Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-09-06
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
PORTABLE HOGSHEADS.

A North Carolina man has invented a
folding barrel or hogshead for use in
transporting dry material. The heads
may be taken out, the slaves rolled to-
gether and the whole thing made barrel
shape again with few quick motions.
IMPROVED BLoW-PIPE.
A blow-p1pe has been patented in Ger
many by Schlag & Berend, of Berlin. in
which the air blown into the mouth
piece passes through valve in caout-
chouc bag, which is inclosed in the tube.
and serves as regulator of the issuing
air, in the case of intermittent blowing.
The valve prevents return Of the air
forced in.
PHYSICAL PRODIGY.
Over in Schuyler County, says the
Ithaca On. V Journal, there is said to
be young-old man, who, without ap-
parent cause, living plainly on farm,
has in eighteen years passed through
the physical changes of four score. At
the age of six he had all the develop
ment of strength and muscle usually in
a lad of fifteen. At twelve his beard was
grown, and gray hairs appeared. Now,
at eighteen, he is as decrepit as an old
LhnI VI duO 6S6LIS Oh
the verge of the grave.
WHAT DUST WILL DO.
Dust mixed with air is found to be.
under certain conditions, a dangerous
explosive. Thus, if large log of wood
were ignited, it might be a week before
it would be entirely consumed; split up
into cord wood, and piled up loosely, it
would, perhaps, burn in less than an
hour; cut into shavings and allow a
strong wind to throw them into the air
or IN any way keep the chips compare
| lively well separated from each other
and the log would perhaps be consumed
III two or three minutes; but If ground
up into fine dust or powder, and blown
in such manner that each particle is
surrounded by air, it would burn in less
than second
MALLEABLE NICKEL.
An impetus has been given to the
nickel industry by the improved process
of making it malleable. Many useful as
we'll as ornamental articles are now made
of this material. Nickel table utensils
especially are now In great favor abroad.
This class of goods is now being largely
manufacturedin Prussia, and is preferred
to similar articles of other materials
The hardness of the metal renders it
capable of receiving high polish, which
is not readily injured by friction of any
usual kind; on account, too, of the pc
culiar smoothness of the surface, matters
do not adhere firmly TO it, and cleaning
requires but little attention or effort. 1t
also possesses the advantages of not tar
nishing, like some other substances,
when frequently used. a.
AN IMPROVED "LEAD."
1t is claimed that, for the ordinary
purposes of navigation while ship is al
full speed, Sir William Thompson's new
apparatus for deep-sea sounding has
proved it's peculiar superiority. In Its
construction glass tube filed with all
is Theoretically sealed at the top, but
open at the bottom, and prepared with
red prussiate OF potash. 1t is placed IL
brass tube, closed at the bottom, but
allowed the free ingress and pressure Of
water from above. The brass tube il
partially filed with sulphate of iron
and wherever this comes into contact
with the interior of the glass tube il
turns into Prussian blue. The pres
sure of the water congresses the air
forcing the sulphate of iron up the glass
tube according to the depth to which il
desoends. The glass tube, part o.
which retains its original color, is ther
measured on a scale, and thus the depth
of the sounding is indicated.
STEAM WHEELS.
A new kind of steam engine has beer
recently patented in Austria by Profes
sor Wellner, of Brunn. The so-calle6
"steam wheel" according to the account
IN the Polytechnischer JorlrnaD consists
of simple water wheel, mostly i'm
mersed in hot water in closed vessel
Steam is admitted at the lower part, anC
forces the cells of the wheel upward
producing rotation. The steam fills
more and more of the cells on the rising
side, and at length begins to escape into
the steam space above the water. Steam
may either be produced directly at the
lower part, or conducted to the vesse
from elsewhere. The upper tube fol
outlet of steam may lead either into The
open air or into g condenser. The me
chanical work consists in the ascent O
the specifically lighter steam in the
heavier liquid. These steam wheels
may either be used as independent mo
tors or in connection with ordinary steam
engines; in the latter case the escape
steam of one kind of machine is utilized
for the other.
DOUBLE TIME-KEEPING.
An invention has just been patented
by which the time of two distinct places
at whatever distance situated, can bt
simultaneously marked on the face of 6
watch or other timepiece without inter
fering with the fixed time it is required
to keep, Or necessitating the moving o.
the hands of the piece. This invention
consists of two supplemental movable
rims, working independently of the fxed
dial and of each other. The inner rim il
divided into hour sections, the outer one
into minutes. Two tiny wheels, pro.
jecting slightly from the metal beze
which holds the crystal in position, en-.
able the wearer to bring the hour and
minute at which he wishes to set these
movable dials exactly opposite the houl
or fraction of hour and minute respect
lively then and there indicated bv the