The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-06
SCIENTIFIC.

graphlc agent, mas reconIly peeh cohelu-
cred. 1t is found that sheet of paper,
passed through solutiun Of salt of vana-
dium and exposed to sunlight, yields a
well defined picture on treating with salts
of uranium.
ARTIFICIAL parchment is made by dip
ping sheet of strong paper into solution
of sulphuric acid, mixed with tenth of its
weight Of pure water. 1t is held in this
LIQUID for about three seconds, and then
washed thoroughly in water and dried.
| Experiments lately made in Dresden show
that the paper thus prepared has power
of resistance four times as great as before
its immersion. The process is sometimes
used in Germany for less delicate service,
as envelopes for sansages and dynamite
cartridges.
A PROCESS for purifying rancid butter,
recently patented, neutralizes and removes
the developed acids which are formed upon
the butter globules by the fermentation of
the milky film, and consists in working the
butter through solution of brine contain
ing an alkaline carbonate mixed with So
luton of tartarie acid or its equivalent.
The alkaline carbonate neutralizes the ran
cid acid, while the effervescence, caused
by the decomposition of the alkaline car
Donate by the tsrtaric acid, loosens and
removes the neutralized impurities.
The single-wire block signaling instru-
ments are in extensive use on the English
railroads. They possess one special and
important advantage which no other single
wire system has, namely, that the con-
sentaneous action of the two signal men at
the station in advance and in the rear is
necessary in order to lower the semaphore
to the point which indicates "all clear, y
thus avoiding the production of false safe
ty signal, and it's consequences, from any
accidental current. In addition to this, a
part of the same apparatus consists In the
single repeater arrangement, which repeats
back electrically the movements of signal
which may be out of sight of the man who
works it.
A WRITER in the Mechanics Magazine,
London in giving an account of his expert.
ments with spontaneous combustion, states
that he took handful of cotton waste
soaked it in the oil to be experimental
upon, wrung out the excess Of oil, and then
put it into box along with some dry cot
ton. The box with contents was then
heated to 175o Fah., and in seventy five
minutes the cotton saturated with boiled
linseed oil was found to be on fire. Boiled
linseed oil and seal oil were found to be
the most combustible; next in order came
lard oil, which took four hours; raw linseed
oil took four to five hours; rape oil and
galipoli-olive oil took little longer thar
the last. All the oils thus named art
ethers of glycerine. Castor oil, which il
not an ether of glycerine, took two days te
ignite spontaneously; sperm oil, too, doel
not ignite; and the pstroleums actually
stop the spontaneous combustion of the oil
above mentioned.
RECENT experiments made with stee
I wire rope, at one of the English dockyards
I were pronounced complete success. The
samples operated upon were respectively
of the circumference of three, four, five
and six inch, and the core of each wal
!, formed of tared hemp, over which wal
- k.,;c%oJ ,;v c+ ,,1o aoob cfxop5 baipey ooo,
posed of nineteen highly tempered stee
: galvanized wires. The three-inch hawser
= which was formed of fifteen gauge wires
broke at twenty-five and one-eighth tons
y. the four-inch, fourteen gauge, at thirty
!. five and seven-eighths tons; the fve-inch
. twelve gauge, at fifty-seven and three
= eighths tons; and the six-nch, ten gauge, a
the enormous strain Of one hundred ant
three-eighths tons. In every instance, tn
strands parted at the splicing, which wer
the only parts displaying any appreciabl
elongation under the tests. In the matte
T. of weight, the advantage is claimed to b
u entirely on the side of the metal; for ex
~ ample, three-inch and six. inch wire hawser
= weighed, respectively, seven and twenty
% nine pounds per fathom, while nine an,
- nineteen-inch hempen hawsers weighe'
nineteen and eighty-four pounds to tn
~ fathom.
o A DESCRIPTION appears of o remarkable
e clock, which, in addition to other spscia
b. features, has an electrical attachment whicl
70 renders it for the purpose it is used-tha
of rating ehronometers nearly perfec
Ie as can be. 1t Is called an Astronomical
clock, with mercurial eompensating pendu
:. lum. Every time the pendulum vibrates
. its lower point, made of platinum, passe
u through an insulated bulb of mercury
= which alternately breaks and connects til
y !, circuit of a battery with little sounde
" that taps the seconds. To this sounder i
=. attached little ratchet wheel with tel
" rachets, and at each tap of the sounder tn
wheel moves one ratchet. At the tent
Az ratchet platinum arm goes into drop O