Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-09-16
MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC.

MECHANlCAL AND SClENIlflCs
The following soluble glass is best
adapted for coating brick and stone: Dry
carbonate of potassium, ten parts, pow
dered quartz, fifteen parts; charcoal, one
part. Sand, free from alumina and iron,
may replace the quartz. Fuse together
and dissolve in boiling water Olive or six
times the weight. Filter ---.Scienttfc Amer
ican.
The Imperial Academy of Sciences at
Vienna has taken up the question of the
decrease of the quantity of water in
springs, streams and rivers. In a circular
the Academy calls attention to the fact that
for some years past diminution of the
waters of the Danube and other great riv-
ers has been noticed, and especially since
the modern practice OF cutting down for
ests without regard to consequences has
prevailed. The Austrian Engineers and
Architects Union have also taken the
question in hand and appointed a Hy-
drotechnic Committee" to collect facts and
prepare a report. The Danube, the Elbe
and the Rhine were each assigned to two
members.
Experiments were made some time
ago in England relative to the preserva-
ton Of boilers by placing unslaked lime
in those boilers which could be kept
empty, and in those cases where they were
liable to leakage from the sea by filling
them with solution Of lime in sea water
The result of this experimental applica-
ton Of the solution Of lime proved so sat
isfactory that by direction OF the Govern
ment its use is to be extended to iron and
composite ships. The regulation pre-
scribes that in all cases where it is impos-
sibe to dry out completely any of the
compartments, bilges or wings in order to
coat them with composition, paint or ce-
ment, lime well slakcd is to be deposited
in the water contained in such places, care
being taken, in order to prevent injury,
that the lime used be first thoroughly
slaked.
Nov here's this matter of bones, for
instance. Nobody thinks of preserving
bones nowadays. You buy your meat
with lots of bones in, and then the butch
er, after he has sold them 10 you at the
rate OF sixteen TO twenty cents pound,
considerably cuts them out for you--trims
the piece, you know--and sells them over
again to the factories for five or six cents
IA pound. This is undoubtedly great
outrage. AS we GO in for every social re-
form yctu can think of, we insist that it is
high time people saved their bones and
got their moneys worth when they buy
meat. Heads and ribs bring five dollars IA
ton, and are always in demand for fertili
GERS. Shouldcr-blades and shins are worth
ten dollars ton, and are gladly bought by
the sugarrefiners. And persons who pre-
fer the choice cuts that lie just back of
the horns should insist upon having the
horns thrown in, for they bring thirty dol
lars a ton, and bits sl the hide found
hanging to them are eagerly sought for by
the glue manufacturers. See how much
we waste just in this one little matter of
bones. Let us save bones .-Butalo Er-
press.
Recent Investigations have shown
this curious fact ABOUT sponges; That, no
matter how long sponge may have been
used, no matter how long il may have
been kept dry, its life is apparently re
stored when ii is wet The sponge being
wet with WARM water and placed in
warm room, the eXtremitics- of the sponge
after little while appear to be alive and
reach out like so many snakes--the longer
they are the greater the motion. Wettng
the sponge with salt water is found to in
crease the motion, Nearly half of all the
slender points seem to come to life, but
after they become dry the motion ceases
All sorts of dust We're put upon the sponge
SO that they should be under the same
circumstances rs the pores OF the sponge,
but nothing but the pores showed any
motion. These moving parts, when
caught with pliers, would pull out por.
ton of the sponge. When there is much
water in the sponge they seem to be salts
fed, but ii is rs the sponge is drying
gradually that evidences Of life are eXhib-
ited-this fact being discovered with an
instrument which magnited only forty
two diameters.