Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-03
ted for the Grant County HERALD.
Popular Science Notes,

1oputdT 0cl6uCt NOI6Ss
The important work of connecting
the system of triangulation, covering
western Europe and northern Africa,
has been successfully consummated,
by powerful electric lights being
placed OF high elevation on noun
tains of the British Islands, France,
Spain and Algeria. Thus these
countries have been united into one
grand system Of triangles, reaching
from the Sahara to the Northwest Of
the Shetland Islands, giving merid-
ian arc of 81 degrees, the greatest
hitherto measured on the Garth.
A company has been established in
Newark, N. j., for the manufacture
of new product, intended to substi-
tute ivory, hard rubber and kindred
substances employed in the manufac.
ture Of variety OF useful as we'll as
decorative articles. The new article
named "Bonsilate," is said to be
composed principally of finely ground
bone, which is sgglutinated by the
addition of some cementing COM
pound. BY the addition of various
coloring pigments, variety of costly
and decorative substances, such as
coral, jet, malachite, colored marbles
and other stones can be closely imi.
tated with it.
1t has been discovered that the
addition Of a teaspoonful of borax to
each pint of starch used in starching
shirts, linen, dresses, etc., will render
muslin and all kinds of facrics, even
the most gauzy and infammable tex.
lures uninhammable, to such an extent
that they could not be made to take
fire and burn with blaze. DIR. Ked-
zie, of the State Board of Health, OF
Michigan, in a recent address re-
marked that if cotton dresses and
underclothing of women and children
were prepared by this simple method,
many distressing accidents and FREE
quent loss of life from the accidental
ignition of clothing might be pre-.
vented.
The result of experiments extend.
ing through period of two months,
on the influence of the electric light
on the growth of plants, has been
reported to the Royal Society Of
London. 1t Is shown that plants do
not require any rest during the twen-
ty -four hours, but that their growth
may be materially quickened by
giving them the benefit OF the cleo
trio light at night. A light equal to
1000 candles, at a distance of or Z
feet from growing plants, appeared
to be equal In effect TO average day
light at this season of the year.
Professor Prasdacismi, in an an.
cient cemetery lately discovered,
near the town of Este, in Italy, has
recently Ding up some of the finest
prehistoric remains ever discovered
in that country. Many years ago,
the Romans had rifed some of the
tombs, but a number of the places Of
interment are yet undisturbed which
contain valuable stores of pottery
and bronzes. The modelling as well
as the ornamentation of the pottery
recently discovered is said to be very
fine, and great interest has been ex.
cited by the figures on the bronzes.
In the excavations being made for
the widening of the bed of the Tiber,
many interesting archaeological dis.
coyeries, in the way of Roman Relics,
have recently been made. A per-
feet statue of Roman Matron was
found few weeks since, and close
by another statue Of Tiberius, the
latter being broken in several places.
Urns, decorated with reliefs of fruits
and flowers of fine workmanship, and
many other articles, unique and an
Gent were also discovered.
1t is stated that the soft bluestone
rock which underlies a wide part Of
the prairie region of Texas is fully
six hundred feet thick in many
places.
According to Professor Tyndall's
recent de6nation, the brain il the
organized register of infinitely num-
erous experiences received during
the elevation of life, or rather during
the elevation of that series of organ.
izations through which the human
organism has been reached; the
effect of the most uniform and fire..
quent Of these experiences has been
successful bequeathed, principal
and interest, and haye slowly mount.
ed to that high intelligence which
lies latent in the brain of the infant.
The largest grain elevator in the
world is being erected at Jersey City,
by the Pennsylvania railroad Com.
pany. 1t is AS feet wide, 200 feet
long, and has capacity for storing
100000 bushels of grain. The
building will have twenty-four sets of
elevating apparatus for taking grain
from cars, and four "conveyors" will
run from the building to the wharf
for unloading canal boats and load
ing ships.
In many parts of Southern Europe,
flour is made from chestnuts which
is said not only to be cheaper, but
fully equal to wheat flour, in the
making of bread. A writer from
that country states that in some
places wheat flour aud corn meal are
entirely superseded by this product,
which is very nourishing, and can be
saved two years or longer without
injury.
Ernest Kenan, writing from the
Region of the Nile, claims to
have discovered a little model of
sewing machine, supposed to have
been made over six thousand years
ago, by an Egyptian, named zynger.
The Edison Telephone Exchange
in Paris, now numbers over four
hundred, and additions are being
made daily.
A BOARD composed of engineers of
the q. S. Army, after investigation,