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THE MANUFACTURE OF RUSSIAN SHEET IRON.

By Mr. H. B. Fiiooir.

So many different versions were current as to the process adopted for producing the sheet iron, known as Siberian, polished and unpolished, I determined when in the Ural to remain, if possible, at some one or more of the works, and watch the production from the ore to the finished sheets.

The manager, Ivan Ivanovitch Wohlsted, of the celebrated Demidoff works, obligingly offered me every facility, and in the report which follows the method followed there is explained ; where from observation in other works, any difference of procedure of a serious nature was noted, I mark it, but the general conclusion I came to is that the manufacture of sheet iron is carried on with great care, great labour, and expense, and that having good ore to commence with, the result is not difficult to obtain.

From the commencement to the end of the manufacture of the sheets I saw completed, I did not lose sight of the same, except they were under care ; so that, as the manager said, there might be no uncertainty or quibble. The ore from which the metal is made is obtained close to the blast furnaces, of the celebrated Tagil works, from which the C C N D bars are produced. This ore is very rich, and under arrangements is also used in other works, such as Takovleff, &c., the family of the original owner, Mr. Demidoff, of that district, having by marriage and sales given over right to others to mine there. The ore scarcely contains a trace of phosphorus, and not any trace of sulphur. The analysis is as follows :—

SiO² ... 7-871 Al² 03 ... 3-572 Fe² 03 ... 80-047 Mn ...    —

Mn³ O⁴ ... 0-571 CaO ... 0-97

Pli    0-25

The flux used is ordinary limestone, found on the spot. Before being placed in the furnace the ore is roasted in heaps of from 10,000 to 15,000 tons, with charcoal made from white pine. If the iron is for sheets the workmen will not use charcoal made from birch wood. The roasting is done close at hand, quite in the open, and at any time of the year, the intense frost or heat not making any difference. In some works they prefer to roast the ore in the winter, and say red pine charcoal is not worse than white pine. The workmen assert that if charcoal made from birch wood is used, particularly in the blast furnace, then white specks are seen on the sheets. The managers say this is prejudice. The blast furnaces are oval. The size adopted as a standard has a capacity of 9000 cubic feet; the oval is 20ft. by 10ft., being 52ft. high. The bottom is 3ft. diameter, and at 9ft. from bottom is full size of the oval. The system is Roshett’s, with six tuyeres on each side, using hot blast at 200 deg. Celsius. The furnace is charged every half hour with a thin layer of roasted ore and cliarcoal-ore, broken up small and mixed with the flux; pieces of ore larger than a good sized walnut are not passed. The blast for three such furnaces is provided by three horizontal engines, each having 29in. steam cylinder and 5ft. stroke. The production is from 15001b. to 20001b. per day, 25 to 30 tons. New charcoal produces more than old, but the production varies little. The pig iron produced is at once puddled in an ordinary puddling furnace. The workmen attach importance to its being at once puddled, and make it into blooms of 100 lb. to 200 lb. weight. The puddling may be done with gas ; it seems not to matter. Great care is taken to hammer the blooms well, to get rid of all impurities, under either a steam hammer or tilt hammer. Many workmen contend that the steam hammer is not so good as the tilt, but it seems simply prejudice. The blooms are at once reduced in a regular way into bars 5in. wide, but of various thicknesses. After the bar has got rather cool the workmen stop rolling. These bars are at once cut into pieces 29|in. and 30|in. long, each piece representing a future sheet, and being of various thicknesses for sheets of diverse weights.

Sheet iron in Russia is invariably made 4ft. 8in. by 2ft. 4in. (2 arshines long, 1 arshine wide), and called 7 lb., 8 lb., 12 lb., or 15 lb. being made of all weights from 6 lb. to 20 lb. per sheet. Hence the thickness of the puddled bars is not much considered.

The puddled bars when broken show a fine granular fracture, somewhat steely, little if any fibre being found in the bars. About sixty of these pieces are taken—29jin. for ordinary sheets and 301 in. for polished or “ glanced ” sheets —and put into an ordinary furnace heated with wood from below, the bars being placed on ridges in the upper chamber, the flame impinging through three openings either side. The rolling down of these bars into sheets is a matter of three processes. First, each slab is rolled out into a plate as near as possible—workmen being guided by the eye—2ft. 6in. by 2ft. 8in. Six men are engaged in this process. One man screws down the rolls to a fixed standard of thickness. There are two rollers, one man draws the slabs, and the other carries to the rolls. Whilst these are rolling the slabs down a sorter selects them in lots of three, putting a smaller one between two larger ones, and they are thus in lots of three returned to the furnace. Secondly, these “ threes ” not tied together in any way, but simply assorted. Again at a fair heat are drawn out and brought to the rolls, held open by the roller, and a boy throws between the plates prepared powdered charcoal ; the bundles are then passed through the rolls, the rolls being screwed down to the same point as before, the thickness of the three being reduced to the same as each previously. Now the sorter again divides the sheets into lots by thickness, and makes bundles — not tied bundles—of three of the thicker, four of medium, five of thinner, and returns them to the same furnace. Thirdly, when the bundle is again at a good heat—red cherry— these lots of plates are brought to the rolls, opened out, and charcoal again powdered all over them, and the lots are passed through the rolls, until the thickness of the lot is brought to the standard of the original one slab. The sheets are now all sheared to one length—5ft.; in the width they are not touched. The sheets are now ready for the finishing process. Before proceeding to this, let describe the preparation of the charcoal, a matter to which the workmen attach much importance, but which the managers do not seem to consider of any moment.

The workmen object to birch wood charcoal, and prefer yellow pine and large sized charcoal. It is first carefully washed to get out all earthy matter, ground in a mortar mill, or pounded under a hammer, washed again and dried, again pounded and sifted through a fine sieve. The workmen attach the greatest importance to using charcoal; but I saw sheets prepared without —which seemed quite as good, but the workmen contend that the sheets without charcoal soon lose the “bloom,” or fresh look, especially with unpolished sheets. The sheets from the third process are stacked to cool completely—the lots I had in hand were allowed to stand in a rack from evening to morning—and are then assorted, as near as possible by the eye, into sheets of equal weight; seventy or eighty being considered a “ pair” or lot for the future processes. Each sheet, being examined and brushed, is then dipped into a tank of water—the tank is never cleaned out, but kept full—“ older the water the better ”— and kept at about blood heat. Taken out of the bath, each plate is powdered all over with the prepared charcoal, dusted from or through a coarse linen bag. If the powdering is not done “ equally ” the colour of the sheets will not be equal. The sheets being thus prepared, on the top and bottom of the bundle are placed two or three old plates to protect the sheets. The bundles of sheets being placed in the furnace, are very gradually heated—the workmen considering that the more smoke there is in the heating of the bundles the better the sheets will be; but to get the bundles to a bright red heat, not less than seven or eight hours should be employed. The bundles I had in hand were dipped, powdered, and prepared by 3 o’clock, and were in the furnace till 10.30—the same furnace as before described, but that on and around the bundle, wood was placed to prevent direct action of the flames and produce smoke. When the packet was removed from the furnace, at a bright red heat, it was laid on a large iron slab, every sheet was turned over, brushed with a wet fir broom, and when the bundle had got to a dark red it was placed under a wrought iron tilt hammer, and received in four minutes 200 to 210 blows—the hammer weighing 45 poods (15 cwt.); after this hammering every sheet was again examined on both sides, any dirt specks removed; particular attention paid to there having been no welding.

The bundle was again made up as before, put back again into the furnace to be again re-heated—this took 50 minutes. It was then again examined; again put under the hammer at a dark red and hammered for 14 minutes, receiving 750 blows. This was repeated a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time in following sequence:—

packed in Under Number of furnace, hammer. blows.

First as noted Second time . Third time . Fourth time . Fifth time Sixth time

Totals ...

The bundle of sheets being examined by the hammerman, is handed over to the finishers, generally between 2500 and 3500 blows having been given. The first thing for the finisher to do is to examine each and every sheet. A $in. or jin. plate is put on the slab, and each sheet examined ; between each of the hot sheets is placed a sheet of finished iron—or two if the bundler thinks best—so that the packet becomes a bundle of from 200 to 220 sheets. It is at once taken without any re-heating, and the bundle receives from sixty to eighty blows from a cast hammer on a cast iron anvil; the latter must be accurate. Note cast iron, for in the first process wrought is preferred. Having received this hammering they are called “half finished,” and then the whole contents of the bundle is placed on one side to cool. This we did by letting them remain in rack all night again. The processes above noted commenced at 3 a.m., and finished at 6 o’clock p.m.; the men—six—had done nothing but work at four bundles, i.e., about 300 pieces of puddled bar. I kept my eyes particularly on two bundles, which now consisted of 150 sheets. Next morning at six these 150 sheets were cut to exact selling size, 56in. by 28in., by hand shears, which they find to be cheaper than cutting by machine.

It will be remembered that in the last process the hot sheets were placed between cold ones; now the process was exactly reversed. Our 150 sheets were cold, a hot bundle of 150 sheets was brought, and two bundles made up, each of 75 old hot sheets and 75 new cold sheets, in process of manufacture, care being taken not to put in the hot sheets whilst any appearance of redness remained. These bundles were then taken again to the polishing hammer, and each received in four to five minutes 140 to 150 blows. The hammerman declared from observing the motion of the plates they were now ready ; the bundles were opened and we found certainly fine polished sheets. The working tool sheets being removed, the new sheets were taken to the store and subjected to a thorough examination, near 30 per cent, being condemned as “brack.” Taking 180 pieces of puddled bars the result was as follows:—We got 160 sheets ; out of these 160 we lost 12 in the first processes by holing, cracking, &c., and reception in magazine 43 were thrown out as imperfect from cracks, spots, or blemish in polish. The remaining 115 sheets were divided into two categories—(1) where polish was good, i.e., equal all over the sheet, 67 ; (2) where generally polish was good, but not entirely equal, 48. The rest were considered “ brack,” and sold at about £2 per ton cheaper, for makers of small articles, on the spot.

Conversing with the men, they say formerly they considered the polish was produced by the blow of the tilt hammer giving a gliding motion to the sheets ; hence the name of “ glance ” iron. It was also held as an article of faith that after every re-heating powdered charcoal must be used. This is not the case, for sheets quite as good produced wdthout; but the men are paid on the production, and hence the managers allow them their own way. I saw a bundle of sheets done without the charcoal and without the dipping, the results being exactly the same. The covering sheets were not much burnt, the heat of furnace being only moderate.

TRIALS OF STRING SHEAF BINDERS AT DERBY.

No. II.

Last week our account of these trials, which began Monday, the 8tli of August, described the operations of that day up to the time at which they were stopped by the rain. The next morning -was not more favourable, and the judges decided to begin at 11.30, only if the weather should then permit it. Fortunately it cleared up time before that hour, and remained fine for the rest of the day. Messrs. Howard had in the course of the interval attached the spuds to their driving-wheel, and they and Mr. King—who had also had time to adjust his machine —set to work at twelve o’clock upon plots of half an acre of barley. In this run the Howard machine turned out most excellent sheaves. There was no clinging together ; the sheaves fell separately and softly to the ground, and were very regular in size. It must be remembered that this machine is not one of those which has an automatic trip, to be operated upon by the pressure of the sheaf itself, but the binding apparatus is set to work periodically, the period being liable to alteration at the will of the driver, who can bring the gear into operation sooner than would otherwise happen, by the use of the treadle at his heel. In this trial, the crop being fairly uniform, very little use was made of this. Perhaps the only fault in the resulting sheaves was that the tying, which is by a slip knot, is rather too loose, and the end of the string is left too long, thus increasing the chance of careless handling loosening the knot, besides using rather more twine than is necessary. The half-acre was finished in twenty-eight minutes.

Mr. King’s machine had been got into very good adjustment for this trial, and he was enabled to give a good account of his half acre of barley. We think, however, he would find it an improvement if he altered the character of the forward guide which operates upon the lower end of the straw, and substituted a paternoster work, as in other machines, for the reciprocating motion he has at present. As it is, there is too much tendency in the lower ends of the straw to hang up, and so to allow the ear to fall into the middle of the sheaf, where the binding takes place. The great distance the corn has to fall allows of this action taking place, which is still more marked when, as was sometimes the case in this trial, the wind blows freshly from behind. There is also too much opportunity allowed to the corn to escape the binder altogether, and slip off behind the sheaf, so that the bottom is not a clean one, though the stubble is otherwise neat. The result was a very long sheaf, some of the straw of which, though apparently within it, did not really extend to the point where the binding took place. Nothing can be better than the knot made and the separation of the sheaves, but the whole machine is too heavy, and the gear too delicate for the ordinary agriculturist, though the fact that the most difficult points, tying and separation, have been mastered in a highly ingenious way induce the hope that after some alterations in construction the idea may become a substantial success. Mr. King reaped the half acre in thirty-three minutes.

Shortly after one o’clock the three machines of Messrs. Samuelson, Wood, and McCormick were turned into some long oats, which had been cut out into two-acre plots. These oats were a very severe test to all the machines, and it may be said that none of those competing gave entirely satisfactory results. In the best there was a little clinging together observable among the sheaves. Messrs. Samuelson undoubtedly had the longest crop to deal with, and though they cut as high a stubble as was allowed—6in.— yet the straw was evidently rather too long for their machine, which required a little assistance occasionally to avoid choking and to clear the delivery board. One of their packers broke in this test, but was soon replaced. Failure in tying occurred very rarely, and the two were finished in two and three-quarter hours gross time. Mr. Wood’s machine did not seem well adapted to this crop ; the separation is not the best point on the machine, and with these long oats the defect was much aggravated. Notwithstanding the binding gear was set to make very heavy sheaves, the weight was not sufficient security against cohesion, and the sheaves were rolled and dragged after the machine far too much. The time of this trial was one hour and fifty minutes. The McCormick machine was ambitiously sent into this trial with the driver only, but this pride was almost immediately visited by a jam in the binding gear, and assistance had to be called. After this the run went off smoothly enough with a little assistance now and then in the delivery, and a very few cases of missing in tying. The time was one hour and fifty-two minutes.

The machines of the Johnston Harvester Company and of Messrs. Howard next began a two-acre plot of oats. The delivery of the latter was far from satisfactory, and there were continual difficulties with the string, which vas constantly breaking. In this machine when a failure to bind occurs it is generally caused by breakage of the string, and then a stoppage of the machine is necessary for rethreading. Cohesion among the sheaves took place a great deal too much, there being an evident tendency to deliver two sheaves at one time, though at other times it more than this implies. Messrs. Howard somewhat unnecessarily avoided reaping down the wind, where the corn was asserted to be lodged in the direction in which the reaping took place. Cases occurred during these trials where this course was no doubt justifiable, but we do not

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think this was one of them, and the adoption of this course protracted the trial unnecessarily.

In the machine of the Johnston Harvester Company the binding gear appeared to be too small for the reaping machinery, for it was jammed in a comparatively short crop, and required rather more assistance at the delivery than we care to see, though the failures of the binder, as in the McCormick and Samuelson machines, were very rare, and the sheaves neat. Possibly the company were rather too anxious to make good time, and accordingly had a reaper which made a very wide cut. The time was very good indeed—about an hour and a-half. At about a quarter-past five short trials in wheat began, and all the machines, with the exception of that of Messrs. Howard, which still busy in the oats, reaped a half-acre plot. The crop was light and very clean, and all the performances were very satisfactory, except that of Mr. King’s machine, which was again out of adjustment, and though it went through with the work, made rather a long operation of it. The quickest times were made by the machines of the Johnston Harvester Company, and of Mr. Wood.

Proceedings were then postponed till Wednesday morning at 9.30, when Messrs. Howard reaped half an acre ; but the experiment cannot be called successful, the string giving a great deal of trouble, and as before requi ing the machine to pull up. The plot was not so clean as those of the night before, and the bottom stuff caused a little clinging together. Shortly after ten o’clock the machines of Messrs. Wood, Samueison, and the McCormick Company, started at two-acre plots of wheat of very varying character. That allotted to the McCormick machine was undoubtedly the worst of the three ; that of Messrs. Samuelson was rather greener than Mr. Wood’s, but otherwise they were much alike. The McCormick machine was soon in evident trouble, missing occurring much too often. This was attributed to the quality of the twine used, which was being employed experimentally, and was not the usual quality of string for the machine, but one much finer. So a change had to be made back to the regular material. Meanwhile the other two machines were working away, the Samuelson machine doing particularly good work, making very good sized sheaves— though here and there a small one appeared—and discharging them perfectly clear of one another, points in which that of Mr. Wood was again rather defective. In all the machines there was a difference to be noticed in the

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in the butt end. After the proper string had been supplied to the McCormick machine, it ran extremely well against the wind, but in the opposite direction the corn was so lodged that the attempt to reap was discontinued. While these machines were in action an acre was assigned to the Johnston machine, which completed it in under an hour, separating the sheaves very well; but the appearance of each was rather more ragged than it should be, and the bottom was not very clean.

Shortly after eleven o’clock the rain began again, and the effect upon the machines was soon felt. The canvas carriers of Mr, Wood’s reaper contracted and pulled the leathers off⁻, and those of the McCormick machines were drawn too tight. The machine of Messrs. Samuelson had been running with a smooth driving wheel, and had to stop to have the spuds put on. Altogether it was considered desirable to stay proceedings for a time, and they were recommenced at two o’clock when it was somewhat finer. The completion of these plots of wheat calls for no special remark. At four o’clock plots of wheat of two acres area were assigned to Messrs. Samuelson, the Johnston Harvester Company, and to Mr. King, machine of the latter did some excellent work, though the defects we pointed out above were still to be noticed, and in addition it was clear that the traction of the machine was telling upon the horses. The sheaves were wonderfully uniform in appearance, and the separation was as good as ever. The other two machines made the same good work as in the other trials, the broad reaper of the Johnston Harvester enabling it to get through the work in two hours and seven minutes. Messrs. Samuelson had nearly finished their plot when a cast iron moving piece in this machine snapped and stopped them.

Shortly after this the judges made their award upon the performances. They awarded—as we were able to announce last week—a gold medal to the McCormick machine, and silver medals to the Samuelson and Johnston machines, and they highly commended the machine of Mi-. King for the principle of tying and separating the sheaves.

Our readers who have followed us through the prosy details of the trials, which we have taken care to keep in chronological order as much as possible, will probably agree in this award. The best machine is clearly that which it is best to put into a farmer’s hands, and which will gather _ in his crops in the best way. He does not want complicated machinery nor delicate machinery. He wishes to see his sheaves tied with as little shaking as possible; they must fall clear of one another and must'not be too large, in order that they may dry more readily, and they must be laid gently upon the ground, neither falling upon their heads nor being dragged at the back of the machine like martyrs. There can be no doubt that the machines of the three medallists, built as they are upon the same principle—the apparatus invented by Appleby and Deering—discharge the sheaves in the best condition and in the lightest manner. In this point we do not think Mr. King’s beats them, and his machine, as far as we have seen, is rather uncertain in the adjusting and is too heavy. The Johnston Company, we think, in their anxiety to make good time, have hardly given their binder a fair cliance, and the machine of Messrs. Samuelson twice carried away a moving part. In one of these cases certainly the piece was cast iron where it should have been malleable. The McCormick machine has passed through vicissitudes which might fairly be expected to render4 unfit for competition; but it has nevertheless gone through these trials without a mishap, and on the whole done the best binding.

We shall now attempt to give an idea of the principle of the action of the tying apparatus in the machines (1) of the three medallists, and (2) of Mr. Wood—invented by Mr. W. M. Cranston, and patented in 1879, No. 4076—which two methods we consider to be, of those under trial, the simplest and least likely to get out of order. Fig. 1 represents the first of these. N is the collecting stage, not necessarily horizontal, and the corn falls upon the string

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extending from a notch in the wheel F, over the inverted bird-bill piece K, through the guide C, and under the corn to the point of the binding arm H in its backward position below the stage. As soon as the binding gear is thrown into motion, the point H comes forward into the position shown, bringing the string with it, and embracing the corn in the loop L. The string passes through the guide C, and joins the other portion at the bird-bill piece K, but is carried into the next notch of the wheel F. The bird-bill piece now makes a complete revolution in the direction, as seen from above, of the hands of a watch which faces the spectator. Before it has gone three right-angles, the pressure hitherto applied to the weight M, which is the other end of the lever portion of the bird-bill piece, is removed, the bill opens and grasps the two threads about the spot B, but without stopping until the revolution is complete. The pressure has been again applied at M, so that the strings are now firmly held by the bill K. The revolution has carried a loop of both strings round the piece K, and it is now necessary to draw the loop over the bill which holds the two strings. To secure the string for the next sheaf, the wheel F is moved round by means of the teeth G, so as to pass the notch in which is the string from the binding arm, between the two plates E and I), and jam it there. The cutter A is one and the same piece with the guide C ; and after K has completed a revolution, this piece moves forward, cutting the strings with A, pulling the loop over the bird-hill piece holding what, after the cutting by A, are the ends of the string, and so completing the knot. H then falls back, and the motion is complete.

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Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent Mr. Wood’s method of knotting, in elevation, plan, and section. A is a hook moving in the axis E ; C is a piece fitting into the hook A, and moving on the same axis E. A stop n, Fig. 5, provides that C only follows A after a certain angle has been described, determined by the slot in which n works, in the direction in which A, Fig. 3, points. The strings pass from

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different sides of the sheaf L across the hook A, one to the gripper F, where it was secured during the last operation, the other to the point of the binding arm. A then moves round about three right-angles, so as to catch the strings between the hook and the gripper about G, in the space between A and C. A now moves back again, bringing the strings in the hook. The guide B attached to C serves two purposes, first to guide the string at G down to the proper level for the hook A to get hold of it, and, secondly, to enable the hook D to get hold of the loop, and so, as A returns, to draw the loop over the point of A, now holding the strings from G. The hook I) is so constructed as to spring in all directions at right angles to the line of its length, so that it offers no resistance when A is making its first motion, and simply pulls the string over

the hook on the return motion, thus completing the knot. The knife M is between the gripper and the tying hook. The gripper F is pushed out at the right time, fie., when the point of the binding arm is forward. It is in the form of a broad hook, and having seized the string, presses it firmly against the seat from which it has moved. After this the point of the binding arm moves back to a position below the stage. The knife M is fixed, and the cutting takes place by the mere pressure produced by the sheaf getting away. We shall give complete illustrations of this apparatus in another impression.

The whole of the Society’s arrangements for these trials were as usual very good, and the public had a splendid opportunity—-which was only marred by the weather—of noting the performance of the various machines. The clearings between the plots were first made by hand reaping, and then the plots were trimmed and reduced to their proper widths by one of Messrs. Handyside’s 2-horse back delivery Derby reapers. The crowd which followed the machines up these spaces was very great, but only when the public interest interfered really with the due investigation of the judges themselves were the police enjoined to restrain the crowd of eager observers. Even then the plots were so laid out in reference to the spectators that there was ample opportunity for observation. We well remember a competition among portable engines in Germany, where the trials took place behind a hoarding, and the public—the purchasing public—were actually forbidden to take notes during the runs. We need scarcely point out what, compared with such a state of things, m ust be the value of the open trials which the Royal Agricultural Society of England are in the habit of instituting.

Owing to the heavy rain on Monday, in the afternoon the judges, stewards of the implement department, and the consulting engineers to the Society, decided to pay a visit of inspection to the Vulcan Ironworks, Derby, owned by Mr. Francis Ley, who is sole manufacturer for all countries, except the United States and Canada, of Ewart’s patent detachable drive chains, which are used in most self-binding harvesters. They were shown over the works by the proprietor, and inspected the most modern Anglo-American plant there extensively adopted. They went first to the foundries, where they inspected the core-making, which is all done by females—a very unusual sight in a foundry ; but the very small size of the castings makes the core-making a fitting female occupation. From thence they passed through the melting department, Avhere the bulk of the metal used is melted in crucible furnaces, to the castings department, and to that portion of the foundry where the best English methods of moulding small malleable castings are employed. Some little time was passed in inspecting the many small castings in course of manufacture, and in examining the finish and coreing of small, intricate castings, and the smallest samples of Ewart’s chain—little castings, such as bale tie-studs, and much heavier and complicated work. From this section of the foundry they passed to that in which the American moulding plant is fixed. This part of the foundry is 170ft. long by 70ft. span, and is almost entirely devoted to plate and machine moulding. The castings being made in this were chiefly agricultural implement and Ewart’s chain castings. The plates are electro-plates, and the finest*work was being moulded by youths and labourers. The moulding machines are a type designed and constructed by the proprietor, one, a poAver machine patented by Mr. Ley, turning out excellent work. It is driven by a Ewart’s chain leading from a line of shafting. With this machine a labourer and three boys can turn out 300 moulds in the day of tivelve hours, or, rather, twelve and a-half hours ; for in these works the fifty-four hours per Aveek are made up in the first five days, the hands working from 6 a.m. to 6.30 pan. on the first four days, and being paid on Friday evening at 5.30, so as to make holiday on Saturday. In this department the American system of snap flasks is adopted throughout. A reverberatory furnace, of five tons capacity per heat, and of American type, to be used for the production of malleable castings, Avas not quite completed. The total area of the moulding shops proper is about 2200 superficial yards. The power moulding machines, sand grinding mills, &c., were Avorked by Ewart’s patent chain belts. The visitors next inspected the annealing depart-ment, in Avhicli are thirteen large ovens, varying in capacity from two tons to sixteen tons. The process of annealing Avas the subject of much inquiry, and various castings in their hard, unannealed condition, and after annealing, Avere tested. Stamped wrought iron and malleable cast iron links Avere tested to destruction, and the latter bore Arery favourable comparison Avitli the stamped links, although these Avere made of treble best iron. From this department they passed to the dressing shop, in which the annealed castings have the runners and projections due to the casting ground off ; and here the high cutting power of good emery AAdieels Avas seen. Four pairs of 20in. and one pair of 36in. emery stones Avere being employed, and other four sets of 20in. Avere in course of construction. The machinery in this shop was driven by a heavy Ewart’s belt, running 1000ft. per minute ; and OAving to the pressure of orders, this department was being Avorked with night and day-shifts of men.

The chain belt fitting shops Avere next visited, light chains are fitted by females, the heavy ones by men and boys, small emery wheels running at very high velocities being used to dress and trim off any slight burrs left the casting by the moulders ; the chain links are not dressed by the regular fettlei-s, but are left to the fitters to ' finish. From here the visitors passed to the pattern-makers’ shops, and were much interested in the finely finished metal models used in the preparation of the plates for the foundry. Mr. Ley considers that the success in the foundry depends entirely upon this department and the coremaking. The chain belt testing shop attracted considerable attention and interest. Every class of chain is tested in 10ft. lengths to 50 per cent, over its Avorking capacity, on a machine designed for the purpose. After testing the 10ft. lengths are laid beside a standard length of the same pattern carefully screAved to a board ; if found too long the stretched links are throAvn aside; if too short those

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links that have burrs or are improperly fitted are put aside and re-fitted ; consequently every length sent out is true to the standard length. All wheels for the chain are fitted to suit a length of chain, so as to secure uniformity in pitch of chain and wheels. The visitors also inspected other types of Ewart’s chains lately brought out, one of which is fitted with Bodge’s patent wedge or friction attachment ; this was shown in work at the recent show, and has already proved a success. The output of these chains has now reached several thousand feet per week, and they are used for a great variety of driving, elevating, and other purposes. The chain is not only made in malleable cast iron, but is stamped in treble best wrought iron up to lGin. pitch, the sizes varying from Jin. to lGin. pitch. The total area of ground occupied by the Vulcan Ironworks is about 3 j acres.

The visitors spent about three hours in inspecting the works, were much pleased, and congratulated the proprietor on his success.

THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS.

On Wednesday, the 3rd inst., a paper was read by Mr. John Jameson, of Newcastle-on-Tyne,

On Printing Machinery.

About five years ago the proprietors of the Newcastle Daily Chronicle gave an order to Messrs. Hoe and Co., printing machinery engineers, of London and New York, for a larger and more complete newspaper printing machine than had ever before been attempted. The author was entrusted with the design of the engines and boilers, and with the arrangement and carrying out of the various mechanical details of the office, and has been thus occupied until the present year, when the whole has been erected and completed. The author then glanced at the history and briefly described the construction of morning newspaper printing machines, and went on to say that in order to describe the machinery to the best advantage, it would be convenient first to give some account of the operation and arrangements of a newspaper office before presswork begins, then to describe the machinery, and thence to trace the paper to its delivery as a completed article. Without actually seeing it, it is difficult to realise the scene of activity presented in a daily newspaper office from nine or ten at night till the hour of publication ; and the extent to which the most careful organisation and the most exact discipline and method contribute to achieve rapidity of execution without hurry, and an enormous accumulation of work without confusion. About nine o’clock at night, with the exception of a few repeated advertisements kept standing from the previous day’s issue, not a type of the paper has been set. There is a considerable accumulation of copy, however, which is distributed in detached portions to a large number of compositors. The compositors work with no great rapidity of movement, apparently with great deliberation ; it is found, however, that the best result is by no means necessarily associated with apparent rapidity. The detached portions of the earliest copy, on being set up, are brought together in the form of a part of a column. Slip proofs of this are taken from the type itself in a small hand press in the compositors’ room. The slip is compared with the copy by readers in separate side offices, one reading aloud from copy with great rapidity and close regard to new sentences, capitals, stops, and verbal accuracy, but apparently with the most entire disregard to the meaning conveyed ; and the other correcting the printed slip. The corrections—wonderfully few in number—are made in the forme ; and it passes to another table for arrangement into columns and then into pages. The first pages are usually advertisements, and as arranged they form a perfectly level sheet of type on a level iron table. There they are locked securely by screws and wedges into a frame, which enables the whole to be safely handled without risk of movement. As each page is completed it passes to the stereotype room. There a wet sheet of a species of papier mache is laid over it, covered with a spongy blanket, and this is pressed into the forme of type by being passed through a roller press, which ensures accurate contact with the surface and recesses of the type at every part. It is then covered with a somewhat elastic blanket pad, to retain contact and to allow the escape of steam, and placed in a powerful screw press, which is at the same time heated by steam. Iu a very brief space of time the moisture of the papier mache is driven off, and a matrix of something like cardboard is produced, deeply indented by the type, and presenting the letters as we see them when printed. This papier mache matrix is bent into a circular form in one direction, and placed in a mould having the required curve. This mould swings upon trunnions, and has a lid, tight at the sides and bottom but with an opening at top, which can be shut down and well secured to the case. When the mould is thus closed, with the paper matrix within it, it is placed in an inclined position on its trunnions and a ladleful of melted type metal is poured in. The metal almost instantly sets ; the mould is opened, the casting is slightly swabbed with damp cloths, to correct the brittleness due to its heat, and is then removed to a sort of saddle furnished with planing appliances and revolving cutters. Here the edges are trimmed and bevelled, and if any large blank spaces exist, where the elasticity of the inking rollers, or the blanket of the impression cylinder, afterwords to be described, might produce an undesired impression, some extra cutting out of the centre of such parts is performed. The stereotype plate thus formed is then ready for the press, and passes by an hydraulic lift to the machine-room, where it is placed on the machine. Any further number of casts from the same matrix that may be desired are made in the meantime and follow in succession. While the first pages are being made up, stereotyped, and placed upon the machine, copy for the later pages is continually accumulating in the shape of superabundant supplies of Press Association telegrams, a continual current of private wire despatches, transcripts of notes or telegrams from “ our own reporters,” stereotyped weather chart and forecasts arriving by train from London, leading articles, &c. &c. A selection and condensation of these supplies having been made, and the copy distributed, a continual inflow of type, and repetition of the process already described goes steadily on. As the time of publication draws near, the compositors work shorter strips than at an earlier part of the night, each to spend a comparatively short time on the latest news, and to set up the last columns with great rapidity. With the first pages of the paper there is no extraordinary press in the stereotype room ; but with the last page the operation is timed to a second, and recorded for the manager daily. No expense is spared, and no expedient by which a moment can be saved is neglected. As a result it is on record that, from the arrival of the type in the stereotype room to the departure of four finished stereotype plates to the machine room, including all the operations described, only twenty-five minutes have been required, the second and following plates requiring only three minutes each for their completion.

