The crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1877-1878, 1878-01-31
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.
Cincinnati Commercial.

en- for the North Pole in May.
A canal across the State of Michigan
is talked of. As the state law prohibit
the undertaking ofpubhc Improvement
of this character, it will have to be pros
ecuted by the General Government
if at all.
The taxes in Persia have been reduc
ed one-half, because of the large amount
of gold taken from recently discovered
. mines. and because still larger receipts
are in prospect.
Edison, the inventor of the talking pho
norraph claims to have constructed q
new and larger machine which speaks
loud enough to be audible at distance
of l75 feet.
Japan has no system of patent laws.
The japanese, with their native skill
and ingenuity, copy very successfully
many of the machines sent to that
country, thus almost Immediately stop
ping further importation of such ma
chimes.
A correspondent writes to the Scten-
tJic american that an apparatus for
carrying off the injurious portion OF
Illuminating gas exists in. Europe. 1t
consists in a glass globe fitted to the
fixtures and communicating by means
of small pipe to the chimney, or 9TH
er outlet. The apparatus is ornamen-
tai, as well as effective.
Vegetable ivory, now so extensively
employed in the manufacture of but
tons is made from a hard, ine-grained
nut grown on the Isthmus OF Darien.
These nuts, which are about the size
of hens egg, are sawed into several
pieces, from each of which different
sized buttons are turned. The nuts cost
800 per ton.
A new wheel tire has been invented.
1t consists in passing around the usual
iron tire II rubber tire, and around this
again an iron tire made III sections, so
that each section may yield or move IN"
ward as the weight comes upon It, They
are said to prevent noise, iarring and
wear.
The temperature of Iceland, Green
land and Scandinavia is annually becom-
ing more severe. Grain is failing to rip
en-, and fossil plants are found which
have no existence now The change is
supposed to be due to the steady de-
scent of the ice from the far North up
on those shores. Ice comes much farth-
er South in the Atlantic than formerly.
A Partisan has found new use for
jute fiber. Woven in textile fabrics this
material produces fine effects of light
and color. 1t takes dye readily, and on
simple fabric may be so arranged as
to initiate velvet in relief patterns. 1t
has been proposed to employ this dis
covery in the manufacture of wall tap
estries.
The mineral tantalite, which some
scientific journals are reporting as hav-
ing been recently and for the first time
found in the United States, and which
is known technically as tantalum, and
ColnmJilm, was long since discovered
near New London, Conn. One of the
very names by which the mineral is
called, clearly indicates, as was indica-
ted, its American origin.
The annual oil production of Penn
sylvania is supposed to nearly equal in
value the gold and silver production of
California and Nevada. Oil wells are
now being worked in the last named
regions and if to their present mineral
wealth should be added this equally
sources of income, the condi-
ton of California and Nevada will DO
favored indeed.
The solution of the Chinese question
may be near ut hand. II is stated that
the Peruvians are making unusual Ell
forts to induce Cinnamon to come and
labor upon their sugar plantations. A
subsidy of S120,OOO has been granted
by the Government of Peru to com
Oanv which will establish q line of
steamers to Hong Kong. The freedom
If the country and soft dollar $50
,ents) Il day are offered to the Celes-
ials.
1t has been suggested by some Aus
rian engineers that old rails might be
Utilized in the construction of bridges.
book of designs has been published
containing plans for such bridges. 1t
loes not appear from descriptions of
he book that any bridges have actually
,een made out of old rails. II the
afety of the constructive is in any de-
yree lessened, We trust the plan will
lot gain favor.
Professor Wise, the veteran balloon
st, says balloons may be made of boiler
ron, if built large enough. He says it
S battle of cubes and surfaces.
When the surface is doubled the cube
5 quadrupled, and a balloon 400 feet
II diameter, of copper boiler plate,
would lift up man-of-war vessel and
all away with it. He predicts great
for meteorology when
reaches its full develop
nent.