Amador ledger., 1906-06-15

The mystery of volcanoes is being
gradually cleared up by the Investi-
cations of radioactivity, if the con-
clusions of Major g. E. Dutton, U. S.
A.. are correct. 1t can no longer be
supposed that an eruption is an over
flow from the earth's molten interior
thirty or forty miles or more below
the surface, but the evidence is
strong that the source of the material
is never more than two or three miles
deep, and the quantity is small COM
pared with the mass of the earth
perhaps not more than three cubic
miles of lava having been discharged
in the greatest recorded outpour.
The eruptions, moreover, tend to
recur in the same spot perhaps thou
sands of times before the activity
wanes. This could be explained by
assuming that radium is being gener-
ated at depth of two or three miles
in each active crater, as the heat from
the breaking up of the emanatlon
would accumulate until sufficient to
melt portion of the rocks, and on
the discharge of the molten mass
through the action of steam or other
wise, the process would be repeated
until the exhaustion of the radlum.
A chess players time-keeper is the
novelty of Herr Veenhoff of Gron-
ingen. 1t consists of two similar
small clocks, behind which is a
double lever so arranged that b can
touch button to start the clock of A
as the latter begins to move, and A
can touch another button to stop his
own clock and start the other as BIS
play commences. At the end of the
game the clocks show the total time
taken for the moves of each player.
The much maIlgned white ant of
South Africa is credited by resident
of Swaziland with doing more good
than harm if care is taken of build
ings. 1t has wonderful fertilizing
effect on the soil, and maize and other
crops grow twice as large near ant
hills as elsewhere.
The common cold is now classed by
some authorities among the diseases
due to bacteria. 1t has not been
settled that any particular organism
is the cause, but it seems that more
than one species may play an active
part and recent British Investigator
reports that in one severe, local
epidemic he found Micrococcus
catarrhalis present in all cases, while
in two other epidemics, both of a
severely infectious character, the
bacillus of Friedlander was recognized
in every case examined at its onset.
The organism, however, often dis
appears within "a or 48 hours. In the
second and third epidemics reintection
sometimes occurred, producing either
a second acute cold or else chronic
cold lasting for months, and the
bacillus was so virulent that it killed
inoculated mice, guinea pigs and
even rabbits.
A problem fer the horticulturists is
the production of a profitable rubber
bearing fruit, which would make
possible an unlimited supply of valu-
able material without injury to the
plants. The fruits of the ordinary
plants contain little rubber, but
Prof. Warburg, German, points out
that certain parasitic plants-the
caoutchouc mistIetoes discovered
three years ago in VeneZuela-hold
out the hope that the ideal fruit may
be realized. The caoutchouc in some
of these species amounts to ope-fifth
of the weight of the dried fruit. The
fruit is not large, but varies in size
in the three groups of species of these
mistletoes. The caoutchuuc, instead
of being a milky juice, is in the form
of solid envelope surrounding the
seeds.
A novel alloy shown by j. E. Stead
at a recent solree Of the London Royal
Society offers striking possibilitie:
for ornamental effects. 1t contains
rs per cent of tin, 20 of antimony anc
3 of arsenic; and on slow cooling from
fusion it forms semi-spherical, shell
like crystals in the metal matriX
Dilute acids dissolve away parts O.
the matrix. leaving in relief the crys
tails, which resist on account of rich
ness in antimony and arsenic. Th'
spherical patterns take high polIsl
and may be given greater prominence
by running wax into the cavities.
The paradoxical scientific playthins
of Prof. L. K. Wilberforce has beer
entertaining British physicists.
helical spring is fixed to an unyield
ing support, and at IT'S lower end /
carries a weight. with four screw
whose nuts can be so adjusted tina
the spring vibrates up and down ant
twists on its vertical axis in ap
proximately the same period. Whel
the adjustment is made the energy o
one motion is transferred to the othe
in a very singular manner. If tn
spring be pulled down and released
4 it rapidly ascends and descends, a
the same time beginning to oscillat
like balance wheel; the side turn
ing increases as the up-and dow
: motion lessons, and then the latte
ceases altogether. This IS hu
rnnnnnntnru ,rhcn q raunrse actin