As the stereotype plates are completed, they are attached to the cylinders of the printing machine, and secured firmly by their bevelled edges, by means of sliding cramps worked by screws. When the last plate is attached, the press is ready for work. The printing machine at the Chronicle office consists of two type cylinders, A,, Aa, Tig. 1, 7ft. long and 4ft. in circumference, on which the stereotype plates are fixed ; and of two impression cylinders, B1? B₂, of equal length, covered with fine blanket over india-rubber, which serve to press the paper against the type. Each of the type cylinders is furnished with a train of inking and distributing rollers, C C, composed of glue and glycerine mixed in certain proportions so as to ensure the requisite tenacity and elasticity, and also a peculiar character of surface necessary to the proper distribution of the ink. These rollers are driven by surface friction on the type cylinder, and have therefore a surface speed equal to that of the type cylinder. They have each, in addition to this rotary movement, a reciprocating or waving movement in the direction of the axis, so as more perfectly to distribute the ink. The inking rollers are supplied by means of an intermediate roller I, from a ductor roller D, working in an ink reservoir. The intermediate roller is alternately in rapid rotation and nearly at rest, as it is made to oscillate at short intervals from contact with the inking rollers, which rotate very rapidly, to contact with the slowly moving ductor roller. The supply of ink to the ductor roller is regulated at short intervals along its whole length by means of many small adjustable thumb-screws, bearing upon a scraper placed close to the ductor roller—an arrangement which results in giving an almost perfectly uniform supply at each part. The roll of paper supplied to the machine of course varies in dimensions with the size of the paper to be printed. The largest rolls are 7ft. long and 2ft. Gin. in diameter, the weight of each roll being about 1300 lb., and the length four miles. Smaller rolls, of 5ft. by 2ft. Gin., are also used. The roll of paper is prepared for the machine the day before, or several days before, by a damping process ; in which it is unwound from its original roll and re-rolled on another, after application of moisture to the extent of about 4 per cent, of its weight. In some printing machines, even for very high speeds, the previous damping-process is omitted, and damping arrangements are attached to the printing machine itself. But in the writer’s opinion, owing to the extreme rapidity with which the paper flies through the machine, however evenly the moisture may be supplied, it must meet the type in this case while yet glistening, so to speak, on the surface of the paper, rather than with the paper mellowed throughout its substance, as it is by an interval of rest after damping. And the saving effected by omitting that separate process is so slight, that it will probably be thought that this disadvantage outweighs it greatly. The slightly damped roll of paper P, of the dimensions described, is, in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle office, lifted by an hydraulic crane on to two supports above the centre of the machine, and a small weighted brake strap S is applied, to prevent overrunning, and to give uniformity of tension. The pressure of the brake can be regulated by the attendant at will. The end of the ribbon of paper is passed round a guiding roller, placed between the first type and impression cylinders A, and B,, and guided from them to the second type and impression cylinders Aa and B₂. The machine may now be slowly started ; which is done by ordinary fast and loose pulley and shifting gear, the belt slipping somewhat as it moves from the loose on to the fast pulley, so that the starting is not absolutely sudden. The pull of the paper alone causes the revolution of the paper roll, which of course varies in size every moment; the impression parts of the machine are, however, accurately geared together, so as to preserve the most exact register. An ingenious apparatus is fixed on the machine for the adjustment of register. The passage between the first type and impression cylinders A, and B, prints one side of the paper; and thepassage between the second type and impression cylinders A₂ and B₂, the other side of the paper being turned to the type, prints the reverse side. The second type cylinder A ₂ is of exactly the same size as the first; but the second impression cylinder Bs is made three times the size of the first, and runs at one-third the number of revolutions. The for this arrangement, which is one of the peculiarities of the Hoe machine, is as follows. The newly printed surface of the first side of the paper comes in contact with the blanket of the second impression cylinders, while the second side is being printed ; and the ink being perfectly fresh and slightly wet, a small portion of it adheres to the blanket. The continual succession of sheets by degrees accumulates so much ink on this second impression cylinder blanket that it begins to part with some of it to the paper, so as to disfigure it; and the blanket must then be reversed or changed. If the impression cylinder was the same size as the type cylinder, the printing of about 50,000 copies would necessitate a change of blanket and a consequen loss of pi'ecious time. Therefore, to dimmish this set-on, as it is called, the diameter is increased three times ; and thus, with the aid of some drying on the blanket itself, 250,000 copies can be printed without change of blanket. When the paper is thus printed on both sides, the still continuous web passes to a third pair of cylinders E E, of equal diameter with the type cylinders, which are employed to divide the separate papers transversely from the continuous web. A very ingenious arrangement here comes into play. One of the cylinders is provided with a fixed serrated knife E, and a pair of slightly projecting slips of wood running its length. These slips of wood are pressed outwards by means of springs behind them ; so that, as these come round, the paper is caught and held for a fraction of a second—although not arrested in its course— by these strips bearing against the other cylinder. At the same moment the serrated knife, which had been as it were enslieathed between the slips of wood, passes through the part of the paper held between the two grips described, into a narrow groove iu the other cylinder ; and thus, without straining the web, the knife nearly, but not quite, severs the paper in the direction of its width. The roll of paper is still continuous, by reason of several small unsevered intervals, but it is so weakened that a slight pull will complete the severance. The continuity is, however, preserved for a brief interval of time, and the paper is led into an arrangement of lightly touching tapes, intended to convey it into its next position.

This next position is on a combined gathering and folding cylinder G, of larger diameter than the impression cylinder, but running an equal number of revolutions, and, therefore, at a higher surface speed. The tapes leading to this cylinder have the same accelerated speed. The consequence of this arrangement is that, when the forward edge of the web of paper is pressed between the cylinder and the tapes, a strain due to the accelerated speed is applied, and the severance of the separate sheets at the nearly severed part is completed : while in addition a regulated space of a few inches, representing the difference in circumference between this gathering cylinder and the type cylinder, is left at the end of each sheet. In this space the grippers of the gathering cylinder have room to operate. The rate at which the papers are delivered, upwards of five each second, is too great to allow each to be deposited on a board singly by reciprocating fliers ; and, therefore, if it be desired to deposit the sheets open—that is to say, unfolded, they are gathered on the combined gathering and folding cylinder, which is also a peculiarity of the Hoe machines. If this cylinder be arranged to act as a gathering cylinder only, it receives and retains a sheet at each revolution, until five, six, or seven, or any predetermined number, are collected, one above the other, upon it. The accumulation being complete, the points of a series of switches, during the passage in front of them of the space between the ends of the sheets before referred to, are quickly rocked into grooves round the cylinder ; and so run beneath the sheets, and direct them off in a body to the fliers, which deposit them on a table. If two papers are printed side by side, as is usually done, a longitudinal cutting arrangement is also required. This consists of a circular cutter H revolving-in a closely fitting recess of the cutting cylinder, while the paper passes between the two. If, however, the papers are to be deposited folded, a separate folding machine is attached to the frame of the printing machine ; the gathering arrangement of the combined gathering and folding cylinder is thrown out of gear, and the folding arrangement set in action ; and the combined cylinder becomes the first piece of mechanism of the folding machine. The folding arrangements of this cylinder consist of a fiat double-edged revolving folding blade, which rotates intermittently in its own bearings, near the surface of the cylinder. This blade when at rest lies fiat with the periphery of the cylinder, and with its holder forms as it were a continuation of it. Its position in the cylinder is nearly opposite to that of the grippers, so that the centre of a sheet held by the grippers will overlie the leading edge of the folding blade. In the folding machine, close to the gathering cylinder, a pair of folding rollers R are located; and as the gathering cylinder revolves with a sheet upon it, and the folding blade comes up to these rollers, the blade is caused, by the action of a cam, to make a rapid semi-revolution in a direction opposite to the motion of the cylinder. The position and shape of the cam are such that the leading edge of the blade, in rotating and while protruding from the cylinder, describes approximately a hypocycloidal curve, the effect of which is that the blade enters the sheet neatly between the folding rollers, and withdraws again. At the same instant the grippers release the forward edge of the sheet, and it is drawn backwards; while the rear end is drawn forwards by the folding rollers, and thus the first fold is given, and the gathering cylinder becomes so far clear for another paper. The folding rollers are set up against each other, and held in that position by springs, so as to introduce some elasticity in the hold upon the paper. When the beginning of the doubled paper passes out of the first folding rollers It, it meets with a switch arrangement S, which diverts every alternate paper upwards or downwards into a position whence it is carried by one or other of two second series of tapes to two second pairs of folding rollers R and R₂, with reciprocating blades. From these it takes its second fold, and finally passes into new guiding tapes, so timed and so arranged as that two folded papers ai e laid down together by each of four sets of recipiocatmg fliers M on one of four tables; each movement ot a flier thus representing the completion of eight papers. I here is a counting arrangement attached, by which not only can the number printed be registered, but they are even delivered automatically in counted parcels or quires The production of a machine, such as described, is about 20 000 perfected copies per hour. The A circastle Daily Chronicle Office is arranged for five such machines, although only one has been yet delivered. When the papers have been delivered by the machines, they are conveyed by boys to the despatch-room hoists, and are there rolled in definite numbers and secured in previously addressed wrappers; to be finally despatched to various trains, or in conveyances, as required.

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is shipped nearly the whole output from numerous large collieries in the county of Durham. In the harbour, submarine rockboring and blasting operations by means of the diamond drill apparatus are in progress. The limits of the port extend up the river Wear to Biddick Ford, about eight miles from the sea.

A number of the members and visitors, instead of going to Sunderland, visited the Langley Barony Lead Mines, where they saw all the usual processes carried out, and subsequently were entertained at luncheon at Haydon Bridge by Messrs. Bewick and partners.

A very large number of the members and visitors returned to London by the afternoon trains. It but is due to the local committee and the engineers of Newcastle to say that nothing could exceed the hospitality with which the members and visitors were entertained, and this alone would have gone a long way to make the meeting a success. As ~we have already stated, there was indeed but one drawback to it—too much play and too little work. For the convenience of the members and visitors a programme in stiff covers and of a very handy form was printed by Mr. Andrew Eeid, of Newcastle. The programme was complete for the whole of the proceedings, excursions, and places open for inspection, and besides contained postal, tramway, omnibus, and railway time tables, and three excellently executed maps; one of Newcastle, one a chart of the river Tyne, from the sea to Newcastle, and the third a plan of Sunderland, and a geological map of the district surrounding Newcastle.

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area of 144 square feet, placed at the bottom of the upcast November 12th, 1880, claiming and receiving special attention, shaft, and assisted by the furnaces of six steam boilers. The After an inspection of diamond rock-drilling apparatus at principal workings are two to three miles from the bottom of work in the bed of the river, a visit was paid to the chain, the shaft, the farthest being 3|-miles. The haulage is done by cable, and anchor testing works of the Biver Wear Commissioners, three stationary engines, more than 20 miles of steel wire rope and finally the docks were visited.

being in daily use. Electric bells are employed for signalling on At the mouth of the river Wear on its north bank is the Wear-the engine planes. All the coal is drawn to bank from the level mouth Dock, belonging to the North - Eastern Eailway, and of the Hutton seam by two vertical low-pressure engines, of 180 containing 6 acres of water area, with 20|ft. depth of high water and 200 nominal horse-power respectively. The flat steel wire over the cill at spring tides, and 17ft. at neaps. On the south ropes are 5 jin. wide by jin. thick, weighing 36 lb. per fathom, bank, and extending more than a mile along the seashore, are The cages are of steel; each weighs 35 cwt., and brings up at the three South Docks, belonging to the Eiver Wear Commis-one time eight tubs of coal, each tub weighing when full 13^ cwt., sioners, Mr. Henry H. Wake, engineer ; these all communicate, while the cage chains weigh 5 cwt. Hence the greatest weight and contain together 44 acres of water area. They have recently on the rope at the moment of lifting from the bottom is 12 tons been provided with a sea lock 480ft. long and 90ft. wide, with 65ft. 3^- cwt. Each engine when fully employed can raise 90 tons width at the gates. The depth over the outer cill is 27ft. and of coal per hour.” The colliery was inspected under the guidance 23|ft., and that over the inner cill is 25-Jft. and 22ft., at high of Mr. Parrington, chief viewer.    water of springs and neaps respectively ; and as the depth in the

Leaving Monkwearmouth, the members and visitors next pro- channel outside is about the same, much of the traffic can be ceeded to the works of Mr. G. Clark. The roof area is about worked independently of the tide. The swing bridge, the dock 3-1? acres, and they are wholly devoted to the manufacture of gates, and the sluices are all worked by hydraulic machinery, marine engines and boilers, and employ about 800 hands. Visits In the chain cable and anchor testing works of the Eiver Wear were then paid to Messrs. Doxford’s shipbuilding yard at Pallion. Commissioners, which are of the most complete kind, the testing Neither of these works presented any feature calling for special operations are all effected by hydraulic power at a pressure of remark. The bridges were next examined as the steamer passed 20001b. per square inch. The quays are furnished with hydraulic down the river, the beautiful high-level railway bridge designed and steam cranes and other appliances, and with extensive ware-by Mr. Harrison, M.I.C.E., and illustrated in The Engineer for : house accommodation. In the river are coal staiths, at which

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The Institution of Mechanical Engineers having at least seen those things most interesting in Newcastle, concluded their excursion by a visit to Sunderland. Members and visitors left Newcastle by special train at 9.55 on August the 5th, arriving at Sunderland at 10.20. The party numbered about 300, and at first some confusion was caused by the want of sufficient tramcar accommodation. Three steam cars—Browne’s patent, built by Messrs. Black, Hawdhorn, and Co.—and several horse provided. These cars conveyed their passengers to Monkwearmouth Colliery. A short account of this colliery was circulated among the visitors, and we cannot do better than reproduce it here :—“ The sinking of this colliery was commenced in 1826 and continued without intermission for nine years, reaching the Maudlin or Beilsham seam in 1835 at a depth of 532 yards from the surface. In passing through the magnesian limestone, feeders of water amounting to 2000 gallons per minute were met with, and pumped to the surface ; until at a depth of 140 yards a suitable foundation was met with, and the water shut out by means of metal tubbing. The pits were some years afterwards sunk to the Hutton seam, which was passed through at a depth of 574 yards. The temperature of the coal seam at this depth is found to be 90 deg. Fah., but by means of a constant supply of fresh air the atmosphere in the workings is reduced to a mean temperature of 75 deg. The total ventilating current amounts to 200,000 cubic feet of air per minute, which is produced by means of a furnace having a fire-grate

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No. I.

It is seldom that an exhibition devoted to specialities is noticed by political parties, but we have seen it represented in some of the French papers that the conception and realisation of this exhibition tends to take men’s minds from the grave political elections now the order of the day, and turn them to the study of the possibilities of science.

Turning from the electric light apparatus to the other exhibits, we notice that the historical display is fairly complete. The early inventions of Ronalds, of Wheatstone, of Bain, &c., are shown by the Post-office authorities ; Italy sends the apparatus of Nobili, letters from Volta to Banks, as well as the apparatus of Volta ; King’s College, London, exhibits the original cells of Daniell, a variety of Wheatstone’s apparatus and some of Faraday’s; while Russia sends illustrative specimens of the work of Schilling and of Jacobi, &c. Among the exhibits of the Post-office is a specimen of the underground wire used by Ronalds in his experiments at Hammersmith in 181G. The various specimens of underground and submarine cables are excellent. The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company has the largest show of submarine cables, the specimens exhibited representing over 63,000 miles of cable. The 170 exhibits of this firm commence with a sample of 12 miles of the cable manufactured in 1854 for a Swedisli-Denmark line, and ends with examples of Atlantic cables of their latest manufacture for the Anglo-American Company. Messrs. Siemens and the Silvertown Company also exhibit specimens of submarine cable, and Messrs. Felten and Guilliaume, of Mulheim, show various sections of the underground cables adopted by the German telegraph authorities. Almost all these exhibitors show cables as manufactured for torpedo work.

The India-Rubber and Gutta-Percha Co., Silvertown, have a specimen of Brooks’s system of insulation, a system that bids fair to somewhat revolutionise the telephonic and telegraphic system of overhead wires, as at present in existence. Mr, Brooks has been experimenting for many years upon a cheap and good insulator, and at last decided to use oil. His conductors are, in the first place, covered with jute to prevent contact, and the required number of conductors being cabled together, are drawn into an iron pipe, which is then filled with oil. To supply a slight loss of oil by leakage, and to allow for variations of tempera-

a screw

Sir,—On reading the able letter of Mr. Alfred G. Lock, F.R.G.S., on the condition of Indian gold mines, and his condemnation of the present method of extracting the gold from the auriferous ore, I heartily agree with him, and further say that the machinery as now generally used to get the gold from the ores is both crude and antiquated, and not worthy of the engineering skill of the present day.

G. T. Evans.

doubt are, cannot be said to represent any one agree with you that this sort of thing ought to be altered. London, August 17th.

THE PARIS ELECTRICAL EXHIBITION.

This electrical exhibition is held in the Palais de l’ln-dustrie in the Champs Elysees, a building in every way suited to such a purpose. It may be remarked, without much fear of contradiction, that this exhibition is one of the most unique, and promises to be one of the most successful ever held. The time is opportune. The year of the Paris International Exhibition in 1878 witnessed the introduction of the electric light practically to supply the needs of every-day requirements. The Jablochkoff system was seen by visitors to Paris illuminating large spaces in such a manner that its superiority to gas as a luminant was generally acknowledged. Since then a great development lias taken place. The arc lights are more steady, and far more economical than they were ; improvements have taken place in dynamo and magneto machines ; and sceptics have been compelled to agree in the fact that the incandescent system of electric lighting is both possible and economical. The lamps of Swan, Edison, Mayiin, Lane-Fox, and Fitzgerald show what can be done by the incandescent system. Jabloclikoff, Brush, Jamin, Werdermann, Andre, Joel, Siemens, Brockie, and Crompton have shown what the arc system can accomplish. We may here mention that Mr. Crompton in in’s latest work at King’s-cross seems to have given us the best representation of the arc system that has yet been seen. It is not expected, however, that tlie exhibition of electric light apparatus at Paris will be ready before next week, and even then much of it will be in a backward state. We shall notice the exhibits generally now, and reserve more special details for future papers.

The French, German, and Belgian exhibits are almost complete, whilst England, America, &c., are still in the state of “ hopefulness.” When the whole is complete, and the light apparatus running, the scene will be magnificent. Mr. Swan has between one and two thousand, and Mr. Edison has nearly or quite as many incandescent lamps already wired—whilst arc lamps are arranged all over the hall. A gentleman who has been patiently waiting since the opening day to witness the effect, suggested that excess of light might produce darkness. Whatever the result may be, it is doubtful if any similar experiment will ever again be witnessed. The electric light has reached such a point of prosperity that everyone is on the qui vive to know what next. The public lias heard so much of experiments here and experiments there, of the efficiency of this and of that system, that they will welcome the opportunity of witnessing the effects of generous rivalry. Then again a vast section of the population, especially of this country, is deeply interested in the effort that is being-made to adapt the light to colliery work. Messrs. Swan,, Crompton, and Jamieson have in the Exhibition specimens of lamps designed for this purpose, similar to those used in the experiments at Pleasley and at the Earnoch Collieries. Connected with the electric light exhibits are the steam engines, and in these English exhibitors, we think, stand pre-eminent. Mr. Crompton exhibits a compound engine of special design, built by Messrs. Marshall, of Gainsborough ; and the British Electric Light Company also has a compound engine built by the same firm. Messrs. Robey show eight engines, of various horse-power, whilst Messrs. Ramsomes and Co. have two. All these engines have been designed with a special view to the requirements of the electric light, having sensitive governors.

The various kinds of dynamo and magneto-electric machines are well represented. It is said there are about 150 Gramme machines in the exhibition by various makers, while to these must be added numerous examples of Messrs. Siemens’ production, the Brush, Biirgin, Meritens, and so on.

tnre, a small reservoir open to tlie air is constructed at tlie highest point of the line, and connected with it by a vertical pipe. Joint boxes are inserted at intervals, and in these boxes the ends of the wires are joined, the cavity being filled with oil and made tight with plug. Last year Mr. Brooks laid an experimental length of his underground system for the use of the Telegraph Department, and so satisfactorily did this work that the line was extended, and is now completed between Waterloo and Clapham. The tests to which the cable has been subjected have been very exhaustive, and the department is perfectly satisfied that the system is quite successful. It has been noticed that the inductive effect which plays so important a part in telephonic operations dwindles to imperceptibility when the telephonic apparatus is joined by wires of which a large number go to make one of the Brooks cable. The inventor points out that such large cities as London• and Paris possess extraordinary facilities for the economical laying and maintenance of such a system. A comparatively small tube filled with wires could be taken from a central station by the underground railways in London, by the sewers in Paris, and branches taken off at various points as required.

The French, official, exhibit of telegraph apparatus is very fine and complete, and when we consider that telegraph and telephonic apparatus is shown by almost every administration, as well as by the various manufacturers, it may be assumed that those interested in such apparatus will not be disappointed in their expectations.

M. Plante shows his original as well as other secondary batteries, and is glad to explain liis method to any visitor. Large numbers of the Faure secondary battery will be found in the Exhibition, some of which are being used by Mr. Swan in connection with his light.

A pleasant feature in the exhibition is found in the application of electricity to safety apparatus—connected with railway work—the French and German exhibitors showing many specimens of signalling systems, but that of Saxby and Farmer, in the English section, will be found to be as complete and as simple as any. The system is largely used on the' Belgian lines.

The English section includes a very fine array of instruments of precision. Messrs. Elliott Bros., Latimer Clark, Muirhead and Co., the Silvertown Company, and Messrs. Siemens, showing a variety of instruments, which although not differing in principle, differ somewhat in detail, and will repay careful study. The miscellaneous exhibits are numerous and interesting, but it is difficult to group them. They will be described in detail in due course. Meanwhile, we again assert that the exhibition will well repay a visit. During the month of September —beginning, we believe, on the loth of the month—a congress of electricians will meet in conference, and on the 21st an extraordinary meeting of the Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians will be held in Paris. Probably at this time the exhibition will be seen at its best. There is just one matter which concerns our officials that might be referred to, as we think the parsimony of the English Government is absurd. The exhibits have been well arranged by Mr. IT. It. Kempe, but are far from indicating the scientific position of the apparatus used by the authorities, and it is stated that the exhibit is to be left without a curator in charge to explain the apparatus that is shown, because of the expense of keeping some gentleman in Paris. Looking upon this historical collection, shown as more interesting educationally than otherwise, we deem it of much importance that someone should be there to explain the development of the instruments, and that the visitor be-not left without an answer to his questions. Perhaps at the last moment our authorities will see with the eyes of onlookers, and will provide for an attendant,

LETTEES TO THE ED-ITOE.

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our correspondents.]

GOLD LOSSES AND THE FUTURE OF THE INDIAN MINES.

The above gentleman lias proved most conclusively that the waste or tailings from cleaning the gold ores in Europe, Australia, and America contain about 40 per cent, of gold for every 60 per cent, that is gained, besides the loss of mercury which is left in the tailings. This he clearly proves from the assay and the amount gained. Now, how is this to be explained unless it is ignorance of the mode of treating the ores or wilful neglect on the part of the dressers, or is it the machinery used is defective and unsuitable for the purpose ? On this point I must agree with Mr. Lock, that the fault lies with the machinery used, it being-most wasteful and unsuitable.

The method generally followed at most gold mines is to take tlie ores from the spalling and picking floors and throw them into a battery of stamps, each head of stamps lifting in rotation, and, in its fall crushing the ore contained in the coffer. From the stamps it runs through perforated copper plates which form the sides of the coffer on to blanket strakes which catch part of the gold ; from thence it is taken direct to the amalgamators, and after being worked for some time the stuff is run off, leaving a residue of amalgam in the amalgamator and about 40 per cent, of gold in the part run off, which part constitutes the tailings. These tailings are generally got rid of in the most convenient and cheapest way by the manager of the mine, there being no doubt in his mind that these tailings are so much waste, and the only question he asks himself is how to get rid of them quickly and in the cheapest possible manner. This question is generally solved by dumping the tailings into the nearest stream. Many on reading this would doubtless think this process both simple and absurd, and hardly credit it being the process of getting the gold from the auriferous ores generally adopted.

Now, after describing the evil, I should prescribe a cure, which I will now endeavour to do. I do not say that the proeess I advocate will completely remedy the evil complained of, but I believe it will lead in that direction, and perhaps by practical tests pave the way to a process which will make it payable to work the tailings that are now thrown away, and be a happy solution of the difficulties now encountered in gaining the gold from the auriferous ores. The process I advocate is as follows, viz.;—The ore being now on the spalling floors should be wheeled or trammed into a stone breaker, and after passing through the jaws of the stone-breaker, should fall into a hopper fixed on a pair of large crushing rolls, and if the ore is very intractable should, from the crushing rolls, be divided by a shoot under the crushing rolls and drop equally into a pair of smaller rolls or chat mills. Prom the chat mills the ore to be led by launders into a set of pulverising machines, and from the pulverisers by launders into a set of classifying and concentrating machines, the classifiers to be tapped when necessary and the fine pulverised ore run off into the amalgamating pans, where, after being amalgamated, the tailings should again be run into launders and carried by the launders into a second system of classifiers and concentrators, and this result to go once more into a few amalgamators kept especially for the purpose. The above machinery being continuous and self-acting, would save materially in the cost of labour, the machinery used in the above process would cost about the same as the machinery generally used in the old system, but it could be easier repaired and would be more durable. This system of concentration would apply to the tailings, and enable the managers and directors of mines to work at a profit the tailings that are now thrown away. There can be no doubt that if some process similar to the above is not perfected, and that quickly, so that the tailings thrown away will have very little gold left in them, many of the Indian and other gold mining companies lately started will have to give up working, as the present cost of winning the gold exceeds the gold gained.

Market-street, Aberystwyth.

OLIGARCHICAL GOVERNMENT IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.

Sir,—As a member of the Iron and Steel Institute, I was not a little interested and surprised to find from your article on the above subject that our Council have been deviating from the letter and, still more seriously, fi om the spirit of the rules which have been laid down for their guidance. Now I come to think of it, I do not remember to have received any voting list for years. That is clearly a breach of the rules. When we have—if ever—elected a member of Council it lias always been on tlie understanding that it was for a term of years only, according to the constitution. We certainly never intended to seat anyone there for life, or until an outside combination was got up to turn him out. I suppose the answer will be that the members have never placed additional names on the house list, and that the Council did not care to pro-liose more than enough to supply the vacancies occurring, and that therefore there was no need for a contested election. If that be the reply of the Council, I should consider it highly unsatisfactory. Such a course makes every member of Council, when once there, a fixture for life, or until he chooses to retire. There is no selection whatever by the members under such conditions. The members of Council, worthy and honourable men though they may be, and no

but themselves. I

Slag-ball.

Sir,—I read with pleasure the letter of your correspondent “M. I. C. E.” in last week’s Engineer, and also the leading-article on the above subject to which he refers. Now that this question has been publicly raised, I trust it will not be allowed to drop until there has been a free expression of opinion from the members. It seems to me a very serious matter that country members should be virtually disfranchised, and that contrary to the spirit of the charter and the evident intention of the founders. In many respects the present Council are a pattern of liberality and noble-mindedness. They frequently lend their lecture-hall gratis to kindred institutions, and in many other ways show themselves above the petty selfishness which sometimes brings Councils into contempt, as well as individuals. No one can doubt but that every officer, as well as every individual member of the Institution who read your article, must in fairness admit that the present system of representation is wrong and unjust.

If, after clear exposures, such a thing be allowed to continue, it can only be with great danger to the harmony and good feeling which ought to prevail. That something may be done, and that quickly, is the earnest hope of    ANOTHER M, INST. C.E.

Sunderland, August 16th.

strong’s feed-water heater.

Sir,-—In reading your account of the discussion upon the paper read by me before the Institution of Mechanical Engineers at Newcastle, I regret to notice that the tenour of your report is such as may lead engineers to think that my invention is not new.

Referring to your report of Mr. Richardson’s remarks, I would say that the filtration of water has been done much more than twenty years since. What Mr. Richardson said in approval of my heater was that he had used a filter for the past twenty years at the works of Messrs. Platt Bros., Oldham, the feed-water there being obtained from the sewers, and being strongly charged with mud. Mr. Richardson stated that the filter—not the heater— which he used resembled that employed by me, while the chief merit of my invention is the superheating of tire water by a coil of live steam after having received all the heat it can obtain from the exhaust, and thus depositing all the impurities held in solution. Mr. Richardson stated distinctly that the water at Oldham contained no lime, but was strongly charged with mud, and that the water in the heater was not heated above 210 deg.; therefore, your statement that the object of my invention had been achieved twenty years ago had no place in Mr. Richardson s remarks. This is misleading to your readers, and, though unintentionally, so is unfair to    Geo. G. Strong.

10, Victoria-chambers, Westminster, August 13th.

STEEL CASTINGS.

gIR;_On page 21 of The Engineer of the 8th of July, you publish an interesting paper on steel castings, by Mr. Dick. He says it is now possible and a matter of everyday practice to get castings made possessing a toughness equal to wrought iron, the metal when run into the mould remains perfectly quiet and a sound casting with smooth skin and sharp edges is the result of the process, and that the art of steel founding is so perfect that anything which can be cast in iron can be cast in steel, ^ije publication of this important paper has just given sufficient information as to “whet” the appetite for further particulars, but there it leaves off. Is it too much to ask Mr. Dick to give us a few details as to the moulding material, washes for the moulds, and mixture for a charge suitable for a No. oO Morgans plumbago crucible. The information will be thankfully received by many others as well as    '* • H.

Bristol Trade and Mining School.—The following distinctions have been carried off by students of this school during the past session :—A Natural Science Scholarship of the value of £80 per annum tenable for five years at Trinity College, Oxford; a Natural Science'Scholarship of the value of about £85 per annum, tenable for five years at University College, Oxford; two Royal Exhibitions, each of the value of £50 per annum, tenable for three years; and a Whitworth Scholarship of the value of £100.

Naval Engineer Appointments.—The following- appointments have been made at the Admiralty :—Engineers John A’Court, to the Victoria and Albert, additional, for service in the Elfin tender, vice Osborne; William B. Rock, additional, to the Victor Emanuel, vice Williams; Richard T. Rundle, additional, to the Penelope, vice Rock; John Rice, chief engineer, to the Asia, additional; Henry Hull, chief engineer, to the Serapis, vice Rice; and Robert Brown, chief engineer, to the Lord Warden, vice Hull,

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RAILWAY MATTERS.

An underground railway in Naples has long been talked of. A definite project has now been laid before the municipality.

At the seventeenth half-yearly meeting of the North London Railway Company held yesterday, the report read showed that the company possessed seventeen miles of road and worked over 98.J- miles of foreign lines. In the half-year the passenger trains over these lines made 891,772 miles, and the goods 208,827 miles.

The new line of railway lately constructed by R. G. E. Wemyss, Esq., Wemyss Castle, between Thurston and Buckhaven, connecting with West and East Wemyss, was opened for public traffic on the 8th inst. The line, which has cost £25,000, passes through rich coalfields, and opens up an outlet for a heavy fish traffic.

The importance of occasionally testing railway couplings was shown by an accident, near Edinburgh, on the 11th inst. The train from King’s-cross had entered Calton tunnel, on its way to Waverlcy Station, when the couplings of a carriage gave way, and the rear portion of the train, including a Pulman car, ran back towards St. Margaret’s, coming into collision with a special train from Musselborough.

A HEAVILY laden excursion train returning from Aberystwitli, on Monday evening, stopped at Llandinam for the purpose of detaching and shunting some of the carriages. During the operation the passengers fortunately alighted from the detached carriages, and remained on the platform. Owing, it is supposed, to the position or defective state of the points the carriages dashed into a bridge spanning the river Severn, and one of the vehicles went into the stream, the others having a narrow escape from following it.

The British Consul at Calais lias called attention to the remarkable activity of inland navigation in France, and the low rate at which goods are carried on the canals, causing an active competition on the part of the railways. On a total length of 418 miles in the two departments of the Nord and the Pas de Calais alone, upwards of 13 millions of tons of merchandise are, it is said, conveyed by water carriage in a year. It is thought that some evidence on this subject will be taken by the Select Committee on railway and canal rates on resuming their labours next session.

