Wichita eagle., 1889-02-13
SCIENCE NOTES.

WooD-woRKERs are using naphthaline as
wood preservatIve. II is said 10 leave
the wood dry, and with only faint
aromatic odOr.
A SWEDISH scientist claims 70 have dis
covered the secret of artificially petrifying
wood, by which means he believes edifices
may be built OF wood and converted into
stone. At present the cost is about five
hundred dollars per cubic inch, so that the
discovery does not promise an immediate
revolution in building
THE uses OF the cottou-plant are develop
ing rapidly. Formerly the fiber OF the
blossom was tho only part utilized. Then
the seed began to supply large proper
ton of the ''olive-o;l'' and "lard" in the
country, and now tine hulls are found to be
cheaper and better than wood for paper
pulp.
A REPORT from Elba states that the whole
Of the island is infected by phylloIera In
Toscana the efforts 10 check the plague
have as yet proved unsuccessful The in
sect has also made its appearance at Par
mi, in Calabria, at Novara, and at Cervo, In
Liguria. Reports from the neighbcrhood Of
San Reno and from Lombardy state that
the infected areas are constantly increas-
ing.
SOME chemically prepared wicks are DOW
being made for use in all kinds Of oil
lamps. The method Of their preparation
has not been published, but the form In
which they are sent out, ready cut in len gths
for use, is certainly an Improvement on the
old-fashioned method II is claimed for
these new wicks that their burning quality
is thirty per cent. higher than that Of the
ordinary wieks-
AT the Royal Powder Factory Of Wet
teren, in Belgium, new gGnpowder II
being made. They cal it yoadreDayl~. or
paper-powder, and 1t is claimed that q
charge OF III grams tae grzsns) gives,
IN a rife Of small caliber, an initial velocity
Of six hundred and SIXTY yards 70 the BAH
This is equal 70, IL y does nos beat The
I,ebel powder. The additional advantages
are attributed TO IL Of not smeaFsng tte
barrei, Of producing no smoke, and Of cs7s-
ing little recoil
OsE OF the troublesome questions which
Architects have never been able 70 setile u
the placing Of permanent foundations under
large buildings The very latest exper.
ineut tired, according TO tho Arasrican
Archftect, Is to cover-Ssforc commencing
the footing-t5e entire area Of t5e exczva
tson of the building with thick stratum Of
concrete, lad directly ppon tie sop OF the
clay hard-p3n- TIE depsh Of shis course is
nearly two feet and It's Object - 70 s.re1gtA-
En- tie clay. that the settlement may be re-
dcced TO a minimum
A Asxv candle has been brought ou; which
extingr.shes Itself ia an hour. THIS n does
by means OF tiny exrtnguishsr Of tin
which is fastened II the wax by wires, ssd
which eTectzal.y performs is sask It's
only necessary 70 remove this dtninztsvs
extln guisher when its work IS done, and tie
candle Is again ready 70 barn asoeasy hour.
An az.onstie gzs-exsirgr has lately
been patented by Josepo Hsrosx, o< Ysns-
chiche, Ca1-, which consists OF . spring
s.op-cock. veica struts automatically when
lie gas Is eItsn guished- TIE mechanism
used Is based on The haeai erpsrsscn Of
metals
As important paper b. Pro-. yfrchov. On
t" Land and Feog4e n Ancient scd Modern
ESJy,-- appears n . carrens nunoer Of she
Transactions S TIE Berla G>seEschass far
Er5ksa6e. l. elhoties so-se OF tie re-
suits Of Prof y1chow's e.A,c:ogscAl 70
searches Gnrsng his recent visit 20 ErTp.
II has hitherto been rn0sghs tsss. tie fss-
lAhin cf ic-1ay are q exSc.sT he sans