The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-09-15
ACCIDENTAL INVENTIONS.

triAing circumstances which brought
into existence some of its most valua-
BILE appliances and conveniences Of
every. day life. Who would believe that
such simple circumstance ss All old
hen, with muddy feet, straying surrep-
titious y into sugar house, would have
furnished clew for the refining of the
sweet compound in the manner now car
ried on all over the world Such, how
ever, is the fact The old biddy had
Just wandered through clay puddle
and then over pile Of sugar. IL was
noticed that wherever she left her
tracks the sugar was thoroughly
whitened. Experiments were ipsti-
tuted and the result was that wet clay
came to be used in refining sugar.
The origin of tinted paper came about
by mere slip of the hand. The wife
of an English paper-maker accidentally
let blue-bag fall into one of the watts
of pulp. The workmen were astonished
when they saw the peculiar color of the
paper, while the owner of the mill was
highly incensed over what he consid-
cred grave pecuniary loss. His wife was
so much frightened that she would not
confess her agency in the matter. After
storing the damaged paper for several
years, the manufacturer sent it to his
agent in London, with instructions to
sell it for what it would bring. The
paper was accepted rs a purposed
novelty" and was disposed of at once
at quite an advance over the market
price. The manufacturer was astonished
at receiving an order for another large
invoice of the paper. He was without
| the secret and found himself in O di-
| lemma. Upon mentioning it to his
wife she told him about the accident.
He kept the secret, and the demand for
the novel tint far exceeded his ability
to supply it. Porcelain, which has been
known to the Chinese and Japanese for
ages, was not made in Europe until the
| beginning of the last century, when O
German discovered the art in manner
quite accidental, This man was an ap-
prentice to an apothpcary ct Berlin,
when he met with an aichemist, who, in
return for some good offices done him
| by his master, promised to teach him
the art of making gold. To discover
the grand secret he labored incessantly,
and it SO happened that, having mixed
various earths together, in order to
make strong crucibles, in the course of
baking them he accidentally dis
covered the art of making porcelain.
The intended transmutation took place
hot in the metals, indeed, but in his
own person-and. as if he had been
touched with conjuror's wand,
he was all of sudden transformed from
an alchemist into q potter. The first
porcelain thus manufactured was of
brownish-red oolor, being made of
a brown clay.
The power OF lenses. as applied to
telescopes, opera glasses and tho like,
was discovered by vatchmaker's ap-
prentice. While holding spectacle glas-
ses between his thumb and finger he
was startled by the sudden enlarged
appearance of neighborlng church
spire. The swaying to and fro of q
chandelier in n cathedral suggested to
Calico the application of pendulum.
| Mezzotinto, particular manner OF fine
engraving on copper, owed its invention
to the simple accident Of the gun-barrel
| OF sentry becoming rusted with dew.
The art of hthographing was per-
fected through some suggestions made
by accident. A poor musician was
curious to know whether music could
not be etched upon stone as we'll as
copper. After he had prepared his
slab his mother asked him to make q
memorandum OF such clothes as she
proposed to send away to be washed.
Not having pen, ink and paper conve-
nient, 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
fortis would have upon it. He applied
the acid and in few minutes saw the
writing standing out in bold relief.
The next step necessary was to ink the
stone and take off the impression.
The art of etching upon glass was
discovered by a glass-cutter accident
ally letting few drops of aquafortis fall
upon his spectacles. He noticed that
the glass became corroded and softened
where the acid had touched it, and that
upon the glass with varnish, applied
the corroding fluid and then cut away
the glass around the drawing. When
the yarnish was removed the figures
appeared raised on dark ground. The
shop OF tobacconist was destroyed by
fire. While he was gazing dolefully
into the smoldering ruins he noticed
that his poorer neighbors were gather.
ing the snuff from the canisters. He
tested the snuff himself and discovered
that fire had largely improved its pun
gency and aroma. 1t was o hint worth
protiting by. Hesecured another shop
built lot of ovens, subjected the snuff
to heating process, gave the brand q
particular name, and in few years be-
came rich through an accident which he
at first thought had completely ruined
him. ..-.
The composition of which printing
rollers is composed was discovered by Q
singular accident. 4 printer. not being
able to find the pelt ball used in olden
times to ink the type with, substituted
piece of soft glue which had fallen out
OF glue pot. 1t was such an excellent
substitute that, after mixing molasses
with the glue, to give the mass proper
consistency, the old pelt ball was en-,
tirely discarded. Water tabbies, EN-.
ployed in the manufacture of waved and
watered silk, were invented by a mar
who got his first idea from the spread
ing of squirt of tobacco spit on 6
smooth floor
1t is a popular delusion, existing
throughout the world, that George
| Stanbansoy1 uas tho invanfor of tba Iooo.