Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-11-19
CUR S, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
SOLAR HEAT.

Certain ingenious Parisians are OK
perimenting with an apparatus for utll-
izing solar heat and using it In Lieu OF
coal to effect this the sums rays are
concentrated by a reflector, which SO
moves as to keep the rays focused on
vertical boiler, which is thus heated, pro-
| ducing steam enough to drive press.
In a recent experiment the sun-made
steam drove large press, which struck
off several thousand copies of a specimen
newspaper Parties interested in thus
obtaining the cheapest attainable heat
profess themselves as we'll satisfied with
the first test, and are in high hopes of
soon being able to generate steam with
out coal or any other mundane fuel.
SAVING HER BACON.
An Interesting encounter between a
rattlesnake and two hogs was witnessed
few DAYS ago near where the Jackson
vile, Tampa & Key West Railroad
crosses Black Greek in this county.
There were two scws in the sand local
ity, each with litter of pigs. A large
rattlesnake attacked and killed one of
the pigs, when the mother of the pig at
tackled the snake, but, being bitten by
the serpent, fell on her offspring and
died Immediately. The other SOW then
rushed upon his snakeship when she
also received the fangs of the RATHER.
The SOW, however, got in her work on
the snake and killed him when she also
laid down and died. Green Cove
(Fla.) Spring.
FISHERS BALLOON DISCOVERY.
An engineer named Fisher is said to
have made an important discovery in
eronautics, by which he is enabled to
condense or expand the gasin balloon.
The agent he employs is compressed
carbonic acid, with the help of which he
can ascend or descend with pleasure.
This perpendicular movement puts 1t In
the power of the aeronaut to go up or
down until he finds a current of air
moving in the horizontal direction he
wishes. Military critics attribute great
Importance to this discovery, because in
time of war a balloon will be able to
reach the enemy's territory and ascend
again without requiring fresh supply
of gas Paris Dispatch to the London
Standard.
FREAK OF NATURE.
A subscriber, and therefore an honest
man, informs us that he has an apple
tree which, to all appearances, never
blossoms, and yet the blossoms seem
to be there, but they have no petals,
though in every other way they seem to
be perfect. The tree bears nice eat
ing apple of peculiar shape, being
large near the stem and small near the
end, just the reverse of the pear. This
apple has seeds, but they are not in
their natural place, being in the end
of the apple, partly visible from the out
side, while the core in every other re-
spect seems to be perfect. This year
the tree seems to be more peculiar than
ever, bearing all shapes of apples, some
being double, and having two cores,
and others with small apple growing
out near the stem, sort Of child to the
larger parent Natick (Mass.> Citizen.
METEoRIC STONES FOUND.
On the 28th of October, 1910, persons
present at the Northport camp ground
in Waldo County, saw a meteorite fall
into the water near the camp. AS it
fell it burst into fragments, that was
the conclusion drawn by those who wit
messed it's descent, Search was made
at the time for fragments, but none
were found, the tide at all times cover
ing the spot where the meteorite struck
the water. Two years ago one who wit
messed the fall again made a search,
and some fragments were recovered.
From time to time the search has been
continued and other fragments have
been brought to light, one of which was
considerably sent to Prof. F. G. Robin
son, of Bowdoin College. More recent
ly quite large mass, weighing perhaps
twenty pounds, was recovered, and this
mass Prof. Robinson now has in his
possession. much to his qualification.
He will proceed to analyze it, Bruins
wick (Me.) Telegraph.
BIT OF GOLD IN HIS EYE.
Twenty-six years ago Samuel G..
Simpson, who was then employed in
Dubois jewel factory, was cutting a
piece of gold from breast-pin, when
the piece suddenly few upward, cutting
deep slit in his eye. Although the
accident was not painful the sight of the
injured organ was destroyed. The
piece of gold was 1-64 of an inch thick
and of an oval shape, it's greatest diam
eter being about q quarter of an inch.
It could not be found at the time of the
accident and was supposed to have
been lost Three weeks ago Mr.. Simp-
sons eye began to give him intense
pain and became greatly swollen. For
relief he applied to it bread poultice,
which was frequently renewed. When
he removed the poultice yesterday he
was astonished to find clinging to it the
piece of gold which had cut his eye
more than quarter of century ago.
No one had supposed that
the missing gold had embedded
itself in the eye, and the discovery
was as great surprise to the patient as
to his friends. The sharp edge of the
gold had cut it's way downward and
came through the skin just below the
lower eyelid.- Philadelphia Press.
A SINGING RAT.
About four weeks ago the attention of
the family of Mr.. T, in South Nash
vile, was directed to certain peculiar