Rhyl Record and Advertiser

I SCIENCE NOTES AND GLEANINGS. SILVER is useless for the reflectors of arc lamps, because the ozone given off corrodes it. Palladium is recommended in its place. M. MOISSAV, the eminent French chemist, finds that the temperature at which lime reacts on carbon is higher than the melting-point of platinum. A Swiss scientist has been testing the presence of bacteria in mountain air, and finds that not a single microbe exists beyond an altitude of 2,000ft. above the level of the sea. WHAT is stated to be a good cure for baldness is to spray a small quantity of methyl-chloride on r the bare place once a week, and within a month fine hair will be covering it. It is stated that the rusting of iron is brought about by the initial production of ferrous carbonate by the action of atmospheric carbon dioxide on the metal, this salt being subsequently oxidised. Optic Nerve Influences Pigment Cells. Experiments made by Mr. F. Carlton, of Harvard University, U.S., on the fish Fundulus hetero- clitus, which changes colour in the water accord- ing to its illumination, appear to shew that the light influences the pigment cells of the skin through the eyesight. When the optic nerve was cut the usual changes in colour did not occur. The Brain-centre for Writing. According to Mr. H. Gardiner, of Troy, New York, U.S., there is a centre in the cortex of the brain for the act of writing as distinct from speaking. It is, he supposes, on the left hemi- sphere for right-handed and the right hemisphere for left-handed persons. The precise locality is, he thinks, in the second frontal circumvolution 00 the left side. How to Galvanise Iron. Any article of iron that is to be galvanised is first cleaned by dipping in weak muriatic or sul- phuric acid, and is then washed and thoroughly dried. After this it is plunged into a bath of molten zinc, wherein it becomes coated with a layer of zinc, being now what is known as gal- vanised. The surface of the molten zinc must be kept clean by sprinkling with powdered sal am- moniac and skimming of the dross. How Many Stars in the Milky Way? The question of the distribution of stellar worlds is discussed at length in the nnalsof Harvard College Observatory. The v ,ers find that the "Milky Way covers about one- ird of the sky, and contains about half of the stz, In other words, the apparent clustering of the stars is about twice as great in the Milky VVay as in an equal area of any other region. It is suggested that in a tele- scope of 15in. aperture about 18,003,000 of stars are visible, ranging down to the fifteenth magni- tude. Oxyacetyletie Blow-pipe. An oxyacetyleue blow-pipe is described by M. Fouche, in the Bulletin of the French Physical Society. The flame is formed by the combustion of a mixture of one part of acetylene to one-eighth of oxygen, and in order that the explosion may not travel back into the blow-pipe a jet velocity is required, due to the pressure of a water column four mekres in height. The flame melts most metals readily; it will solder iron and steel. Even silica and lime are melted by it. With a reduction of the proportion of oxygen the flame becomes luminous, and on falling on lime the free carbon got,; to form carbide ot lime. Radium and Disease. M. Curie in (Joxm->s deals with the therapeutic applications of radium. He puts aside the effect of the rays on cancer and lupus, because the results do not as yet permit of generalisation. There are cancers and cancers, and their cure by X-rays or bv radium is not certain in every case. Moreover, there are X-rays and X-rays, and the radiations of radium are of different sorts-for example, rays deviable and rays non-deviable by a magnet, and also the "radio-active" emanation, whose nature is not yet well determined. It will be seen from this that M. Curio, the actual discoverer of radium, is quite cautious and modest in his statements and claims about it. Radio-Active Gas Mantles. In its astonishing attributes radium is associated with uranium and thorium, two not very abundant metals. It is stated that 99 per cent, of the mineral constituents of the Welsbach incandescent mantles consist of thorium, the mantles, in conse- quence, being radio-active. This is not, however, the cause of their brilliant white light. Like radium they are always, in the dark as in the light, scattering forth invisible radiations. The photo- rrraphic plate may be used as an interesting test. Lay a mantle upon an unexposed dry plate; put it in a dark-room, or in a box trom which the light is excluded; allow an exposure of forty-eight hours, and at the end of that period, on develop- ing the plate, a faint but distinct image will be found of the mantle-a picture formed by contact with the radio-active thorium. with the radio-active thorium. Plants Forced by Fire. A curious case of plants forced by fire is reported from Chaussee-sur-Marne, near Chalons, France. Some pear and apple trees in an orchard were partly Ecorched by a fire at the end of August, and the untouched branches a few weeks later, that is to say about the end of September, burst into a second blossoming as thick as in spring time. Some lilacs and plum trees after being scorched also flowered again. It should be noted that the fire only lasted four hours, and that all the species forced by it have their buds formed in August. This chance observation of the action of fire on plants ought to be followed up by horticulturists, as it might lead to a new method of forcing flowers and fruit. Fire might be more easily applied than ether and chloroform, already used for the purpose. High-head Water Powers. Travellers, as a rule, remarks a write in Ptige's Magazine, are only impressed by falls of moderate height over which the water comes tumbling in masses. They do not appreciate the fact that a tiny mountain streamlet dropping 1,000ft. or so in a short horizontal distance may be capable of developing much more power at a fraction of the expense. The result of this is that, with the exception of California and the Western States of America, very little has been done to develop high-head water powers. In the various colonies, the South American and the African Continents, as well as India and the Far East, there are numerous high-head falls waiting to be put into use for the purpose of electrical transmission. The rapid development which has taken place in the Western States, and the enormous distances to which the current is transmitted (eighty, ninety- nine, 142, and 180 miles are four of the longest transmissions), shew that the generation of elec- tricity from high-head falls is a paying business. N-Rays and the Electric Spark. M. Blondlot, the discoverer of the N-rays. describes in a paper to the Academie des Sciences^ Paris, experiments in photographing the action these rays on a small electric spark. The ra^s not impress a photographic plate themselves, but they enhance the brightness of a small electric spark or other source of light, and the photograph of this reveals the presence and action of the rays. A small electric spark is the best source, because it is very actinic, and may be kept as long as nece- sary at the same intensity. A small in uc I°n C01 serves to produce the spark between p iridium points, polished and Pr0^ f snaru. f micronometer to measure the leng1 lioht nf' a screen of ground glass, on which the hBiht oi ,he spark forms a bright spot, is interpose.d bct^e the spark and the photographic- late, \\hen by adjusting the spark gap and £ 311 yery feeble spark is got, the N-ray. brig ten it and also the snot of light on the ground glass. Professor Blondlot has taken about forty photographs of the kind with X-rays from a ^nst compressed wood, tempered steel, &c. The una^e or impression made by the spark on the sensitive plate is decidedly darker when the IS-rays act upon it. Two of his photographs with -N-rays from a Crookes tube ehew that in this case the rays are polarised. Mine. Emma Babnigg, for many years one of the vocalists of Europe, has died in Vienna, aged eighty. An applicant at the South-Western Police-court, London, who complained of annoyance from inces- sant pinno playing on the part of his neighbour, was told there was no legal remedy. Among the passengers in the Cunarder Lucania, which sailed from New York on Saturday, is John O'Reilly, a centenarian, who is coming home to visit the scenes of his youth in Ireland.

