Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-04-25
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
A NEW PIANO.

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that of any other piano manufactured.
NEW INVISIBLE INK.
=. Widemann communicates rev
method of making an invisible ink tc
Die Natur. To make the writing or tn,
drawing appear which has been made upof
paper with the ink, it is sufficient to dir
1t into water. On drying, the traces
disappear again, and reappear by each
succeeding immersion. The ink is made
by intimately mixing linseed oil, l part
water OF ammonia, 90 parts; water, 10O
parts. The mixture must be ag1tated each
time before the pen is dipped into it, as
a little of the oil may separate and float
on top, which would, OF course, leave an
oily stain upon the paper
PECULIAR GROWTH OF TREES.
Mr.. Samuel Howard relates a curious
| story about one tree growing on the in
side OF another, which he discovered on
his farm some time ago. He said he
had occasion to cut down a large black
| locust tree, which was found to be hol-
low, and in the hollow of the locust tree
grew another tree, of different kind,
which was ten inches in diameter and
| about twenty feet high, and it had put
forth several branches, though they were
encompassed IN very small space. He
says the inside tree was alive and seemed
quite thrifty, and how it grew and -four
lshed in SO small space without air or
light was mystery to him, and he would
like to have some scientist explain the
matter.-Mt. Sterling (Ry.) Democrat.
WHAT DYNAMITE IS.
70 &c -,5+,,o
| enough OF the silica added to convert it
into powder that can be handled with
| comparative safety. Nobel obtained a
patent for his discovery, and in order to
7 evade 1t, various manufacturers have
substituted other substances for the in
| fusorlal silica, and this accounts for the
variety of names for what is essentially
the same thing; such rs Jupitor-powder,
rendrock, etc. Among the substitutes
| are mica, gun-powder and magnesia
| The Ditmar Powder Company mixed
! sugar with the glycerine before nitrating
1t, and thus obtained q mixture of nitro
! sugar and nitro. glycerine, which Wascalled
| glukodine. This mixed with an absorb
ent gave powder possessing all the ex-
| ploslve power of dynamite. One of the
most recent improvements-if it is an
| 1mprovement-in this class is an explo-
| slVe gelatine or gum, which is made by
dlssolving soluble gun-cotton in nitro
gllcerine, and adding small percentage
OF camphor. York Tribune.
! A DEVICE FOR HOT BOXES.
BY an ingenious device, the axies and
| boxes of cars are prevented from being
| heated, and a great source of danger
thus avoided. In accomplishing this, a
rotary fan, secured to the lower face of
one of the trucks, is driven by q belt
that passes over a pulley on one of the
car axles. To the nozzle of the fan is
! secured a rubber tube, attached at it's
outer end to pipe fixed to the bottom
OF the car; from this pipe rubber tubes
reach to pipes that open into the car
axle boxes, and branch pipes also lead
up from the main pipe through the floor
| of the car. When the Car is in motion
| the fan is rotated and air forced into the
car cooling and ventilating it, and is also
forced into the axle boxes, keeping the
axle cool. A small lubricating box, that
has on it's upper surface a seml-circular
bearing for the passage of the axle, has,
between its lower face and the bottom OF
the axle box, springs that keep the lub-
ricant contained IN the box in contact
with the axle.-BOStO1 Advertiser.
EFFECT OF SUNLIGHT ON FLOUR.
1t frequently happens that wheat or
rye -four, IN spite of the greatest care In
baking, yields an inferior loaf, and the
failure is commonly attributed to adult
Grafton; but when submitted to investi-
cation neither microscopic nor chemical
tests reveal any adulteration. Such
-four is returned to the miller or dealer
as unfit for use. The miller says the
-four was injured by the heating Of the
stones, and the dealer attributes the de-
feet to the circumstances that the sun
must have shone upon the sacks during
transportation. It has been proved by
numerous experiments that flour can not
bear the action of the sun, even when
not exposed directly to its rays. When
-four is exposed to the heat of the sun an
adulteration takes place in the gluten
similar to that produced by the heating
of the stones. For this reason it is ad-
visable that the transportation of -four
should take place, if possible, on COO
days or by night, as well as that houl
should be stored in cool place. -BostOn
Journal Of Chemistry.
sHEEPsKIN VELVET.
The novel, interesting process, an
nounced some time since in France, by
which the wool on sheepskins may be
transformed into velvet, is likely to prove
of industrial Importance. Up to the pres
ent time, sheepskins, tanned with the
aool on, have only been used for mats
lining for coats, etc., and the wool, not
having been subjected to any prepare
ton, is always matted or curled. Oh
serving that the innumerable fbers are
mutually disposed in the most perfect
and regular order, peculiarly fitted fol
velveting, an ingenious chemist con
ceived the idea Of cleaning the skin and
wool of all impurities, and of SO prepar
ing and dressing them, that the hairs
would be well preserved, and not entan
gled one with the, other-the occurrence
of the latter contingency being, o
course, fatal to the success of the opera
ton. After long and continuous expert
ments, success has been achieved, the ar
ticle produced being alike beautiful ant
snrvicaabla and destined it is thought