The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-07-12
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The largest frog Is now stated to be
the new Rama goliath from the Gamer
cons. with head and body measuring
not less THAI ten inches. Hitherto the
largest known has been species living
IN the Solomon Islands.
Root penetration in the soil has been
tested by excavating about six feet so
as to leave vertical wall. and then
spraying from garden hose. The
barred roots retained their natural posi-
tions. Rye, beans and peas each showed
matted felt Of white fibers reaching
down about four feet. wheat had ex-
tended 315 feet In seven months, and
maize and clover were traced to depth
OF ten feet in light. rich soil.
The flying frogs of the Malays ap
pear to be mythical. but three tree
snakes Of Borneo. lately described to
the London Geological Society by Il
Shelford, are credited with taking fly
Ing leaps from the boughs of trees to
the ground 1t is found that scales on
the lower part OF the body may be
drawn inward so that the whole lower
surface becomes concave The resist
ance to the air Is thus greatly increased.
and experiments Indicate that the
snakes do not fall In wrIthing coils. but
are let down gently in direct line
by the parachute-like action Of their pc
culiar bodies.
Speaking at Glasgow recently, B. ii.
Brough summed up many facts about
the use of iron by the ancIents. Inter
esting in the light Of recent metallurgi-
cal practice Is a part OF an iron tool
found In the Great Pyramid. because 1t
contains not only nickel, but also com
bined carbon, showing that 1t is not Of
meteoric origin. Under a sphinx az
Karnak an iron sickle was found. At
Delhi there still exists an iron pillar
90 feet high and 10 inches In diameter
made up of 5O-pound blooms welded to
gether This pillar. Mr.. Brough sug
gested. may me regarded as 'the doyen
among products of the heavy iron In
dustry." The use of iron and steel In
China as been traced to the year 1885,
B. c. The japanese are said to have
had curious method of making stee;.
They buried forged iron In marshy
ground. AID after eight or ten years,
through some alchemy Of nature, 1t
came out steel.
| Interesting experiments have recent
| " been made at the Kew Observatory
near London on the effects Of the cleo
tric currents produced In the earth by
| the electric traction systems Of the
| British metropolis. The delicate mag
netic instruments of the observatory
are affected by the currents. Metallic
| plates buried In the ground were con-
nected with a Photographic recording
apparatus, and the tracings recorded
| by the instrument formed picture Of
| the timetable Of the London Central
Railway, although the nearest point OF
approach Of that line is six miles from
Kew. Even accidental breakdowns oc-
curing on the traction line were ind-
Gated In the Photographic record. By
connecting the earthquakes with a SEN
| sitiye galvanometer. the effect of the
movements OF the tramway controllers
| was rendered evident, and, telephone
being attached, sounds were heard at
each controller movement.
Two projects for the construction OF
railway tunnels of unprecedented mag
nitude are now under discussion. One
Of them, which appeals strongly to the
| Imagination IL it does not enlist much
sympathy among pactical men, is Mon
sieur de Lo5ers plan for tunnclIng
Bering Strait to connect Siberia with
| Alaska. The author of this plan ex-
plained 1t before large meeting of the
Navy and Military Club at ST Peters
| burg recently. Bering Strait. he said,
is about ssh miles broad and 157 feet
deep, but 1t has two islands so stu
| ated that the tunnel could be divided
into three sections Of about 1914 miles
each. The other project Is older, and
| relates to tunneIing the English Chan
| mel between Dover and Calais. French
| engineers have recently been studying
| the enterprise anew. The distance is
abort 1914 miles. The work would be
| relatively easy because the tunnel would
run through chalk.
/ If the women insist upon progress