The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-07-05
POPULAR SCIENCE.

It is suggested unfolding lead covered
electric cables in peat, in which lead IS
said to be imperishable.
American tin ores yield two to four per
cent. of metal against one and a half for
those OF Wales and Cornwall.
The structure of the appraised coral
lands SO far as yet examined appears to
lend no support to the Darwinian theory
Of formation.
If solid powder be susper.led in
liquid into which electrified solids are in
trodueed, it tends to accumulate around
one of the poles.
The artesian-wen basin of Dakota sup
plies abundant water under a pressure of
lao pounds to the square inch from a
well 1165 feet deep
1t is claimed that in long lines of
electric railways over which there Is a
heavy traffic tine series system is more ad-
vantageous than the parallel.
The electricians to the Paris Exhibition
have devised method by which the
electric light will be thrown upon waters
from fountains from some hidden source
with very elaborate and artistic coloring
effects.
The chemical journals announce as
newly discovered solvents of Prussian
blue, molybdic acid, which dissolves it in
large quantity, and molybdate and tung-
state of ammonia, which also dissolve it
very readily.
The best authorities admit that beef
and mutton cannot be properly inspected
after being dressed The internal organs
of the animal killed should always be in
spected in order 20 decide whether the
meat be healthy.
The bulk of the water of the ocean has
a very low temperature; it is ice cold at
the bottom even under the equator, but
on the surface in the tropics there is a
relatively thin film of warm water
with temperature of from seventy de
grees to eighty-four degrees Fahrenheit.
The electric postal railway to be tried
between Laurel and Baltimore, Maryland,
will have three rails-an overhead one
for the current and two lower ones for
the cars, which will be two feet square
and twenty-one feet long. They are to
be built of sheet iron with brakes
regulated solely by electricity, will carry
nothing but mails, and are expected to
reach a speed of 100 miles per hour.
A new cement has been used to rem
ovate many stone buildings of Paris, and
l-;----.rrve ,rsaful for r.
purposes. a powder IS vt two
parts of oxida of zinc, two of crushed
hard limestone and one of pulverized
grit, with a certain proportion of oehre
as q coloring agent. A liquid to use with
the powder consists of six parts of zinc
dissolved in commercial muriatic acid,
with one part of sal ammoniac, the whole
diluted with two-thirds of its volume Of
water. A pound of powder to two and
half pints of liquid gives very strong
cement.
L. G. Wilson, resident of Jerauld
County, Dakota, has made discovery
which, if successful, will be of vast i'm
portance to the farmers. He has found
that the wild-sil1 cocoons are strong and
substantial, and that they can be carded.
These cocoons are so numerous that they
have to be taken off the trees and de
stroyed, and while Mr.. Wilson was at
this work last spring he stopped to ex-
anime one, and found it to be made OF
strong material. He at once wrote to
several silk-workers and sent samples to
one in France, who Immediately sent an
order for fifty pounds. From this amount
the siIk-worker will test the value of the
cocoons and report.