Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-10-16
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The sixth sense" by which blind
persons perceive certain objects, is at
tributed by DIR. Emile Javel, who has
been blind several years, to sensitive
ness of the skin to obscure radiations
that do not affect the eyes.
Attention has been called by e.
Bohm to two new forms of incandes-
cent lamps. In both, the lower half of
the bulb Is Of fiuted glass, which, act
ing as row of lenses, concentrates the
light downwards, and gives the special
advantage of strong Illumination di-
rectly beneath the lamp. One form has
the ordinary filament with the upper
half of the bulb Of opal glass, while
the other has zigzag horizontal fila
ment and top of clear glass.
A new alloy for bearings subjected
to heavy loads, such as those Of rail-
way axles, Is described by G. A. Cla-
mer as consisting of sixty-four parts Of
copper, five Of tin, thirty Of lead and
one of nickel. The metal casts well
and is easily worked. Its large proper
ton of lead greatly reduces wear, and
when used as a bearing for journal
3A inches in diameter by 31a long, run
at 525 revolutions per minute and load
ed to one thousand pounds per square
inch, the loss in weight was but a
fifth of a grain in one hundred thou
sand revolutions. Under the same con-
ditions, the wear of gun metal of vary
ing proportions Of copper and tin was
from 21a to grains.
A new form of the "fac simile tele-
graph" by which a message, written
at the transmitting end, is reproduced
at the receiving end, has been invent
ed in Germany under the name Of the
''telechirograph." The message is writ
ten upon a sheet Of paper with lead
held in pencil having flexible connec-
tions with two rheostats. AS it moves
over the paper, shaping the letters, the
pencil shifts sliding contacts which
vary the electrical resistance. At the
receiving end two electromagnetic, in
fuenced by the changing currents
transmitted, govern the movements Of
a beam Of light, concentrated to point
by lenses, reproduces the writing on
sheet of sensitized paper, the point Of
light following exactly the movements
of the point of the pencil at the other
end of the line.
The interest in the strange property
possessed conspicuously by such sub
stances as uranium, thorium and radi-
um, of giving off spontaneously radia-
tions that penetrate solid bodies and
affect Photographic plates, is kept at
a high pitch by frequent new observa-
tons and discoveries. Prof. e. Ruther-
ford, of McGill University, has enumer-
ated three distinct types Of radiation
from the substances in
question. The first he calls alpha
rays, which consist of flights of mate
rial particles, carrying a positive cleo
tric charge, and having a very high
velocity; the second are the beta rays,
the same as the cathode
rays of ordinary vacuum tubes, but
faster; and the third, the
gamma rays, which are very similar
to X-rays. In addition, some of the
as thorium, give of a
fourth emanation, which appears to be
matter in the gaseous state, and can
be carried along by air streams. Tho
rum, from which all the radioactive
has been removed, will, in
n faw uAoka vlol6 O m11ch al before.