Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-05-24
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC
TONS OF CRYSTALS.


group of quartz crystals measuring
about four feet by three in superficial
area. A group in the University of
Naples weighs nearly half ton. A
crystal at Milan is three and a quarter
feet long and five and a half III circum-
ference, and weighs $40 pounds; and an
other crystal, at Paris, is three feet ID
diameter and the same in length, weigh
ing 800 pounds. Fifty tons of crystal
were discovered in one cavity at Zirken,
more than century ago, and were sold
for 100000.
HEAT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.
The summer in the southern hemi-
sphere has gone ahead of the last In the
northern one In the matter of heat and
dryness. An Australian correspondent
of Nature says that on January II in the
Sturt River region "the thermometer
registered $50 degrees in the sun and
la in the shade" That this is abnor-
NAL heat is shown by a record completed
by an English climatologist, which states
that up to 1877 the highest shade tenn
perature ever known at Melbourne was
1112 degrees and at Adelaide, South
Australia, 1875 degrees, both warm
enough in all conscience to set the cold
est-blooded animal in fever.
WATERPROOF LEATHER.
Leather and raw skins are made i'm
permeable to moisture by Mr.. Trencke
by shaking them In solution of water,
1000 parts; gelatine, 5 parts, and
bichromate of potash, parts, or water,
1,500parts; gelatine, 20 parts and bichro-
mate of potash, sc parts. The tenn
perature of the solution varies from 500
to 2120 Fahrenheit. When the solution
is not rish In bichromate it is used cold,
and the leather or skin is subjected to
its action for twenty-four hours The
bichromate may be replaced by the fol-
lowing solution: Water, 1000 parts;
alum, 100; gelatine, 10, and acetate of
lead, 100. In every case after shaking
one or two sides the leather or skin is
prepared with parafine.
ORIGIN OF NATIVE GOLD.
Prof. J. S. Newberry has presented
some strong points of facts and argu-
ment against the theory that the grains
and nuggets of gold found in placers are
formed by precipitation from chemical
solutions. He holds, in paper he has
published on the subject, that geology
teaches in regard to the genesis and dis
tribution of gold, that it exists in the
oldest known rocks, and has thence been
distributed through all strata derived
from them; that, in the metamorphosis
of these derived rocks, it has been con-
centrated into segregated quartz-veins
by some process not yet understood: that
it is constituent of fssure-veins of all
geological ages, where it has been de-
posted from hot chemical solutions.
which have reached deeply-buried rocks
of various kinds, gathering from them
gold with other metallic minerals: and
that gold has been accumulated through
mechanical agents in placer deposits by
the erosion of strata containing aurifer-
Gus veins.
"SOUND SHADOWS"
Colladen long ago noticed incidentally
that distinctions in the path of a sound
decidedly lessen the intensity of The vi
brations. These "sound shadows" are
known to be much more distinct in a
dense medium-like water than in air.
Prot. John LIE Conte has recently given
results of some further experiments on
the subject, in which he took advantage
of some dynamite blasts being made IN
II
pile, about a foot in diameter. at dis
lance OF about forty feet from the ex-
plosive cartridge. Bottles and glass
tubes were shivered by the conclusion
of the explosions when placed outside
the geometrical shadow of the pile, but
protected when within it. The sharp
definition of these sound shadows has
led Prof. LIE Come into an exposition of
hot 81 oo4f2 7
OF light the distiuctness of the sound
shadow should depend on shortness of
wave-length and the sudden detonation
of dynamite must generate very short
and intense wave, making a very sharply
defined shadow whenever an obstacle is
met. 1t follows that less sudden sounds.
like the explosion of gunpowder. must
produce less definite shadows.
PLATED CLOTHING.
A German chemist has invented pro-
cess which is intended to render to wool
ems, cottons, and cheap silks a service
similar to that which electro plating rem
ders to common metals. This singular
process is thus described: Silk waste.
rawlings, and similar valueless refuse
are placed In clear solution of caustic
soda or potash, by which they are rapid
~ dissolved. The solution is then
diluted by the addition of distilled water
more or less, as the "plating" is to
be heavy or light. The cotton or linen
fabrics are then placed in bath of this
liquid, in which they are said rapidly to
become coated with the silk, when thew
are taken out and dried This process Is
repeated number of times, the bath be-
ing diluted each time. Finally the goods
are left for two hours in a strong bath of
constant motion, after which they are
thoroughly rinsed with water, pressed
hot, beaten, and stretched, to bring out