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It is with much regret we record the death in this city, on the 28th ult., at the age of 77 years, of this excellent man and distinguished inventor, whose portrait we here present. He was the father of the modern parlor organ industry, and of its later branch, the. automatic organ. An extended biographical sketch, containing many interesting facts, is given in the current number of our SUPPLEMENT, to which readers are referred. Notes. The International Maritime Conference has decided not to recommend the establishment of a permanent international marine tribunal to try questions of collisions between subjects of different nationalities, nor will it recommend the adoption of an international load line, like the English Plimsoll line, beyond which no ship may legally be loaded--a wise precaution, be it said, that has doubtless been the saving of many Jives, an generally speaking, has proved a check upon thoughtless and, perhaps, conscienceless owners and masters. The Central Park obelisk has long been known. to be suffering from the, rigors of the climate. The disintegration of the surface has, indeed;' increased since the application of a paraffine coating, a treatment that seems to have been recommended inadvisedly, welkin- formed persoqs calling it unscientific and inexcusable. Professor Eggleston, of Columbia College. anauthority on such subjects, says that, while a coaling of paraffine might benefit porousones, it is exceedingly harmful to granite--the obelisk is of resident, a species of granite. It was the heating, he says, that did the mischief. It opened the cracks and emptied them of the fungus growths that had been accumulating there for agea He declares that the heating given it and the rough handling of the workmen, who ruthlessly chipped this noble stone prying off every piece that was fissured, effected more harm than its and more years of exposure to nature's elements.. Continuing, he says: ' Most granite has thre different planes of dilatation. Heat applied to - the surface of this stone in our climate corid not fail to set all these disastrously at workA dispatch from St. Petersburg says that new rifle has been adopted for use in the Russian army. It can be used as a single flrer or as a magazine gun, the soldier being required to carry two different kinds of cartridges. Russia has steadfastly refused to adopt a magazine gun heretofore on the ground of its well- known wastefulness, the soldier, as has been proved, being inclined to fire away without taking proper aim when he can do so withoutreloading, thus relying upon the number of shots rather than to their effectiveness, whereas, with only one shot to flre, he has been found to be more careful of his ammunition. Under all save extraordinary circumstances the new arm will be used as a single firer. The big find of uranium in Cornwall, in England, and the prospects of a greatly reduced price for that formerly considered rare metal, is likely to lead to its employment as a substitute for gold in many ways. With copper and platinum, alloys are made with it that rival gold in beauty, indeed, where the latter is used with it, it will successfully resist the action of acid. Epidemic Influenza. The epidemic of influenza which we have already referred tp as occurring in Russia has spread into Finland and eastern Prussia, and is not unlikely to spread throughout Europe, and even reach this country. The disease travels rapidly, and has been known to make all Europe sneeze within six weeks, so that we may expect an arrival here before our winter months a.re over. It used 00 be thought that this epidemic moved in definite cycles of one hundred years. Although such an idea has long been abandoned, it is a curious fact that the influenza prevailed in America one hundred years ago, and Dr. John Warren, in a letter to Dr. Lettsom, says that our beloved President Washington is but now recovering from a severe and dangerous attack Qf it." In 1830 an epidemic started in China, it reached Russia in January, 1831, and by May it had spread to western Europe; but it only reached this country in January, 1832, and then prevailed but slightly. Another and severe epidemic started in Russia in Dmber, 1; within a month it appeared in London, and rapidly spread over Europe. This time, again, America was not affected. An epidemic of nsiderable extent prevailed in the United States about ten years ago, - and there have been various mild manifations of the disease. On . the whole, how- OTer,-North America does not seem to be very favorable to the development of epidemic influenza in ite worst torms, and it is unlikely ttat we shall have a severe tfsitation, if we have any at all. The' roase is not dangerous-ext sometime to ELIAS PARKMAN NEEDHAM. . Those The height of sea waves as long been subject of controversy. Eminent hydrographers have insisted that storm waves were usually not more than 10 feet high, and rarely over 20 when the conditions of the 'sell. were most favorable for wave development. Many a traveler, reclining on a cabin transom, has looked up through the skylight to see the waves rearing their frothy crests, and wondered how even a 20 footer could show so high above a great ship's deck. Many a sailor dowsed by an up-driving wave while lying out on a topgallant yard has, doubtless, shaken'his head incredulously when told that the highest waves were not above 20 feet, the rest being heel of ship and dip of yard. Now, however, comes expert testimony to prove that storm waves are often 40 feet and sometimes from 60 to 70 feet. in height. lt the recent British scientific expedition some instructive data were gathered by a sensitive aneroid barometer capable of recording its' extreme rise and fall by an automatic register.' With a sea not subjected to an atmosphere of unusual violence, it indicated an elevation of 40 feet from the wave's base to crest. Admiral Fitzroy, after a long series of careful measurements from the main top of his ship, came to a similar conclusion. A recent assertion that water color paintings are affected injuriously by constant proximity to electric lights, the more delicate pigments fading in consequence, does not seem to be borne out by the facts. As a disintegrating force, daylight is known to be far more powerful than electric light of equal intensity. The latter too, as is well known, is a less active agent than daylight 00 photographic paper. This is the Last Number of this Year. This issue closes another volume of this paper, and with it several thousand subscriptions will expire. ' It being an inflexible rule of the publishers to stop grading their publication wto the time is up - for which subscriptions are prepaid, the present subscribers 00 the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN or SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT or the ATOHITECTS AND BUILDERS EDITION of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN whose subscriptions expire with the year will oblige.us by remitting for a renewal without delay. By -heeding this request to renew immediately, it will save the removal of several thousands of names from our. subscription books, and insure a continuance of the papers without interruption. The prices of the different publications in the United States, Canada, and Mexico are as follows: RATES BY M.UL. The i&lentificAmerican (weekly). one year... 3.00. The tentlfic American Supplement (weekly). one year 5.00 La America Clentifica (monthly), one year 3.00 Architects and Builders Edition of the scientific American (monthly), one year 2.50 COMBINED RATES. The Sclentifc American and Supplement 7.00 The Scientific American and tehitects aod Gilders Edition. 5.00 The Scfic- American, Supplement, and Architects and BBm Edition - ' 9.00 This indues protege, which we pay. Rernt by postal or express money. orderordraft to order of Co., 361 Broadway, New York. Tying - np Branches. Nis.the time to tie together the limbs of those trem, both fruit and'.ornamental,. that. have made a long spreading growth, and whose iim fork out. By tying aU the limbs together about a foot upfromwhere theyleave the trunk, they are - prevented from breaking or splitting wnwjtb .the snows and winter.
