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(For description see page 478.)

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the opposite sense, tends to diminish it In.ihe£otto wing j*«m    difficulty’whatever frJm the brakes creeping on. The giving the plaintiff the fall benefit of his rights, neither of the two

Sesame sign^Ti. and’thTm^mber withM₇ the opposite    Tn^X^^    F^sTn ^e'SSoaLioITOR^GENnEfAL replied Although it had been said

48 -

4* (M₃ -m₂) -

sign. The moment at any point at the distance * from C is patent^O. &welbkS arfangemS    of old lings was a

48

— M-. Therefore we write—    Either Sie<uist’s or Mclnnes’ would have been good practical brakes good subject for a patent Although every part of Mr. Westmg-

48-#

Mr]

+ S-'« = K J S, 48 Working this out with J = 2000, and. substituting 1 (M, — M„,) for M₇ from (19), we have—

⁵    y₄ E = 0-51 (M₃ - Ms) . . . (20e)

In pier B D we must, for reasons stated above, assume M₄ > M₃, and the member with the moment M₄ — M₅

xdx.

without equalising valves. Cross-examined by the Solicitor- house’s invention was old, he would show that the oombination was ™Tlirr,P wassnent over the toggle joint question, new. He quoted the case of Otto v. Linford, to show that so small SiSeiiSgmjthinl” ^^ wSA his Jatcnt to a thing .. ‘the letting in of . little more air by one man than by the Vacuum Brake Company ; received a royalty on his patent, another into the cylinder of a gas engine was a good subject for a dated 7th November, 1878. Much time was expended in ascertaining patent, because an improved result was produced As to not whether Mr Kinkll called the Hardy sack a cylinder or not. putting Mr. Westmghouse m the box, it signified nothing, because Further confusion was caused by the fact that in the printed specifics he would have said just what Mr. Imray and Dr. Hopkinson said, tion the word “ Sder >’ was sometimes put in inverted commas, Defendants were wanted to wait a little longer for Mr West-tion tne    y    invention consisted in fitting an air- ing house to come from America, but they declined. Before

4s

because this was drawn

must have the same sign as

to the right of D under the assumption that M₄ - M^is positive, and because that moment tends to increase it, while M₈ tends to diminish it. We have, therefore

from which, with (19)—

thdit 'sleeve to the piston-rod of the well-known Hardy cylinder. 1874 no apparatus at all like Westinghouse’s had be^ worked Witness did not work his brake quite as defendants did; he had no by any human being. No witness had suggested that before

Vat

110

auxiliary reservoirs; it was not necessary, because he had a second that date apparatus like either plaintiff s or defendants had

• vr l    n cjnEqiifnfp A double-beat valve was used been worked at all. Although Steel and Mclnnes had aj^plied

xdx.

because two’tnjn pipes wer’e’empioyed. °On 1Jie Great Northern for a patent _ before Mr We.tmghon.e, they have not de-RaOway only one train pipe is used; but flap valves are fitted, like scribed their invention. Mr. Westrnghouse had applied for a the one^r ef erred to before; had seen brackets to carry a lever in the patent and described his invention. Between _ I860 and the one relerrearo e ,    straddling rods on 1874 no one ever thought of using Siegrist’s invention m any way.

+hakv-₁n¹csSomaDdet in 1863 The arrangement was a triangular lop- Siegrist never suggested the storage of force under each carriage.

Wed pyramid while the    qiangularV^ecl Sieirist’s invention could only do a little bit of what festinghousc

siaea pyiamia,    n nQionf taJ    nf1S80 bv Mr had in view. Mr. Westinghouse wanted a storage of force undei

y₃ E = 060 (M₄ - MJ . . ■ (20A)

cannot integrate mathematically,

, and put

the sum of those for each span equal toy, E,ys E, &c., as shown at the bottom of the table, Fig. 12. lhe refer-to Fig. 13 is here again sufficient for the correct choice of the + and — signs.

To make this still clearer, we assume that, not knowing what was right, we draw in Fig. 13 the elastic line, and its tangent according to the dotted lines. y₂ is now increased by positive moments, and ys is increased by

negative moments. The expressions with M would therefore now appear with their signs reversed, and the lesult

would be that y₂ and ^ _

those they had before ; if the — sign, the assumption wrong; if the + sign, it was right.

