Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-11-15
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
TERRA GOTTA LUMBER.

A large company in New Jersey which
is constantly increasing its establish
ment and its products, is engaged in the
manufacture of 8 terra Gotta lumber,
made of kaolinite or top clay, found in
immense quantities in Middlesex
County. The clay is mixed with saw
dust and then burned in square blocks
like brick. 1t shows greater strength
and tenacity than oak; is as easily
worked as pine and spruce, resists fire
and water, and, being cheaper than
brick, is attracting the notice of archi-
tects. Tt certainly would be we'll to u6e
it for the material in theaters.
EXPLOSIVE DRUGS.
Several combinations Of chemical sub
stances, some CT which are used in medi-
cine, are of ala explosive character. The
dentifrice in which catechu and chlorate
of potash are combined, has exploded in
the mouth when rubbed with a dry
brush, and pills composed of oxide of
silver are sometimes very explosive.
When the tincture of iodine IS mixed
with ammonia very explosive sub
stance. known as iodide of nitrogen, is
formed, and, If this is rubbed up with
water, it is very likely to explode with
violence. Even the pure hypophosphite
alone, and these dangers should always be
borne in mind by those who give and
those who take drugs.
STEAM BY SOLAR HEAT.
Among the attractions of a recent fete
in the Tuilleries Gardens IN Paris was an
apparatus for the concentration and utii
zatiOn of solar heat, and though the
sun was not very brilliant, this appara-
tus set in motion machine which
printed several thousand copies of a
newspaper entitled the Soleil Journal.
The suns rays are concentrated III re-
aector, which moves at the same rate as
the sun and heats vertical boiler set
ting the motive steam engine at work.
About fifteen years ago Professor Mou-
chOn of Tours, began the construction
of an apparatus for the utilization OF
solar heat, and his experiments have
been continued by nj. Pifre. A COM
pany has now constructed number of
apparatus of different sizes. 1t is said
to be evident that In country OF unin-
terrupted sunshine the boiler might be
heated In thirty or forty minutes. A
portable apparatus could boil p quarts
an hour.
AN INCUBATOR FOR BABIES.
Nj. Tarnier, the surgeon of the Mater
nifty Hospital in Paris, struck by the
great mortality among infants prema-
turely born, and those which are very
sickly after birth, has conceived the in
gen1ous idea, says the London Lancet,
of constructing box which is almost
exactly similar to TIE incubators ased
for poultry. This box is divided into
two compartments-the lower one being
used as a reservoir for hot water, while
the infant is placed III the upper one,
which is well stuffed at the sides and
fitted with sliding glass cover. The
temperature is maintained at Sc degrees
Fahr.; and III. Tarnier has found that,
by keeping infants In the incubator for
a period varying from two days to six
weeks, their vitality is enormously I'M
proved. He has independents upon
five 6-months children, six 7-months,
and thirteen 8-months children, and he
has lost only two of them, whereas, ac-
! cording to his statement, three ourths
| of them would havesdied but for this adj
yentitious aid to vitality.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEARING.
With regard to the sense of hearing,
| 1t is first remarked that all children for
some time after birth are completely
| deaf, and it was not until the middle of
the fourth day that Prof. Preyer OBJ
tanned any evidence of hearing in his
child. This child first turned It's head
| In the direction OF sound in the elev-
enth week, and this movement in the
sixteenth week had become as rapid and
certain as reflex. At eight months or
year before its first attempts at speak
ing, the infant distinguished between a
tone and noise, as shown by its pleas
ure on hearing the sounds of q piano;
after the first year the child found salts
/ faction In itself striking the piano. In
the twenty-frst month it danced to mu-
sic, and III the twenty fourth month it
| danced to songs; but it is stated on the
| authority of other observers, that some
| children have been able to sing pitch
correctly and even a melody, as early as
nine months. One such child used to
sing in its slice, and at nineteen months
could beat time correctly with it's hand
while singing an air.-Lo9adon Nature.
AN ECONOMICAL FUEL.
An artificial fuel made from anthra-
cite coal dust by the Loiseau Fuel Com
pany, of Philadelphia, was tested at the
American Institute last Thursday I'M
der the direction of corps of students
OF the graduating class of the Stevens
Institute of Technology. The new fuel
consists of the coal dust, of which
thousands of tons are annually wasted
IN the anthracite coal region of Penn
sylvania, mixed with pitch or some
similar substance. This is pressed and
cut into pieces about the shape and
size OF hens eggs. The result of yes
terday's experiment, which was for the
purpose of ascertaining the heating
power OF the new fuel compared with or
binary coal, viii be made known as soon
as the observations of the temperature
OF the water at different times. the
amount OF water evaporated and the
power OF the steam generated have been
properly calculated. Il was seen yes