A great change is taking place in our views in regard to the moon, and it may be that we are on the eve of discoveries which will make this century an epoch in astronomical history. Some American observers saw not long since a crater on the lunar surface in active operation under conditions as reliable as human vision at such a distance can be expected to reach. A French astronomer has made observations on a grander scale, and confidently asserts that the moon is inhabited. M. Camille Flammarion, the present originator of this long-cherished idea, is a scientist of honor and renown, well known for his reputation as an observer and enthusiastic writer. He has written several articles to prove his position, and has determined to devote his life to this branch of astronomical research. No instruments on the globe are powerful enough to afford a glimpse of our lunarian neighbors. M. Flammarion is not in the least discouraged at this apparently insuperable obstacle in the way of a solution of his problem. He is going to have one made that will exhibit the men in the moon to terrestrial eyes without a possibility of mistake. He is urgently soliciting contributions to a fund for an immense refracting telescope, whose estimated cost is 1,000,000 francs, or $200,000. This instrument, the astronomer believes, will be effectual in revealing the inhabitants in the moon really existing, according to his sanguine faith. Some of the largest refractors in the world, if used when the air is pure, bear a power of 3,000 on the moon; that is, the moon appears as if it were eighty miles instead of 240,000. It can thus be seen that an immensely-increased power would be required to detect small objects on the surface.

We trust M. Flammarion will be successful in collecting funds for his monster telescope, and that he will pick up crowds of lunarians through its far-seeing eye before the vision of the present generation becomes too dim to behold the long-wished for sight.–Providence (R. I.) Journal.

South Atchison is shaken from turret to foundation stone. A sensation has occurred within its precincts that bids fair to outrival even the startling wonders of sensational Kansas City, and become the usual nine days’ neighborhood talk. The heroine of the sensation, for the principal character is a woman, is Tenny Dysart, the wife of John Dysart, an intelligent and industrious colored man, who lives in West Atchison, and for an occupation drives A. B. Symns’ delivery wagon. About Christmas time Mrs. Dysart was taken down with dropsy, and the disease has confined her to her house and bed nearly ever since. She was about forty years old, and before her present sickness was a strong and healthy woman. Medical aid had treated her with all that human skill could command, but it was apparently of no avail, and Tuesday night about twelve o’clock she died–that is, to all appearances. Wednesday kind friends came in and looked at the body, condoled with the husband and children, and preparations were made for the funeral. Wednesday night watchers sat by the inanimate body, and Thursday was fixed as the day of the burial. Thursday morning the body was robed for the grave and placed in the coffin, the sorrowing husband and mourning children sadly grieving the loss of their wife and mother. The funeral was to take place at three o’clock, at which time the house was filled with mourning friends, the hearse was waiting at the door, and the body was soon ready to be borne to its last resting place. As the lid of the coffin was thrown back to take the farewell look at the body one lady laid her hand on the forehead of the supposed dead, and with a cry of astonishment declared that the body was warm. This lead to another examination, and Dr. Gough was sent for. The physicians applied the usual tests and pronounced that life still remained. The body was taken from the coffin, remedies and restoratives applied, and to-day at noon the patient was conscious and sensible and in a fair way of recovery. It is needless to say that excitement and consternation prevailed, the hearse and carriages went away and the probabilities are that Mrs. Dysart’s funeral will be postponed for many days to come.–Atchison (Kan.) Patriot.

For several days four or five persons in this city (among the number a Democrat reporter) have known of certain occurrences that have taken place at the new court house, and which Mr. McPherson and the contractors are trying to keep quiet and hush up, at least until the building shall be accepted by the county. But the Full facts cannot much longer be kept from the public, and The Democrat, as a newspaper, owes it to the people of the county, if not to science, to publish the facts, so far as they can be gathered from interested parties, who are reluctant to have the matter get out.

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Last autumn the Vacuum Oil Company of this city began the work of drilling for salt at LeRoy. State geologists had given the opinion that there was a vein, and several hundred dollars (about $1,500 it is said) were raised in that village to assist the Rochester parties, it being expected that the same vein would be reached there as had been reached in Wyoming, only much nearer the surface. On Friday, about half-past three o’clock in the afternoon, when the well had been bored to a depth of about four hundred and fifty feet, a strong vein of gas was struck, which blew the tools out of the well, and rushed out with such force as to extend to the fire in the coal stove, about ten feet distant from the mouth of the well. The house in which the men were working took fire, and the destruction of the derrick seemed inevitable, when the rush of the gas from the well gave way to a gush of water, which put the fire out, and was so strongly impregnated with sulphur that it could be smelled a distance of nearly half a mile. For some time afterward there were alternate rushes of gas and gushes of water from the well, each holding its own for about a minute and a half. About six o’clock the water was spouting to a height of about sixty feet in the air, and was strongly impregnated with salt; while at half-past seven o’clock it had reached an altitude of 110 feet. The bore of the well is eight inches, but the casing takes up about an inch, thus leaving an opening of about seven inches, from which the water still gushes with such force that a large blacksmith’s anvil, placed over the hole, was blown directly out.–Rochester (N.Y.) Express.

Dr. Schliemann has just deposited in the British Museum a dagger believed to be made of meteoric steel and exhumed by him in the royal palace of Troy. This is the first iron discovered by him in his excavations, either in the Troad or the Peloponesus, and is of the very greatest archaeological interest.

A scientific examination of the sulfur, which fell in the shower of the Lehigh Valley, the other day, proves it to be the pollen from a species of pine, caught up on the wind and carried from the Jersey forests.