Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-09
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The surface OF the dry land sinks
to a level below that OF the ocean In
six places, viz: The Saton basin In
san Diego county and Death valley In
lnyo county, Cal; the valley Of the Jor-
dan In Palestine, whore the Dead sea
Is nearly i.4OO feet below sea level:
two small areas IN the Sahara desert
Of northern Africa; and--larger than
all others together-the valley OF the
Caspian sea in western Asia, which
Is So feet lower than the Black sea. The
Salton basin, once connected directly
with the Gulf Of California, has been
gradually closed In by silt from the
Colorado river, A complete barrier was
forming at last shutting off the basin
from both gulf and river, and separ-
atlng a lake that soon disappeared
through evaporation. In times of heavy
rains the silt is sometimes cut through,
though only at long intervals. The last
flooding in this way was In 1891 80. but
In the spring OF this year the opening
Of an irrigation canal left breach,
through which the summer Hood has
poured "A lake of many square miles.
With the foothold gained this new
body of water may remain a long time
before sitting and evaporation again
leave dry basin.
The success OF tantalum as a material
for electric-lamp flaments has drawn
attention TO the remarkable properties
OF the metal, and may lead to many de-
mands II the supply can be sufficiently
increased. Chief of these properties, az
DR.. Moelroo Perkin points out Is ex-
treme ductility combined with extra
ordinary hardness. A diamond drill
rotating 5000 times a minute for three
days and three nights penetrated only
a quarter through a sheet of tantalum
one twenty-fifth OF an inch thick, and
the diamond was much worn. This
hardness suggests the use of the metal
for drills IN place of the diamond.
A new apparatus applies electric heat
to the inner ear. one end of an "Ot-
| oscope" Is inserted IN the external ear,
| the other end remaining open for
viewing the interior surface, and the
| heat from an electric coil In this Is
blown through into the ear by hand
bulb or otherwise.
The problem of overcoming the roll
| of ship at sea has bafiled many in
| ventors, but the plan of a London dem
| fist named Whitehouse is claimed TO
| have proven successful His berth
| swings on four cords, which by cleo
| trio motors are automatically operated
| to counteract the motion Of the boat.
| The curious wireless telegraphy Of
| the Basutos lately described by Rev.
| A. Rideout. a missionary seems to be
| sample OF methods long in us FOR
| rapidly spreading news among saw
| ages. The apparatus used 10y this par
| ticular tribe IL a kind OF drum. con-
L ola tY,.r ,.fa ttstt 4 LII. 4
| kid skin, and the sounds from this
| are heard at distances Of FIVE to eight
| miles. Messages are sent by a secret
| code OF drum beats serving the same
| purpose as the Morse alphebet. 4
| special corps Of signalers IS always
| on duty, and when message Is sound
| ed II is promptly received and passed
| on to the desired village. when IL Is
| delivered 10 the proper person, This
| system Is used for distances of at least
| thousand miles. Messages forward
! ed TO missionaries were unfallingly and
| accurately delivered, and the events OF
| the Boer war were made known to the
missionaries by goard line hours before
they received the news by field tee-
| graph
| Calxia, new substitute for. terra
Gotta and plaster, is a mixture of 45
parts of calcined gypsum, 80 of water
ten of albumen, nine of alum, four OF
sulphate of magnesia, and two OF Dor.
Rx. Ii Is stronger and lighter thar
terra-cotta or plaster
| In two cases OF chronic and appar
| entity hopeless neuralgia, relief ha,
been reported by about 20 application!
Of violet light to the parts Of the body