In his inaugural speech upon tlie occasion of the

To the Italians and to the world at large the pres

FOR

In his inaugural speech upon tlie occasion of the recent opening of the Darjeeling Tramway, or “ Himalayan Railway,” Sir Ashley Eden claimed for the enterprise the merit of having “solved problems never before solved in the history of railway undertakings.” “We know,” he said “of no other line which ascends ' 7400ft. in fifty miles, mounts gradients of 1 in 21, and comes round curves of 70ft. radius.” The line is described as presenting to the eye the appearance of “ a snake winding up into the clouds.” The tramway, which is fifty miles long, enables the journey from Calcutta—361 miles—to be performed in about twenty-four hours. Its terminus at Darjeeling is 7690ft. above the level of the sea. The capital of the Darjeeling Tramway Company is stated to have been raised entirely in India.

The Great Eastern Railway Company has returned 3407 tons as the amount of traffic in green peas between the 14th of June and the 6th of August. This, compared with the quantity during the same period last year, exhibits a decrease of 2480 tons, arising from failures in the crops through the hot dry season. The heaviest weight on any one morning this year was nearly 450 tons, on Saturday, the 9tlr of July, when under the management of Mi\ W. Gardner, the goods manager, all was delivered at the various markets before 8.30 a.m. At a time when so many hard things are being said about the railway companies and the charges for carriage of agricultural produce to London, such facts as the . above should be mentioned as showing to what cost a railway company may be put in providing for a traffic that does not appear at all, although previous years indicated an increasing quantity.

The report to the Board of Trade on the collision which occurred on the 10th ult., at the Central Station, Manchester, upon the Cheshire lines, when the mid-night down Midland express from St. Pancras to Manchester and Liverpool—consisting of engine and tender, brake van, bogie composite, two Pullman sleeping ears, bogie composite and rear brake van—upon arrival at Manchester Central Station at 5.10 a.m., was turned by mistake on to No. 2 instead of No. 3 platform line, and came into collision with a Midland engine, is concluded by Major Marindin as follows:— “ Considering that the train had to run to the proper stopping place, 285 yards from the points connecting the two platform lines, and that it had to be suddenly pulled up in 65 yards, it is satisfactory that the results of the collision were no worse, and this is doubtless due to the fact that the driver had at his command an efficient continuous brake.”

A report by Major-General Hutchinson shows that though it may be bad for the cow when it meets a train on the same track, it may be very bad for the train too. This is so now that engines weigh 40 tons, so that it would probably have been worse for the train in Stephenson’s time. An accident occurred on the 4th June between Wreay and Carlisle, on the London and North-Western Railway, when as the 12.45 p.m. down train from Preston for Carlisle was proceeding on its course at a spot about two miles north of Wreay station, it came into collision with a bullock. The report concludes :—“This accident, in which nearly the whole of the vehicles composing the 12.45 p.m. down slow passenger train from Preston to Carlisle were thrown off the rails, was caused by their running over a bullock, which, having made its way on to the line, suddenly darted out from behind a hedge and crossed the down line just as tlie train was approaching, the buffer-beam of the engine knocking it down. The engine, tender, and front van passed over the bullock without leaving the rails, but its body, perhaps in its death struggle, appears then to have caught the wheels of the first carriage, which, together with the succeeding seven carriages and the front wheels of the rear van, left the rails, the four front vehicles having been tilted over on their left wheels. ! he train came to a stand without any coupling having given way, about 410 yards from where the bullock was struck, its body having been carried forward about 180 yards.”

a report on the collision which occurred on the Cheshire Lines Railway, on the 27th of June, when the passenger train due to leave the Central Station, Liverpool, at 12.13 p.m. ran unchecked into the terminal station at Huskisson. The engine struck the stop buffers at the end of the passenger platform at a speed of about 7 or 8 miles an hour, mounted the platform and the left buffer indented the wall of the station building. The passenger train consisted of an engine and tender anti eight coaches fitted with Smith’s continuous vacuum brake, which was controlled by the engine driver on the engine. The first and last coaches on the train were fitted with a brake compartment and a common brake, and the guard in charge rode in the bi'ake compartment of the last coach. “From the evidence it appears that when the engine driver tried to check the speed of his train, by means of the vacuum brake, while descending the incline towards Huskisson station, he could not do so, as the brake would not work. As far as can be ascei'tained, the cause of its not acting was owing to the vacuum pipe having become uncoupled between the tender and the first carriage of the train. This bi'ake had been used and had acted properly at all the previous stations at which the train had stopped. The driver was unable to stop his train by means of the tender brake and the ordinary brake in the guard’s carriage at the tail of the train. The collision appears to have been caused by the continuous brake not acting and by the engine driver disregarding the regulations and running the train at such a speed that he could not stop it with the ordinary brakes.” Thus we have one report showing that a collision would probably have had very serious results if it had not been for the continuous brake employed, and another attributing an accident to the brake with which the train was fitted.

NOTES AND MEMORANDA.

An antimony mine has lately been found at Lake Nicolet, Soutliam, in the Province of Quebec, containing large deposits of the purest ore.

According to investigations by Herr Rinman, the magnetic intensity of iron appears to increase with the increase of carbon. In three specimens of cast iron containing '09, '30 and '57 per cent, of carbon the magnetic intensity was 5'5, 9'5 and 11 respectively.

The total population of Calcutta and its suburbs now amounts to 084,658; two-thirds are males, and the great majority belong to the middle period of life. The number of females in the city remains fairly constant, while the young under twenty years of have almost invariably increased from census to census, showing that the resident population is growing.

A PAPER “ On the Application of Electro-motive Power and of M. Plante’s Secondary Piles to the Direction of Aerostats,” was recently read before the Academie des Sciences by M. Tissandier. In an aerostat which has a volume of 2200 litres, 3'50 m. long, with a diameter of l'30m., and can raise a weight of 2 kilogrammes, having a Siemens machine which weighs 220 grammes, and a secondary couple of 1300 grammes, the propulsory helix makes six and a-lialf revolutions per second, and the balloon acquires a speed of 1 metre per second for forty minutes. The small Siemens machine, with three elements, produces the work of 1 kilogrammetre.

The New York Board of Fire Underwriters have come to the conclusion that to the spontaneous combustion of black silk some fires may be attributed. Certain kinds of silks are so laden with chemicals that they are constantly liable to be destroyed in that way. The committee refer to fires occurring frequently in packages of silk while in transit on railway trains, and especially to the fire on the steamer Mosel, which endangered the vessel in midocean, and was directly traced to the spontaneous ignition of some heavy cord sewing silk, known to the trade as cordonett. The art has, it is said, reached such a point of perfection that the original weight of the natural silk can be increased four-fold without apparent adulteration.

At a meeting of the Paris Academy of Sciences on August 1st, a paper was read “ On the Formation of Tails of Comets,” by M. Faye. Herscliel, Arago, Delaunay, and other astronomers, he said, did not thoroughly study the tails of comets, but Newton had already given a quite sufficient explanation of the phenomena. The tail is nothing else—he maintained—than the result of a continual emission of molecules from the head of the comet. It is very much like the tail of smoke emitted by a running locomotive, its outer end being lost in space, and the inner one continually receiving a new supply of molecules. M. Roche, who has made the necessary calculations, taking account of the repulsive force M. Faye advocates, has, Nature says, worked out all those shapes of tails which we witness in reality.

The determination of carbonic acid in the air is effected by Messrs. A. Muntz and E. Aubin as follows :—The carbonic acid is fixed by an absorbent body, from which it is afterwards set at liberty and measured by volume. As an absorbent they use pumice stone saturated with solution of potassa, and contained in a tube drawn out at both ends. The tubes are washed with sulphuric acid, filled with small fragments of pumice, calcined with sulphuric acid, and introduced while hot. The pumice is saturated with a given volume of potassa lye, operating in air deprived of carbonic acid. The lye is prepared by dissolving 1 kilo, potassa in 1400 litres of water, and adding 200 grms. hydrated baryta to remove sulphates and carbonates. The tubes, prepared beforehand and sealed, are opened at the place of operation, and sealed again after 200 litres of air have been passed through.

Meteorites are in composition of two kinds—those which are wholly metallic and those which contain siliceous substances. The latter are comparatively rare, especially those without any trace of iron. By examining the minute structure of sections of these meteorites, Dr. Hahn, of Tuebingen, believes he has been able to prove that they are composed almost exclusively of fossil organisms. Dr. Weinland, to whom Dr. Hahn intrusted the classification of these organisms, compare's them to the detritus of coral rocks. He adds that complete forms are rarely to be met with, but elements sufficient to reconstruct them. He has succeeded in establishing the existence of about fifty species of polyps, algse glued together by a siliceous cement. These fossils sometimes present much resemblance to those of terrestrial origin. At present Dr. Hahn’s conclusions can only be accepted as hypothesis requiring verification.

The small quantity of carbonic acid always present in sea water is due to the incessantly renewed supply afforded by the oxidation of organic matter in the sea itself, and not from the air. If this supply were not constantly maintained, this constituent would vanish from the ocean. Its higher percentage in the lower strata of the sea is doubtless due to three causes : (1) to the comparative stillness of the water, whereby the diffusion of the solution is retarded; (2) to the absence of direct contact with the air and exposure to the wind ; (3) and chiefly, to the increased pressure, whereby solution of tlie gas is greatly facilitated ; for under pressure of 1 atmosphere and at ordinary temperatures, 1 cubic centimetre of water dissolves in round numbers 1 cubic centimetre, or 1'529 milligrammes, of carbonic acid, while under double that pressure the absorption is double, and so forth, varying directly as the pressure, approximately. It can hardly be doubted that this presence of a larger proportion of carbonic acid in the lowest depths of the ocean has a distinct correlation to the character of their special inhabitants.

The following notes on the cost of water power in America, elicited in suits by the Water Power Company of Lawrence, Mass., against the city of Boston, may be of use :—Mr. H. F. Mills, engineer of the company, testified that 12 dols. per day for water privilege was cheaper for the mills at Lawrence than to start their engines and use steam power. The cost of a mill power, the American Miller says, is only about 2'50 dols. per day in Minneapolis. At Lawrence, Mass., all the mills have engines which are used as auxiliary power, and they pay 1200 dols. per year for their water privilege. It might be a fair general statement to say that a horse-power produced by steam would cost about 50 dols. per year more than a horse-power produced by water, as demonstrated by actual comparison at Lawrence, Mass., where power is used in large quantities. A mill privilege at Minneapolis is now worth 750 dols. per annum, the theoretical power of which is 75-horse power. This gives a capacity of 135 barrels of flour per day. The cost per barrel at this rate is a little less than 2 cents per barrel, being a great saving upon the cost of grinding by steam power.

From a study of phenomena of thunderstorms in the Gironde, M. Lespiault comes to the conclusion that valleys are more struck by hail than hills or tableland. It seems that a certain depth below the clouds is necessary for the formation or the fall of hail to occur without obstacle. Further, the directions of the valleys traversed have a marked influence on the direction of the clouds, though they only cause a momentary deflection, and the clouds, after following them a certain time, are carried on in the general direction of the vortical movement. For example, if a valley be in the axis of the zone of hail, or a little inclined to that axis, the hail clouds seem to be carried along that valley, as dead leaves are carried along by the wind in a trench. If the valley be subdivided by a mountain spur into two others, the hail cloud also divides and the two secondary valleys are ravaged in their turn, at least to the extent in which they are within the zone hail. 5 alleys lying across this zone have also an influence, though less marked. \\ hen the clouds pass over them they show a tendency to descend and to spread out on the two sides of the zone, so that the zone is broader over valleys than over plateaux, and the ravages aie often greater.

MISCELLANEA.

Ox Tuesday afternoon a boiler explosion, causing tlie death of William Langdon, resident attendant, occurred at the works of the New River Company, Hornsey-lane, Highgate.

At a meeting of owners of steam launches, held on Tuesday at Maidenhead, it was resolved to form a Thames Steam Launch Association, for the protection of the interest® of launch owners.

The Carron Iron Company have locked out 800 workmen with the object of compelling the moulders in their employment, who piecework, to attend at the works a stated number of ho daily, whether they are employed or not.

We understand that Messrs. Crowther Brothers and Co., of the Stour Yale Ironworks, have taken the Falling Sands Works, which formerly belonged to the late Mr. Samuel Barnet, who acquired a wide reputation for the excellence of his Canada plates and other manufactures.

At the International Medical and Sanitary Exhibition, South Kensington, which closed last week, Messrs. Robert Boyle, and Son awarded the highest prize for their patent self-acting air pump ventilators and system of ventilation, this being the only first prize awarded for roof ventilation.

The American Trade Review says that, “ In 1850 there were only 5361 hands employed in the manufacture of agricultural implements in the States, and that there are now 40,680, the number having nearly doubled since 1870. Our exportations steadily increase to all parts of the world, notably to the British colonies and possessions.”

Blocks of asplialte, compressed under a heavy pressure, and in which crushed limestone, heated and mixed with the bitumen at 250 deg. Fall., and then cooled in water when moulded, are being tried in Queen Victoria-street, near the Mansion House station. It is not clear what advantages asphalte, when made into hard separate paving bricks, can have over other block or brick paving materials already in use.

In spite of tlie assertions made by M. de Lesseps as to • the healthiness of the Panama Canal route, the fate of some of the engineers engaged on the preliminary works is far from encouraging. Advices from Panama to the 2nd inst. state that the foreigners are suffering severely from fever. M. Etienne, the sub-director of the canal, and other officers have succumbed to the disease, and the death rate among the labourers is heavy. The hospitals are, however, said to be of an inferior character.

The writer who watched the trials of the sheaf-binding reapers on the part of the Mark Lane Express concludes his report by saying:—“My dissatisfaction arises upon the ground that notwithstanding the multiplicity of details taken, the foundation on which the awards have been properly built is too weak. The experience should have been larger; the area of corn dealt with very much more extended; and failing suitable weather, the proceedings should have been patiently deferred until a proper time came. ”

Last month no less than 759,573 tons of coal were taken into the London market—493,646 tons by the railways and canals, and 265,927 tons by sea—but 210,147 tons of this were sent out of the metropolis, so that the quantity retained for consumption was 549,426 tons, a quantity considerably below the average of the first four months of the year. During the last seven months 2,105,650 tons of fuel were carried by sea into London, and 3,698,522 tons by rail and canal, total 5,804,172 tons, or 276,942 tons increase 1880, the bulk of the increase being in railway borne.

The modesty shown by the annexed paragraph, which is going the round of the American newspapers, is characteristic:—“The sixteen American inventions of world-wide adoption are the cotton gin, the planing machine, the telegraph, the grass mower and reaper, the rotary printing press, steam navigation, the hot-air engine, the sewing machine, the india-rubber industry, the machine manufacture of horseshoes, and sand blast for carving, the gauge lathe, the grain elevator, artificial ice making on a large scale, the electric magnet and its practical application, the telephone.”

Who is to buy the Great Eastern ? This celebrated steamship, which is at present lying at Milford, is to be offered by auction in London, on the 19th of October next, by Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Co., the Admiralty brokers. Notwithstanding the recent development of modern shipbuilding, the Great Eastern still remains the largest ship ever constructed, being 679ft. long, 82ft. broad, and 60ft. deep, and of 13,344 tons net register. She is popularly known in connection with the laying of the Atlantic cable in 1865, and possibly the cable companies may be looked upon as the most likely purchasers.

Mr. C. L. ILett, of Brigg, has just published a circular in which he draws attention to the different forms of centrifugal pumps, and to that best suited for land drainage where small lifts only are required. Pumps best suited to contractors’ work, high lifts, and marine work are not so well adapted to land drainage, and for this reason Mr. Hett makes simple ordinary case pumps fitted with a special disc and a form of pump which is placed below the water level, and is driven by a strap running in a water-tight case. The pump thus never requires priming, and the engine has only to overcome the lift from the surface of the water in the land drain to the surface of the water in the main drain or river.

The United States Census Bureau has undertaken an important work in collecting information relating to quarries of building, flagging, ornamental, and other kinds of stone in all parts of the country. The inquiries cover not only the location and extent of the stone, but the amount of capital employed, the annual output, methods of quarrying and dressing, number of hands employed, and wages paid, methods of transport and their cost, and number of structures of all sorts made of each sort of stone.. Duplicate samples of rough rock in the shape of 4in. cubes are being obtained from each quarry for physical and chemical examination. As an exanqffe of various interesting facts brought to light, some samples of rock—a kind of sandstone—were received from the only quarry in Florida, and analysis showed that the stone contained about 16 per cent, of phosphoric acid, so that it is a great deal more valuable as a fertiliser than as a building stone. Sandstones and limestones, which have never been thought worthy of any better place than in the foundation or wall of some rough structure, have been smoothed and polished, and found suitable for tlie most elaborate and elegant work. A similar census of the rocks of this country would be of great value.

On the 10th inst. Messrs. Wigliam, Richardson, and Co. launched the Carlton Tower, a large iron screw steamer, 300ft. in length, 37ft. beam, and 281ft. depth, to form one of the “Tower ’ line of steamers owned by Messrs. Stumore, Weston, and Co., of London and Liverpool. Her machinery is of 300-horse power. The name Carlton Tower refers to the seat of Lord Beaumont, in Yorkshire. On the same day Messrs. Pearse and Co. launched a fine iron screw steamer from their shipbuilding yard at Stockton. The vessel is 200ft. long, 30ft. broad, and 13ft llin. deep. Her »toss register tonnage is about 841 tons, and hex⁻ dead-weight carrying capacity 1100 tons—engines of 80-horse power nominal by Messrs. Blair and Co. On the lltli inst. a large screw steamer, the Lady Palhousie, was launched by Messrs. C. Mitchell and Co., Newcastle. She is brigantine rigged, and is built upon the bracket principle throughout, with continuous longitudinal keelsons necting the outer and inner skins. The vessel is 29oft. long over all. Her otoss register will be about 2000 tons, and she will be capable of carrying 3000 tons of dead-weiglit. The engines, by the Walk-end Slipway and Engineering Company, are of 235-horse power, supplied with steam from two cylindrical multitubular boilers made of Landore-Siemens steel, to work at a pressure of SO lb. per square inch. Donkin and Nichol’s combined hand and steam steering gear is used. On the same day Messrs. Raylton, Dixon, and Co? launched a screw steamer—the eighth for the same owners, Messrs. E. Harris and Co. This vessel is 279ft. long over all, has a breadth" of 37ft. 3in., and depth of hold 24ft. Oin., which gives her a carrying capacity of about 3000 tons dead-weight,

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FOREIGN AGENTS FOR THE SALE OF THE ENGINEER.

PARIS.—Madame Boyveau, Rue de la Banque.

BERLIN.—Asher and Co., 5, Unter den Linden.

VIENNA.—Messrs. Gerold and Co., Booksellers.

LEIPSIC.—A. Twietmeyer, Bookseller.

NEW YORK.—The Willmer and Rogers News Company, 81, Beekman-Street.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

*#* In order to avoid trouble and confusion, we find it necessary to inform correspondents that letters of inquiry addressed to the public, and intended for insertion in this column, must, in all cases, be accompanied by a large envelope legibly directed by the writer to himself, and bearing a Id. postage stamp, in order that received by us may be forwarded to their destination. No notice will be taken of communications which do not comply with these instructions.

*** We cannot undertake to return drawings or manuscripts; we must therefore request correspondents to keep copies.

J. W. 'll.—It is not an infringement to repair a patented article.

W. R. (Carlisle).—Strains so produced are amongst the chief causes of the fracture of screw shafts.

G. F. R.—A similar report on the Ashcroft nickel-plated valve has already appeared in our correspondence columns.

W. Y. B.—The subject matter of your letter is wrapped up in so much verbiage that space cannot be spared for it in its present form.

W. A. C. and Co.— Write to the secretary of the Iron and Steel Institute, Mr. J. S. Jeajis, 7, Westminiter-chambers, Westminster, S. W.

A. B. (Miles Platting).—J. Gilland, 5, Canova-strect E., Liverpool; the Reading Ironworks Company, Reading; W. Causer and Co., Soho, Birmingham.

G. A. M. (Sunderland).—From the information you give it is clearly a case of patent by fraud, against which, if such is the case, you can successfully appeal. Consult thePatentee's Manual, or Manual of Patent Law," by J. II. Johnson, Lincoln's-inn-fields.

C. A. B.— We must refer you to some treatise on the steam engine, such Mathematical Theory of the St Engine,” published by Crosby Lockwood and Co., and which you can obtain from any bookseller for about Is. This answers your question, and a good many others, in a very simple way. Get Goodeve’s “ Treatise on Mechanics." You would also find Molesworth's “Pocket-book of Engineering Formulce" very useful.

J. F. B.—You seem to have got into a fog with the Wj and the numerical denomination of the units of length of the beam. The beam is divided into units of length and numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on, in order that you may easily perceive the number of times that you must multiply Wi to get the total weight W o, so that if l represents the total of the units of length, then

Wj l — Wo, and as M = l in which l is included in Wo, you must if you use Wiin the equation, allow l to appear twice in the denominator; thus to make it clear you may put it to yourself thus M = OD b Xj.

F. P. (Wednesbury).— You sketch a parallel girder, so presumably that is the form you intend using, and you want to know the sectional form. The load as described is partly distributed, but as it is possible for by far the larger part of the weight to be near the centre, it will be best to assume the load as concentrated. In that case the necessary area of the bottom flange at the centre, making allowance for the fact that the load is not actually concentrated, will be 50 square inches, and the upper should be one-fourth of this. The area may be gradually reduced to two-thirds these at the ends of the girder. This, hoioever, would give such an awkward form of girder that you probably will consider whether you cannot use a greater depth of girder or use two. You would seem to want room on top to pile up the pig iron, and this could be best got by using two girders. The bottom flange will then be 25in. in area, and the web about three-quarters the thickness of that flange.

Erratum.—In our last impression, at page 120, appeared an engraving of a boiler stated to befitted to the steamship Armathwaite. This is an error. The boiler in question is not the invention of Mr. Turner, whose patent boilers as fitted on board the Armathwaite we illustrated in the same impression at page 112. Of the boiler shown at page 120 we shall have more to say at another time.

HEATING BY HOT AIR.

(To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,—Will any of your readers kindly tell me how I can learn the principle of heating by hot air, as best applied to private houses?

Gisbume, July 31st.    G. C. L. C.

BOILERS HEATED WITH ROCK OIL OR CRUDE PETROLEUM. {To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,— I shall be obliged if any of your readers can tell me where the steamers which are now running on the Caspian Sea, and whose boilers fired by rock oil or crude petroleum, were built; I believe it was in England. Are there any boilers in this country fired on this principle ? Liverpool, August 16th.    M. A.

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DEATH.

On the 13th inst., at Southwick-crescent, Hyde Park, suddenly Mr Inliaif'¹ ^EnNJK, C.E., late District Engineer, Pumeah, Bengal, aged 35!

THE ENGINEER.

AUGUST 19, 1881.

new guns.

Under this heading the United Service Gazette has a 1 emarkable article in which are some observations, which we commend to our readers, on the present position of the gun question; and this calls for attention all the more because we have been disappointed that this matter was not brought before the House this session. Rightly or wrongly, as we have before noticed, English ordnance has lost ground in the eyes of the world. During the last few years ships have been fitted out in the Thames for foreign Powers, and have actually had Krupp guns sent over to England for the purpose of arming them. Writing from memory, we would instance the cases of armaments for Greece, Spain, and Japan, but know that this does not complete the list. Was Mr. Trevelyan aware of this when he naively informed the House last Saturday that Japan and Chili were the only Powers who had really modern guns afloat] Surely we must all feel that this is an unsatisfactory state of things. The manufacture of ordnance in England is in a peculiar position. We have one Government arsenal and one only. Complaint has often been made of this as unwise. A good reply, however, is to be made so long as we have private ordnance factories of the calibre of Elswick ; for without question this would constitute to all intents and purposes a second arsenal in time of war. We have also other factories where either guns do not occupy such a principal place, such as Whitworth’s, or establishments which have never attained the same magnitude, as in the case of Yavasseurs. Sir W. Palliser has had guns and carriages made at Easton and Anderson’s, and altogether there is a power of making ordnance and other war stores in the country which we hold ought to be quite sufficient to obviate the necessity for a second arsenal. The advantages of such an arrangement to England are apparent. In the measure in which we are the manufacturers of the ordnance of foreign Powers, we have the power to stop the supply in case of war, and in the same measure we know the guns in their possession, and what to expect from them. Lastly, and by no means least, foreign Powers pay for the maintenance of our private arsenals, and the taxpayer escapes in a proportionate measure.

No advantage of this kind, however, can be very long maintained by those who refuse to recognise it and encourage it in a reasonable measure. The following conditions appear to us to be on the face of it necessary. The first and paramount one is that English guns should be known to be, if possible, the best in the world—at all events, second to none ; the second, that the private firms should be in a position to furnish guns up to the Government standard. We assume that the Government are in possession of the high-class guns we suppose foreign Powers to covet. Any other would be an unnatural supposition. The experiments that exhibit the powers of such guns to the world ought to be Government experiments ; and surely any gun which proved its superior excellence satisfactorily would be adopted. It may be, and probably must be the case, that private inventors would manufacture and experiment on a small scale until success was thoroughly established. After that there should be no hesitation on the part of Government to take the matter up. In short, private enterprise saves the country so much that it ought to be encouraged, and not starved.

We have a high opinion of our committees and experimental departments. Probably in no country do such authorities deserve and obtain the same measure of confidence. Their business is, however, as we have heard this session in Parliament, to keep strictly to the consideration of the immediate technical questions set before them, and therefore they are unable to take the view which at the present moment appears to be so greatly needed. What would be said, for example, to Sir Collingwood Dickson if he were to write a letter expressing his convictions that the manufacture of steel guns had hitherto been developed in this country under great discouragements, and that he thought the time had now come to buy a certain number of representative guns and test them thoroughly? Yet this is the sort of question that should be faced by someone. Our Secretary of State for War cannot well have the technical knowledge necessary to suggest such questions, and his technical advisers are not encouraged to take the initiative ; so we understand. Consequently matters progress slowly, and the country is in danger of being penny and pound foolish. This may apply to more than one thing, but we are at present speaking of guns, and we may be fairly asked what we believe is needed at present ] We at once reply, a thorough competitive trial of all the guns that have established a certain reputation and can be shown to have performed achievements to justify their being considered. We believe that there are in England guns much better than those of Krupp. Probably no one on the Continent believes this.

We hold that it would be the best policy to have a competitive trial, to which Krupp should be invited on conditions so fair and liberal that he would either compete or damage himself by a refusal. If his guns are superior to our own, the sooner we know it the better. If not, we have the opportunity of showing that it is so. Sooner or later matters will have to come to this. We know of many guns in England that not only claim to be superior to service guns, but whose owners are ready to sacrifice a good deal to get a trial. Sir W. Palliser recently has gone to great expense, and there can be no question that his gun bore a very severe ordeal, have steel guns made on a system that we think commends itself to theoretical artillerists, and the proof that it does so to practical men is found in the fact that our guns are daily growing more and more like them, steel cylinders gradually replacing wrought iron coils in all the new guns in a greater or less measure. Sir W. Armstrong and Co. have a most remarkable gun made of steel riband, described by us in The Engineer of July 29th, from which great things are expected, and which has actually achieved much. Not only do all these guns claim on high authority to be superior to our service guns, but, further, we do not hesitate to say that most of our artillery authorities, whether in or out of the service, would give the preference to one or another of them.. This is a condition of things calling for a trial, when, if the service system is the best, it can prove itself to be so to the satisfaction of all. We are not now speaking of the question of what we call new type guns. It is comparatively easy to make long instead of short guns. We are speaking of the actual system of construction and of reestablishing English guns in the position they once Held in the estimation of the world. We believe that regard to efficiency, reputation, and, in the long run economy, should prompt us to institute a competitive trial of the various remarkable systems of ordnance, of whose powers we can say little more than that we know for certain that they are great; and that there is a more widely-spread belief than is desirable that they are superior to our own sendee guns.

STEEL Vei'SUS IRON CARGO SHIPS.

Mr. J oiin Price, general manager of Palmer’s Shipbuilding Company, Limited, read a short paper upon steel and iron cargo ships at the meeting of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, held at Newcastle last week. To this paper we have already alluded, although we have not thought it necessary to reproduce it. The object of the paper was to show that under present circumstances, and in the author’s district, cargo carriers, at all events, could be built more cheaply in iron than in steel; that goods could therefore be conveyed by sea more cheaply in them, and that they were a better investment for ship owners. The calculations and arguments of Mr. Price were severely attacked by Mr. Wm. Denny, of Dumbarton, and by Mr. Daniel Adamson, of Manchester, whilst other speakers seemed inclined to join in the hue and cry which had been started. It was quite manifest that the philosophic calmness which ought to reign undisturbed in scientific debates was conspicuous by its absence, and that the disputants were rather to be regarded as combatants, than as quiet seekers after light and truth. Now that the fray is over, and no doubt all who participated in it have resumed their wonted equanimity, we propose briefly to consider the question from our own independent standpoint.

Mr. Price’s question was virtually this :—“ Will a ship of given cargo-carrying capacity pay best if built of iron or of steel ]” All circumstances are to be taken as at this date, and at a Tyne-side ship-yard. The question is most important. It is the question of the day for shipowners, and indeed for many others more or less connected with shipping and ship construction. We do not quite agree with Mr. Adamsom, who spoke of it as a mere commercial matter, unworthy of the attention of the meeting. It is a commercial question undoubtedly, but not merely commercial. It admits of being regardedalso as metallurgical, chemical, mechanical, physical, and even social and political; and we do not know any institution, or any body of men who ought to have been better able to discuss it than the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and its hard-headed members. That it was not so discussed is to be regretted. We could have wished that Mr. Price had at the outset made one point a little clearer to the uninitiated part of his audience. We refer to the difference between dead weight and cubic capacity cargoes. A vessel may be engaged in a trade, such as the Bilbao ore trade, wherein she is, from the nature of her cargo, always sunk down to her load line before her internal spaces are quite full. That is simply because ore is of a much greater specific gravity than sea water. Another vessel may be engaged in a trade, such as the tea trade, wherein her holds would always be full before she was weighted down to her load line. Now, inasmuch as under existing circumstances steel ships can be built, say, 10 per cent, lighter than iron hulls, the ore ship would carry 10 per cent, more if of steel than iron; but the tea ship having the same internal cubic capacity would carry no more if of steel. Indeed, she would carry less, because her water ballast tanks must be made larger to keep her down when light, and to that extent less cubic capacity would be available when laden.

So far one would be inclined to say that such ships as ore ships would in future be made of steel, if the excess of cost was not too great; but that such ships as tea ships would always be made of iron. But then follows the question—Are cargo ships usually built so specially for one trade as to unfit them for others] Would an owner be wise, for instance, to build ships specialised for the Bilbao ore trade to such an extent that they would be unsuited for general merchandise, or anything else which might be required ? Certainly not. The Bilbao ore trade did not exist ten or fifteen years ago ; and should the Bessemer basic process become the complete success which some hope and others fear, Spanish ore will not be wanted, and the trade in it will probably die a natural death. Then the ore ships will have to seek for other occupation. They may have to carry dead meat, live meat, grain, hay, or no one knows what. Who, then, would wisely build a cargo ship unfitted to be employed in any trade which might need her services at some time or other ? We recently inquired of a well-known shipowner, what proportion of the cargo ships owned in this country were regularly and invariably employed to carry dead-weight cargoes. His reply was, that a very small proportion indeed were so employed. The great majority were sent from any port to any other port, with whatever kind of cargo was to be had, or paid best at the time being ; and of "such cargoes only a very small proportion were deadweight cargoes. We are therefore rather disposed to think that Mr. Price’s conclusions are substantially right, and that the hue and cry directed against him was substantially wrong.

Throughout the paper Mr. Price took it for granted that the intrinsic value of steel and iron ships, of equal capabilities, equal. In other words, he evidently takes the view that they are equally durable, and equally able to resist rocks, collisions, or corrosion, as far as the owner’s interest is concerned. But this view was challenged by the president, who, with some simplicity, asked for information as to how a steel ship would be affected by bumping about on a rock ; by Mr. Martell, who threw out a hope that in time Lloyds’ underwriters might lower their insurance premiums for steel ships ; and by Mr. John Rogerson, of the Weardale Iron and Steel Works; who stated that in sulphuric acid

On the contrary, no at all, except in the case of six or seven plates, where local corrosion had occurred through droppings from water cocks inside. These plates were replaced, and the vessel was sent to sea as good as new. With such facts Before us, what is the use, we ask, of Mr. Rogerson inveighing against the use of iron in shipbuilding, on the ground that that material corrodes, as he alleges, more rapidly in dilute sulphuric acid than steel does 1 Fortunately for us all the sea is not composed of dilute sulphuric acid. On the contrary, it is composed of pure sea-water,and the only accurate experiments we have on the corrosive action of sea-water on modern mild steel and iron ship plates—we refer to those of Mr, Phillips and those of Mr. Parker— indicate, as did the earlier experiments of Mallet on some steels and all irons, that the former material is the more corrodible in sea water. We shall probably return to this subject at some future time. In the meantime we are of opinion that iron as a shipbuilding material will be found very difficult indeed to supersede, firstly because it answers the purpose for which it is used thoroughly well; and secondly, because it is at least £3 per ton cheaper than the milcl steel which is advocated as a substitute, but which will only build ships about 10 per cent, less in weight.