KUROPATKIN RETREATING. The success of the Japanese in forcing the passage of the Yalu River, and inflicting a heavy blow on the Russian troops at that point, has gained tremendous strategical advantages, of which the Mikado's Generals have not been slow to avail themselves. General Kuroki, who commands the first army, has pressed forward his troops along the Liao Yang road, and so rapid has been their advance, that the Russians have been compelled to evacuate their caretully-prcpared position at Feng- huang-cheng, at which it was confidently expected a stand would be made. The Japanese infantry, pressing hard on the retreating Russians, reached their point on the 6th inst., and, after some skirmishing, took possession of the town, the Russians streaming off towards Liao Yang. The campaign has undergone a rapid development during the last few days. Japanese troops have been landed at various points on the coast, those put ashore at Pi-tse-wo and Kinchau being directed against Port Arthur, while a large body landed near Taku-Shan, at the head of Korea bay, are probably designed to operate against the Russian forces falling back before Kuroki. On the other side of the Liao Tung- ppninusla, in the Gulf of Pe-chili, troops are reported to have been landed at Fuchan and at Kaichow, and the Russians have hastily evacuated the defences at Xiuchwang, which were constructed with such trouble. The forts are dismantled, and the place may easily become a base for the Japanese operations from that side of the theatre of war. Port Arthur is entirely beleaguered, being cut off both by land and sea. Admiral Togo reports that the third attempt to block the harbour was suc- cessful, and that, at any rate, for battleships and cruisers the passage is now impossible.

