The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-20
CURIOUS. USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

The opinion is entertained now by many
men of science that the art of making artifi-
cial stone for structural purposes is prehis-
toric, and that the pyramids were. in fact,
built OF artificial blocks manufactured from
the surrounding plain.
The production of caraway seed has been
estimated st 100, GOO bales q year. AL the
northern parts of Europe and the United
States ere the principal centers of the con-
sumption OF this article. The manufacturers
OF essential oil in Germany use great deal
of the seed, and the plant in some parts of
that country Is to be found in every meadow.
The importance OF wholesome potable
water for cities is shown in Vienna. Since
the introduction into that CITY OF water
drawn from the Syrian Alps q constant aud
very considerable decrease has been OBJ
served in stomach aud intestinal troo bies,
and cases OF typhus fever have become
IaTe.
The expenses in connection with the ex
periments in ascertsiniDg the best source of
liPh for lighthouse illumination has cost the
British Government good round sum. &
return shows that up to the end OF last No
vembsr the outlay was more than $4,000,
aud other Indebtedness was subsequently,
incurred in connection with the sGme 90
iect,
According TO the Bulletin of the Society OF
NatuTalists of Moscow the hitherto unsc.
countable destruction OF pine forests is caused
by the ravages of 3 species OF mushroom
which takes growth on the surface of the
wood and sitervard penetIates and destroys
the trfe. Maps are given in which The psth
of the destroying fungus is traced through
the pine woods of Russia.
The following is given ss cheap mods OF
rendering fabrics uninaammabe. Four
parts of borsx and three paris of sulphate of
magnesls are shaken up together just being
sroA ,-x4w1 se n -,
from 20 to so parts parts of warm water. Int
the resulting solution the articles to be pro-
tected from fire are immersed, and When
they are thoroughly soaked they are
wrung out and dried, preferably in the open
air.
a distillerv has lately been put in opera
tion at Charleston, S. O., for manufacturing
oil from pine wood. The material is subjected
to intense hea; in sealed retorts, and one cord
OF it is said to yield fifteen gallons of turosn-
tine, eighty gallons of pine-wood oil, fifty
bushels of charcoal, $50 gallons of wood win.
egsr and quantity of infsmmable gas and
vegetable asphsltum. The oil alone is worth
about twenty-five cents gallon, and is used
by painters and ship-builders.
As means of producing an artificial sea
atmosphere in houses, the use has been sug-
gested of ssoulution of perox de OF hydrogen
containing per cent, OF ozOnic ether, iodine
to saturalion, aud 2 80 per cent. of ssR sSlt.
The solution, placed in eteam or hand
spray ditfuser, can be distributed in the I'm.
est spray in room at the rate of Two fluid
| ounces in quarter OF en- hour. 1t commun-
icstes pleasant od9r and is said to be as
good purifier OF sick chamber as ever
used, besides being a powerful dsinfec.
| tant.
A new volcano has been developed IN Rus
| sia, twelve Versts from the town OF Islns, in
the Government of SmGlensk. On the top OF
| bill there it was noticed ten years ago that
snow never remained fer any length of ii me-
| Three years back sublerralean noises were
heard in the sieighborhood of the hill, aud
| smoke wa seen to issue from Its summit
Lately iames have shot up, aud melted iron,
cinders, and sane have been thrown out of 8
freshly termed crater. The ground is so hoi
that pole thrust into it is burned in few
minutes. All around the hill there are evi,
dent signs of true volcanic energy.