The daily gazette., 1876-11-20
scientific Notes.

1t appears that the efforts made to EN-
| ploy atmospheric pressure in raising Goa
| in some of the French collieIies, have
been attended with such satisfactory re.
suits as to lead to its tsintroduction in place
of any other method. A piston WORKS in
an air tight tube in the shaft, to which
piston Is attached gage to which thu
tubs of coal are placed. Air being admit
ted beneath the piston, the coal Is at once
urged to the top of the shaft, and at the
same time emore than seventy thousand
I'cubic feet of foul air are discharged from
the workings, while corresponding fur.
nish of fresh air Immediately enters the
mine, 1t is the opinion of some eminent
engineers that this application of pneu-
mates presents several advantages in
mining operations, and its introduction
will probably be widely extended when
the best methods of its rse have been
properly determined.
An exhibition was recently made, in
London, of series of improved ma
chimes, about score in number, con.
strueted for making casks and hogs s-heads
a grouping or combination, that is, of the
various devices employed hitherto for
this purpose into one general system
Practical illustration, 1t Is stated, was
given that casks for holding LIQUIDS of all
Kinds can be produced entire,y without
half the cost for labor; and when it is
stated that one machine alone, worked
by lad, will joint in the most perfect
manner, six slaves in minute, while
another will turn, bevel and oval head,
with mathematical accuracy, in less than
that space of time, the great economy of
the method is sufficiently apparent
Apart from ihe utility Of this system, the
perfect operation of such massive clock
work machinery is described ps truly
wonderful.
The process of making what is called
Scotch snuff, so famous the world over,
has lately been described by Prof. Davey,
before the British association of science,
and is briefly as follows:
The di fferent proportions of leaf stalks,
and dusts or smalls of tobacco being mix
ed together they are first moistoned then
allowed TO pass through n process or fer
menta,ion, and, after a certain time are
placed in n metal pan, and exposed to n
powerful openfire. On becoming sufficient
ly dried they are conveyed to the grinding
mill, and there ground up beneath granite
stones, and afterward in wooden mulls. 1t
is next carefully sifted, to free it from i'm
purities or coarse grains. In the case of
scented snuff, the fragrance is added at
ter manufacture. The moisture snufis,
such as rappee, etc, differ somewhat in
their mode of manufacture from the pre-
ceding.
The industrial value of sandal wood
appears to have largely increased dur
ing the last few years, this being particu-
larly the case in the manufacture of fans
from the wood, on account of its pecu-
liar odor. The heart wood is hard and
heavy. The best parts are used for cary
ing boxes, album covers, desks and other
useful and ornamental articles. The
roots, which are The richest in oil, and the
chips, go to the still; and, either in pow
der or rubbed up into paste, the wood
is employed by all Brahmins in the pig
ments used in their DISTINGUISHING caste
marks. The oil foIms the oasis OF many
scents and Is sometimes rsed for impreg-
mating with its odor, ar..cles which are
carved from common wood, hut pf"sed
off as true sandal.