Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-09-14
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

An eminent microscopic, finds that
genuine honey can be readily distin-
yuished from manufactured honey by
the microscope, as the former has few
Or no sugar eystals.
A man in Australia has discovered
process by which he can season
freshly cut Australian lumber in less
than seven days. This seems hardly
credible, as heretofore it has required
several years. Steam is one of the
agencies employed.
Tests made with much care show
that the addition of a fraction of one
per cent. of aluminium greatly improves
the quality of cast iron, rendering cast
ings more solid and free from blow
holes, removing the tendency to chill,
increasing the strength, elasticity, and
fiuidity of the metal. and decreasing
shrinkage.
The different woods for charcoal
may be estimated as to value by this
rule: OF the oaks 100 parts will yield
70 parts charcoal, beech 81. apple, elm
and white pine %, birch "a, maple %,
willow Is, poplar 20, hard pine 224.
The charcoal used for gunpowder is
made from willow and alder.
Experiments again made in Lon
don with carbo-dynamite. one of the
latest explosives, would seem to show
that it possesses some important ad-
vantages over ordinary dynamite,
among others that of considerably
greater power, and the generation of
much less nOxious vapOr when ex-
plOded in confined places. 1t is COM
posed of nitro glycerine absorbed by
ten parts of variety of carbon, and is
claimed to be entirely unaffected by
water.
A feat of much scientific interest,
II not of immediate commercial value,
is the recent production of chemical
sugar by Fischer and Tafel, in the
laboratory of the University of Wurz-
burg. Glycerine was used as the start
ing point in the experiments. After
decomposition and treatment with va
rious reagents, colorless sirup was
obtained, which, unlike saccharine,
appears to be a genuine sugar, acting
in every respect like ordinary natural
sugar except in being incapable of ro-
tating beam of polarized light.
"A new translucent substance in
tended as a substitute for glass has
been adopted in London. 1t possesses
such degree of pliancy that it may be
bent backward and forward like leather
and be subjected to very considerable
tensile strain with impunity; it is also
almost as translucent as glass and of a
pleasing amber color, varying in shade
from a very light golden to pale brown.
The basis of the material is web OF
fine iron wire with warp and welt
threads about one-twelfth inch apart,
this being inclosed like fly in amber
ia sheet of translucent varnish Of
which the base is linseed oil.
Hollow brick, it is said, are coming
into more general use in eastern cities,
and quite a number of large buildings
have been built with them. They
crush at 10000 pounds, or about the
pressure which the best solid brick
will stand. They are made 8x8x12,
with walls one inch thick. 1t is claimed
that they cost One-third less than the
regular form, making walls proof
against fire, moisture and frost, being
warm in winter and cool in summer.
They require peculiar clay in their
manufacture, one that will not shrink
when dried or burned. The brick are
set on their ends, thus making wall
hollow from top to bottom.