The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-01-10
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
Eastern ToolwOrkers are using
naphthalinc as wood preservative.
1t is said to be very effective, leaving
the wood dry and with only faint
aromatic smell.
According to Johanna Faber, tho
famous manufacturer of Nuremberg.
the people of the United States use. in
round numbers. 100, 100000 lead pen
ellis every year.
The Austrians are constructing
portable electric-light plants to be
used in entraining and detraining
troops at night, and the Germans are
going to have similar portable plant
attached to their siege trains.
The saving which will result in
substituting electricity for horsehesh
on the street railways Of this country
il limited ut by the fact that the opera
tion Of one street railway in England
by electricity will result in saving $6o,-
900 per annum over and above the
present host Of operating it by horses.
"A Swedish scientist claims to
have discovered the secret of pctrify-
ing wood by artificial processes. He
thinks it will be possible ere long IT,
construct edifices OF wood and convert
them into stone. As it takes three
months and costs about 500 to petrify
| a block of wood OF the dimensions OF
one cubic inch, it will probably be
some time before his process will be
generally adopted.
The curious fact has been demon
strated Ivy Sir John Lubbock that
! certain kinds Of ants are unable to
exist without keeping other ants AZ
slaves, though why this Is so he has
/, not found ont. On removing the slaves
from a nest of fifty slave-hoiding ants
| he found that the latter Immediately
commenced todie off. and were speedily
reduced in number to six. When the
slaves were returned the mortality
ceased
! According to Engineering, some
experiments conducted at the Ports
mouth (Eng.) dockyard. with view
to determining the resistance OF metals
Mt different temperatures. Indicate that
the strength Of iron increases uni
formly up to 800 degrees F., while the
ductility diminishes up to about 800
degrees; it then increases until some
what higher temperature il reached
and then remains nearly constant up
to n temperature Of nearly 500 degrees.
Steel, similarity tested, showed no
diminution Of strength up to 500 de-
gress, but at this point its ductility was
reduced one-half.
A new Partisan industry is the
manufacture of hoar-frost glass. which
J covered with fcathery patterns re-
sembling those naturally produced
upon window-panes in cold weather.
The glass is first given a ground SUR
face. either by the sand-blast or the
ordinary method, and is then coated
with soft varnish. The varnish con
} tracts strongly in drying. taking with
it the particles of glass to which i
adheres. and this reproduces Yer.
accurately tho branching crystal .
frostwork A single coat gives deli
cate effect. and several coats yield :
bold design.
A lecturer in the Royal lnstit ution
london. attempts to .'define poison &C
curately" az follows: ANY substance
which otherwise tn an by the agency oI
heat or electricity is capable Of destroy
ing life either by chemical action on
i the tissues Of the living body, or by
. physiological action after absorption
into the living system The fact
would seem to be that .pOisOn' Is !;
| question Of quantity. not quality. Very
, small quantities OF aconite, hydro
cyanic acid, ETC., suffice to destroy life
but used in limited quantities they arr
valuable drugs. One well-knsRt
definition OF poisons 4 Substances
which derange the vital functions ane
!, produce death by an action not mo
! chanical.'
"A curious Photographic apparatus,
in which camera is raised bya rocke'
aud lowered by parachute, is beins
/ developed by u French inventor. NJ
Q Amedce Denisse. In its experiments
form the cylindrical camera has tWelv'
lenses round its circumference with
sensitive plate in its center. and Is pro
vidsd with shutter which opens ant
{ instantly closes as the apparatus com
v menccs to fall. The descent is ease.
: by the opening OF the attached para
: chute, which is drawn back to tn
Q operator by cord attached before tn
( firing OF the rocket. For securin:
2 bird 's-eye views the photo-rocket offer
: : several important advantages ove
r balloon photography, such as compare
!. tire cheapness in operating and free
J. dom from risk in case Of use for nil
y tary accommodating.
HOURS OF LABOR.