Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-03-27
Che Nous Gleaurr.
Notes and Comments.

&SGIUG anu SOA&lAAOAGHs
NOVEL Ice EXPLOSION ON LAKE HAM
rIA1N.-An extraordinary disruption of the ice,
according to a well authenticated account lately
published IN the Burlington Free Press, occurred
in the solid and before unbroken field of ice in
ChamplaiN, near Alburgh, during the Hight Of
the 10th Of February, 1851.
On that morning o hole or break in the ice Of
five or six rods in extent each way, was discoV-
cred by Mr.. M. F. Mott, an intelligent gentle
man residing on the shore, who, proceeding to
the spot, found the broken space filed with
pieces OF ice; while at distances Of seven and
ten rods, out on the unbroken field, lay two large
solid foes or blocks of ice, seventeen inches in
thickness, and measuring from two to three rods
il width, the largest being estimated to weigh
more than twenty tons.
The explosive force which thus threw these
immense foes Of soIld ice from their beds to
distances varying from one 10 nearly two hun
dred feet, must have been Tremendous, equal
ing that of many barrels Of gunpowder.
1t seems there had been a violent wind on the
night in which the event is supposed to have
transpired, which, after blowing from the South
during the evening before, suddenly veered and
blew in a fierce squat from the West. And we
can think of no other more satisfactory solution
of the mystery, than that it was occasioRed by
the confined air which was driven by the force
oof tho Wind in ,,ndor tho ica nt oonoa moro Or
less distant crack or open glade, and forced for
ward by the first impulse and the fluctuations of
the main body of the ice, till reaching this spot
near the shore that prevented its further expan-
sion, it became compressed to such a degree as
to occasion the explosion in question.
Be that as it may, however, the incident con-
stitutes az interesting phenomenon connected
with the ice in that Lake, and is well worthy of
scientific investigation. Will the editor of the
Sciersyfc american give us his opinion Of the re-
markabIe occurrence
INVENTION OF A NEW Power PRINTING
PREss.-Mr. LUCIUs T. GUERNSEY, of Mont
pelier, an experienced and ingenious printer, at
present the Foreman Of the Christian Messenger,
has invented and brought into successful opera
ton a power printing press, which, with less than
half the cost, promises all the results of the
great power presses now used in publishing our
largest class of country papers. 1t occupies
scarcely more room than a b%edstead, and is pro-
PEELED by a wheel hung like a grindstone at its
side, and turned nearly as easily. We visited
the office where it was in operation tine other
day in company with a skillfull machinest, and
after looking on a while and seeing it throw off
the fairly printed sheets ct the rate of 800 per
hour, we both came to the conclusion, that if it
could be made to do oil this with its present i'm
perfect and roughly made gearing and applian-
ces, that, with perfect machinery, it could not
prove otherwise than a triumphantly successful
as well as most useful invention.
The inventor, to whom we have applied for a
description Of his press, after recounting the va
Fious trials and study, which had occupied his
leisure hours for the last eight years, for the des-
ideratum he had in view-that of a cheap and
easily worked power press, thus sums up the f.
nal results to which he has arrived:
Failing to make the double press promise to
be a thing of general utility, / next attempted
to reconstruct it into a single one. This plan
occupied every spare moment for over Eve years g.;
and after making and throwing AWAY machinery
enough for a number of presses, | have, as the
result, a rough made, crazy, wooden affair-rick-
ETY. in joint and untrue in movement,-.whlch Is
successfully employed in printing the Christina
Messenger. Badly as it is constructed, and pal
pable as are the points in which it can be readily
improved, it nevertheless executes a tolelable
quality Of newspaper work, and rapidly enough
for any country purpose whatever. This press
being OF small size will run from three to foul
tokens per hour, and | am satisfied that a presf
large enough to work any country paper, would
be easily driven at two or three tokens per hour
aud with far less motive power than is required
by Adams Improved Press. And | am further
satisfied that, as a regular business, they can be
made in a thorough, substantial manner and sole
at five hundred dollars~-complete in blanketlng,
roller moulds, &c.
am now planning a press on this principle
TO be of the " Cap size" for job work, blanks
&C., with a view of ultimately securing a patent
1t will embody several essential Improvements
The concern now running | am willing to hav'
by any one VINO wishes 10 40 IT. lie
chanlcs or no mechanics, g patent right thieves,
or honest men,"
MAPLE SUGAR.--As the season kas now az
rived when our noble maple forests are begin
ning to shed down their liquid blessings for on
appropriation, it may be we'll to ask whethe
anything new is to be said about the manufae
ture of this Indigenous luxury Of our cline.
A correspondent of the Boston CultiratO'
over fhe signature Of IN, Berlin, Vt" says:
alt ia known to the manufacturers Of sugar
that, Notwithstanding the utmost care and neat
ness have been observed during the whole pro
cess, there is a sand or grit as some call it
still left in the Sugar. We make yearly fror
six to nine hundred pounds of sugar; last yea
we found more grit than usual, and to rid our
selves of it, we tried the following experiment
which proved satisfactory. When we discovere
by tasting, that the salt was formed in consider
able quantity, we poured into it about one and
half pals full of sap, for one hundred pounds,
took it from the fire, put it in paris, and let
settle twenty or thirty minutes, then drained
of carefully, replaced 1t upon the FIRE and fin
ished it. After rinsing the pals and settlini