The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-02


sides, Kuropatkin abandoned his posi-
ton at Liaoyang and retired to Muk-
den, the great Russian base of supplies, |
where he still remains, with the greatly
reinforced japanese effective close at
hand.
More recently the attention of the
waiting world has been conferred on the
long continued and fearfully destruc-
tive efforts of the Japanese to reduce
Port Arthur and the equally logged and
heroic defense made by the gallant
Stoessel and his surviving troops. With
her noble feet memory and her one
redoubtable Asiatic stronghold on the
verge of downfall, Russia's position is
full of peril. To this must be added the
domestic entanglements growing out of
the popular demand for a share in the
administration of the government
which eliminated toward the end of the
year in the zemstvo gathering at the
capital and the subsequent agitation
and discomfort throughout the empire.
The probable influence of the eastward
moving Baltic fleet, until recently the
occasion of more amusement than any
thing more serious, is gradually be-
coming a matter of speculation.
The aggregate of results consequent
upon scientific research during the year
is most gratifying. In all departments
of original investigation a distinct adj
vance may be reported. This is espe-
cially true of experimental studies look
ing to the prevention or alienation of
physical arrangements. One of the
most striking achievements of the year
was the successful demonstration of the
power of a solution of copper to destroy
the germs of typhoid and other naIig-
nant fevers. The cheapness and eff
cheney of the agent render possible its
use in infected districts covering a
large area Professor George T. Moore
of the department of agriculture is to
be credited with this discovery. In
connection with the finding of a new
serum cure for. tuberculosis by the Ita1-
ian scientist Maragliano which is re-.
puted to be wonderfully efficient the
medical profession in all countries has
instituted campaign of determination
against the great white plague" AS
laudable efforts in the direction of the
prevention of disease may be men
toned the experiments made by Pro-
lessor Chittenden of Yale in dietetics
and those of DR.. Wiley and his "poi-
son squad at Washington establishing
the danger arising from the employ
ment of so called flood preservatives."
By subsequent trials DR.. Noguchi of
Japan confirmed his reported discovery
of a positive cure for the bite of ma
lignant serpents. DIR. Castellani of
Spain reported that he had identified
the bacillus of dysentery. Koch's the
DRY that tuberculosis could not be COM
municated to man by other animals,
discredited by the British royal COM
mission, was sustained by German ex-
perts. DR.. Norton of New York made
several successful trials of Liebler's
aluminium tubes for internal radium
treatment of cancer. Captain Eberle of
the United States army found the
dengue microbe. The blue light was
employed as an anaesthetic' in Swift
zerland, and NJ. Curie, it's joint discov-
erer, pronounced radium fatal to all
forms of animal life. Professor Bas-
kerville of the University of North Car
DINA announced in April that he had
separated two new elements, which he
had named. carolinium and berzelium.
The Louisiana Purchase exposition
offered substantial inducement to the
promoters of aerial navigation, with
the result that in two instances dirigi-
BILE airships established their claim to
consideration. The inventors of these
were Thomas S. Baldwin of San Fran
cisco and Thomas Benbow of Montana
The most important achievement of
genealogical science was the perfection
of the seedless apple by John Spencer
of Colorado. The new farthest south
record was made by the British ship
Discovery, Captain r. F. Scott in COM
nand. Commander Peary obtained
American support for another effort to
reach the north pole and is making
preparation to that effect. Among the
numerous inventions of the year were
New Zealand process for making steel
without pig iron, a discovery which
may revolutionize the iron trade; a
submarine wireless telephone device
for warships; the globe life saver by a
Norwegian named Doenvig, which has
attracted much attention; a rotary
steam engine by Hoffman of Buffalo;
the pyrhillopher, a machine for gener-
ating intense heat from the concentra-
ton of the suns rays devised by Father
FIinnaIaya, a Portuguese priest, and ex-
hfbited at St. Louis; a warp twisting
machine of great efficiency by Hitler
of Germany, a 10000 radium clock by
Martindale, and many others. The per-
fecting of the various types of subma-
rine vessels should also be recorded.
The all American Alaskan cable was
completed on Oct. 4. The New York
subway, over twenty-five miles of
which had been completed, was opened
for business on Oct 81. The Chicago
freight subway was also declared ready
to begin operations, twenty-three of the
contemplated sixty miles having been
on the Northwestern railroad made a
record run of eighty one miles in an
hour
Many other events of 1904 should be
recorded. even though they must re-
main unelassif1ed and undescribed. The
one hundred and fftieth anniversary of