Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-10-31
-.-s1.25 in Advance; $3.50 after Three Months.
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

From the oil of grasshoppers Spanish
inventor claims to make the finest soar
yet produced.
White pine boards are now made by
reducing small trees and limbs to pulp
and pressing in molds.
When galvanized iron is exposed to
weather, there soon forms on the surface
O coating of the oxide of zinc, which
protects it from the further action of the
elements.
An iron elevated railway, much like
the New York pattern, six miles long, is
now in process of construction in Liver
pool. The cars are to be worked by
electricity.
A large vein of pure white sand, suit
able for making glass, has been found
near Pittsburg, Penn. The discovery
will save the glass manufacturers of that
city thousands of dollars annually, as
they have hitherto been obliged to send
across the Allegheny Mountains for their
sand.
The sleep of Rip Van Wrinkle, or the
hero of ''Looking Backward" is but mo-
mentary compared with the suspension
of vitality known among some of the
microscopic organisms. The micro
zymes, according to A. de Barry, may
lie during entire geologic periods in such
rock as chalk and yet retain the power
of development.
A curious phenomenon is reported by
the United States Consul at Maracaibo,
in Venezuela. Near the Rio de Orro, at
frontier, there is q horizontal cavern,
which from time to time elects huge
globules of bitumen, that explode like
bombshells with considerable noise; and
the pitch, forming black glacier, runs
into kind of pool or lake near the river
bank.
Creosote has been successfully applied
Us remedy for the potato disease in
Scotland. Every eye of the seed potato
is touched with creosote by means of
small camel's hair brush. The product
of potatoes so treated is almost totally
free from disease. Where the creosote
is not applied to all the eyes of the seed
ling the result is partial disease. If
too much is used the seed will not ger
inmate.
1t is said that the electric compass is
having an excellent effect on the sailors
on ships in which it has been adopted,
as the steering in such cases has markedly
improved. The object of this invention
is to indicate by an electric bell placed
in the captains cabin any deviation from
the course laid down through the care.
lessness of the man at the wheel. This
invention is likely to materially lessen
dangers at sea.
Hitherto it has been possible to pro-
duce sheet glass only by blowing hol-
low cylinder, which was then cut, sepa-
rated and polished. A glass manufac-
turer in this country has now succeeded
in producing glass plates of great breadth
and any desired length by means of roll
ing. Glass thus produced is said to pos
sess far greater homogeneity, firmness
and transparency, and it has, on the up
per surface, brilliancy which makes it
hardly distinguishable from art plate
glass.
In Germany wood with mirror polish
is coming into use for ornamental pur-
poses in place of metal. The wood is
first submitted to a bath of caustic alkali
for two or three days at Temperature
of about IT'S degrees Fahrenheit, then
dipped in hydrosulphate of calcium for
twenty-four to thirty-nine hours, after
which concentrated solution of sulphur
is added. After another dip in an ace
tate of lead solution at about 100 de-
grees, shining metallic surface is given
by polishing when dry with lead, tin or
zinc.