Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-07-14
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plumb lines for accurate work should
be of copper or bronze. A steel wire
in a deep shaft was slightly detected
by the earth's magnetism.
In his latest researches Professor
Curie has found that radium keeps
it's own temperature at 1.5 degrees G.
above that Of the atmosphere. This
paradoxical substance emits more
than enough heat to melt its own
weight Of ice, yet there is no combus-
ton nor chemical nor molecular
change.
Peat fuel in freight locomotives In
Sweden has hauled the maximum load.
the cost being about the same as with
English coal. To avoid the expense
of an extra fireman, however, the peat
is now mixed with an equal weight
Of coal, and the mixture has proven
so satisfactory that it is to be tried
on passenger trains.
A new form of safety lamp, giving
no heat and possessing no flame. has
been invented by Professor Hans Mo
lisch, and described before the Vienna
Academy Of Sciences, but 1t n.Ay not
prove commercially successful. It con-
sists of a glass jar lined with a COM
pound of saltpeter and gelat1ne, In
which a colony of luminous bacteria
is caused to develop. Such a lamp
gives a bluish-green light, sufficient to
render coarse print legible. and to
make faces recognizable at two yards
distance, and the luminosity lasts for
several days.
An English invention for the use Of
current of electricity instead OF
steam to heat radiating surface con.
sists Of a layer Of powdered carbon,
placed between enameled iron plates,
and kept in position with asbestos
cardboard. This constitutes the ra'
diator, into which are led three cop
per strips, one at the center and one
at each end, and continuous current
of electricity is passed from the cen
ter strip to the end strips. With q
current Of eight amperes. at 200 volts
q heating surface of rs square feet
can be kept at an average temperature
Of 100 degrees Fahrenheit
A new kind Of glass that resists
great heat as well as sudden changes
oftemperature La made from Brazilian
quartz pebbles. The pebbles are heat
ed red hot and then thrown into dis
titled water. The purest pieces are
next selected, and welded with the
oxyhydrogen blow pipe into long stems
like knitting-needles, from which glass
vessels Of any shape can be made. A
present the quartz glass is chiefly EN-
plOyed for making laboratory appara
tus. Into q test-tube made in thii
way a white-hot coal can be dropped
without breaking it. Vessels Of othel
forms can be heated white-hot ant
then plunged into cold water withou
cracking.
Records are now being searched To-
notices Of the rare white water, o.
phosphorescent fog, Of the Indial
Ocean and other seas. This appear
as a weird haze, but proves to be !,
luminosity without mist, and it ha
been encountered as an ocean river I
mile wide and as broad area threugl
which a vessel sailed fifty miles with
out touching the limits. One observe
found the sea to the depth Of foo
to be densely packed with luminou
fishes an inch long, while at anethe
time microscopic animals were obtain
ed in chains three inches long. TIL
phenomenon has been seen before vic
lent storms, and it has been suggeste'
that some unusual atmospheric condi
tions may drive the luminous oceal
animals in shoals to the surface.