The Republican., 1890-04-12
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The application Of hydraulic power
to the manufacture of steel seamless
boats is one of the latest things in En-
gland. These boats are thought to be in
every particular superior to those made
of wood, and can be made at about the
same cost.
Engineers use kerosene to remove
the scales which form on the inside of
boilers. The oil is poured into an
empty boiler and the water then turned
on. The oil, floating on the water, then,
comes in contact with the scales before
the water does.
The system of sinking shafts
through quicksand and other water
bearing strata by freezing the soil with
brine cooled by refrigerating machines.
is practical success. The freezing ex-
tends thirteen feet each side of the ver--
tical pipes which are driven down to-
carry the fluid. and the frozen material
works like soft sandstone.
Physicians in Italy, ETC., believe.
malaria to consist of fungus floating in
the air and soaking in the water, and
likely to enter the system in much
larger quantities through the water
drank, than through the air breathed.
Hence, in malarious districts all drink
ing water should be boiled and then fl
tered.
Compound locomotives are to be the
railway engines of the future, in the
opinion of Mr.. T. Urquhart, of the Lon
don Institution of Mechanical Engi-
T.. Il
pound locomotive consumed 90 per cent.
less fuel than an ordinary locomotive,
running under exactly the same condi-
tions.
In French village of about 400 in
habitants, eleven Of the seventy-four
| deaths in eight years were from cancer.
| DIR. Arnaudet finds that six of the cases
of cancer were in single neighborhood,
among persons who used as beverage
cider diluted with dark-colored water
| from the swampy ground, and that in
| five of the victims the disease attacked
the stomach. These facts are given in
support of the view that cancer is con-
tagious, the swampy water seeming to
have served as carrier of the contagion.
"A chemist of Bockemheim, Ger
many, has discovered a new alloy,
which is said to resist the attack of most
acid and alkaline solutions. Itcontains
Is parts of copper, 2.34 parts of tin, 1.82
parts of lead and one part of antimony
being, in fact, bronze with the addi-
tion of a little lead and antimony. 1t
is claimed that the alloy is much better
than ebonite vulcanite or porcelain for
vessels or fittings liable to be acted
upon by chemicals.
Considering all the achievements Of
science on this globe and among the
celestial spheres, it seems strange that
there is a part of this earth not yet ex-
plored. In other words, we have
weighed the planets and marked their
orbits. but we are unable to make a map
of the world. 1t is idle to imagine that
Arctic exploration will be abandoned.
The quest for the North Pole will go on
to the end of time, if not crowned with
success.
"A very simple apparatus for obtain
ing an electric spark is made by Ger
man physicist. Round the center of a
common lamp chimney is pasted a strip
of tin foil, and another strip from one
end of the chimney to within a quarter
inch of this ring. Then piece of silk
is wrapped around brush, and the in
terror of the chimney is rubbed briskly.
In the dark bright electric spark may
he seen to pass from one piece of tin foil
to the other each time the brush is with
drawn from the chimney. Many other
experiments can be tried with this ap-
paratuS.