The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-13

other anaesthetics. have precisely the
same effect upon carnivorOus and other
sensitive plants apparently endowed
with the power of voluntary movement
that they have upon the animal organi-
cation. If, therefore, the lettuce does
not remove itself from the clutch of the
gardener who is going to cut it, it may
be argued that it is merely because it
cannot move quickly enough,
Chicago Record: A curious by-pro-
duct of zinc is chloride or salts OF zinc,
which formerly went to- waste. but now
is used as a. wood preservative by rail-
roads, bridge builders and dock build
ers, and for the protection of shingles,
clapboards, pillars and amy other wood
that is exposed to moisture or influences
that cause decay The salts of zinc. in
solution, by hydraulic pressure are
forced into the pores of the wood, which
is then soaked in a strong solution of
tannin and glue. The ties and piling
now used on the Santa FNe and Southern
Pacific and other Western roads are
treated in this manner The railway
companies named use from 100000 to
100000 pounds a year each. With
this treatment pine tie, which is the
only kind that can be found out in the
mountain country, will last three times
as long as one of oak.
London Daily Mail: The Government
of Queensland is going to show the
world, or such portion of it as may
visit the forthcoming exhibition at
EarHs Court that the colony can pro-
duce quicksilver equally with America
Spain and Austria. A mere pool of
quicksilver in a glass case would be NJ
indication at all. so those responsible
for the arrangement of the Queensland
section propose to show this precious
liquid mineral lending new and eff
fective beauty to fountain. C. Bright,
F. r. S. E., A. M. I. G. E., is the engi-
neer responsible for this novel departure
in the way of fountains, and he gave
some interesting details OF it's construc-
tion to Daily Mali representative
yesterday. This" he said, .'can hard
ly be called a fountain in the ordinary
acceptance of the word, for the difficult
ties of dealing with such a heavy body
as mercury are to great to allow of a
jet such as one sees playing in Trafal-
gar Square. What we are going to have
is an arrangement of two basins, one
above the other. These will be Of iron
enameled black to give a greater effect
to the falling quicksilver, the top one
some five feet in diameter, and the
lower one three feet larger The mer-
curry will run into the upper bowl from
hight, and thence by little channels
around the edge into the lower basin.
rr,;n %1,o<
there is an almost continual flow-at
least that is what we hope to obtain.
AS it drops into the lower bowl the
mercury will be conducted by glass
lined iron pipe to a reservoir tank, and
thence lifted by motor SO that it may
return by the delivery pipe to the up
per bowl again. The weight Of the mer-
curry used will be about two TONS and
the piping for the delivery will be Jog
feet long and that for the return to
the tank so feet. Each tank will hold
two cubic feet Of quicksilver, and the
elevator apparatus will be required to
raise about one ton an hour. Probably
the thing that will attract most atten-
ton will be a few ordinary household
flatirons, which are to be fioated IN the
bottom basin, for the density of the
mercury supports from as water does
wood. I see it has. been stated that
our fountain would throw a jet seven
feet high. That is ridiculous, if not
impossible for the cost Of machinery
to do such a thing would be tremendous
that is, allowing that it could be done,
which I Doubt. In addition to this
quicksilver, Queensland is also showing
some gold nuggets for the glass cases
containing which I have arranged an
electric alarm, which will give imme-
date warning if any attempt is made
to steal them"