Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-01-14
SCIENTIFIC.

New York chemist declares that the pecu-
liar flavor in some kinds of cigars is due to thu
use OF prussic acid in the manufacture
An expedition numbering 1900 men recently
left st. Petersburg on board steamer for the
Balkan Bay of the Caspian Sea, to attempt tht
discovery OF means Of connecting the Caspian
and Aral Seas by the bed of the ancient rlver
Amudja
At Torquay. in France, in consequence OF
continually decreasing supply through the wa
ter main, the experiment Of cleaning It out, oy
passing through it piston armed with scrs-
/ per, was male, which resulted in raising the
supply from go gallons per minute TO ot0.
Cast-iron and steel, III large masses, can be
broken By an ingenious method practiced IN
France 1t consists in boring cylindrical hole
/ Of two or three inches in diameter in the place
where the fracture Is desired, filing it with
water, inserting steel plug fitting the hole
/ accurately, and then allowing the hammer Of a
pilc-driver to fall upon it from Il height Of ten
| to fifteen feet. \ single blow generally sufices
to break apart mass Of metal from two or
three feet thick
! lot Of California beet sugar has been made,
saws the .fla California, and the business may
be REGARDED a. established with every pros
pect Of speedy and large development The
process used in the experiment is very simple
A revolving cylinder washes the beets, then re-
volying knives cut them into very thin ribbons,
which are uacerGted for short time IN cold
water, and which extracts every portion Of
saccharine matter. Some lime is used 20 ex
tract the bitter principle, and carbonic acid gas
removes the lime by precipitation. Steam pipes
and cooperating pans follow boilers, animal
charcoal add settling vessels complete the
process
When nails are used ia d position in which
they are greatly subjected 70 air and moisture,
It viii always pay to prepare them in such
manner that they viii not easily rust. This
may be accomplished without any difficulty by
heating a quantity Of nails On a shovel and
throwing them, while quite hot, into a vessel
continuing coarse oil or melted grease. The nails
should be 81 hot that the grease viii be made to
smoke freely. Cut nails prepared in this
manner are improved in every respect They
are rendered tougher, and the will outast any
kind Of wood, even though buried in the ground;
while unpreparci na-s arg completely destroyed
by rust in . very short uma
! promising plan has been devised for burn
ing crude petroleum pr5ftably and safely for
fuel Iae great difficulty has. been heretofore,
with all kinds Of inventions, that petroleum,
when subjected 20 the furnace temperature,
threw down a portion Of its carbon in q solid
state, and 10 sufficient quantities to close the
tube Of boilers in about fjrty-eight hours, and
often in much less time. The great aim, there
fore, hss been 20 discover q process whereby the
tendency to carbonizltion should be overcome.
Experiments that have lately been made at
Washington are claimed % tc successful in
overcoming this difficulty, the sacr5; being tia;
the petroleum Is first eyap5rated by the appli-
cation Of super-heaied steam, and then the va
por is burned, producing an intense heat. /
irea, results are expected from this discovery,
bat there VIII be many difficulties in the wsy
Of putting il into practical use.
What are termed sound figures may be pro .
d1cli IN various ways. One way is 90 fix = .
plate o. glass at its centre with Burgundy pitch
90 IN upright support Oh a stand, then TO dus;
the place with 6ue dry sand or other suitable
poCdsr, such as lyc0p0diIm. Ii now the pls'e
be ll Dc 20 viora,e oy drawing over It's edge q
violin bow, or some h0rse-hair tightly stretched
fl3u the Two ends oi cane well r1sinei, the
aus will In -ue tiuearrlnre itself iuto certain
forms. lines. or figures The same VIII occur
ly tying over q 5-osl-uol.hei glass or goblet
with ladder that has been mo.zienei and a.
evci to dr. to q drum-iiGe surface, and dust
q with iy.Cpolium 0r very line sand, and then
-. upon piano Certain lines are s1ou visible
.fe fae instrument has been played upon,
PARTICULARLY when ore chord only has been
struck, So as O. lessen the vibration. The
flowing o. q correct. using one key, or the tun-
u- sc one no,c Sd. any instrument, near the
;ret-del membrane, vii cause il 90 vlo-a'e,
ui the dust 90 arrange Itself into form Thus
hes. gxperimeuts clearly exhibit the effects Of