The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-02-01
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


1T is said that ten per cent Of alum,
burned, renders it as hard as marble on
setting, and capable of taking fine
polish.
London Truth says that the art Of
the working goldsmith is disappearing,
owing to the cheapness of diamonds.
Every one who buys an ornament insists
now upon precious stones, and estimates
it rather by the value Of the stones than
by the beauty of the workmanship.
Experiments with new explosive
called ecrasite, which IS to dynamite as
100 to 70, have recently been made in
Austria, and are said to have succeeded
so well that the invention has been pur-
chased for military purposes exclusively.
Considered as food the strawberry
would hardly be rated rs 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 are
amateur photographers on the staff OF
sions now being carried on at the En-
glish Royal College of Surgeons compre-
hend photographer Before long
the surgeon will think no more about
carrying his camera than he does now of
carrying his stethoscope.
Edison has invented new battery
cell FOR the use of telegraph companies
II is described as simple cylinder of
zinc in which is placed thick stick of
caustic soda, and the cell is then filed
with water. 1t is said to possess mar
velous potential energy, with a mini
mum of internal resistance. and n bat
terry will work rs well in wet weather
as in dry. There is no polarization and
the zines never require cleaning.
Corn husks are utilized in Austria
in the manufacture of paper. The
husks are boiled with an alllali in tubu-
lar boilers. The glutinous matter is
pressed out from the fibers. The short
fbers are used. making paper stronger
than the same weight made from cotton
or linen rags, being specially adapted
for pencil drawing, stenographic 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 the pulp the 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, $4,000 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 81, 700 cords year.
Nearly 1000, 600 cords of wood are kept
on hand. ALI the timber used for mining
purposes can be legally cut from govern
ment land, 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
ting it off with wedges. The slabs are
split into sheets by driving wide thin
chisels between the layers. and these
sheets are in turn cut up into the sizes
required. In this country machinery
especially adapted to the purpose is
used in cutting and trimming slate.
Large slabs for mantles, uable-tops and
other ornamental purposes are cut out
with circular saws and then planed with
machines which greatly resemble those
used for planning metals. Roofing states
are split out rough and squared and have
two small holes made in one end for the
nails with which they are fastened to
the roof.
-Bromine as disinfectant is said to
be coming to the front. It is an mex
pensiye 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.
A few gallons used dailywill remove all
ammoniacal odors from stables, or few
quarts will thoroughly deodorize the en-
tire plumbing system of an ordinary
house. The undiluted bromine is
strongly corrosive, and il it touches the
skin causes painful bum.