The Great Northern Railway Station at King’s Cross is now added to the list of large stations lighted by electricity, The system adopted is that of Mr. R. E. Crompton, which has been so successfully employed for nearly two years in the Glasgow stations of the North British and Glasgow and South-Western Railways, and has been recently introduced into Bricklayers’ Arms goods station. This system presents several advantages over others in use, and a remarkably steady and brilliant light is secured by it. The uniformity of the light, and the absence of flickering, is remarkable when compared with the light which has been, or is in use, in some other London stations, and a good deal of this is apparently due to the efficiency of the system, in which the Biirgin dynamo-electric machine forms a principal element. The peculiarity of the Crompton system is, however, that three or four very powerful arc lights are placed on one circuit, instead of requiring, as in most other systems, a circuit to each light. The economy due to the use of the large arc light is thus secured, with much of the advantage of the subdivided light. Practically it is probably better than the subdivided light, inasmuch as though the necessary number of circuits is only from one-tliird to one-fourth that of the large arc light systems using one machine to each lamp, the possibility of the failure of so many lamps on one divided circuit is avoided. Crompton’s lamps are moreover so arranged, that should any lamp fail to work, it is at once automatically cut off out of its circuit without in any way affecting the other two lamps of the _    ,    . .    .    ,    .    circuit. There are twelve lamps of about 4000 candle power

kfy by artificial heat, devised by Mr. within the station—six above the arrival platform and six above A. A. Gibbs, of Gillwell 1 ark, Chmgfoid, Essex, has been before ym departure platform. Two others of about 6000 candle power the public several years, and though its adoption has made slow are placed 011 the outside 0f the building at the extreme upper progress, it is now being used by several well-known agriculture corners of its front. These lights are worked from five Burgin ists. Since the construction of the apparatus was first publicly dynamo_electric machines driven by a semi-portable engine by described it has received several improvements, and it is now Messrs. Marshall, Sons, and Co., of 12-H.P. nominal, 250 yards constructed with a single vibrating trough, along which the hay    from the nearest lamp. The area to be lighted consists of

gradually traverses ; the coke furnaces are combined m one with two bays each 105ft. wide and the cab rank adjoining the arrival the trough and shaking and vibrating mechanism upon two platforal, which is 40ft. wide. The total length is 880ft., and pairs of road-wheels for easy transport, and the width has been the heighttothe top of each bay is 72ft. The total area to be reduced to /ft. A well-known writer m the Times recently saw ligllted is therefore 220,000 square feet, giving an area of 18,333 the machine at work, and says that grass from a water-meadow re feet or nearly palf an acre to each lamp. The lamps are was being put through the apparatus, encountering at first a hot suspended at a height of 30ft. from the platform level, the lower blast of about 40( deg., which drives off the moisture m steam, part ₀f the lanterns being of semi-transparent glass. The plant following through other streams of less heated air, and being de- at Kwg Cross is of the most complete description, and the livered m a condition of finished aromatic hay of rich green colour. Great Northern Company have adopted everything necessary to Each load of more than two tons was put through m fifty-five gecure the most certain and efficient lighting of their large minutes, or a slightly longer time than it took a man to load it station. A large number of visitors accepted invitations to m the field. One feature, he says, m Mr. Gibbs’s machine is its attend tlie inauguration of the new system of lighting this large value for converting injured hay into good, wholesome hay, the gtation geveral of the visitors being our most eminent elec-fans blowing out dust and must while the sulphurous gas from tricians. As we shau fully describe the apparatus in an early the burning coke is believed to destroy the germs of microscopic impregsion we need not do so here, hie which may be the cause of disease m live stock fed upon

foul hay. It is suggested that were these hay-driers in the    THE comparative POWER OF COAL,

hands of men who let out thrashing-machines, and could work    „    ,    , TTT .    ,,    . ,    ,

them at a time of year when little thrashing remains to be done, ^ HE Stockton and Middlesbrough A ater Loai d has been ex-they would save an immense acreage of hay every season in perimenting on    „

splendid condition. Another system which promises to be of    invitation for tenders, to    test the    value of the    coal tor

even higher economic value has recently, however, been described    Es special uses. Nine kinds of coal    wei e    tested, t le es^ s

as in successful use for several seasons by Mr. Neilson, and more lasting from seventeen hours to a lull day, and iioin seven o recently by Mr. Knowles, of Colston Bassett Hall,' Bingham, ten tons of coal being consumed m the test When it is stated near Nottingham. This system consists in thoroughly tedding that the weight of coal used to pump^one million gallons of v atei and lightly scattering the grass as soon as cut by a machine, and varied from 1 ton 17 cwt. to 2 ton / cwt., and that the watei so expose it to the withering action of the air, whether under company pumps weekly close upon sixty million gallons, the sunshine or showers. In about two days the green hay, without    importance of the tests will    be seen.    V ery    naturally    the con-

any turning or other labour expended upon it, and whether wet    elusion was come to that the    mere pumping    power of    a ton of

or not, is, in its half-made condition, carted and stacked. The coal was hot the sole consideration, for the price must be a prime rick at once begins to ferment and heat, and the heat so factor in that question. The price of the coals tested at the generated is employed to finish the process of hay-making. The works in question varied from 4s. 9d. to 6s. lid. per ton, and this temperature to which the hay is allowed to rise is regulated, rather complicates the question. It was, however, found that and the means employed for this and for draining off all the the cost °f pumping one million gallons—so far as the coal was superfluous moisture have been thus described :—In the raised concerned—was easily determinable with the data above hinted base or staddle on which the rick is to stand, whether that is an and the cost varied for coal from 11s. -2d. to 13s. 9d. per ironwork structure or raised earth, is laid an air-tight pipe, which million gallons pumped, and when the quantity of the slag or may be of earthenware, of from Sin. to 6in. diameter/ joined clinkers at the end of the test was deducted, the compara-with cement, and this tube or air passage communicates with a five value of the coal for that special purpose was easily ascer-vertical one in the centre of the staddle, and rising a short tamable, and the best and cheapest fop that purpose distance to the centre of the height of the rick. An exhaust decided on. It would be well if the experiments thus alluded fan connected with the horizontal part of the pipe is situated at a to could be carried out on a larger scale, and with the variations short distance from the stack, in a building or otherwise. In tha| different prices and kinds of coals in different localities gave, case of a long rick, the horizontal pipe is continued along the f°r if is certain that the manner in which the full power of coal middle of the staddle, and two vertical pipes are used. Each can be utilised for different purposes has not yet been sufficiently aperture at the junction of the vertical and horizontal pipes is considered. The test at the northern waterworks is one that can fitted with a sliding damper, and can be opened or closed by a    be    cheaply carried out, and to    the profit of its users, and it    is

rod extending outside the bottom of the rick. In stacking the    to    be hoped that it may be so    carried out more generally,

hay a vertical air shaft or chimney is formed over each aperture,

by the common method of drawing up a sack of straw or a round    DURHAM PLATE TRADE,

chaff-basket as the building of the rick proceeds ; but these The announcement that the Consett Iron Company is about ventilating flues are carried up to only half the height of the to put into execution its long-contemplated project of erecting stack. When the exhaust fan is set in motion, drawing air from    steel plate works is another of    the evidences of the development

the underground pipe and rarefying the air in the chimney, the    of    the demand for steel. The    decay of the iron rail trade    in

replacement of that air can come only by currents penetrating the Cleveland district is well remembered, and since that time the rick from the outside walls and roof, and gradually converg- there has been an increasing dependence upon the demand for ing into the chimney in the centre. By this exhaustion of the shipbuilding iron in the North. At the present time plates and hot air and moisture out of the middle of the mass, cold air is angles form above three-fourths of the whole of the manu-induced to enter the stack at all points and to seek the central factured iron produced in the North, and the importance of the flue, bearing with it the excess of heat and the moisture, and preservation of that demand, and of the means of gratifying it, cooling the whole substance of the rick. Very little power is ' is at once evident, The county of Dui'ham is the chief seat of

seen

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and water iron corroded faster than steel. Dealing first with the president’s question, we may say that neither steel nor iron ships are built to bump about on rocks, nor to withstand collisions. Either steel or iron ships are probably as good as everlasting while kept afloat, but either must always be in imminent peril so soon as they collide with any hard substance. In fact, it is manifestly impossible to build vessels to withstand rocks or collisions. There are no doubt cases, such as those of thinly-built river steamers touching daily at multitudinous landings, or where any vessel strikes something hard with limited force, where the superior ductility of steel would be of assistance. But of accidents by which ships are lost at sea, nicely-regulated ones such as these form but a small proportion of the whole, and are scarcely worth notice. We repeat that, barring contact with solid substances, iron ships at all events are so durable that some of the earliest ships built are still afloat. For instance, the Great Britain, launched in 1845 at Bristol, is extant, and was offered for sale a few days since. Here are thirty-six years of service. The John Bowes, the first screw collier, built at Jarrow in 1851, is still running. Here is an active life of thirty years already. An iron vessel belonging to Mr. Henry Clapham, of Newcastle, was built twentj^-seveu years since, and lengthened after four years’ service. A year or two since between 1100 and 1200 holes were drilled in various parts, as it was thought she ought to be nearly corroded through.

difference in thickness could be found

DRYING IIAY AND CORN BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS.

required to drive a fan of tlie necessary size, and Mr. Knowles’s 5-horse steam engine drives the fan when giving out a mere fractional part of its power. One horse, working a fan by means of an ordinary horse gear and intermediate motion, will do well ; and two men turning a corn-dressing machine fan arranged in connection with the air tube have been able to accomplish all that was wanted for cooling a stack. With a gentle exhaust, the atmospheric air is caused to permeate every part of the rick in ample quantity for keeping down the temperature of the fermenting grass. The writer referred to says :—“ Mr. Knowles has brought the internal temperature of a large rick from 130 deg. down to 90 deg. in the short period of forty minutes. In the rick while building he lays at various heights wooden tubes of bore large enough to ad mit a thermometer to be introduced on a lath, these tubes reaching horizontally from the outside to the centre ; and thus the heat of all portions of the stack can be examined. A temperature of 100 deg. is considered the maximum at which it is advisable to let the fermentation work, the fan being set in operation as soon as the temperature approaches this. The same provision of air-ducts and a manually operated exhaust fan has been employed with advantage in keeping barley and other corn stacks from heating.” This system of drying half-made hay or dry corn deserves to be made generally known, not only because of the large quantities of crops which may be saved by it, but because of the remarkable economy of labour which it secures. The system should, moreover, afford our agricultural implement makers an additional article of manufacture, by means of which the system might be carried out with facility.

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT AT THE GREAT NORTHERN STATION, icing’s CROSS.

the coal that has been offered to it, in reply to was

the plate trade of the North—Consett and the rolling mills on the Wear, at Hartlepool, at Stockton, and at Darlington, being amongst the largest in the kingdom. There are more reasons for this than their proximity to iron—chief amongst others being their nearness to the great shipbuilding yards of the North. As yet, the demand in these yards has been chiefly for iron vessels. The Durham shipbuilders do not build so many of the great liners that are largely the product of the Clyde and some other shipbuilding centres ; they mainly build cargo boats,. and for these the demand for steel has not yet fully shown itself. It has been occasional on tlie Tyne, and one steel vessel has also been launched on the Tees and at West Hartlepool. In both the latter cases the material has had to be brought from long distances—from Wales and Scotland—and these distances must tend towards the prevention of the acceptance of other orders for steel vessels on the Durham coast; hence, probably, the fact that the Consett Iron Company is about to enter into its manufacture. In the past two or three years the Consett Iron Company has made large sums by the iron plate trade. It anticipates now that profits will be less, for in its report issued a few days ago it definitely states that orders are now being accepted at lower rates than in any recent period, and that profits must be consequently diminished. It is probably that with the increased production of steel plates there will be a lessening of the margin between the prices of steel and iron plates, and should this take place the increase in the use of the former would be very rapid.

ANCIENT WATER SUPPLY WORKS.

The water supply of a very large number of continental towns might, to say the least, be much better than it is, and the recently completed restoration of the aqueduct constructed in the reign of Augustus as part of the works for the supply of Bologna with water from the Setta, near its junction with the Reno, about ten miles from Bologna, suggests that possibly some of the other old aqueducts, or works connected therewith, though in a more or less ruined state might be brought into use. There are the Aqueduc du Card, which once formed part of the water supply works for Nimes, and which we illustrated in our impression of the 12th of November, 1875 ; the Aqueduc de Sdgovie, also built by the Romans ; the Aqueduc de Maintenon, built in 1684-8 for the supply of water from the Eure at Pongoin to Versailles ; and the Claude Aqueduct near Rome. Of course, many of the aqueducts in a more or less ruined state are wholly useless, and this may be so with some of those mentioned ; but this is not necessarily the case with all. Some of the works no doubt remain tolerably intact, as in the case of the underground tunnel which brought, and now again brings, the water into Bologna. The Romans in constructing these supply yorks followed the course of the Reno, tunnelling the hills, sinking their work beneath the beds of the precipitous torrents which rush from the mountains into the river, and thus bringing the waters to the gates of the city, where they were divided, one portion going to supply the public-baths, and the other probably destined for the fountains of streets and public squares. The restoration of this important work is due chiefly to Count Gozzadini, who caused an accurate survey of the aqueduct to be made about twenty years ago, and in 1864 published the results of the investigation in an elaborate memoir. Since then, a contemporary says, the work of restoration has been going on with a thoroughness and skill calculated to make the new work as enduring as the old. The aqueduct was originally made of brick and stone cemented with lime and volcanic sand, and the unbroken portions remained as hard as granite. The work of tunnelling and the masonry were so thoroughly well done that both stonework and brickwork are still as solid as the reck itself, the only considerable breaks being where the turbulent Reno had washed away with its clay banks several portions of the aqueduct, or where the headlong torrents which rush down into its stream had excavated their own beds and carried away the artificial substiucture.

THE NIAGARA SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

A report has been recently published by Mr. Leffert L. Buck, the engineer under whom the renewal of the whole of the suspended superstructure of the Niagara suspension bridge and reinforcement of the cable anchorage was recently carried out without any stoppage of the traffic. The bridge was opened for traffic in 1855, and some of the woodwork forming the common roadway superstructure had decayed and from time to time been repaired. The repairs had considerably increased the weight, and further repairs being necessary, it was determined to replace the whole of the structure with one of iron. At the same time it was determined to examine the cables. This was done, and the condition of the iron wire forming them tested. The cables

a few of

number which it was found desirable to replace

sixty-five of those forming the exterior, a very small proportion of the 3640 wires which make up each cable. The cliorage has been reinforced by building in new anchorage plates in pits sunk about 23ft. further inland than the old anchorages, and connecting these by means of long link chains meeting the existing anchor chains tangentially. The whole of the work was accomplished without stopping the railway traffic, and it is supposed that the bridge is now at least as good in 1855. The weight of the new iron roadway structure is 1050 tons, which is about 100 tons less than the old structure.

BRAKES V. REVERSED LOCOMOTIVES.

On Monday some experiments were made at Blackburn with a train made up in imitation of that of the express which ran into the train standing in Blackburn Station last week, but the results of these experiments havenotbeenmadeknown. An experiment, however, which was subsequently made to test the statement'of the driver that he reversed his engine as soon as he found the brakes did not check his train, is of some interest, though it elicited the fact that the reversal of an engine of a, train running at a high velocity has but a a eiy small effect in reducing the speed. A high speed was attained, and the engine was reversed a quarter of a mile before reaching the station, but the train ran through the station at about twenty miles an hour, and had to be stopped by the brakes. Locomotive driving wheels, when running the reverse way, are not effective in stopping a train. The experiment shows how little can be gained by reversing an engine under such circumstances,

LITERATURE.

Complete Instructions for the Design of Spring and other Safety Valves; also a Table for Registering Office Calculations and the Results Observed in Actual Practice. By Thomas Messenger, C.E. Dover : The Author, or Kensington : W. Cue. 1880. There is a good deal to be said in favour of monographic treatises in engineering literature, otherwise it would seem

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Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians. Published under the supervision of the Editing Committee and edited by Professor W. E. Ayrton, F.R.S., chairman.

No. 37. Yol. X.

Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. TY Session 1880-81. Part II. London : Published by

Second Series.

Analyses. By James Paterson, C.E., E.G.S. Guardian Office, Warrington.

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that all necessary information on safety valves might. be found with little difficulty in two or three already existing text-books on the steam engine which are in the possession of every engineer. To be able to turn to one book on a certain detail of engineering construction may often, however, good deal of time, and for this reason Mr. Messenger’s “ Instructions” may be accorded a position among useful text-books. How far he has fulfilled the promise contained in the title he has chosen, may be indicated after have noticed that which his book does contain. The “ Instructions,” then, commence with the formula; for the area of safety valves used in Prussia in accord-witli a law on the subject, and recommended for adoption in this country by the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders of Scotland in 1874. These formulae are followed by our Board of Trade rules for Rankine’s formulae for the strength and dimensions of steel springs, and that of the Board of Trade, are then given. The results of experiments on the outflow of steam by Napier, Rankine, and others, and as recorded in our columns in articles by Rankine, are next given, with their application, and with tables showing the velocity and weight of steam discharged under different pressures and per unit of orifice. A comparison is then made between the results of the application of the Prussian and Board of Trade rules, and this is followed by notes on “ General Practice for Safety Valves and Springs.”

The author favours the adoption of the Prussian rules, and gives satisfactory reasons for this choice, though he modifies that formulae by adopting a greater lift of valve. The Prussian rules are based on a lift of 3/in., and the

area

, in which G = grate surface in square feet,

II S = heating surface in square feet, and P — pressure, absolute, per square inch, is, of course, very much larger than necessary if a lift of jin. as proposed by the author is used. The lift which may be adopted will, of course, depend upon the length of spring that can be used, as the percentage of the load, which must not be exceeded by the additional load due to compression or extension of the spring caused by the lift of the valve, depends simply O11 that condition. The Board of Trade rule for area of valves is that the area for one valve, or combined area of more than one, shall be |in. per square foot of grate surface. Thus it will be seen that the valve area, according to the Prussian formulae, depends upon the pressure employed ; while that according to the Board of Trade depends on the grate area, without reference to the pressure. But inasmuch as the velocity of outflow of steam is, as Rankine showed in The Engineer of November and December, 1869, neither increased or diminished by reducing the outside pressure to less than about half the inside pressure, it follows that the velocity of flow is nearly the same for a large range of pressures. It further follows that the weight of steam discharged per unit area of orifice is approximately in the inverse ratio of the pressure. The necessary area of valve orvalveopeningtliere-fore varies in a similar ratio. The Board of Trade rule does not recognise this, and consequently valves proportioned according to it are much too small for low pressures and too large for high pressures. At a pressure of 72 lb. the valve area for the same boiler would be the same by both rules, but for a pressure of 361b. the Prussian valve area would be double that of the Board of Trade, and at 144 lb. only half the area. Both cannot be right, although safety is provided by the difference in the height of the lift of the valves. This, however, does not remove the necessity for recognising the difference in the quantity of steam which will flow per unit of area through an orifice at different pressures. A good deal of correspondence has taken place in our columns lately on the relative efficiency of different valves, and no doubt much is due to the difference in the length of springs used by different makers, and this is a most important element in the efficiency of a valve. Inasmuch as this determines the sensitiveness of a valve, it determines, or should be an important element in determining, the area, because it does determine the area of opening.

Having given some idea of what Mr. Messenger’s book does contain, we may mention that it contains no special information upon any but spring valves, and a good many young engineers who saw' the title of the book and purchased it with the hope of getting rules for lever safety valve calculations would be disappointed, for there

. Again, there are no illustrations for guidance in the design of valves and valve boxes of any kind, and information on the materials for valves or seatings, or the methods of inserting the latter in the cast iron casings, or the proportions of such seatings. In spite of these deficiencies the book is very useful, but it cannot be said to contain “ complete instructions.” It is moreover of an awkward size—small foolscap—for a very thin book, and m another edition might be reduced to half the area and double the thickness, and might have added to it some of the information it now lacks.

BOOKS RECEIVED.

June.

Yol. LXIY. the Institution.

Institution of Mechanical Engineers; Proceedings. April, 1881. London : Published by the Institution.

Catalogue de la Bihliotheque Scientifique, de feu M. Michael ^ mi es‘ Rail‘? : A. Clundin, Libraire, 3, Rue Guenegand.

I he hlcchanical Engineer's Office Book; Boiler Construction. By Xelson Foley. London : Crosby Lockwood and Co.

Portland Cement, for Users. By Henry Faija, C.E. London: Crosby Lockwood and Co.

■yrThen 77 VF 0the Barth; an Introduction to Geodesy. By Mansfield Mernman. New York : John Wiley and Sons. 15, Arbor-place.

The Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute, No. I. 1881. London ; E, and F. N. Spon.

Instructions for the use of the Eureka Slide Rule. By Jas. Noble, Sheffield.

Junctions and Connections for Lines of Railway. With Numerical Examples. By A. W. Thomson, C.E., B.Sc., Instructor of Civil Engineering, Tokei, Japan.

Revista General de Marina. Tomo VIII., Tomo IX. Madrid: Direccion de Hydrografia.

Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Vol. X. April, 1881. By G. Tlios. Hall, Member A.S.C.E.

Professional Papers on Indian Engineering.

1881. Edited by Major A. M. Brandreth, K.E. Published by the Thomason College Press, Roorkee.

Notes on the Lithology of Gas Coals. Witli List of Commercial

Published at the

LINLEY’S SAFETY PADLOCK.

The accompanying engravings illustrate a novelty in padlocks, designed by Mr. A. Linley, of 139, Gresham House, E.C. The invention is chiefly designed to prevent robberies from goods trains, &c., on which padlocks are used, and the chief feature is the impossibility of hanging the padlock on to a staple without

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O' its being absolutely locked, as when the bow of the padlock is closed—effected by simply pressing the two halves together—it cannot be opened again without the key. If the bow of the padlock is not closed, then it will not hang on a staple. Thus the guard of the train, by simply observing that every staple has a padlock, may be certain that they are all locked, and cannot

FIG. 2,

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be opened without the key which he has in his possession. There are obviously other advantages, such as expedition in not having to use a key to lock, but only to unlock, and one hand only being required, leaving the other hand free.

The construction and the engravings will be very well described by the following description of the operation of fastening and unfastening. To fasten it it is only necessary to close the two halves a a of the loop by pressure of the hand, this

FIG. 3 .

ci causes the arms c c to impart a sliding motion to the plate f in the direction indicated by the vertical arrow in Fig. 1, which motion brings the stud g on plate / into the position shown in b ig. 2 ; this allows the spring l of the tumbler to act and place the lower edge of the tumbler above the stud g of the sliding plate/, so holding the latter securely in position and the lock fastened. To unfasten, the key—of ordinary form—is inserted and turned in the direction of the circular arrow seen in Fig. 2 ; the nose of the key then moves the tumbler to the right, as indicated by the drawing, until the aperture h in the tumbler is opposite or over the stud g on the plate / when the latter is instantly put in motion, the stud g taking into the aperture h, and the lock thrown open as in Fig. 1 under the action of the spring m, which exerts a constant pressure on the underside of the protection e for that purpose ; n shows the pin to receive the pipe of the key when inserted, and o is a notch in the sliding-plate / to receive the nose of the key when the lock is unfastened, as in Fig. 1 ; it enables the key to restore the parts to the lock-mg position, Fig. 2, by turning it in the direction indicated by the circular arrow in Fig. 1. This fastens the lock without the hand pressure on the halves of the loop a a, as before explained. The tumbler may be in one or more pieces as desired, and the loop pieces a a are preferred to take into each other, as in Figs. 1 and 2. or to fold on each other, as in Fig. 3, and their extremities at p p are of such a shape that they cannot be hung on to, say, a staple, unless the padlock is positively fastened.

THE ITALIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION AT MILAN.

It is a generally well-known fact by this time that an important exhibition of tlie products of Italian art and industry opened in the Lombardian capital on the 5tli of May last, and is likely to remain open until the end of October or November. No doubt many readers of The Engineer have already visited this national exhibition, which has a deal of interesting matter, not only for the mechanic, but also for the civil, the mining, the agricultural, and the hydraulic engineer.

To the Italians and to the world at large the present Exhibition is, politically as well as industrially, a grand accomplishment. It marks and ratifies the unity of Italy from the Alps to the Ionian Sea, and from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean ; and none who observe how every province, every commune, throughout the land has contributed its share towards the successful issue of the Exhibition, will ever doubt the political constitution of the country as a firmly-united kingdom. The great astonishment of all visitors is not, however, from political reflections, but from the recognition of a degree of progress and development in almost every branch of industry and manufacture beyond all conception. The most daring would scarcely have ventured to imagine that, in the short period which has elapsed since the wars of Italian independence, such results as are now to be witnessed could be obtained.

I purpose shortly noticing the mechanical department of this Exhibition, which has been ably distributed and organised by the Chevalier Guiseppe Colombo, Mechanical Engineer and Professor at the Milan School of Engineering, well assisted by the engineers, Saldini and Ponzio.

Nothing need be said with respect to the general appearance of the departments, beyond that it is of a somewhat pell-mell nature ; but this was unavoidable, owing to the great variety of machines, and the not large number in any single class. I will also overlook the various foreign machines exhibited, and the introduction of which into a purely national exhibition appears to me not only most inexpedient, but also dangerous, as establishing a very serious precedent, should there ever again be proposed a national exhibition.

Eighteen or twenty constructors exhibit steam engines of the horizontal type. If exception is made for a small two-cylinder horizontal engine on the Wolff system, constructed by If. Cravero, and Co., of Genoa, the only double-cylinder horizontal engine in the Exhibition is a well designed and excellently finished 50-liorse power, nominal, motor, by P. Bosisio and Co., of Milan. This engine, fitted with condensers and regulated by a modification of Ryder’s governors, is worthy of great encomium.

A very attractive engine of 60 nominal horse-powTer, by Can-toni, Krumm, and Co., of Legnano, is also shown at work, and the compactness, solidity, and general construction of the machine do honour to the makers.

E. G. Neville and Co., of Venice, show several engines, the largest being a 60-horse power, with -/<, steam cut-off, and 120-horse power when working without expansion but full steam,. The whole machine shows a complete mastery of the theory and practice of this class of engine, and the build and finish is very creditable.

The same may be said of a 100-horse power engine constructed by Cerimedo and Co., of Milan. It is thoroughly good and solid in all its parts, works well, and is not wanting in finish.

Whether Ed. Suffert and Co., of Milan, are inferior to the foregoing makers, is a hard question. Certainly their powers of production are not so great, but they display great care in their constructions, and exhibit among other machines a nominal 30-liorse power horizontal engine of sufficient merit.

The Societa Veneta, of Treviso, most decidedly ranks among the first-class makers. They exhibit a solidly-built and fine-looking engine of the Corliss type, and of 150-horse power nominal. The general finish of the machine is not up to the standard of perfection one might expect from these ironworks, but the engine is nevertheless a good serviceable one, and speaks well for the powers of the establishment in which it was made.

The Pietrarsa and Granili Ironworks, of Naples, merit praise for the horizontal engines they show. They are not equal in power to some of the machines already noticed, but have the merit of novelty in some of the parts—of excellent design and good finish.

G. Enrico, of Turin, is among the numerous mechanical constructors who attempt too much, and therefore attain perfection in nothing. He shows a small horizontal engine, which is so far superior to his general productions as to induce the belief that it is a special get-up for exhibition.

Nothing much can be said for other makers. Edvino Brunner’s, of Salerno, 12 to 15-horse power engine, with Bodmer’s system of slide box, is well made and finished. Tesini Podesta, of Cremona ; E. Grugnola and Co., of Milan ; Antonio Masera, of Turin ; T. Geisler, of Vicenza ; and E. De Morsier, of Bologna, all range between the passable and indifferent or bad.

Among the specialities in the way of motors is a 1-horse power Schmid’s horizontal oscillating engine, by the Pignone Foundry, of Florence, and a very simple and neat-looking engine, which might be considered an improvement of Schmid’s, by E. Mar-gherini, of Leghorn.

Evidently Italian constructors have not yet turned their attention to the vertical type of motors, and the exhibits in this class of engines are very few. It must be admitted that the horizontal engine is by f.vr preferable for solidity and steadiness of work and for durability ; but as it is not within the. range or possibility of every utiliser of steam, and as there is a large importation of vertical engines, principally from England,, it is rather surprising so few engineering works here should dedicate their energies to this useful and economical description of motor.

There are six competitors in vertical engines. Ed. Suffert and Co., of Milan, show two such machines, and appear to be the best and most practical makers. One is a ty-horse power, without governors, and balanced on a pair of shafts, with two wheels, for general agricultural work. The other is a substantial 3-horse power machine, in which the boiler stands in the middle between two half-columns, with crosshead at top, and all the working parts being carried by said columns and crosshead, which are fiee from boiler, are not subject to the effects of expansion and contraction.

E. De Morsier’s vertical engine is a 12 nominal horse-power, compound high and low-pressure, with condenser and compound

ball governors. It has no boiler. The engine is well designed, and of very creditable workmanship.

Cerimedo and Co. show nothing noteworthy, and are evidently not such experts in this branch of their constructions as in others.

Jeinio Colombo, of Genoa, exhibits an engine, having some originality of design, and which is elegant and strong. It is also well made.

T. Geisler’s vertical engine is neither noticeable for novelty nor to be recommended for strength. It is an accurately finished motor, but very encumbered by unnecessary fittings, and of a very French finicking style. The column or support is too weak for its purpose.

A vertical compressed air engine is exhibited by the constructor, G. Eigamonti, of Erba. In appearance it is simplicity itself ; its make is good, and it is well fitted, but actual trials alone can warrant an opinion as to its efficacy.

Before noticing other classes of machinery in the Exhibition, a few general reflections touching mechanical works in this country may not be out of place or without interest to the readers of The Engineer. The progress noticeable within the last few years might undoubtedly have been greater if engineering works had dedicated themselves to some particular class of construction. But we find instead that nine out of ten attempt the widest range of mechanical constructions, and even insignificantly small works will engage to turn out anything, from a plough to a marine engine, or from a pump to a locomotive. The impossibility of perfection and successful competition under such conditions is patent to all who. are at all acquainted with machinery works and their organisation. To some degree this promiscuity of construction is accountable from the fact of everything being new and constructors timid ; the fear is always entertained that insufficiency of work in any one class would soon starve works specially dedicated to that particular class. This is a mistaken idea ; and, indeed, w find some evidences already of a tendency to specialise works. he few special works already existing, such as F. Grondona and Co., for railway and tramway carriages, cars, and trucks ; the Impresa Industriale. Italiana, of Naples, for iron constructions, bridges, &c. ; Fratelli Orlandi, of Leghorn, shipbuilders, and a few others, are reputed for excellence and comparative perfection of work.

The cheapness of hand labour, and the uncommon intelligence and skill of our mechanics, causes engineers—usually theoretical than practical—not to seek and adopt the simplest, most perfect, and economical means of production ; and it is almost useless to suggest high-class machine tools and instruments to any Italian constructor. He will usually prefer inferior tool in older to save a few pounds, but will show the utmost lavishness in the employment of manual labour and of power, and in the waste of time and materials. In seeing the painful way in which certain things are done, one feels great surprise, not only that our mechanics should not know better, but also that the work turns out as well as it does.

Considerable precision and accuracy of finish is observable in the mountings and fittings of even otherwise coarsely made machinery. The Italian artificer in brass and copper appears to rival the cleverest of his foreign brethren, and with small and very inadequate tools at his disposal will still turn out first-rate work. The goodness and brightness of these small parts and fittings may easily deceive a superficial observer as to the worth of a machine. The forged pieces are equally good, and pourtray the skill of our smiths. Not so with respect to castings; too frequently we detect deficiency in this department of our ironworks. Foundries have not reached, in Italy, any marked degree of development, for the art of founding is new among us in its application to mechanical art, though the casting of bells and of decorative objects has had, and still holds, a primate in this country. The successful casting in Turin of the 101-ton gun, and some other remarkable operations of the kind, serve to show there is no insurmountable difficulty in the way of great improvement also in the castings.

