The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-04-20
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

Professor Hermann has photographed
the sound of vowcls.
Tanning extract is used to treat rail-
road ties to preserve them from decay.
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the
warm, sultry conditions which usually
precede thunderstorm.
Among some recently observed inter-
esting results of application OF cold, M.
Raoul Pictet has found that at $50 de-
grees all chemical reaction is suppressed.
A Brussels dispatch says a new phar-
maceutica bottle has recently been in
vented which indicates the hour at which
the medicine is to be taken. A Belgian
establishment has secured the sole right
to manufacture these bottles.
A considerable freight business is be-
ing carried on by an electric railroad in
Maryland operating eighteen miles OF
track in good farming country which IS
not reached by steam roads. The cars
used have capacity Of five tons.
Sugar is nothing but charcoal and
water, combined in certain proportions.
This is proved by weighing resultants
into which sugar resolves. If weight
were less, something lost; if more,
something gained. But weight of re-
solved charcoal always equals weight of
sugar.
The operation of the electric under
ground road to South London has not
only demoralized the telephone service
of the entire vicinity, but has rendered
futile observations on the earth's poten-
tal. At Greenwich Observatory, some
miles distant, it has been found neces'
sary to abandon the tests.
A Frenchman has recently conducted
series of experiments which will go far
towards correcting popular impression
regarding the effects of electricity on
vegetable growth. He has demonstrated
that currents of electricity passed
through the roots of vegetables tends to
injure them, but that static electricity
might be considered slightly beneficial.
A wide awake New York o real estate
agent proposes to remodel antique office
buildings on the electrical plan. He has
large steam plant lying idle in the
basement of one of his buildings, and he
is utilizing this plant for the generation
of electric power to be distributed to
manufacturing concerns In. the same
block with the office building, besides
installing in the building itself electric
elevators, electric lights, electric fans
and electric heaters.
An effective method of warning line
men who may be at various working
points of city, of the approach OF the
electric current. has been provided in
the ''screecher" whistle. One of these
whistles has been attached to the boiler
at the eectric-ight station in Chatham,
and will be blown each day five minutes
before starting the dynamos. There can
be no mistake as to the fitness OF this
instrument for the purpose to which it
has been applied, as it is guaranteed to
be heard at distance of fifteen miles.
A startling proof of the value OF the
fre-proof wire was given by its IN
ventor, who, taking number OF
pieces of various insulated wires and
joining them together, had current OF
$50 amperes passed through the circuit.
The current destroyed the pieces on the
outside of either hand, but the section
of wire held between the hands remained
in such a cool condition that its holder,
in spite of the risk he would have run
with an ordinary wire, was the calmest
and least concerned member OF the
party.