Scientific and Useful.

Western Star, Issue 1339, 23 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

Scientific and Useful.

THE STATTIO TELEPHONE, A throat telephone is the latest America" device. The stattio telephone was invented by James Lowtb, of Chicago, and is a combined transmitter and receiver A hollow extension about 4in. long is attached to the receiver, from the end of which a small button protrudes slightly. lhis button is placed against the throat near the vocal cords, and the receiver is held against the ear the uusal way. When the operator speaks, the vibrations of the throat are transmitted with, it is said, distinct clearness. The instrument is operated by the muscular vibrations that accompany the utterance of words. COAL FIELDS UNDER THE SEA. It is not generally known (says the Iron and Coal Trades' Review) to how large an extent the coal fields in the North of England lie under the sea. At Lord Lonsdale's collieries at Whitehaven the coal has been worked under the bed cf the sea, the Beam being about 10 feet thick. This sea coal has, as a rule, been worked with perfect safety, but disastrous accidents have occasionally happened, as in 1827 for instance, near Workington, when the sea broke through the caving over the coal strata, and drowned a large number of men. On the east coast, in Durham and Northumberland, it is stated that as much as one-half of the entire coal field lies under the North Sea. A MOUNTAIN OF lEON. Dr Noetling, of the Geological Society of India, in a recent reporton magnetic rockamong the Shan Hills of Upper Burmah, describes a mountain or hill at Singaung which "consists of a huge mass of iron ore." Having, he says, noticed on the way numerous pieces of iron ore, which became still more frequent on the southern side of the hill, he examined the latter in several directions. He found the surface everywhere covered with large blocks of iron ore, originating evidently from superficial decomposition of lower beds. He concluded that the whole hill consisted of a large mass of iron ore. He was unable to ascertain the geographical conditions under which this ore occurs, or its exact limits and extension, on account of the densj jungle and the tremondous attraction, rendering his compass useless. He estimates, however, that the hill covers at least an area of about a square mile, and that it rises about 200 ft. above the level of the Twiunge valley. The ore is hemntite-peroxide of iron.—Mechanical World. A FLOATING EXHIBITION. It appears from a circular that has just been issued that the German Export Association, which has its head office in Berlin, intends to initiate a floating exhibition, with a capital of 5 000,000 marks, and to build a steamer for that purpose which will be about 570ffc. long and have a beam of 70ft. About 3,500,000 marks are to be devoted to building this leviathan, 1,000,000 marks for fitting and provisioning the same, and 1,500,000 marks for working capital. It is stated in the circular, which is framed in a very sanguine spirit, that the expenses of the voyage will not exceed 3,150,000 marks, while the receipts for passenger money and space required by the exhibitors are estimated at about 7,750,000 marks, leaving a profit of upwards of 2,000,000 marks per annum, since it is intended that the cruise shall last two years, and extend to tha Baltic, the coasts of North and South America, China, Japan, India, Australia, and all the principal ports in the Mediterranean. The starting point is to be Hamburg, and the association expects to have the monster steamer, which is to be christened the " Kaiser Wilhelm," ready in the spring of 1890. It is not stated how the capital is intended to be raised.

ELECTRICITY AND PLANT LIFE. From time to time, o£ late years, experiments have been made of the effect of the electrical light on flowers and plants, with results seemingly the same, to wit, feeble efforts of some plants to prolong their periods of bloom into the night, and then premature decay. One has only to study their actions, as observed, to conclude that even plants need rest, or, to be more preoise, they seem to thrive best under the conditions which Nature has imposed—the period of darkness and the period of light, which is heat as well; or else that the family of plants, as they now are, sprung from these exact conditions, and will not thrive without them. It is the nature of some flowers, as every one knows, to open at one period of light and close at another; of others to open only at night and close before or at the moment when the orb of day tops the horizon. So strictly do some of these fo'low their unwritten laws, that floral clocks have been constructed, so that one may step out into his garden of a bright day or clear night, and learn the time by the condition of bloom on the floral dial. THE COCOAHTJT PALM. From a very interesting brochure on the cocoanut palm, which has recently been published at Madras by Dr Short, formerly Surgeon-General in the Madras Army, it appears that when George Herbert wrote: — " The Indian nut alone Is clothing, meal and trencher, drink and can, Boat, cable, sari and needle, all in one," he was not taking poetic license, for the cocoanut palm supplies man with starch, sugar,* oil, wax, wine, resin, 'astringent matter, edible fruit, fibrous tissue (coir), ornaments, utensils, food for cattle, clothing, &c. A large number of trees are bled for "toddy," the sap which comes from the flower spathe, and which, when fresh, has a pleasant, sweetish taste, but obtains a sharp, acid taste after being kept a few days and allowed to ferment. If kept longer, it passes into the various stages of fermentation of spirits and vinegar. It is generally used for yeast, and is also boiled for sugar. The outer skin is used for fuel when dry, or is cut into a substitute for scrubbing-brushes. The shell of the ripe fruit is hollowed out by filling it with salt water, aud burying it in the sand for a time, when the kernel rots and is washed out, and the shell can then be used as a vessel. It is sometimes beautifully carved into cups, bottles, lamps, ladles, &s. The kernel or flesh is often cut into the shape of flowers or fruit, and worn in the hair or formed into garlands for the neck by the Hindoo women. THE DANGERS OP AERONAUTICAL INVENTION. As I have not looked upon aerial navigation as a good thing for either England or the world at large, I have not pushed forward in this direction; but. I see now that it must come, sol think the best thing wo can do is to take the lead and keep it. Another thing I might point out, that houses of the future should not hare flat tops or anything on which a car could rest, or the inmates will never be safe from the midnight robber. It is not a pleasant idea that a number of men can settle on the top of your house when tfcey like ; it certainly will give them a command over your houße that I for one should not care about. And for England every man will have to be a soldier, or we shall have thousands of the'sn trains coming over the water aud firing on us.—W, B. Cuamberlaiu.