Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-06-10
MECHANICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

"A new device for stopping holes
made in vessels by collisions, used by
the Russian navy, consists Of water
proof, pliablc patch, with mechanism
by which it may be readily adjusted on
the outside of the leaking surface.
Lieut.. Payer has announced his in
tention Of attem,.. .ug to cross Greenland
from the eastern side, feat which his
experience Us q traveller and an Arctic
explorer fits him to undertake. All at
tempts heretofore to cross the great
Greenland glacier have been from the
west side. notably by Whymper, who,
however, succeeded in traversing but
few miles, when he was obliged to re-
turn.
The Coast Survey is now publishing
an elaborate paper by Mr.. William H.
Dali upon the tides and currents in the
region of the Aleutian Islands and Beh-
ring Sea, which, it is thought, will add
very much to the precision of our knowl-
edge in regard to the current, tempera
lures and general physical conditions of
the North Pacific, also furnishing impor-
tant data for the general consideration
of these questions.
Calcium chloride has the property
of attracting moisture, and objects wet
with its aqueous solution do not dry. 1t
is proposed to use this to subdue dusty
roads. 1t has been found to keep moist
fer three days, when ordinarily it would
dry in an hour. AS the chlorides are in
furious to vegetation, it cannot be uti-
lized in agriculture, as illustrated by the
reclaimed marshes in Holland, where the
saline matter has to be washed away by
spring water before vegetation appears.
lis the patient really dead or not? is
at times very anxious question. A
medical practitioner of Cremona pro-
poses a simple method by which the
question may be answered with certainty.
1t is to inject drop or two of ammonia
beneath the skin, when, if death be pres
ent, ne effect, or next to none, is pro-
duccd; but if there be life, then red
spot appears at the place of the injection.
A test so easily applied as this should re-
move all apprehension of being buried
alive.
-Voelcker has been testing the effects
of series of manures, including COM
mon salt, crude potash salts, quicklime,
bones, superphosphate and heterogeneous
manures, on a number of different pas
ture and grass lands. Common salt and
crude potash salts applied alone were in
furious or of little value. Quicklime and
bones were generally, though not always,
beneficial. The effect of superphosphate
with crude potash salts was generally
quite favorable and lasting. The largest
increase of crop was obtained with nitro
gcnous manures (guano).
--Thcre is some talk of piercing the
Alps by third tunnel, this under Mont
ST. Bernard. AT the center Of the tun-
mel 1t is proposed to excavate a shaft to
the surface through which visitors could
he drawn up to q hotel, and thus obtain
the view without fatigue. The project
for piercing tunnel under the Straits of
Dover seems to be really approaching
definite shape. 1t is proposed to place
1t in the lower chalk, and, though the
whole undertaking will probable be the
most stupendous of its kind that the
present generation will attempt, it is not
expected to be very costly.
AT about twenty miles from Berlin
is situated the village of Sperenberg,
noted for the deepest well that has ever
been sunk. Owing to the presence of
gypsum in the locality, which is at
moderate distance from the capital, it
occurred to the Government authorities
of the mines to obtain a supply of rock
salt. With this end in view the sinking
of shaft or well sixteen feet in diane.
ter was commenced some five years ago,
and at depth Of $50 feet the salt was
reached. The boring was continued to
the further depth Of $50 feet, the dame
ter of the bore being reduced to about
thirteen inches. The operations were
subsequently prosecuted by the aid of
steam until depth Of AIDA feet was at
tanned. AT this point the boring was dis
continued the borer being still in the
salt deposits, which thus exhibit the
enormous thickness Of 2,9o7 feet.