550 



NATURE 



[October 6, 1898 



the Meteorological Bureau of Zurich, and Dr. Biederman, of 

 Warsaw. The balloon contained 3268 cubic metres of gas, 

 was nearly 200 feet in height, and was capable of carrying a 

 weight of 110,000 kilos, or about lOO tons. Owing to un- 

 favourable winds, the object of crossing the Alps was not 

 attained. The balloon was carried in the wrong direction, and 

 descended near Dijon in France. It reached a height of 6300 

 metres (20,670 feet). 



Attention has already been called to the fact that the 

 executors of the late Baron von Mueller are collecting donations 

 for the erecting upon his grave in the St. Kilda Cemetery, Mel- 

 bourne, of a monument worthy of his fame. The monument is 

 of grey granite, 23 feet in height, all highly polished, and wiU 

 stand in the centre of a grave-plot 12 feet square, planted ou*- 

 with choice specimens of the Australian flora. We are now 

 informed that the distinguished phytologist's supplemental 

 volume of the "Flora Australiensis," upon which he had 

 worked for years, and was preparing for the press at the time of 

 his death, is to be published, together with two volumes on his 

 administration as director of the Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, 

 •and embracing a biography and complete bibliograph of his 

 writings. The executors would feel favoured by the loan of 

 any of his letters, or the communication of incidents in the 

 Baron's life which friends may deem worthy of notice in the 

 Uography. Subscriptions and letters should be addressed 

 ■"Rev. W. Potter, ' Vonmueller,' Arnold Street, South Yarra, 

 Melbourne, Australia." 



"We regret to see the announcement of the death of Dr. 

 J. E. T. Aitchison, F.R.S., Brigade-Surgeon (retired) of H.M. 

 Bengal Army, at the age of sixty-three. 



Mr. Charles F. Brusch has sent us a copy of a paper 

 read by him before the American Association, on August 23, 

 •upon a new gas which he has delected in the atmosphere, and 

 •designated Etherion. We shall refer to this paper later, when 

 we receive a spectroscopic demonstration of the existence of the 

 new gas. 



Referring to the death of M. Gabriel de Mortillet, the 

 well-known naturalist and anthropologist, the Athenceum says 

 that he was born in 1821 at Meylan, and educated at Chambery 

 and Paris. He left France in 1849 to escape imprisonment for 

 a socialistic publication, retiring to Savoy and Switzerland, where 

 he arranged the museums of Annecy and Geneva. In 1856 he 

 took scientific work in Italy; in 1864 he returned to Paris, and 

 founded a periodical dealing with the primitive history of man. 

 Henceforth he was occupied with organising congresses of pre- 

 historic anthropology and archaeology. He was appointed curator 

 •of the Museum of Antiquities at St. Germain in 1868, and in 

 1875 he helped to found the Anthropological School at Paris, 

 of which he was subsequently professor. Among his numerous 

 books may be mentioned studies on the moUusca and geology 

 of Savoy, the sign of the cross before Christianity, the potters of 

 the Allobroges, and the prehistoric problem, while his work in 

 learned periodicals was extensive. 



Ax exhibition of optical, mathematical, and scientific instru- 

 ments is being held this week at the Mansion House, under the 

 auspices of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, of which 

 the Lord Mayor, Lieut-Col. H. D. Da vies, M.P., is the master. 

 The formal opening ceremony was performed on Monday after- 

 noon, under the presidency of the Lord Mayor. The exhibits 

 comprise a number of ancient as well as modern scientific 

 instruments. Mr. Lewis Evans (of King's Langley) displays, 

 inter alia, seven astrolabes of the fourteenth to the seven- 

 teenth centuries, and a large number of portable sun dials 

 from England, France, Germany, Italy, &c., showing the 

 NO 15 10, VOL. 58] 



development of the various types from the fifteenth century to 

 the present time. Among other exhibits are the maximum and 

 minimum thermometers used by Captain Ross in his various 

 voyages round the world. The exhibition will be opened daily 

 until Saturday inclusive, from two o'clock until nine, and a 

 band will play every evening between five and eight o'clock. 



The announcement that Natural Science will cease at the 

 close of the present year, will be received with regret by students 

 of biological sciences in many parts of the world. The period- 

 ical has taken a high place among monthly reviews of scientific 

 progress, and it will be widely missed. The cessation of the 

 journal could be prevented if some one with sufficient time and 

 means will come forward to take over the responsibilities of the 

 present editor, who announces that "all stock, appurtenances, 

 and goodwill " will be handed over to any scientific man who is 

 prepared to take over the responsibility, and continue the journal 

 as an independent organ. It is to be hoped that this oppor- 

 tunity will not be missed, and that the journal will not be ]5er- 

 mitted to drop out of existence. 



An interesting description of the electric railway on the Jung- 

 frau, the first section of which was opened a few days ago, 

 appears in the Electrician of September 23 and September 

 30, and from it we derive the following particulars : — The 

 existing Wengern Alp Railway— a rack and pinion railway 

 driven by steam locomotives — starts from Lauterbrunnen and 

 ascends the Wengern Alp to the Little Scheidegg (an elevation 

 of 6770 feet above sea-level) from whence it descends on 

 the other side of the mountain to Grindelwald. The Jungfrau 

 electric railway starts from the Little Scheidegg station of 

 the Wengern Alp Railway and ascends the Jungfrau from 

 the north side. There will be seven stations in all — namely, 

 Little Scheidegg, Eiger Glacier (7610 feet), Eiger Wand 

 (9220 feet), Eismeer (10,360 feet), Jungfraujoch (11,210 

 feet). Lift (13,430 feet), Summit of Jungfrau (13,670 feet). 

 On the section of the line already opened there is only a 

 distance of about 85 yards in tunnel, but from the Eiger Glacier 

 onwards the railway will not touch the surface except at the 

 stations. Almost immediately after leaving the Little Scheidegg 

 station the gradient is 10 per cent., and this is increased to 20 

 per cent, at about half-way to the Eiger Glacier station. From 

 this station the gradient increases to the maximum of 25 per 

 cent, and the line enters the long tunnel, about 450 yards of 

 which has been driven up to the present. The remaining 

 stations from Eiger Wand onwards will be built within the rock, 

 and it is intended to fit them with restaurants and sleeping 

 accommodation for those passengers who may wish to break the 

 journey. From the Eiger Wand and Eismeer stations there 

 will be no egress on to the mountain, and tourists will merely be 

 able to enjoy the view from windows or balconies, but from the 

 Jungfraujoch station it will be possible to go out on to the 

 Jungfraufirn and sledge over the perpetual snowfield to the 

 Aletsch Glacier. The Jungfrau line is one of the most interest- 

 ing applications of three-phase transmission and distribution yet 

 made. Water-power is made use of in the valley to generate 

 three-phase current at 7000 volts, and this is transmitted by 

 means of overhead wires to transformer stations at the Little 

 Scheidegg and the Eiger Glacier, where it is transformed to 500 

 volts by means of stationary transformers. Not only is electrical 

 energy employed for traction purposes but also for lighting, 

 heating, and for working the rock-drills used in the tunnels. The 

 permanent way is built on the Strub rack system, and the 

 locomotive truck geared to it carries two induction motors 

 driven directly by the 500-volt three-phase current. The 

 passenger cars, which are not pulled but pushed by the loco- 

 motive, are built for forty passengers. It is estimated that the 

 railway will be completed by 1904. 



