The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-09-14
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.

According TO NJ. Cain, gas, as a
combustiblc, offers the best solution
of the problem Of distribution Of
motive power in large towns, where
the illumination by gas Is already c.
tabli-hcd-thc pipes conveying Il
provision for light, for heat, and for
motive io%rCc--and that the same ap-
paratus should afford to the artisan
in his shop all these three clements
The obstacles, however, to the pro-
posed employment Of gas as n source
Of motive power arisc not only rom
it, high cost, but also from its DIS
agreeable odor, and the absence OF
proper means for good combustion.
'phc odor which cnEucs, chiefly at
the commencement OF the operation,
is produced by condensation of some
ortbc products Of combustion upon
a cold surface. 1t may be pre-
vented in n great measure by prev
iou-ly heating the generator with
another combustiblc. With regard
to an ~cficacious burner, however,
there seems to be none. Bunscn bur-
ncrs, which are generally preferred,
offered scarcely onc.half the calorillc
power contained in the gas, as has
been proved byrcpcatcd trials.
On the eastern slope Of Clark
III ountain, Nevada, near its summit,
there is u perpendicular cliff two
hundred and fifty feet high. At
about one hundred feet from the base
Of the cliff, on its front, arc cngraven
the characters LID. The cross and
letters are of immense size, being
fully sixty feet in height, and cut into
the cliff two and a half feet dccp-so
that they can be plainly seen at a
distance Of five miles. by whom
this strange workmanship was done
j. unknown. The fact, however, that
the letters are the Roman character,
and arc preceded by the figure OF a
cross, would make it appear that It
was done by the Jesuit missionaries,
who were known TO have been in
that region many years ago.
The Indians knew nothing Of its
authors, nor have they any traditions
concerning its origin.
Sir William Logan, the celebrated
astronomer and gcologist has pro-
cured the sanction and assistance of
the Newfoundland government in
his proposal TO make an official geo.
logical survey of the island. lie,
with his party, consisting Of eminent
professors ofthc university Of Qucbcc
aud efficient officers of the British
Engineer Department in Canada,
started on his expedition on the 9th
instant. Sir VIM. Logan expresses
sanguinc hopes, from the indications
Of the mineral land in thr vicinity Of
the populated districts, that hi7 ca
pIoration oGthc great unknown west
crn coast Of Newfoundland will de-
yclopc great mineral wealth. He
speaks ola large quantity or"ailurian
rock which may be found in any
portion even Of the suburbs Of st.
Johns, and which i an mmiStakabIc
evidence OF immense mineral wealth
or certain specimens oil NcWloUnd-
land silver, copper ore, gypsum and
gold, he said "Ih'ac arc the pur-
est, specimens OF Tie raw material
| have ever seen.
1t is prOpu cd by Il foreign inyrn-
tor to weave cloth from sponge. The
best quality OF PONCE, it is well
known, is gathered in the Mcditcr-
rancan sea an cX"rcIIcnt article, how.
ever, rs well as iucAhau tiblcin dual
ity, is found upon the rocks OF the
Enhama5 and the coast Of Florida.
when torn from thclocks 10 which il
adhcrcs, sponge appears at first ~ Il
heavy and Understanding mass, hay.
ing a strong and offensive odor. IN
order TO clean il. so as to render il
-~cryiccablc in the way proposed, il
i, buried in the earth for u period OF
,omc weeks, at the end (which time
all the organic matter i found de-
compo,cd-only the uurc, librou,
-kclcton remaining.
After being purified, tine sponge is
liable to become exceedingly hard,