324 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. V., No. 115. 



— According to the committee on telegraph ap- 

 paratus at the Philadelphia electrical exhibition, the 

 possibility of employing a single conductor for the 

 simultaneous transmission of two or more sets of 

 telegraphic signals appears to have originated with 

 Moses G. Farmer of Boston, Mass., about the year 

 1852. Mr. Farmer attached to each end of the line 

 a rapidly revolving commutator or distributer. The 

 two distributers, when caused to revolve synchronously 

 and in unison, served to bring the line successively 

 and simultaneously into connection with a correspond- 

 ing series of short branches at each terminus, in each 

 of which branches ordinary telegraphic apparatus 

 was inserted and operated in the usual manner. 

 Thus the current through each pair of corresponding 

 branches at either station, 

 while apparently continu- 

 ous, actually consisted of 

 intermittent but rapidly 

 recurring synchronous pul- 

 sations. Mr. Farmer suc- 

 cessfully experimented, 

 upon a small scale, upon 

 the wires of the municipal 

 telegraphic lines of Boston 

 in 1852. Nothing of per- 

 manent value, however, re- 

 sulted from the experiments 

 at that date, the difficulty 

 of maintaining the absolute 

 synchronism required for 

 operating for any consid- 

 erable length of time being 

 apparently insuperable. 



— VAstronomie reports 

 a most remarkable halo 

 seen by M. D. Luzet on 

 the 17th of January last at 

 Orleans, France. There 

 were no clouds in the sky, 

 simply a light mist, and the 

 temperature was — 1° C. 

 At 12.40 p.m. a very bril- 

 liant circle, with a radius of 22°, appeared around the 

 sun; and, at the two extremities of the horizontal 

 diameter of this circle, two white spots were formed, 

 which, gradually increasing in intensity, became very 

 brilliant at 12.55. Above, and not touching the cir- 

 cle, was a rainbow, which gradually faded out at its 

 extremities into the blue sky. The red of this bow 

 was outside, the violet within, and the brightness and 

 distinctness of the tints were very marked. 



— The recent fire in the capitol at Trenton, N.J., 

 inflicted considerable loss on the geological collections 

 of the state. The suites of typical rocks from the 

 several formations, and large collections of iron ores, 

 clays, marls, and soils, were all lost; and some old 

 state maps, now out of print, were destroyed. The 

 old collection of H. D. Rogers was lost; that of Dr. 

 Kitchell was saved. Fortunately, a large number of 

 selected representative specimens of rocks, ores, 

 woods, etc., escaped by being in the state exhibit 



HALO SEEN AT ORLEANS, FRANCE 



now at New Orleans ; and while the loss, as a whole, 

 is a serious one, it is not irreparable. In the con- 

 tinued prosecution of the state survey, it will be pos- 

 sible in time to make a fuller and more representative 

 collection than that which is destroyed. It is to be 

 hoped that the new rooms, which we understand are 

 to be provided for the museum, will be of safer con- 

 struction, and, if necessary, isolated to make them 

 more secure. 



— The Echo du Japan reports the arrival in Japan, 

 at the beginning of the year, of Joseph Martin, a 

 French traveller, who had just been exploring the 

 parts of Siberia hitherto very little known. His 

 principal journey was from the Lena to the Amoor, 

 across the Stanowai chain of mountains. During his 

 explorations he was able 

 to make geographical and 

 geological collections, 

 which are intended for the 

 Paris museums. In con- 

 sequence of hardships en- 

 dured on the journey, two 

 of his native followers 

 died, and one lost his rea- 

 son. 



— Mr. Ellery of the Mel- 

 bourne observatory has 

 taken the necessary steps 

 toward the organization of 

 a small expedition to the 

 southern coast of the north 

 island of New Zealand, in 

 the coming September, to 

 observe the total eclipse of 

 the sun, which occurs on 

 the 8th of that month. 

 The track of the line of 

 total eclipse lies almost 

 wholly in the South Pacific 

 Ocean, and New Zealand 

 is the only land crossed 

 by it; the duration of to- 

 tality lasting about two 

 minutes at the spot most favorably located for the 

 observation. 



— The legislature of New York has passed an 

 appropriation of twenty-five thousand dollars for the 

 State survey. 



— A bill has passed the Wisconsin legislature pro- 

 viding for the education of deaf-mutes. Hitherto 

 there has been no special provision for their instruc- 

 tion. 



—The topographical map of New Jersey, to which at- 

 tention has been called already several times, has now 

 advanced to the point of issuing six sheets in all. They 

 are fine pieces of work, of which the state may justly 

 be proud. Eleven more sheets remain to be done. 



— We neglected to state in our last that the fac- 

 simile of the map by General Gordon, of the route 

 from Suakin to Berber, was published by Edward 

 Stanford, 55 Charing Cross, London. 



