Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-06-06
MECHANICAL AND Scientific

Prof. Davidson caught a sn;ao,
web as it was being spun. and fau.
that single thread of it was composa9
of twenty-eight separate strands
Excavation in Colorado is rara,,
ing some remarkable petrifactiona
The latest discovery is lot of no.;
fled sea-turtles, such as are fonnd :
the Pacific. ~
According to some interesting in.
ve5tigations made by NJ. Martins -
Montpelier, as cited in q Belgian panar
the intensity of cold diminisbes .,
night up to a certain height. Th;s
phenomena was tested during con
siderable period, and in a most carafr,
manner, by NJ. Martins, his plan helm
to place the thermometers in H.
Botanic Garden and at various beioh+s
on the cathedral tower. II wsS
found, by the observations connectaJ
with this arrangement, that in clear
nights the increased warmth at
higher elevation was most percentihla
while in dull nights there was little or
no difference.
Experiments made in Vienna prova
that straw gives in effective heatinc
power nearer approach to its theo,
retlcal heating power than either wood
or coal. Thus, while the Theoretical
heating power of coal is 11.51 deg. tho
actual power obtained from it in
steam boiler is SO to s; of wood. tha
theoretical power is 4.3 to SO, and the
effective power 2.5 to 3.75; of straw
the theoretical power is 3, and the
actual 1.S6 to 1872. From this it an
pears that straw raises more steam in
proportion to its theoretical heating
value than either wood or coal. The
difference between the theoretical
heating power of fuel and the effect
i've heating power is the amount which
is lost by imperfect combustion, radia-
ton and other causes, and this loss
has been found, by the most thorough
ly conducted experiments, to be about
tifty-three per cent. or really more
than one-half.-N. Y. Times.
Almost all the spools used in the
great thread establishments of Paisley
probably the most celebrated in the
world-are made of birch, the wood
growing in the highlands of Scotland
being preferred for this purpose. The
birch, to be In proper condition, is cut
when the sap is out of it. and partially
rlnded at once, to prevent souring
After remaining in stock until perfect
ly dry, it is sawn up into cross sections,
from which are blocked out the vari-
Gus diameters of spools required The
blocking machines, now in such eY-
tensive use everywhere, were invented
by the wellknown MesSrs. Coates of
PaiSley-themSelv manufacturers of
thread on an immense scale-and by
their employment "A great saving is ef-
fected III the quantity of wood worked
up. and the labor both facilitated and
reduced. These blocks are placed on
the selt-acting lathe. which turns them
out finished spools with great rapidly.
An improved German stove has
been invented, the special feature of
which consists in having the lower
part of the fuel chamber provided with
a crescent-shaped throat piece or plate,
the latter being also connected with a
bottom surface having mOuthpiece,
with which the door is connected 10y
means of a hinge, so that the former
can slide. TO work this stove an inner
fuel chamber is filled to within some
inches below the tlue hole with coke
or coal, wood fire is lit on the top,
the heating cylinder is closed, and
sliding door opened; the combustion
takes place from top to bottom, and is
regulated by the sliding hinged door,
or by ventilator-that is, by admit
lance of air either into the stove or
into the chimney. The burned fuel IS
replaced 10y fresh, filled into the heat
ing cylinder when required, and the
ashes are removed once or twice III
tWentyfour hours, after showing
small fork-shaFed CRATE, provided with
handle, into the ash pit. This CRATE
rests and moves on slides: it serves to
prevent the burning fuel from settling
while the ashes are being removed, and
is aftprWarl withdrawn