The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-12-06
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Instead Of making square joints in
belts where laps occur, why not run
them diagonaliy? There would be
more holding surface in the lap, and a
gradual strain on it instead of d0uble
one when it passed over the pulley.
ArchiI, the new dye-stuff obtained
from coal-tar, is now put upon the
market in the form of paste, and is
bath. The shades are yellower than
those had by means Of archil, and it is
said to be faster in color.
The elm trade between Ontario and
the United States is growing in i'm
portance. There are large tracts of
low lands in western Ontario covered
practically with elm. OF late years
the demand for hoops and slaves has
prompted the conversion Of this elm
into cooper stock.
Two books formed with sheet-iron
leaves have been sent TO the AmSter-
dam exhibition by an English firm, as
an illustration of the perfection to
which the process of rolling sheets of
iron has been brought, The leaves
are said TO be no thicker than good
toned paper"
The argus ocel.atus, based originally
on some tail feathers, has recently
been found in the interior ofhFonQuin,
and IS found to differ generically from
the argus pheasant, not having the
long secondaries nor heightened medi-
an tail feathers of the latter. The
genius is called rheinhardius.
The Duke of Argyll considers that
the fact that some Scotch hills have
gravel and 40 earth on their SUBMITS
shows that Scotland during the del
uge was 1000 feet under water.
Darwin considered the same fact to be
due to earthworms. Between these
two opinions there is plenty Of room
for discussion.
Darwin tells us that the great pill
lars of Stonehege have for years been
undergoing the slow process of inter
ment by the accumulation Of mold
around them, and that they are IN
great danger of being undermined by
earthworms. The floors and walls of
villas in England have been lowered
in the same way.
A textile manufacturing firm in
Boston has adopted an electrical-work
indicator, which records the move
ments of all the looms and other ma
chimes within the works. The indi-
cs tor occupies little more space in the
office than a common clock would fill,
yet a glance at it will te how all the
operations throughout the large
works are progressing.
There is talk of bridging the Mis-
sissippi at New Orleans, where the
river is 2400 feet wide. An engineer
proposes seven spans of 800 feet each,
one to be draw. The piers are to be
creoSoted piles, driven in clusters and
heavily capped and cased with iron.
| The depth OF the water will be no oh
stacle, as the piles can be spliced. The
estimated cost is to be $13,000,0O0.
With belts the danger of slipping
diminisheS IN ratio to the increase in
width Of the belt and it's velocity;
with a sufficient tension the air, as it
were, is squeezed out between the belt
and q smooth pulley causing kind Of
vacuum adhesion and many more
points of contact, SO that actual
there ought to be less danger of slip
ping with smooth pulley than witt
a rough one, provided the pulley anC
belt are not Intentionally made very
smooth by such substances as graphite
or soapstone.
A pretty evening dress is of blu
gauze over silk of the same shade
The blue gauZe skirt is fastened
here. and there over the silk with bow
OF narrow blue satin ribbon; the bod
ice is of blue silk, deeply peaked il
front and at the side; the back is high
with rundown collar; the front i
open in the shape of square; tn,
opening filed with ruche of white
tulle; the front of the bodice is trim
med with a narrow peaked plastron o
finely-gauged blue gauze. A wreath
of glo1re de Dion roses is laid acros.
the top of the bodice. Very shor
pulled sleeves are finished with
thick white tuIle ruching; the arms ar
covered with very long kid gloves
The second skirt is draped very higl
in front, with cluster of tea roses a
the side; at back it forms puff.
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