The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-07-08
STUDY AND WORKSHOP.

A NEW process of making illumin-
ating and fuel gas has been devised, the
product of which is known as fcrhydric
gas. Prof. James Bartlett, chemist,
Yale College, and Prof. T.. Dwight
Kendall, New York School of Technol-
ogy, after thorough test, state that
the invention will prove to be the best
illuminating gas known.
AN improvement in the driving of
grinding stones and emery wheels Is
that by which the wheel is given a re-
ciprocating lateral motion In addition
to its rotation. 1t is found that by
making the grindstone move and keep
ing the tool still a more perfect result
IL attained, while the detached parti-
cles of steel have an opportunity to
DROP off the grindstone instead of be-
ing crushed into it, and the wear of the
stone and the heating of the tool are
both greatly diminished.
Now IS good time to make sure of
lightning-rod connections, and especial
ly that they are well grounded The
great ma ority of rods now erected are
| deficient in their ground connections,
and consequently are practically use
less. This Is the reason of so many
instances Of damage, even when build
ings have rods. In general, the rod is
simply stuck down two or three feet
deep into dry earth, which is about the
same as if the lower end of the rod
were inclosed in bottle; such rods are
fatally defective. The only chance for
safety is with good ground connec-
ton. The risk of damage is less with
out a rod than with one badly connected
to the earth.
IT has been discovered that the faded
ink on old documents, papers, parch-
ments, etc., may be so restored as to
render the writing perfectly legible.
| The process consists in mostening the
paper with water, and then passing
over the lines a brush which has been
wet in a solution of sulphide of ammo
MIA. The writing will Immediately APP
pear quite dark In color: and this color,
in the case of parchment, will be pre-
served. On paper, however, the color
gradually fades again, but may be re-
stored at pleasure by the application of
the sulphide. The explanation of the
action of this substance is that the iron
which enters into the composition of
the ink is transformed by the reaction
into the black sulphide.
PLUMBERS and drain-layers are the
doctors best friends, in certain sense.
Physicians must study for years before
they are allowed to cure people who
already are sick, but many men take
up, without any apprenticeship at all,
this business of drain-laying and
plumbing, on which, more than any
| o@I h. &C itxy'o
whole population depends. Instead of
being paid for his work, it would be
more in accordance with the fitness of
things to have plumber of this sort
directly under salary from the doctor
and undertaken Every householder
should without delay see that his drains
are In good order, and that no leakage
from them makes depository of filth
beneath his cellar. Men wonder some
tines why their vitality appears to be
deserving them. The reason may be
that the earth beneath their homes is
poison-soaked with sewage.
An improvement has been made in
The Honigman soda or fireless locomo-
tive, specimen of which was tried on
the Adams Street Passenger Rail-
way, Chicago, few months ago.
1t is a new method of evaporating
the water out of the caustic- soda
solution after it has become too
dilute to be effective in heat
ing. The method consists in inverting
the process. The soda remains in its
own tank, next the water boiler, into
which high-pressure steam is turned
from stationary boiler. The raised
temperature of the water is communi-
Gated to the soda, which is Also in COM
munication with the air. The water in
the soda is thus driven off until the
boiling point of the soda solution is
equal to the temperature of the steam
which is being used for heating, after
which the soda engine is disconnected
from the stationary boiler, and is ready
for usa