The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-30
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.

CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.
SrRnNa 9Th OF GLASS TUBEs.-M. Gail
letet has found that tuba of thin /
glass, 203 inches in length and three
quarters of an inch in diameter, was
crushed by an exterior pressure of
1, 155 pounes TO the square inch, while
similar tubes were burst by an i-terior
pressure one-half less. In making use
of very thick glass, capable of resisting
pressure of fogr or five hundred at
mospheres, he found the glass to sus-
tain no permanent change of form.
Upoa this fact he proposes the construc-
ton of a very sensitive and very Sim
pie manometer.
ADu1TERATIoH IN INDIA RUBBER.
The Bulletin Therapeutique says that, |
In order to use old and worn out /
pieces of India rubber scraps left from 1
factories, manufacturers having easy /
consciences wash the material first In l
a solution of supercarbOnate of soda or |
potash, and then, when dry, pulverize |
between the cylinders. This powd. r,
placed layer by layer between sheets Of |
new rubber and heated to a certain de- |
gree, forms q homogeneous mass, in /
which the fraud cannot be detected.
AAO maui AAOWCHCAS Weak III LGlAc- |
ity and elasticity, and is unfit for sur |
gical use, while dangerous for belt |
ing or other industrial employments.
INCoAIBUsTBLE PAPER AND INK.-An !
English inventor has secured letters |
patent for an incombustible fire-proof
ink. The pulp for the paper is com
posed of vegetable fibre, one part; ashes,
two parts; borax, one-tenth part; and
alum, two-tenth parts. The INK can be
used either in writing or painting, and
IS made according to the following
recipe: Graphite, finely ground, twenty
two drachms; copal or other resinous
gum, twelve grains; sulphate of iron,
two drachms; tincture of nut-gall, two
drachms; and sulphate of indigo, eight
draehms. These substances are thor
oughly mixed and boiled in water. The
graphite can be replaced by an earthly
pigment of any desired color.
Fatty MATTERS IN CAsr-IRoN.-An
experiment. made long ago by Proust
revealed the fact that fatty matters can
be extracted from cast-iron when the
latter is dissolved in certain acids. M.
Cloez-has recently separated these ma
terials in pure state, and their analy-
nA9 A0NGAl1 t4A9 AnLGLEhNlAk AhGB NuAL LuGY
consist of carburets of hydrogen Of the
series of C2n H2n, and present all the
terms thereof at least from C6H6 Cpro.
plyene) to C16HI6. This is a veritable
organic synthesis, realized by the aid
of substances purely mineral, and is
susceptible, consequently, of important
applications. In the Science Record
for 1873 will be found an account of
the eZtr lotion of similar matters from
meteorio iron.
Curious EXPERIMENT IN ELECTRO Ca
PILLARITY. Becquerel notes an
other interesting experiment in electro
capillarity. A tube of glass is closed
Mt one OF its extremilies by a mem
brane of collodion. With the tube is
placed some sulphate of copper, and it
is plunged in mono-sulphide Of sodium.
Orystallized copper is deposited within
the tube, and sulphide of copper out
side. Eventually the membrane be-
comes dissolved and disappears, but
without interruption TO the phenomena
of deposits. The crystalline crust takes
the place OF the collodion without in
terrupting the functions. It becomes
constantly thicker, metallic copper con
tnuing to form on one side and the sui
phide on the other. It is suggested
that this experiment may be of import
anoe from geological or mineralogi-
cal point of view.
THE NEWLY DISCOVERED CRATER OF
MAUI-Mr. I. NJ. Alexander. in a let
ter to the Hawaiian Gazette. gives an
interesting account of his discovery of
avery remarkable volcanic phenomena
on West Maui, one of the Sandwich Is
lands. He found a crater on which
were nearly score Of volcanic pits, not
cones, from fifteen TO fifty feet broad,
and ten to twenty feet deep, with shrub
berry within concealing the charms be-
low. From six of the pits columns of
steam or smoke were rising which were
destitute of sulphurous fumes and had
very little warmth. 1t is believed that
these pits are connected with subterra-
mean chambers heated by volcanic &C
ton, and that the air arising from the
warm depths on a cold morning becomes
changed TO funIes of steam.
SPECTRUM OF THE CoArEr.-Father
Secchi has observed the spectrum of
Coggia's comet, and finds the lines of
earbonio oxide and carbonic acid very
brilliant. The same astronomer notes
curious phenomenon which recently
happened in Jupiter's first satellite.
The atmosphere at the time of observa-
ton was quite clear, and the disk of the
planet, while plainly defined, presented
slightly wavy surface. AS the satel-
lite neared the edge of Jupiter, and had
advanced so that a distance of about
one OF its diameters separated il from
the same, the observer was surprised
to see the disk apparently extend itself
toward the satellite touch it, and then
retract. This to and fro motion contin.
ned until Che satellite was completely
obscured by the planet, a period of -four
or i've minutes. Father Secchi sup.
gests that If similar undulations of the
solar disk take place at the time of the
passage of Venus, there will be strope
elements OF uncertainty in the obserya.
tionss and that it would be desirable tC
employ means which will reduce TO I
minimum these effects of atmospheric
oscillation.
Mr.. DARWIN is at present engaged il
investigating some of the fesh-eatinc
plants, and some of his notes upon Dio.
nOBd 0auscioutG or Venus Fly Trap,
are very interesting. The leaf of this
plant is of very peculiar form. The
blade of the leaf consists of two nearly
semi-circulav halves or lobes, which are
united together along their straight
border by a 4nid-rib. On to this the
two lobes are set in planes which are
nearly at right angles to each other.
The curved outer edge of each lobe is
strengthened by thick border or hem.
From the hem spring some twenty
spikes on either side, which are directed
upward and inward. The under sur
face is bright green, smooth and glis-
tening, and is marked with parallel
streaks. The upper surface is pink or
red, and is beset with little red projec-
tons, which are called glands. Even
after slight irritation, such as that
which is produced when q fly merely