Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-08-28
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

A piece Of iron rolled in the new Fai-
con Mills at Niles the other DAY 10 q
thin as a sheet of ordinary paper IL
would take $50 sheets to constitute one
inch in thickness. The mill made TINS
piece Just to see how thin they couio
roll.
One of the curiosities Of light and heat
is the fact that rays of the sun should
mass through cake of ice without melt
inc It at all, as is the case when the tner-
mometer stands a little above zero. That
the rays of heat actually penetrate the ICE
is shown by the fact that lens OF lce
may be used for setting fire to lntlamma-
Bile substances.
The glaciers of the Alps have been
found BY Forel to change in size quite
regularly period of growth OF fifteen
to thirty years being followed by cor
responding period Of diminution. The
increase seems to coincide with periods
of cold and wet years, and the decrease
with periods of warm and dry seasons.
Since 1857 the glaciers have been grow
ing.
It has been found that when paraffine
is thoroughly mixed with linseed oil,
cast into small blocks and cooled, it may
lie used to make any fabric WATERPROOF
by simply rubbing the block over it and
ironing it afterward to equalize the ma
terial in the pores. It has the advantage
of being waterproof but not air-proof
unless too much of the parafine is ap-
piled.
It has been matter of extensive be-
lief in France that the drinking of water
in considerable quantities has tendency
to reduce obesity, by increasing the &C
tivity of oxidations in the system, and
favoring the burning away of accumu-
lated fat. The error of this idea has just
been shown by DR.. Debove, who has
proven that the quantity of water taken
has no influence on nutrition or body
weight so long as the solid diet remains
unchanged.
An entirely new vegetable is being in
troduced by great French firm, which
is exciting some interest. It is called
choro .gi and is native CT Northern AT
RIGA. 1t belongs to the mint family (bo.
tanical name Stachys affinis). Its feshy
roots or tubers only are eaten, dressed
like string beans or fried like fritters,
and are said also to make an excellent
pickle. Whether it will become use
full vegetable and desirable regular
market crop in this country can only be
determined by trial.
Artificial ivory exhibited at the Am
sterdam Exhibition is stated to have been
produced from the bones of sheep and
waste pieces OF deer and kid skins. The
bones are mscerated and bleached for
two weeks in chloride of lime, then heated
by steam along with the skin SO as to
form fluid mass, to which small guam
tity of alum is added. The mass is then
filtered, dried in the air, and allowed to
harden in bath of alum, the result be-
ing white, tough plates, which are more
easily worked than natural ivory.
When worn car wheel tread is exam
ined under the micros cope, it is perceived
that the surface of the metal comes off In
thin fakes or scales. Examined under
high powers the scales are found to re-
semble portions of brick wall, the frac-
lures being not in the particles of iron,
but in the material which unites the par
ticles in manner similar to which NOR
tar untes the bricks of wall. Contin-
uous Earring breaks this cement or unit
ing material, thus allowing iron SO treated
to fall to pieces.