PORT ARTHUR BLOCKED. Admiral Togo, in his report on the third attempt to block the harbour at Port Arthur, says that the Akagi, Chokai, the second, third, fourth, and fifth destroyer flotillas, with steamers, started on the 2nd inst. A strong wind soon arising greatly hindered their movements. The commander was ordered to stop the operation, but the order did not reach him. Eight steamers proceeded and dashed into the harbour, despite the enemy's searchlights, fortress fire, observation mines, and meclvtnic.il mines. Five steamers gained the lvtrbour mouth, and the Mikawa Maru and Totomi Maru, breaking the boom, got further inside. The entrance is considered effec- tively blocked, at least for cruisers and battleships. Three other steamers were sunk before reaching the mouth of the harbour. The Japanese flotillas re- mained until morning, and rescued half the crews of the sunken steamers. Torpedo-boat No. 67 was hit on a steam-pipe and disabled, but was towed away by torpedo-boat No. 70. The Aotaka was damaged in the port engine, but is safe. The flotillas' casualties are three wounded and two killed. SPLENDID BRAVERY. Discussing the operations, Admiral Togo says: The undertaking, when compared with the two last attempts, involved a heavier casualty on our side, owing to the inclemency of the weather, and increased preparation for defence of the enemy. We could not save any of the officers and men of the Otaru Maru, Sagami Maru, Sakura Maru, and Asagawo Maru, and I regret that nothing particular could be learnt about the gallant way in which they discharged their duties, although the memory of their exemplary conduct will long survive in the Imperial Navy. The destroyer and torpedo flotillas, b-sides resist- ing the enemy, bravely fought against the wind and waves. The torpedo-flotilla closely appoached the mouth of the channel, and rescued more than half of the men of the torpedo-boat 67, which had a steam-pipe broken by a shell. She was disabled, but her consort torpedo-boat 70 went to her assist- ance and towed her away. Three of the crew were wounded. LIAO-YANG TO BE HELD. The Russian General Staff has decided on a prudent move. General Kuropatkin has ordered that all the outlying posts between Liao-yang and Feng-huang-cheng—which place is now in the hands of the Japanese—and between Port Arthur and Jainine are to be abandoned. The rapidity of the Japanese pursuit has made this step very advisable. The Commander-in-Chief has, more- Over, decided that Liuo-yang is not to be aban- doned, but is to be held apparently to cover Mukden. The Manchurian Army is being concen- trated at this point, to which the Russians are hurrying- all the reinforcements they can command. It is not probable that the Japanese will venture to attack them until the second Army, which is believed to have landed at Taku-shan, has moved up to the support of Kuroki. PORT ARTHUR NOT ISOLATED. The news has been telegraphed by Admiral Alexeieff that, although the Port Arthur railway was cut for a brief space and the Japanese were believed to have blockaded the Liao Tung penin- sula, communication has now been reopened. Two engines have been able to go north from the fortress, and apparently the Japanese are not in force near the railway. It is reported at St. Petersburg that General StoesseL, acting from Port Arthur, successfu lly engaged and drove off the enemy. The li-cneral Staff has no confirmaton of this. The Emperor received the news of the reopening of communication with Port Arthur on Tuesday night. His Majesty seemed great Iy pleased. He had already received a message from Port Arthur. brought by carrier-pigeon to Liao Yang, and reporting all well at the fortress an hour before.

