Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-02-15


"Silver from Paving Stones" is the heading
OF an article in some journal, founded on
!. communication in the Steele of Paris. The
process by which the silver is obtained lthe
invention Of NJ. Junot)@ is very complicated
and the result is not silver, but metal called
silicium, which is said Ito be so hard 10 dis
tinguish from silver thai a learned French
chemist has already reported to tie Academy
OF Sciences on the necessity of deyising fresh
methods OF analysis. in order to distinguish
between the two metals"
Admiral Ross, before the British Associa-
ton Tor the Advancement of Science, presents
the theory THAT the phenomena Of the Au-
rora Borealis are oeeasioned by the action OF
the sun, when below the pole. on the sur.
rounding masses of colored ice, by its rays
beng reflected from the points of incidence
to clouds above the pole, which were before
invisible" He states that he hss produced
the Phenomena artihcially, and thus has prov
ed the correctness of his theory
VALUE OF PATENTs.-The Scientific Amer
lean states that a portion of the right 10 Woods
Patent Shinge Machine has lately been sold
Tor $4,000; Robertson's Patent Sewing Ma.
chlHe, portion of the right sold for $50, 600
Singer Co. receive $4,000 annually from
their sewing Machines; Sandford's Patent
Hand Corn Planter, rights sold to the amount
OF $4,000; D. w. Clark Patent Pump has
produced $4,000; one half of patent Cur
tain Fixture sold for $1,000; an Apple Par
ing Machine, small part of right sold for So
OOO. The Scientific American presents these
facts as an encouragement to inventors.
The following items in various journals:
q NEW AclD.-Baron Liebig states that in
the course Of some recent experiments on the
illuminate of mercury, he observed that that
compound, when kept boiling in alter, chang
ed It's color and lost its Illuminating properties.
On examining the change that had taken
place III the composition OF illuminate, he dis
covered new acid. Its salt OF silver is solu.
Die IN hot water, and crystalzes nom il in
long, SILKY, white needles. The alkaline salts
OF me new acid are very easily prepared by
oolng the Illuminate ofmeleury with an ak
aline chloride.
ALUMINUM.-At the recent meeting Of the
British Association of Sciences, the new met
northumberland the subject of interest.
ing remark. DR.. Roscoe stated that one ofits
great qualities was its sonorousness, exceed.
ing IN sharpness Of sound, when struck by a
metal Instrument the finest bell metal. Dr.
Anderson sand 1t was metal OF the upuear.
ance OF silver, did not tarnish when EXPOSED
to the air, and, though, at the present time it
could only be got at the price Of gold, il was
expected that as & new process of obtaining it
had been discovered, it would soon come in
to general use. DR.. Wilson thought there
was one very important purpose to which it
could be applied, namely. in the manufae-
ture of small weights as the hundreth part of
grain, &c.; he understood that set was
being made now IN Edinburg.
APPBcArloN OF ELECTRICAL L1GHT.-An
interesting application of electrical light to
diving be Is under water has been found very
useful. The apparatus employed tor the pun
pose consists OF a glass cylinder with lens
throwing parallel rays and containing the cleo
tro galvanio battery. Whenever the diver de.
sires to have light, he has but to turn a small
screw, when the electric currents issuing
through points of charcoal are brought so
slosely together as to become incandescent.
and to generate light for at least two hours. of
an intensity sufficient to light up perfectly
cirale OF so feet diameter. One of the public
baths IN the Seine is lighted with similar
| apparatus 30 feet above water, so thai any ob
lect 80 feet nnder water is clearly discernible.
The new Chelsea bridge in London is to be
lighted III the same way.-Archsuder Phar-
| macie.
REMARKABLE WATCH AT the French Ex.
| position. there was exhibited a Watch which
| created much interest and admiration. 1t
| tells the name and day of the month, the edua.
! ton OF time; is a repeater. striking the min
| t'e as Wen as the hour; is thermometer of
toieraole accuracy, and winds itself up by the
| action OF Its own movement. The prire of
| TINS most ingenious piece of workmanship is
| thirty thousand francs