The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-13
sCINTIl.LATIONS OF SCIENCE.

SCINTIL.LATIONs OF SCIENCE.
Ericin, new dye, is said to be OBJ
tanned by treating with hot solution of
alum the stems of common heath and the
wood of different varieties of poplar.
Tie Municipal Corporation of Berlin
has permitted the construction of the
Siemens Electrical Elevated Railway,
between Wedding-place aud Belle-Alli-
ance-place.
Grehaut finds that the small quantity
of carbonic oxide arising from the eom-
bustiOn OF coal-gas can scarcely be de-
tected by its effects upon animals eom-
PEELED to breath an atmosphere contain
ing it.
Prof. Davidson, Of San Francisco, says
that the next total solar eclipse visible
near the United States will be that OF
May 2Sth, 1900, at o'clock in the after
noon. The central line of totality passes
through Mexico, the Azores, and Egypt.
The Paris, Lyons & Mediterranean
Railway Company are said to. be trying
new plan for heating cars Of express
trains. The ordinary foot-warmers, hav-
ing been filled with acetate of soda, are
closed and placed in stove at 1oO0 G.
They will then remain warm for about
II or 10 hours. When they are cool;
they are removed from the cars and
heated as before.
An eleetrophorus constructed accord
ing to suggestion of Prof Borlinetto,
of the University of Padua, has been
found to answer the expectations formed
regarding it. Cardboard covered with
a film of collodion is employed in its
construction, and sparks have been OBJ
tained from it much longer than those
derived from the ordinary resin and
shellac instrument. ColIodion is an ex.
tremely electrical substance, and when
rubbed with any other known substance,
becomes negatively electrified. A gun
cotton paper was previously used, how.
ever, by Schonbein in making an electri-
cal machine.
Two new kinds of tea having very Pc
culiar qualities have been discovered by
Mr.. E. G. Baber while exploring the re-
gion west Of Kiating-tu, China. One Of
the varieties was rare, and appears to
have been grown only by some monks Of
the monasteres OH Mt. Omi. An infusion
of it tasted like strong congou to which
brown sugar had been added literally,
but its sweetness was natural property
The other tea grew spontaneously at
heights Of more than six thousand feet
above the level of the sea. It is leafy
shrub with stem about four inches
thick, and it attsins height of fifteen
feet. In making an infusion every part
of the plant except the root is employed.
The beverage produced is strongly.
colored but weak tea, having natural
milky or rather buttery flavor.
The Scientific American gives the fol.
lowing brief description of photo-engrav.
ing-an art which. has reached very
high degree Of perfection in this coun.
try: "In general terms, the process Of
producing engravings or types for print
ing by photography consists, first, in
making sharp negative of the picture
to be engraved; second, in the photo
graphic printing of sheet of sensitized
gelatine by means Of the negative; third
in the development of the printed line
upon the surface of the gelatine by water
and, fourth, in the casting Of copy o.
the developed gelatine sheet in metal, the
metal SO produced being used for print
ing on the press in the ordinary manner
All this is very simple, and in the hand
of experienced and skillful persons yer,
beautiful examples of printing plate
having all the fneness and artistic effec
of superior hand-engraved work may b
produced"
The Sheffield correspondent of the Lor
don Engineer imparts this piece of infol
nation to that Journal "a curious fac
has come to my knowledge regarding tn
: emigration Of Sheffield razor-grinders t
) America. In the spring Of last year
Sheffield firm removed their business
, the States, taking their workmen wit
them. The firm had tanks special
constructed, which were filled wit
Sheffield water to be used ft
hardening purposes. So long as I'll
: water lasted, the manufacture of She
, field razors in America progressed witho,
hitch, but some time ago the wate
t was exhausted, and recourse was had
American water. To the grinders no
/, ror, their worst fears were realized-tt
l water would neither harden razor blade
r nor give the needful polish to razo
!, merely made to SELL The failure
I the American water has caused tt
scheme to collapse, and Sheffield will r
> cover any portion of the razor trade 81
had lost by the temporary success of tt
experiment. l hear that the grinde
r may soon be expected back in Sheffield
Some of our working electricians ha'
: been much more bothered than the
y would like to acknowledge by the exec
9 sive heating and destructive sparks
Z their dynamo-electro machines, CO
~ structed on the principle of the Gramn
= and Siemens Won Alteneck apparatu
= when the outer resistance is short-ci
a cuited in producing the electric ligt
i A remedy for the evils attending m
!, chimes of the shunt princip
. has been proposed in a pap