The new age., 1907-03-30
Populod 5ience.


The extreme delicacy of many scien-
tific processes is indicated by the re-
port of a government scientist at Wash
ington, to the effect that bacteria are
affected favorably or otherwise by the
character of the glass containing the
water in which they are suspended.
Marked differences in the behavior OF
cholera germs were noted, according to
the kind of glass composing the vessels
used. The degree of alkalinity impart-
ed by the glass to the water is believed
to be an important factor III these eex-
periments.
Over 5OO,000,000 gallons OF water are
pumped out of the anthracite coal
mines of Pennsylvania every day IN the
year. The exact average for 1905 was
$50. 600 900 gallons a day. Nearly l,OGD
powerful engines, delivering from mine
bottom to surface 100000 gallons OF
water a minute, are required. Mines
may be shut down and coal production
suspended, but the water flows on Tor
ever. According to the Iron Age, the
cost of removing it is one of the I'M
portant items of expense that make UP
the price of anthracite.
DR.. Hauthal, a German savant, has
put forward a startling theory concern
! ing the remains Of gigantic sloths, re-
! lated to the great magatherium and the
mylodOn, recently found in Patagonia
In his opinion, these animals, whose
race is now extinct, were kept In a
domesticated state by the prehistoric
inhabitants of Patagonia. A cave at
, Ultima Esperanza, where many indl-
cations of the former presence OF the
huge sloths have been found is regard
ed by DR.. Hauthal as having been used
by the ancient Patagonians as stable
for their beasts.
Mexican employers and traders are
complaining Of the large number of OBJ
ligatory holidays and others demanded
by the work people Out of the 800
days In the year 131 are devoted to
obligatory and traditional idleness,
they say. In the United Kingdom
there are 50 Sundays and 5 bank hol'
idays, a total of 81. If what many of
the workers now claim is conceded
there will be II more-a fortnight In
the year-making 50, or 81 fewer than
are claimed by the Mex1cans But ex
cessive holidays are injurious to work
er and employer alike and a nuisance
to the public.
Coal is fossil peat. The peat-bOgS
of to-day might become coal beds IL
some future geological age. Professor
Potonie of Berlin says there is strict
parallelism between the different kinds
of peat and of coal. When the remains
OF plants collect under terrestrial
conditions, an ordinary peat bog Is
formed. This corresponds with bright
coal. If the remains collect under wa
ter. an organic slime is formed, and
this corresponds with dull" or camel
coal. When terrestrial and aquati,
conditions have alternated during th'
collection of the remains, "strata-peat
results, and this corresponds with Goa
deposits consisting of alternate layer
of bright and dull coal. The chemica
and physical properties OF the variou
kinds of peat and coal show a simila
correspondence.
The japanese, who know go well hoy
:. to add little unexpected attraction
to every day life, manufacture, In
great variety of forms, iron teakettle
which break into song when the waite
boils. The song may not be a yer
perfect melody, but it Is perhaps a
agreeable as the notes produced b
some of the insects which the Japanes
also treasure for their music. Th
harmonious sounds of the teakettles al
produced by steam bubbles escapin
n from beneath thin sheets of iron fa
tened close together nearly at the bo