The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-10-29
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

From the oil of grasshoppers Spanish
inventor claims to make the finest SOAP
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
q 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.
Air flows into vacuum at the rate of
1888 feet per second, and steam at the
rate of 2000 feet per second. 1t would
take column of steam eleven miles
high to produce a pressure of fifteen
pounds.
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.
More CT less successful attempts have
been made to graft nearly all the differ
ent tissues of the body, including skin,
bone, teeth, muscle, nerves, eyes, mu-
cous membrane, etc. DIR. w. G. Thomp-
son now reports successful experiment
in brain grating, small piece of the
brain of cat being made to grow on the
brain Of dog.
The sleep of Rip Van Winkle, 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
a 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
the base of the Sierra of the Colombian
frontier, there is a horizontal cavern,
which from time to time elects huge
ylobules of bitumen, that explode like
bombshells with considerable noise; and
the pitch, forming a black glacier, runs
Into kind of pool or lake near the river
bank.
Creosote has been successfully applied
as remedy for the potato disease in
Scotland. Every eye Of the seed potato
is touched with creosote by means OF q
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. Il
zoo much is used the seed will not ger
inmate.
tits 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 markell.
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. Thi
invention is likely to materially lesser
dangers ut sea.
Hitherto it has been possible to pro
1uce sheet glass only by blowing hol
low cylinder, which was then cut, sepa
rated and polished. A glass manufac
.urer in this country has now succeeded
IN producing glass plates of great breadtl
md any desired length by means of roll
ing. Glass thus produced is said to pos
,ess far greater homogeneity, tirmnes
md transparency, aud it has, on the up
per surface, brilliancy which makes i
hardly distinguishable from art plat
glass.
In Germany wood with a mirror polisl
g coming into use for ornamental pur
poses in place of metal. The wood i
irst submitted to a bath of caustic alkali
Tor two OF three days at a Temperature
Of about 175 degrees Fahrenheit, thel
dipped in hydrosulphate of calcium fo
wenty-four TO thirty-nine hours, afte
which a concentrated solution of sulphur
Is added. After another dip in an ace
.ate of lead solution at about 100 de
greos, a shining metallic surface is givel
oy polishing when dry with lead, tin O.
; zinc,