The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-04-29
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


i'm 1870 there were 40 establishments
| in the United States for the manufac-
ture of sewing machines, employing a
capital of about 5000, 000 The total
annual product of the sewing machine
business in the United States in 1890
was probably not less in value than
| go, 900, 600.
Australia is entering into strong
competition with France in the produc-
| ton of brandy. In 1892 the colony of
Victoria exported to the United King
dom So, 04O proof gallons. 1t is said
Australia can produce brandy that will
stand comparison with the finest French
| cognac. All the indications are of q
very encouraging character, and the
largely increasing.
During the year 1892. 1926 vessels
arrived at the port of New York. In
this number are included only steamers,
ships, barks, briggs and schooners OF
this total s,705 were coastwise vessels
OF the remaining. 1888 vessels were
from foreign ports. Great Britain heads
the list with 2.63S; America comes next
| with q total of 1928, and Germany is
third on the list with sol. In 1891 the
number of vessels of this class was IT,
| 77f.-Railway Review.
The power of cold to preserve ami
NAL tissues from actual decay is indefi
mite. perhaps infinite, but it cannot
prevent all change. A turkey that was
kept in refrigerator for ten years was
free from putrefactive changes, but also
free from flayor-practically tasteless.
Flavor is an cvanescent quality of or
ganic tissues that cannot be in any
manner surely bottled up and preserved
for any great length of time.
Over hundred specimens T.. deep
sea fishes have been secured off the
California coast For the most part
| they are dark colored, soft bodied, and
many of them are covered with phos-
phoresccnt spots which act as portable
lamps, whereby the fish are able to see
in the dark depths of the ocean. These
fish live in the open sea, at depth of
| two to five miles, and their soft bodies
at this depth are rendered firm by the
tremendous pressure of u !, surround
ing waters.
| Reports to Eradstreet's from ono
hundred and thirty-five railway COM
panies furnish an aggregate of $685.
025, 900 gross earnings in 1892, about 4.
per cent moro than their total gross
earnings in 1891, when their gain as
| compared with 1890 was 90 per cent
Granger roads report relatively the larg-
est increase in 1892 az per cent East
ern railroads and the Southwesterns
following with gains of and per
cent respectively. Southern railroads
increased their gross earnings last year
railways similarly, while Central West
erns gained 81 per cent and trunk
lines only 2.7 per cent
! The general showing in regard to
the vintage in France last fall is con-
sidered to be very satisfactory. Tho
total yield for the seventy-six depart
ments in which wine is made is esti-
mated at 654, S4s,0l gallons This is q
| decrease of some %, 600. 900 as compared
with '9l, and yet some Sc, 900 more acres
were planted in vines. 1t is, however,
an increase over the two years proceed
ing 1891, and is rs, 900, 900 gallons above
the average of the past FIVE years. But
theaverage has been decreasing steadily
since 1875. when the phylloxera in
vaded French vineyards In that year,
with 5,55O,0OO acres in vines. Franco
produced 1880, 900 900 gallons. S.
| The researches of many observers,
as reported upon by Dr. Buchan. show
that the ocean currents cause the tenn
perature of the west side of the Allan
tic. at depths from 100 to 500 fathoms,
to be nearly 10 degrees warmer than at
the same depths on the east side. At
500 fathoms, however, the temperatures
of both sides are equal, while at greater
depths the east side is the warmer.
North of the Wyvil Thomson ridge,
| which is between Shetland and Iceland,
stationary temperature is reached at
700 fathoms, below which the water re-
mains at about 2a5 degrees. In the
Gulf of Mexico the water grows cold
down to 700 fathoms, below which it is
always at abont 25. 5 degrees The tenn
perature of the Mediterranean at 200
fathoms is about So degrees, and no
change is found in going to the bottom,
which in places reaches depth of 800
| fathoms,
pl AHE TIE cOu pROpEpi