504 



THE POPULxiR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Adrian, it consists of a great block of free- 

 stone, about fifteen feet in length and five 

 feet in width. Near one edge of this block 

 there is a hole fifteen inches deep, having a 

 diameter at the top of twenty inches, re- 

 sembling a large mortar. " At the time of 

 my visit," writes Mr. Payne, "this 'mill' 

 was filled with water from recent rains. 

 This was measured as it was dipped out, 

 and amounted to fourteen gallons. Early 

 settlers report that this spot was frequent- 

 ed by Indians, who brought thither their 

 corn to be ground or pounded in this stone 

 mortar. In the vicinity are seen many 

 broad, smooth-faced stones, whose surfaces 

 seem to have been highly heated. It is not 

 improbable that these were used by Indians 

 whereon to bake their cakes of corn. The 

 grain was pounded as follows : A spring- 

 pole was attached to one of the trees which 

 stood near, and from the free end of this 

 was suspended over the mortar, by means 

 of twisted bark, a stone of convenient form 

 and size. Stones suitable for this purpose 

 lie beside the 'mill,' and it is probable that 

 they once served the purpose above indi- 

 cated." 



ExcomiiinHieiited Insects. A propos of 

 the efibrts in progress to destroy the phyl- 

 loxera and other insect scourges in France, 

 a writer in La Nature gives a curious bit 

 of information relative to the wjiy in which 

 such pests used to be proceeded against 

 when science, save so far as it could be 

 made to agree with Romish dogmas, had 

 no existence for the world. In 1120, the 

 Bishop of Laon formally excommunicated 

 all the caterpillars and field-mice. In 1488, 

 the grand-vicars of Autun commanded the 

 parish priests of the vicinity to enjoin the 

 weevils to cease their ravages, and to ex- 

 communicate them. In 1535, the grand- 

 vicar of Valence cited the caterpillars to 

 appear before him for trial. He kindly 

 assigned them counsel for their defense, 

 and, as they did not appear, proceeded 

 against and sentenced them, in contuma- 

 ciam, to clear out of his diocese a com- 

 mand which they probably obeyed ! 



During the seventeenth century, thirty- 

 seven similar judgments, against both in- 

 sects and quadrupeds, were issued. One 

 is on record, during the eighteenth cen- 



tury, fulminated against a cow ; and there 

 is still another, of later date, due to a judge 

 of Falaise, who condemned and hanged a 

 sow for killing a child. Christian Intelli- 

 gencer. 



Patting out Fires at Sea. Liquid car- 

 bonic acid is proposed by Lieutenant F. M. 

 Barber, U. S. Navy, as an agent for extin- 

 guishing fires ou board ship. His plan, as 

 communicated to the American Chemist, is 

 to have, in some suitable place in the ship, 

 a flask or flasks about three feet in length, 

 and one foot in diameter, containing about 

 100 pounds of the gas in the liquid state. 

 From the top of the flask, a small iron pipe 

 is to be permanently fitted along the water- 

 ways throughout the entire length of the 

 ship. From this main pipe branch pipes 

 pass to every storeroom and compartment, 

 each branch to be controlled separately by 

 means of a cock. On the alarm of fire, the 

 hatches are to be battened down, the cock 

 in the bi-anch pipe leading to the compart- 

 ment where the fire is discovered is to be 

 opened, and also the cock in the main next 

 the gas-flask. The liquid gas passes out 

 through the pipe in the form of vapor as 

 soon as the pressure is removed, and is 

 driven to the apartment where the fire is. 

 This compartment it fills from the bottom 

 up, without being diluted with the air. 

 Given the cubic contents of any compart- 

 ment, and the cubic space occupied by the 

 cargo in it, sufficient gas can be admitted 

 so as to render it absolutely certain that no 

 fire can exist there. By tben shutting the 

 cock in the main pipe, the remainder of the 

 gas is kept from vaporizing until such time 

 as it may be required. This method of 

 extinguishing fires is absolutely effectual ; 

 furthermore, it is simple, and involves no 

 great expense. The only difficulties which 

 seem to stand in the way of its practical 

 apphcation, are 1. The want of an appa- 

 ratus for the expeditious and economical 

 production of the liquid gas ; and, 2. The 

 want of suitable vessels to hold it at all 

 temperatures. These difficulties, however, 

 have been removed, and hence there exists 

 no reason why all ships should not be pro- 

 vided with this effectual means of prevent- 

 ing disaster by fire. 



In England, an apparatus for extin- 



