The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-10
CURIOUS Avn sorENTTr1c.

O0Ga4OO6 AMI 004k14N = &4 ~
Lone RoPE.-What is believed TO
be the longest rope in the world has
been recently on view at Mesgfs gran
walk, Shadwell. EnGdH6s long, without
mel rope. 10 has been made for the
-Is4emens telegraph company. It is made
of three strands, the diameter of the
completed rope being two inches.
TIE SEASON IN EURoPE.-The spring
or summer season opened with unusual
ly hot weather IN Europe, but soon af-
terward severe cold seems to have set
In. The sudden change Is accounted
for by M. De FoavielIe, French sa-
want, by the fact that the earth is pass
ing behind ring of asteroids, which
absorb q portion of the suns warmth,
due to us while it remains above the
horizon. The temperature will not re-
sumo is ascensional movement until
the annual rotation shall have carried
our sphere from the shadow of the null
titude of small planets which is always
projected on the same point of our orb.
GULF STREAM SoUNDINGs. 1t an
pears from the soundings made by the
Challenger expedition, from both the
New York and the Halifax sections, that
the true Gulf stream or Florida cur
rent is a limi. ed river of superheated
water of which the breadth is about
sixty miles near Sandy Hook, while near
Halifax it has separated into divergent
streams, forming a sort of delta, its
depth las determined by the use of the
current drag being nowhere more than
one hundred fatb6ms. This river rests
IPon ehe remarkable stratum of sixty to
slxiy-hye degrees, the thickness of
-M14ea distinguishes the Western from
the Eastern Atlantic between Bermuda
and Azores, while at less than double
the depth OF that layer we come into
what is clearly polar water.
IRON DIRECT FROM THE ORE.-M-. F.
W. Gerhard, of Stafordshire, has lately |
introduced a new process by which pud- |
died iron is obtained direct from the /
ore, the blast furnace being dispensed |
with. Instead of using pig-iron, Mr.,
Gerhard employs compound of ore of
any substance containing iron, the nee
essary hnxes, and the equivalent of
carbon. A lump of this compound is
put into the furnace, and by the single
process known to the puddler as So ball
ing" cheat" may be obtained in
much less time and with considerably
less labor than under the old method.
the process of melting" and "boiling''
being entirely dispensed with. The
special features of the invention is the
great saving of fuel, it being estimated
that 3, 760 pounds of coal are saved in
manufacturing 2,400 pounds of iron.
In the opinion of some iron workers this
method of making wrought iron must
very soon supersede the present labo-
nous and costly mode of manufacturing |
1t from pig-iron.
DANGERS OF METHYLIo ALCOHOL
Serious maladies, says the Lyons Med. |
lcal, have been engendered among the
workmen in two industrial establish
ments by the employment of methylic
sleohol-that is wood naptha, or alco-
hol derived from wood. The material
is used In the finishing of felt hats and
SILK fabrics. Its action is directly upon J
the mucus membrane exposed to its
emanations, and also through the nerv-
GUS system upon the entire organiza- j
ton. The effect is first noticed upon e
the ocular cOnjunctiV1, which become
1ntiamed and injected, producing a SEN J
satlon OF nd in the eyes. A coDions
now OF tears and extreme sensibilitv TO a
light (photophobia) follow, incapacita- a
ting the sufferer for work. Furtbar Il
symptoms include intense coryza and fl
Inflammation of the pharyx and bron- | il
,hlal tubes, together with troubIe of o.
me digestive organs. Severe headaches
md feeling of heaviness and depres- B
non are always present. The rigor of
ne malady depends upon the extent to o.
Fhlch the person is exposed to thea CO. NJ
l9hc fumes. The workman who fin
shes the bottom of a hat is attacked es
more severely than the one who pre-
,ares the rim. 1t has also been noticed er
hat cahinet-makers who use the mate dc
1al IN Tarn1sh are frequently attacked
nth tetanic commissions of the fingers a
Unknown previous to the employment M
{ the alcohol. ty
OLD HATS PARADIsE.-The oro- III
esque fancy of savages for the CASTOR 49,
ab1llments of civilized races is a fo,
PURGE OF amusement to travellers the tb,
GRID over. 1t is rare, however, that no
re fancy rises to such a passion for MI,
ngle article as is exhibited among the To
lcobar Islanders. Young and old.
llets, and subjects, in these "Sunmer
les OF Eden, alike endeavor to
ltVle each other in the accumulation
old hats, priding themselves on the tao
tent and variety of their collections In
other people do on their wealth of car
I'D or Jewels or works of art Curi- ste
sly, second hand hats are most in re- on
lest, new ones being looked upon with !
splclon and disfavor. The singular me
sslon is taken advantage of by the oIa
'ders OF Calcutta, who make annual
curslons to the NicObars with carpoes Ihr
old hats which they barter for cocoa -
is, the principal production of the sac
ands. A good tall white hat, with a -, L
lck band, fetches from fifty.fve to the
ty-hve prime cocoanuts-sometime wat
re, as, during the intense excitement umi
lch pervades the islands while the soIt
de is going on, fancy prices are often
red and obtained. When the market stra
SEES, by the exhaustion of the stock y
haIs ior sale or cocOaButs to buy Der SS /,
h a cask or two of RIM, ord a. lH az bot
population, clad in their new pos
slons, with perhaps a rag about the mar
rs in addition. celebrate Ar ~,ooo.:n'9 didl
getting thoroughly drunk. MT!
On Dow, stea
pR.-At a meeting of tba ;rst;t, uihE er 6
mechanical ano;5oors ~ of n
rrison descr;beJ a. ,, LGnu 10 Mr. child
sion introduced by the Brothers ~
n, and now extensively used at uP'I
on the upper Rhine. tt Woo
cared chat they first used fiat metal -
bands to transmit the power; but nay" =.
'e being found Objectionable. round IL
rope was subsequently adopted in VI meII.
d. The rope is usually made of men 81 !
steel wire, as it must be very tough 81
flexible. This wire rope, which is r .nelI
1t one inch in diameter, and con- you 7
seyenty-two strands, is run at a oT
Ter The total Inas u iarge a. rogui
ION etc vos 500 IS .. u power py Mont
half ner nor3 az "OS' "a ~ % TWO ana the "
N borso ~. ~ tIat' veil