The record-union., 1897-11-15
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SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

One Of the great faults of the piano
has always been its inability to sus-
tain the sound in passages where even
ana prolonged tones were required, and
many attempts have been made to over
come the percussive" effect caused by
the blow of the hammer on the strings.
Satisfactory effects are said to have
been made possible In a piano on a new
principle which has been invented in
Germany. The strings are stretched
across the sounding board as in the
ordinary piano, but the entire hammer
mechanism is absent. The pressure OF
any OF the keys puts in action a mag
net, which automatically attracts and
releases the wire thus producing vi
bratlons without the metallic stroke
that accompanies the sound in the
common type. The result upon the
tones is described as remarka bic. The
high notes resemble those of an Aeo-
liam harp, the middle and lower notes
suggest the music of the cello or the
organ The instrument responds read
lily to every variation in power and IN
expression prompted by the perform
er, and note can be sounded for sew
eral minutes without any perceptible
variation in quality.
Since the so-called harnesSing of the
waste power Of Niagara Falls and its
conversion into electric force the little
city of Niagara Falls has become noted
as a center, having more factories de-
voted to the manufacture of chemicals
than any other place in the world. Its
r1lo o,,f 20, fkaa af, Of nbl q
of potash is the first of the kind in the
country. The raw material-murlate
of potash-comes from Strassfurt, in
Germany.
Human perspfration has been proved
to possess toxic qualities, and the poi
sonous qualities Of the exudations are
shown to be greatest after vigorous
muscular eXertion. Guinea pigs ana
rab abbits We're killed during the investi-
cations of French scientists by innoc j.
lation of perspiration taken from the
flannel shirt of young man in perfect
health who had sweat profusely While
dancing. That taken from glove
worn by young lady heated by the
same exercise was equally deadly in NJ.
Arloing's recent experiments.
+
Great contraction incident to cooling
has always made the production OF
sound aluminium castings we'll -niSn
impossible. This trouble is now rem
edied by adding gram of phosphorus
to a kio of the molten metal, but that
makes the castings too brittle for roll
ing. So to secure ingots fit for rolling
rape oil is now used in treating the
molten metal as soon as il is run into
crucibles and while the process of con-
traction continues, with the result of a
metal that Is fairly ductive and MALE
able.
Acetylene is now being experimental
with in lighting omnibuses in Paris. A
generator weighing twenty mine pounds
is carried under the front steps. Each
load of carbide-about three-quarters Of
pound-produces three cubic feet Of
gas, which furnishes a sixteen-ca
power light for six hours, according to
! a statement in Machinery"
When whisky Is used instead of water
in making glue the mixture will re-
main unaltered for years, will remain
perfectly liquid except in very cold
weather and is ready for use without
the application of heat. Tight corkage
to prevent the volatilization of the sol
vent is the only precaution necessary
to keep the glue perfect All that is
necessary is to break the glue into
small fragments, place these in glass
vessel and pour sufficient whisky ovsr
them 10 thoroughly dissolve. After be-
ing tightly corked for three or four
days, the prepared glue is ready for use.