The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-01-16

The great Importance Of completing the mag
netic survey Of the globe was urged by Capt. e.
W. Creak in his address as vice-presdent Of the
British Association. When Gilbert, in 1900 dis
covered the earth to be q great magnet, he sup
posed Il to be stable one, and it was not until
"a years later that the varying declination near
London proved the contrary. Observations Of
the changes are still lacking for great portion
Of the globe away from the coasts while still less
has been done on the two-thirds covered by
water. Just at present the observatories and
expeditions In the Antarctic regions are CO.
operatingand it is hoped that the the exact loca-
ton Of the South Magnetic Pole may soon be
made known. The magnetic records show
curious anomalies. Sometimes no change occurs
IN the magnetic declination in one locality
while In another there win be q sudden one
and some places exhibit very remarkable local
disturbances. Magnetic shoals" have been
found beneath the sea. Terrestrial magnetism
Is still an unfathomed mystery and the ordinary
traveller may aid much in the work of shedding
light on it.
The great earthquakes are traced by COM
mittee Of the British Association to eight dis
tricts. Of which seven are beneath the ocean,
Five fringe the shores of the Pacific, one is in
the Indian Ocean, one in the West Indies, and
the eighth is in the Caucasian Himalayan region.
Zach Of these earthquakes shook the entire
earth, while the broken up strata left gave nu-
merous aftershocks. The earthquake move
ment is propagated around the globe at the
uniform rate Of about miles per second, but
through the earth the rate increases with the
depth to about miles per second.
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The photoelectric selenium cell of e. Rub
mer has been used to record the progress of
eclipses, the cell proving sensitive to the heat
rays even in dense fog.
IS
The great ocean of air in which we live is
never at rest some Of its movements-iike the
trade winds being remarkably constant. From
observations during 80 years, Prof. Hildebrands-
son, as recounted in British Association paper,
has been able to calculate the average of the
movements for different parts of the globe. not
only at the surface but at the greatest heights.
One Of his most important conclusions is that
the hitherto assumed vertical circulation be-
tween the Poles and the Tropics has no exist
ence. He finds that above the thermic equator
and the equatorial Gains current. Above the
trades an anti -trade prevails from the southwest
in the Northern Hemisphere and from the
northwest in the Southern; this anti-trade does
not pass the Polar limit of the trade, but devil
ates more and more to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern so
as to become current from the west over the
crest Of the barometic maximum Of the Tropics,
where 1t descends to increase the trade. The
regions at the equatorial limit of the trade join
that Of the trade, sometimes that of equatorial
Gains, according to the season. The pressure
OF the air diminshes gradually toward the Poles,
and the upper layers of air in the Temperate
zones flow over the high pressures of the Tropics
and descend there. The Irregularities at the
earth's surface, especially in the regions of the
Asiatic monsoons disappear at the altitude Of
the lower or intermediate clouds.
sFs
Troublesome pests Of the lawn are the COM
mon dandelion (Taraxacum oficinale) and the
fall dandelion Q.eontodon attumnale) Owners
of lawns and parks permit the spring cutting Of
dandelions for green's but Prof. W. M. Mum
son, Of the Maine Agricultural Experiment
Station condemns this practice as really very
harmful instead Of beneficial Every crown
cut OF is quickly replaced by one to six new
crowns. For keeping out the pests thick SOW
ing with three to five bushels of carefully clean
ed grass seed per acre is recommended, with
thorough digging out of scattering dandelions.
and new seeding or sodding when these plants
become numerous.
A highly finished 'sun chariot lately found
in moor Of seeland in Denmark is thought to
be at least 5000 years old.
.ss
0lona, the textile of Hawaii, is found to have
promising qualities. The plant belongs to the
nettle family, it resembles ramie without the
troublesome resin of the latter, and it iourishes
in tropical forests at height of 1000 feet. The
hber proves to be extraordinarily fine, light.
strong and durable. 4 rope of ordinary size ap-
pears like silk and has the strength of a ships
hawser. and strands no heavier than Irvine are
as strong as wire. Nets and fsh-lines resist the
action Of salt water, having been used for scores
Of years without loss of strength. Garments
from the fiber have the delicate texture of silk,
are practically indestructible, and may last a
lifetime.
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Experiments with different methods of Jack
citing boilers have shown the Paris, Lyons and
Mediterranean Railway that painting increases
the loss Of heat. In calm air single jacket Of
mineral wool radiated about one-half as much
heat as a bare jacket, and one third as much as
painted one, while double layer of mineral
wool reduced the losses to about one half those
with asingle layer. Strong air currents doubled
the losses from radiation.
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Mariners have been unable to determine lati-
tude and longitude when the horizon was hidden.
even though sun, moon or stars might be shin-
ing. Commander Campbell Hepworth. G. B., has
now made it easy to obtain the altitude of any
heavenly body without seeing the natural hori-
zon. He attaches to the sextant an artificial
horizon, which consists essntially of contact
maker operated by a plummet and so adjusted
that the circuit win be closed and a bell rung
when slit of the horizon glass is in alignment
with the Observers eye and the sensible horizon.
"a
The most priced of the singing insects of
Japan is black beetle called ''susumushi." or
''insect bell' Its singing resembles the dainty
sound of sweet-toned silver bell