Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-04-15
Reported for the Grant County HsRALs.
Popular Science Notes.

Popular Science Notes
No little anxiety is being mani
tested 10 this country, to see that
grand example of Egyptian art,
"Cleopatra's Needle" which was
presented some time ago to the
United States, by the Khedive of
Egypt. The work Of taking down
and transporting the great Obelisk
to this country is under the snper.
vision of Lieutenant Commander
Corning, Of the u. s. Navy, who is
assisted by the splendid liberality of
Mr.. w. Fl. yanderblt.of New York,
who has agreed to bear the entire
expense OF the undertaking, which il
is calculated will reach near $780,.
900. This ObelIsk is from Alexan
dria,is 70 feet in height and is feet
7 inches by s feet 2 inches at the
base. 1t is of pink granite, supposed
to have been taken from the quarries
of Syrene and from the Greek inscrip
tions upon it,it was erected and ded-
icated to King Thomas III, in the
days OF Moses. If no accident oc-
curs "Cleopatra's Needle" will ar
rive in New York, in the early part
OF the Summer and be erected in
some suitable place in this city, when
doubtless, thousands of persons will
be attracted thlther to see the great
curiosity and behold its hieroglypn.
les, which We're probably seen and
read by the Jews at the time OF Mos.
es, or when the Savior was taken by
his parents to Egypt as place Of
refuge from Herod's rage.
Mr.. j. Ballantine Hsnnay, of Glas
gov, Scotland, Fellow Of the Chem.
ical Society Of London, is meeting
with great success in the manufac.
ture OF artificial diamonds. A writer
from the Mineral Department Of the
British Museum declares that speci.
mems of this gentleman's work have
been thoroughly tested and found
folly equal in every respect to the
genuine. Like the diamond they are
nearly inert in polarized light, and
their hardness is such that they east.
ly score deep grooves ia a polished
surface of sapphire, which the dia
mond alone can do. Many other
chemists and experts have thorough.
iy tested specimens and give alike
report, that they are so near the gen.
uine as to make it almost impossible
to detect the difference.
The American exhibits at the In
ternational Fish Exhibition, to be
held at Berlin, beginning April goth,
will be numerous and valuable. The
Commission to represent the United
States sal ed from New York on the
goth of last month, with Prof G.
Brown Goode, Curator of the Nat.
ionai Museum, at the head. The ex
hibits in possession of the Commits.
sion it is said, comprised fully 1900
specimens, having an aggregate bulk
of IT'S tons.
AMI international Exhibition 81
steam threshing machinery will be
held at Perugia, in Umbrla, Italy, be.
ginning July l, 1880. under an ar
rangement of the Italian Minister Of
Agriculture, Industry and Commerce.
-Four prizes of gold, silver, and
bronze, each of great value, will be
bestowed by the government. Ap.
plications should be made before
May 3lst, to Signor Alessandro Ras
pi, Secretary of the Agrarian Com
mittee, at Umbria, Italy.
A thorough examination of the
character and resources of the Alaska
seal and fisheries has been directed
by the Commissioner of Fisheries.
and Mr.. Tarleton HI. Bean has been
appointed to superintend the compa.
ny selected for the purpose. The
party will sail on the United States
Coast.Survey schooner, Tukan, from
San Francisco, some time next month
The annual shipment of palm oil
from that portion of the west coast
of Africa which lies south of the riv.
er Volta, it is said, will amount in
value to $7,500,0o0, its principal use
being in the manufacture of soaps,
perfumery, candles and other similar
articles. 1t is highly valued among
the natives as food (taking the place
of butter) and is extensively used
for fuel and lighting.
A recent inventor claims that he
is able to make hard wood out of
common wheat straw. The process
is as follows: He takes ordinary
straw board, ouch as is usually man.
ufactured at any paper mill. As
many sheets are taken as are re.
CURED to make the thickness of Ium.
Der desired. These sheets are then
passed through chemical solution
which thoroughly softens the fibre,
and completely saturates it. The
whole is then passed through q sue
cession of rollers, dried and hard.
ened during the passage, as we'll as
polished, and then comes out of the
other cad of the machine hard, dry
lumber, ready for use. The invent
or claims that the chemical proper.
ties hardening in the fibre entirely
prevent water-soaking, and render
the lumber combustible only in a
very hot fire. The hardened finish
on the outside also makes it imper-
vious to water.