The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-10-31
POPULAR SCIENCE.

For stopping holes in castings, or for
covering scars, useful cement may, it
is said, be made of equal parts of gum
arabic, plaster of Paris, and iron filings,
and if little finely pulverized white
glass be added to the mixture, it will
make it still harder. This mixture
forms very hard cement that will re-
sist the action of fire and water. 1t
should be kept in its dry state and mix
ed with q little water when wanted for
use.
TESTS FOR KEROsENE.-Prof. J.
Lawrence Smith, in his report as Gen.
tennial Judge, says that good petroleum
should have the following characters.
tics: l. The color should be white or
light yellow, with blue reflection; clear
yellow indicates imperfect publication
or adulteration with inferior oil. 2.
The odor should be faint and not disa-
greeable. The specific gravity at 60
deg. Fab. ought not to be below O.795,
nor above 0.84. 8. When mixed with
an equal volume of sulphuric acid, of
the density of 1.53, the color ought not
TO become darker, but, on the contrarya
lighter.
THE report of Prof. Hams Hofer on
the petroleum industry of North America
has been published at Vienna. Prof.
Hofer was a member of the Austrian
Commission at the Philadelphia Exhi-
bition. He rejects Lesquereux's theory
OF the origin of petroleum from marine
plants, and says that in the present state
of science the oil deposits must be as
cribed to animal remains only. In the
eastern part Of North America these de-
posits are all pronounced to belong to
the palaozoic age of geology; that is to
say, age Of Oldest life; but they do not
belong to the same geological group.
ISRAEL D. JEwETT, druggist at St.
Omer, Ind, has perfected an instrument
which he calls the "Agaphonc." He
says that it will, without the aid of
electricity, carbons, or any complex
machinery, collect distant sounds and
carry them to great distance without
loss of volume. A number of expert
ments were made with the instrument,
wire being strung nearly half mile.
Speaking into the instrument three or
four feet away, the words were heard
clearly and distinctly at the furthest end
Of the wire. Playing upon a violin eight
feet from the instrument, the music was
heard at the other terminal end in the
street. The closing of doors, walking
upon the floor, ordinary conversation,
the ticking of a watch could be heard
distinctly, without applying the instru-
ment to the ear. Mr.. Jewett will not
explain his invention at present, not
havirg as yet received letters patent.
DR.. HIRzEL, of Leipsic, has patented
fabric claimed to be impermeaSle to
water and gas, which he calls oastach,
or gas-cloth. 1t is made by placing a
large smooth piece of so-called gutta-
percha paper between two pieces of
some not too coarse and dense material
such as undressed shirting-and then
passing the arrangement between heat
ed rollers. The outer pieces of shirting
combine intimately with the. inclosed
gutta-percha to form material which
is impenetrable by gas and water. 1t
may be made still denser and more re-
sistant by being coated on both sides
with copal lac. The substance is con-
veniently flexible, and it is said will re-
main proof against variable influences
of weather and external temperature. 1t
can be applied to those purposes for
which waterproof material is used, and
it is well adapted to form gas-tight
membranes for regulators of pressure
of compressed gas, bags or sacks for dry
gas meters, as. also dry gas reservoirs.
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