Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-21

that run now side by side with the parent
streams would have been diverted into
quite other channels, and through quite
different lines of country and all that is,
and all that will in the future spring
from them and belong to them, was at
one time dependent on the chance wheth-
er maidservant would take to-day in
which to do certain piece of work, or
leave it till tomorrow. 1t was grave If,
and Heaven be thanked for the blindness
with which it was met From the Queen.
InsensibilIty Of the Human Body to
Molten Iron.
PARTLY prompted by his own expert
ments, partly caused by his friends and
admirers, NJ. Butigny raised the question
whether there existed a connection be-
tween the spherodial condition and the
singular fact that, if the hand be wet, it
may be passed through stream of molten
iron or lead without harm. Many months
elapsed before the inquisitiveness of the
French investigator was satisfied by wit
Messing such an experiment himself. In
asking once among the workmen of a
foundry in Paris, whether one of them
could toss with his fingers the fused metal
he was not only ridiculed, but shown the
door But, finally, he became acquainted
with metallurgist in the Franche Comte,
who promised to investigate the matter
On the Goth of March, 1S49, this person
was able to write: "The workmen gen
orally laughed at me when | asked them
whether they could dip their fingers into
molten iron without injury; but at last a
workman in the foundry of Magny tod
me that he considered nothing more easy,
and, to prove it, he passed a finger
! through glowing stream as it was flow
ing from the furnace. One employe re-
peated the experiment, and, hereby en-
couraged, | did the same. None made
the finger wet"
Butigny now hesitated no longer to
try those experiments on himself, and he
was not only able to perform the same
feat, but he passed his hand through a
stream of cast iron of two inches thick
ness, when it shot from the tapping
and Immediately afterwards dipped the
hand into ladle filled with molten iron.
If it is asked, he writes, what precautions
are to be taken to protect ourselves from
the fiery glow, | answer: Danish the fear,
and proceed confidently to experiment
The hand is to be immersed quickly, but
not too precipitately, into the fluid metal
This is all that is to be observed The
wonder of antiquity has thus been ex,
planned and shown to be only physical
phenomenon. 1t is well to have the hands
moistened, yet the involuntary fear that
will overcome anyone at the thought of
such a bold undertaking nearly always
gives rise to perspiration, by which
every part of the body will become suffi-
GENTLY moist But, if one will get per-
fectly invulnerable, the hand is to be rub
bed with soap, so that it obtains a smooth
surface, or it is dipped into cold solu-
ton of sulphurous acid, in sal ammoniac,
or into water containing sal-ammoniac,
or simply in cold water.
If the finger is first dipped into alcohol,
a tolerable warmth is felt; if mOistened
with ether, a pleasant GOODNESS. Yet,
being very infammable, these fluids
should not be made use of in experiment
ing with iron. Still, they will not ignite
in the molten lead The non-immersed
part of the hand will turn red and expert
ence painful feeling on account of being
exposed to the radiant heat.
Though great deal had been related of
such wonders, it was not till they were
placed before the public as naked truths
that they commenced to excite sensation.
When Butigny repeated his experiments
before Professor Plucker, in Bonn, the
latter, by his own confession, left with
the impression that some yet undiscover-
ed laws of nature came here into play.
Soon after it was reported that mechan-
ic in a machine shop in Cologne had made
the trial with molten iron, and had offer
ed himself to repeat it. In consequence
thereof, Plucker, accompanied by several
persons, started for that city, where
the workman, in their presence,
touched quickly with the dry ends
of his fingers the surface OF mass
of fluid metal that had just left the FUR
mace. Encouraged thereby, the bystand-
crs themselves began to manipulate. one
dashed the fat and previously -moistened
hand with such vehemence against the
molten iron that portion OF II was
splashed around; another ladled the metal
with the hollow hand. Plucker himself
dipped the index finger Of his right hand
into the fluid, Withdrawing it again unin-
iured after moving in it for few seconds.
He felt how the iron ted from the finger,
but experienced no sensation OF neat.
He would not have estimated the temper
AZURE of the metal at 80 degrees r., albeit
il must have been at about 1880 degrees
F. The little hairs had disappeared from
his finger, but the nail had not suffered IN
the least. Finally, an experiment was
tried, that properly ought to have preeced'
ed any other The finger OF KID glove,
moistened inside, was drawn around
wooden stick, and then kept for one
minute in the fluid metal. On withdraw
ing it, the glove only indicated temper
AZURE of 15S degrees F.
The testimonials in behalf of these puz'
zling accounts increased from all direc-
lions. Professor Rose stated that thlrsy
wears ago, during visit in metallurgl'
cal establishment in Avestad, Sweden, he
saw workman who, for small remu-
neration. threw molten copper against
wall which he skinned off from cruci-
HE with his hand. Dumas called atten-
ton to very old usage, ordinarily per,
formed in glass-works. A molten mass
of glass is poured into vessel mica WIN y
water. in which, although glowinS' IL Is
kneaded with both hands.
In a lecture which Butigny Delivered
in the Academy of Sciences, in paris, on
the i4th of May, 1849, he said Alter ri q
lapse of ten years, it was pernl,u';e sa
70 me TO produce ice in whlte