Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-04
SCIENTIFIC GLEANINGS.

To remove the screw tops of fruit jars
that cannot be started by hand, dip a
cloth III very hot water and apply to the
outside of the cap; this will cause it to
expand.
Pyrofuscine, the new tanning agent, is
obtained by digssting coal tar with caus-
ito soda at a boil, and neutraliziDg the
resulting liquor with hydrochloric acid.
The inventor claims it only half as costly
as the bark process and from 20 to 20 per
cent. cheaper than the alum process.
According to an English authority, the
world consumes annually $4,000 tons of
coffee, which, at an average price of $500,
represents a value of $260,OOO,OO0. ia
maica grows the best coffee; next in order
comes Ceylon and East India, Java, Bra
zil, Costa RIGA, and the other Central
American states. Java produces the
largest crop.
In recent Chinese procession at San
Francisco there was a great dragon in
efigy which manipulated by electricity.
On pressing button the current caused
the huge jaws of the monster to fly open,
displaying frightful fangs, and forked
tongues darting fire. Another series of
wires produced frightful fargs, contor-
tions and emitted a sheet of fire from the
nostrils.
Mr.. Overend of Boston, is said to have
introduced a simple method of getting
rid of electricity in the press room. He
saturates the fingers or sticks of the fly
with glycerlne and water. This is put on
with a sponge while the press is at rest.
The next time it is stopped it ia again
vet, until finally the wood is completely
saturated and there is no longer any need
of repeating the process.
A pumping plant has been installed in
an English mine which raises the water
nearly 900 feet at single lift, the liquid
being delivered at the rate of 1900 gal
long per hour. The electric current
averages sc ampires per hour, the tension
of thu dynamo terminals is 600 volts, on
the motor $40 volts, and about 33-horse
power is used in raising water at the rate
of 120 gallons per minute through 90C
feet lift. The output of the dyamo is
35-horse power, and the efficiency is
nearly 81 per cent.
4 curious combat between two hawks
and an owl is described in Major General
Newhal's Highlands of India" The
three birds first perform a preliminary
series of upward gyrations, each endeav-
orlng to get position of advantage
above the other. Finally one of the
hawks made good his stroke. and both
birds fell to the ground. When the
author rode up the little hawk was stand
ing in the attitude of q coDqueror on the
owls body, the head of which be had
twisted off and held in his claw.
To provide means of heating steam
heated passenger cars when the locomo-
tive is detached "a blizzard heater" SO
called, has been devised, consisting of
fre-brick pot and q telescope chimney,
on the principle of the travellers pocket
drinking cup. When not in use the whole
thing occupies only ten and one-haIf
inches of space, and may be showed un-
der seat and out or the way. It is hung
by chains from the car roof and floor.
Both in China and japan soapstone has
long been largely used for protecting
structures built OF soft stone and other
materials specially liable to atmos pheric
Influences. 1t has been found that pow
dered soapstone in the form OF paint has
preserved obelisks formed of stone for
hundreds of years which would, unpro-
tected, long ago have crumbled away.
For the inside painting of steel and iron
ships 1t Is found to be excellent. It has
no anii-fouling quality, but is anti-c
rosive.