Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-12-13
ODD lNoENuIrlEs.

An Atlanta, Ga, man has applied clock
work TO the running Of q sewing machine
A FRENcH engineer has recently invented
an improved key, which simpliies and
renders lasting the tuning Of stringed in.
struments.
A NEW YORKER has invented a cash sys-
TEN which admits of no mistakes. II you
hand clerk five dollar bill it will be ut
terry impossible to make him believe it was
| ten.
A MACHINE by which tho interest on any
| sum, from ten thousand dollars to one dol
lar from ten years to one day, at any rate
per cent, may be determined in thirty sec
onds, by simply turning knob, has been
patented recently.
An ingenious inventor has devised new
s.rew-hnlf nail and half screw; two blows
oil the hammer, two turns OF the screw
| driver, and it is in. Its holding power IN
white Pine is sand to be 332 pounds, against
DDS pounds the holding power of the pres
| ent screw.
| A KANSAS CRY carpenter has invented
O. new chamfering instrument, by the aid Of
| which he claims to cut a corner to the de-
! sired angle at one stroke. There is no re-
petition of the planning process, the ma
chino being passed only once over the cor
nor to be chamfered.
| A RUSSIAN sergeant Of the Semonovsky
Regiment has invented method for tho
rapid construction of boats from tents. in
thirty minutes, under the designers direc-
ton, a detachment of men improvised sew
eral handy boats with the aid of green
wood from a ncighbering grove. Each boat
readily supported four to six fully equipped
soldiers.
A STRIKING Improvement in clocks was
exhibited and described to the British AS
sociation for the Advancement of Science
BY q noted inventor. The new feature SON
sists in the use of a torsion pendulum,
which, with lever and escapement, may be
applied to ordinary works, and by its slow
rate of vibration makes it practicable to
convert an eight-day clock into one requir-
ing winding only once year.
AN Italian inventor has succeeded, il ap-
pears, in applying electricity to the playing
of musical Instruments Numbers of brass
and other instruments are suspended in
mid air, separated from one another as
much as the size of the hall will perl11t.
Signor Bozza then, by means OF an inTe,
NOUS electrical keyboard. plays on any or all
of them, producing at viii the full effect OF
a band of thirty or forty performers.
A MIXTURE composed Of two drachms Of
camphor, half a drachm of pure saltpetrc,
half drachm of muriate of ammonia and
two iluid ounces of proof spirit placed in a
glass tube or narrow vial, makes an excel.
lent barometer In dry weather the sOlu
ton remains clear, stormy weather IS indl'
Gated by very disturbed condition Of the
chemical mixture, and on the approach Of a
change. minute stars will rise in the liquid
New ENGLAND genius has recently
discovered u cheap method OF dissol2in9
zinc by combining it with hydrogen and
producing u solution called zinc water.
This liquid, if applied to certain woods,
notably whitewood, makes it absolutely
iireproof and at low cost. This discovery
is regarded as one Of the most important OF
the age, and one that will surely revolution
ize fire insurance, as well as immensely dc
crease the loss by fire. The invention is kept
secret for the present.
A NEW invention is reported for drying
buildings. A Russian engineer has in
vented an apparatus for drying buildings
which is said to have proved very effective
1t Is based on the principle Of carbonic ga'
rapidly absorbing the moisture of the ar
and to this end the Inventor has con
structed closed stove burning charcoal by
the introduction of air INTO it direct from
the open through two tubes. A steady cur
rent of dry, warm carbonic gas is allowed
to escape into the room to he dried, wheel
rapidly absorbs the moisture IN the air, and
escapes in the ordinary manner through
the chimney.
A DEVICE has been patented for use IN
transmitting bottles through the mails OF
otherwise, with Il view TO preventing injur,
to goods which may come in contact will
them from the breaking of the bottle ant
spilling of its contents. This mailing cast
consists of q round wooden box with I
screw top, there being inside the box |
thick lining of absorbent material, which
in case of brcakage, will quickly abSorl
the liquid and prevent damage that might
otherwise occur. As result of this ceh
struction it is claimed that the breaking o
the bottle ia not followed by the esca2'
from the mailing case Of any Of the bottle
cOntpntS