The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-07-25
CuRIors am scrENTIrIc.

CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.
STRENGTH OF GLASS TuBxs.-M. Gail |
letet has found that a tube of thin |
glass, 205 inches in length and three /
quarters of an inch in diameter, was
crushed by an exterior pressure OF
1.155 poures 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
a pressure of fozr 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 very sensitive and very sim
pie manonleter.
Apu1TERAr1oS IN INDIA RUBBER.-
The Bulletin Therapeutique says that,
in order to use old and worn out
pieces Of India rubber scraps left from
factories, manufacturers having easy
consciences wash the material first In
solution of supercarbonate of soda or
potash, and then, when dry, pulyerize
between the cylinders. This powd. T.
placed layer by layer between sheets of
new rubber and heated to certain de
gree. forms a homogeneous mass, IN
which the fraud cannot be detected
The mixture is, however, weak in tenac-
ity and elasticity, and is unfit for sur
cical use. while dangerous for belt
ing or other industrial employments.
TNCoNTBUSrIBIsE PAPER AND ISK--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 draehms; copal or other resinous
gum. SSsalSss eyrAinss sui ahNes OF iron,
two drschms; tincture of nutgall, two
drachms; and suiphate of indigo, eight
drachms. These substances are thor
oughly mixed and boiled in water The
graphite can be replaced by en- earthly
pigment of any desired color.
FATTY MATTERS N CAsr-IRoS. 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. NJ
Cloez has recently separated these ma
sis reveals the interesting fact that they
consist of carburets of hydrogen of the
series Of C2n H2n, and present all the
terms thereof at least from C6H6 pro
plyene) to C16Hl6. 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 viii be fonnd an account of
the extraction of similar matters from
meteoric iron.
CUBIoUs EXPERIMENT. IN ELECTRO Ca
FILLARTTY- Bscquerel notes an
other interesting experiment IN electro
capillarity. A tube of glass is closed
at one OF its extremi les by a mem
brane of collodion. With the tube Is
placed some sulphate of copper. and it
Is plunged IN mouo-sulphide of sodium
Crystallized 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
terruptlng the functions. 1t becomes l
constantly thicker, metallic copper con
tlnuluE 10 form on one side and the sui |
phide on the other. 1t is suggested |
that tins experiment may be of import /
apee from geological or mineralogi- /
cal point of view.
TIE NEWLY DISCOVERED CRATER OF 1
AIAUI.-Mr. /. NJ. Alexander. in a let
ter to the Hawaiian Gazette. gives an
interesting account of his discovery Of
a very remarkable volcanic phenomena
on West Mani, one of the Sandwich IS
lands. He found crater on which I
were nearly a score of volcanic pits. not
cones, IRON fifteen to fifty feet broad,
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. IL IS believed that .
these pits are connected with subterra-
mean chambers heated by volcanic &C
ton, ard that the air arising from the !
warm depths on 2 cold morning becomes I
changed to fumes Of steam.
SPECTRUM or THE CoSrEr.-Father !
Secchi has observed the spectrum of I
Coggia's comet, and finds the lines Of /
carbonic oxide Rnd carbonic acid very
brilliant. The same astronomer notes /
a curious phenomenon which recently /
happened In Jupiter's first satellite. /
The atmOspt ere at the time of observa-
ton was quite clear, and the disk OF the
planet, while plainly defined, presented
a slightly wavy surface. As the satel-
lite neared the edge of Jupiter, and had
advanced so that a distance of about
one of its diane tiers separated it from
the same, the observer WIS surprised
to see the disk apparently extend itself
toward the satellite touch il, and then
], -
ned until he satellite was completely
obscured by the planet, period of four
or five minutes. Father Secchi sug-
gests that if similar undulations of the
solar disk take place at the time of the
passage of Venus, there viii be strong
elements OF uncertainty in the observa-
tions, and that it would be desirable to
employ meaEs which VIII reduce TO
minimum these effects of atmospheric
oscillation.
Mn. DARWIN is at present engaged in
investigating some of the fiesh-eating
plants, and some of his notes upon Do
nara BsuscipisEd 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-circular halves or lobes, which are
united together along their straight
border by a nlld-rlb. On TO this the
two lobes are set in planes which are
nearly at right angles 10 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 ~ marked with TsNrsllsl
streaks. The upper surface is pink or
red, and is beset with little red prolec-
tions. which are called glands Even I
after slight irritation, such as that
which is produced when a fly merely
touches one of the sensitive hairs, or
when they are touched with dry cam
el-hair pencil, the leaf remains closed
for some time, usually more than TWEEN !
ty-four hours. But If a hy is caught, /
or any other nutritious substance is in
troduced, the case is different. For
week or more the leaf remains closed
IN ifs t,rev the two lohpS being Mt first