The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-21
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


The unusually large number of 11q
species of migratory birds have been
seen IN the vicinity of Philadelphia this
season, according to the Delaware Orni-
theological Club
"A new red glass has been recently
produced in Germany. Besides its use
Tor the manufacture of bottles, goblets
ana vases OF various kinds, it is applica-
bic in photography and in chemists and
opticians laboratories.
Northern manufacturers are inter-
ested in the statement that the finest
brlck made in the South are from the
refuse OF slate quarries. They have a
double resisting power and absorb only
one-third as much water as ordinary
brick.
"A new German water-pipe is made
OF glass covered with coating of as
phalt and fine gravel. The advantages
claimed are resistance to ground moist
ure and to acids and alkalies, and inn
permeability to gases.
Professor Thompson, who was a
teacher in Philadelphia, when he made
the discoveries which have made him a
millionaire, predicts that sooner or later
the problem will be solved of getting
electrical power from fuel direct. with
out the aid of steam.
"A new disinfectant has made it's an
pearance under the name of Thiocamph.
1t is a combination of camphor with
sulphurous acid, containing over sixty
times its volume of sulphurous acid gas,
which, upon its exposure in a warm
room, is gradually evolved
M. Jablockoff, of electric candle
fame, makes strong argument in favor
of going back to chemical reactions for
the production of electricity as motive
power. The dynamo machine does not
utilize more than ten per cent of the
fuel. while more than ninety per cent.
can be obtained under favorable circum-
stances in electro-chemical combina-
lions.
An employee in the Office of the arch
itect of the Capitol, Washington, has in
vented an electric musical machine.
The keyboard is similar to that of an
ordinary typewriter, and it's keys are
connected electrically with a number of
electric bells arranged beneath the
table. Pressure on each key closes the
circuit of an electric bell, and when tho
keys are operated by an expert any tune
may be played on the machine.
There are at present 1900 beet-sugar
factories in Europe, and they consume
2+,000,000 tons of beets every year.
Their annual output of sugar amounts
to 1000, 900 tons. 1t is said that over
I1I IL.
fuel, and that S10O,00O,0O0 are paid to
farmers for beets. These figures are
probably too high, but they serve to
throw light upon the magnitude and i'm
portance of the industry.
The use of electricity as a motive
power for street cars will be an i'm
portant section of the census investiga-
ton of the electrical industry. None of
the many forms of the application of
electricity has been developed more
rapidly or been accompanied by more
satisfactory results than that of the
transmission of power for street car pur-
poses. The plan of investigation that
has been adopted is designed to make a
comparison between the different motive
powers mployed-animal, steam dunn
my, cables and electricity-to show the
relative economic value of each.
Professor E. L. Nichols foreshadows
very agreeable picture. He says that
in all probability the day is not far dis
tant when brine, cooled below the freez-
ing point of water, will be carried under
the streets in pipes, as steam is now,
supplying from central stations very
convenient substitute for ice in the
domestic household. BY freezing in our
own houses water which has been previ-
ously boiled it will then be possible for
us to avoid contagion from disease germs
contained in ice gathered from impure
sources.