Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-16
POPULAR SCIENCE.

The Seventh tunHel was completed
September 5, 1885, after thirteen years
Of hard work. It is 22,992 feet long.
DR.. Antonin Lartin says that the
flavor of cod liver oil may be changed tc
the delightful one of fresh oysters, Il the
patient viii drink a large glass of water
poured from a vessel in which nails have
been allowed to rust.
The Popular Science Neacs asserts
that the average length of life is con.
stantly increasing, and the time may ye.
come when persons hundred years old
will excite no more curiosity than one OF
eighty years at the present time.
The deep boring in course Of forma-
ton, under direction of the German gov
eminent, near Schladebach, with the
special object Of obtaining trustworthy
data concerning the rate of increase of the
earth's temperature toward the interior,
has up to the present stage given evil
dence corroborative of what has been OBJ
tanned elsewhere.
From his recent observations Cap
tain Pillsbury finds that the strength OF
the current of the Gulf Stream is invaria-
bly, on the Florida instead of the Bahama
side of tie stream, and that the tempera-
ture of this great ''river" in the ocean
ranges from 42deg., to 81deg. The
greatest velocity of the stream at the sur
face is about four and half knots, but
the fluctuations are frequent and con-
siderable
In his lecture on the heat action OF
explosives, delivered to the institution of
civil engineers, London, Captain Noble
said: Twenty five years ago our most
powerful piece of artillery was a g.
FOUNDER, throwing projectile with a
velocity of 1870 feet second. Now the
weight of our guns is increased from five
tons to 100, the velocities from 1000 to
1000 feet and the engines from LOO
foot-tons to over $4,000 foot-tons."
Muller has given the composition of
an ink which can be used with an ordi-
nary pen for sketching on glass. Itcon-
sists of hydrochloric acid ammonium
fouride and oxalic acid thickened with
barium sulphate. He has also proposed
better substitute made in this way:
equal parts of the double hydrogen am
monium houride and dried precipitated
barirlm sulphate are ground together in
a proclaim mortar. The mixture is then
treated in platinum, lead or gutta percha
dish with tuning hydrofouric acid until
the acid ceases to react.
M. Either exposes in the Rerue
Industrielle to his simple method for
testing the quality of the leather used
for betting. A small piece is cut out of
the belt and placed in vinegar. If the
leather has been perfectly tanned, and is
therefore of good quality, it will remain
immersed in the vinegar even for sever
al months without any other change
than becoming little darker in color.
If, on the contrary, it is not well impreg-
mated with tanning, the fbres Will
promptly swell, and after a short time
become converted into gelatinous mass.
-Bisulphide of carbon, M. Pasteur
thinks, will become the most efficacious
# all antiseptics, as it is also the cheap
est, costing but fraction of a penny per
pound in large quantities. 1t is like
wise the best insecticide known, and for
this purpose may, it is thought, be use
frll for preserving woodwork in tropical
countries. Some idea of the use it is
already put to may be gathered from the
TACT, as stated, that more than 100000
pounds of the substance are used annually
to check the ravages of Phylloxera. Car
bon bisulphide, as produced, though
ali extremely offensive compound in res
pect to odor, is capable of complete
publication.
Comparative tests of the GRANTEES of
New England and Minnesota, instituted
BY Professor Winchel, with a view to
determine their crushing strength, ex-
nibited some surprising differences. The
pieces employed for this purpose were
,wo-inch cubes unpublished, and, crushed
between wooden cushions. The average
strength of twenty specimens of Mime
'ota granite was found to be 1922
pounds per square inch; crushed between
;teel plates, the average strength was
lO4, 800 pounds to the square inch of sur
ace. The average obtained for the same
If specimens of New England granite
vas SO, 7S5 pounds, or 1856 pounds per
square inch. The age of Minnesota
granite is arch@n; that of New England
GRANTEES is not definitely known.
Some interesting particulars are
,iven by NJ. Escalle, director of the i'm
,ortant works at Tamaris, in regard to
o the employment of blocks of COM
pressed coal, in lieu of coke, for blast fur
laces. With the ores of the country,
which are argilo-silicious and small, the
Quantity of compressed fuel employed is
20 per cent, but with those of Motka or
oillals it reaches 80 per cent. 1t has
zen found that by the use of these blocks
j much higher temperature of hot blast is
and that the proportion of COM
,ustible consumed-coke and compressed
oal included per ton of pig-iron pro-
luced is less than with coke alone. M. |
1scalle attributes this result to the guam
ity of water, Il per cent, contained in
he compressed coal blocks used by him,
g well as to the nature of the volatile |
natter. The volume of gas obtained per
on of the compressed fuel at these works
vas some 1920 feet.
"A metallic telegraph pole has been
Idopted by the Canadian government for
is telegraph line on the Northwestern
,roiriac Tho v,o1o 10 oopo&rro&od IF |