In a future letter I propose noticing the degree of perfection with which iron is worked in Italy, as manifested in the castings and forgings in the Exhibition ; and again I propose a short review of the locomotive and general railway and tramway rolling

Arturo Gallico, Ing.

independent vertical

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more

means

thrown overboard and hauled down into the water into the position shown in Fig. 2. These operations may be performed in eighteen minutes from the time of the disaster, therefore no vessel need sink at sea in future. The wing E and stay F serve to prevent the bag from chafing against the ship’s side in case of a rough sea. Each bag with its apparatus being independent of the others, several of them can be filled and hauled down at the same time, according to the number of hands employed.

CONTRACTS OPEN.

INDIAN STATE RAILWAYS.

This contract relates to the Rangoon and Irrawaddy Valley Railway works, the railway being on the metre gauge, and the contract being for ironwork of bridges of spans of 10ft., 12ft., 20ft., 30ft., and 40ft. Following the general conditions of contract—in which it is stipulated, among other things, that “tenders can only be entertained from actual manufacturers of the description of work required, and none of the work shall be sub-let, nor shall the contractor allow any part of it to be done otherwise than in his own establishments, without the consent of the inspecting engineer, and his approval in writing of the parties whom the contractor proposes to supply it ”—the specification directs that “ Tenders are to be delivered at the Store Department in the India-office, Westminster, S.W., on Tuesday, 23rd inst., before two p.m., after which hour no tender will be received. They are to be addressed to the Secretary of State for India in Council, witli the words ‘Tender for Ironwork, for 12ft., 20ft., 30ft., and 40ft. spans,’ on the left-hand corner of the envelope, and are to be placed in a box provided for that purpose in the Store Department.”

A form of tender is then given, which is followed by the specification, which gives a general description and quantities, work required under this specification comprises the construction, supply, and delivery in England, at one or more of the ports named in the conditions and tender, of the whole of the ironwork for 10 plate-girder spans, of 12ft. in the clear; 158 ditto, ditto, of 20ft. in the clear; 3 ditto, ditto, of 30ft. in the clear ; 114 ditto, ditto, of 40ft. in the clear; and 24 ditto, ditto, of 10ft. in the clear; including 30 per cent, extra on all rivets required for erecting the bridges in India. Hook bolts, in number sufficient to provide for the sleepers being placed 18in. apart, centre and centre, and including an allowance for loss, are to be supplied with each span ; viz., with each 12ft. span, 45 bolts ; with each 20ft. span, 70 bolts ; with each 30ft. span, 95 bolts; with each 40ft. span, 120 bolts; and with each 10ft. span, 40 bolts. The timber-work and permanent way are not included in the contract. The spans are delineated on four sheets of drawings, numbered A 299, A 336, A 337, and A 341, which may be seen at the office of the Director-General of Stores, India-office. The contractor will be required to make his own copies of these drawings.

Materials.—The wrought iron is to be well and cleanly rolled to the full sections shown on the drawings or in the specification, and free from scales, blisters, laminations, cracked edges, and defects of every sort, and the name of the maker is to be rolled or stamped on every piece. It must be of such strength and quality as to be equal to the following tensional strains, and to indicate the following percentage of contraction of the tested area at the point of fracture :—

Round and square bars Angle, T, and flat bars

Plates ........

Plates across grain ..

The

are to be similarly marked, or branded, with such shipping marks as the inspecting engineer may require. All parts of the work are to be stamped with the letters “I. S. R.” A neat casting, bearing the name of the manufacturer, with place and date of manufacture, is to be bolted conspicuously on every main girder. The girders of the 40ft. spans are to be sent out in two parts, each rivetted up complete. The girders of the smaller spans are to be sent out rivetted up complete. Timber chocks are to be securely bolted to the webs of the 40ft. spans, and spiked to the unprotected flanges at the connections. All bracing angle irons, cover plates, &c., are to be sent out loose, or in convenient bundles temporarily rivetted or bolted together, or bound with rod iron, as may be directed by the inspecting engineer. All bolts, nuts, and washers, and all rivets required for erection in India, including the 30 per cent, extra, and such other small articles as may be selected by the inspecting engineer, are to be packed in strong cases, weighing, when full, not more than 7 cwt. The to be made of lRn. deal boards, with elm ends, nailed with 3Jin. wire nails, and strengthened by battens and hoop iron, the joints tongued and grooved, and the whole made secure for transit to India. The cost of all oiling, painting, temporary erection, testing, marking, packing, and delivery is to be included in the price named in the tender.

Inspection.—No span is to be taken down, nor any article painted or packed, until it has been approved by the inspecting engineer. The contractor must provide, free of charge, all tools and labour required by the inspecting engineer for the inspection of the work,

Quantities.—For the convenience of the inspecting engineer, a statement of the quantities of iron required for each span has been prepared and is appended hereto, but neither the Secretary of State, nor the inspecting engineer, nor any one on their behalf, will be responsible for the accuracy of these quantities, and if the contractor make use of them in preparing his tender he must do so at his own risk, as he will not be entitled to make any claim or demand, or raise any question whatsoever on account of any errors, miscalculations in, or misunderstanding of, the said quantities. The contractor will not be paid for any excess of weight due to iron having been rolled thicker than specified or shown on the drawings, but should the weights fall below the estimate, either a deduction will be made from the contract amount equivalent to the deficiency, or the iron will be rejected, at the option of the Secretary of State.

Drawings.-—The contractor is to supply, without charge, seven sets of neatly executed hand-made tracings on cloth of each of the spans as constructed, drawn to the same scale as the contract plans. They must be fully dimensioned and contain all erection and shipping marks, notification as to the colour the bridge has been painted, the name of the manufacturer, and any alterations from the contract drawings which may have been made in carrying out the work. The tracings must not exceed 25in. in width, and must not be folded in any way, but must be rolled on a wooden roller. The first set must be submitted to the inspecting engineer for approval before the rest are proceeded with. The contractor is also to supply twenty well-executed unmounted photographs to a large scale of the first of each of the spans, taken from two points of view, as erected and rivetted up complete, showing the erection marks very clearly.

Delivery.—The whole of the work is to be delivered in weeks from the date of the contractor receiving notice to proceed.

cases are

Tons

per square inch.

Percentage

of

contraction.

24

22

21

18

20

15

10

stock departments. Milan.

PREVENTING SHIPS FROM SINKING.

A recent modification of the application of the air bag method of preventing ships from sinking, or assisting in that when an accident causes a serious leak, is illustrated by the annexed engraving, as patented by Mr. R. G. Sayers, of 12, Hunter-street, Brunswick-square, W.C.

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If the ship has sprung a leak or been otherwise damaged, and is expected to go down, each of the flexible bags is filled with air as quickly as possible, the wing E and stay F being fixed in the position shown in Fig. 2, the bar B is lowered into the grooves provided for that purpose in the fixed bar A, and is secured to the ship’s sides by two or more bolts b b. The end of the rope J having been passed through the hole in the ship’s side, and over the pulley Iv to one of the ordinary winches or windlasses, or to a winch provided for the purpose, the bag is

The iron intended to be used for the rivets must, whilst cold, be capable of being bent double without showing signs of failure. The tests are to be conducted by some person to be approved by the inspecting engineer, but the expense of the tests must be borne by the contractor. No iron is to be used which, in the opinion of the inspecting engineer, falls short of the tests and other requirements of this specification, and no iron of foreign manufacture is to be used throughout the contract.

Manufacture.—It is to be expressly understood that the greatest accuracy is to be observed in every part of the work, a main object of the designs being to facilitate as much as possible the erection of the girders in India by perfection of workmanship in this country. All corresponding parts of all spans must be made exactly similar and interchangeable. All plates and bars must be rolled to the full sections, and the angle irons to the full widths, and weights per foot shown in the drawings. All angle irons which do not hold their full widths and weights from end to end, or which have rough, jagged, or imperfect edges or ends, will be rejected. All plates, bars, T-bars, and angle irons must be fully levelled and straightened—the angle and T-bars by pressure, and not by hammering—before and after they are punched or drilled. All edges of all plates, and the ends of all angle irons and bars, must be planed dead true to dimensions, or, where planing is impossible, they must be dressed off fair with hammer, chisel, and file. No rough edges fresh from the shears will be permitted anywhere throughout the work. All rivet holes to be filled in India are to be drilled. All other rivet holes may be either drilled or punched, at the option of the contractor ; but any plate or bar in which the holes are not accurately in place will be rejected. The holes through which any one rivet passes must correspond in any number of plates or bars. The rivet holes are to be made to the sizes figured on the drawings, and in all cases the rivets must completely fill the holes when rivetted up. All loose rivets, and rivets with cracked, badly formed, or deficient heads, must be cut out and replaced by others. All rivetted work must be absolutely in contact over the whole surface. All rivets are to be cup-headed at each end, and the heads are to contain not less than 1£ diameters of the rivet. The cover plates must be shaped to the full sizes shown on the drawings, and any plate in which the rivet holes have been made nearer to the edge than shown on the drawings will be rejected. Wherever necessary for the division of the work for transport, the rivets are to be left out; but the holes must in all cases be drilled ready for rivetting, and the requisite rivets, with 30 per cent, extra, sent with the ironwork. In all coyer plates, except in webs, the fibre of the iron must run in the direction of the length of the span. The main girders of the 40ft. spans are to be built with a camber of lin. in the arc of a circle, the upper members being proportionately longer than the lower. The girders of the 30ft. spans are to be built with a camber of fin., and those of the 20ft. and 12ft. spans without camber. The joints to be rivetted in India must be chipped and filed so as to butt with perfect accuracy over the whole of the meeting surfaces to the true radius necessary for the specified camber. The ends of the girders intended to rest on the masonry are to be perfectly level, and the rivets countersunk. The head and body of all bolts are to be forged out of one piece of rod or bar iron. The nuts are to be square, and must fit too tightly to be turned by hand. All bolts are to be screwed for a length of at least three diameters to Whitworth’s standard thread.

Completion of Work and Erection.—All the spans are to be temporarily erected complete, so that accuracy of fit and perfection of workmanship may be assured.

Painting, Packing, Marking, dec.—The whole of the ironwork, with the exception of the bolts and rivets, is to be scraped perfectly free from rust, scale, and dust, and then brushed all with boiling hot linseed oil. It is afterwards to be painted with two coats of good oil paint, the first being of red lead, and the second of Roman ochre, or other colour to be specially approved by the inspecting engineer. The bolts are to be heated to the melting temperature of lead, and then dipped into boiled linseed oil. Every portion of every span is to be very distinctly stencilled with paint, and marked with the punch, for guidance in, erection in India, and every piece or bundle bf iron, arid all packing cases,

Supposed Quantities in One Span of 12/f.

Boom angle irons, 13 '3 lb. per foot

Web plates ..........

Stiffeners, 7⁻1 lb. per foot ..    ..

Resting plates ........

Packings............

Bracings, 71 lb. per foot ..

12 2 2

Rivet heads and spare rivets, say 6 per cent. ..    0    1111

1    3    3 13

0    11 13

No. 45 hook bolts, at 3'4 lb. each Total......

Supposed Quantities in One Span of 20ft.

Ton. cwt. qr. lb.

1    5    0 26

Rivet heads and spare rivets, say 6 per cent. ..    0

2    5    3 15

2    3    0

care-

mam

over

No. 70 hook bolts

2 8 2 15 0 2 0 14

2    10    3    1

Total

Supposed Quantities in One Span of 30ft.

Ton. cwt. qr. lb.

Angle irons in stiffeners and bracings, 71 lb. per

Rivet heads and spare rivets, say 6 per cent. ..    0

No. 95 hook bolts

0 10

4    2    2 26

4 3 26

4 7 2 24 0 2 3 15

4    10    2 11

Total

Supposed Quantities in One Span of 40ft.

Ton. cwt. qr. lb.

2 0 1 1 1 10

Boom plates............

Web plates ........ ••

Boom angle irons, 15‘4 lb. per foot.. Stiffeners, 71 lb. per foot ..    ..

Bracing angle irons, 71 lb, per foot

Boom covers........

Angle iron ditto, 15 lb. per foot ,

Web ditto..............

End plates ............

Rivet heads and spare rivets, say 6 per cent. . -    0

No. 120 hook bolts

7    6    1 12

9    0 16

7 15 2 0 0 3 2 10

7    19    0 10

Total

Supposed Quantities in One Span of 10ft.

,017

Web plates..............

Resting plates...... • •    ■ •    ••

Angle irons in flanges, 11 lb. per foot Ditto in stiffeners, 5'8 lb. per foot .. Ditto in bracing, 7'1 lb. per foot Packings..............

Rivet heads and spare rivets, say 6 per cent.....1

No. 40 hook bolts

Total

16    3 21

0    7

18    0    0

1    0 24

19    0 24

Mr. John Anstie, Assoc. M.I.C.E., and Mr. H. O. Baldry, of Newbury, have been appointed to carry out the sewerage works for the Corporation of Newbury.    _

* Date to be filled in by person tendering.

Aug. 19, 1881.

THE ENGINEER.

139

THE IRON, COAL, AND GENERAL TRADES OF BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND OTHER DISTRICTS.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Members of ’Change in Birmingham this afternoon expressed much gratification at learning that the improvement which has now for some time been noticeable in the sheet and hoop trade is extending to the marked bar houses. It is upon the products of these firms that South Staffordshire has built up its fame as an ironmaking centre. For a long time these makers have been only partially employed, consequent largely upon the circumstance that very capital qualities of bars have been abundantly offered at less than the prices of the marked houses. Now, however, an increase of orders is being experienced by the standard producers.

It was this afternoon announced with some authority that Messrs. William Barrows and Sons, of the Bloomfield Ironworks, Tipton, have more work now in hand than they have had at any period for two years past. This firm stands second only in position to the Earl of Dudley. One of the first results of this increased activity is that some marked bar makers, who have been out of the pig market for a considerable period, have now commenced buying.

The selling price of Messrs. Barrow’s and other similar firms for bars is £7 per ton; the quotation of the New British Iron Company and Messrs. John Bradley and Co., £7 10s.; and that of the Earl of Dudley, £7 12s. Gd. The houses who are firm at £7 dispute, however, that those firms who quote 10s. higher are really getting the money, since it is contended that a great portion of the 10s. difference is conceded to buyers in the shape of commissions, &c. Medium quality bars were priced this afternoon at £6 10s.; common bars ranged down to £5 15s.

Galvanisers spoke with less satisfaction of the condition of business than they have done for some weeks past. They stated that underselling was again commencing in the trade, the London manufacturers being noted as the chief offenders in this line at present. Instances were mentioned in which prominent local makers kad just lost certain orders through having quoted prices which were 5s. per ton rise upon those which regulated some previous transactions. To - day good brands were quoted at £13 5s. per ton for 24 W.G. packed in bundles, delivered in Liverpool; £15 5s. for 26 W.G.; and £17 5s. for 28 W.G. For delivery in London an additional 5s. per ton was demanded. Certain of the galvanisers expressed dissatisfaction also at the character of the Australian mail delivered on the previous day. The Antipodean demand they said was less active, and representatives there of some makers had disposed of stocks believing that prices would decline.

When the mail left Melbourne, ordinary brands of galvanised iron were saleable at £20 10s. for 26 w. commanded £2110s. to £22. Sales of £2115s. Bar and rod iron was moving at £8 10s. to £11. Black sheets were going off quietly. Assortments of Nos. 8 to 18 were selling at £11, while for Nos. 20 to 26, £13 10s. was obtained. Plate iron was firm at £11. Hoop iron for trade purposes was offered at £fi 10s. to £10. Tin-plates were offered for 15 per cent, advance on invoice for good assortments ; sales were making at 19s. for parcels, and 19s. Gd. for small lots of I. C. coke. Drawn fencing wires were a shade firmer. Nos, 6, 7, and 8 were respectively £12 10s., £13 5s., and £14. Pig iron was quiet: quotations when the mail left stood at £4 10s. in trade parcels, and £4 5s. in larger quantities.

The sheet makers reported themselves as still full of orders, on account of the galvanisers and of the merchants, who export largely to Russia and India. The gauges which are being mostly demanded are doublesand lattens. Singles remained at the former quotation of £7 15s. to £8 ; doubles, £8 10s.; and lattens, £9 15s. to £10. It must not be understood, however, that these quotations were the lowest at which business could be negotiated.

The hoop makers announced their mills busy on account of the United States, Australia, the Continent, South America, and the home market. The hoops which are going to Europe are needed mostly for the baling of wine casks. The price quoted this afternoon was £6 10s. at the works.

Tin-plate makers announced themselves as active. The best buyers at date are the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Continent. The continental consumers are France, Italy, and Spain. Coke qualities were quoted 18s. to 19s. per box, and charcoal qualities 20s. to 22s. per box.

As to pig iron, vendors representing some makers at a distance, reported encouraging sales during the past few days. Indeed they are rather surprised that the demand from some quarters which they had expected would cease in June, still continues to be expressed. Staffordshire all mine hot blast qualities were £3 2s. Gd.; Shropshire ditto, £3; Earl Dudley’s brand, £3. Hematites of the Barrow Company and the Tredegar Company were without much business at £3 5s. for both brands ; the agent of the Blaina Company quoted £3 7s. Gd., but scarcely in the expectation of securing orders. Staffordshire part mines were £2 5s. to £2 10s., and cinder pigs, 37s. Gd. as a minimum. Agents of certain Derbyshire makers quoted 45s., but buyers refused to give the price. The Clay Cross brand was quoted even at 46s. per ton.

The number of furnaces in blast has been increased from forty to forty-two by the blowing in of one each by Mr. Noah Hingley at Old Hill, Tipton, and Mr. Pearson, at Windmill End, near Dudley. A large maker in the Tipton district, who has for some years made one uniform quality, has changed one of his furnaces so as to produce pigs of commoner qualitj.

Constructive engineers mostly continue steadily employed upon bridge and girder and such-like work. But there is still plenty of room for the arrival of additional contracts before the trade can be said to be busy. And a still more urgent feature in which improvement is needed is the all important matter of prices. These at present continue discouragingly low.

A bridge for the South-Eastern Railway is being made at the works of the Tank and Boiler Company in Wolverhampton. It will have three spans of the relative length of 98ft., 78ft., and 50ft The structure will be 38ft. wide, and the parapet 8ft. high, total weight will be something like 400 tons.

Painted and galvanised tanks for the Cape and Australia hkewise being sent away just now by Messrs. G. Fletcher and Son, of W olverhampton. This firm are getting on well with their Chester Gasworks contract, the part of the work now under execution being the erection of the spent liquor and water tanks. Upon girder work in their yard at home the hands are also well occupied.

Machinery for galvanising is going away from this district with some alacrity. One of the most recent orders placed is from the Liverpool City Corrugated Iron Company.

The South Staffordshire Mines Drainage Commissioners, at a special meeting held in Wolverhampton to-day, fixed the general drainage rate for the half-year ended June 30th at Id. upon every ton of slack, shale, limestone, ironstone, fireclay, coal, or other material raised out of all mines within the drainage area, the rate to be payable on the 1st October. It was decided to negotiate a loan of £10,000 required for surface drainage.

Negotiations are still going on between employers and employed in the nut and bolt trade for arranging the lists of prices and sizes to guide the work of the district for the ensuing year. There seems every reason to believe that the lists will be arranged amicably.    °

g. gauge; ’ “Orb”

and best brands

were reported at

The

NOTES FROM LANCASHIRE

(From our own Correspondent.)

Manchester.—In the iron trade of this district the demand for pig continues extremely dull, but in finished iron a good business is being done, and at better prices than have been obtainable of late. I hat users of pig iron have filled up their requirements for the present lias been evident for the past two or three weeks, and although there are offers at about Is. per ton under current rates,

there is little or no legitimate demand in the market. Makers, however, are being kept busy with deliveries, and as they are not in want of immediate business, there is little or no disposition to offer any material concessions in price with the view of forcing sales, and considering the very depressed state of business values are remarkably steady.    .

Lancashire makers of pig iron have been securing very little new business during the present month, and the few orders coming in have been confined to extremely small parcels. They continue, however, very firm in their prices, and for delivery into the Manchester district are not taking less than 44s. for No. 4 forge, and 45s. for No. 3 foundry less 2h.

In outside brands there has been scarcely sufficient doing to test prices, but, if anything, they may be said to be rather easier. Lincolnshire iron is still practically the only outside brand which meets with any sale in this district, and for this the quotations for delivery equal to Manchester average about 43s. Gd. up to 45s. per ton less 2p- per cent.

The finished iron makers throughout this district are all doing well, and in some cases they are now so full of orders that they are not able to quote for anythingl ike early delivery. In bars, hoops, and sheets a considerable business has been done, and although this is largely for shipment there is also a fairly improved demand for home requirements. Prices are firm at a slight advance upon late rates, and for delivery into the Manchester district bars are now quoted at £6 to £6 2s. 6d.; hoops, £6 12s. Gd. to £G 15s., and ordinary merchant sheets, £7 15s. up to £8 per ton.

I continue to hear reports of more work stirring amongst engineers and tool makers, but new orders have still to be taken at low prices.

Foreign competition in the iron trade has been a question so constantly cropping up of late that I scarcely need excuse for again referring to it here. This week a correspondent writing from Oldham to one of the local journals, with reference to Mr. Chamberlain’s assertion that “there is absolutely no truth whatever in the statement that the girders which were being used in the erection of cotton mills in Lancashire were made in Belgium,” says, in the most positive terms, that “Belgian iron has not only been largely used in Oldham, but is at the present time being used in the erection of the Anchor Spinning Company’s mill at Westwood, Oldham.” With regard to this matter I may add that the other day I was through a large foundry in this district, and I was informed by the manager that in builders’ castings they frequently found it impossible to compete with the Belgian rolled iron girders, which, in some cases, were being sent delivered equal to Manchester at less than £7 per ton. It should, however, be borne in mind that not only rolled iron girders, but also rivetted plate girders are rapidly taking the place of the more cumbersome cast iron beams formerly used, as their greater lightness renders them more suitable, and taking weight for weight the prices at which they are now produced bring them on pretty much a level with the cast iron beams.

Amongst founders of engineers’ castings there are more inquiries, and some of them are fairly employed.

It is many years since helical teeth were first introduced into spur-wheel gearing, but recently considerable improvements have been carried out in this direction by Messrs. P. R. Jackson and Co., of Manchester, and the firm have just brought out a elty in the shape of helical teeth for bevel gearing. For the manufacture of these special machinery has been laid down, and the new wheels are being turned out in large sizes up to 8|in. pitch ; at present they are being cast in iron, but shortly extensive plant will be completed for producing them in steel. These teeth are designed to provide a means by which the smooth action of wheels of small pitch having the greatest possible number of teeth in gear is combined with the strength of wheels of large pitch having only two or three teeth in contact at the same time.

In passing through Liverpool this week I paid a visit to the works of the Britisli Electric Light Company in the above city, where they have erected by far the largest generating station for electric lighting purposes which has yet been constructed in this country; and by the courtesy of the manager, the Hon. R. Brougham, I had an opportunity of inspecting the company’s plant. The company have secured the contract for lighting the principal streets, and after successful experiments, which have recently been made, they are now erecting sixty-tliree lamps, which will cover about three miles of the most central thoroughfares. The lamps are carried on iron supports at varying heights of from 20ft. to 50ft., according to circumstances, a portion of them being connected by underground circuits, and the remainder by ordinary copper wires carried overhead. The generating station is situate at the Princess Docks, and is at present fitted up with two of Marshall’s 20-horse portable engines, and one of Ransome and Sims’s engines of similar capacity. There are three sets of countershafting driving eight generating machines. Six of these are the H Gramme machines, the largest size yet made, each capable of producing fifteen separate lights of 2000 candle-power, and the remaining two being small machines for feeding. One 20-liorse engine is sufficient to give the driving power requisite for the sixty-tliree lamps, but a second engine is provided for emergency in case of accident, and the generating machines are also in duplicate, with an arrangement for instantaneously switching on a spare machine in the event of a breakdown in the lights in any particular circuit going out. The machines and driving gear are all set upon 4ft. Gin. beds of concrete, and altogether four engines are being put down to provide for the further development of electric lighting in the district. The furthest lamp is nearly a mile and a-lialf from the generating station, but in the event of the system, which at present is in the experimental stage, being extended, a nearer basis for the various circuits would be provided, and it would also seem necessary that these circuits should be connected underground throughout, as a still further multiplication of overhead wires through the streets would be an objectionable feature in electric lighting. The same company have also for the past eight months been lighting the Lancashire and Yorkshire section- of the Victoria Station, Manchester, with ten lights of 5000-candle power each, by means of two E Gramme machines worked by a 16-horse power Marshall engine, and I am informed by the railway authorities that the lighting has given every satisfaction.

The coal trade continues extremely quiet. House fire coals do not move off any better, and although rather more of the commoner sorts of round coal are going into consumption for iron-making purposes the supplies coming into the market are still more than sufficient to cover any additional requirements on the part of sumers, and prices continue very low. Engine classes of fuel in tolerably fair demand, but prices are easier, and in concessions of 3d. to Gd. per ton have been made during the week. The average prices at the pit mouth are about as under : Best coals, 8s. to 8s. 6d.; seconds, 6s. to 7s.; common coal, 4s. Gd. to 5s. 3d.; good burgy, 4s. 3d. to 4s. Gd.; and good slack, 3s. fid. to 4s. per ton.

Very few of the Lancashire collieries are at present working more than half time, but stocks are still accumulating, and at some of the pits are now very heavy.

Barrow.—No event has occurred to interfere in any way with the position of the hematite pig iron trade in this district, but I think there is reason to anticipate from what can be seen at present that the winter’s trade will be better than at one time it was likely to be. Linkers are securing contracts for large consignments of pig iron and steel, and it is more than possible that the orders in hand will have the effect of cheering the aspect of the winter’s business after the weight of shipping orders have been disposed of. Ihe sale of Bessemer is large, because of the heavy consumption by makers of steel, and forge qualities of metal are also in very good request for general purposes, while a good iron is required tor merchant work. Shipbuilders have not booked any new contracts, but the orders they have already in hand are sufficient to keep the yards in steady employ for some time to come. Engineers, especially in the marine department, are exceedingly busy, and are likely to be for some time to come, as their responsibilities have increased during the past few months.

The Barrow Shipbuilding Company is exceedingly well employed, and the progress it is making in the construction and completion of the City of Rome is very marked. The engines are almost ready, and the boilers, funnels, and masts have been placed in their respective positions. She is expected to be on her station in October ; but a great deal of work remains to be done. Two gangs of men are working on the ship, those working on the night turn having the aid of the electric light.

The new high-level bridge, which is being erected from Old Barrow Island across the docks and railway into the heart of the town, has made such progress during the past few months that it is now anticipated it will be ready for opening in the autumn. It will prove of very great public service.

THE SHEFFIELD DISTRICT.

nov

(From our own Correspondent.)

A CURIOUS feature of the coal trade is the fact that in spite of the depression in steam fuel, the quantity sent to Hull is very little less than during last year at the corresponding period—641,754 tons for the seven months ending July, 1881, as compared with 651,982 tons ending July, 1880. Denaby Main contributed the largest quantity—14,980 tons. Taking the figures for the seven months, they show a marked increase in the quantity sent to the United States—38,155 tons, as against 1428 for the corresponding period of 1880. Nearly all other countries also showed an increase. North Russia was the best customer with 16,933 tons, and Spain the least with 79 tons. During July 59,77G tons were exported, as against 48,888 tons for July, 1880.

The tonnage of Derbyshire and Yorkshire coal by rail to London has increased during July by 54,000 tons over the weight sent in June. Winter stocking has evidently set in. The Midland conveyed the largest quantity, 185,205 tons ; the London and North-Western, 103,224 tons; Great Western, 95,270 tons ; Great Northern, 70,500 tons; Great Eastern, 62,458 tons ; other lines, 9536 tons ; total, 493,194 tons. The Midland obtains the bulk of its traffic from Derbyshire, Clay Cross standing at the top of the list with 11,000 tons. The quantity of coal carried for the first seven months of 1881 was 3,695,040 tons, an increase on 1880 of 221,801 tons.

Recent returns show that there is a considerable improvement in the exports of iron and steel. Pig iron stands as it was in July, 1880, but bar, angle, bolt, and rod iron have increased from 20,327 to 25,923 tons; rails and railway iron from 71,409 to 84,705 tons ; iron and steel wire for general purposes from 3768 to 5756 tons ; hoops, sheets, boiler and armour plates from 22,057 to 27,287 tons; steel from 3298 to 16,103 tons. Curiously enough we sent exactly the same weight of steel to France in July this year as in July, 1879, viz., 308 tons. The United States was our best customer, but the increase in trade with that country in steel is larger on the surface than in reality. In July, 1879, the returns show 403 tons; in July, 1880, 1183 tons; and in July, 1881, 13,750 tons. What appears to be a tremendous increase is explained by the fact that Bessemer blooms sent to the United States are now classed as steel, instead of iron, as formerly.

Bessemer steel has advanced in price by 5s. per ton in common qualities, and 8s. per ton in superior makes. This advance is mainly on account of colonial purchases, which have been very important of late. The American harvest having turned out unfavourably, will encourage the colonists to export their produce largely. As the colonist gets cash for his produce, he invests more freely in English goods.

I noticed a paragraph the other day to the effect that Messrs. John Brown and Co., Limited, of the Atlas Works, had secured the contract for supplying the steel plates for the turrets of the steel-armoured ram ship Conqueror, at Chatham Docks, and on inquiry I ascertained that the information was correct. The amount of the contract is stated at £10,000.

A remarkably heavy trade is still doing in razors, particularly for the States. A manufacturer tells me that Irish merchants are ordering freely what are known in the trade as “patriotic” razors. They are handled in green, and bear on the blade the motto, “ Ireland for the Irish.” Razors of the “ patriotic ” order are not peculiar to Ireland ; but in other countries they take the form of portraits on the blades. France has Gambetta, Germany, Yon Moltke, Bismarck, and the Emperor; Denmark, the Danish King, &c.

Mr. J. E. Bingham, head of the well-known firm of Messrs. Walker and Hall, of the Electro Works, Ho ward-street, is Master Cutler elect this year. At the Cutlers’ feast, which is fixed for the 1st of September, he intends to have every article of plate on his tables from his own works. As he can draw upon the resources of an immense establishment, it will not be necessary for the firm to specially manufacture more than a number of epergnes and lesser ornaments to complete a splendid service of plate for all his guests, who will number close on 400. Formerly, all the leading silversmiths in Sheffield were laid under contribution for the adornment of the tables at the Cutlers’ feast.

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

con-

are

some cases

(From our own Correspondent.)

On account of the Stockton races, which have the effect of laying off most of the works in the Cleveland district, the iron market held at Middlesbrough Exchange on Tuesday last was very badly attended. The Stockton race week is recognised as a general holiday, and consequently most merchants and manufacturers take the opportunity of going from home. The prices of pig iron tending downwards, although any fall is stoutly resisted by the smelters themselves. What business was done was by merchants at about 36s. 9d. f.o.b., for No. 3 g.m.b. Makers asked 37s., but practically sold nothing at all. Consumers, in view of the fact that a large quantity of pig iron must be thrown upon the market by this week’s idleness, were not at all keen to buy. They believe, and no doubt correctly, that within two or three weeks a further fall must take place. Forge iron was quoted at 35s. 9d., and warrants at 37s. 9d. The stock held by Messrs. Connal and Co. at their Middlesbrough store is now 185,700 tons, being an increase of 720 tons during the week. The manufactured iron trade continues steady, there iiaving been some increase of inquiry during the last few days. It is reported that there is a prospect of the re-openmg of the large chair foundries at Norton, near Stockton, and also of the East Yorkshire Ironworks, latterly owned by Messrs. Robson and Taylor, as a marine engine manufactory. One of the smaller plate-making firms in the Durham district has been obliged to suspend payment. The liabilities are £20,000, and the assets said to be £19,000. This is another proof of the hard times which manufacturers have been passing through, and of the impossibility of competing successfully unless works are on a large scale, well situated, provided with modern plant, and well managed.

