The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-10-30
discoveries Made by Accident.

Discoveries Made by Accident.
Valuable discoveries have been made,
and valuable inventions suggested, by
veriest accidents.
An alchemist, while seeking to dis
cover O mixture of earths that would
make the most durable crucibles, one
day found that he had actually made
porcelain.
The power OF lenses, as applied to the
was discovered by watch
makers apprentice. While holding
spectaele-glasses between his thumb and
finger, he was startled at the suddenly
enlarged appearance of neighboring
church -spire.
The art of etching upon glass was dis
covered by Nuremburg glass cutter.
By accident, few drops of aqua fortls
fell upon his spectacles. He noticed
that the glass corroded and softened
when the acid had touched it. That
was hint enough. He drew figures upon
glass with varnish, applied the corroding
fluid. then cut away the glass around the
drawing. When the varnish was re-
moved, the figures appeared raised upon
dark ground.
Mezzotinto owed its invention to the
simple accident of the gun-barrel of
sentry becoming rusted with dew.
The swaying to and fro of chandelier
in cathedral suggested to Galileo the
application of the pendulum.
The art Of hthographing was perfected
through suggestions made by accident.
A poor musician was curious to know
whether music could not be etched upon
stone as we'll as upon copper.
After he had prepared his slab, his
mother asked him to make a memoran-
dunn of such clothes as she proposed to
send away to be washed. Not having
pen, ink and paper convenient, he wrote
the list on the stone with the etching
preparation, intending to make copy of
it at leisure.
A few days later, when about to clean
the stone, he wondered what effect aqua
fortls would have upon it. He applied
the acid, and in q few minutes saw the
writing standing out in relief. The next
step necessary was simply to ink the
stone and take off an impression.
The composition of which printing-rol-
lers are made, was discovered by Sal
opian printer. Not being able to find the
pelt-ball, he linked the type with piece
Of soft glue which had fallen out Of the
glue-pot. 1t was such an excellent sub
stitnte that, after mixing molasses with
the glue, to give the mass proper consist
ency, the old pelt-ball was entirely dis
carded.
The shop of London tobacconist, by
the name of Lnndyfoot, was destroyed by
fire. While gazing dolefully into the
smouldering rnins, he noticed that his
poorer neighbors were gathering the
snuff from the cannisters. He tested the
snuff for himself, and discovered that the
fire had largely increased its pungency
and aroma.
He secured another shop, built lot of
ovens, subjected the snuff to heating
process, gave the brand particular
name, and in few years became rich
through an accident which he at first
thought had completely ruined him.
The process Of whitening sugar was
discovered in acurious way. A hen that
had went through clay puddle went
with her muddy feet into a sugar house.
1t was noticed that wherever her tracks
were the sugar was whitened. Expert
ments were instituted, and the result was
| that wet clay came to be used in refining
sugar.
The origin Of the blue-tinted paper
came about by mere slip of the hand.
The wife of William East, an English
paper.maker, accidentally let a blue-bag
fall into one of the vats of pulp. The
workmen were astonished when they saw
the peculiar color of the paper, while
Mr.. East was highly incensed over what
he considered grave pecuniary loss.
His wife was so much frightened that she
would not confess her agency in the
! matter.
After storing the damaged paper fol
| four years, Mr.. East sent il to his agent
at London, with instructions to sell it for
| what it would bring. The paper was &c.
| cepted as ''purposed novelty" and was
| disposed of at quite an advance over mar.
ket price.
Mr.. East was astonished at receiving
an order from his agent for another large
invoice of the paper. He was without the
secret, and found himself in dilemma.
| Upon mentionining it to his wife, she
| told him about the accident. He kept
the secret, and the demand for the novel
tint exceeded his ability to supply it.
| A Brighton stationer took a fancy fo1
dressing his show window with piles Of
writing paper, rising gradually from the
largest to the smallest size in use; and
to finish his pyramid off nicely, he cut
cards to bring them to point.
Taking these cards for diminutive
note-paper, lady customers were contin'
ually wanting some of "that lovely little
paper" and the stationer found it ad
vantageous to cut paper to the desired
pattern.
As there was no space fer addressing
the notelets after they were folded, he
after much thought, invented the enve.
lope, which he cut by the aid of metal
plates made for the purpose.
\ The sale increased SO rapidly that he
was unable to produce the envelopes fast
enough, so he commissioned q dozen
houses to make them for him, and thus
set going an important branch of the
manufacturing stationery trade.