The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-11-02
POPULAR SCIENCE.

The iodide OF mercury is now used tc
some extent in France in tanning skins.
Chaussier dried man in a kiln and
there resulted only twelve pounds OF
solid matter
Photographic in colors seems to be
the object of considerable experiment
ing, but 50 far with little or no success.
Paris has thirty miles of pipe for car
rying compressed air for power. The
engines are 5000 horse power and the coal
consumption fifty tons daily.
Numerous cases Of sickness have been
traced to the use OF fruit from tin cans.
Such fruits contained salts of tin which
have been hitherto supposed to be harm
less.
1t is found practicable at last to make
the waste OF pine saw mills available for
paper pulp. In reducing the wood to
pulp bisulphate Of lime has been used,
this powerful chemical acting on the fibre
only when heated.
\ Vienna engineer hls taken out a
patent for new smoke abatiug process.
B means Of electricity he proposes to
condense the solid part of the smoke y
It arts s from the coal. the carbon thus
formed falling back into the furnace.
A new instrument for the measure
ment Of color, as applied to the estima-
ton OF car5on in steel. has been patented
by J. W. Lovihond of Salisbury. and
may be used for matching carbous in
steel by the Eggertz color method or by
Stead's alkali method.
The principe OF the thermometer, the
instrument which is generally used for
measuring the velocity of the wind, and
which is, essent ally, small, delicately
poised, self registering windmill, with
tat or cup-shlped arms, has been applied
to device for registering the speed of
vessels.
Telegraph poles are preserved in Nor
way by making an auger hole about two
feet from the ground, in which four or
five ounces Of sulphate Of copper in
coarse crystals are placed and plugged
in. The chemical IS gradually absorbed
by the wood uatil its whole outer sur
face turns Of a grecnish hue The sui
plate requires an occasional renewal,
and is said to be a perfect preservative.
\ novel electric railway is undergoing
construction in suburb Of St. Paul,
MINI. The IA lroad Is an elevated struc-
ture, aud the cars arc hung below il close
TO the stree; level They hang from set
Of wheels taking their power from the
tracks, which are charged with cleo
tricity. The EsgiaeerinJ ant B4adizg
Reeord says that a speed OF from eight to
ten miles an hour is claimed for the cars.
Grant Alien suggests that the evolu-
ton Of pottery may be traced TO the
gourds OF various forms used by the
primitive sssages for containing water.
The gourds were probably smeared with
wet clay to protect them when held over
the campfire. as is still done by savages.
and the durable coating thus produced,
outlasting the inner shell, gave the acct
dental lesson in moldng dishes from
natural objects.
To furnish the muse of the harp,
without requiring the skill of the harp
ist, has beea the OBJ ect of VI. Dietz. of
Brussels. in desiging the claviharp The
instrument is provided with key
boaId. upon which any pianist may
play, but the strings are mechanically
plucked as by the fingers OF the harpist
instead of being struck BY hammers.
The strings are of metal, with an insu-
la.cd covering to give the tone OF catgut-