The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-10-03
CURtOSITlES OF SCIENCE.

CURtOSITlES OF SCIENCE.
Al interesting roper might tc
written by competent hand, res
pcc,,ng what W. may call tho "cur
o,,,,cs Of Science" There are hun.
drcds of facts, familiar u the cxplos.
cr of nature, which woult siar,le tho
ordinary reader, from their apparent
antagonism to other facts. Thus. IL
a blackcned card is placed upo,,
snow or ice in sunshine. the frozcn
mass underneath will gradually melt
while that bv which it il surrounded
is but little disturbed. N, however.
the suns rays, instead Of falling di
rcctly or the card and snow. are
reelected from q metal surface, an
exactly opposite result occurs; tho
exposed parts are tho first to melt.
and the hlackened card remains
standing ',gh above the surrounding
rDrtioa.
Another curious fact; f bars nf
corpcr z'nc, hras', are heated and
placed s0 as T. 5o,' on blocks oflcad,
TN N pewter, .hc bars are thrown in
to state Of vibration, and produce
sounds similar 10 those of an colian
harp. A blacksmith will tell you
that he can dress heat ont q u pioco
Of iroa. by simply heating it with II
hammer, until, at least. he will rem
der il rcd hot and be able 10 light
match at it. but he WI udd ,hat
the suno plcco cannot be male red
ho, agam by hnmme,ing, until il ha-
hccn made red rot by fire, aud brough.
back its original expanded condi-
ton. The principle which is at tho
bottom of this curious fact enables
fire to be obtained by the friction Of
two pieces Of wool.
Even unscie,tN readers arc fam.
liar With tive fact that ice con be for
med, in the hottest summer day, by
chemical means but few are nwarc
,hat water can bc frozen in a vessel
which is at red heat. Yet this as.
tonishing experiment has been Ere.
1ucutiy performed. If II deep
pIatina saucer is heated red hot and
then water and liquid sui lIhurous acid, ,
wa.c' has been preserved in tho
liquid state by freezing mixture. il
poured into the vessel. the rapid C.
vaporation Of the volatile acid which
enters iuto obuhtlVn q, the freezing
point, produces such an 'ntcns, con-
that ice is Immediately formed, and
. being thrown out, can be used 70 cool
water.
The experiments Of jusglers layo
proved to all, that, undtr certain
conditions, the hand can be immersed
With impunity in melted metal. Lit
!, tie more is required than To rub tho
hands with soap 80 as to give them n
. polished surface, then to plunge then,
into eo,d solution Of water and sal!
amnon'sc, and afterwards 10 put them
into liquid r7n, lead or bronze, or
other metals, moving them raIidIy
: through il, though no, too RAPIDLY
The explanation Of this curiou, fact
' is this When the hand is plunged
into melted metal the skin is not in
!, contact with the metal. The nois
, turc Of the skin passes into the sT,-y.
odial state, and reflects the radia,ing
A., cal0ric, 80 that the heat Is never at
II the boiling point.
: Heat and light exhitit IN Iar,,
5 through transparent bodies, very
= remarkable difference. Transparen,
d alnin, which is A. elen ~ the clear
= est water, transmits Only ninety sew
cn per cent. y. heat. Black glass
II. allows ninety per cent, of heat To Ias,
. through it; while green glass, colsred
e by osidc Of copper, and covered wi,I,
!. layer Of watsi "ii,, ,hopsh perfect,
70 ,ly transparent almost entirely DEPRIVE
i. the solar rag Of heat. On be princi
e pie of ditiereh. colors the whole econ
:, my Of Naturc,in reference 20 h.
q adoption AMI radiation. 4 hea. b,
NJ the variou' kinds II npmcrs and plants
:, ~ carried on. says late writer
>, Every tree .ircadins green leave
>. - the SUNSHINE, " ezlos.ng It's bro~'
=, brancht 70 the air--cvery spsc
T.. which lends lis beauty 10 tie earth
n l-r-~ses fhaereut absorbing and IA
Il, i,a,inl lowers. The chs!icclike-cp
Is Of the pnre white hIy soa,ins o, VI
Of lake, "a e VAR ,,'ed ,ulip, The bril-
Ii' ,ant aue, ne, the delicate rose, al
II the intensely eolored pcouy. or III
dslda, have each powers peculiar
a., a. themselves for drinking IN sAs ssri
" inc life-s,ream u the sun, and Z
=. rai'l'iIs il baet s.ain % the ,hir