The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-01
MECHANICAL.

The Scientific american states that
plush goods, and all articles dyed with
aniline colors, faded from exposure to
light, will look bright as ever after be-
ing sponged with chloroform. The
commercial chloroform will answer the
purpose very we'll and is much less ex-
pensive than the purified.
CRUcIBLEs of nickel have lately been
adopted in some chemical laboratories,
in the place of the silver ones generally
used for melting caustic alkalies. They
have the advantage, not only of being
cheaper, but of being capable of resist
ing higher temperature than the lat
ter, and the result is said to be favor
able.
THE following table shows the num-
Der OF nails of the various sizes con-
tanned in pound: I'd fine, 1000; 3D.
fine, 100; Sd common, 4S0; 4d COM,
2oS; sd CON-, 200; Cd COM, 1GS; I'd
CON-, 124; Sd CON-, SO; Sd CON-, 70;
ia com, 5S; I'D CON-, "A; I'D CON-,
"a; 20d COM, %; BOD CON-, Is; Add
CON-, IA; sod CON-, 10; God CON-, s.
The length of each nail mentioned is
as follows: Cd, inch; Sd, II; Adj; II;
cd. IL; I'D. 2; I'd, 2t; Sd, y; Cd, 2a F;
led, 3; I'D, 81; led, 81; 20d, A; BOD,
A.; 40d, 8; sod, 90; God, g inches.
A Scorer gentleman of keen obser-
walton has found out that Atlantic tides
serve the purpose of natural storm
warnings with remarkable degree of
reliability. Writing to SimOns' Meier
oiogicat Magazine, he states that in
the Hebrides "the waters of the At
lantic rise abnormally high for forty
eight hours, and downward before the
arrival of q cyclone, the height and
time-period varying with the force of
the approaching disturbance" He
therefore suggests that if the daily
records of the tides were faithfully kept
and reported they would afford date
for forecasting storms with greater GER
tainty than by the barometric gradient
now. prevailing. There can be no doubt
that tidal observations would often give
timely notice of a coming storm before
the sluggish barometer falls low
enough to awaken apprehension. 1t is
not uncommon when West India hur-
ricanes are advancing westwardly to-
ward the Florida coast, for them to
announce their approach two days or
more ahead of their arrival by nu-
usually high tides at Charleston, and
even on the upper North Carolina
coast,
Nor many people of those who have
witnessed during pyrotechnic displays
the bursting of those wonderful bombs
which sent out showers of gold and
parti-colored stars, have any idea of
how they are made and fired. The
principle is the same as in the military
shell, the casing being made of paper
instead of heavy metal. Two hollow
hemispheres are charged with innu-
merable conical-shapea stars made
from compressed coloring matter, and
when the halves are joined together
and paper-sealed they are thrown from
mortar. Unless the stars are very
carefully arranged they are apt to
detonate by the force of the powder
exploded in the mortar. The distance
to be travelled by shell before the
stars shall break is regulated with a
fuse running four, five, ten, fifteen, or
twenty seconds. This fuse, which is a
necessary adjunct to all fancy fire.
works, is a simple continuance. 1t is
made by soaking ordinary cotton wick
in compound of meal powder, gum
arabic, alcohol, and water, and is very
combustible. At the moment the shell
leaves the mortar the fuse ignites, and
is gradually consumed until the flame
reaches an interior cavity of the shell
holding charge of powder. Instant
explosion ensues, che shell breaks with
loud report and sheds the burning
stars in perfect shower of beautiful
colors.