The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-04-01
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The paper tree of the South seas 10
. species of the mulberry. Its inner
bark is so delicate that a soft and pleas
ant-feeling cloth is made from it which
the natives use in making their best
suits" 1t is also used in the manufac-
ture of very fine grade of paper
"A company has been formed in Rio
Janeiro, with q capital of $1,000, 900, to
explore and develop the natural re-
sources of the Amazon. Colonies are to
be established and means provided for
reaching a market for a region hereto
fore practically unexplored. -Philadel-
phia Record.
"A new kind of porcelain has recent
ly been made in Paris in the following
manner: Asbestos is ground to a fine
powder, freed from oxide OF iron by
means of sulphuric or hydrochloric
acid, then made into a paste, nodded
and dried. 1t is then baked for seven
teen or eighteen hours at temperature
of 200 degrees centigrade.
"A new powder for coating the in
terror of steel and other molds has been
lately patented. Itconsists of silicious
rock known as "Dinas" silica stone, and
contains 9s per cent of silica, per cent.
of aluminium, 0.5 per cent of oxide of
iron, and 0.5 per cent. of lime. 1t is
washed and calcined, then ground until
it is of the consistency of wheat -four.
According to the annual report of
the American Iron and Steel associa-
ton, just issued, the make of steel rails,
of all kinds in the United States in
1891 was 1866, $50 tons of 1000 pounds,
against 2,013, ISIS tons in 1890, a falling
off of GAO 929 tons, which accounts for
the greater part of the decline in the
make of pig iron in s91.-Engineering
and Mining Journal
St Johns, Newfoundland; Montreal
and Ottawa, Canada; Portland, Oregon;
Temeswar, Hungary; Trieste, Austria,
and Venice, Padua Verona, Mantua,
Milan and Turin, Italy, are all situated
between forty-five and forty-six degrees
of north latitude. Who would think of
putting Montreal and Ottawa in the
same latitude as Venice and Verona?
The cost of the tunnel under the
Thames, about four miles below Lon
don bridge, is to be S4, 355, 900. 1t is to
be 1000 feet in length and twenty-six
feet in diameter, with the crown only
eight feet below the bed of the river at
its deepest part The process of con-
struction is to be almost like that of
the Hudson river tunnel
The danger of eating beef from ami
mails that have been affected by con-
sumptive diseases is strongly confirmed
by the Investigations of Galtier, a mem
Der of the Paris Academy of Sciences,
who finds that the bacillus of tubercu-
lous substances has great power of re-
sisting heat and cold, and even the
action of strong brine, such as that used
in the preparation of corned beef.
Laura Bridgman's brain upon ex-
animation shows that that remarkable
woman probably had in infancy all of
the senses which she afterward lacked,
sight, hearing, smell and taste, together
with the power of speech. Up to the
time of her illnees at the age of two
years, it is now apparent, the brain was
normally developed, and thereafter
grew unevenly.-N. Y. Tribune.
According to Prof Budd, no fact is
now better established than that wood
ashes are the one thing needful on our
soils for tho production of high grade
of grapes. This, he adds is not sur
prising in view of the statement made
by chemists that crop of four tons of
grapes to the acre removes from the
soil fcrty pounds of potash, thirteen
pounds of nitrogen, and twelve pounds
of phosphoric acid.
The report of the commissioner Of
patents for the last year shows that the
total number of applications received
by the Office during the last calendar
year, including mechanical applications,
designs and reissues, was 40, $50 The
total number of patents granted, in
GLIDING mechanical patents designs
and reissues, was %, 244 The total num-
Der of registrations was 1890 The
total receipts were Sl,271, 2s5 rs; total
expenditures Sl,139, 35, leaving a
surplus of 1921, $50 as to be turned into
the treasury of the United States, MAX
ing a total balance in the treasury to
the credit of the patent fund of S4,004,-
31T67.