Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-12
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

aGdad I'd plaatersof paris while being
b1shad, $mdIks Eas hard as marble on
'S6Bms hnd kdapS GOT taking fine
polish.
London Truth says that the art Of
the working goldsmith is disap.l airing.
owing to the cheapness of diamonds.
Every one who buys an ornament insists
now upon precious stones, and estimates
,itrathcr by tho value of the 81 nos than
by tho beauty of the workmanship.
(. g. Experiments with new explosive
called ccrIsite, which is to dynamite as
100 to 20, have recently been made in
Austria, and arc said to have succeeded
so we'll that the invention has been pur-
chased for military purposes exclusively.
Considered as a food the strawberry
would hardly be rated as very nutritious.
The small amounts of food constituents
present are so diluted by the ninety per
cent. of water, that to sustain life a very
large quantity would have to be con-
sumed. "
Photography has attained recog-
nized position in medicine. There arc
amateur photographers on the stat OF
nearly every hospital. and tho eXton-
sions now being carried on at the En-
glish Royal College of Surgeons comprc-
bend a "photographroom. Before long
tho surgeon will think no moro about
carrying his camera than he does now of
carrying his stethosrope.
Edison has invented new battery
cell for tho use of telegraph companies.
1t is described as 4 simple cylinder Of
zinc in which is placed y thick stick of
catstic soda, and the cell is then filled
with water. 1t is said to possess mar
velous potential energy, with mini
mum of internal resistance, and a bat
terry will work as well in wot weather
as in dry. There is no polarization and
the zines never require cleaning.
Corn husks arc utilized in Austria
in tho manufacture of paper. The
husks are boiled with an alkali in tubu
lar boilers. The glutinouS matter is
pressed out from the iibnrs. The short
tibers are used, making paper stronger
than tho same wei sht m ado from cotton
or linen rags, being specially adapted
for pencil drawing, stcnographic writ
ing, and water colorS. In point of dura-
bility it is said to exceed paper made
from any other material. When the
gluten is left in tho pulp tho paper is
exceedingly transparent.
The quantity Of timber used yearly
in the mining industry is enormous. In
the Anaconda mine alone, near Butte
City, Mont. 10000 feet of timber are put
under the ground daily, or at the rate of
80, 100000 feet a year. At the smelling
works at Anaconda. belonging to the
same company, there are $50 cords of
wood used daily. or 90, 700 cords year.
Nearly 1000, 600 cords of wood are kept
on hand. All the timber used for mining
purposes can be legally cut from govern
ment laud, and the mining companies
never fail to avail themselves of the
privilege when possible.
Slate is usually quarried either by
| blasting it out in large slabs or by split
! :ial: it off with wedges. The slabs are
Pitt into sheet" hr NtlViur WitH thin
| cGisuls between the lay "rs, ami thrs,'
| sheets are in turn cut up into tho sizes
| required. In this country machinery
| especially adapted to the purpose is
| used in cutting and trimming slate.
| sarge slabs for mantles, table-tops and
other ornamental purposes are cut out
| with circular saws and then planned with
machines which greatly resemble those
used for planning metals. Roofing states
are split out rough and squared and have
| two small holes mado in one end for tho
| nails with which they arc fastened to
| the roof.
-Bromine as n disinfectant is said to
be coming to the front. 1t is an mex
| pensivc by-product of the manufacture
| of salt, selling at about seventy cents a
| pound, and in solutions containing one
| part in weight to about eight hundred OF
water it may be used freely without af
fecting any thing which it may touch
y few gallons used daily will remove all
ammoniacal odors from stables, or few
quarts will thoroughly deodorizc the en-
tire plumbing system of an ordinary
| house. The undiluted bromine is
strongly corrosive, and if it touches the
| skin causes painful burn.