The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-11-21

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Motion Made Visible--The Earth
quake Zones.
The theory of evolution is itself undergoing
evolution. 1t was Darwin's view that species
result from slow variations through long periods
of time, but Hugo de Vries. Dutch naturalist,
has proven that new species may develop sud
denly, almost explosively. With many failures,
he has succeeded in obtaining the phenomenon
in the onagre biennial. This plant was studied
in the botanical garden of Amsterdam from 1886
to 1900, and it yielded one new species in 1897,
two in 1888, while in 1900 not less than 800 indi
viduals of seven new species were produced in
$4,000 plants from seeds. We may well suppose
that variations in plants and animals have been
both sudden and gradual, evolution being very
complex process.
Among the creaturesIthat have passed as sea
serpents is probably the Regalicus, or ribbon
fish. This is deep-sea form, with ribbon-like
body, ilong and oblong head and series of red
dorsal spines that rise from the head like
name and give it a very singular appearance.
Individuals have been reported from various
places on the European coast, and from South
Africa, Hindostan and New leland. A speci-
men that was captured last winter after storm.
at Newport, r. l., measured Fl feet in length,
with a probable weight of 300 pounds, but
others have been estimated at 90 feet.
-
After overcoming many difficulties, metallic
calcium has been at last produced by Prof. Bor-
cheers and pupil by the electrolysis of chloride
of lime. Reduced in. cost from $3.50 to less
than half a dollar per pound, calcium is expect
ed to prove important in the arts, especially as
powerful reducing agent, and for freeing iron
from rh0onh0ruc and atrlnhur xvall al 0xvCau
"a
An investigation extending over many years
has shown H. ]. Gamble that all ordinary clay
loses its cohesive properties on being dried until
nearly all its moisture is expelled. On being
drenched with much water such clay becomes
almost liquid mud, but clay that has not been
so dried does not absorb more water, and loses
only some of its outside particles in the wash
ing. A block of the dry clay absorbed so per
cent. of its weight of water without change of
form, suddenly collapsing into fluid condition
when the amount reached 60 per cent. Land
slides and wash-outs seem to be largely due to
this overlooked change in clay; and river bluffs
remain unaffected because the clay has never
dried sufficiently to acquire the property: of
soaking up an excessive proportion of water.:s
-.
new.alloy for bearings subjected to heavy
lOduSf eucu Us LuOS6 Oh rdllWdy axes, Is OO-
scribed by g. II. Calmer as consisting of 81 parts
of copper, 5 Of tin. 30 of lead and l of nicke,
The metal casts we'll and is easily worked. Its
large proportion of lead greatly reduces wear.
and when used as a bearing for journal 3x
inches In diameter by Ok long, run at 525 revo-
buttons per minute and loaded to 1000 pounds
per square inch, the loss in weight was but
fifth of o grain in 100000 revolutions. Under
the same conditions, the wear of gun-metal of
varying proportions of copper and tin was from
TX to grains.
The actinic rays of sunlight, and not the heat
rays, appear to be the cause of sunstroke.
British physician recalls that teacher in India
reached this conclusion after noticing that the
great heat of furnaces was easily endured and
this man acted on his theory by protecting his
body from the chemical rays by orange colored
clothing. In five years of subsequent severe
exposure he suffered no Ill effects from the sun
80
An interesting French discovery ia that an
arc-lamp using carbons with a core of carbide
of iron will make blue prints and other photo
graphic impressions three times as rapidly as a
lamp with ordinary carbons.
-
British records showsthat one person in every
536 was insane in 1859, and that the average has
steadily risen until now one person in every 299
is mentally unsound. Prof. H. W. White finds
numerous causes for this alarming increase of
lunacy. An important one is the lessening of
fresh blood into the race, immigrants being
fewer than formerly, and the foreigners who do
arrive are of less hardy stock than formerly, be-
ing mostly town jewellers of poor physique. Late
marriages and marriages of weak and neurotic
persons have their effect. Other leading causes
are the increased use of alcohol, the survival of
weaklings that once would have died in infan-
cy, the increase of town dwelling, unnatural
excitement, generalization, late hours badly
selected and badly-cooked food, and over
crowding.
An instrument for observing parts of ma
chimes having rapid motion has been made for
Prof. Hosptalier, French investigator. 1t is
designed to light up the rapid-moving parts
such as the exhaust valve of high-speed petrol
motor-with intermittent flashes of variable
period, and when the flashes occur regularly at
every cycle of motion the part appears quite
stationary. On slightly decreasing the period of
the flashes, the motion appears to run through
its complete cycle at a very slow speed, every
vibration being observable.
"a
A zone OF 10 degrees on q great circle between
the Pacific Coast of America and Asia is found
by M. de Montessus to include the epi-centres of
$4,000 earthquake localities and like zone on
a great circle running through the Mediterra-
mean, Caucasus, Himalayas, India, New Zealand
and the Antilles embraces 81 600 epi-centros.
Beyond these zones centres of earthquake dis
turbance are comparatively few.
"a
The aging of vioins L., r. Harvey states
slowly results from the vibrations of playing,
and he finds that the effects of fifty years of
hard playing can be produced in a single day by
exposing the wood to x-rays. Such exposure
speedily gives the beautiful tone hitherto ac-
Quired only with time,