St. Landry democrat., 1881-01-01

the new luminous paint is found i'll the
production Of a safety lamp for miners.
1t is said to give light enough for prac-
teal use, and, as it contains no fire or
or heat, it is evident that its use is Abso-
lutely free from risk. BY means of this
form of lamp in connection with blasting
by compressed air, fire and the attend
ant danger of exploding gas might be
ruled out, and the most dangerous
mines be made quite safe.
Tne outside fibre OF the cocoauut is
now used for shoe heels, and is said to
bc good substitute for leather.
An ingenious Frenchman has devised
a game for facilitating the study of ge-
ography by children. 1t consists OF n
large planisphcre map of the globe, ac-
companied by numerous objects repre-
senting animals, plants, flags, costumes,
towns and landscapes. These objects,
of painted cardboard, stand upright
when the small inscription accompany
ing them is folded back and each one
bears, moreover, a number correspond
ing to one on the map. Placing each in
in it's proper position, tue child quickly
becomes familiar with the subject illus
trated if it be a plant, he knows the
place which produces it, and it's use ; il
town, he knows it's population, posi-
ton, etc. The new game has received
the approval of the Paris Society of &C.
ography.
! DR.. Muller, Of Geneva has made a cal
culatiou in which be estimates the num-
Der of plant species existing on the
globe to reach minimum total of $780,
600.
Herr Bergel, of Berlin, has brought
out curions device by means Of which
pictures of various kinds are burnt out
on piece of ordinary looking rose. col
ored paper. 4 glowing match is ap-
piled at two fincly-perforated points,
and the sparks communicated then
begin gradually to move over the paper,
tracing ont the picture. Neither leaves
it's proper path or Injuries the paper be-
yond, and when the end of the path is
reached, the spark goes out.
A great telescope lens, nearly 29
inches in diameter, is being finished for
the Paris Observatory.
At the Greenwich Observatory very
ingenious instrument is in use to record
automatically the duration Of sunshine
through the day. 1t consists of glass
globe hung within hemispherical cur
of slightly greater diameter, the cur
being lined with a strip of paper cover.
cd with stencil ink. The globe is en-.
tirely exposed upon tho roof, and, while
the sun is shining, acts as burning
glass, and causes continuous line to IL
made upon the paper. This line will b.
broken, however, as often as the suns
light is obscurcd by clouds, and thus {
record Of the amount of sunshine tV,
the day will be obtained.
N. Moride has shown the French Ac
ademy new alimentary substance
called nutricine. Raw meat, freed from
bones and tendons, is passed into suita
BILE machines with nitrogenized foot
substances-such as bread, etc.-whicl
absorb it's water, perhaps form organic
combinations with it. The whole i
then dried in the air or over q mildly
} heated stove, and then pulverized ant
sifted. The powder obtained is grey 0
|, yellowish in color, and has an agreea
bio taste. With fats, albumen or gum
med water, solid cakes or cubes may b
made OF it, to bp afterward made int
,, soups, sauces, etc. The substance j
very nutritive, and keeps indefinitely
: not exposed to moisture or too grea
heat,
, The combined force Of tho steam -en
, gines Of the world is estimated at 49,
, 0OO,0 900 horse power. This is considerc
, equal to about twice the available work
! ing power of the entire human popula
ton of the globe.