The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-10-02
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The Academy OF Meulclne mas
awarded the Orfila prize to NJ. kaufman,
professor at the veterinary college OF
Abort, for the discovery of a specific
for viper bites. 1t consists of one part
of chronic acid diluted in hundred
parts of water and applied to- the wound.
One of the recent inventions for life
saving apparatus is the Irvine pneu-
matte gun for throwing line to ships
in distress or to persons in burning
house. The air is admitted from reser-
voir to the chamber behind the projec-
tile at a pressure of 2,4OO pounds to the
square inch.
The rate of growth of coral is diff
cult to estimate. At the meeting of the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila-
delphia, Prof. Heilprin, exhibited a
specimen of Porites astrRoides which
had been taken from an anchor cast in
the autumn of 1885. He estimated that
the annual amount of increase was
scarcely one-twentieth of an inch.
An improved kind of soap for metal
work has lately been described, of some
special advantages, it is said, as COM
pared with those usually employed in
oleic acid and fat combined with a
small quantity of rouge - and which,
when freshly prepared, leave nothing
to be desired, excepting, unfortunately
that such compositions soon turn rancid
and become unfit for use.
Wheat was recently bought in San
Francisco for shipment to Australia.
Three colonies of the latter country pro-
duce more wheat than they can consume,
while the other four produce less.
Naturally the former would supply the
latter's deficiency, but the foreign de-
mand for particular brands of Austria
liam wheat is so peremptory that the
colonies figure both as exporters and
importers of wheat
The Suez Canal is being widened in
some parts to the extent OF fifty feet.
The widening had been completed at
the close of 1889 for distance of about
10 miles from Port Said. In the course
of last year the widening was completed
for further distance of miles BY the
close of 1891 the widening works are OK
pected to reach a point % miles from
Port Said. -Engineering and Mining
Journal.
In silvering iron recent process in
PRODUCED in Austrian workshops consists
in plunging the iron article into hot di
lutte hydrochloric acid, whence it is re-
moved to a solution of mercury nitrate
and connected with the zinc pole of
Bunsen element, gas carbon or platinum
serving as the other pole. 1t is rapidly
covered with layer of quicksilver,
when it is removed, washed and trans
ferred to silver bath and silvered.
The number of hogs marketed in
the United States has increased from
14.474, 600, in 1SS1-2, to 1896, 900, in
fS90-9l: and the amount shipped abroad
has shown a corresponding increase.
The shipments in 1856 included 367, OOO-
900 pounds of bacon, and $4,000, 600
pounds of ham; aAd in 1890 the ship
ments of bacon were $50, 900, 600 pounds,
and of ham 81, 900, 900 pounds Mime
apolis Spectator.
Steam pipes have recently been
made of ramie fiber, hardened under
tremendous hydraulic pressure, and
possessing a tensile strength equal to
two and one half times that of steel.
The ramie fiber, or China grass, has
the property of being unaffected by
moisture: it will not shrink nor swell,
it is a non-conductor of heat 1t can
not rust, and these features, together
with its great strength, are all desir-
able in steam pipes, its utilization in
this line being regarded, therefore, as
one of the possibilities of the future.
Recently published statistics show
the enormous wealth and power of the
foreign steamship companies which do
business out of the port of New York
and maintain Offices in that city. There
are about fifty foreign lines in all, with
an aggregate tonnage of 2, $50, 249. They
include thirty British lines, with 1873
]51 tons; five German lines, with 345,-
500 tons; five French companies, with
us, 521 tons; one Italian COMPANY
with 162,27S tons; three Dutch com
oanies, with 1888 tons; one Danish
company, With 11,93S tons, and one
belgian company, with 2,s79 tons.-
Boston journal.
John w. Boolkwalter, who owns
50, 900 acres of land in Nebraska. pro-
poses to initiate great reform in farm
life, at an expense of $1,000 or $780,
300, to be met out of his own purse.
His idea is to bring the farmers homes
together into tastefully arranged
village near each ones land, instead
Of having them on the individual
farms. He has already started the
experiment on a small scale, and says:
81 am going to build town hall
and establish free circulating
This scheme is in yorue amOnu
The farmers of France, Spain, Italy, and
Switzerland, and is great success.-''
Albany Journal
Strictly Local Rain.
IL