The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1870-10-20
DISCOVERIES MADE By ACCIDENT.

Il
Not few discoveries in the arts and sciences
have been made or suggested by accident. The
use of the pendulum suggested by the ribrat
| ing of u chandelier in cathedral; the power
of steam intimated by the 0scillating Of the lid
OF tea-kettle; the utility of coal gas for light
Experimental upon by any ordinary tobacco
pipe of white clay; the magnifying property
OF the lens, stumbled upon by an opticians mp
prentice while holding spectacle-gasses be.
tween his thumb and finger-are well known
instances of proof Of tho fact.
Galvanism was discovered by accident, by
Prof. Galvani, of Bologna, in Italy. He gave
his name to the operation, but his wife is gen.
orally considered as entitled TO the credit of
the discovery. She beingin bad health, some
frogs were ordered for her. As they lay upon
the table skinned, she noticed that their legs
became strongly convulsed when near an cleo
trio conductor. She called her husbands at
tention to the fact; he instituted series of
experiments, and in 1889 the galvanic battery
was invented.
Eleven years later, with that discovery for
his basis, Prof Alessandro Volta, also an Ital-
ian. announced his discovery of 'v0ltaic pile"
The discovery of glass-making was effected
BY seeing the sand ytrifed upon which fire
had been kindled.
Blancort says that making of plate-glass was
suggested by the fact of a workman happening
to break q crucible filled with melted glass
The fluid ran under one of the large iagstones
with which the floor was paved. On raising
the stone to recover the glass, ii was found IN
the form of plate, such as could not be pro-
cured by the ordinary process of blowing.
Glass pearls, though among the most beauti-
full, inexpensive, and common ornaments worn
by the ladies'. are produced by very singular
process. In 1896, u tenitian, named Joaquin.
discovered that the scales o fish. called
bleak fish, possessed the property OF commit
nieating pearly hue 10 the water. He found
by experimenting. that beads dipped into this
water assumed. when dried. the appearance ot
pearls, Ii proved however. that the pearly
coat, when placed outside, was easily rubbed
oh; and the next Improvement was 10 make
the beads hollow. The making of these beads
is carried on this day in Venice The beads
are all blown separately. BY means of small
tube. the insides are drlicately coated with the
pearly liquid aud waxed coating Is placed
over that. Ii requires Oh. scales of four thous.
aud fish TO produce half pint oi the liquid.
10 which small quantity OF salannunla and
singlass are aftcrward added.
Lundy Foot, the celebrated snuT manuiac-
'nrer. originally kept small iobaccous, shop
at Limerick On one night his house. which
sas uninsured, was burned to the ground. As
he contemplated the smoking ruins on the fol. |
owing morning. IN state bordering GA d.s- |
pair, some OF the poor neighbors. groping |
among tho embers for what they could find, |
stumbled upon several eanisirrs OF nncon-
unrd. but hall.bakcd. snutf. which they tried. |
nd found il So pleasant to their noses tina,
hey loaded their walsicoai pockets With IL
.uudy Foote aroused from has s.upor. initiated /
heir example. and took n pinch Ut his own /
property. whca he was struck by the superior /
and flavor il had acquired from the
reat heat to which II had been exposed Act
ng upon the hint, be took another house in
lace called Black Yard. erected ovens aud
et about the manufacture If that high.drcd
ommOdi;y which SOFA became widely known
i Black Yard snuff. Eventually be took
anger house in Dublin. and making bis Gus.
omcrs pay literally through the unsr aulasscd
great fortune Tor having bccn ruined.