Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-07-22
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.
AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS,

d.
has lately repaired watch for Davlc
Nissly, near Shank's Mill, which he re-
paired thirteen years ago, after having
been lost sixteen years. This watch
when almost new was lost in a field by
Mr.. Nissly. After having laini in field
for sixteen years, which was In con
slant cultivation, the watch was again
found. Stranger than fiction, the hair
spring was not rusted or injured IN the
least. OF course some parts OF the
watch needed repairing, which were
then made by Mr.. Horst, and the
watch is still running.-MOunt JOY
Star.
A NEW BOILER CLEANED.
It is stated that the recently pat
ented process for the manufacture OF
gum OF the eucalyptus globulus,
which has the effect Of thoroughly re-
moving the scales whichfo on steam
engine boilers and preventing rust and
pitting, has created a largely increased
demand for it both in this country
and in Europe. The effect of this
preparation in thus preventing the pit
ting and corrosion of boilers will, it is
expected, extend the period of their
usefulness 100 or $50 per cent, and
at the same time insure a very consid-
cradle saving in fuel, as scale is non
conductor of heat. The distillation OF
essential oils from the leaves Of this
tree is another branch of industry.
SILVER MINING IN RUSSIA.
Silver mining in Russia presents
some peculiar facts. The ores, it ap-
pears, are mostly galena in character;
oxides and carbonates are found IN
some parts of Siberia; and, as rule,
the silver with lead ores is not rich,
rarely assaying over $50 a ton. Of
regular silver veins, there are but very
few, the ore being usually found In
pockets, and there are plenty OF them;
after going thirty or forty feet below
the surface, the bottom usually drops
out. In the Altai mining district
there are some shafts in silver mines
400 feet deep, but deeper sinking is
prevented by the weakness OF the
pumping machinery. Sometimes peck
cts are found which cover a surface Of
$4,000 square feet. Lodes are gener-
ally found 500 or 600 feet long. This
kind of mining is carried on by the
government, principally for the pur-
pose of giving the people work.
SAVED BY GOING TO BED.
The Gazette related the particulars
yesterday Of the miraculous escape
from death of John Deshon and
wife, newly married couple, who re-
side four miles southeast Of this city
on farm. When the electric current
commenced it's grand pyrotechnic dis
play Sunday afternoon, the young
couple, whose residence is on high
ridge, began to discuss the possibilities
Of the lightning striking. 1t appears
that one or the other had heard that
feathers were non-conductor, and
that the safest place on earth during
q thunder storm was in feather bed.
A vote was taken on the subject and
it was unanimously agreed that the
bed was the proper place for them, so
to bed they went. They had been
there but a few seconds when the light
ming struck the house and tore the end
of the building out in which their bed
stood. Neither were injured, though
both were slightly shocked.--St. Jo-
seph Gazette.
SHRINKING ON TIRES.
On one of the Russian railways the
practice has for some time been in
vogue of heating the tires for the
wheels by immersion in hot water, in
stead Of by fire, before shrinking on
the wheels. Near boiler stands an
iron vessel of water, which is heated
to 1902 Cent. with the steam; IN this
the tires are immersed for ten or fiji
teen minutes, then raised by a crane,
and brought on the body of the wheel.
For this operation three workmen are
required, and in eleven hours from
twelve to fourteen tires are thus treat
ed, and the difference of diameter is
three-fourths nm. for every millimetre.
1t is said that this mode of heating in
sures, on the whole, a greater degree Of
regularity. According to observa-
tions made on the railway in question,
81 per cent. Of the tires shrunk on by
the old method came off, and 5 per
cent. were broken in six years; while
in the case Of the water-heated tires
the loosening showed less than 1 per
cent. in three years, and with only one
tire broken.
AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILD.
On the north side of Clark Street,
between Baymiller and Freeman,
there is at present child whose
physiological condition must be a
marvel to the medical profession. It
is boy, aged ten years who has never
walked or crept, and to whom nature
has denied certain processes attendant
on digestion, or rather not denied
them altogether, but permitted them
at intervals of tour, six, twelve, and
in one instance fourteen months. The
boy eats regularly, and at times with
great heartiness, but the food is re-
tanned for a short time only, during
which it's vital principles are absorbed
or assimilated in some way. Since
birth he has been carried about in a
chair, and it is a peculiar fact that the
bones of his legs and arms are flexible,
being very much in the nature of car
tilage. Growth has stopped, and he
is not larger than than a child of two
years. He is in the custody of his
grandmother and a colored nurse, the
latter having been with him from birth.