The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-03-10
SPARKS OF SCIENCE,

HE Scientific American warns people
against using ice taken from ponds con
tanning impure water. Freezing does
not kill the noxious germs so inimical to
health.
A GERMAN firm has put upon the mar
Ret some transparent paints to use on
coarse-llned cloth. The effect is said to
be perfect imitation of Gobelin tapes
try work for wall display.
NJ. l.. LANCER says that the fat of a
child contains less oleic acid but more
palmltlc and stearic acid than that of
adults, besides being richer in the bu-
lyric and caproic acids.
IT is said that steam and alright rub
Der packing may be made by brushing it
over with solution of powdered resin in
III times Its weight of water. The pack
ing is ready in about four weeks.
IF Prof. Kobe is to be believed, an at
mosphere of carbonic acid gas will pre-
serve beef sound and of good flavor for
some weeks, but mutton treated in the
same way turns offensive In the short
space of eight days.
PROFESSOR YOUNG, of Princeton Col
lege says: flake railroad from the
earth to the sun, with train running
forty miles an hour without stops, and
1t would take about 205 years and q lit
tie over to make the journey"
In seasoning casks by the addition of
soda TO the water more substance is re-
moved from the wood than when acid is
employed, but less is removed if the
wood is introduced into the cold solu
ton, and the whole then heated.
That Objectionable practice of mixing
the refuse of vegetables with ashes still
prevails IN spite of all warnings. 1t
would seem that an epidemic-a vegi-
table plague-was required to make PEG
pie IN general observe ordinary precau-
tons.
WHILE saving veneer from a walnut
knot an Indian discovered in the twisted
hbers OF the wood a perfect picture of
spanlel's head. The lines are as acurate.
~ drawn as if by the pencil of an artist,
and when framed this natural curiosity
has all the semblance of art.
TENTS made of very light canvas will
become perfectly waterproof, as well as
proof against mildew, if first soaked in q
strong solution of soap and afterwards
passed through a liquid made by DIS
solving equal parts of alum and sulphate
of copper In five times their united
weight of water.
ALTHOUGH three or four CRYSTALS of the
genuine precious topaz, remarkable for
SIZE and clearness, have been found near
Pixies Peak, MIR. r. L. Cross asserts
"a ot1 !
and sold as topaz to tourists is not topaz
at all but simply smoky quartz, or the
calrngorm stone of Scotland.
GAS companies are now turning their
attention in England to the manufac-
rure OF sulphate of ammonia, and the
probability Is that there will be more
attention than ever given to this indus
try by manufacturers of illuminating
gas. Progress IN electric lighting is
working change IN the utilization of So
called waste products.
The practicability of photographing
landscapes from the windows of trains
running at a rate of forty miles an hour,
has been recently proved by DR.. Can
die, who uses what he calls gyrograph
for the purpose. An exposure of only
Ont VI q SeCODd WAS
needed, and after little practice won
derfully distinct views were obtained.
AN apparatus, invented by Mr.. W.
Raydt, Tor exiting uishing fires consists of
an iron cylinder filed with carbOnic
acid and a large vessel filed with water,
which IS placed III connection with the
iron cylinder in such way that the car
bonic &C shall stream through the
wafer when the apparatus is to be used.
The Berlin fire department is well salts
fed with its effect.
WRITER in the Scientific American
says the wOod-shaYings commonly en-
ploYed in the vinegar factories preserve
their activity for certain length Of time
and then become useless. Bersch ex-
plains tins on the supposition that the
shavngs, becoming saturated with the
liquid, get heavier and press down on
those beneath SC hard as to prevent the
sir from circulating through them. He
therefore recommends the substitution
Of the waste cork from which shoppers
are made, for the wood chips. The elias
ITCHY of the cork is increased by mois-
ture, so that 1t cannot pack together
even in the tallest tanks. Small organ
isms exist in the pores Of the cork and
among these many vinegar bacteria, so
that the cork is very active IN making
vinegar.