Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-07-12
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
ANCIENT BRONZES,

lead or zinc, but were alloys of copper
and tin with small quantities of nickel,
iron, phosphorus and occasionally CO.
bait.
THE GROWTH OF CORAL.
After cruise of a few months I'D the
South Pacific, French man-of-war was
recently found to have specimens OF i1v-
ing corals growing on her hull. This
interesting discovery has thrown some
light on the question of the rapidity OF
growth of corals The evidence tends
to show that the vessel, on passing a
reef of the Gambler Islands, against
which she rubbed, had picked up
young fungia, which adhered to the
sheathing and grew to a diameter of 9
inches and weightof q pounds IN nine
weeks.
SIMPLE HAIR RLNEWER.
The Oil and Drug News says that
nearly bald servant of Mr.. Stevens,
British consul, used, after trimming
lamps, to rub his hands on his head,
and after three months had much finer
head of glossy black hair than ever be-
fore. Mr.. Stevens tried the experiment
on animals which had lost their hair,
with equal success. The petroleum
should be of the most refined quality,
and should be rubbed in vigorously and
quickly with the palm of the hand SIX
or seven times, at intervals of three days,
except in the case of horses tails and
names, when more applications may be
needed.
POISONOUS DYES.
The use of poisonous dyes to color
@P l. ~
mon practice. Yet book publishers are
occasionally careless about the materials
used in coloring their books. Lately in
Troy child, while playing with some
water-color paints, looked about for
palette and seized a small book-at-
tracted by the bright green color of the
cover. He mixed the paints on the cover
of the book for some time. Then he was
suddenly taken with commissions. 1t was
only after three days incessant labor
that the physicians saved his lite. The
child's wealthy parents afterwards had
the physicians investigate the manner of
it's being poisoned. They discovered that
the dye with which the brightly-colored
book was colored contained the poison.
In wetting the paints on the book cover
the child had 1nnocently wet also the
dye-and soon transferred some of the
poison to its own lips. The book was
report of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children.
CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS.
M. Philippe, well-known civil engi-
neer and hygienist, of Rouen, France,
asserts that the most thoroughly SAM
tary foundation for building. if the I'M
healthiness arising from dampness would
be avoided, is concrete. He recommends
covering the whole level of the future
building with layer four inches thick,
composed Of two-thirds broken hints,
well washed, and one-third mortar made
of lime and gravel sand; layer of we'll
puddled clay, eight inches thick. may
also be spread over the site of the build
ing, and extended for about sixteen
inches outside of the walls, and carried
up with the wall on the outside until the
level of the soil is reached. To destroy
the porosity of building materials, M.
Philippe says they may be injected with
gas refuse, or Immersed successfully In
solutions of soap and alum, the result
being to fill the pores of the brick or
stone with fatty substance, which OPP
poses the passage of the water. The
material may also be plunged in solu-
ton of silicate of potash, Just long
enough for all the air bubbles to be dis
engaged, and then laid aside for forty
eight hours before using.
PERTLs OF RAILRoADING IN SUMMER.
Spreading of rails under high temper
ature is a source Of danger the magni-
tude of which travellers know little.
When the ends OF the rails are too close,
as they are very apt to be when laid by
the usual rule of thumb way in cold
weather, they are certain to press against
each other and bulge out the track into
sort of double wave line in summer.
Spikes will not cure the difficulty. In
deed, the less strain placed upon spikes
the better for everybody. Here is the
remedy for spreading which one now for
ever silent was about to put into practi-
cal shape and patent, but which may be
given here free: No track for railroad
should be laid without constant consul
tatiOn Of the thermometer and the apph-
cation of gauges properly regulated for
temperature. This is the general idea
the force of which will be seen at once
by every railroad engineer. Inventors
u1dy Huu LII tL11S uluG
A reliance on spikes against spreading
might be shown to be nonsense by lit
tie boy who had received his first lesson
in "expansion of bodies. The alb
sence of spikes, though, may show that
the rails had spread and that the inspec-
ton was negligent.
A SIMPLE BAROMETER.
A correspondent of the English Me-
chanic thus describes simple barom-
eter: Take glass tube about inches
long and about internal diameter, and
draw out one end before the blowpipe to
point, leaving very small orifice about
1-100 to 1-60 of an inch diameter. This
end of the tube should not quite sharp,
but somewhat rounded. cork is pre-
pared to fit tightly the wide end of the
tube, and if the cork is made of cork
it's sides and upper ends should be
creased or coated with paraffin, the lower
end being left uncoated. A rubber cork
would answer better. The tube should