The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-10-05
SCIENCE AND rNDUsTRx.

"A driver in tho Troy Gre dsES@Sss-
ment has invented contrfvanco by
which his horses are embarrassed by
simply pulling the reins. Troy { IN. ~
Times.
DIR. Isador Kitses, Of Cincinnati, has
patented device for discovering fire.
damp in mines before the miners enter
them. Electricity is used TO fuse little
pieces OF metal at various points In q
mine, and if an explosion of damp occurs
a bell is rung.-N. 7. Post.
The Journal of Science says that as
the soiree of the Society of Chemical
Industry, held at Owens College, Mr..
| Fletcher, of Warrington, Eng, demon
strated the possibility of the combustion
of gas without visible flame, the heat
obtained from quarter-inch gas-pipe
being sufficient to fuse iron into drops.
"A gun invented by man in Ripley
Miss, is, if it is what it is claimed to bo,
one of the most wonderful inventions of
the age. 1t can be fired from ten to
twenty thousand times O minute, can be
elevated or depressed or turned to the
right or left, inclined to cover the slope
of hill, contracted so as to bring the
fire to bear on one spot or expanded TO
cover wide area, aud all with the great
est ease and in the simplest manner, by
merely turning crank. - Chicago
Times.
1t is said that alcohol equal to that
made from grain can be produced from
acorns. The acOrns are freed from tho
shell and ground finely; then they arc
mashed with malt and allowed to fer
ment. Acorns contain about 20 per
cent. of starch and 19 per cent. of glu-
to- Hl,nyy H.
for human food if it were not for the
fannie acid (about 8 per cent.) which
they contain. Vast quantities which 90
to waste every year, where hogs are not
fed III the woods, might be gathered by
boys and converted into alcohol for use
IN III" arts, thus freeing an equivalent
amount of grain for use as food.
Considerable progress is being made
in reviving the mining industries of the
isthmus of Panama. For many years
its mines excited the cupidity of Span
iardS and buccaneers. Indian and ne
gro slaves were made to work in quartz
and placer by the most primitive proc
esses, and almost entirely without ma
chinery, but their labors were very pro-
ductive, according to tradition. It is
centuries, however, since most of the
mines were abandoned. Some were
worked ont, others were not rich enough
to pay with hired labor, and all required
an investment of capital which the un-
settled condition of the country; and
especially the fear all foreigners enter
tanned for isthmus fever, effectually pre-
vented from being made.-N. Y. Sun.
An impetus has been given to the
nickel industry by the improved process
es of making it malleable. Many useful
as well as ornamental articles are now
made of this material. Nickel table
utensils especially are in great favor
abroad. This class of goods is now be-
ing manufactured largely in Prussia,
and is preferred to similar articles of
other materials. The hardness of tho
metal renders it capable of receiving o.
high polish, which is not readily in-
jured by friction of any usual kind; on
account, too, of the peculiar smoothnesS
of the surface, matters do not adhere
firmly to it, and cleaning requires but
little attention or effort. It also pos
sesses the advantage of not furnishing,
like some other substances, when fre-
quentlY d.-Chtcago Tribune.