Page 13 Advertisements Column 4

Otago Witness, Issue 1325, 21 April 1877, Page 13

NOTES AND QUERIES. MR A. BEVERLY, writes : — " J, Mitchell has answered my geodetic questions correctly; but he says I have over-estimated the difference between the polar and equatorial diameter of the earth, as generally accepted. The best answer will be to give the principal modern determinations of the earth's dimensions, which are the following : — Polar radius. Equator radius. 8e55e1...20 853662 ft. 20 923596 ft. Airy 20 853810 20 923713 Clarke...2O 853429 20 923161 Pratt....2O 855304 20 926184 Difference. 8e5ae1...69 ) 934ft. = 13.245 miles. Airy 69,903 = 13.239 „ C1arke...69.732 = 13.207 „ Pratt.... 70,880 = 13.424 „ I do not place much reliance on either Clarke's or Pratt's determinations, because Pratt makes use of an approximate formula of reduction, and Clarke's results are discordant. He _ arrives at different values of the polar radius _ bjr different methods of reduction, which indicates error somewhere. H. M., Dunedin, sends the following puzzle, which he has selected: — " Ac ßocoa r 80 ! !" MR ARTHUR BEVERLY writes :— " I notice a trifling error in the note to question No. 237 in to-day's Witness. Instead of the inch being a 50-millionth part of the earth's axis, read the inch being a 500-mUlionth pact of the earth's axis. The error may be my own, and it does not affect the question." ANSWERS. A STOREKEEPER, Lawrence : — Bank cheques, printed upon plain white paper and with ordinary printers' or lithographers' ink, are capv-ble o£ being altered with the greatest facility. A General Committee, therefore, of the London bankers have determined on adopting for cheques an unglazed soft paper, admitting the ink freely, coloured with a vegetable colour, and printed with fugitive ink. L. D., Dunedin, asks — " If I bei; with a man on a race, and my hor-e is scratched, do I lose?" You lose, if the bet was made before the horse was scratched, unless there was a special agreement that both horses must run. MR A. BEVERLY sends the following answer to his mechanical question : — Velocity of ball, 9a91663f fc. per sec. = /(fx 4g); dc. of cylinder, 9-266427 ft. per sec.= 0 x 4 g) ; cylinder, 2ft. behind ball at bottom =30 (l— |2Lp* J. B. T., Timaru. — 1. " Ain't" is a vulgarism, used as an abbreviation of "am not," "is not," and "are not." 2. Men of education and me ital culture do not use it. T., Taparai.— On he 30th November, 1874, Mitchellso^ (a Victiorian boy) rode Captain Hutchisons Mabel in the St. Andrew's Handicap. At a special meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club on Monday, the 6th December, 1874, Mabel was for ever disqualified (for having been pulled in the St. Andrew's Handicap) from running on any course under the, control of the Club, the votes being : — For the disqualification — Messrs Marshall, Driver/ Taggarfc, and Scott. Against Messrs Cutten, Meenan, and Keany. Mr Dowse did not vote,' and the President (Mr Stephenson) was only allowed a casting vote by the rules of the Club. Mabel was afterwards sold to Dr.Murphy, of Dunedin, and on the 16th August 1875 a special meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club was held for the purpose of considering his application to have Mabel's disqualification removed. The motion intended to annul the disqualification was lost — there voting for it Messrs A Smith, Reany, Gourley, O'Donnell, and Meenau. Against—Messrs G. Dodson,' Davidson, Dowse, S. G-. Smith, Moore, and. McNeil. Mr Taggart did not vote. • \

WITNSBB SUBSGBIPTIONS. ♦ i Subscriptions received per port for tho week ending Thursday, 19th April, 1877 :— W.C., Clifton, to 12th July, 1877. W.H.U., flamiltons, to 18th April, 1878. Subscriber! remitting cheques most add Is for exchange. Fort Office Orders to be made payable to | J. O. FRASER, Manssrer. I—--- - - ■ -