Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-04-11
MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC.


Crompton, has invented locomotive
which possesses the popularity Of
being able to run around any obstacle
placed on the track. and righting itself
on the rails again without any trouble.
The contrivance has been tested, and
gave entire satisfaction.
According to the most recent re-
searches, certain microscopic organ
lied or living bodies constitute. in all
probability, the specific poison or con-
tagion which causes the spreading of
epidemics. Whenever there is fresh
outbreak of an epidemic in locality.
the first case is sure to be in connec-
with u like case in some other locality.
This fact, the result of extensive ex-
perience, goes far to demonstrate that
contagion can only be produced by
STANDARDIZATION and not by any
chance of coincidence.
The ral-Postmaster at Ber-
lin, in Germany, has received a petit
ton from the Society for Bird Protec-
ton, asking that he shall make ar
rangements to save birds from being
killed by the pneumatic post. 1t
seems that from the large air-com-
lead up to the roof, and through these
the required air is sucked in. The
power of the suction apparatus is so
great that both small and large birds
which happen to be flying over the
tubes when the engine is in motion are
drawn down into the chlmneys and de-
stroyed.
"A member Of the London Lin
mean Society lately read apaper before
his fellow-memberS in which he con-
tended that the production of pearls
in oysters is simply due to the irrita-
ton occasioned by the attacks of the
minute entozoon, known as ditoma.
He insists, moreover, that by artificial
means the abundance of this parasite
might be greatly increased and made
profitable in a pecuniary sense. 1t
will be happy day when every lady
can be the possessor of an oyster bed,
and, by raising the ditoma in suitable
numbers, supply herself with all the
pearls she needs.
About as startling proposition
as has yet been devised by modern en-
gineering is the scheme gravely advo-
Gated by the Liverpool Post to block
up the Straits of Belle Isle. The OBJ
ject is to divert the passage of the ice
which now comes down every year
from Baflin Bay, through the Straits,
| and makes the shores past which the
,nahnrna Hnnt InnrnaG COLLAR u a n
those to the eastward that face the
ocean and get the benefit of the Gulf
stream. 1t is believed that, if the
project could be carried out, the entire
climate of Anticosta and Of the Gull
of st. Lawrence would be largely mod
! flied, and navigation through the
ncighboring waters could be kept open
during the whole year. In the narrow
est portion the width of the straits /.
eight and one-half miles.
-Siehr recommends very highly tn,
use of sawdust in mortar as superior
| even to hair in preventing the crack
! ing and peeling off OF rough casting
under the action of storms and frost
His own house, exposed TO prolonged
! storms on the seacUast, had patches OF
mortar to be renewed each spring, and
| after trying without effect number
! of substances to prevent 1t, he found
sawdust perfectly satisfactory. 1t was
first thoroughly dried and sifted
through an ordinary grain sieve to re-
move the larger PARTICLES. The mortar
was made by mixing one part OF
cement, two Of lime, two of sawdusl
and hve of sharp sand, the sawdust
being well mixed dry with the cement
and sand.