The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-02-27
POPULAR SCIENCE.

POPULAR SCIENCE.
IT is stated that the Salisbury pocess
for using the residuum of petroleum for
fuel has proved failure, and that even
in the original experiments at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, no petroleum was
used.
A NEW mineral, discovered along the
north shore of Lake Superior, has been
named "Huntilite, after DR.. T. S. Hunt,
OF Montreal. 1t contains large proper
tiOns of silver and arsenic, mixed with
iron, zinc, cobalt and sulphur.
IT is stated in the London Times that
DR.. Boil has discovered that the phe-
nOmenon of vision is case of veritable
photography, and that subsequently, DR..
Runne has discovered the organ by
which purple pigment in the last
retinal layer of the eye its regularly de-
posted.
THE Trade Journal declares that
good Graham -four is nearly as costly as
white flour from the same grade of
wheat, and if Graham -four is offered
at low figure it is either adulterated
with excess of bran, middlings and corn
meal, or it is made from very inferior
quality of wheat.
A GAS clock has just been placed on
exhibition in England. The motive
power is hydrogen gas produced by the
action of sulphuric acid and water in 3
zinc globe. As the gas.is generated it
raises a glass bell cover, which as it
rises moves a lever that controls the
hands of the clock.
MILLsToNEs made of glass are Ger
man rovelty. Eight pieces of glass Of
equal size are used as suclei; coun-
ter piece of granite is bound to the out
er form with cement. The advantages
claimed are that they run easily, grind
cool, and produce finer, lighter flour
than French burrs. But few are in
actual operation.
SYMPATHETIC pipes" are recent
novelty. The bowl of a meerschaum
may be colored in FIVE minutes, by first
tinting it with q solution of nitrate of
silver in ether and alcohol, to which
essence of roses and camphor are added.
Figures of any pattern are produced by
the heat of the tobacco, and when pro-
duced are permanent.
ANOTHER application of electricity is
to be noted, of importance in its rela-
ton to mills, warehouses, stores, shops,
vessels, etc. By simple and ingenious
arrangement, and small button placed
outside the building, it can be ascertain
ed, after the premises are shut up, that
every partition iron door is closed; if
any one of these has been neglected, the
omission is at once detected. The same
arrangement or system is likewise ap-
plicable to ships, enabling the COM
mander to know, at any time, if all the
bulkhead doors are closed, and, if not,
which one is open.
A PROCESS for hardening mixtures of
sand and lime by submitting the mate
rial to the action of carbonic acid in a
suitable apparatus has been patented in
France. By this process, it is claimed
that the hydrate Of lime is converted
into carbonate of lime, supplying
building material resembling natural
stone. In connection with this may be
mentioned the introduction of a pre-
pared wooden fiber to replace hair in
making ordinary plastering. The caus-
tic action of the lime impairs the value
of hair as binding material, while on
woody fiber it exerts no injurious effects,
but rather tends to preserve it. The
material is said to be cheap, strong, and
sufficiently flocculent to be easily dis
tributed through the plaster.
A METHOD of preventing wooden piles
from rotting, while in the ground, has
proved so successful that it has receiv-
ed the approval of the Society of En-
couragement, Paris. A certain paint is
used, which has the hardness of stone,
which resists damp, and is very cheap,
and the effectiveness of which has been
tested for the last five years. Fifty
parts of resin, 40 of finely powdered
chalk, about 800 parts of fine sand, of
inseed oil, of red oxide Of lead, and /
of sulphuric acid are combined together
The resin, chalk, sand, and linseed oil,
are heated in mass in an iron boiler,
the red lead and sulphuric acid being
then added. They are all carefully
mixed, and the composition is applied
while hot. II not sufficiently fluid, more
linseed oil is added. When cold and
dry, it forms Q coating Of the hardness
Of stones