Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-09-12


practical use demonstrates its ser
viceableness. The lead storage bat
terry is too heavy for convenient use In
automobiles, and the Edison battery
If successful, will fill much-felt want
Finely divided iron mixed with graph
lite and compacted into small cakes
forms the positive element, and a
similar preparation of finely divided
nickel is the negative element A so
luton of caustic potash is the exacting
fluid. 1t is claimed for the battery that
1t weighs but 1913 pounds per horse
power, whereas the lead battery weighs
from 126 to 1877 pounds for the same
power. This difference would be
valuable. The Edison battery is said
to be indestructible, though critics ex-
press doubts. 1t is not claimed that
1t is cheaper per horsepower. A rur
of seventy-five miles has been made
with battery of240 pounds on asingle
charge. The inventor claims these ad-
vantages: Light weight, indestructi-
bility, rapid charging, the ability to
climb the heaviest hill with little or
no difficulty and indifference to cold.
Value of Sugar.
The new English tax on sugar has led
to inquiries as to the food value of
sugar, with the result of showing that
1t is indispensable. "On the whole"
says the London Chronicle, sugar is a
safe and excellent food. 1t is one of
our-energy producing nutrients, and re-
sembles fat, to which, however, it Is
inferior In respect of its force-evolv-
ing powers. There is no doubt that
sugar varies today In diet lists Of
various kinds to an extent unrepre
sented in past years. Athletes train
on 1t, or include it among the things
they may consume. Horses, abroad,
especially, have sugar included in their
dietary. The German soldier is being
treated to larger sugar ration than he
formerly enjoyed, because scientific
experts have declared its muscletoning
powers. With this boom In sugar
from the scientific standpoint, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer did wise
thing in placing an impost on saccha-
rine. Substitutes for sugar are not
sugars. They only possess sweetening
properties-saxin and saCcharin are
many times sweeter than any sugar
and they are not foods in any sense
OF the term. But for rheumatic peo-
pie, or equity persons. or diabetic pa
tients, to whom sugar is forbidden,
these sweet products of the coal tar
vat are probably excellent things"
Metal as Fuel.
The process of producing enormous
temperatures by firing a mixture of
powdered aluminium and oxide of iron.
or other oxides, gives science and in
dustry new resource. Other metals
besides aluminium may be used thus as
fuel. In lecture on metals as fuel at
the royal institution, London, Sir W.
Roberts-Austen observed that metals
might be burned for the sake of the
light and heat they produced The
use of magnesium for light is familiar
and may greatly extend. A shell of
magnesium might be fired. and the
light from the burning metal be util-
lied in illumination for war purposes,
for the placing of guns, etc. The use
of metals as fuel assumed magnificent
proportions in the hands of Sir Henry
Bessemer. The Bessemer process of
making steel was alone rendered posi-.
BILE by the burning of metals as fuel.
In the case of aluminium burning in
oxygen combustion could be
started by minute fragment of
charcoal. BY experiments he demon
strated how beautifully the welding of
metals could be effected by the oxida-
ton of aluminium, remarking that il
was impossible to foretell what in
future might be accomplished by this
process in the way of industrial art
The welding OF rails for tramways lad
been successfully done by this process.
Crows Useful Birds.
A German scientist, having examined
the contents of the stomachs of over
5000 crows, has determined the char
acter of the crow diet and found how
largely this is made up Of farm and
garden products. Wheat. rye, oats and
barley were present in per cents rang
ing from 8 to s, together with varying
quantities of fruit and garden vegeta-
bles. Grows fed on exclusive vegeta-
BILE diet died within a short time, show.
ing that they absolutely require animal
food, which normally constitutes about
80 per cent of their food. The animals
eaten included mice. insects. rabbits.
pheasants, small bird. frogs. snails and
earth worms. The insects and other
animals destroyed were for the most
part injurious ones either for agrieult-
ure or forestry, and hence the author
considers the crows 10 be beneficial
birds Various methods were tried to
prevent damage to crops by these
birds. by treating SEEDS with such sub
stances as asafetida and kerosene.
without success.
Work on the Calro-cape Telegraph.
The construction OF the Cairo Cape
telegraph line keeps pace with the con-
struction of the railroad from Nom