The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-19
Children Cry for Pitchers Castoria.
JUST BY CHANCE.
Important Discoveries Which Have Been .
Made Through Accidents.

important Discoveries Which Have Been
Made Through Accidents.
Valuable discoveries have been made,
and valuable inventions suggested, by
the veriest accidents. An alchemist,
while seeking 20 discover a mixture Of
earths that would make the most dur
able crucibles, one day found that he
had made porcelain. The power OF
lenses, "a applied 70 the telescope, was
discovered by a Matchmaker appren-
tice. While holding spectacle glasses
between his thumb and finger he was
startled at the suddenly enlarged appear
ance of neighboring church spire. The
art of etching upon glass was discovered
by Nuremberg glass cutter. by acci-
dent a few drops OF aqua forts fell upon
his spectacles. He noticed that the
glass became corroded and softened
where the acid had touched il. That was
hint enough He drew figures upon
glass with varnish, applied the corroding
fluid. then cut away the glass around the
drawing. When the varnish was re-
moved the figures appeared raised upon
a dark ground.
Mezzonnto owed IS invention 20 the
simple accident OF the gun barrel Of a
sentry becoming rusted with dew. The
swaving 10 and fro Of a chandelier I'm a
cathedral suggested 70 Calico the appli-
cation Of the pendulum. The art OF
lithographing Was perfected through sug-
gestiOns made by accident. A poor mu-
sician was curious to know whether
music could not be etched upon stone as
we'll as upon copper. After he had pre-
pared his slab his mother asked him 10
make a memorandum Of such clothes as
she proposed 10 send away TO be washed.
Not having pen, ink and paper con
vcnient. hc wrote the list on the stone
with the etching preparation, intending
TO make a copy Of II at leisure. \ few
DAYS later. when about 10 clean the
stone. he wondered what effect aqua
f0rcS would have upon It, He applied
the aciS and in few minutes saw the
writing standing out in relief. The next
step necessary was simply to ink the
stone and take oil an impression.
The shop of a Dublin tObacconist. by
the name Of LundyfOOt, was destroyed
by Gre While lac was gazing dolelully
into the sm0ldering ruins, he noticed
that his poorer noighbors were gathering
the snuff from the canistors. lie tested
the snuff for himself. and discovered
that the fire had largely improved its
pungcncy and aroma 10 was a hint
worth profting 10y. lie secured another
shop, built a lot OF ovens. subjected the
snuff to a heating process, gave the
brand particular name, and in a few
years became rich through an accident
which he at first thought had completely
ruined him. The process of whitening
sugar was discovered in q curious way.
a hen that had gone through q clay
puddle went with hcr muddy feet into q
sugar house. She left her tracks on
pile Of sugar. 1t was noticed that wher-
ever her tracks were the sugar was
whitened Experiments were instituted,
and the result was that wet clay came to
be used in refining sugar The origin Of
blue tinted paper came about by mere
slip Of the hand The wife Of William
East, an English paper maker, accident
ally let blue bag fall into one OF the
vats Of pulp.-LOndOn It'd Bits.