The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1907-04-26
kANSCienCe
.S241ventiOn


GOOD returns come from the United
states governments search for yaIua-
Die foodstufrs. Macaroni wheat, i'm
ported from Prussia at a cost of s1O.-
OOO, annually yields S1O,OOO,OOO. sor-
gnum was brought from China In 1894
at a cost OF $1,000. The nations
SOURCE Of income from that crop is 4
100000 annually.
Astronomers long ago came to the
conclusion that the moons surface IL
very hot during the height Of the lunar
DAY, which lasts two weeks. and very
cold during the lunar night. which is
equally long. These extremes Of tenn
perature reach their height at the lunar
noon and midnight and are greater
than any natural temperatures on the
earth.
Twenty years observation of phthisIs
over a district In Dartmoor and North
Devon. England, has convinced lnvesti-
gators that populations exposed to
strong prevalent rainy winds have a
higher death rate from consumption
than populations sheltered from them.
The contrasts In the phthIsls death rate
In the sheltered and exposed parishes
are very marked.
From the point OF view OF the engI-
neer, one OF the most interesting Of
undertakings In the way of tunnel.
building Is the new railway tunnel lust
completed under the Hudson river be-
tween Weehawken and New York. It's
peculiar interest arises from the fact
that the HFnnel not only had 70 pass
through soft-nowing river mud, or silt,
put mat there was no firm, Immovable
foundation to work upon. Overhead
was the great MVer, with Its tides and
It's innumersble shipping. and under
heath, not solid rocks to be penetrated.
)ut a vast depth OF soft mud too deep
% enable the engineers to lay the tun-
1el on Its bottom Yet II has been
ompleted within contract time, in less
nan three years, and is believed to be
VALUABLE for the heaviest kind of rail-
way trafnc.
The astronomers are bestirring them
elves In preparation for the return OF
ne or the most famous of all comets.
hat which bears the name Of HALEY.
t Is the greatest comet known to have
zen seen at more than one return, its
'Verage period being about 10 years.
was last seen in 1885, and will, ac-
ordlng to the most recent calculations.
e visible again early in 1910. The OBJ
ect or the astronomers at present is
predict the moment of It's p~erlhelion
assage with the utmost posaabla aeon
acy. Doctor Holetschek, of Vienna,
link 1t will be visible with tele-
copes as early as January, 1910, and
nat by March everybody may see 1t
18th the naked eye. Later In the year
Is likely to make a startling display,
everal hours before sunrise, In the
quarter OF the sky.
Among the many natural curiosIties
Arizona, but n that is not often
Sited by ordinary tourists, is the sim
llar bowl-shaped depression IN va
pal county called "N~ontezuma's
ell" It is nearly circular, and be-
cen 500 and 900 feet in diameter at
g brim. 1t lies In the midst of a
arly level area. The sides are vertI-
! to a depth OF 30 or 40 feet. Below
they merge into a sloping taIus,
lich extends down to a circular pool
water, alleged by popular tradition.
are so many other not very deep
eas OF water, to be bottomless. This
narkable formation has usually been
as a pit crater of volcanic
gin. But Prof. william p. Blake
1t to be tho result OF the fall
OF the roof OF n cavern, formed In
limestone strata by running water.
? water Of the pool, he says, flows
through a subterranean channel
D the valley OF Beaver Greek.