The equations already stated in the table are as follows:—

yt E= — 246 + 0-815 M,........

E=+ 2023-1-732 M,-0981 M₂

y₂ E=-1979 + 0-985 M, +1*334 M, ...

gg-y, E=+6239-1*955 M,-1*208 M₄ ...

y₂ E-0’51 (M₃ —M₂)    ............

y₃ E=+6187-1*208 M₃-1*955 M₄ ...

F/eXm STS £    S"our^e. Siegrist l„d no such idee. Noboly before 1874 h.d

In the girder, where we

M# A X

we

state for each lamina the value of

?«edhCdefend>nts. The Judge interposed, and elicited from tlio ever suggested the auxiliary reservoir for storing force under each qnltitnr.rLral that they believed the valve used by defendants carriage. [Mr. Moulton here interrupted the Solicitor-General to o« fivaf rlpqprihpd bv Gresham After some discussion the Judge say that it was admitted by his own witness, Dr. Hopkmson, that

Aspinall was the auxiliary reservoir was quite old.] The Solicitor-General re-examined by Mr Webster. There was no difference between explained that although the auxiliary reservoir was old, m a sense, le exa    y    ,    •> wmratp reservoir    it was quite newm this combination. He disputed altogether that

ence

Mr° Fisher crave a little evidence of interest. He is carriage it was an old thing with regard to brakes. Nobody but Mr. i ’ o mvi em^orin+prirlpnl-of the Taff Vale Bailwav. In 1881 the Westinghouse had described the use of auxiliary reservoirs company adopted a brake substantially like the defendants. They under each carriage. . What was Mr. Westinghouse s mven-} „j.    ? Emoa hail valve but thev found it slow in its action tion ? It was a combination which had never before been pro-

— duced, and all the denunciations of Mr Westinghouse were so Brake Company they were supplied with india-rubber balls much much dust raised to hide the true issue. Steel and Mclnnes brake, l, Wit-11 thpsp the brake works properly. In cross-exami- counsel contended on a point of law could not be put in as antici-Tfnne ;    TOR GenJb vl h“Taid tES the light ball went pation. A discussion here took place between Mr. Justice Denman

110

y₂ have now signs contrary to

The trains so fitted had made and the Solicitor-General as to tho definition of what was a proper subject for a patent, the cases of Harrison v. the Andersten ⁷°Mt° Shotton^ assistent locomotive superintendent of the Great Foundry Company and Clarke v. Adie being cited. The pith and ■NTnrfViprn ltailvvav said that thev had a complete train of twelve marrow of the plaintiff’s invention was patentable, contended Mr. Northern Railvvay, said t a y    l    Webster, and this was the working of the apparatus by means of

“alvv Se syys to    kept 5 off iKr If tli the euxiiiary reservoir in communicationthe brake cylinder

was

ejector ceased to suck it closed at once, and the brakes went on. and with an equalising apparatus so that the brakes should not be

“V believe fiat wc have new given all the evidence worth

’’’oilthe^ninth day, Mr. Wedstkii^Q^O^, began^hU^reply^for^_the jj^^g^hte^Mr.^Westinghouse^had inveid,ed^a^bet|er^thing.^Th^e

defendants.    n Patents a Combination of old° parts, his Webster was quite different from the leakage valve in other patents,

e aim’'h „i.ed^hejSjtata of old    ft^MnSL S' M SS,S£SS

•a n

‘''e X t] Sf knbmakm, ^ £ jgA-jj ** ^ ^ *5^ S* '&    tt[‘ fSS.*S2STS

I -(20)

— y₃ E= — 808 + 1*334 M.+0 985 M(i ...

y₃ E = 0*66 (M₄ — Ms) ............

y₄ E=- 924 + 0-981 M, +1*732 M₀ ...

E = + 885-0-815 M(i......

