The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-07-11
Scientific Miscellany.

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a patent has been taken out in Eng
land on process for removing injuri-
ous gases from smoke, thus abolishing
great nuisance of large manufacturing
towns. Before entering the chimney
the smoke is passed over tank of wa
ter containing soda ash in solution.
/ The water is thrown up as fine spray
by means of paddle wheels, and the
spray is caught by screens of laths from
which it slowly trickles back into the
tank, thorough washing Of the smoke
being insured in this manner. The mo-
ton of the paddle wheels also gives an
increased draft and more uniform heat
in the furnace. This process is said TO
have proved so effective that persons
have breathed- with impunity over the
top of chimney into which the washed
vapors escaped. It's expense will pre-
vent its general introduction until some
plan of cheapcning it is devised.
Among the latest archaeological die
coveries in the lake of Neutchatel is al
earthenware vase of the age of bronze,
upon the surface of which are plainly
visible the finger marks of the prehis-
toric potter.
1t is expected that within another
year and half Germanys system of
underground tclegraphs will be COM
pleted. 1t constitutes two lines trav-
| ersing the empire from Hamburg to
Ratisbon, and from Konisberg to Stras-
burg, and crossing each other in Berlin,
while encircling and connecting subter-
ranean wires will be laid 10 un ite the
outlying cities and towns of any impor-
tance with the main lines. 1t is evident
from the magnitude and completeness
OF these plans that the German authori-
ties have the utmost confidence in the
entire practicability of the underground
system.
Several points in st. Petersburg are
to be lighted by electricity.
A model of patented apparatus for
driving machinery by means of the tide
is now OH exhibition in Liverpool. Eng.
To carry ont the plan dock connected
with the tide would have to be formed,
which contains pontoons. An elevated
reservoir would also be requisite, into
which the water would be forced by
rams as the tide raises the pontoons
the power of the tide being sixty-fonr
pounds per cubic foot. Mains would
then have to be laid from this elevated
reservoir to the place where the motive
power is required. The inventor of the
principle, Mr.. James c. Stevenson, feels
convinced of its practicabiity, and con-
culates that there would be a saving of
ITO per'horsc power per annum if it
were adopted and used instead of steam,
besides doing away with the risk of
boiler explosions. A dock five thou
sand feet square would be sufficient TO
supply Liverpool and surrounding
towns with the motive power at present
required.
The president of the Wisconsin Ac-
ademy of Sciences has endeavorcd to
show how the copper implements used
by the American aborigines were
made. They could not have been cast,
and he suggests two methods by which
they may have been fOrmed-that of
hammerlng into shape, and a process
called "swedging," or pounding into
rude matrices formed in Stone.
The phosphorcscent property of sui
phide of calcium has been applied to
photography. picture being produced
that is scarcely visible by daylight, but
which stands out in startling relief in
the dark.
1t is reported that Niagara Falls are
to be lighted by electricity.
An English scientist advances a new
theory of the earth's magnetic poles
the magnetism existing, he believes, il,
the atmosphere instead of the earth
four poles are necessary to explain all
the Phenomena OF terrestrial magnetism
and he regards these poles as the free
ends of as many broad magnetic belts
two extending from the north pole tc
the equator, and the other two coming
up from the south to meet them. These
bands he believes to revolve at slow
and unequal rates around the poles OF
The eartn, producing secular variations
A mysterious fire in st. Louis has
been recently proved to be the result O
the spontaneous combustion of som,
pieces of hemp cloth which had beer
used to polish u vanished floor.
a German paper states the results o
experiments lately made in the use O
acorns, from which il appears that the,
may be applied to advantage to othe
) purposes besides feeding hogs. Her
kost has used them in feeding q COW
and goat for several years with sue
cess; while the milk and butter the,
produced were better in taste and colo
, than when the animals had been fe,
upon oil-cake. Herr Kost warns dairy
men, however, that care must be takel
that the acorns are perfectly ripe whel
gathered, and that they are cooked wit
the food.
. Oil from the Bradford oil district i
now run one hundred miles throug
s pipes to Williamsport, Pa, the deliver
I ing capacity being about six thousan
S barrels per day.
, 1t is said that lime has very iniurI
Gus effect upon lead pipes when il rest
upon them, and is kept moist or eve
damp. Cases are reported where pipe
: : have been eaten through in a very shol
lime under basement floors where th
. plasterers had swept their rubbish.
E June goth Prof. Swift, al Rochester
s N. Y, discovered new comet in tn
+, constellation OF Perseus.
"A tcicph"hc mas Dcen placcu Ill
!, Mansfield, o., church, the wires leat
! ing TO the houses of several aged an
! invalid persons.
9 A Brooklyn inventor has patented
4 new "switch controller,' by means
IS which railroad switches are operated l
IS the engineers of the passing locom
= tiyes.
II II is now proposed TO export col
e from Western Siberia TO Europe, Il
u many successful voyages recently ma,
Is to the Kara sea having encouraged e
y y terprising navigators to engage in SUI
&c trade.
n The falls of Awotonga, on the ThamC
"a in New Zealand, have been successful
er destroyed by means of dynamite, so
I'd TO free the navigation of this river.
IL charge of two hundred pounds W