The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-18
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Edison, the inventor, has sixty men at
work in his laboratory. They are all
preparing something that first existed in
his brain. ...
It has just been discovered that to ep-
able one to penetrate thick, smoky places
the mouth and lips should be covered
with cotton wool. -I -s
Seven varieties of fish examined by
natural:sts of the Challenger expedition
are found totally blind in the deep sea-,
but have eyes when inhabiting shallow
water. ..... -
A scheme is under consideration for
tunneling the volcano Popocatapetl,
Mexico, through the wall of the crater in
order to reach the deposits of sulphur
inside the mountain. .. 2
An English chemist has shown that
the brittleness Of the bones of the sged
is not due, as is generally supposed, to-
an increase of the proportion of mineral
salts with advancing years.
It is noticed in Mexico that the laying
of railroad tracks produces rain. As fast
as construction advances rain falls. One
theory is that the large quantity of steel
rails on flat cars produces rain. 9~:,- ~.
An analysis of mystery gold" reveals
an alloy of copper, silver, gold, alumni
ium, and iron, the last probably being
an impurity. Even when present in
small proportion, the aluminium resists
the nitric acid test.
Professor W. Mattieu Williams offers
as better explanation than the old one
of the zigzag course of lightning, that
owing to variations of moisture the CON-
Quoting power of different portions of
air is variable, and the electric discharge
follows the course of least resistance.
Austrian engineers speak favorably of
Giezls pilot engine for preventing rail-
way collisions. 1t is worked by elec-'
tricity, under the control of the engi-,
neer. and is run at any desired distance
in front of the train, which it stops
automatically on encountering any OBJ;
stacle. ..'..... !:
A patent for the manufacture of arti-
fetal maple sugar has been issued. It is
made by adding to q gallon of ordinary
sugar syrup three tablespoonfuls of de-
coction made from hickory bark. The
inventor says that this syrup cannot be
distinguished from the genuine maple
syrup. &
It is found that nearly every kind of
glass, especially that containing Manga
nese, is liable to change of color BY the
astion Of sunlight, but the glass can be !.
restored to its original color by heat
Stained glass in windows that has
changed tint through solar action can
thus be restored by heat. {
An artificial ivory Of creamy white
ness and great hardness is now msde
from sound potatoes washed in diluted;
sulphuric acid, then boiled in the same
solution until they become solid and
dense; they are finally washed free from:
the acid and slowly dried. This product
may be dyed, turned, carved, and made
useful in nearly every way that genuine
ivory is.
Two observers, a Frenchman and an
Austrian, have recently shown the
curious effect exerted upon the acuteness
of any given sense by the simultaneous
exercise of any other sense. They show,
for instance, that hearing is improved by
light, especially red or yellow, and that
this action is reciprocal and is exerted on
every sense by all others. The results
are very curious and interesting.
The power of various explosives has
been calculated to be equivalent to the
following pressures, the figures giving
tons per square inch: Fmmensite, q,
new explosive for which important ad-
vantages are claimed in addition to great
power, 2s3; nitro.glycerinc, 1854; ex-
plosive gelatine, 253; forcite, ESQ;
oxomite, 249; panclastite, 20S; gun
cotton, 1913; dynamite, IA; atlas, 1873;
rackarock, III; roburite, "a; blasting
gunpowder, %. .,
Observations on the part of large
number of scientists prove that earth
quakes are more frequent at the time of
full moon and change of the moon than
at other times, and also more frequent
when the moon is nearest the earth or.
when she is on the meridian. The
cause to which this fact has been
assigned is the action of those forces
which produce the tides of the ocean;
their similar influence upon the solid
land strata leads to their disturbance in
the shape of earthquakes. .., -