The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-09
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


county, Missouri, who raised a ninety
pound pumpkin on his farm intends to
have the mammoth vegetable made up
into pies for distribution among such of
his former comrades of Shelbys brigade
as reside in his vicinity.
According to the New York Journal of
Commerce a New York firm has made
tests to ascertain the comparative citric
values of California and Sicily lemons.
The following is the result: Ninety-one
and one-half California lemons would
yield one United States gallon of juice.
One hundred and twenty-eight and one
half Mediterranean lemons would yield
one United States gallon of juice. The
specific gravity of the juice in each was
1.O41. Three hundred California lemons
would yield $50 ounces, avoirdupois,
juice, containing 6.64 ounces, avoirdu-
pois, crystal citric acid. Three hundred
Mediterranean lemons would yield 325
ounces, avoirdupois, juice, containing
1910 ounces. avoirdupois, crystal citric
acid. The value of this test has been
questioned by the importers, who claimed
that it was unfair in that it compared
Mediterranean fruit, which was among
the first of the season, and which had not
matured, with California fruit at it's best
stage.
One of the greatest dangers In the
operation of steam automobile is the
possibility of the water getting so low
in the boiler as to result in its burning
out. Gauges have, of course, been pro-
vided, but with many of these, owing to
their position, it is impossible while driv-
ing al night to discover the quantity of
water in the boiler without striking
match A Cleveland ~ firm over
come this difficulty with its audible safe
ty device. 1t consists of a heavy brass
cylinder, which is connected to the boiler
al top and bottom, so that the water
stands at the same level in the boiler
as in the cylinder. The latter is pro-
vided with float which, when the wa
ter reaches a certain low level, opens
valve to a whistle which is operated by
the pressure of the steam. The lever of
the float is adjustable so that il can be
set at any desired level, and the whistle
is also adjustable to any tone within a
limited range. The entire device may be
fitted to any auto boiler with but very
little trouble.
Prof. r. Dubois of Paris has succeed
ed in obtaining by means of the cultiva-
ton of a certain species of bacteria a
fairly brilliant artificial light, which
will illuminate room so that ordinary
print can be read. These bacteria which
occur naturally on the decaying bodies
of certain fish such as herring, and on
stale Holsters, are collected and bred in
a fluid containing salt water and some
heterogeneous substances, such as white of
egg and peptones. They increase enor-
mously and soon render the fluid phos-
phorescent. If the latter be now placed
in a glass vessel-an ordinary table ca
rafe, for nstance-and hung up a fairly
brilliant lamp is obtained, which emits a
pale greenish, somewhat ghastlv lumi-
nesence. If properly protected frol.l other
germs and kept at a suitable temperature,
this living lamp will retain its brilliancy
for number of weeks, or even months.
says Prof: Dubois. The system has not
yet become a commercially practical one
and it may be considered doubtful perhaps
that it ever will, chiefly because of the
very low intensity of the light But il
is of great interest to the maker of arti-
fetal light nevertheless in that it calls
his attention again to an example of the
most theoretically perfect light generation
OF which we know. The freely and the
glow worm are other examples of the
same sort, in which practically all of the
energy is utilized in generating light. In
the ordinary commercial methods of max
ing artificial light most of the energy is
wasted in creating a lot of undesirable
neat, without which as yet it has been
Impossible to produce practical artificial
illumination.
George f. Ayres, a wel-known miner
mas unearthed a mineral substance that
has illuminating power. says a Boise Cjtv
dispatch to the New York Sun. He found
the stun al depth of 800 feet from the
n haI
cut tunnel to tap his ledge at considerable
depth and ran across deposit that gave
off enough light so that he could proceed
without the aid of his candle. He brought
some pieces to the surface and exneri-
mented with them in his cabin that night.
but they gave onlya phosphorescent CLEAN
not sufficient to see by In the pino
however, the light was almost bright He
Impaired the information to Edward Lev
ey, local assayer, who has since been
making investigations He has found that
there is a large deposit of this mineral
and that the popularity Of the atmos-
pheric conditions underground aid In pro-
ducing the light, which accounts for the
difference witnessed on the surface. Lev
ey has been able to reproduce in water
the atmospheric condition that prevail
where the mineral is found. Last night
he lighted room so one could read a
paper readily. He had several fruit Jars
partially filled with the mineral. which
was covered with fluid preparation. The
mineral does not need to be kept under
water like phosphorus, although the glow
in the atmosphere at the surface without
the addition of the fluid is much the same
as phosphorus. The fluid preparation IL
a secret. Mr.. Levey says the deposit
will make himself and the discoverer rich
While 1t will not supplant other means
OF illumination Ia large places. Il eau be
used In thousands OF mining camps where
coal oil Is very expensive aud eloctrlclfv
and gas unobtainable.