The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-26
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

By Japanese process seaweed ls made
into paper so transparent that it may be
substituted for window glass.
The palm-leaf fans of commerce are
largely imported from the East Indies,
and also from Panama, and other States
of Central or South America.
It is believed that the first circular saw
ever used in this country was put into
operation in Worcester about the year
1920. 1t was brought from England by
the Messrs. Sutton, wheelwrights and
wagonmakers.
The brick clay deposits of Hainstadt,
Germany, have been found by DR.. Stro-
hecker to be singularly rich in several
metals hitherto very scarce, particularly
cerium, giucinum, lanthanum, didymium
and yttrium. The first two of these
metals seem to be in sufficient abundance
to materially increase the worlds supply.
The skull reslsts the ravages of time
better than any other bone, and the reason
for it is question which puzzles natur-
alists. The fact has been noted on open
inr the graves of mound builders, where
the skulls of buffalo, elk, and other ami
mails on the Western plains are in fair
state of preservation long after the other
bones have entirely decayed.
The glaciers of the North Pacific coast
are small but magnificent. The Muir is
three miles long, with perpendicular
face of 400 feet, stretching like frozen
waterfall or gigantic dam entirely across
the head of the glacier bay. Its breast is
as blue as torquoise At distance it
looks like fillet rent from the azure sky
and laid across the brow of the cliff.
Wonderful stories having been told OF
the feats of savage archers in piercing
armor, and trees several inches in diane
ter, Prof. o. T. Mason, of the Smithso-
uian Institution, requests archery clubs
to make careful experiments upon the
distance of range, greatest distance OF
accurate projection, momentum at leav-
ing the bow, and penetrating power into
animals of arrows.
A French geologist, Mons. de Lap
parent, lately called the attention of the
Paris Geological Society to the effect
gravitation has in heaping up sea-waters
about the land. The continents arc thus
all situated at the tops of hills of water;
and in crossing the Atlantic the ship has
first to 90 down hill, then to cross val
lev, and finally to climb another hill. The
calculation has been made that in mid
ocean the surface may be more than half
mile Il, 900 metres) below the level 1t
would have if the continents excrttd no
attraction.
The following are the requirements for
a truly good, pure, portable water, as
prescribed by scientific commission IN
Belgium a short time ago: 1. 1t must
be clear and transparent. 2. 1t must be
of agreeable taste, and not warmer than
fifteen degrees G. 8. 1t must contain
some air and some carbonic acid. 4. 1t
should not contain more than twenty
milligrams of organic matter per lltre.
S. It should not contain more than 0.5
milligram of ammonia per litre. 6. 1t
should not contain alge, infusoria or
bacteria. 7. Upon addition of some
cane sugar no bacteria must be de-
veloped. s. The water should not con-
tain nitrites nor sulphuretted nit1 gen,
and not give precipitate with sulphide
of ammonium. 9. It should not contain
more per litre than 0.5 grain mineral
salts.