The Opelousas courier., 1890-08-30
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

Electric hosting engines for dock
use are among the latest devices intro
duced.
A new electrical coal cutter is being
brought out in Boston. 1t makes two
four-inch cuts in five minutes.
A silver lode, yielding forty-fve per
cent. of pure metal, has been discovered
in the bed Of the River Donetz in South
ern Russia.
The longest crane in the worldhas just
been completed by the Morgan Engineer
ing Company, of Alliance, Ohio; 1t will
lift $50 tons.
By a new method of cementing iron
the parts cemented are so effectQalty
Joined as to resist the blows even of a
sledge hammer.
Tests in Germany of a new electrically
controlled steering apparatus show that
! the Captain can control the ruddet from
the bridge or from any point about the
deck.
Coffee is found to have a remarkable
anti-septic power, its effect in destroying
microbes seeming to be due to en-
pneumatic oils, developed in roasting,
and not to caffeine.
1t has lately been shown that if two
coins are placed on opposite sides of a
plate Of glass and electrified for two
minutes they will leave a perfect image
of themselves upon the glass.
The perfected target for firing at the
small-arm ranges is worked by electricity.
By means of contact and a battery there
is communication with the indicating ap-
paratus at the firing end of the range
showing which section of the target has
been struck.
In the new audio-telephone that has
recently appeared in England the prin-
cipal characteristic is the mouthpiece, the
particular advantage of which is that it
intensi6es the sound waves, making it
possible to carry on a conversation In an
ordinary tone of voice.
The new eye-piece for the Lick tele-
scope, in California, is fifty per cent.
larger than any lens Of the kind yet con-
structed. The light from the heavenly
bodies, seen through the Lick telescope
with this new eye-piece, will be 1000
times as bright as that seen with the
naked eye.
Professor Elihu Thompson says that in
the near future railways will be unb by
electricity. By this he means not only
the small roads for cities and suburban
districts. but the large ones connecting
cities, and he looks for 8 higher speed
than is now attained with the steam
locomotive.
In order to keep machinery from rust
ing take one ounce of camphor, dissolv-
ing it in pound of lard; take off the
{, scum and mix as much fine black lead
as will give it iron-color. Clean the ma
chinery and smear it with this mixture.
After twenty-four hours, rub clean with
soft, linen Cloth. It will keep clean
for months under ordinary circum-
stances.
In Canada there is a nickel company
which has a nickel mine. The ore is
mixed with copper and after the dross is
taken off the alloy is called matte, which
contains about seventy per cent. of nickel
and thirty per cent. of copper. This is
shipped to Germany and Swansea, in
Wales, where the secret 10 jealously
guarded Of the process by which the two
metals are separated.
Ramie spinning mills have now in
creased to four in France, being operated
by La Societe Generate de la Ramis Of
Maulany, simmonet of Warnerville, Ga
velle- Briere of Lille, and the Societe La
Ramie Franchise, who have two estab-
ishments, one at Essonnes with 1000
spindles and q doubling plant, and one
at Entraygers with 5000 spindles. The
last-named company is the most impor-
tant, and besides spinning is also en-
gagged in weaving. They have twenty
looms at work for ramie cloth, ten ma
chimes for curtains, etc.