The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-06-17
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.

PROFESSOR SERGUIs KERN, of st.
Peters burg, finds that the explosive
properties of nitro-gly cerine nearly dis
appear if the substance is highly heated.
TIE German minister of war has
ordered cannon of IA inch bore to
be made from the block of steel, weigh
ing more than ffty-one tons, which at
tracted so much attention st the Vienna
Exposition. This gun, it is calculated,
viii be able to pierce a 10 inch plate at
distance of mile and a quarter.
In a memoir on cyclones and water
spouts, Mouchez publishes some obser-
vations made by him while upon the
ocean, which, if correct, are quite i'm
portant. According to him, at or near
the surface of the ground the movement
of air in the cyclone Is always from be-
low upward, while in whirlWinds the
movement is from above downward. In
the latter case the wind descends from
the cloud in the form of bag or tube,
which terminates in a point. He be-
heyes that water spouts have no relation
whatever to cyclones, having an opposite
appearance and cause. In this opinion
RenOu also concurs.
A CORRESPONDENT of Nature relates 8
curious phase of bird life. While he
was crossing the Atlantic, last Sep
TENDER, and nine hundred miles from
the nearest point of Newfoundland, two
land birds settled on the ship, and after
q short rest resumed their passage to
the southeast. They seemed to be
species of lark. The question was,
where did they come from, whittier
were they going over that vast space of
ocean, with no resting-place nearer the
continent than the Azores, how were
they fed, and what guided them? The
writer is not of opinion that land birds
are often driven out to sea by the force
of the wind. Some other cause must
influence their movements. Birds must
possess strong affections, as they are
always seen IN pairs ON these long
journeys.
TIE method of drying new dwellings,
by burning charcoal in them In open
vessels has considerable experience In
its favor. Recently the so-called char
coal briquettes, composed of charcoal
powder, saltpeter, and some cementing
material, compressed into blocks and
dried, have been found peculiarly
adapted to replace char osl for the
above purpose, since the manipulation
with them is cleaner and safer, ard they
need no attention Nhatever, as they
burn very gradually, without any
liability TO go out, and without danger
of producing confagration by becoming
too highly heated. Besides, it is not
necessary to enter q room repeatedly
that is under this treatment and filed
with carbonie acid 10 renew the fuel,
since exactly the proper quantity of
briquettes can be ignited at first,
They are simply placed on a support of
bricks, or better, upon an iron wire
CRATE, and lighted at enc end. They
have lately been introduced largely
upon the Prussian railroads for heating
cars, as well as in Saxony, and are man
ufactured by Dollfus, Of Chsmnitz, at
about 81 per 900 pounds, this quantity
being sufficient TO dry out large
building In short time.
PAPER IN JAPAN.-The uses Of paper
IN Japan are ludicrously various. It
is used in everyday life, in the drawing
room, in the nursery and the kitchen,
In ways that are dark 20 a foreigner.
A Japanese is never at a loss for a
string, a sheet for letter, q wrapper, a
handkerchief, a to vel or a platter. In
his bosom Is a roll of paper, and what
paper can accomplish is known only to
the native of Japan When q Yezaburo
or Kintara cuts his finger, a bandage is
applied, and tears are dried by the
same article. The exquisitely. dres sad
young lady takes roll of paper from
her girdle, and lol it becomes a hand
kerchief. Pass into the street on q rainy
day in Jeddo, and you see for miles
g panorama of moving disks of paper.
Both umbrellas and a suit of oiled and
water proof clothes, hat, coat, trousers
and shoes may be bought almost sny-
where in japan. Boxes, pipe casts,
twine, dishes, tea trays, carpets, Chin
neys, roasting tins for firing tea, WIN
dows. doors, partitions and screens are
everywhere made of paper. The pan
neled walls OF the houses are made of
paper pulp. Old japanese armor is
largely made of compressed lacquered
paper. Perhaps Europeans adopted
the custom of preparing the wall Of
their houses from these people. The
dwellings of the better class of the
japanese people are always papered,
though the sheets used are not over q
foot or eighteen inches sqasre. They
are polished, silvered, giided, colOred
or painted with birds, flowers, animals
and many tasteful designs.