Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-06-10
4 WONDERFUL DIsc0vIlY.

Absolute discoyer1cs arc rarc tIiiks frSNrcre
is for tho most part the rcsult Of ascriee Of slow
aud patient steps In the direction OF perfection,
each movement of apparently little account, Of
ton indeed scarcely distingulshAble. In saying
" the world moves" we mean that we realize in
their entirety theso almost unconscious steps OF
increasing intelligence. Tho radical, startling
discoveries have of course been numerous, but
they appear to be comparatively few. Such
addition to knowledge ss the demonstra-
tion of the laws of gravitsaon, steam
and electricity, the invention Of printing,
DO, arc epochs In the worlds history, elsbora
tions of any ono Of which might all the patent
Offices Of every land. A little reflection will en-
able anyone to convince himself that the very
great majority Of the things We call inventions
arc merely applications In new and ingenious
FORMS and for wider purpoeee Of usefulness,
Of principles already est~blished But now
and again the inventive genius of man
offers the world something entirely new. and at
such exceptional period,we recognise the differ
ence between discovery and elaboration. One
of these new departures, II current report is to
be trusted, has 1ust been reached. We refer to
the process discovered by the French Scientist
which means this Invaluable product is given
strength nearly equaling that of metal, while its
familiar properties arc left unimpaired. II will
be admitted that II the claim here made can be
substantAted the effect upon the worlds indus
tries must be Of the highest Importance. The
manufacture of glass, in It's rudest form, marked
an immense stride In human progress. II liter
ally let light In upon mon anairs and II is hard
ly extravAgant to ssy that with all the talont and
culture possible we should without is have been
hundreds Of yoars N the rear Of our present al
vanced position. It revolutonized the art OF
living II made the home possible. Equally
solf-evidens Is ~ that II we hnd this
precious agency has the power Of
resistins heA, and shceh we give /, value, not
e9uivAlen, to bc surc 10 its original Importance,
but ono Increased to An lnoalculAble extent.
Experiments show shAa LABastie's eoushened
glass has rcsistl ng powsf alnoss equal 10 cas-,
iron. ueavy glass OF tho ordinary kind, used
for vault hghts, 10 an tnch and half tn th!ok-
ness, gives way under . shoek which tempered
glass quArser Of an trch shick with
stands. Even rors remarkable rfnn It,
strength is tts dualisy Of resisting hest. Water
can be boiled IN a vessel constructed Of It. Suct
vossel may be allowed 20 boil dry and sucl
is It's strength ths, upon osld wsser beins pouret
in the hosted receptacle tho unnatural shock
which We know viii burst & r,etsl veesel--has nj
enect u,on It. Ono clear de.ucaon from thu
valuable property is thss 10 ease Q. Are in
huihiing. windows made Of this glass would no
reAdily give vsy. thus creating air drafts fsta
IN their results. IL said the taughening " 1,
Obtained by treating glass sss sed hes, TO hstt
Of certain fssty substances. The composition
OF this hath is As ye, the inventors secret
though II the discovery rlskes !;s claim gANa 4
is 10: sc ee supposed tbs; such secret ,sAu X
kong kep;. Fur here Is discovery slr1os, eius
IL issalf TO ths. c: new metal, sni saips in
uac&surshly - the use!alaess q an sr.icle no
less vslusele to man .ssa voo cr eo-n. Sa9
posing the claim ~ te true the name Q. Is Bss
tie Will saS with thosS q lie sres, helpers Q
the rScSA