The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-08
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three hundredth 5lyersarS> of

|
the invention Of the microscope is to he
celebrated in Antwerp in 1890.
Sir John Lubbock has Just discovered
that the death rate in London is sixteen
and one-half per thousand as against
seventeen and one-half in other English
cities.
In Moscow foundry castings are made
from metals fused in an electric furnace.
The operators work two hours per day,
the glare being greater than that of the
sun, and uncomfortable for long time.
An incandesccnt lamp arrangement for
showing the interior of boilers while un.
der steam has been made by a German
inventor. The device is likely to be OF
practical, as we'll as of scientific, value.
The first astronomical observatory is
said to have been erected on the temple
of Belus, at Babylon; but one on the
tomb of Osymandyas, in Egypt, with q
golden circle 200 feet in diameter, and
one at Benares, also date from very
early period.
Of the first turkey in America, the only
records we have are in the recently dis
covered fossils of the post-tertiary period.
These prove that the turkey not only
anteda5ed Columbus, and even the Morse
man, but that in all probability he was
the original ''oldest inhabitant of Amer
ica."
An electric balance has been exhibited
in Paris. The placing in the pan of the
object to be weighed closes an electric
circuit, when the current operates mo-
tor on the weight and carries the weight
out on the beam until an equipoise is es-
tablished, breaking the circuit. With
the emptying of the pan, the weight re-
turns.
The attempt to acclimatize the Swedish
reindeer in the Harz Mountains of Ger
many has not been quite so successful as
was anticipated. The heat Of the sum-
mer having caused the death of many OF
the animals. A new attempt is to be
made next spring in the Algau, which,
it is expected, will give better and last
ing results.
It has been shown very satisfactorily
that the banana plant contains greater
quantity of pure fibre than any other Of
the numerous vegetable products used in
the manufacture of paper. The adapta'
ton of the plant to commercial purposes
| will, it is anticipated, revolutionize ths
paper material market and largely Affect
the industry.
1t is not a fact generally known that
the real inventor of the powder used for
the "Lebel" rifles is not the Colonel of
that name, but NJ. Vieille, young French
engineer. NJ. Vieille will be the fortu-
nate recipient ere long of prize of Sl0,-
900 awarded every three years, under the
auspices of the Academy of Science, to
the author of the most important discov-
cry made within that period.
The French Professor of Chemistry, De
NIillefeurs, recently exhibited before a
meeting of Partisan scientists several
bricks of petroleum, which he has dis
covered how to solidify by an original pro-
cess. The petroleum bricks were hard
enough to be handled without inconvcni-
ence, yet soft enough to be cut with q
stout knife. They burned slowly when
touched with a lighted match. Mile
heurs says they are non-explosive and in
expensive.
A Honolulu paper thus describes a
curious substance thrown off by the mol
ten lava and found close to the lakes OF
fire at the volcano: "It clings to the ad-
Joining rocks in fiber-like threads of a
faxen color, and has the appearance of
human hair; but mixed with it are sharp
particles of black lava. Considering that
this substance is a mineral production, it
is wonderful flexible and tough-bending
easily, but not ductile in its present state
or capable of being heightened. 1t is
peculiar to this volcano, and is certainly
a singular production.
According to DR.. S. S. Kilvington, the
Mississippi River received during the
year 152, ,675 tons of garbage and of all,
1OS,250 tons of night-soil, and 1865
dead animals, from only eight cities; the
Ohio, 46,70O tons of garbage, q, l57
tons of night-soil, and 51Oo dead ami
mails, from five cities; and the Missouri,
$4,000 tons of garbage, %, 400 tons OF
night-soil. and 81, 800 dead animals, from
four cities. DR.. Kilvington urges the
cremation of most of the refuge, and
twenty-three out of thirty-five health
officials consulted by him favored the
plan.