The strike of the platers’ helpers at Sunderland still continues. Their union has issued a manifesto complaining bitterly of the action of the platers, who have determined to do their best, in conjunction with their employers, to replace the malcontents. The grievance of the helpers appears to be that they should be asked to work on time, whilst their immediate employers the platers are paid by piece. Though they are exceedingly foolish in persevering so long in the struggle, still there seems to be some reason in then-arguments. The proper solution of the difficulty would be to pay every one in each gang some fraction of the total tonnage rate receivable by the leader. The fractions would be graduated according to the position and usefulness of the receiver. This would be consistent with paying every one from the office, and with retention of the right by the leader to employ or discharge whom and when he thought fit. All would be interested in getting as much work done as possible, and the labour of driving on unwilling helpers would be lessened to the leader, who could devote so much more energy to organising his work,

amma-

Tlie different branches of the manufactured iron trade are steadily employed, and prices do not vary much. It has been of great advantage to those avIio use manufactured iron that the values have been at once moderate and steady. By this means indeed trade has been greatly fostered, the absence of fluctuations causing confidence, and inducing a steady floAV of business. Some manufacturers report that they are as busy as they possibly can be ; and they attribute the fact mainly to the circumstance just alluded to. Iron angles are quoted at £5 17s. Gd.; ships’ plates, £6 12s. Gd.; boiler ditto, £6 17s. Gd.; bars, £5 15s. to £6 15s.; steel angles, £9 ; ships’ plates, £10; boiler ditto, £11.

an in-

con-

loth August, 1881.

3530.    cartridges, W. Hogarth, Southport.

3531.    Brakes, A. Balme, Leeds.

3532.    Securing Hinges, J. R. Gough, Kcnnington.

3533.    Crinolines, C. S. Schneider, Chelsea.

3534.    Shoe§ for Horses, E. G. Brewer.—(E. Schneider, Berlin, Germany.)

3535.    Cement, I. C. Johnson, Gravesend.

3530. Refrigerating Machines, L. Sterne, D. Clerk, and J. 13. IIandy|ldc, Glasgow.

3537. Moulding .Flasks, J. S. Campbell, New York. 353S. Registering Picks, J. Porritt, Huddersfield. 3539.

Notices of Intention to Proceed with Applications.

Last da.y for filing opposition, 2nd September, 1S81.

NOTES FROM SCOTLAND.

(From our own Correspondent.)

At tlie close of last Aveek an apparent feeling of strength was communicated to the warrant market by “bears” covering; but in the early part of the present week there was again less tion in the market. There is a good, steady demand for raw iron for home consumption, but a considerable proportion of it is supplied by England, lienee the improved demand that has been experienced this season for Cleveland qfig iron. Merchants dealing with the Continent report that there is a very good inquiry for malleable iron just now; and that as regards pig iron there is mors doing than in 1879, but rather less than at this time last year. There is no more cheering news either from Canada or the United States. In both these countries the trade in Scotch pig iron is slow, and the prices unsatisfactory, particularly in view of the increased freights now charged for shipment. There are 120 furnaces in blast in Scotland at present, as against eighty-five at the same time last year, when about a third of the furnaces were put out by the combined action of the ironmasters in order to resist a strike of workmen. Taking this circumstance into account the trade does not compare favourably with its position in August, 1880; but still it must be admitted that a steady, if not a very extensive business is being done. The additions to stocks in Messrs. Connal and Co.’s stores have not been quite so large this week—about 700 tons.

Business Avas done in the warrant market on Friday, when, the tone Avas firm, up to Ids. 5d. per ton. The market Avas weaker on Monday; business Avas done in the morning at from 40s. 5d. to 46s. 3d. cash, and 40s. Od. to 40s. 4gd. one month, the afternoon’s quotations being 46s. 3d. cash, 40s. 3Id. eight days, and 40s. 4id. one month. On Tuesday a good business Avas done at 40s. 4d. to 40s. 2d. cash, and 40s. 4d. to 40s. 41;d. one month. Business was done on Wednesday from 40s. 3d. to 40s. cash, and 40s. 2d. one month. The market Avas steadier to-day— Thursday—at 40s. Id. to 40s. 2d. cash, and a halfpenny more one month.

There is little change in makers’ iron, the quotations of Avhich are as folloAvs:—Gartslierrie, f.o.b. at GlasgOAV per ton, No. 1 54s. Od.; No. 3, 48s. Gd.; Coltness, 50s. and 48s. Gd.; Lang-loan, 50s. and 49s.; Summerlee, 54s. Od. and 46s. 0d.; Calder, 54s. Od. and 48s. Gd.; Carn-broe, 51s. and 40s. Gd.; Clyde, 50s. and 40s.; Monkland, 47s. and 44s. 0d.; Quarter and GoAran, do.; Shotts, at Leith, 50s. and 49s.; Carron, at Grangemouth, 52s. Gd.—specially selected, 56s.— and 57s. Gd.; Kinneil, at Bo’ness, 47s. Gd and 45s. Gd.; Glengarnock, at Ardrossan, 51s. and 47s. Eglinton, 47s. and 44s.; Dalmellington 47s. Gd. and 44s. Gd.

There is a gratifying continuance of activity in the coal trade both east and Avest. Trade in Fifeshire has been particularly good for some Aveeks back, the coalmasters having as a consequence found themselves in a position to advance the prices by about Gd. per ton. They have been greatly aided in this movement by the exceptional advantages afforded them by the railway companies, avIio appear to find it to their interest to deal in an especially favourable way with the coalmasters of Fife. Very large shipments of coal have taken place at Burntisland, which is now the great centre for despatching the mineral from the east coast, far out-distancing Leith in that respect. Fair shipments have likeAvise been made from the ports on the south side of the Frith of Forth. The Clyde ports have also been active, although the extraodinary competition in the western mineral fields renders it difficult for the colliery owners there to increase then' prices, Avhich are, therefore, in most instances only reported slightly firmer. Among the past week’s shipments from Glasgow are GOO tons of coal for Oporto, 580 for Bordeaux, 1200 for Bombay, 1300 for Gothenburg, 1400 for Kiel, 2000 for Montreal, and 3000 tons for Genoa.

The colliers throughout the country are being encouraged to hope that in a very short time they ought to obtain an advance of wages. Mr. Macdonald, M.P., is amongst those avIio have given expression to the conviction that crease may be had in the course of the next feAV weeks. But in the AArest the miners lack fidence in their would-be leaders, some of whom at present are utterly devoid of that practical knowledge essential in those avIio Avould give sound advice. The masters do not seem to think that higher Avages can be paid unless a substantial increase could be got on the current quotations of coals.

The directors of the Omoa and Cleveland Iron and Coal Company, Limited, report that their operations for the year ending Avitli June have not been so satisfactory as they could wish. They have been obliged to assume personal financial responsibilities in order to carry on the affairs of the company.

WALES & ADJOINING COUNTIES.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The action of the Bilbao syndicate has had the satisfactory result to them of putting up the price of ore Is. per ton ; but it is questionable if this Avill stand. I find by diligent inquiry amongst the ironmasters that they are, as they state, Avell bought, and most of them hold a tAvelvemonth’s stock. This Avill enable them to hold out against the higher price demanded, and the necessities^ of the Bilbao owners are such that they must give way.

Tredegar Ironworks are going in for the Bessemer plant. One pit will soon be started, and with fair prospects of success. Outsiders may exclaim at a beginning of so small a character, but Tredegar, I find, will adopt the latest appliances, and will have all the advantage of the long exiierimental course of the Steel AV orks of Dow-lais and others. Cyfartlifa has not yet shown any sign of a beginning, and some little time must elapse° ere it is shown. The proprietary of Cyfarthfa, consisting of the three sons of Mr. Kobert Crawsliay, are, however, quite decided upon the adoption of steel works, if they can gain the necessary concessions, and another week or so will decide the matter. It is in the interest of the Marquis of Bute and others that steel works shall be started at Cyfarthfa, and the public may rest satisfied that the Bute interest is in the most worthy and intelligent hands.

The exports of iron bars, rails, and steel rails from 'Wales last week were rather of a limited character, not exceeding 5000 tons. Good orders are, however, held, and the prospects of trade are fair. Steel rails are in better demand, and I should not be surprised, seeing the steadiness of the market, that prices went up a little. It is rather expected that a part, I hope an important one, of the order of the Indian State railways will be placed out in one or more of the Welsh works.

Ironmasters regard the Board of Trade returns for the past month with hope. 380,422 tons was the gross total sent out of this country in July.

Coke manufacturers are, like tin-plate manufacturers, getting rather disconsolate, for prices are ruling low and orders are tardy. Best cokes are setting out too low in price, and I am surprised that makers who are fully engrossed also with their output of coal do not lessen make in order to bring about a better price. One firm in the Rhondda has been in the habit of stocking considerably, and at one period realised a large sum by the speculation. I have nothing favourable to report in respect of tin-plate, which continues at its low ebb.

A gratifying and well deserved honour has been paid to Mr. H. O. Fisher, of the Taff Yale Railway, Cardiff, by his election as member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and appointment also as resident engineer of the Penartli section of the Taff Yale Railway.

Some little difficulty has arisen in the Swansea district between the anthracite colliers and employers, but to my thinking there is no reason in the agitation, as they enjoyed the same advance as the other men when prices really did not justify the step, and prospects were even less hopeful than they had been.

The inquiry into the colliery explosion in one of tlieDowlais pits, causing one death and injuries to six workmen, was ended this week, and a verdict of accidental death returned. Mr. Rees, assistant-inspector, who attended the investigation, gave a report of an inspection he had made of the colliery, and also expressed his own opinion as to the cause of the explosion. He said : “ The place where the gas became ignited was in No. 3 stall, where Thomas Edwards was working with aked light. The result of the explosion is somewhat remarkable. The two brothers Edwards, who were in close proximity to the gas —one having actually ignited it—were not severely injured, but Williams, who was Avitli the horse at the parting from the level into the cross-heading, was killed, as was also his horse. I cannot help thinking that the death of Williams Avas due not so much to the shock of explosion, as inhaling the flame Avhich must have extended to the bottom of the head crossing.”

In concluding a Arery able report the assistant-inspector suggested the advisability of using locked safety lamps in such places as the colliery in question, Avhere fiery gases are throAvn off and liable to accumulate.

The refusal of the Great Western Railway Co. to allow the Taff Yale Co. running poAvers into the Cardiff Station Avas brought to a point on Monday, Avlien the Taff Yale Co. made several efforts to run a train on the Great Western Rahway line, but Avere stopped each time.

Mr. Allen, the local manager, put his protest in the folloAving written form

“ Great Western Railway,

“ Divisional Superintendent’s Office, “ Cardiff, Aug. 15th, 1881. Notice to the Taff Yale Railway Company. Inasmuch as the Taff Yale Company have refused to give any undertaking to leave to the arbitration of some persons mutually agreed upon between the companies, either—•

‘¹ A. The Avhole question of the amount to be paid to the Great Western Company in respect of the running of the Taff Yale Company’s trains OArer the Great Western Branch Line, and into and out of the company’s Cardiff Station, both for tolls for the use of the line, and for the use of the station and service thereat, or—

“ B. The amount to be paid for the use of the Great Western Company’s Cardiff Station, and the services of the staff thereat, the Taff Vale Company paying or undertaking to pay the tolls which the Great Western Company are by laAV authorised to charge for the use of the line,— “My instructions are not to alloAv the Taff Yale Company’s trains to pass unless and until one or other of such undertakings be given.

“ T. J. Allen, Divisional Superintendent.”

Mr. Fisher declined to enter into any undertaking of the kind, and pointed out that a passenger from Ely to Cardiff Avas only charged 2d., Avhereas the Great Western for the shorter distance from the Taff Yale Station to that of the Great Western charged Is.

If the RailAvay Commissioners have not sufficient poAvcr to enforce their ruling it should be given to them forthwith.

The coal trade continues satisfactory. Total exports from all Wales during last Aveek 130,000 tons. NeAvport exhibited a slight increase, SAvansea maintained its average, but Cardiff Avas slightly less than it has been. Business, lioAvever, may be regarded as good, and prices sIioav firmness.

THE PATENT JOURNAL.

Condensed from the Journal of the Commissioners oj Patents.

*** It has come to our notice that some applicants of the Patent-office Sales Department, for Patent Specifications, have caused much unnecessary trouble aml omnoyance both to themselves and to the Patent-office officials by giving the number of the po.ge of The Engineer at which the Specification they require is referred to, instead of giving the proper number of the Specification. The mistake has been made by looking o.t The Engineer Index and giving the numbers there found, which only refer to pages, in place of turning to those pages and Ending the numbers of the Specifico.tion.

Applications for Letters Patent.

*** When patents have been “communicated” the name and address of the communicating party are printed in italics.

9th August, 1881.

3439.    Automatic Gear, C. Pieper.— (C. Liernur, Holland.)

3440.    Fastenings for Bands, H. Halladay, Birmingham.

3441.    Generating Electricity, R. R. Moffat and S. Chichester, Brooklyn, N.Y.

3442.    Liquid Rouge, G. H. Abel.—(M. Lade, Berlin.)

3443.    Absorbing Acid, C. Abel.—(II. Precht, Stassfurt.)

3444.    Detaching Horses, W. Walker, York.

3445.    Preparing Tea, J. P. Brougham, Inverness.

3440. Treating Fish, &c., J. Haresceugh, Rochdale. 3447. Attaching Knobs, W. G. Macvitie, Birmingham. 344S. Axle-boxes, J. Hooley, Macclesfield.

3449.    Glossing Machines, A. J. Boult.—(C. G. Haubold, fun., Chemnitz, Saxony.)

3450.    Governor for Gas Engines, F. W. Crossley, Manchester, and IT. P. Holt, Leeds.

3451.    Regulating Supply of Water, E. Lee, Torquay, and A. C. Moore, Deptford.

3452.    Bed Bottoms, &c., W. Clark.- (Fullemann, IFyss, and Co., Paris, France.)

3453.    Obtaining Motive Power, H. A. Bonneville.— (F. Roland, Grenelle, France.)

3454.    Wire Netting, W. H. Johnson, Manchester.

3455.    Electric Lighting, W. Hubble.—(A. Parts, U.S.) 3450. Electric Apparatus, W. Lake.—(A. Arey, U.S.)

10th August, 1881.

3457.    Permanent Way, G. Dunscombe, Liverpool.

3458.    Syphon Trap, D. Emptage, Margate.

3459.    Stoppering Bottles, C. Abel.— (B. Lew, Berlin.)

3400.    Guns, J. Evans and R. Low, Dundee.

3401.    Low-water Alarm, C. H. Smith, Wlialley.

3462. Beetling, <&c., D. Stewart, Glasgow.

3403.    Protecting Chain, F. R. Lucas, London.

3404.    Electric Brake, S. von Sawiczesld, Paris.

3405.    Graters, J. G. Thresher.—(31. V.Bligli, France.)

3460.    Breech-loading Guns, F. M. Robertson, Croydon, and J. Joyce, Edmonton.

3407. Weathek-proob Faint, O. Wolff.—(E. R. Berger, Blaseicitz, Saxony.)

340S. Spring Saddle Bars, G. Curtis, London.

3469.    Self-acting Railway Brakes, A. M. Clark.— (J. van V. Reed, Ncic York, U.S.)

3470.    Ploughs, R. W. U’ren, Plymouth.

11th August, 1881.

3471.    Spring-mattresses, <fec., E. Lloyd, Bracebridge, Lincoln, and H. J. Rust, Sheffield.

3472.    Dynamo-electric Machines, E. J. Harling and E. Hartmann, London.

3473.    Electric Lamps, E. J. Harling and E. Hartmann, London.

3474.    Self-inking Pad, S. Reid, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

3475.    Umbrellas, <fec., E. l’osselt.—(F. Leitner, Milan.) 3470. Cutting, &c., Wood, C. F. Parsons, London.

3477.    Type Distributing Machines, H. J. Haddan.— (T. Reeve, Brooklyn, U.S.)

3478.    Turning, &c., Metal, R A. Lee, London.

3479.    Safety Appliances, R. Pickweil, Kingston.

3480.    Combing Wool, J. Heaton, Bradford.

3481.    Rutary Pumps, C. Comstock, Wolverhampton.

3452.    Lamps, W. Spence.—(A. Rinklakc and C. Bolm, Germany.)

3453.    Electrical Distribution Systems, E. G. Brewer.—(T. A. Edison, Menlo Park, U.S.)

3454.    Bottles and Jars, O. M. Taylor, Snaresbrook.

3485.    Generating Electricity, I. L. Pulvermacher, London.

3486.    Marking Corks, W. Lake.—(G. Boethius, Sweden.)

3487.    Printing Machinery, W. Lake.—(W. Scott, U.S.)

12th August, 1881.

3488.    Screw Propulsion, J. Wilkinson, Blackpool.

3489.    Axle Caps, J. Crowther, Manchester.

3490.    Tell-tale Apparatus, IV. P. Thompson.—(L. V. Bunnen, Schciirbeek, Belgium.)

3491.    Flat-headed Tacks, G. King.—(C. Meier, Berlin.)

3492.    Reflectors, IV. Taylor, Birmingham.

3493.    Registering Apparatus, J. G. Wilson.—(./. IF. Foicler and D. F. Lewis, Brooklyn, U.S.)

3494.    Supports, J. Richards A J. Fairhurst, Sheffield.

3495.    Spring Mattresses, S. Knowles, Manchester.

3496.    Umbrellas, A. MacMillan, London.

3497.    Pianos, J. M. Laboissere and C. Da'ujon, Paris. 349S. Extracting Phosphate of Lime, II. J. Haddan.

—(C. Meurice, Marcinelle, Belgium.)

3499.    Loading and Unloading Apparatus, II. J. Haddan.—(J. Cornier, France.)

3500.    Sleepers, H. J. Haddan.—(P. Paguet and C. Guidon, Lyons, France.)

3501.    Bending Machines, H. J. Haddan.—(C. 11 Gillot, St. Quentin, France.)

3502.    Valve Gear, 11. W. Pendrod, Manchester.

3503.    Spinning Cotton, J. Seed.—(2'. Seed, Russia.)

3504.    Polychromatic Printing, J. R. Meihe.—(F. C. Iloesch, Bavaria.)

3505.    Table Forks, A. Greenaway, Dockliead.

3500. Bag-skips, R. Aytoun, Fraserburg, Aberdeen.

3507.    Plastering, E. G. Brewer.—(D. IF. Stockstill, T. J. McGeary, and E. IF. Anderson, Washington, U.S.)

3508.    Steadying Floating Bodies, J. F. C. Farquliar, Long Acre, London.

3509.    Electrical Interruptors, P. Ullathorne, High Ilolborn, London.

3510.    Horizontal Presses, C. Ilumfrcy, Hough Green.

3511.    Pressing Paraffine Scale, L. Hislop, Chester.

3512.    Stoves, T. Redmayne, Sheffield.

3513.    Steam Engines, M. Lowe, Wigan.

3514.    Utilising Petroleum, W. R. Lake.—(II. T. Litchfield, Hull, and D. Renshaw, Cohasset, U.S.)

13th August, 1881.

3515.    Cowls, J. AV. Gibbs, Liverpool.

3516.    Railway Chairs, J. Barlow, Nottingham.

3517.    Saccharine Juice, C. rieper.—(C. Yates, Barton.)

3518.    AVaterproof Clothing, W. Abbott, Devon.

3519.    Lighting Gas, B. J. B. Mills.—(L. A. W. Des-ruelles and G. J. A. E. Bourdoncle, Paris.)

3520.    AVatches, L. A. Buys, Geneva, Switzerland.

2521.    Metal Plates, F. Reynolds, King’s Norton.

2522.    Knitting Machinery, A. Paget, Loughborough.

3523.    Venetian Blinds, AV. Brierley.—(/<’. Ruhr, Tep-litz, Austria-Hungary.)

3524.    Looms, T. Sutcliffe, Todmorden.

3525.    Reaping Machines, P. C. Evans, Brimscombe, and H. J. H. King, Newmarket.

3526.    AVashing Air, Ac., AV. H. Beck.—(/. C. Bclaird, Nogenthal, France.)

3527.    Gas-engines, T. II. Ijjucas, Birmingham.

352S. Log-signal Apparatus, F. H. Holmes, London.

3529. Fabrics, AV. R. Lake.—(M. Hervy, G. Levi, and L. Goizet, Paris.)

Electrical Apparatus, W. R. Lake.—(C. 1 Williams, jun., and F. Harrington, Somerville, and T. IF. Lane, Boston, U.S.)

3540.    Match-boxes, II. II. Thompson, Islington.

3541.    Applying Ground Colour to Paper Hangings, W. Clark.—(2’. Smith, West New Brighton, U.S.)

Inventions Protected for Six Months on deposit of Complete Specifications.

3421. Cigarette Machines, AY. R. Lake, London.—A communication from J. CoAvman and G. II. Frost, New York, U.S.—Sth August, 1SS1.

3439. Automatic Gear, 0. Pieper, Berlin.—A communication from C. T. Liernur, Haarlem, Holland.— 9th August, 1SS1.

3477. Type-distributing, H. J. Haddan, Kensington. —A communication from T. Reeve, Brooklyn, Ncav York, U.S.—11th August, 1881.

Patents on which the Stamp Duty of £50 has been paid.

3153. Valves for Air Pomps, J. L. Cunliffe, Port Glasgow, N.B.—9t/i. August, 1S7S.

3194. Wheels for Carrying Ropes, J. Y. Hope, Crosby. —13th August, 1878.

3245. Handles for Tea-pots, J. E. Bingham, Sheffield. —lOf/i August, 1S78.

3554. Steam-ships, A. F. Yarrow, Poplar.—7th September, 1878.

3147. Filtering Apparatus, A. Bell, Manchester.—9th August, 1878.

3107. Steam Pumps, S. Holman, Lawrence Pountncy-lane, London.—19th August, 1878.

3182. Treating Sulphuric Acid, R. Lavender, Flint, and J. Richards and D. Williams, Pontypool.—12th August, 187S.

3204. Producing Frilling, C. G. Hill, Nottingham.— 13th August, 1S7S.

3340. Brakes, C. Fairholme, AVestminster.— 21th August, 1878.

3303. Dressing Car-axles, J. N. Smith, Jersey, U.S. —29tli August, 187S.

3415. Matches, J. 11. AAThite, Huntsville, U.S.—29th August, 1878.

3557. AYeighing Machines, E. H. Juliard-Dunial, France.—9th September, 1878.

3208. Meat Conserves, II. Simon, Manchester.—13th August, 1S78.

3272. Sewing-machinery, J. Keats, AVood Green, Middlesex.—19f/i August, 187S.

3498. Hydraulic Punching, &c., Machines, A\r. C. Jones, Syra.—3th September, 1S7S.

35S9. AVorkinc, Hydraulic Apparatus, J. H. Great-head, <fe M. Martindale, London.—19th September, 187S.

3258. Stays, &c., C. H. Carlson, Lee, Kent. — 17th August, 1S78.

3297. Purifying Copper, J. AYilks and T. Johnson.— 2lst August, 1S78.

3349. AYheels, R. Hadfield, Sheffield.—24th August, 1S78.

344S. Lamps, C. E. Hearson, Southwark-street, Surrey. —30th August, 1878.

31S0. Slip-link, F. Kingston, Greenwich, Kent.—12th August, 1878.

3407. Agglomerating Coal, Ac., II. Billan, Bordeaux. —29th August, 1S7S.

3574. Pulping Fat, Ac., R. AA’heen, jun., Deptford Creek, Kent.—10th September, 1S7S.

3224. Regulating Action of Springs, C. J. A. Dick, Lee, Kent.—loth August, 1S78.

3220. Taking Sheets of Paper, H. J. Wicks, Herne Hill, Surrey.—15t/i August, 1S7S.

3497. Generating Steam, J. I. Thornycroft, Chiswick, Middlesex.—3rd September, 1S78.

3857. Reels, Ac., F. AVirth, Frankfort-on-the-Maine. —30th September, 1878.

Patents on which the Stamp Duty of £100 has been paid.

2757. Printing Textile Fabrics, AV. Ireland, Buck-liaven, Fife.—10th August, 1S74.

2759. Fire-bars, I. S. MeDougall, London.— 19th August, 1874.

2789. Looms, M. Pearson, Bradford.—13tli August, 1S74.

2874. Roller Skates, AV. P. Gregg, Boston, U.S.—21«f August, 1874.

2812. Supplying Fuel, T. Henderson, Liverpool.—lllh August, 1S74.

2810. Railway Carriage AVheels, G. Haseltinc, London.—llth August, 1874.

2940. Breech-loading Fire-arms, AY. Morgan-Brown, London.—2Sth A ugust, 1874.

1504. Working, Ac., AVood, J. Hardinge, London.— 9th April, 1881.

1517. Supporting the Head, Ac., E. Edwards, London. —7th April, 1881.

1520.    Decorating Bricks, Ac., R. Applogarth, London. A com. from E. A. Sheureux.—fth April, 1881.

1521.    Shuttles for AVeaving, J. Lomax and R. Dawson, Over Darwen. -7th April, 1SS1.

1526. Electric Lamps, J. D. F. Andrews, Regency-street, London.—7th April, 1881.

1539. Railway Brakes, AV. L. Jackson, Manchester. —8th April, 1SS1.

1547. Artificial Butter, E. G. Brewer, London.—A communication from L. Q. Brin.—Sth April, 1881.

1554. Platen Printing Presses, A. Godfrey, Lower Clapton, Middlesex.—9th April, 1SS1.

1557. Winding Ac., Fibrous Substances, J. L. Lee, AVakefield.—9tli April, 1881.

1572. Combined Comb and Hair Brush, AAr. Briorley, Halifax.—A com. from J. Coutris.—11th April, 1881.

15S0. Wetting Envelope Flaps, F. H. F. Engel, London.—A com. from B. Amsberg.—llth April, 1881.

1590. Electric Lamps, A. Reddie, London.—A com. from II. Sedlaczek A P. AViknhill.—12th April, 18S1.

1597. Gas Burners, H. H. Doty, Strand, London.— 12th April, 1881.

1609. Raising, Ac., Liquids, J. H. Kidd, AArrexham.— 13th April, 1881.

1612.    Power Looms, J., F., and G. Priestley, Bradford.— 13th April, 1881.

1613.    Electrical Signalling, AAr. R. Lake, London.— A com. from I. T. Campbell.—13th April, 1SS1.

1072. AValking-stick Sketching Easel, A. J. AVelsby, Bristol.—16Wt April, 1881.

1681.    Reels, Ac., F. AVirth, Frankfort.—A com. from P„ P., jun., J. B., & E. Adt.—16fA April, 1881.

1682.    AVater Supply, L. AArall, Islington, London.—

16th April, 1881.    x TT    „

1GS4. Carburetting Gas, J. H. AVeston, Shepherds Bush, Middlesex.—19th April, 1S81.

16S0. Proteine Substances, H. H. Lake, London.—A com. from E. R. von Portheim.—13th April, 18S1.

1707 Pneumatic Bells, J. Newton, Clerkenwell, London.—19th April, 1881.

1724. Regulating Speed, AV. R. Lake, London.—A communication from O. B. Crane, T. M. Platts, and AV. Howes.—29lh April, 1881.

1807. Slide Valves, A. Clark, London.—A com. from AV. Hughes, J. Gregory, A C. Howe.—29th April, 1881.

1828. Cross-grained Gunpowder, E. Brydges, Upton. —A communication from A. Mayr.—27 th April, 1881.

1SS9. Removing Burrs, P. Moore, Trowbridge.—2nd May, 1881.

2114. Filtering Apparatus, AV. Spence, London.—A communication from C. Piefke.—14th May, 1881.

2158. Holding, Ac., Milk, H. B. Pox, Oxton, Chester —17th May, 1881.

2072. Treating Tan, Ac., AV. Guest, Deptford, and C, Court, Rotherhithe.—18th June, 1881.

Aug. 19, 1881.

THE ENGINEER

i4i

2877. Furniture Castors, II. B. Harding, Birmingham.—1st July, 1S81.

8032. Regulating Electric Currents, IV. Thomson, Glasgow.— 0th July, 1881.

3069. Illuminating Gas, W. R. Lake, London.—A communication from A. Wittamer.—13th July, 1881.

3114. Constructing Roofs, W. Lake, London.—A com.

from J. Scheider and C. Polzer.—16th July, 1881. 3206. Sheaf-binding Mechanism, H. II. Lake, London, from D. M. Osborne.—22nd July, 1881.

3221. Scouring, <fcc., Pile Fabrics, J. Worrall, Salford, and J. Kershaw, Halifax.—23rd July, 1881.

Producing Illuminating Gas, S. Pitt, Sutton.— A communication from A. Borland.—23rd July, 1881.

Sutton.—A com-

—A com.

3234.

Electric Generators, S. Pitt, munieation from S. J. M. Bear.— 26th July, 1SS1. 3295. Spinning Yarns, T. Lawson, Leeds.—27/A July 1881.

3283.

Last day for filing opposition, 7th September, 1S81.

1366. Trap for Drains, F. W. Hagen and G. C. Akrigg, Kingston-upon-Hull.—23th March,

1420. Glazing Glass, J. Russell, Charing Cross, London.—31st March, 1SS1.

1570. Treating Refuse, R. Pease and T. Lupton, Bradford. —11 th April, 1881.

1578. Feeding Wool, &c., J. Leadbeater and A. Lead-heater, Leeds.—11th April, 1881.

1580. Purifying Grain, II. J. Haddan, London.—A communication from E. Dronet.—12th April, 1SS1.

1590. Pipe-joints, T. Lloyd, Winchester.—12th April, 1881.

1505. Portable Railways, E. Leahy, Kensington.— April,

1605. Extracting Oxides, (fee., A. M. Clark, London. —A com. fromL. L. C. Kraffit and J. E. Schischkar. —12th April, 1881.

1615.    Sewing Machines, J. G. Wilson, London.—A communication from A. M. Leslie, and the Teller Manufacturing Company.—13/A April, 1881.

1616.    Sash-bars, F. A. Lawrence, Stevenage, Hertford. —13th April, 1881.

1619.    Lamps, W. J. Brewer, Bombay, India. — 13/A April, 1831.

1620.    Fusible Plugs, II, Adams, London. — 13/A April, 1SS1.

1025. Metal Pipes, &c., S. Fox, Leeds.—13/A April, 1881.

1626. Umbrellas, &c., W. R. Seaton, Manchester.— 13/A April, 1881.

1633.    Separating, &c., F. J. Drechsler, London.—14/A April, 1SS1.

1634.    Looms, W. Morgan-Brown, London.—A communication from G. Crompton.—14/A April, 1881.

1616. Sanitary Appliances, H. P. Holt, Leeds.—14/A April, 1881.

1652.    Propelling Ships, J. II. Johnson, London.—A com. from J. E. J. d’Arembecourt.—14/A April, 1SS1.

1653.    Electric Lamps, J. II. Johnson London.—A com. from the Societe La Force et la Lumiere Gene-rale Soci6t<5 d’Electricity.—14/A April, 1881.

1657. Fabrics, W. Thacker, Nottingham.—14/A April, 18S1.'

1665.    Air and Gas Burners, J. Lewis, Stepney.—14/A April, 1881.

1666.    Saddle-bar, F. Dovey, Long Acre, London.— 14/A April, 1SS1.

1680. Hot-bed Frames, A. Tyson, Ulverston, Lancaster.—16/A April, 1881.

1706. Mechanical Movement, A. M. Clark, London.— A communication from J. Harris.—19/A April, 1881.

1737. Nut-crackers, L. A. Grotli, London.—A com. from M. Renz and A. Kaufmann.—22/icZ April, 1881.

1776. Vapour Gas, H. Springmann, Berlin.—A communication from A. Badt.— 25/A April, 1881.

1799. Lamps for Bicycles, G. Burt, Birmingham.—26/A April, 1S81.

1811. Treating Vegetable Materials, W. R. Lake, London.—A communication from A. F. I. Bang and C. V. Clolus.—26/A April, 1881.

1814. Button-hole Machines, W. Morgan-Brown.—A communication from J. Reece.—27/A April, 1881.

1S34. Reflectors, H. J. Haddan, London, ideation from C. F. Brush.—28/A April, 1SS1.

