Amador ledger., 1906-02-23

DlrecGlng wireless telegraph mess
ages by parabolic reflectors of meta
plates or wires has failed on accoun
OF the great loss of energy. In tn,
new method of Prof. h. Braun, O
Strasburg, three or more aerial wirel
are placed on masts at equal distances
OF few yards from the transmitting
station, and the oscillations are sci
up in one wire slightly in advance OF
behind those of the other wires. The
effect is an intensi6cation of the
waves in the direction of the leading
discharge, with the production of an
electrical shadow by wave interfer.
ence behind it. The difficulty has
seemed to be to give the slight differ
ence of phrase-amounting to about
one ten -millionth of second-with
precision, but it has been found poss-
ible to adjust the difference to less
than one twu-hundred- -milIionth of a
second. With three wires, the mess
ages can be sent IN any one of six
directions.
curious telephone complaint has
developed in Cape Colony. White
streaks appeared on an iron roof
under two wires, and it was demanded
that the wires be removed and a new
roof placed on the building. One of
the many theories was that the de-
posit was salt collected by the wires
from the sea-winds. Investigation,
however, showed that the roof was
intact, and that the powder was
nearly pure silica. Fine sand blown
upon the damp wire had afterward
fallen to the root and adhered.
The sun proves to be undergoing a
continual change of shape. From
measurements at Gottingen during
thirteen years, Dr.. e. l.. Poor finds
that the ratio between the polar and
equatorial radi has varied consider
ably, and that the variation takes
place in period closely correspond
ing to that of the sun sun-spots.
Good photographs of the interior of
the eye have been much desired by
oculists. In his efforts to supply the
need, DIR. Walther Thorner, of Berlin,
first photographed cats eyes, which
are much lighter than human eyes,
but good pictures of the latter are
now obtained by means of the i'm
proved apparatus which has resulted
from his experiments. The back of
the eye is carefully focused on the
Photographic plate with soft light.
The camera is opened by special
lever, and the eye is lighted up for a
moment by fiashlight composition
ignited by spark from storage bat
terry. The pictures show distinctly
the differences between healthy and
unsound eyes, making 1T possible to
watch the progress of disease.
Spiders are not always solitary
creatures, N. s. Jambunatnan has
lately recorded the finding in south
ern India of species of Stegodyphus
that builds spongy nests with outlying
webs, each nest being occupied by 40
to 100 spiders, with large excess of
females. Sometimes five or six nests
are clustered together. The spiders
no only live and work together, but
they share with one another any prey
that may be captured, and some even
show maternal affection appr oaohing
seIf-sacrifice. 1t appears that there
are other social species of the same
genus, the first known having been
reported from South Africa.
Disappearing paper is French
novelty. Ordinary paper is first
stepped in suIphuric acid, diluted
according to the intended durability,
aod is then dried and glazed, the acid
being partially neutralized by am
monia vapor. The material is adopt
ed for temporary use. Sooner or
later it falls to pieces, however, and
it is recommended to those whose
correspondents forget to burn their
letters.
Electric waves follow the earth s
curvature, explains ErskIne- Murray,
Scotch engineer, because con-
Quoting layer high in air keeps them
from spreading into space, practically
| no hnn 70 hot trun
parallel conducting planes.
A new insulated wire, intended to
replace silk covered or Gotten cover
ed wires for electr omagnets for small
currents, is being produced in Berlin,
and has quite remarkable properties.
The coating material, giving a CON
acetic cellulose. 1t Is applied IN
numerous coats by special machine,
is both flexible and durable, has great
elasticity and solidity is moisture
proof, and Is not affected by temper
atures up to 30O degrees +. Its
insulation resistance Is so high that
thickness of OOOOs inch is broken
down only by tension of 1900 volts.
Wires ranging in size from 0.0026 to
O.006 inch are made, and coil, OF
given size contains much more wire
than the ordinary coil, the coating
being so much thinner than the
double or triple silk or Gotten with
the additional layer of shellac.