Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-06-04
Items of Interest

warned the farmers of that state not to
destroy turtles as they not only remove
carrion, but kill injurious insects.
The German army's new guns, built
for warfare against dirigible balloons.
have proven effective at greater heights
than it is now possible to send airships.
Life insurance statistics show that in
the last quarter century, the average
length of the American mans life has
increased 5 per cent, from 41.9 to 43.9
years.
Flowering plants have been found at
height of $4,000 feet in the Himalaya
mountains, while the highest point at
which they have been found in the Aims
is about 5000 feet.
Not scrap of iron or steel will enter
into the construction of non-magnetio
steam yacht for which the Carnegie In
stitute has contracted for use in correct
ing sea charts.
comparison of French census figures
| for the past ten years shows that there
is gradual tendency of the residents of
Paris to move out of the city into the
suburban towns.
A combined Danish and French scient-
ific expedition will visit the Danish
west Indies in an endeavOr to determine
the part played by bloodsucking insects
in the spreading of leprosy.
British railroads are not allowed to
emit from their engines an excessive
amount of smoke, every town or district
having laws allowing them to intiict pen
alties for violations.
A French chemist has invented tablet
which, if dissolved in a glass of water,
will give off as much oxygen to clarity
the air In room as though window
had been left open an hour.
When catalOging the heavens an as
tronomer photographs each star three
times on as many different occasions,
lest a speck of dust on plate or lens
should get credit for being star.
Experiments are under way at Calcutta
with gasoline automobile, driven by an
air propeller. A speed of fifteen miles
an hour has been made with a marked
absence of wear Oh the tires.
Plans of the navy department include
SO complete chain IF wireless stations
on the nations foreign possessions that a
warship may be reached from Washing
ton anywhere in the world.
Tests of man-lifting kites in the British
navy have shown that from heights of
from 1000 to 5000 feet shoals, sunken
wrecks, submarines and submerged
mines are clearly discernible.
By the addition of 20 per cent thor
lum oxide to tungsten it is claimed that
the resistanceof electric light fiIaments
are increased 50per cent, permitting the
use of shorter filaments.
A few buckets of water placed in
room where carbon gas escaping from an
anthracite furnace or stove is not notice
able, will greatly reduce the danger OF
poisoning, as water absorbs the gas. n
The Pennsylvania railroad has just
contracted for tie-creOsoting plant at
Mount Union, Pa, with capacity of 500,
600 ties year, by which it expects to
reduce its annual timber requirement by
one-half.
Experiments are under way in the
Philippines with the treatment of leprOsy
| by X-rays. The bacilli of the disease are
| similar to those of tuberculosis, which
the rays destroy when present as a skin
| disease.
Expert dyers can secure more than 80
shades of red from the root of the Per-
sian madden plant, indigo furnishes near
| ly so varieties of blue, while the shell OF
the pomegranate yields nearly 40 shades
Of yellow.
A2,OO0-pound lens for the Carnegie OBJ
seryatoTy on Mount Washington, COL,
which will be placed in service this
month, is expected TO reveal 2OO,OOO,OO0
more stars than can be seen with the
most powerful instrument now il use.
Chemically pure iron was obtained for
the first time recently by a German
chemist who used series of processes
to remove the sulphur. 1t is said to re-
semble platinum and to have many prop
critics different from iron as generally
known.
A big coal mine in Pennsylvania which
is operated throughout by electricity has
proven that the power may be generated
and applied in such complex operation
at about one-third the cost of steam.
A typewriter in which the power is ap-
piled by air when the operator lightly
touches the keys is recent German in
vention, intended to relieve the user of |
fatigue and secure absolute uniformity
in its printing.