Magic tricks -- Juvenile literature; Scientific recreations -- Juvenile literature
Provide about a foot square of brass or iron wire gauze, of the
fineness of thirty meshes to the square inch: lower the gauze upon the
flame of a wax candle, which will not rise through the meshes, but in
its place will be the inflammable smoke of the flame; apply to this a
piece of lighted paper, and it will be kindled, and the candle will
burn with flame above and beneath the gauze. In this case, the gauze
so cools the flame, as to extinguish it; and upon this principle is
constructed the Davy Safety Lamp, in which the light is surrounded with
wire-gauze.
To vary this experiment, place a chip of camphor in the centre of a
piece of wire-gauze about a foot square, and hold it over the flame of
a candle or lamp; when the vapour of the camphor will burn brightly
upon the lower surface of the gauze, but cannot rise through it in
consequence of its cooling power. Thus, the camphor lies upon the gauze
in an uninflamed state, though it is sufficiently heated to yield
inflammable vapour to feed a flame beneath.
CANE WICK LAMP.
Cut a piece of cane about one inch long: set it upright in spirit of
wine, with a small portion just above the surface: the spirit will then
rise through the tube of the cane, which being lighted, will burn as a
wick.
CAMPHOR AND PLATINUM LAMP.
Place a small piece of camphor, or a few fragments, upon the bottom
of a glass, and lay upon the camphor a piece of coiled or pressed up
platinum wire, heated in the flame of a lamp; when the platinum will
glow brilliantly as long as any camphor remains, and frequently light
up into flame.
PLATINUM AND ETHER LAMP.
[Illustration]
Put into a small hyacinth-glass a teaspoonful of ether, and suspend in
it, by wire, a coil of fine platinum wire, first heated in the flame of
a spirit-lamp; the wire will then glow with a red heat, and some of it
may become white hot; in the latter case, flame will be produced by the
ether burning.
FLOATING LIGHT.
Cut a chip of camphor; light it, and set it on a basin of water, when
it will continue to burn and float, until it is consumed.
SUBSTITUTE FOR A WAX TAPER.
Steep a loosely twisted cotton skein in a solution of nitre; dry it,
and it will readily kindle by the sparks produced from the flint and
steel. If, however, the cotton be further prepared by coating portions
of it, at regular intervals, alternately with sulphur and white wax,
and the sparks be struck upon the sulphur, it will readily kindle, and
as readily light the wax; and the flame will endure long enough for
sealing a letter.
PHOSPHORESCENT FISH.
Place a very stale fish in a dark room, and it will give out a
strong light, because of the numerous animalculæ, whose growth the
putrefaction has promoted.
THE LUMINOUS SPECTRE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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