Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-16
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
TO PREVENT CUTLERY BUSTING.

case will usually suffice to prevent rust
ing of cutlery on exhibition therein.
LEATHERoID.
This is the name of new article made
of paper. 1t consists of a number OF
thicknesses of cotton paper wound one
upon another over a cylinder. The re-
markable qualities of strength and adj
hesion it possesses are derived from a
chemical bath, through which the paper
is drawn on its way to the cylinder. 1t
is moulded wet, and retains it's form.
When dry, it cuts like raw hide.
A CURIOUS CLOCK.
One of the curiosities of Nantucket is
a clock made by Walter Folger, who
died in 1849, at the age Of 3d. This in
genious piece of mechanism was con-
structed before Mr.. Folger was "a years
old, and combines a representation OF
the motions of the sun and moon, with
the ordinary tide at Nantucket, and the
chief phenomena dependent upon the OBJ
liquity of the moons path, as also the
times of the hunters and harvest moons.
The wheel which indicates the year is so
constructed that it's revolution is not
completed until it has seen its one hun
dredth year.
PRETTY AND CHEAP ROOM ORNAMENT.
From the French scientific journal,
! La Nature, we Gull the following receipt
for making pretty and cheap room or
nament. Procure a cheap sponge, the
larger the better; place in warm water,
and squeeze out.all the moisture. Plants
in the holes seeds of millet, barley, pur-
lain, red clover, grasses, etc., and In
general any seeds which will terminate
easily, and which will afford variety of
color. Hang the sponge so prepared IN
a window, or place it in a vase where the
sun will reach it, sprinkling it with
water every morning for week. 1t will
soon be covered with vegetation-to re-
mind those whose lives are unfortunately
spent amid bricks and mortar of the
brighter world outside.
IMPROVED CAR-AxLE.
A late Danish invention Is intended to
prevent the wheels Of cars from "grind-
ing" when passing sharp curves. The
axle is divided in the centre, the end of
one-half having hollow and that of the
other corresponding projection, some
what like ball and socket joint The
desired stiffness is impaired by tube
which surrounds the axle and extending
between the raves of the wheel bears
against gun-metal collars. At the centre,
between the tube and the axle, is gun
metal bearing in which the axle can re-
volve. The wheels act III such manner
that in running alonga straight track both
they and the axle turn together as in an
ordinary pair of wheels, but on passing
round curve the axle slips in it's Joint,
| Gu toot 10 WI COL on tho iDnor ro6i11c of
the curve is retarded and the outer
wheel accelerated in proportion to the
sharpness of the curve, with the result
of securing greater smoOthness of travel
in the vehicle and less tear and wear Of
the tire and the rail.
CRYsTALIzED GYPSUM.
In the silver cave at Downeyville are
found pendant from the roof slender
rods of crystalized gypsum that are as
transparent and brilliant as he finest
flint glass. We have before us some
sections of one of these rods which was
originally over yard in length, though
not thicker than an ordinary wheat straw.
Although these rods can be split into
thousands of fine threads-like mica or
asbestos--they are quite brittle and
snap asunder when an attempt is made
to bend them. As these crystals are of
uniform size from end to end, they are
very different from the ordinary stalac-
tltes, and how they ever grew to such a
length without breaking of their own
weight is mystery. One can imagine
that the cave must present very bril-
liant appearance when properly lighted
up, for this material is quite as trans
| nd o.ill
ants seen suspended from chandeliers
Virginia (Nev.) Enterprise.
WET AND DRY THUNDERsToRMs,
A correspondent of the London Times.
writing from the Transvaal, South
Africa, says: Every afternoon tremen-
dous storms of lightning and thunder
burst upon us. These were of two kinds
the wet and the dry. The first is
harmless, though noisy; the second is
exceedingly dangerous. During the dry
thunderstorms, which were prevalent to-
ward the end Of October, the lightning
seemed quiet Supplying. It was unac-
companied by either wind or rain. The
angry flashes were followed almost stimuli
taneously by awful crashes of thunder,
which seemed to shake the earth. One
or two tents were struck, and the grass
was set fire to in several places within
sight of our camps, but no life was lost,
only some arms damaged The dry
thunderstorms were soon followed by
wet ones. The rain, mixed up with
enormous hail-stones, soused the thirsty
earth, and every crack on the little veldt
bore its burden of water to the Vaal,
which rose and became impossible"
A VALUABLE WEATHER COMPASS.
A valuable invention for indicating
automatically the coming weather
changes has recently been announced by
Professor Klinkerfues, of Gottingen.
When the barometer was first introduced
it was thought it would serve this pur-
pose, btlt it's sluggish action and the
fact that pressure changes are not al
ways premonltory of storm makes it's
indications, when taken alone, uncertain
warnings. The humidity of the air and
the direction of the wind must be also
taken into account. Professor Klinker-
fues' instrument inoenious1y combines