tT LIFEBOAT SATURDAY. "Lifeboat Saturday was celebrated throughout the Metropolis all Saturday. As in former years a street collection was made on behalf of the funds of the Royal Xational Lifeboat Institution. At an early hour, in the most prominent places of the main thoroughfares, sailor lads from the various training slops took up their stands with collecting boxes, which were draped with the Union Jack. During the year 1903 the lifeboats of the National Lifeboat Institution were launched for service on 376 occasions, and saved 572 lives, in addition to this the Institution also granted rewards for the saving of 137 lives by shore honts or other means. Since its establishment in 1824 the Institution has granted rewards for the rescue of 14,651 lives. The net amount, handed over last. ypar by the Central Committee of the Lifeboat Saturdav Fund was £ 19,777.

WOUNDED IN SOUTH AFRICA. An inquiry lias been held at Southwark concern- ing the death of Edward Xockall, thirty-eight, a general labourer, who was admitted to Guy's Hospital oil April 29th suffering from the effects of a bullet wound received in South Africa. The wound, whU h had healed, had reopened, and blood poisoning followed. He died from asphyxia wliefl # suffering from lockjaw. The jury returned a verdict accordingly. Deceased was in the Duke of Cambridge's Own Regiment.

LICENSING C< > M PE N S ATT ON The Home Office has issued a ".statement sliewing for each county and county borough the number of publican's licenses and beerhouse licenses, and approximately the maximum sum leviable under the Licensing Rill in eaeh area." It indicates that .the number of miblican's spirit licenses, including hotels in Enyi.-nd nnd Wales, is 52.292 in the counties, and 14,753 in lite county boroughs; while the number of beerhouse licenses is 21,369 in the countie. and 11,206 in the county boroughs. The "approximate total amounts leviable under the hill" is given as £ 796,052 in the counties, and L410,840 in the county boroughs: ,i\- jig a total for England and Wales of £1,206872. fn the county of London, where there are 5.486 publican's spirit licenses, and 2,118 beerhouse licenses, the total amounts leviable are pu' at £ 251,212. For Liver- pool the total amounts leviable are put at £ 56,557, Manchester £ 34,445. and i'.irmi;igha'ii £ 29,324.

FUNERAL OE CR1M I^AN VETERANS Two Crimean veterans, Sergeant Edward West, aged eighty, who fought, at InkennLn, Alma, and Sebastopol, and George 11 late of the Royal Artillery, aged seventy-live, were interred at Chatham on Saturday with iiii-iiiilii;ti- honours. Both coilins were covered with L:iii,)ti Jacks and were conveyed on gun-carriages.

MURDER OF A MOTHER. A terrible crime has been discovered at Alost, in Eastern Flanders. According to a Brussels correspondent, a young woman named Decostor killed her mother, and cut up the body into more than fifty pieces, which she threw into a well. The murderess was arrested at Ost'-nd as she was about to escape to England. She confessed her guilt, and said she only killed her mo'her because of the latter's opposition to liei marriage. The woman's lover, who, it is alleged, aided her in her work, has fled.

DEATH FROM SLEEPING SICKNESS. The death has taken place in the hospital of Antwerp of the unfortunate young Congo official, M. Van dcr Stichelen, who was admitted to that hospital on his return from the Congo suffering from the sleeping sickness. from the day of his admission, sivs it corn spondent, the sufferer's state grew gradually worse, all efforts to check the disease being without etfeev. Ilis trance- like sleeps became longer and lon:pr 't'ry dr.y, and finally he sank into a sleep from which it was impossible to wake him, awl in which h" remained, refusing all nourishment, until lie died. Another patient, the captain of one of the Congo steamers, who is in lie Antwerp lu»-pi! al suffering from tlie same disease, is now in its Its, stage. Dr. Dupont, 'the Army doctorj "0 la doctor of the Congo Free State, and in whose care all the sufferers from the sleeping sickness who return to from the Congo are placed, has published a monograph on the disease, which he affirms that the fact of its being contagious to Euorpeans is now proved. Dr. Pupont says that the progress of the disease can be accounted for only hy its contagious character, lit- lioltis that it p is probable, though not yet certain, that the element which causes it 's trypanoMima. Experi- ments made by Hrtimpt prove that this, inoculated into monkeys, produces the symptoms ol the sleep- ing sickness. The disease is t ransinitted by the tsetse fly, but Hr. Pupont thinks that other insects, such as the mosquito, which suck the blood, may also transmit it. _n

