The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-04-21
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The largest cotton mill is said to
be located at Kranholm, Russia. The
establishment contains $40. 900 spindles
and 2, 200 looms, disposes of force of
300 horsepower, and gives employ
ment to 1000 hands.
-Pillsbury mill "A' grinds 1000
barrels of flour daily, which is enough
for New York, Brooklyn and Jersey
City. 1t is eight stories high, and work
is never stopped. 1t keeps two hun
dred railway cars busy. An electrical
apparatus enables a watchman to
locate heated box and where in the
mill.
"A ''cable anchor" for stopping
has been successfully tried on the
Seine. The apparatus consist of a
cable having on it a series of canvas
cones, which open by the action of the
water, and close when drawn the usual
way. A steamer running thirteen
knots was stopped in thirteen seconds,
and in a space of from twenty to thirty
feet, by this arrangement.
While considering It doubtful
whether ants ard bees can hear, Sir
John Lubbock believes it to be suite
possible that they may hear sounds so
shrill as to make no impression on the
human ear. A like fact may be true of
heir perception of colors. To insects
the world may be full of music we can
MT hear, colors we can not see, and
we can not feel. -.
During the past two seasons E. B.
Poultop has made observations which
prove that the silk of at least three
species of English moths is greatly af-
fected in color by environment at the
time OF spinning. The cocoons were
dark brown when the larv@ had been
placed in a bag of green leaves, and
white when they had been freely ex.
posed to light in the neighborhood Of
white surfaces.
1t having been demonstrated that
the most solid ice may contain ele-
ments which, when taken into the
human system, cause disease and death.
it becomes very important for one TO
know where the ice he uses was OBJ
tanned, as the contamination of ponds,
lakes and rivers by sewage is getting to
be alarmingly prevalent. Some SCENT
lists think that the artificial production
of ice from purified water, in quantities
sufficient to supply the demand for it,
will eventually be the only way OF
guarding against the dangers to which
people are exposed by the use of i'm.
pure ice.
The efficiency of oil, when dropped
upon the water, to calm boisterous
waves may now be regarded as estab-
lished. 1t is astonishing how small a
quantity of oil will answer the pur-
pose. Admiral Clone gives the amount
as from two to three quarts an hour
dropped from perforated bags hanging
over the sides of the ship in positions
varying with the wind. The oil, then,
by its own outspreading, extending
over the waves, forms 4 film of less
than two and half millionith part
of an inch in thickness; and this is
enough to reduce breaking waves and
dangerous ''rOllers" to unbroken UNI
dulations that are practically harmless.
The four feet of an ordinary on
will make pint of neats-foot oil. Many
cattle shin-bones are shipped to En-.
gland for the making Of knife-handles,
where they bring $40 ton. The thigh.
bones are the most valuable, being
worth $50 ton for cutting into tooth
brush handles. The foreleg bones are
worth $50 ton, and are made into
collar buttons, parasol handles and
jewelry, though sheep legs are the
staple parasol handles. The water in
which the bones are boiled is reduced
to glue, and the dust which comes from
saving them is fed to cattle and poul-
try.