Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-04-11
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

FROM aSCeDIlnS DlliOOOS lItr1la0 Gu
gineers have taken Photographic views
OF the country in less than second by
the aid of an electric attachment.
TWENTY years ago it required five
tons OF coal to make ton Of iron rails.
Now ton Ct steel rails may be produced
from the ore with half that amount Of
coal.
A BELGIAN scientist has demonstrated
that ride-ball shot through metal
plate does not touch the metal, the hole
through which it passes being made by
the compressed air driven before it.
SMOKE will soon be at premium.
From 2,8OO,00O cubic feet of smoke
given out by say 1000 cords OF wood, it
200 gallons of alcohol, and 25 pounds Of
tar may he obtained.
A SMALL hydrogen gas balloon, with
capacity of about two gallons, was hber-
ated at Bercy and made its way to Grad
no, in Poland, having travelled more than
1900 miles. This is the longest air
journey on record for SO small an object.
The staining of bricks red is effected
by melting one ounce Of glue in gal
Ion Of water, then adding piece Of alum
as large es al egg, ont~half pound OF
Venetian red, and one pound OF Spanish
brown; redness or darkness is increased
| by using more red or brown. For color
ing black, heat the bricks and dip in
| fluid asphaltum or in a hot mixture of
linseed oil and asphalt.
| A GERMAN has been investigating be
cause Of paper turning yellow and be-
coming brittle with ages He traces this
effect to three causes: The presence OF
iron io the paper; the presence Of chlor-
inc, and the absorption by the paper OF
hydro-sulpnuric ard su!phurous acids,
which are always present in the air Of
populous places. ALL these substances
are oxidized by exposure to the air, and
the oxidation produces the change in
color.
The suDhower does lot turn with the
sun, but recent observer finds that a
majority Of the flowers do have pre-
vailing direction when opening. In the
case OF one of the perennial suntiowers
OF 69 flowers, up to Gle time all had
their heads inclining 10 the southeast.
Three days after this with 73 flowers
open, 21 among the older ones had ad.
vanced toward the northeast, their hor-
izontal faces becoming nearly erect dur
ing the journey.
BEATEN aluminium leaf may now be
obtained in books like silver leaf, and is
largely used instead Of silk for decora-
tive purposes. Mr.. Levison suggests
heavy aluminium leaf as a substitute for
tinfoil for coating Leyden jars, and SIM
liar electrical apparatus. Area for area.
it does not cost much more, is much
lighter, and permanently retains its pol
ish. A book of fifty leaves of alumni
mum, of the ordinary. thickness, cost 25
cents; of thickness suitable for Ley
den jars, fifty leaves. about four inches
square, cost 81.
To make a rubber lubricator for belts,
S parts OF India rubber are cut fine and
melted together with five parts Of tur-
pentine in an iron well-covered vessel;
then add four parts of resin. stir we'll,
melt, and parts of yellow wax, stirring
constantly while melting. This mix
ture while warm is added, with constant
stirring, to melted mixture of Is parts
ish-oil and parts of tallow, and the
whole is agitated until it has congealed,
The mass is applied to old belts upon
both sides in warm place, and when
the belts are in use from time to time
upon the other side. By this treatment
they become very durable.
The following is given as the manner
in which petroleum is burned in the fire
box of Russian locomotive: "The
refuse is laid on the highest step at both
ends of the fire. box, ard drops from one
step to the other, cascade fashion. No
steam is introduced into the fire. box, as
the refuse petroleum simply runs
through the pipes by gravitation, the
tank carrying the epetroleum being placed
not on the floor of the tender, but above
the water-tank, and should the petro.
leum be too thick, it is arranged that
steam can be introduced through a warm
pipe in this tank, the steam ultimately
| nYhauatinor into the tender"