Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-11-11
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCItN lltlC MlSCtllANT,
Reviewing present knowledge Maurice
Loewy the French astronomer finds that
the moon though apparently once part
OF the earth, has reached later stage IN
life. after passing through different
phases Of evolution. It's mountains arc
higher than those OF the earth and unlike
them showing no ramlhod chains, no
valleys with common outlet, but circular
pits skrted by steep mountainous walls.
A thin atmosphere seems 10 remain stu.
over the entire lunar surface the condi-
lions seem 10 be those Of our highest
mountain SUBMITS small air pressure. eN.
ccsslye dryness, and low temperature
and. as there II no life ON our mountain
tops, there is little reason to believe that
the moon IL inhabited No signs OF tho
work OF Hoods can be detected. The moon
seems to have passed rapidly from the
state Of condensed steam to the solldifca.
lion OF water. and IL now planet pre-
served by the disappearance Of water ana
air, the two agents which afect all
changes
The problem Of giving prompt relief 20
Victims OF accident I'm rural districts Is be-
Ing worked out by the State Ambulance
association of SaXony. Covered wagons
and wheeled stretchers to be moved by
hand are distributed In suitable places,
and each Is provided with carefully
packed chest Of bandages. Each package
contains just the articles for bdndaging
the Injury for which II IL intended The
packages are clearly Indicated by lnscrlp-
lions on the cover, and every precaution IL
taken 10 prevent the return of partly
used bardages, which would soon render
the use Of the chest unsafe.
The new Austrian steamship propeller
practically has eight blades the four that
usually run out from the boss being
changed to straight supports for the four
propelllng blades. which are AZ the usual
angle and meet at the outer end of tho
boss 1t IL claimed thai vibration Is abol-
ished ana coal consumption reduced.
-
At the tidal power station Of Plouma-
mach, on the northern coast Of France,
the difference OF tide level IL about ~ feet.
The storage reservoir rs natural pond
Of four acres, having the form Of tri-
angle with the base toward the shore,
and IN the embankmont separating THIS
from the sea are automatic gates which
open when the level Of the sea rises high
or than the water In the pond, and are
closed by the weight Of the water IN the
pond when the tide recedos. The two
water wheels of the station drive dyna-
mos, which aided by storage batteries,
are used for electric lighting. promi-
nent British engineer, James Swinburne.
foresees the fallur 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 propcling balloons
proposed by Dr. 7. u. Cooke Of the Brit
ish AeronautCal institute, is an imitation
Of that OF fishes These animals propel
themselves in a Wayy line by the use OF
tail and head. a stroke OF the tall from
side to side forcing the body Forward, and
the head countcractlng the tendency to
yeer from direct course, Two propellers
one on each side, would be placed near
the rear end Of the navlgable balloon with
n ruddor at the forward end, Alternate
motion of tho propelers would give prog
ress In WaYy line with less resistance
than would be encountered In a direct line,
and the rudder would prevent turning
aside.
The growth Of crystals Is so directed by
Z. de VAUDEVILLE as to give the transpar,
ency and luster of cut and polished
stones. The method is simple, the small
crystal being so mounted that while grow
Ing In a saturated solution II can be
continuously rotated at the rate OF sew
eral rotations per second Potassium and
ammonium alums. copper sulphate and
sodium chlorate give particularly fine re-
suits.
The electric lfe-saylng hook OF j. Me-
Kenna a ScOtchman Ia long pole with
a hook and an electric light at the outer
end, The light Is made 10 glow when
seeking a body IN the water at night
Observations by kites from steam YES
sels give promise Of greatly extending our
knowledge OF the upper atmosphere.
ht.a ltua ia. ltH
to the Royal Meteorological society of
work done In this way last summer off
the west coast Of Scotland. The appara.
tus included box kites similar TO those
used at Bne Hin in Massachusetts. with
eight miles Of wire In one piece, ana
steam winding engine; and with these
were secured II observations Of tempera-
ture at an average height Of 4l4O feet,
and 3s charts from the selt-recOrding in
strumcnts with an average height Of
G. 900 feet The greatest height reached
was 1900 feet, four kites being flown on
one wire Ii was found that the average
fall IN temperature in rising from the sea
Is one degree for every 800 feet, and the
upper currents proved to differ in direc-
ton from those below much less than
was expected, The airs moisture, as "A
rule, increased up to the height Of a
mile, then decreased.
The hearing OF fishes has been much
debated. The presence OF an Internal ear
has given reason for believing In the ex
lstencc of this sense but other evidence
has led 10 the conclusion that the func-
ton Of the ear is to preserve the equili-
brium OF the fish In the water, sound be-
ing 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. q. H. Parker fnds that at
least one species (Fundulus heteroclitusl
must hear with the ear.
Rubber sponges are claimed to equal the
natural sponges in elasticity and absorb
ing pow err and to be more durable and
cheaper They are made by mixing crude
rubber with sulphur melted parafiin and
vator unrfinu Inc uhole hetuppn rollers