THE WICKEDNESS OF ENGLAND. In moving a resolution, in York Convocation, to the effect that the alarming increase of moral corruption in English social life has become a grave national peril, Archdcacon Mackarness said the true reason of this moral degeneration was the evasion of the responsibilities; of married lite, both by the idle, luxurious, pleasure-seeking men, who lived in clubs and lodgings, and by those also who were married. It Was rni<» to say that the Hebrew, the alien, and the lower classes were those who very largely were rearing the sons and daughters of the Empire. Marriages were increasing, and yet the birth-rate went down, and side by side with the increase in marriages divorce was increasing. They ought to refuse to ;,sk to their houses men who were commonly called rakes and men who were known to be moral oiTeuders. H': asked vyhethoiL more could not be done both at public schools and universities in the way of warning younar men. The Prolocutor (the Kev. Chancellor ICspiu) had no doubt that the present Jaw of divorce was responsible for a great part of the innuorality of the country. He mentioned a recent case in which a wife offered L20,000 to her husband m order that she might get a divorce and, alluding to the Pollard case, he asked if anything could be more frightful than that hundreds of pounds .should be paid to a Staff of people in order to get. evidence that a husband had misconducted himsell

EXP LOH EUS' PRIV ATIONS. Terrible privations were endured, says the corre- spondent of the Jitdty Mail, at Sydney, Cape Breton, by a party of explorers in Newfoundland under a Mr. Ktiowliug, who made a journey into the interior of tii,, islaii(I from St. George Ray to Glenwood. From the beginning of the journey the Knowling expedition trudged through hills of snow, sinking to a great depth at every step, notwith- standing that each member wore suowshoes. In this way they travelled for weeks. The dogs gave out frequently, there being seldom anything to shoot to susiain the hungry men and animals. Owing to the continuous snowstorms he gIll des were unable to get, their bearings, and irequently asked to be allowed to retrace their steps. Mr. Knowling. however, refused to turn back. Driven to desperation the Indian guides Killed the dogs and ravenously ate the flesh. vttei t hree weeks terrible privat ions Mr. MacV\ hirt-'r, who accom- panied Mr. Knowling, discovered that they were at the head of Gander River. By that t ime the memhers of the party were m> Tam.sued that, leaving their outfits, thev made a dash lor Glenwood, but fortunately before arriving there they were met by some woodsmen, who gave them assistance and food. The explorers could not have stood their hunger and distress many hours longer, but on their arrival at Glenwood they were soon restored to health.

LITTLE GIRL S SHOCKING MURDER A married woman, named Baker, the wife of a bricklayer in the employ of the Southend Corpo- ration, was charged before the local magistrates, on Saturday, with the wilful murder of her daughter Elsie, aged six years, on the previous day, and was remanded after formal evidence had been taken. The scene of the tragedy was the quiet village of Great Wakering. four miles from Southend. The body of the little girl, terribly injured about the head by blows from a coal-hammer, was found in a back" bedroom. Mrs. Baker, her hands and apron covered with blood, was seen coming out of the back door of her house. She was, it is understood, an inmate of Brentwood Asylum eighteen months ago. i ;n Saturday, at Messrs. Christie's, there was an extensive sale of pictures of Old .Master:; and of the Early English School, property of several owners. The sale, which lasted close upon four hours, resulted in zC20,575 being realised. At Liverpool Assi/.es, Mr. John Bennett Weston, a retired draper, of Southport, was awarded Z425 damages against the Lancashire and Yorkshire Rail- I way Company for injuries sustained some time ago in the WaterloQ (Liverpool) accident.

