Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-02-13
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.

FRUIT may be ripened by the electric
Hight, but it is said that it is unpalat-
able. Strawberries grown in this way,
under the direction of Prof. Siemens,
were worthless. Some melons ripened
were of such poor quality that to render
them eatable, they would need to be
strongly favored with condiments.
A MILLING engineer accounts for the
greater frequency of dust explosions
now than formerly, by the far greater
number of quick-moving machines now
used In four-mills. each of these caus-
ing a corresponding diffusion of flour
dust, and thus tending to produce an
explosive mixture of the infammable
dust with the necessary atmospheric air.
A SMALL reservoir charged with
liquid carbonic acid is used in the Ber-
lin fire-eDgines to make steam before
the fire is well under way. At the
Krupp works, it has been recently
stated, LIQUID carbonic acid is utilized,
not only in the manufacture of COM
pressed steel, but for production of
ice and of settler water; also to give
the pressure necessary for delivery of
beer
Docs, rabbits and Guinea pigs were
kept BY nj. Poincare in an atmosphere
resembling that which is usually
breathed 10y persons who use petro-
leum. The Guinea pigs alone sue
cumbed after remaining from one to
two years in this medium. The other
animals appeared to resist indefinitely.
He nevertheless recommends persons
employing petroleum as a source of
heat or light, or who treat it industri-
ouslv, to keep their stock in closed
vessels, to attend to ventilation, and to
execute operations of modification, etc.,
under draught hoods.
CAREFUL and apparently unpre-
JUDGED investigation by a committee of
medical men has shown that the free
use Of alcoholic beverages causes q four
fold increase In death from diseases of
the liver: two-fold increase from kid
ney diseases; marked increase In
deaths by pneumonia and pleurisy, and
of diseases of the brain and spinal cord :;
but a decrease in mortality by bron-
chitis, asthma, consumption and lung
congestion. Then there are also deaths
directly attributable to drunkenness or
chronic alcoholism and resulting from
accidents during drunkenness
Foote'S Health Monthly.
Do NOT empty the boiler under steam
pressure, but cool it down with the
water In it; then open the blowout tap
and let the water pour out. To quicken
the cooling the damper may be left
open and the steam blown off through
the safety-yalves. Do not, on any ac-
count. dash cold water on any of the
plates. But IN cases of emergency pour
cold water in before the hot water is let
out, and mix the two together so as to
cool the boiler down gradually and
generally, and not suddenly and locally.
ii a boiler is blown off under steam
pressure the plates and brick-work are
left hot. The hot plates harden the
scale, and the hot brick-work hurts the
boiler. Cold water dashed on to hot
plates viii cause severe straining by
local contraction, sometimes sufficient
to fracture the seams.
A STRONG alloy which attaches itself
so firmly to the surface of metals, glass
and porcelain that it can be employed
to solder articles thai will not bear
very high temperature, can be made as
follows: Copper dust obtained by pre-
cipitation from a solution Of the sui
plate by means of zinc, is put in a cast
iron or porcelain-lined mortar, and
mixed with strong sulphuric acid, spe-
cific gravity, 1.85. From 20 to 80 or 36
parts Of the copper are taken, accord
ing to the hardness desired. To the
cake formed Of acid and copper, there
is added, under constant stirring, 70
parts Of mercury. When well-mixed,
the amalgam is carefully rinsed with
warm water to remove all the acid, and
then set aside to cool. In ten or twelve
hours 1t IS hard enough to scratch tin.
If it Is to be used now, it must be heated
so hot that when worked over and
brayed in an iron mortar, it becomes as
soft as wax. In this ductile form it
can be spread out on any surface, to
which it adheres with great tenacity
when it gets cold and hard
Two Pictures in Contrast.