The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-04-23
Discoveries Made by Accident.

alua0le discoveries nave Oeen maue
and valuable inventions suggested, by the
vericst accidents.
An alchemist, while seeking to discover
mixture of earths that would make the
most durable crucibles, one day found that
he had made porcelain.
The power Of lenses, as applied to the
telescope, was discovered by watchma-
ker's apprentice While holding specta-
Eyeglasses between his thumb and finger,
he was startled at the suddenly enlarged
appearance of a neighboring church-spire.
The art Of etching upon glass was dis
covered by Nuremberg glass-cutter. By
accident, a few drops of aqua forts fell
upon his spectaces He noticed that the
glass became corroded and softened where
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 removed, the fig
ures appeared raised upon dark ground
Mezotinto owed its invention to the
simple accident of the gun barrel Of a SEN
try becoming rusted with dew.
The swaying 90 and fro Of sschandeiier
10 a cathedral suggested to Calico the ap-
plieation Of the pendulum.
The art of lithographiug was perfected
through suggestions made by accident. A
poor musician was curious to know wheth-
er music could not be etched upon stone
as well as upon copper After he had
prepared his slab, his mother asked him to
make a memorandum of such clothes as
she proposed to send away to be washed.
Not having pen, ink aud paper convenient,
be wrote his 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 wonder
ed what effect aqua forts would have upon
it, He applied the acid, and in few
minutes saw the writing standing out in
relief The next step necessary was sim
ply 70 ink the stone and take off an i'm
preston.
The composition of which printing roll
lers arc made was discovered by Salopian
printer. Not being allie to find the pelt-
ball, he ioked the type with a piece Of
soft glue which had fallen out Of glue
Dot. Il was such an excellent substitute
that, after mixing molssses with the glue,
to give the mass proper consistency, the
old pels ball wss entirely discarded.
The shop Of Dublin Iobaeconist, by the
name oil Luudyioo,, was destroyed by FIRE.
While be was gazing dolefully into the
smoulderiug ruius, he noticed that his
poorer neighboTs were gathering the snuff
IRON the canis,ers He tested the snuff
for himself, aud dirovered that tie Gre had
largely improved its pangeney and aroma.
Il vas hins worth pro6,ing by. He Sc
cured another shop, baill lot Of ovens,
subjected the snuff to heating process,
gave the brand particular name, aud 10
a few years became rich through al acct.
dent which he at hrst thought had COM
pleiely ruin, d him.
The proc, IS Of whitening sugar was dis
covered 10 curious way. A hen that bad
goas through a clay puddle went wilh her
muddy feet into sugar house. She LEFT
her tracks on pile of sugar. Il was no
siced that wherever her tracks we're the
sugar vas whi,ened. Experiments were
Instituted, and the result was that wet clay
came to Be used in rehning sugar.
The origin Of blue-,inted paper came
abou, Is a mere slip Of the hand. The
wile Of William East, an English paper
maker. aecideatly lee blue-bag fall into
ole Of the watts Of pulp. The workmen
were astoaishei when they saw the pecu-
liar color Of the paper, while Mr.. East was
highly inceused over what be considered a
gave peculiarly loss His wife was 50
much frightened that she would not eon-
fass her agency in the matter, After
s,oTias the damaged paper for four years
Mr. East sent il to his agent at London,
with instructions TO sell il for what u would
bring The paper was accepted Is 'pur-
posed noyelty, aud was disposed Of at
quite an advance over market price. Mr..
East was asionished at receiving an order
from his agent for another large invoice
OF the paper He was without the secret,
aud found himself 10 a dilemma. Upon
mentioning il to his wife, she told him
abou, the accident He kept the secret,
aud the demand for the novel tint far ex-
eeeded bis ability TO supply it.
4 Brighton stsIioner took fancy for
dressing his show. window with piles Of
writing paper, rising gradually frOm the
largest TO the smallest size 10 use, and, TO
flush his pyramids of nicely, be cut cards
TO bring them to a point. Taking these
cards for diminutive note-paper, lady Gus
temers we're continually wanting some OF
"lhat lovely liule paper, and the stationer
found it advantageous TO cut paper to the
desired pattern. As there was no space
for addressing the noteleis after they were
folded, he. after much thought, Invented
the envelope, which he cut BY the aid OF
metal plates made for the purpose. The
sale increased SO rapidly that he was nn-
able to produce the envelopes fast enough
so he commissioned dozen houses to make
them for him, aud thus set going an i'm
portant branch Of the manufacturing sta
tiouery trade.