromagnetic promise to come into
common use for lifting heavy pieces
of iron in factories and rolling mills.
Instead of the present hooks and
chains large piece Of metal Is sus-
pended above the iron or steel object
to be fitted, current is run through
this, rendering 1t magnetic, so that It
simply picks up the object and holds
1t until the current is turned off. A
magnet weighing $50 pounds can carry
a load Of five tons. The time required
for fastening a load to a crane by the
present methods Is estimated to rep
resent one-half the cost Of handling
the material, so that great saving In
handling material is apparent. There
Is number of these elecromagnets
now In use at different steel plants.
If we must have mosquitoes at all.
people will regret that the new species
of these insects which DR.. William L.
Underwood has discovered is a native
Of the Maine woods instead of more
popuious parts Of the country. For
this mosquito does not bite, although
1t Is so large that IL 1t were given
to biting 1t would be a terror; and
moreover, its larvae feed eagerly upon
the larvae Of other species of mosaui-
toes. For this reason experiments are
being made to determine II the new
mosquito will thrive in the climate of
southern New England 1t has receiy.
ed the name Of Eucorethra Under.
wood. Its manner Of disposlng of
the larvae Of other mosquitoes is cal
culated to make sufferers from recent
mosquito bites gleeful. 1.-THE victim
Is caught" says Doctor Underwood.
shaken violently few times, and
swallowed"