Eliminating y,, y₂, yand y₄, we obtain six equations containing the six M, and from these the following results:—

patentee^Siply says to the public, I claim the combination of A, the plaintiff. They had in this pipethmughwhichtheyexhausled i> ami r all of which are old in order to infringe you must take the air, a branch communication, which he said was similar. They l’l +1. rin'rta and von do not infringe unless you take those three had a valve as the plaintiff had. Now, what kind of valve was nartsl PThe question was did Mr. Westingholse claim that which that ? Was it a valve so arranged that it would serve the equa P *    i +n in fLo vparo 1873 and 1874 Counsel then turned lising purpose which the plaintiffs valve served, because, if so,

he was entitled to in the years 1873 a IT .    ,®d    to gay that t hey inevitably had his combination. Their own witnesses

th^drawing whiclltheyhad put in was not ^correct representation of admitted that it was a ball, resting normally away from its seat;

60

““ SiSilHofelbel‘    t\tbp^Sd^edTldTK    fo.

85^*

wouSi act „    cqudi. ing valve,    SLK5    ' He’Xl

fnends the    Z*L “ad been minded to put a small was meant by the witnesses was that the valve kept off its seat by

M. =325; M, = 1461; M.,=2028; M₄ = 15/3;

M, =569; M(i = 562;

and with equations (19) M-= 283; Ms =502.

These values have been plotted in Fig. 11, and all the moments are now determined by drawing the closing lines. Putting the values for M into equations (20), we find with E = 10,000 y, =0-0018ft.; ys=0'029ft.; y₃=0 065ft.; y₄ = O'OOlft. If the calculation has to be_made for a different position of the moving load, equations (20) would be used, but the members containing numbers only, i.e., 246, 2023, 1979, &c., would be different.

Errata.—Page 356, line 18,read: + 3194eand - 2553c-, instead of - 3194e and + 2553c-. Lines 21 and 22 read : 0'000176, instead of 0'0023.

holelnstoadTof'a'valvl—-arfarrangmnen^welT^nownin 1873 and its own weight till brought up by a ^trong current of 1874—the oneration of the brake would be identical with that air. A valve, no matter what size, say, a pins head, if it had a

i • i v. +    ,,i vivi+ifi Politbo in 1872 worked a brake with load on it, was a loaded valve. To say this was a ball valve and

claimed by plaintiff. Bolithom 1872 workeaa^ Drure ^ ^ a loajled valye was a mere play upon words. As for Steel and

compresse air,    P con8idef ganders’ patent—see page 466. Mclnnes, it was all very well to say that it was the same thing if

SfwR ff. t true Snlv ®vr; drawiS of X application°of his turned ok the side. Steel and Mclnnes did not turn it on the side,

spread his    £    .    .    trinle valve there was exception among the witnesses was Mr. Barton Wright, but he was

»dVuJingB«.etie, ol »,1 tile manager fpAbe defe.ld,,nt=. B»t the engineer of the Midland a iiaDinty oi i    Wpatirurboiise used a double-ended check had [iad tp invent an linprovement. TJiey said that they had

talv” Tto^aheacteTS theb»me wayas his other vilve ae an tried the flap valve. Then Oresham bad patented the valve, valve. . X    Tiwaaflpspribpd innatent No 1735 Uptothetime and claimed as one of the advantages that it vas a

eqnalisingvalve. It was described m patent    defendants bad leakage valve. He then argued in favour of the Westinghouse

o/coming into Court the plaintiff aUe|ed that ^Oetenua    farake rigging_ It tfff:cted a smau but important improve,

LEGAL INTELLIGENCE.

valve for ncrmitS the Lape if fluid leaking into the pipe of the ment on Chapin’s ideas in that it gave a lighter and better ariange-valve for permitting tfie escape oi nu    c7|arKed sufficiently to ment. What the plaintiffs were now using was the same as

brake cyhnder, excep- when s ^ P P te — S    because    Westinghouse’s, but they said this was the same as Chapin’s ; but

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE—QUEEN’S BENCH DIVISION.

Before Mr. Justice Denman and a Special Jury.

LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY COMPANY.

