The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-10-09
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

There are 45l4 paper mills in the
world, of which Germany, the greatest
paper maker, has Lab.
A well-known mineral water is to
be brought from the spring to Chicago
by glass pipes The pipes will be sur
rounded by an outer case OF iron.
Photographs are being made in
Austria by the aid of aluminium, the
powdered metal being burned in the
fame of an alcohol lamp in a manner
similar to magnesium.
The distance of the horizon is gov
erned by the height Of the eye above
the earth or sea. On the sea, with the
eve at a height of five feet, the distance
would be three mi.,..; ut sixty feet in
height ten miles.
Scientists claim that the first APP
pearancc of the North American conti-
nent above the waters was in a small,
angular section, extending from the
Great Lakes northeast to Labrador, anS
northwest to the Arctic Ocean.
The New York city government
has established farm at Central lsGp,
l.. l., comprising over one thousand
acres About one-cighth of this is I'M
der cultivation, and all the work is
done by lunatics. There are 364 luna
tics housed on the farm, but only
small number of them work regularly.
The new equatorial telescope re-
Gently mounted in Paris has its tube
bent at a right angle. and the image of
the Sky formed by the object glass is
reflected to the eye Of the observer. 1t
is the largest of its kind in the world,
its optical powers being very fine and
the images of the planets remarkably
distinct.
That the hair is Il sort of vegetable
appendix to the body is shown in the
fact that it continues to grow as long as
it has a soft ccll-forming matriX at its
root, and there seems to be no improba-
bility in many cases reported where the
hair has grown after death. The color
of the hair at the time of death is said
to be retained in such cases.
A conference held in Auckland,
New Zealand, between the representa-
tives Of the frozen meat trade and the
shipping companies has resulted in an
dBlCti4ItlII Oll GlIC pa L VI tlit ittlttl W
reduce the freight between New Yea
land and England to two cents pound
at the end of the present year. This
means a reduction of about $500, 600
annually.
AT the annual convention of the
British Medical association, recently
held at Bourncmouth, Sir Spencer Wells
presented his report on the progress
made by cremation in England which
was introduced by him about eleven
years ago, although the first crematory
was not built until 1855. During that
year only three bodies were burnt. In
1890 fifty-four were disposed of in this
way
Oak timber loses about onefifth of
its weight in seasoning, and about one
third of its weight in becoming dry.
Gradual drying and seasoning are con-
sidered the most favorable to the dura-
bility and strength of timber Kiln dry
ing is particularly servicea BILE for boards
and pieces of small dimensions, and I'M
less performed slowly is apt to cause
cracks and impair the strength of the
wood If timber of large dimensions be
immersed in water for some weeks, it
is improved, and is less liable to warp
and crack in seasoning. - Scientific
American.
In digging out the colossal statue of
Ramescs II. 9 feet and four inches of
consolidated Nile mud had to be re-
moved before the platform was reached.
This platform was laid 1861 years be-
fore Christ, in the reign of Rameses.
Hence, So inches of this consolidated
mud represents a century, there having
lapsed 3,215 years since then. Under
the platform depth of 80 feet of Nile
mud had to be penetrated before sandy
soil was reached, and, according to this,
10000 more years must have elapsed.
AT glass works in White Mills,
Wayne county, Pa, there is on exhibit
ton what is rega rded as the finest set
OF cut glass ever turned out in this
country. 1t consists of 520 separate
pieces, and has been ordered by the
United States government for the White
house. On each piece of the set, from
the mammoth centcr-piece and punch
bowl to the tiny salt cellars, is engraved
the coat of arms of the United States.
This work alone has occupied months
OF time. The total cost will be in the
neigh borhoOd of S. 600.