1835. Current-governors, II. J. Haddan, London.—A communication from C. F. Brush.—2S/A April, 1881.

1961. Magneto-electric Machine, P. Higgs, New York, U.S.—5/A May, 1SS1.

2237. Displaying Clothing, W. Thomson, Liverpool.— A com. from P. do Ligne.— 23rd May, 1881.

2404. Portable Effervescent Fountain, R. Seagcr, Ipswich. — Sls£ May, 18S1.

2437. Metallic Circuits, E. Edmonds, London.—A communication from G. Mowbray.— 2nd June, 1881.

2636. Stoppers for Bottles, J. Massey, Nottingham. —16/A June, 1881.

2663.^ Rope Presser, W. McGlashan, Leith.—18/A June,

2810. Separating Fluids, F. 11. F. Engel, Hamburg.— A com. from G. de Laval.—27/A June, 1881.

2952. Preparing Textile Materials, L. A. Grotli, Finsbury-pavement, London. — A communication from II. T. F. Hosemann.—6/A July, 1881.

2981. Middlings’ Purifiers, E. G. Brewer, London.—A communication from K. Smith.—7/A July, 1881.

3011. Tobacco-pipe Joints, W. II. Sliarman, Highbury. —8/A July, 1881.

3064. Drying Sugar, A. Scott, jun., J. D. Scott, and T. R. Ogilvie.—13/A July, 1SS1.

3100. Obtaining Motive Power, W. Lake, London.— A com. from E. W. Kellogg.—15/A July, 1SS1.

3112. Packing Tea, &c., E. Ormerod and J. Iligson, Atherton, Lancaster.—16/A July,

3132. Doubling, (fee., Fibrous Materials, J. Horrocks and J. Horrocks, Manchester.—19/A July, 1SS1.

3138. Soap Lyes, F. Versman, New Charlton, Kent.— 29/A July, 1SS1.

3140. Fac-simile Telegraphs, E. G. Brewer, London. —A com. from T. Edison & P. Kenny.—19/A July, 1SS1.

3149. Malt-extract, H. R. Randall, Brooklyn, U.S.— 19/A July, 1811.

3152. Storing Heat, F. W. Webb, J. Rcddrop, and M. II. Foye, Crewe.—20/A July, 1SS1.

3158. Weighing Cranes, L. A. Grotli, London.—A communication from A. Veadiere.—20/A July, 1881.

3162. Paper Bags, J. IT. Johnson, London.—A communication from W. C. Cross.— 20/A July, 1SS1.

■j—o. 1-awing Machines, T. Robinson, Rochdale,—A com from W. II. Smyth.—23nZ July, 1881.

8_31. Commutators, K. G. Brewer, London.—A communication from T. A. Edison.—23nZ July, 1SS1.

³-⁵,L, 8U,P^YING Water> d- Halpin, London.-25/A July, 1SS1.

3263. Skate Attachments, II. J. Haddan, London —A communication from F. Bittner.—26/A July 1SS1

3293. Igniting Gas, A. J. Hallam, Salford, and J. Walsh, Over Darwen.—27/A July, 1881.

3307. Weighing Machines, J. Cluettand W. Hanchard North Bow.—28/A July, 1881.

3342. Railway Sleepers, H. H. Lake, London.—A communication from J. C. Rupp, J. H. Ray, and J. Hassinger.—2nd August, 1SS1.

3421. Making Cigarettes, W. II. Lake, London.—A com. from J. Cowman A G. Frost.—SZA A ugust, 1881.

3477. Type Distributing, H. J. Haddan, London.—A communication from T. Reeve.—11/A August, 1SS1.

1SS1.

12 th

18S1.

1881.

—A commu-

056. Umbrellas, J. Jarman and J. Sambrook, Birmingham.—loth February, 1881.

001. Sheep-racks, &c., E. Thomas, Oswestry.—Kith February, 1SS1.

062. Handles for Rackets, &c.,

Kensington.—16th February, 1SS1.

665. Securing the Teeth of Rakes, P. Pierce, Wexford, Ireland.—Kith February, 18S1.

668.    Bicycles, H. J. Swindley, Kensington, London. —Idth February, 1SS1.

669.    Artificial Bait, J. Richardson, Fetter-lane, London.—lath February, 1881.

682. Cutting Paper, S. Wilde, Hyde, and J. Carter, Stalybridge.—17th February, 1SS1.

095. Steam Engines, G. Sellers, Birstall, York.—Kith February, 1SS1.

699. Digging Potatoes, R. A. Clark, Liverpool.—177/6 February, 1SS1.

702. Floor Cramps, G. Butler, Chiswick.—18th February, 1SS1.

713. Oil Cans, &c., L. Field, Birmingham.—ISf/t February, 1881.

724. Boots and Shoes, L. Morton, West Kensington.— 19 th February, 1881.

SOI. Blasting Compound, B. J. B. Mills, Southampton-buildings, London.—24ZA February, 1SS1.

803. Dynamic Apparatus, Ac., R. Waller, Leeds.—25ZA February, 1SS1.

810. Roasting Coffee, P. Pearson, Manchester.—26th February, 1SS1.

829. Boring Machines, F. Wirth, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany.—26/A February, 1SS1.

1074. Gas-engines, E. Benicr and A. Lamart, Beau-metz, France.—12/A March, 1SS1.

10S1. Making Gas, W. L. Wise, Westminster, London. —12ZA March, 1S81.

1239. Flyers, 1). Fraser, Newry, Ireland.—21sZ March, 1SS1.

1432. Improvements in Water-closets, W. Morgans, Bristol.—1st April, 1881.

1785. Churns, H. Powell, Ruthin, Denbigh. — 26th April, 1881.

1967. Boots and Shoes, W. II. Stevens, Leicester.—6th May, 18S1.

2056. Driving, <fcc , Tacks, W. R. Lake, Southampton-buildings, London.—11th May, 1881.

233S. Stoppers for Bottles, &c., J. S. Davison Sunderland.—27th May, 1881.

2345. Disinfecting Fecal Matter, W. R. Lake, Southampton-buildings, London.—27th May, 1881.

2355. Doubling, &c., Fibrous Substances, T. Robinson, Leeds.—2Sth May, 1881.

2373. Combing Machines, S. C. Lister, Manningham. —30th May, 1881.

2479. Stippling on Lithographic Stones, <fec., W. R. Lake, London.—7th June, 1SS1.

2566. Boot and Shoe Sole Edge Setting Machine, C. H. Trask, Lynn, U.S.—13th June, 1SS1.

25S7. Refrigerating Apparatus, W. R. Lake, Southampton-buildings, London.—14th June, 1SS1.

2590. Grate Bars, W. R. Lake, Southampton-buildings, London.—14ZA June, 1SS1.

2622. Drying Limestone, &c., W. R. Lake, Southampton-buildings, London.—Kith June, 18S1.

(List of Letters Patent which passed the Great Seal on the Kith August, 1881.)

4008. Warming Houses, G. Jennings, Stangate, Surrey.—2nd October, 1SS0.

694. Tool Holders, W. Timms, West Hartlepool.— 17th February, 1881.

769. Cooking and Heating, H. Lecornu, Caen, France. —23rd February, 1SS1.

773. Heating Air, G. Seagrave, Chelsea, and S. B. Bevington, Bermondsey.—23rd February, 1881.

779. Steam Presses, J. P. Cox, Nottingham.—2ith February, 1881.

789. Charging, &c., Gas Retorts, J. West, Manchester.—24/A February, 1S81.

791. Children’s Cots, E. A. Brydges, Upton, Middlesex.—24/A February, 1881.

820. Testing Milk, F. Wirth, Frankfort-on-the-Mainc. —25th February, 1881.

S21. Illuminating Power of Gas, T. Thorp, White-field, and R. Tasker, Prestwich.—2title February, 1SS1.

925. Telephone Transmitters, C. Mosely, Manchester.—4th March, 1881.

945.    Automatically Playing Pianos, J. Imray, London.—5th March, 1SS1.

946.    Printing Lithographic, (fee., Impressions, J. Imray, London.—6th March, 1S81.

1001. Velocipedes, R. C. Fletcher, Tarloton Rectory, Lancaster.—9th March, 1881.

1097. Voltaic Batteries, J. II. Johnson, London.— litli March, 1SS1.

1124. Steam Engines, F. J. Burrell and T. T. Burall, Thetford.—16th March, 1881.

1128. Locomotive Engines, <fcc., F. W. Webb, Crewe. —16ZA March, 1SS1.

1139.    Feed-water Regulators, A. M. Clark, London. —16ZA March, 1SS1.

1140.    Handles for Shovels, A. M. Clark, London.— Kith March, 1881.

114S. Coal Gas, F. J. Bolton and J. A. Wanklyn, London.—167/i March, 1881.

1241. Breech-loading Small-arms, J. Deeley, Birmingham, and J. Edge, Yardley.—21sf March, 1SS1.

1390. Traveller Rings, C. A. Snow, Washington, U.S.—20th March, 1881.

1476. Producing Designs, R. H. Brandon, Paris.—6tli April, 1881.

14S0. Manufacturing Articles from Powdered Substances, II. II. Brandon, Paris.—6th April, 1SS1.

1781. Castors, A. Bell, Edinburgh.—25ZA April, 1881.

1974. Chambers, H. N. Lay, Rumleigli, and 11. Bul-ford, Calstock.—6th May, 1881.

2060. Window Cleaning Chair, A. M. Clark, London. —11 th May, 1881.

207S. Indicating Instruments, F. H. F. Engel, Hamburg.—12th May, 1881.

2394. Electric Currents, S. Pitt, Sutton, Surrey.— 21st May, 1881.

2457. Feeding Paper, J. H. R. Dinsmore, Liverpool, and F. Hoyer, Waterloo.—4th June, 1S81.

2495. Electric Arc Lights, E. G. Brewer, London.— —8 th June, 1881.

2557. Expansion Gear, T. English, Hawley, and D. Greig, Leeds.—13th June, 1881.

2566. Looms, R. Hall and J. Hobson, Bury.—1477t June, 1SS1.

2513. Supporting Wires, H. E. Newton, Clianccry-lane, London.—14/A June, 1SS1.

2772. Cigar Lighters, A. M. Clark, Chancery-lane, London.—24th June, 1SS1.

2774. Supplying, <fcc., Steam, A. M. Clark, Clianccry-lane, London.—26th June, 1881.

2776. Supplying, &c., Steam, A. M. Clark, Chancery-lane, London.—25th June, 1881.

List of Specifications nublished during the week ending August 13th, 1881.

O. E. Woodhouse,

the Patent-office on receipt of the amount of price and postage. Sums exceeding Is. must be remitted by Post-office order, made payable at the Post-office, 5, High Holborn, to Mr. H. Header Lack, her Majesty’s Patent-office, Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lane, London.

flange joint. One hollow piston rod C suffices for the admission and exhaust of the steam to and from each

fHm

ABSTRACTS OF SPECIFICATIONS.

Prepared by ourselves expressly for The Engineer at the office of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Patents.

IK

4606 Binding and Filing of Papers, &c.,

Keenan.—Otli November, 1SS0.— (Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

The binder consists of two outer side hoards or flaps and a back composed of two longitudinal parts and two or more metallic frames, the whole covered by leather or other suitable material.

4868. Pantaloons or Drawers, II. B. Ashford.— 24th November, 18S0.—(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

The waist band is made ribbed so as to give a certain amount of elasticity, and enable it to fit comfortably.

4924. Apparatus for Raising Steam,

Moncriefff.—2(ith November, 1880.—(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

A mass of suitable material, preferably cast steel, is heated to a high temperature in a furnace, and then placed into one or more tubes or flues within the boiler, withdrawing it when cooled.

4994. Construction and "Working of Railway

IF. D. Scott-

Signals, &c., B. C. Scott.—1st December, 1880.— (Provisional protection not allowed.) id.

This relates, First, to the system in which the levers are dependent one upon the other, and consists in providing the frame with two slotted plates, one fixed and tho other sliding, the former having two straight slots, one for each level', and the other corresponding slots in the form of reversed sevens ; the levers work through these slots. Secondly, to the construction of the flexible metallic connections between signals and to the levels giving motion to such signals; and, Thirdly, to apparatus for permanently printing and recording tho time the signals are placed at danger and off danger.

5124. Advertising, F. J. Brougham.—S/A December, 18S0.—(A communication from F. Debaise.)—(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

This consists in the employment of cabs or public vehicles covered with advertisements.

5155. Meters for Measuring Water, &c., T. Soy.— 10/A December, 18S0.—(Void.) 2d.

A cylinder and moving piston which travels from one end to the other of the cylinder by the force of water are used. The novelty consists in the fact that the cylinder is hung on a pivot, so that when the piston has travelled to either end of the cylinder that particular end is the heaviest or lightest for the time being according to the construction of the piston, i.e., the piston by its bulk and difference in its specific gravity to water or other liquids overcomes the balance of the cylinder upon its axis, and thus creates a motion which is utilised for turning on and off the water in many various ways.

5170. Weighing Machines, IV. B. Avery. — 10/A December, 1880.—(Void.) 2d.

This relates to universally adjustable bearing blocks for the knife edges to work upon, so that the strain on each knife edge may always be equally distributed along it, and be always transmitted in a vertical direction.

5183. Ornamental Mouldings of Carton-pierre, &c., P. Bedeau.-—11/A December, 1880.—(Not proceeded with.) 4<Z.

This relates to forming mouldings by circular dies, and consists in the employment of dies in the shape of rings or segments made of an electro-deposited metal film strengthened by a backing of some suitable material as active or working medium, and carton-pierre, with or without a backing of cotton or other cloth, as the material to form the moulding.

5190. Hydrometers, II. MeinecLe.—llth December, 1880.—(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

This invention consists essentially of two regulating contrivances—first, a self-acting crosswise variation of the inlet passage by means of a valve turning 011 a pin; secondly, a movable sectoral disc, by means of which tho size of the outlet opening can be varied.

5236. Steam Boilers, <fec., J. II. Storey.— 14/A December, 1S80.—(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

This relates to tubular boilers, and consists in forming the body of six straight pieces of pipe joined into one frame, four of them forming a rectangle, and the other two placed at top in an angular position, to form with the top a triangle meeting in an apex at the middle. The two horizontal pipes are fitted with tubes.

so as

5369. Combing Machinery, A. Smith, her, 1SS0. (id.

This relates to improvements in that class of machine known as “ Noble’s combs,” or any other comb from which the sliver or top is drawn off from the inside of a circle, and has for its objects the production of more “top” and less “noil’’out of the same weight of wool fed into the machine, and the combing of more fibre in a given time. It consists in the application of an additional nip to the large circle comb, such as drawing-off rollers, a circular or barrel nip, a V or other well-known nip, for the purpose of drawing

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side of the piston, even for a double-acting moving cylinder hammer.

5469. Moulding, <fec., F. Wirth.—20thDecember, 18S0. —(A communication from P. Gallas and II. Aufder-heide.) 8d.

This apparatus consists of a moulding machine, and of an accessory machine for fitting the mould bo exactly to one another. „The moulding machine consists of six principal parts :—First, a press apparatus actuated by special mechanical gearing ; Secondly, a carriage carrying the moulding box, and with apparatus for loosening the patterns ; Thirdly, the apparatus for turning the mould box and pattern plate;

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Fourthly, the press frame with the skimming apparatus; Fifthly, the movable press cover with box for coarse sand; Sixthly, the case for fine parting with automatic sifting apparatus. The drawing shows a section of the moulding machine.

27- Limelight Lamps, A. M. Khotinshj.-i.Lh January, 1SS1.    6 d.

This consists in obtaining light by heating to incandescense some refractory material in the flame of a combustible liquid or gas, which flame is excited by a current of oxygen. The burner is connected at A. with two tubes, one conveying the gas and the other the oxygen, which during their passage are kept separate and mix only where they issue from the burner.

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Patents Sealed,

(List of Letters Patent which passed the Great Seal the 12th August, 1881.)

616. Piston-rings, A. Henshaw, Sheffield.—11/A February, 1881.

OB'. Gas-heated Smoothing Irons, R. Macaulay and J. Lallan tine, Glasgow.—14/A February, 1881.

625. Obtaining Ammonia, (fee., J. C. Mewburn, Fleet-street, London.—14/A February, 18S1.

638. Bicycles, (fee., J. H. Palmer, Aston-juxta-Bir-mingham.— 15/A February, 1SS1.

642. Children s Cots, G. W. Moon, Regent-street, London.—15/A February, 1881.

Securing Handles of Saws, A. J. Drury and R. F. Drury, Sheffield.—15/A February, 1881.

on

4606, 2d.; 4S6S, 2d.; 4924, 2d.; 4994, 4d.; 5124, 2d.; 51oo, 2d ; 5170, 2d.; 51S3, 4d.; 5190, 2d.; 5236, 2d.; 5369, 6d.; 5435, 6d.; 5450, 2d,; 5469, Sd.; 27, 6d; o-’    7S’ Ud-; 79> sdG ss> Sd.; 92, lOd.;

??> %    (xl.; 99, 6d.; 103, 10d.; 109, 6d.; 110, Od.

9d'; 120, Od.; 121, Sd.; 122, 2d.; 123, 4d.; 124, 2d.; ha’ h7, Sj‘; 12S’ 4d-> ¹³⁰> 2d-; 131. 0d.; 132, Od.; 133, Od.J 134, 6d.; 137, 0d.; 141, 2d.; 144, 4d.; 145, 6d.| J-a’ rf ’ ,¹⁴⁷> bdd I⁴⁸. L>d.; 149, 2d.; 150, 0d.; 152, 2d.; lo3, Od.; lo4, 4d.; 155, 0d.; 156. 0d.; 158, 2d.; 160, 2d.; 0 , 2d.; 163, 0d.; 164, 2d.; 165, 0C.; 166, 4d.; 167, 4d.; 168, Od.; 169, Is.; 170, 2d.; 171, 4d.;    172, 4d.; 173,

4d.; 1,4, 2d.; 175, 2d.; 176, 0d.; 178, Od.; 179, 2d.; 180, 10d.; 181, 0d.; 182, 4d.; 183, 2d.; 1S5, 2d.; 186, 0d.; 187, 2d.; 1SS, 4d.; 189, 0d.; 190, 4d.; 191, 0d.; 192, 2d.;    193, 0d.;    194,    4d.;    195,    10d.; 197,    0d.;    198,    Sd.;

728, 4d.; 736, 4d.; 760, 0d.; 1S63, 4d.; 1914, Od.; 1944, Sd.; 1962, 8d.; 1970, 4d.; 2001, 2d.; 2200, 10d.; 2226, 4d.; 2234, 4d.    -

*** Specifications will be forwarded by post from

off the short “ beard ” that is left projecting from tho inside circumference of the large circle by the ordinary drawing-off or nip rollers, and passing the same to the sliver. Fig. 1 represents a plan of the large and small comb circles fitted with the ordinary and additional drawing-off rollers. Fig. 2 is a detailed elevation of one arrangement by which the direction of the fibre as left by the ordinary drawing-off rollers is diverted.

5450. Mechanical Carriage, IV. E. Gedgc.—28/A December, 18S0.—(A communication from E. Autcf.) —(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

This consists in winding up two bars provided with cylindrical springs, which in expanding actuate toothed gearing.

The gas passes through the outer tube F, and the oxygen through the inner tube G. The outer tube is embraced by a spring collar K, to which is fixed a bent rod L, which supports the refractory material N over the flame, its height being adjustable.

65. Electric Lighting, P. M. Justice.—6/A January, 1SS1.—(A communication from II. C. Spalding.) (id.

This invention refers to a former patent (No. 3637, 7th September, ISSO) for improvements in lighting-towns by electricity, and the grouping of the lights. The present patent refers to the subdivisions of each such group. The diagram represents an assemblage of thirty-two lights, arranged in a circle, another arrangement contemplates the use of eight batteries or machines, one to each sub-group of four lights. For instance battery A controls sub-group of 1, 2, 3, i

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5435. Moving Cylinder Steam Hammers, A. C.

Wylie.—24/A December, 1SS0.    6c/.

This relates to improvements on patent No. 11,411, dated 15th October, 1S40_, and consists in a modified form of guides for directing tlic travel of the moving cylinder. Instead of tongued guides bolted to each side of the framing, the elongated ends of two transverse ties E are used across the jaws of the framing to form with the faces of the framing a suitable groove or recess in which the cylinder may slide. The top cover of the moving cylinder carrying the stuffing box is made a solid casting with the cylinder itself, and the lower end or tup cover is attached by a bolted

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lights, battery B 5, 0, 7, 8, and each sub-group is thus separated from its nearest fellow by seven other lights of other sub-groups. Tho inventor claims that by this arrangement fluctuations in the light of one group exercise no sensible influence

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so on. Each light of

142

THE ENGINEER.

Aug. 19, 1881.

n these of another. The number of lights in each sub-group may be varied, but four is in the inventor’s opinion a good number to have.

71. Feeding Bottles, &c., T. Marshall.—6th January, 1881. 6 d.

This consists in making the bottles of two sections or parts, and so arranging the parts that they fit, and by means of rubber or other cushions or washers be put into close contact and made water-tight at the meeting edges.

78. Dynamo-electric Machines for Electric Lighting, /. E. H. Gordon.—Sth January, 1881. 6d.

The inventor’s machine is designed to maintain a large number of independent lights, and to work equally well, if the number of lights in operation be increased or diminished whilst it is in operation. It consists of a number of discs mounted on an axis, carrying at their peripheries cylindrical bobbins of insulated wire arranged with their axes parallel to the axis of the machine and equidistant from it. They are wound on an iron core, and are converted into electromagnets by permanent connection with a direct

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of holes B in its underside intersected by cross-holes C passing from front to back. The box A is raised and lowered by levers D actuated by the operator moving from platform E to F and back. In the vertical holes work the ends of a row of eighty-three punches G. The steel pistons H enter at times the holes C to lock the punches G, and these pistons work in plates K and are pressed forwards by springs and serve both as keys and needles. The plates rise and fall with the box A, and are actuated by levers L. T is the prepared index supported in holders V, at the back of each of which is a rack V actuated by a pinion having certain teeth removed. W are the cards to be operated upon, placed side by side between the plates S. The Second

the plunger of which is connected to the signal or switch to be moved, the valve of such cylinder being actuated by hand lever L in the cabin, the water returns from the hydraulic cylinder by pipe D and flows into a funnel F, and thence back to the accumulator, thus forming a tell-tale to show that everything is in working order.

121. Furnaces for Metallurgical Purposes, Ac., W. P. Thompson.—llfft January, 1881.—(A communication from J. G. M‘Avdey.) 8d.

This consists in improvements in furnaces for burning pulverised fuel, and in combining the hopper A, the screw conveyor B, the cone pulley C, the mill

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vided with a door, which when closed cannot be opened without the use of the staff constructed to act as a key, the hand levers being so arranged that the door can only be closed when the points are in the positions for keeping the main line clear.

98. Steam Generators, S. and J. Dawson.—Sth January, 1881. (id.

This relates to boilers with internal flues, and it consists in mounting a cylindrical water heater D within each flue in the space between the bridge C and the rear end of the boiler. The heater consists of a cylindrical shell with annular ends in which arc fixed the two ends of an inner tube or air flue E. The

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current-exciting machine; the coils may be combined in series or quantity, as required. Between the discs other bobbins are arranged, carried by stationary brackets. They also have cores of a bundle of iron wires or a slit tube. The bobbin is divided by a number of insulating discs like the secondary of a Rhumkorf induction coil. A tube of ebonite is placed between the core and the conducting wire. These insulating discs are usually made of card. The induction bobbins are arranged so that the ends of the cores of the moving electro-magnets pass very close to their ends. From each of these stationary bobbins a separate circuit may be led away to supply a lamp or lamps, or two or more bobbins may be connected in series or quantity for the same purpose. The figure shows an end elevation of the machine. C is the main shaft of steel; D is a brass wheel with cylindrical cavities for the electro-magnets; E E are electromagnets.

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79. Chronographs, A. M. Clark.—6th January, 1881. —(A communication from H. J. Eisen.) 8d.

This relates to a chronograph or instrument for measuring short intervals of time, and consists chiefly for actuating double hands

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in the mechanism resembling “split seconds,” which may be arrested independently of one another, or made to move together at will.

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83. Circular Revolving Measure, H. J. Allison.— 7th January, 1881.—(A communication from M. J. Mourrier.) 6d.

This consists of a circular disc graduated on its edges and revolving on an axis. At each revolution a projection on the disc actuates a pinion gearing with a wheel also mounted loosely on the axis, and serving to indicate the number of revolutions made by the disc. The disc also bears on each face a number of concentric rows of figures, relating to different problems, such as the relation of ciicumferences to radii, of cylinders, Ac.., and the cube of uncleft rough

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88. Breech-loading Fire-arms, Ac., A. M. Clark.— 7th January, 18S1.—(A communication from L. N. Valasse.) 8 d.

This relates to means for preventing grit or dust raised on the march or by the wind, and which may enter the breech mechanism, from interfering with its working, and thereby causing miss-fires ; Secondly,

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rake F serves to clear the space left between the heater and the bottom of the flue. The rear end of air flue E is connected with an elbow-pipe H extending upwards through the back flue, and into it a current of air is inducted by the draught, and flowing through the air flue, passes out of the front end and meets the gases after they pass over the bridge C, the entrance being regulated by a damper I connected to the furnace door.

103. Ventilating and Working Mines and Utilising Gases Obtained from Mines, J. IF. Jlackworth.— Sth January, 1881. KM.

This consists, First, in carrying air pumped above atmospheric pressure into the workings of mines in pipes laid under the floor or thill, and diffusing the said air variously over such mines ; Secondly, distributing the air uniformly, or more or less locally throughout the entire working or any part thereof at pleasure, and confining the air pressure in the workings by doors at the foot of the shafts, Ac.; Thirdly, collecting the air and gases into pipes in the roof or floor for carbonic acid gas over the entire workings or any part thereof, with power to increase or diminish the receptivity of the pipes at pleasure by varying the hole openings or valves for expelling the whole volume through pipes. 109. Lowering and Detaching Ships’ Boats, J. H. Barry.—Sth January, 1881. 6d.

The lowering apparatus is as follows: The boat is lowered by its falls being brought down in a line with the davits through leading blocks or their equivalents. From thence the falls are taken round grooved sheaves and rollers, and are then brought back under a suitable brake by which they are controlled. The grooved sheaves before mentioned are made either with a spiral V groove, or they may be made with a plain

part of the invention relates to so governing the action regulated by certain perforations in one set of cards that the result shall be a compound pattern harmonising together the two distinct patterns, such as ground and figure or otherwise, and it consists in the use of one set of needles with a spur arranged so as to act upon the upright wire of an adjacent hook of the opposite section of the machine so as to throw the hook out of action except when the said needle is pushed back by the absence of a perforation in the card brought in contact with its point.

113. Twisting or Doubling Yarns or Threads, J.

Farrar.—10th January, 1881. 6d.

This relates to improvements on patent No. 2489, dated 23rd June, 1877, in the specification of which reference is made to a bevel wheel formed at the bottom of the trap roller, or boss, or draw drum gearing with a bevel wheel fixed on to a horizontal shaft, and apparatus is employed and described for moving the trap roller A out of gear, whereby rotation of the said roller is stopped. This invention consists in the employment of apparatus for disengaging the bevel wheels B and C above referred to. For this purpose the ordinary single-acting trap lever F is used, which

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acts direct on the trap roller. This trap lever, which is heavier at one end than the other, works upon a fulcrum, and when the machine is in operation, the yarn, which passes through an eyelet at the lighter end of the said lever, keeps the counterbalance end of the said lever clear of the flange or projections formed at the bottom of the trap roller, but immediately one thread breaks the counterbalanced end of the trap lever is brought into contact with the projection formed at the bottom of the trap roller, whereby the wheels are disengaged, the trap roller is stopped, and the unbroken thread or threads break, so that no imperfect operations can proceed.

120. Working Railway Switches and Pistons, J. F.

Bucknill.—10f/i January, 18S1. 6d.

This relates to the application of hydraulic power to

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or mills E, the conical casing G, and the discharge pipes H ; and also in the construction and combination of the injector or feeding apparatus for conveying the pulverised fuel into the furnaces.

122.    Guiding and Controlling the Ascent and Descent of Captive Balloons, T. Martin.—11 (A January, 1S81.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

A small balloon without a car is fixed to the earth by a rope, and its perpendicular relation is secured by staying it to the earth by guys attached to the balloon. By this means the rope and small balloon are maintained in a vertical position, and the rope then serves as a guide for the passenger balloon which is provided with a guide, through which the rope passes.

123.    Fastening Tubular Handles to Culinary Vessels, Ac., F. Ryland.—11 th January, 18S1. 4d.

On to the vessel is cast a socket, the inside cylinder of which is slightly conical. On the sides is formed a recess. When the hollow handle is forced into the cylinder, a hook is put down it and used to force the sides of the handle into the recess.

124.    Raising or Forcing Beer, Ac. , II. Meinecke.— llth January, 1881 .—(Provisional protection not allowed.) 2d.

A water cylinder and air cylinder are placed one over the other, their pistons being fixed on the same rod, and water being admitted to the former alternately above and below the piston so as to cause the piston to reciprocate, and thereby force air from the air cylinder into the barrel, and so raise the beer to the required height.

125.    Gas Engines, II. J. Haddan.- llfli January, 1881

■—(A communication from H. Nix and C. 0. Helbig.) —(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This consists chiefly in producing the gas necessary to drive the engine by the power of the engine itself by using a part of its power for driving a dynamo-electric machine which decomposes water, and in using the oxygen and hydrogen so produced for driving a working piston of the engine in a manner analogous to the application of coal gas for driving an ordinary gas engine, the heat of combustion being further utilised for heating or evaporating the water which is to be decomposed.

127- Revolving Shutters, J. Stones, T. Kirby and E. Phillips.—llth January, 1881. Sd.

This relates, First, to means for lubricating the ends of the roller on which the shutter coils, or for lubricating the spring box or roller. It consists in forming a chamber round each end to contain the lubricant, and from which a pipe leads to a small hole in the end wall of the “ end and Secondly, to the backward and forward motion of the shutters, and consists in forming on the end or side of the plate or pulley carrying the chain a spiral groove, in which works a roller fixed to revolve in a bracket on which the end roller carries the roller on which the shutter coils backwards and forwards.

128. Fastenings for Box-lids, W. H. Chase.—llth January, 1SS1.—(Not proceeded with.) Id.

This relates to furnishing small boxes with the means of attaching a fastening for a padlock.

130.    Pail for Water and other Closets, IV. Martin.—lli/i, January, 1881.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The pail is fitted with a short tube at or near the bottom, which tube is for the purpose of draining off the urine or other liquid and separating it from the excreta.

131.    Valves for Steam Engines, Ac., J. N. Route.—

11 th January, 18S1. Qd.    ,

This relates to supply ana cut-off valves, particularly applicable as a controlling, governing, or supply valve for steam-steering engines. The drawing shows a single valve for supplying and exhausting two cylinders of a steam engine, and it consists of a cylindrical casing A, from the periphery of which ports B lead to the top and bottom of one cylinder, and ports C to the top and bottom of the other cylinder. The bottom of

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to protecting the marksman’s eyes from the fire in the event of a cartridge bursting ; Thirdly, to effecting the automatic lubrication of the breech mechanism ; Fourthly, to causing the hammer to rebound to half-cock ; Fifthly, to enabling the parts of the mechanism to be readily mounted and dismounted. The drawing is a longitudinal section of the gun.

92. Apparatus for Embossing, Ac. , T. J. Palmer and C. F. Dietrich.—Sth January, 1881. lOd.

The printing surfaces of the embossing rollers are produced by casting from the original engraved roller by means of the stereotyping process the pattern or design to be printed. The invention also relates to the continuous printing of any required number of colours or embossed fabrics and materials.

99. Separately Securing under Lock the Corks and Stoppers of Bottles, Ac., T. Burns.—Sth January, 1881. 6 d.

According to one arrangement a collar is placed round the neck of the bottle just under the shoulder, the two halves of such collar being hinged and secured by a screw passing through lugs on each end. On the screw is a shoulder, at the back of which and in the same plane as the axis of the screw is hinged an arm terminating in a link projecting sideways. A circular-shaped lock is fixed to the top of the cork, and serves to secure the link in a locked position.

333

V groove, having projections formed therein so as to nip the falls. Such sheaves are connected by means of two cog wheels or their equivalents, which are so arranged that one cannot revolve without the other. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lowering gear. The disengaging gear consists of two hooks, each of which consists of a standard and movable arm. The standard arm terminates at its upper end in a curved jaw, while its lower end is secured through the keel of the boat in the ordinary manner. Fig. 2 shows a view of the detaching hook.

