Middletown transcript., 1908-09-26
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

A government expert has figured out
that by the year 2O55 the United States
will be using more than 1000, ,0OC
tons of coal a year. The average annual
production in the decade from 1916 to
1926 is put at 100000 tons. The
total production in 1907 was 4S0, 400, ,O42
tons. The official predicts that future
generations twill have SO far developed
methods of subduing and utilizing other
forces of nature that the need of coal for
the production of heat, light and power
will to a great extent have been elimi-
mated" Since the bonanza anthracite
beds have been practically exhausted the
mining OF the deeper and thinner beds
will increase the cost, which must be
made up by higher prices. 1t is doubted
'if the production of anthracite will ever
greatly exceed the production of 1907,
which was about 76,O00,000 gross tons"
Denmark is to convert its wind power
into electrical purposes. 1t is stated that
wind OF fifteen miles an hour will pro-
duce eight horse power, and that a twenty
mile gale will develop eighteen horse
power. As the power of many windmills
can be concentrated and made to serve
single plant, there is infinite possibility
in this resourse in any section blessed
with frequent winds of considerable force.
Prof. George P. Merrill, head of the
| department Of geology of the United
States national museum, has gone to
Butte, Mont, to be present at a number
OF deep borings to be made in Canyon
Dabolo crater the cause OF which has
been puzzle to biologists ever since it
was brought to their attention. Some
men of science believe the depression to
be an extinct volcano and others to be
the record of the impact of huge meteor
which struck the earth centuries ago.
The second Internal Anatomical Con-
gress will be held at Brussels, Bel
GUM, i'll 1910. Brussels offers many
advantages for such congress, and the
city has an established reputation for its
hospitality toward scientific guests.
A canvass OF its membership was re-
Gently made by the officers of the Royal
Geographical Society for the purpose of
ascertaining the attitude of the members
upon the question of the admission OF
women. The number of voting papers sent
out was $40, and ATT replies were receiy-
ed. Two hundred and forty-eight fellows
were in favor of the admission of women
as fellows, and 217 against their admis.
sion, but of this number 81 were in favor
OF their admission as associates.
A cord of wood ordinarily yields about |
one ton of mechanical pulp or about one
half ton of chemical pulp.
1t is claimed that the harbor facilities |
of Montreal are almost as good as those of |
Liverpool and have cost much less.
The inscriptions on an old coin which |
has been worn smooth may be often de-
ciphered by placing it on a red-hot iron.
A movement has been started in the
scientific world favoring the adoption of
the word Kelvin to designate the COM
mercial unit of electrical energy at present |
known as the kilowatt- hour, as recog-
milton of the services of the late Lord |
Kelvin in the advancement of electrical
science.
To ascertain whether the northern part
of Alaska is land or sea, Danish ex-
pIorer Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen, has
been spending two years in that section.
He has recently returned to Copenhagen.
Ills headquarters we're at Flaxman Island,
from which point many trips were made
while exploring the surrounding land and
sea. About 40 miles from the coast the
party found mountains from l0, 1000 feet to
1900 feet in height, hitherto not marked
on any map, and Mr.. Lefingwell, COM
panion of Mr.. Mikkelsen, undertook some
geographical researches. In March, 1907,
Captain Mikkelsen, Mr.. Leffingwell and
the mate of the Duchess of Bedford, a
Norwegian named Storkersen, started in
three sledges with Is dogs on a trip over
the ice toward the north. The ther-
mometer showed Sc degrees Centigrade
below zero; nevertheless, they often came
across big crevices among the ice foes.
About 50 miles from shore they found
water which they sounded with newly
invented machine to the depth of 800
metres without reaching bottom. Sixty
miles farther on no change was recorded,
until at last turning towards the south
east, they found bottom. Captain Mix
kesen was thus able to prove that deep
water exists north of Alaska to a great
distance On the return journey thick
fogs enveloped everything but on May 10,
after So days of sledge journey, the ex-
plorers reached :land again. only to find
that the ship had been lost in the mean
time. The ice pressure had proved too {
much for her, but the crew had saved all
the instruments, food and utensils. 1t
cnunnT HAS pEcuN