The San Francisco call., 1896-04-26
Various Notes,

In England recently trials have been
made with a lifeboat made Of pumice-
stone. Not only is the material of great
lightness and strength, but it is easily
worked into any shape. The boat remains
aioat and will support quite load even
when full of water. The parts are made
interchangeable, and when a part is in
jured the simple loosening of bolt en-
ables the repairer to remove it and put in
another.
For writing on glass pure aluminium is
frequently used. The lines can be made
as fine or as heavy as desired, and for this
reason the aluminium pencil may Serve
for marking and graduating burettes,
pipettes, etc.
An automatic electrical semaphore has
been perfected for trolley road crossings.
1t is SO arranged that a car approaching
from either direction will cause danger
signals to be displayed at the point of sn-
tersection of the two roads while the car
is still some distance from the crossing.
A growing industry in Philadelphia is
the sawdust business Forty years ago
the lum mber-mills were glad to have saw
dust carted away; twenty-five years ago it
could be bought for so cents load; now
it brings $3 so a load. 1t is used in hotels,
saloons. groceries and other business
houses for the absorption of dirt when
sweeping. Plumbers use it great deal
about pipes and walls to deaden sound.
Soda water men and packers of glass and
small articles Of every kind use it, as well
as in the manufacture of dolls.
Boeck Dutch thority, says the Hospi-
tai, "draws attention to new property of
whale oil. Its peculiar power of penetra-
tion is we'll known, but the writer states
that it restraints the vitality and growth of
bacteria in the skim"
Russia is to have an electrical branch of
her army. under acknowledgement, two
major generals and five officers of lower
grade, who will also have military cleo
trical school under their charge. Russian
military officers have always been adept in
the use of electricity.
"a non-poisonous match has been in
vented by distinguished chemist-M.
Pouteaux' = according to the Medical
News. "Permanganate of potash and ace
tate of amyl are among the inof1ensive in
gradients. At the Pasteur lucifer- match
mandatory the combination has been
tested with satisfactory results. The
matches are easily made, without the
slightest danger to the factory hands. They
ignite readily, there is no danger of ex-
plosion when stored and the disagreeable
odor common to luclter matches is in these
! replaced by that of aniseed.''
"a new arrangement for measuring the
penetrative power of shot has recently
been introduced by Herr Muller of the
Rhenish- Westphalian Explosives Com
pany OF Cologne" says the Age of Steel.
''The shot is fired into large water trough
through thick gelatin plate fixed at one
end, which Immediately closes up after
the shot has passed through, thus prevent
ing the escape of water. The bottom of
the trough is divided by transverse ribs
which retain the shot in the place where
it falls, allowing the water to be run off
and the position of the shots Observed
A portable crematory for military pur-
poses has been invented by Polish en-
gineer. 1t has the appearance of the army
baking oven. but is much higher and
heavier, and is drawn by eight horses. 1t
is intended for the disposal of bodies of
soldiers killed in battle. so as to avoid the
danger of epidemics from the burial of
great numbers of men. Each German
army corps, it is said, will be equipped
with one.
A new fuel made in France is of coal
dust compressed into bricks and soaked
with chemicals, which make it glow a long
time when once alight.