110. Simplifying the Operations for Perforating Jacquard Cards, Ac., P. T. Lomas.—10th January, 1881. 6 d.

The First part of the invention consists in repeating the lines of perforations from one index or jacquard card on to several jacquard cards in a line in a direction transverse to that in which they appear originally on the index. The drawing shows the machine employed. A is a casing or punch box with a line

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the casing has an exhaust passage D. The inside of the casing has a slight taper, and within it is a ring E forming the controlling or cut-off valve, with ports H corresponding with ports in the admission valve J, which is placed within E, and having steam ports K and exhaust ports M. This valvo is divided by a diaphragm P so as to separate the admission and exhaust chambers. It is worked by spindle T operated from the steering wheel. Valve E is operated by spindle V from the engine.

132. Building Harbours, Breakwaters, Forts, Lighthouses, Ac., ,S. Lake and T. JV. Taylor.—llth January, 1881. 6 d.

This consists in partially forming monoliths or the like in still water or on land by the aid of a double casing, floating them to the position the structure is to occupy, submerging them, and then completing the structure.

133. Supporting and Guiding Caissons or Gates Docks, &c., S. Lake and T. IF. Taylor.—11 Ih 1881. 6 d.

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146. Apparatus for Heating Feed-water in Steam Boilers, &c., R. Cundall. —12th January, 1881.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

A case is provided into which steam is conducted. Inside this case a pipe or series of pipes is fixed through which cold water is passed to be heated, the steam passing around the outside of such pipes.

147- Apparatus for Securing or Locking-up the Contents of Bottles, &c., J. Betjemann.—12th January, 1881. 6d.

A cap or cover is passed over the neck or top of the bottle, and a clip is passed around the neck and under a flange or in a groove formed thereon. A suitable lock is connected to either the cap or clip.

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This relates to means for working sliding caissons or caisson gates now used to open and close the entrance to floating docks and the like, and consists in providing, in combination with the caissons or gates, and above the chamber into which they move, a guidoway consisting of a scries of anti-friction rollers, against which the gates liavo their bearing by reason of the upward pressure duo to their buoyancy in tho water.

134. Tools and Tool-holders, J. M. Bibbins.—12tli January, 1881. 6 d.

One form of tool is broad, flat, and thin, and the holder consists simply of a square or other convenient form of holder, having a single flange or raised edge, which serves to keep the tool from slipping edgoways. Tho drawing is an end view of part of a slide rest with one form of tool-holder and tool, in which the tool C

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lies upon the flat top of the holder, and is held down by the clamps of the slide rest, which are screwed down upon it and the cover in the ordinary manner, the flange B at the side preventing the tool or cover from slipping sideways; by turning this holder end for end the flange will bo at the other side, and the tool can thus get right into a comer against a face, either to right or left.

137. Withdrawing and Returning the Plugs of Urinals, Closets, &c., J. Reffit and IV. Urwin.— 12th January, 1881. 6d.

At suitable distances apart on framework or tubes are moulded two hollow receivers or vessels, and between them the framework or tube is mounted or hung in suitable bearings. The two receivers are connected together by this tube, and are constructed so as to nearly counterbalance each other. Water is admitted through an aperture in one of the receivers or vessels, which is so arranged with regard to its level that the water after passing therein is discharged through the aforesaid tube into the other or second receiver, and fills it to the required extent; when thus filled it overbalances the framework or tube and allows the filled receiver to descend; by so doing it givos a rotary motion to a quadrant or wheel which is mounted in the same bearings as the framework or tube, and to this quadrant or wheel is attached the plug which is caused by the before-mentioned move-

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ment to withdraw from the opening or outlet, and remains withdrawn until the liquid and other matter has passed away. In order to let off the water which has caused the second receiver to fall, and to allow it to return again to its original position, one or more syphons is or are employed in connection therewith, which is or are brought into action the moment tho second receiver falls. A Second part relates to arrangements for flushing and supplying water to the basins or receivers, after the liquid and other matter has passed away. The drawing is a side elevation and part section of the apparatus.

141. Iviln for Burning Limestone, J. Briggs. January, 1SS1.—(2W>< proceeded icith.) 2d.

The body of the kiln is made in the form of an inverted cone as usual, the top being arched over and contracted so as to form a neck. From the top of the neck above the floor level is raised a cylindrical chimney about three or four yards high, leaving openings in the side for the introduction of the limestone and fuel. Outside the chimney are formed a number of pipes or channels for the purpose of supplying the fuel at the neck of the kiln.

144. Manufacture of Waterproof and Vermin-proof Fabrics, TF R. Lake.—12th January, 1881. —(A communication from D. M. Lamb.)—{Not proceeded with.) 4 d.

This relates to a compound for waterproofing which is colourless and odourless.

145. Devices for Covering Water-closet Seats, IF. R. Lake.—12th January, 1881.—(A communication from M. Bonneford.) 6d.

This relates to means for preventing communication of diseases by contact in closets, and it consists of a sheet of paper or other substance which can be moved, and is secured across the seat, the centre having a series of perforations corresponding to the shape of the openings in the seat, so that when the person sits down such part is torn away and falls into the pan, being still retained at one edge, whereby the genital organs are prevented from coming in contact with the closet pan. A fresh strip of paper is pulled forward off a roll and secured at front each time the closet is used.

148.    Venetian Blinds, J. Friborg.—121/4 January, 1881.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This consists in raising or lowering the laths singly by means of screws, with which the ends of the laths engage, the screws being revolved by a chain passing over suitable wheels.

149.    Rowlocks for Boats, S. S. Hazeland. —121/4 January, 1SS1.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

Through the oar a hole is formed to receive a tube and when placed in the rowlocks a pin is passed through the tube and the sides of the rowlocks to keep the oar in position.

150.    Propelling and Retarding or Repelling Car-riages, &c., R. C. Nicholl.—12th January, 1881. 6d.

Tho object is to cause the weight of the carriage and of the passengers to assist in propelling, retarding, or repelling the carnage, and i„ consists in attaching the springs of the carriage to a sleeve mounted on the axle, so that the weight of the carriage shall be made to bear either in front or in rear of a vertical line drawn through the centre of the axles.

152.    Electric Batteries, J. A. Lund.—12tli January, 1881.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The inventor forms a battery of a cell containing sulphuric acid, with zinc lying in mercury at the bottom of the cell for the one element, whilst for the other he uses plates formed of a mixture of manganese and carbon.

153.    Electric Lamps, A. Muirhead and J. Hopkin-son.—12//4 January, 1881. 6d.

This invention refers to improvements in the construction of arc lamps, and also to the preparation of the carbons for incandescent lamps. In Fig. 1 a rod carries upper carbon C, and has cut on it a screw B B and groove D D, the screw working in the fixed nut E E and the socket of wheel F (see also Fig. 2). The socket contains a key S working in the groove D D. F is geared into a lantern pinion G on same axis as the brake wheel H, the revolution of which, caused by descent of the rod, is controlled by the armature K of electro-magnet I. The coils of this latter are connected to the terminals and to tho insu-mu

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lated rod leading to lower carbon, and thus a shunt to the arc is formed. Armature K is kept bearing against II by means of adjustable spring L, the tension of which is overcome by the current in I, and the wheel permitted to revolve whenever the arc is too long. The action is as follows :—Suppose the carbons to be in contact; in passing a current through lamp circuit from XI to X², magnet O 0 will draw down R R, together with lower carbon M, upper carbon C being prevented from following by the brake, an arc will be thus formed. As the carbons bum the resistance of the arc becomes greater and the current in I I greater, until the magnet is strong enough to overcome the tension at L, when II is liberated and the carbon approaches to the proper distance. When great continuity of feed is required a fluid brake is attached to the brake wheel. The latter part of the specification refers to the method of preparing carbon filaments of silk, hornbeam, &c., for incandescent lamps, and the manner of securing same in the lamp.

154.    Iron and Steel, J. A: IIuggett.—12th January,

1881.    4 d.

This relates to steel or iron produced by the Siemens-Martin process, in which a bath of cast iron is raised to a high temperature in a furnace, and being treated with additions of iron scrap and oxide, is brought to a steely condition, in which state it is run into moulds to form ingots, and it consists in the employment of steam to blow the metal whilst it is contained molten in the furnace.

155.    Tools for Cutting Grass, Pruning, &c., I.

Whitehouse.—12Z/4 January, 1881.    3d.

For cutting grass three blades are used, one fixed to the handle, terminating in a plate somewhat circular, and having two holes near the outer edge ; the two other blades are similar, and have two holes each, the inner one for pinning to the first blade a forked lever arranged lengthwise upon the handle, the forks being pinned to the exterior holes of the blades. A second lever is connected to the handle horizontally and pinned to the end of the forked lever; by these levers the blades are worked. Only two blades are used in the tool for pruning, the forked lever being also abolished.

156.    Furnace for the Combustion of Fuel, J. II. Johnson.—124/i January, 1881.—(A communication from M. Peritt.) 6d.

This relates to a furnace to enable fuel in a pulverulent condition, and it consists of a rectangular chamber with a fire-brick lining H, and divided into compartments by partitions I, arranged in the manner

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of baffle plates, so as to cause the flame and gases of combustion to pass in a zig-zag course over the fuel, which is placed on the top partition and moved successively from the one above to the one beneath until it falls on the fire-grate J and is consumed. ’ 158. Producing Architectural Ornaments in Hollow Relief from Rag, Wood, &c., L. A.

January, 1881.—(Complete.) 2d.

* of wood> or similar pulp are reduced in °f f'n¹? 50 deg- to 60 deg. Cent, to a pulpy mass, and whilst continually stirring it 5'50 lb of hwf P’-dvensed chalk, yellow ochre, umber, or bone k added to give tho desired colour and firm-

¹⁶°FORAFARrrA™ F°R THE I?ECEIPT 0F Appliances R R    ; T!lK Extinguishing of Fires,

with.f 2ct 3tl January’ !S81 .—(Not proceeded

mLL-n car™S’e is divided into compartments, the middle one to receive lengths of scaling ladders, while nder the hind part the hose reel is suspended. The iront part forms a chamber for buckets, tools, or other requisites.

161. Regulating the Tension of Fabrics during Bleaching, &c. , W. Birch.—13th January, 18S1.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This relates to a regulating roller placed parallel to drawer roller over which the fabric passes, and

so supported and acted on by springs or weights as to take up any slack in the fabric.

163. Dumping Boats or Scows, H. E. Newton.—13th January, 1881.—(A communication from N. Barney.) 6 d.

The boat consists of two wator-tight compartments A hinged at the outer edges to cross beams B, and fitted with toothed segments C at the ends, which gear with each other and cause the two parts to open

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outwards and close again simultaneously. The charge rests on inclined surfaces, the two parts being secured together by a catch, and when released the load or charge causes the two parts A to open outwards and so disharge it.

164.    Glazing Roofs, J. Mellowes.—13th January, 1881. —(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The roof consists of a series of glass panes arranged in gradations at different elevations so that each row overhangs the one below it. One side of the outer panes of each row fits in a groove in one of the bars of framing, and the side intermediate panes also fit into grooves in the intermediate bars. The several frames between the bars are connected by strips of lead of H section, the sides of the panes entering the grooves on the strips. The panes of each row at their upper ends enter a groove in one of the purlins, whilst at their lower ends they rest on the top of the next purlin.

165.    Carpet-cleaning Machines, J. II. Johnson.— 13th January, 1881.—(A communication from IF. McArthur.) 3d.

The object is to increase the capacity of the machine to insure the carrying off of the dust as it is beaten from the carpet, and to destroy any insects or vermin . in the carpet. In a chamber is mounted a revolving shaft carrying beater straps, and extending across the lower part of the chamber is an elastic bed with a coil of pipes, through which steam circulates and serves to kill insects by heat. A fan draws off the dust, and drawing rollers draw the carpet over the bed.

166.    Stoppers for Bottles, &c., J. Wilkinson.—13Z/i

January, 1881.    4d.

The mouth of the bottle has an external lip with notches or slots, and over it is fitted an elastic cap, with arms projecting downwards and inwards, so as when turned round to take under the lip round the mouth. A special tool is used to form the lip round the mouth of the bottle.

167- Packing for Stuffing-boxes, &c., C. A. Maynard.—134/4, January, 1881.—(A communication from F. Walton.) 4d.

This consists of a composition consisting mainly of oxidised oil and powdered asbestos rolled into sheets and cut into strips for use in packing stuffing-boxes. 168. Piston Rod Packings, II. J. Haddan.—13tli January, 1881.—(A communication from C. C. Jerome.) 6 d.

The drawing is a vertical section of a stuffing box and piston packing embodying, the invention. A represents one head of a steam cylinder, and B the stuffing box, having an outwardly projecting flange C formed thereon, upon the outer face of which is seated the gland D, the latter being retained in place by means of stud bolts. Within tho opening F in the gland is located a packing cone G, which is provided with an outwardly projecting flange or collar II, the latter being seated within an annular groove I formed

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between the stuffing box or gland, and by means of which the packing cone is retained in place. In order to provide for lateral play or movement of the packing cone due to the uneven wearing of the piston or other cause, the groove I is of greater depth than tho width of the flange or collar H. A conical or conveying space J is formed within the packing cone for the reception of the metallic packing ring K, while the outer end of the packing cone is formed to snugly fit the piston rod L. Another follower M is located within the stuffing box, the outer end of the follower being made to correspond in form to the rear surface of one of the packing rings, and form a seat therefor, while the opposite end of the follower is provided with a flange, which constitutes a seat for the outer end of the spiral spring N, the latter being retained out of contact with the piston rod by means of the rear projection on the follower.

170. Trueing up and Finishing Round Bars, Rods, &c., W. H. Brown.—13th January, 1881.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This consists chiefly in a combination of the processes known as reeling and rolling and operating on the bar, rod, or tube at one and the same time.

171- Furnace Bars, C. Whitfield.—13th January, 1881. 4 d.

The bars are formed in one length from front to back, the front portion consisting of two or more bars of ordinary section, joined at a certain distance from the front, and forming one hollow bar for the remaining portion of the length of the bar, through which air passes and mingles with the gases behind the bridge.

172.    Drying Cloth, &c., IF. L. Wise.—13th January, 1881.—(A communication from J. Varinet.)—(Not proceeded with.) 4d.

The cloth passes from one chamber through an opening into a drying chamber, in which hot air circulates, the cloth passing over a series of rollers and then back to the first chamber.

173.    Water-proof and Vermin-proof Textile Fabrics, &c., IF. R. Lake.—13th January, 1881.— (A communication from D. M. Lamb.)—(Not proceeded with.) 4 d.

A compound is applied to the fabric by a brush or sponge, and consists of a solution of paraffin and a hydrocarbon gum dissolved in some solvent, and for each gallon J lb. of chloride of sodium, and Jib. sulphuric acid aye added. The solution is then treated to remove the gases and any acids remaining, wliep it is ready for use.

169. Planing and Smoothing Wood by Revolving and Fixed Cutters, G. Richards.—13th January, 1881. Is.

B is the main table on which the wood rests when passing under the rotary cutters A. C arc loose tables capable of being altered from the plane of table B to the level of the top path of the rotary cutters by segments D, and worms E operated by bevel gearing. The table swings on four yokes G, and the tables C

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are attached by sliding bolts to intermediate tables II, the whole being raised or lowered for different thicknesses of wood by four screws I, placed at each corner of the machine and actuated simultaneously by bevel

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gearing. The rollers N are rotated by power and draw the wood through the machine, receiving the necessary pressure from weights W, resting on the roller bearing frames P. When the wood is on the main table it is held by presser bars, one having a spring adjust itself to the thickness of the wood.

174.    Knife for Preventing Waste in Paring Fruits and Vegetables, J. Briggs.—12th January, 1881.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The blade is semicircular, so that its inner edge corresponds somewhat with the form of the fruit or vegetable.

175.    Heating, <fcc., R. Jackson.—13Z/4 January, 18S1. —(Not proceeded icith.) 2d.

This relates to means for heating workmen’s cans, which can also be used as a lamp. The can has a space at bottom to receive a lamp, and in it a reflector is placed, suitable apertures being left to admit air and allow the smoke to escape.

176.    Hand Stamps, G. J. S. Cooke and E. Hurles.— 13th January, 1SS1.—(A communication from E. Gumbs.) 6d.

This relates to the reversing mechanism of stamps, in which the die when not in use occupies a position under and against the inking pad. Inside, at tho upper part of the frame, is pivotted an oscillating link formed with an excentric or cam slot. Upon the inner side of the link is a stud opposite a vertical slot in tho centre of tho stationary frame. The die is carried on a cross bar, which passes through slots in the inking pad frame, the die plate having an arm with a vertical slot, into which the pin of the link takes.

178. Sifting Apparatuses, C. Pieper.—14th January, 1881.—(A communication from A. Nagel and R. Kaemp ) 3d.

This consists in the combination' with an inclined sieve S, oscillating on pivots P, and operated by tappet wheels N, of an adjusting mechanism, by means of

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which the pivots P may be raised or lowered either uniformly or by a different amount independently of each other.

179. Preserving Food, <fec., E. Jackson and J. Ker-January, 1881.—(Not proceeded with.)

The animal, directly after being killed, is placed in. a heat-proof room, the air in which is dry and pure, and kept cool by suitable means. The meat after having hung a sufficient time is wrapped in cotton steeped in glycerine and placed in boxes lined with cotton, also steeped in glycerine, and when fastened down may be coated with fluid caoutchouc.

181. Husking Rice, &c., J. H. C. Martin.—14th January, 1881.    6d.

A drum with a frictional surface of stone, or of a composition of emery, is used in combination with a plane or curved surface, with an elastic or yielding covering placed in tangential contact with the surface of the drum.

182. Metallic Compounds or Mixtures, H. Hutchinson. —14 th January, 1881. 4d.

This relates to the production of various coloured compounds suitable for the production of works of art, and also for making pipe joints, as well as for other purposes, and it consists in mixing any one or more of a number of substances in a finely divided state with molten sulphur. It further relates to the method of casting such compounds in moulds by causing it to flow in at the bottom of the mould and by rising therein to drive out the air before it, thus preventing the formation of air holes in the casting. 180. Gas Engines, IF. Foulis.—14th January, 1881. 10tf.

The gaseous mixture is compressed in a pump from which it flows directly or through a regenerator into a cylinder of larger capacity than the pump and is ignited as it enters. The cylinder A is divided by a

layer of material of low-conducting power as described in patent No. 2422, a.d. 1880, the front part forming the working cylinder in which the piston works and round which water circulates, while the back part receives the gaseous mixture. The pump C is driven from the crank shaft, and the charge passes from it by pipe X through layers of wire gauze D into the

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a friction clutch, so as to rotate or not with shaft X. This wheel gears with a pinion on the back shaft Y, carrying a mitre wheel B and a large spur wheel C running loose thereon, and having a long boss with two studs at right angles to and on opposite sides of the shaft. On each stud is a mitre wheel D gearing with wheel B, and also with a fourth wheel E on the other side of spur wheel C. The rims of wheels I) pass through openings between the rim and boss of wheel C, so as to gear with wheels B and E. The latter is fixed on the boss of a spur wheel F running loose shaft Y, and communicates motion by wheels to the printing or finishing machine. A friction disc K is mounted on shaft Y, and drives a friction pulley L capable of being moved to either side of the centre of disc K, so as to drive wheel C in either direction and obtaining required variation in the speed of wheel F, which drives the printing or finishing machine.

194.    Manufacture of Cakes, Biscuits, <fcc., W. R. Lake.—Hth January, 1SS1.—(A communication from J. II. Mitchell.)—(.Not proceeded, with.) 4d.

This comprises the following :--First, provision for separating the pan table from the dough or material chamber or box, or vice versa, whereby the connection between the nozzle or outlet of the.box and deposit is broken; Secondly, imparting to the pan conveyer intermittent motions of different extent; Thirdly, providing the dough or material chamber or box witli a piston which alternately ejects and stops the flow of the material; Fourthly, imparting to the piston an additional advance motion on the return from the material box independent of the advance motion into the box; Fifthly, an automatic stop motion to operate when the piston has descended to its full extent.

195.    Close Stoves, II. Doidton and W. P. liix.—14th January, 1881. lOd.

This stove consists of several superposed rings

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stuffing-box D. having gland E, the whole forming a working cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose herein described. (1) In a hydraulic elevator, the adjustable joint connecting the head of the plunger G with the cage, consisting of the collar L and plates M and N fastened together, as a moans of accommodating the casting of the cage, as and for the purpose herein described.

243,406. Electric Lamp Support, Henry C. Sample and Franz Rabl, Philadelphia, Pa.—Filed April 11th, 1881.

Claim—In an electric lamp support, a vertical column or post, in combination with a curved arm at

combination with the support E and slotted bed or table A, substantially as set forth. (2) The combination of the tubular bearing G, havi and stud, screw-threaded shaft F, having crank and fixed collar K, and recessed nut H riding upon the excentric, all constructed and combined to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein

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shown and specified. (3) The combination, upon tho slotted bed or table A, of the adjustable clamping device C for holding the hose, clamping device I for holding the goose-neck or coupling, and mechanism for operating the clamping device I, substantially as and for tho purpose herein shown and described. 243,608. Coupling for Tubing, Peter Patterson, McKeesjJort, assignor to himself and Edmund C. Converse, Pittsburg, Pa.—Filed April 13th, 1SS1.

Claim.—Tho improved union for tubing herein described, formed of the tubing having contracted ends threaded on the exterior, and the coupling

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annular space E formed between the inlet passage and the exterior of a plug fixed concentrically in the passage. The gaseous mixture then passes through passage F into the cylinder. The charge is ignited by a platinum cap heated by an intermittent jet in communication with the pump.

183. Simultaneously Fastening or Unfastening Railway Carriage Doors, A. Ross and S. Palmer.—lith January, 1SS1.— (Notproceeded with.) 2d.

A rod is fitted on each side of the carriage, and is fitted with a projecting arm, which when the rod is turned comes in front of each door and prevents it being opened. The rods of each carriage arc connected by flexible connections, and the whole operated by tho guard from his van.

185.    Furnaces for the Manufacture of Iron or Steel, G. Love.—lith January,1881.—(Notproceeded with.) 2d,

A flue is arranged on each side of and immediately adjoining tho working door, and serves to carry off tho products of combustion and the gases from the metal. Cold air entering by the working door is drawn away by the flues and prevented from acting to chill the heated metal in the furnace.

186.    Self Counter Sinking Wood Screws, A. M. Clark.—lith January,1831.—(A communication from J. Eckford.) 6d.

Tiie underside of the head of the screw is formed with cutting edges and intermediate spaces, which gradually increase in width and depth from the shank to the crown of the head, thus enabling the cutters to clear themselves.

187- Masting and Rigging Boats, &c., A. M. Clark. —14111 January, 1881.—(A communication from J. McLeod.)—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The mast is hung so that it may swing sideways on a fore-and-aft axle supported on the thwart of a boat, so that the mast may incline to leeward under a squall. The heel of the mast is in contact with an arc extending across tho boat hull beneath the thwart, the lower point being supported on a block secured to tho keelson, while its arms extend upward and outward through tho thwart near the ends. Tho arc consists of a tube having an adjustable spring coiled about each arm.

188. Sewing Machines, J. C. Mewhurn.—lith January, 1881.—(A communication1 fromE. Antoine.) id.

This relates to means for heating the shuttle thread; A is the support of the shuttle carrier B, C the shuttle chamber or box, G the frame of the machine, D is a

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tho top, said arm projecting over the curbing and partly over tho roadway, and an electric lamp adapted to be raised or lowered to or from the end of said arm, and at all times insulated therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

243,415. Air Brake Apparatus, George Westing-house, jun., Pittsburg, Pa.—Filed April 1st, 1S81. Claim.—(1) Tho method of combining a compressed air system of brake apparatus and an automatic system by connecting the brake pipe of the former

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spondingly threaded and fitted around the contracted ends, the exterior of the coupling being approximately of the same diameter with tho body of the tubing, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

243,634. Feed Gearing for Machine Tools William Sellers and J. Sellers Bancroft, Philadelphia, Pa., said Bancroft assignor to said Sellers. —Idled March 29th, 1SS1.

Claim.—(1) A spiral pinion, a sliding spur gear, and a clutch, in combination, for transmitting and arresting feed motion, substantially as for the purposes set forth. (2) A spiral pinion, a sliding spur gear, and a

forming chambers and containing smoke and air passages. Tho drawing is a vertical section of a stove. 197- Treatment of Saccharine Liquids, &e., W. R. Lake.—14 th January, 1881.—(A communication from G. B. Boomer.) Od.

This relates to apparatus for evaporating saccharine liquids so as to separate the saccharine matter from the water, and also for separating and removing the scum in the manufacture of jellies and syrups. The liquid is forced through a series of independent pipes

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with the exhaust port of the latter, substantially as set forth. (2) A cock K, having an exhaust pipe Z, in combination with the brake cylinder and exhaust pipe of an automatic brake apparatus, substantially as sot forth.

243,417- Fluid Pressure Brake, George Westing-house, jun., Pittsburg, Pa.—Filed March 31st, 1881.

Claim.—(1) A pair of valves arranged in the lines of communication from a power chamber to a brake cylinder, and from the latter to tho external air, in combination with an electrical apparatus adapted by the making or breaking of the circuit to shift such valves simultaneously, the one to an open and the other to a closed position, substantially as set forth. The valves D D¹, arranged on the opposite arms of a lover E, pivotted. on a rock shaft, in combination with

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toothed clutch, in combination with the latched lever G, substantially as described. (3) A spiral pinion, a sliding spur gear, and two toothed clutches, in combination with the lock lever A, substantially as described. (4) The lock lever A, in combination with tho reversible stop F, substantially as herein set forth.

CONTENTS.

The Engineer, August 19th, 1881.

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tube lodged in the shuttle carrier. At the end this tube is bell-mouthed, and below it is a gas flame E, or other heating agent. The hot air and products of combustion pass from the tube D into the chamber C by an orifice at Dh

189.    Taps or Valves for Beer, &c., J. K. Starley.— lith January, 1881. 6d.

This consists of an outer tube inserted in the barrel or vessel, and having holes to allow the liquid to pass into it; and also an inner tube sliding within the former, and which has holes to correspond with those in the outer tube, when the inner tube is pulled outwards. The front end of the inner tube has a hole for the escape of the liquid.

190.    Treating Caoutchouc and Gutta-percha, B. Edmonds.—14th January, 1881.— (A communication from G. M. Mowbray.) id.

This relates to means for preventing tho decomposing changes taking place, and consists in heating the gums with melted naphthaline at a low temperature until perfect combination takes place, and subsequently removing every particle of the recipient by spontaneous evaporation.

192.    Spinning and Doubling Cotton, &c., J. Mounsey. —14<7t January, 1881.—(Not proceeded with.)

This consists in an improved mode of constructing the bolsters in which the spindles revolve. The outside of these bolsters are provided with rings, washers, and collars for supporting the bobbins and regulating the drag according to the counts of yarn being spun or doubled.

193.    Driving, &c., Machinery for Printing, Calendering, and Finishing Textile Fabrics, W. Mather.—lith January, 1SS1.—(A communication from Messrs. Shaeff'er, Lalance, and Co.) 6d.

This relates to a method of driving and varying to

A open at both ends and surrounded by a steam jacket, the liquid passing in at one end and out of the other into a reservoir B connected with the next pipe below (passing through a strainer plate in the reservoir), and so on through the series; F are the steam pipes to heat the pipes A, in which screws can be made to revolve so as to force the liquid through.

214.    Firing and Working Furnaces for Pottery, II. Tooth and A. Wilson.—17th January, 1881.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This relates, First, to improved methods of heating furnaces for burning or baking pottery, and consists in firing the furnace by gas combined with jets of air ; and Secondly, to placing the wares to be heated so that the flames or heated gases from the furnace have access to them and pass amongst them.

215.    Machinery for Boring, Facing, and Chasing Taps, &c., B. Sutcliffe.—17th January, 1SS1.-—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

A rotary spindle is employed, one end carrying cutting, boring, or chasing tools, the other end being eived in a tube or hollow shaft provided with a rack and gearing with a ratchet wheel worked by levers so as to advance the rotary spindle and cutting tool, and by the lever power applying the necessary pressure to the tool.

PAGE

The Manufacture of Russian Sheet Iron .. 127 Trials of String Sheaf-binders at Derby.

No. II. (Illustrated.)..............

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers at

Newcastle..................

Hoe’s Printing Machinery. (Illustrated.).. .. 129

The Paris Electrical Exhibition........

Letters to the Editor—■

Gold Losses and Future of Indian Gold Mining

Oligarchical Government of Technical Insti-

127

129

132

.    ..132

132

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SELECTED AMEEIOAN PATENTS.

From the United States Patent Office Official Gazette.

2d.

243,391. Hydraulic Elevator, William H. Milliken, San Francisco, Cal., assignor of one-half to Fredk. N. Wood.—Filed August 13th, 1880.

Claim.—(1) In a hydraulic elevator, the combination

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armatures E¹ and electro-magnets M, substantially as set forth. (3) In combination with auxiliary reservoir Rl and compressing apparatus for keeping the same continuously charged with fluid pressure, a brake cylinder C and an interposed electrically-operated valvular apparatus adapted to apply and release the brake power by breaking and restoring the electric circuit, substantially as set forth.

243,477- Straw-burning Furnace, Jesse Walrath, Racine, Wis., assignor to the J. I. Case Thrashing Machine Company, same place.—Filed May 31st, 1881.

Claim.-—(1) The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the ordinary fire-box of a steam boiler and an auxiliary fire-box outside, under tho waist of the boiler, communicating through said ordinary firebox with the flues of the boiler. (2) The combination, substantially as before set forth, of tho ordinary fire-

TUTES ..........

Strong’s Water Heater..

Steel Castings ......

Railway Matters......

Notes and Memoranda

Miscellanea ........

Leading Articles—

New Guns ........

Steel v. Iron Cargo Ships Drying Hay and Corn by Artificial Means. 136 Electric Light at the Great Northern

Station, King’s-cross.......

The Comparative Power of Coal .

The Durham Plate Trade.....

Ancient Water Supply Works ..    .

Niagara Suspension Bridge.....

Brakes v. Reversed Locomotives .

.    .. 132

.    .. 132

133

.    ..133

133

135

135

136

.    .. 136

.    ..136

.    ..136

.    .. 136

136

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L Complet? Instructions for the Design of Spring and other Safety Valves

Books Received ..............

Linley’s Safety Padlock. (Illustrated.) ..

The Italian National Exhibition at Milan .. 137

Preventing Ships from Sinking........

Contracts Open—

Indian State Railways. (Illustrated.)......

The Iron, Coal, and General Trades of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and District .. 139 Lancashire

.    .. 136

.. 137 .. 137

138

138

139

Notes from

Notes from Sheffield........

Notes from the North of England

Notes from Scotland........

Notes from AVales and Adjoining Counties .. 140 The Patent Journal Abstracts of Patent Specifications. (Ulus.) 141 Abstracts of American Patent Specifications.

(Illustrated.)..............

Paragraphs—

Bristol Trade and Mining School........132

Naval Engineer Appointments

139

139

140

110

III

132

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any degree the speed of machinery for printing, &c., textile fabrics, and it consists of a wheel A fitted with

of the open bottom well lining A, through which the well is bored, plug B, placed after well is bored, and

box of a steam boiler, the plate projecting forward from the rear end thereof, and the auxiliary five-box under the waist of the boiler, communicating with said ordinary fire-box. (3) The combination, substantially as before set forth, of tho ordinary fire-box of a steam boiler, an auxiliary fire-box under the waist of the boiler, communicating through said ordinary firebox with the flues of the boiler, and tho damper trolling the opening of communication between the fire-boxes.

243,589. Machine for Inserting Goose-necks and Couplings into Flexible Hose, John F. Mallinck-rodt, Denver, Colo.—Filed April 4th, 1881.

Claim. —(1) The hose clamp or holder C, having handle Cl, locking stirrup D, and nutted rods B B, m

con-

The Chinese Government has ordered from Germany war material to the amount of 15,000,000 marks, and further orders are expected.

South Kensington Museum.—Visitors during the week ending Aug. 13tli, 1881:—On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Museum, 11,783 ; mercantile marine, building materials, and other collections, 6990. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, admission 6d., from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m., Museum, 2012; mercantile marine, building materials, and other collections, 700. Total, 21,491. Average of sponding week in former years, 20,600. Tota from the opening of the Museum, 20,245,661.

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