Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-03-15
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
FIRE-PROOF ROOF.

CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
FIRE-PRooF ROOF.
A German paper says that a roof can
be made fireproof by covering it with a
mixture of lime, salt and wood ashes,
adding a little lamp black to give dark
color. This not only guards against
fire, it is claimed, but also In measure
prevents decay.
STRENGTH OF GLASS.
Recent experiments show that the ten
sile strength of glass is between 1000
and 5000 pounds per square inch, and
the crushing strength between 5000 and
10000 pounds per square inch. Mr..
Traulione finds that flooring glass one
inch square and one foot between the
end supports breaks under load of ITO
pounds.
IRON HEATED IN IAMPBLACK.
1t has been noticed by M. A. Colson,
that when iron is heated In lampblack in
a reducing atmosphere, the carbon not
only passes into Theron, transforming it
first into steel and then into cast-iron,
but the iron to very perceptible de-
gree, becomes diffused in the charcoal.
The inference is that this diffusion OF
solids into solids can take place in the
case of bodies having an affinity for each
other.
TO DRESS DEER HIDES.
Drop the skin while fresh in warm
bath of eight quarts rain-water, one pint
soft soap, work well with soft stick
and let it lie in the water one day. Take
it out and ring it well between heavy
rollers or a wringer; stretch in sun to
die. Then oil it we'll with neats-foot or
other oil, and repeat the bath, heated
quite hot for one day. Pull it out, dry
and oil as before. When dry rub with
yellow ochre to get the bright color.-J
W. s., IN Louisville COuTder-,JOurnal.
HYDRoPHoBA.
Some people have maintained that the
close confinement of dogs is is fruitful
cause of rabies. They say that if dogs
were not chained up or muzzled hydro
phobia would soon disappear. The OBJ
servations of the late Col. T. G. Fraser
in Western India are altogether opposed
to any such views. He found that
jackals frequently suffer from this dis
ease and pariah dogs also, and the latter
at least have been known to communi-
CHRONIC LEATHER.
Experiments show the new chrome
leather-the result of the new tanning
process by bi-chromate of potash-ex-
ceeds IN tensile strength the bark-tanned
article; also, that after it has set under
the necessary stress, in still retains an
extraordinary amount of elasticity,
which is available for Tightening ma
chinery, betting on pulleys. AS illus
trating this statement, the fact is shown
that piece of chrome leather bore an
ultimate stress of 3,267 pounds per
square inch, while piece of bark leather
only bore an ultimate stress of 2, 672
pounds per square inch-this example
proving the samples of chromo-tanned
leather to be stronger than the bark
tanned by some fifteen per cent.
HORN sHAvINGs.
NJ J. Pathe, of Berlin, Germany, has
patented a process of combing shavings
and cuttings of horn into solid mass.
The shavings are placed for an hour in a
liquid consisting of two parts of saturated
cold solution of boric acid In water and
one part of a saturated cold solution of
arsenic acid in dilute nitric acid of IL
specific gravity; the vessel containing the
swelled horn substance is then placed in
hot-water bath of 600 centigrade and
the substance finally pressed in closed
iron molds, heated to 1902 centigrade,
with considerable pressure, till all liquid
is expelled. After cooling, the substance
forms solid horn blocks, which can be
worked like natural horn, and possesses
high degree of elasticity and smooth
ness.
WONDERFUL MAP.
At the mobiles school in Toxic, Japan,
is physical map of that country 800 or
400 feet long, In the court behind the
school building. This map or model is
made of turf and rock, and is bordered
with pebbles which look at little dis
tance like so much water. Every inlet,
river and mountain is reproduced in this
model with fidelity to detail which is
simply wonderful. Latitude and longi-
tude are indicated by telegraph wires,
and tablets show the position of the
cities. Ingenious devices are employed
in illustrating botanical studies also.
For example, the pine is illustrated by a
picture showing the cone, leaf and dis
sected flower, set In frame which shows
the bark and longitudinal and transverse
sections of the wood.
OUR COAST LINE.
The impression that the northeastern
coast of the American continent is slowly
rising-the estimate of the rate of emer-
gency in progress being over foot, and
perhaps as much as three feet, in Gen.
tury-has recently been cont1overted by
eminent scientific authorities, including
DR.. Mitchell, of the coast survey, who
states that the salt marshes are still, as
they were in the time of the early ex-
plorers, at ordinary high water level, and
that the rocks on our coast, long no.
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