The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-03-22

More steel is used in the manufac-
ture of pens than in all the sword and
gun factories in the world.
1t is proposed in England to test
the practicabiiity Of casting steel in
vacuum, the object being to get rid of
air-bubbles, which cause flaws sEd
weak points in the metal.
4 strong dislike to the odor OF pep
permint has been discovered in mice.
Cotton soaked in peppermint oil
caused them to so away for consid-
cradle time, and after second appli-
cation they disappeared completely.
The efficacy Of the serum treatment
of diphtheria has again been dsmou-
strated in Austria where tho mortal
ity, in clses so treated last year, was
only 1888 per cent, while OF those
treated without serum $3.50 per cent.
died.
There was recently an extraordinary
parade Of traction engines at Alder
shot. fifteen engines and forty trucks.
They were inspected previous to their
departure to South Africa. A stretch
of sandy road was selected for the test,
and the country gave an excellent OPP
portunity for observing the practical
points of the engines. They will be
dispatched 10 South Africa at once.
A new alloy has recently been pat
ented in Germany waioh is intended
TO take the place Of gold. It consists
of copper and antimony i'll the pro-
portion of 100 to 6, the sntimony
being added to the melted copper.
After the aati'nols has melted and t.
union between the Two metals has oc-
CURED some charcoal ashes. mag
nesium and lime are added to tho
molten mass in the cruclble. The
.lloy can be rolled and worked like
gold and will withstand for some
Time acid and ammoniacal vapors. 1t
ilas a color quite similar to gold,
which it does not lose By oxidation.
The lowest point of land betweea
the two oceans on the American con-
linent is the grand divide in Nicsra-
qua, where the elevation is only l4h
feet. The lowest point of land on the
lsthmus of Panama, according to :he
report of the Canal Commission, Is
Culebra, which is 333 feet above tide
water, and is now the sceno OF active
work by the Panama Canal Company,
which is cutting channel there.
Several early explorers reported points
on the Isthmus OF Darien, between
the Atrato River and the ocean,
where the divide that separates the
streams that flow into the Atlantic
from those that flow into the Pacific
is only few feet high, but tho Canal
Commission has not been able to find
any such place The lowest level re-
ported by the engineers is about SPp
feet.
The instance Is noted OF fire hay
ing originated, probably from spon-
taneous combustion, 10 a pile contain
ing several tons of cotton seed, the
anterior of which was almost solid
body of live coal, which was COM
,pletely smothered by the application
lof half gallon OF ammonia. In an
lother case, which occurred in Savenay.
France, the vapors OF atank contain
ing fifty gallons OF vasoline caught
fire IN the linen room OF Laundry;
the room was instantly in a mass OF
living flames, but gallon and half
of ammonia water thrown into it com
pletely and almost Immediately ex-
tinguished the fire: The effect, as
described, was instantaneous, tor
rents of black smoke rolling upward
in place of flames. and in moment
every trace of fire was gone-so sud
den and complete indeed, being It's
extinction that workmen were en-
abled to enter the room almost lmme.
tiately, where they found the Iron
tank of gasoline intact.
To Fly in Your Dreams.