Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-09
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL

In coffee-growing countries an infus-
ion of the leaves of the tree is held by
many to be superior to the infusion Of
.he berry. The probable value of the
dried coffee-leaves as an article Of COM
merce has been suggested.
Many persons begin to show gray hairs
while they arc4genan their twenties, and
some while IN their teens. This does
not by any means argue a premature
decay of the constitution. 1t is purely
local phenomenon, and may coexist with
unusual bodily vigor. The celebrated
author and traveller, George BoKow,
turned quite gray before he was thirty,
but was an extraordinary swimmer and
athlete at sixty-five.
A favorite form of manufacturing quartz
crystals is the sphere, and balls Of three
inches or more in diameter are very valu-
able on account of the rarity of large
masses of perfectly clear stone. One OF
the largest and most perfect balls OF
crystal known is $3.50 inches in diameter,
and is now in Dresden. The finest ball
in this country is owned by Mr.. r. E.
Moore, measures 6.625 inches, and is val
ned at $1,000. So rare are the large
pieces of fine quartz that one dealer is
said to keep-a standing offer of 81, 900
for material for five inch ball, $1,000
for one of five and a half inches, and
81, 900 for aseven-inch ball.
On the northern slope of the Alps the
zone of perpetual snow reaches down to
about 8, 200 feet above sea-level, and on
the south side to about 5000 feet. In
the Pyrenees the snow-line is at height
of about 8, $50; in tbs Caucasus, 10000
to 1k000 feet, on the south side of the
Himalayas, 10, $50 feet, and on the north,
16, $40 feet; at the equator, in the Andes,
Is, $50 feet; in Bolivia, 1880 feet in
western Cordillela, and Is, 800 in the
eastern; in Mexico, IA, 760 feet; in Chill,
near Santiago, 1880 feet; in Norway.
5000 feet in the middle portion, and
1900 feet at its northern extremity; in
Kamchatka, 5000 feet; in Alaska, $500
feet.
Mr.. A. Samson, a French scientist,
states that, from comparison of animal
and steam power, in France at least, the
former is the cheaper motor. In the
conversion of chemical or mechanical
energy ninety per cent is lost in the
machine, against sixty-eight in the ami
NAL, He finds that the steam horse power,
contrary to what is generally believed,
is often materially exceeded by the horse.
The cost of traction on the Montparnasse-
Rastille line of railway he found to be for
each cor, daily, fifty-seven francs, while
the same work done By the horse cost
only forty-seven francs and he believes
that, for moderate powers, the conversion
of chemical into mechanical energy is
more economically effected through ami.
mails than through steam engines.
The ingenuity of persons who ''get up"
precious stones and mock pearls for ''the
trade" has been often commented upon
and frequently censured. A London
lapidary, who works in the groove in
dictated, was called upon q few months
ago in a court of law to explain his
mode of procedure 81 make all my
limitations out of real stones" was his
reply to the Judge. On being asked to
be more explicit, he said: s'Pehaps |
possess some pale stones which are of
small valne; these split by the aid OF
my tools; then introducing a deeper
tone of color l join them together again,
having considerably increased their sala-
BILE value" In this manner the colors
of many stones are said to be intensified,
such as emeralds, sapphires, amethysts
and others.
An apparatus which must prove OF
great value when fully developed was
lately described to the British lnstitu-
ton of Naval Architecture by Mr. C. E.
Stronger. 1t is designed to show the
strains of ships tossed by the waves OF OF
other structures subject to great stress.
Briefly described, the instrument con-
sists of thin wire placed between two
plates of metal, one being rigidly at
tached to the structure of the ship or
other object to be tested and the other
held by long wire and coiled spring.
The two plates are thus placed with their
surfaces parallel and only separated by
the thin wire. to which is attached a
light pointer or needle. Upon any move.
ment of either plate the thin wire rolls
between the two surfaces, and it will
readily be seen that in this way the bend
ing of beam or the elongation of test
pieces subjected to stress can he defined
and registered.