The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-03-25
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

THE e-proof car of the future may
be of iron or papier-mache, or leather,
or a combination Of two or all these
materials.
Two kinds of preservative paper have
recently came into use. One OF them is
for wrapping up fruit to prevent its de-
cay, and the other IS preventive of the
action Of moths. Both are SAID to be
effective.
To take stains from silk, mix together
in vial two ounces of essence of lemon
and one ounce of oil of turpentine.
Grease and other spots III silk are to be
rubbed gently with linen rag dipped in
the mixture.
MoIsT mortar destroys lead pipe.
Underground telegraph wires have been
cased in lead pipe laid in mortar, aud
the pipes soon become useless. Moist
mortar will eat through an ordinary sheet
of lead IN year.
NJ. BORDER has been investigating
the history of the plague called sweating
| sickness, with view of showing that
the blonde races of Europe have a
special aptitude for it. 1t first appeared
in 1885, during the waIs of the roses.
FROM some experiments made by Mr.
Felix Masure, it appears that when ara
bic soil IS very wet it throws off more
watery vapor than sheet of free water
If the land is only moderately moist the
! quantities are about equal, and if the
soil IS dry its evaporation is less.
An electric signal apparatus on o
French railway causes the blowing Of a
lCtn xrh1 CT la
| preaching danger signal. The engineer
IS thus warned. This apparatus is
| found valuable III fogs and snow storms,
when ordinary signals often escape
! notice.
SOME valuable relics discovered at
! Nineveh, In the form of fine ivory cary
! ings, showed signs of crumbling on
arrival in England. Concluding that
! loss of albumen was the cause of the de-
cay, Prof. Owen boiled the articles. The
experiment proved entirely successful,
and the ivory was restored to its original
| firmness and solidity.
" The trade " distinguish seven varie-
ties OF sulphur, assigning the brightest
yellow to the grade of "first quality. -
In Sicily the total quantity annually
melted Is estimated at about 800, 0OO
tons, and the value Of the sulphur when
| distributed at the various ports Of
! Palermo, Catania, Licuta, Porto, En-
! Pedocle, aud Terranova is nearly IS, 600,-
! 600.
ZIGzAG lightning is a veritable spark.
| either between two clouds, or more often
| between cloud and the earth. This
grand spark is able to divide or bifurcate
! into two, seldom three, branches; hence
! the names of 'chain - or "forked light.
ming. IT proceeds from clouds in which
| the giobules are packed SO close as APP
proxlmately to form compact masses, aud
! the electricity on their surface is brought
most into play.
| LAURENT has found that any ordinary
| good sllvered glass mirror of any thick
ness may be rendered magical by heat.
A simple way of doing this is to heat a
brass tube and apply the end of it to the
/ sllvered face. If the surface of the mir
ror is opposite screen the section OF the
tube Is reproduced in white; if it is
turned away from the screen the image
| (Which is seen only after the tube Is re-
mOyed) is dark A cold tube may be
used with hot mirror.
| i PRACTICAL educator writing to the
| New England Journal Of Education,
| says: 81 know of 10 other way of ven
tilatlng old buildings than the simple,
inexpensive one of fitting a board tightly
across the bottom of the window, some
eight or ten inches wide and two OF
three inches from the sash, on the inside.
| The lower sash is then raised without
causing draught of air upon the
scholars, while the pure air is entering
at the bottom and middle of the window.
have seen this tried successfully with
every window in a schoolroom-eight in
all-thus raised, to greater or less ex-
tent, through every session, and during
the entire winter season, without a sim
gle scholar taking cold therefrom. The
room was % by 80 by Is, and the best
ventilated [ ever entered while school
was In session"