FATAL RAILWAY COLLISION. A collision occurred just, outside VV ater oo Station, on the London and South Western Itailway, on Thursday afternoon, involving tie oss 0 one .-i- j • • • „r.nie The scene ot the lite and lmuries to ten people. me • 1 f inn vards from the end of th« accident was about 100 >»ru platforms. The passenger who was I ET was Mr. J. JJ. Stevens, a commercial » Malpas-road, West Brockley. The folio»were injured and treated at St. lhomass Hospital: Ellis Vaughan, forty-fo^' 'p^"llce of Wales's Inn, Twickenham; Fredi ck Packe, twenty nine, public-house manager, liermondsey; Harry Webb, twenty-nine' ,°,! ^l>;i(hng train, of Wandsworth: °'(.'» fifty-four, publican, of Richmond: G. H. lioatwright, thirty-four, living at Uattersea, stoker of the goods train; William Barry, twenty-one, electrician, of Peckham Percy jtfontres, twenty -nine, photographer, of East Sheen; Thomas Conkeeiy, twenty-tour, of Battersea, ticket collector; W. Wilson, thirty-eight, electrical engineer, Wandsworth; and an unknown man, who, atter being treated ior injuries, left the hospital. Only the first three above-mentioned were detained at the hospital; the others were able to proceed to their homes. A passenger train from Reading was running into Waterloo North Station, when. through some unex- plained cause, it collided with an engine drawing gome empty milk wairgons. Although both trains were proceeding at "reduced speed at the time the force of the impact was considerable, the engines being badly damaged and the foremost coaches of r 11 t at^n8 train wrecked. The train was fairly full of passengers, and those in the first carriages received the full force of the collision. With one or two exceptions, they were all injured, being pinned between the splintered woodwork of the train, A breakdown gang and members of the rail- way company's Ambulance Corps were promptly 011 the scene. The latter were assisted by two hospital nurses who happened to be at the station. It may be stated that this was the first occasion for several years that a passenger has been killed by a collision on the South Western Railway. 01,

RECORDS IN IDLENESS. Nine men were brought before Mr. Curtis Bennett at Marylebonc Police-court, charged with begging in the West End, most of them having been arrested by Police-constables Smith and Penfolk, who had been sent out specially, in plain clothes, to put a stop to the begging nuisance. One of the number confessed that all the work he had done during the last tweny-five years was three days' board-carrying. A previous conviction was proved against him for begging, and he was sentenced to three months' hard labour. Another said that he did some work fifteen years ago, but the people for whom he then worked were all dead and buried. He was remanded. From inquiries made about the third it seemed that he had done no work for over twelve years. He and several others were sentenced to one month while the last, the brother of a chemist, was sentenced to three months. The death occurred on Sunday at Dinsdale, near Darlington, of the Rev. Hartley Jennings, who had been Vicar of Startforth for twenty-three years. He was sixty-one years of age, and leaves a widow, but no children. A telegram from Victoria (B.C.) states that two scaling schooners, Triumph and Umbrina, are reported to have been wrecked, and all hands lost. The crews of the two vessels were composed of forty white mell and thirty Indians.

ACTOR'S PRESENCE OF MIND. Proctor's Theatre, at Harlem, was destroyed by fire on Friday night. Tic lire, says a New York correspondent, broke out i,¡ a loft where the scenery was stored. A performance was proceeding in the theatre at the time. One oi the actors, with great presence of mind, came to III,, ',)o' ii_-iit, irod told the audience that, a fire had broken out next (loor, but that he thought it would be betttr to clcse the performance, and that they should leave in a. quiet and orderly manner. The asbestos curtain was Then.! was not the slightest panic in the theatre, and in six minutes the entire audience of 1.800 were clear of the building, with- out the slightest accident. The only incident at all was the faiir iny 0j- two ladies, who were cared for by the police in attendance.