Amador ledger., 1910-06-17

Coal-Food Frauds
The novel "Cinephote" of French
inventor provides an inexpensive means
by which the amateur photographer can
Obtain moving pictures on a limited
scale. A special number has simple
clockwork mechanism for automatically
making the exposures, reproducing
box has a similar mechanism for max
ing the moving pictures pass under
viewing lens, and III desired, another
apparatus can project the pictures on
screen with a lantern. The circular
senstized plates are of two kinds-one
for "a pictures in circle near the edge,
the other for IS pictures in spiral. A
little hole at the bottom of the space for
each picture receives stop-pin OF the
mechanism, and as the plate turns in
the camera each hole brings it to stop
long enough for an exposure, the shutter
opening automatically during the
momentary halt, then closing as the
rotation continues. The negatives are
developed in the usual way. Positives
are printed on transparent disks having
peforations corresponding to those OF
the negatives, and the moving scenes
are reproduced as these positives are
laI 40 tysn inn
momentarily stopping at each picture.
The curious suggestion that certain
stars beyond our unaided vision may
serve as a clock OF the universe has
been made by Prof. E. E. Barnard. A
variable star in cluster M 5 is normally
below the 18th magnitude, but brightens
up a magnitude every IL hours and a
fraction, and at certain stage OF the
increase is just equal to neighbo:ing
star The instant of equality is shown
with such extreme accuracy that the
variable's period has been determined
within fraction of second. There
has been no change of regularity in ten
years, and this star--checked by one or
two similar ones-may be used to test
the constancy of motions of the earth
and the solar system.
The known edible mushrooms OF New
York increased by 5 in the last year
are now reported by the state botanist to
number 200 species.
A new theory of volcanic eruptions
has been worked out by Albert Burn,
French physicist, who finds from the
experiments and observations of himself
and others that volcanic action depends
much less than has been supposed on
the sudden generation of water vapor.
The effects are mostly due 10 gases free
from steam. The lavas of different vol
canoes fuse at varying temperatures from
1900 deg. to 2250 deg. F., and when
any lava is melted. so rapid is the evolu-
tion of gases-chietly chlorine. hydro
chloric acid. sulphur dioxide, carbon
dioxde and carbon monoXide-that the
mass expands to at least twenty times
its volume in the solid state. The
enormous pressure produced-calculated
at ITS tons per square inch at the
moment of disengagement OF the gases
is quite sufficient to move mountains,
being equal to the weight of a column
of basat more than 60 miles high. The
gases are produced by the action OF hy-
drocarbons. nitride of silicon, elaborated
silicates and siiicates Of iron upon each
other and upon the lava, and all are dry
unless they have become mixed with
air. The chlorine disengaged is suth-
cient to account for the eruption. Cey-
sers, aqueous fumaroles and other evil
dences OF the presence of water are re-
garded as subordinate effects. ard are
explained by the surface and under
ground water encountered by the escap'
ing volcanic products.
The induction coil-called Ruhmkortf
coil from the first make of the modern
form OF the apparatus in l85l-receives
"a low tension electric current in its pri-
mary coil and by rapid automatic max
ing and breaking of the circuit induces
an alternating current of high tension in
its secondary. The largest of Ruhmkorff
coils lately made by Carpenter. a
Paris instrument tmaker-yields spark
about 50 inches long, when operated by
current OF 10 volts and 80 amperes.
Its secondary circuit comprises 971a
miles of copper wire OF diameter of l.
l25 of an inch; and its primary contains
six layers of copper ribbon, e inch wide