Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-02
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
UNITING BRASS AND STEEL.

uobalS securely.
MONSTER LATHES.
The ninety-foot lathes, supposed to be
the largest in the world, the Scientific
American says, are now nearly COM
pleted by the South Boston Iron Works
for their own use. These pieces of ma
chlnery are made In six sections OF th1r-
ty feet each. The head stocks and face
plates weigh ten tons each, and each bed
section ten tons. The completed lathes
viii each contain 100000 pounds of
iron. They are built specially for the
boring out of cannon, but are adapted
for all heavy lathe work.
FORMATION OF A SALT BED.
The motion of heavy bodies like rail
way trains shake the earth for consider
able distances, and observation of such
facts is gradually giving rise to belief
that the force necessary to produce
earthquake shocks is over estimated. A
delicate apparatus used by Prof. H. M.
Paul showed quite strong vibrations on
the passing OF an express train third
of a mile away, and like effects we're OBJ
served even at somewhat greater dis
tances. A perceptible vibration was
transmitted through the ground when
ever stone was struck by the wheels of
a One-hOrse vehicle passing at distance
of 400 or 500 feet
DECORATIVE ACORN.
IL an acorn be suspended by piece of
thread within half an inch of the surface
of some water contained in a hyacinth
glass, and SO permitted to remain with
out being disturbed, it will, in few
| months, burst and throw a root down
into the water and shoot upwards it's
straight and tapering stem, with beauti-
ful little green leaves. A young oak
tree growing this way on the mantle
shelf OF room is a very elegant and
interesting object. [ have seen several
oak trees, and also chestnut tree, thus
growing, but all of them, however, have
died after a few months, probably owing
to the water not being changed sufici-
emily often to afford them the necessary
quantity of nourishment from the mat
ter contained in it.
SANITARY BOOTS AND SHOES.
The well-knoWn unhealthfulness of
rubber boots and shoes is now ingenious
~ overcome by means of an elastic mid
die sole, and is constructed with COM
pressible air cells, connecting with q
tube which extends from the cells to the
top of the leg. The weight of the body
at each step congresses the elastic sole
and forces the air from under the foot,
out of the tube; upon the weight being
ing removed, as in the act of walking,
the atmosphere pressure or suction sup
plies fresh air, ana thus, at each step,
foul air is expelled and fresh air ad-
mitted to the foot. The foot rests upon
a leather insole, and does not come in
contact with rubber, therefore is not
drawn, as IN ordinary rubber boots.
As by this arrangement the foot cannot
sweat, it does not become CALLED, tender
or chilled.
FOOD IN TIN CANS.
It is stated by Professor Helmer, in
the London Lancet, that tin, even when
quite pure, is much more readily at
tackled by canned articles of food than is
commonly supposed. He has made an
examination of a large number and
great variety of such canned goods, find
ing tin In comparatively large quantities
in nearly all of the samples examined.
Thus, in the line of acid fruits, as
peaches and cherries, the metal was
found corroded to an alarming extent:
meats, and even condensed milk, had
taken up and become contaminated with
sensible quantities of the metal. A can
OF soup showed the presence OF One-half
grain CT tin to the pound; one of con-
densed milk, one-eighth of a grain; and
can of oysters, about seven tenths of a
grain to the pound. Professor HeImer,
continuing his examinations IN this line,
ascertained that soda water, and all
other varieties of aerated beverages
which fell under his observations, and
which were conducted through timed
pipes, contained appreciable quantities
of tin.
SUBMARINE PHOTOGRAPHY.
Shortly after the Tay bridge calamity
an attempt at sub-aqueous photography
was made, III order to get, if possible, a
a view of the wreck and train as they Law
thirty feet below the surface of the
water. Mr.. W. D. Valentine, to whose
hands these experiments were entrusted,
has sent an interesting account of them
to the London Photographic News. A
very bright day was chosen for the trial;
and a driver, after being properly in
structed what to do, was sent down with
the camera. This camera was of no
ordinary kind; for it had to be lowered
with powerful crane, and with the ad-
dition of ten hundred weight to induce
it to sink. With the quickest lens, by
the most rapid method of photography,
and with an exposure of twenty minutes,
Mr.. Valentine failed to get even the
ghost of an image on his plate. This
showed that the actinic rays of light failed
to penetrate through the thirty feet of
water which separated the camera from
its accustomed element. Apparently
there was no want of light, for the diver
stated that he could easily see for thirty
feet in front of him; but it is evident
that the light did not comprise those
rays upon which the efficiency of a
Photographic surface depends.
A NOVEL BALLOON
Anew steerable balloon, the invention
of Herr Baumgarten and DR.. Walfert,
was recently tried at Charlottenburg.
1t is of huge size, having a capacity of
oh Iai1 I1