The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-30
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

Gently organized in Washington city, il
now en- route for Jacksboro, and will soor
start from that place West. The Texa.
press look with much anxiety to the dis
coveries and investigations of the expe
; ditions.
The Stone Mountain, about nineteen
miles east of Atlanta, Ca, is one of the
greatest natural curiOsities in the Southern
States Is is composed exclusively of gran
ite, said to be much finer in appearance
than the Illinois granite. Since the wal
the mountain has been converted into q
quarry, and the stone is in great demand.
A large capital has been invested in work.
ing it, and some of the finest building ma
terial in the country brought to light Car
loads are dispatched daily to New Orleans,
Mobil., Augusta, and Macon, and even to
points as far North as Memphis, Louisville
and st. Louis,
PHYsIoLoaIsTs tell US that the braip con-
sumes a great deal of phosphorus, and the
doctors say that brown bread is healthier
than that made from bolted -four, because
of the phosphorus that the bran contains,
which in fine -four is in great part absent.
Baking powders we're accordingly invented;
the principal purpose of which was to sup
ply bread with the needful amount of the
phOsphoric quality A candy has now been
invented and patented, which is no other
than doses of phosphorus in disguise. The
love of candy has thus been utilized and
made to repair the waste of nervous and
brain forces. 1t is pleasant way of TAX
ing medicine, and even the children cry
for it.
TAKE AN oblong phial of the whitest and
cleanest glass, put in it piece of phospho-
rus about the size of a pea, upon which
pour some olive oil heated to the boiling
point, filling the phial about one third full,
and then seal the phial Theoretically. To
use it, remove the cork and allow the air to
enter the phial, and then recork it. The
whole empty space in the bottle will then
become luminous, and the light obtained
will be equal to that of lamp. As soon
as the light grows weak, its power can be
increased by opening the phial and allow
ing fresh supply of air to enter. In win
ter it is sometimes necessary to heat the
phial between the hands to increase the
huidity of the OIL Thus prepared, the
phial may be used for six months. This
contrivance is now used by the watchmen
of Paris
The VALUE of silicate paint, or water
glass, for stone, brick or mortar surfaces,
which are unyieldipg, appears now to ad
NIT of no doubt. 1t is put on in several
thin coats, several days being allowed to
elapse between each application. There
are, however, several paints with which this
substance is found unfit for mixing, such
as white lead and Prussian blue; but zinc
white chalk, yellow ochre, sulphate of
baryte, cadmium yellow, venetian red,
green oxide of chrome, umber, lampblack,
and ultramarine will mix with it and make
good paint. These colOrs are ground up
with water glass, and, before applying them
the surface to be painted is given prima-
~ coat of pure siiicate, twenty y-fourehours
previously A good silicate of soda is
bright and transparent in its appearance;
but great deal of the article called by this
name is mixed with foreign substances, to
its extreme detriment
| The investigations made by the late Mr..
Roebling, oae of the most eminent engi-
neers, led him to the conclusion that in no
case will good iron undergo any change in
course of time, unless it is acted on by
| great heat, or is under the influence of
strong continued vibrations, under tension.
He make an exception, however, in the
case of old anchors and chains, which, af-
ter being exposed on the ground or bin the
ground long time, have become consider
ably rusted and reduced in strength. Aside
from rusting magnetic influences
nave been supposed to aid in destroying
the strength of these irons. But none of
these have been sufficiently well examined
to warrant positive conclusions. Both
phenomenons, magnetism as well as heat
will always accompany the forcible rupture
of iron, as can be readily sscertained by
experiment, the phenomena are also ex-
hited when iron is hammered cold, the
heat in this case being more apparent
than the magnetism.
AT A recent meeting of the Inventors
Institute, Mr.. NJ. NJ Harris member of the
council, in the chair, Mr.. Carl Molchin, a
native of Hamburg, exhibited lamps burn
ing new composition oil to be used for
| lighting purposes. which was found to af-
ford steady, even light, very closely ap-
proximating in power, clearness, brillian-
cy, and intensity to the electric light, at a
cost somewhat less than that of COLA oil.
1t resulted from experiments made with
this oil, burnt in moderator lamp, that q
light of seventeen and a half spermaceti
candles was obtained. This light is con-
sidered as very valuable for lighthouses,
railway signals, railway carriages and 9TH
er purposes, and received the hearty ap-
proval of those present at the meeting,
opinions being expressed that its use
would mark a new era in artificial light.
| The endeavors which have 50 industri-
ously been put forth, to obtain photograph
ic pictures naturally and permanently col
ored, appears to have baffled all scientific
skill, though experiments are still carried
on, with view to solving the curious and
interesting problem.
The greatest progress in this direction
seems to have been made by M. Niepce. of
| France, and the announcement of his sue
cess in obtaining red, blue and green,
created high expectations in scientific cir
| cles. He at last succeeded in reproducing
yellow tints, also, by preparing his silver
plates in bath composed of hyperchloride
Of soda instead of potash He did not,
however, succeed in absolutely fixing the
colors-for, though remaining perfect as
long as the plate is kept in the dark, they
soon disappear when exposed to the light;
thus far, this difficulty seems insurmount-
able, though not 20 much as to discourage
investigations and experiment.
Some of the results arrived at by M
| Niepce, in his various processes, are high
ly interesting. For example. an orange
effect produced by the combination of red
and yellow glasses, produces invariably red.
A red and blue glass together produce
at first, violet, because the plate itself is
red; but the result is blue. White paper
colored green by means of the Chinese
| green made from the juice of the buck
thorn, has but sluggish action upon the
hellochromic plate; but after a long -ex-
posure to the light, blue-gray is produc-
ed and the same effect is obtained from
foliage of grass-green color in the came
;ra-but bluish-green foliage such as that Of
the leaves of the dahlia. produces tint
that is almost positive blue. The eye Of a
peacocks feather is well rendered in the
camera, the tints appearing to vary between
blue green.
Paper Clothing.
1t isn't . great many years since the
American neck was first encircled by q
paper collar, and yet vast industry
has grown out of the manufacture Of
that very questionable article Of beau
| h,rk