This great case has reached the end of the first act. Many days have been spent in the examination of witnesses and the speeches of counsel, and upwards of forty models have been put m and discussed. Counsel for the plaintiff were the Solicitor-General, Mr. Aston, Q.C., Mr. Davey, Q.C., and Mr. Chadwy’CK Healey; for the defence, Mr. Webster, Q.C., and Mr. Moulton.

In our last impression we brought down our report of the proceedings in this case to the fifth day, when the examination of Mr. Dean, of the Great Western Railway, took place. The defendants called a large.number of witnesses, who, however, went over and over the same ground. It must be borne in mind that neither the judge nor the jury was supposed to know anything about brakes, and there were four distinct explanations to be given them—that is to say, they were told by the plaintiff (1) what the plaintiff’s invention was and how it worked; (2) what he considered the defendants’ invention to be and how it worked. Then the defendants, when their turn came, told judge and jury (3) what their invention was and how it worked, and (4) what they considered to be the plaintiff’s invention and mode of working. As nearly all this had to be done by witnesses, it will be seen that an immense time was occupied in dilating on matters perfectly familiar to engineers. We believe, indeed, that those who have read our report of the trial cannot have failed to see what the issues are; and if we add that the witnesses on opposite sides took opposite views they will be in possession of the facts. The trial was very free from excitement; indeed, the endless repetition of evidence became extremely wearisome after a time. Possibly it served useful purpose clearly perceptible to the legal mind, although not to engineers. The jury protested on the eighth day, and asked if they were to be kept day after day listening to the same evidence. To them replied Mr. Justice Denman that he had done his best for them, and could not stop it. It was excessively difficult to interfere, as if either judge or jury attempts to do too much in the way of shortening a trial, a new trial is often the consequence.

they⁰ could’put’ no E? S box t^.ay tt defSnl, were they did not use Chapin's, but Westingl,nose's which proved that they count put no.one 11    Ve of an ordinary kind is a, Westinghouse’s arrangement was better than Chapin’s; an

infringing    V,,    ] i,ag a function of performing improvement in fact, and therefore a good subject for a patent,

WESTINGHOUSE V. THE

loaded valve, if a ball v„affve JbTrb it must have X'rwisc Wl,y did they not do tliis before? Because Mr, Westinghouse was this maryciious beneficial wt, which it    then Me™ the first to show the way. The Court adjourned at this point,

they could not suggest that d    absolute and complete On the tenth day the Solicitor-General continued his address,

Steel and Mclnnes patent >    tlien traced the simila- which he concluded in about half-an-hour. Mr. Justice Denman

anticipation of the plaintiff s Counsel then^itraced turn ^ thcn summed up> and put the following questions to the jury :-As

nty between the two bra cs g    .Jiff's invention were to patent No. 1540. (1) Is the plaintiff’s invention as regards the

stated «iat the essentialfeatures the plairGutt s m e n    COI£bination of Clairk 2 new? (2) Is it useful? (3) Is the fourth

a cylinder fitted wjth a piston and connected at one ena ro i    . the patent of 1374 new ? (4) Is the fifth ditto ? Then as to

tram pipe, at the other end to ,a“    Ynd^the res4rvoir which 3840 of 1873—(1) Was the combination in Claim 4 new ? (2 Was

W    the combination in

-» -ft* KJS5J? ^hSfbtlS^SrSShS    ^ u Sfflm thatyitfX*not inf ringed; Ti f that

*» ]‘h claim of the patent 1874 wf pet    (5) that the

mict cTLfcr enS' S?    'to \ iifS.“l™7 .bitted" hi. ef the leakage or equalmng valve but that they have infringed

™nd and said ball valves were not commonly used horizontally; the matter of brake rigging. Certain points of law having to be but Dr’ Hopkinson plaintiff’s own witness, said ball valves were argued, judgment was not pronounced. We need haraly say that well known as working in all positions. Then Mr. Imray had said it is very unlikely that we have heard the last of this remarkable that if the ball was used vertically it would not infringe, but that j trial, it could not be so used ; but Mr. Barton Wright proved that he had used them vertically and upside down, and it made no difference ;

t.hev acted nerfectlv well. Mr. Aspinall stated that he had run it    ... ...    , , ,

on an

some

incline of 1 in 45 and all he wanted was a valve that would The Development OP ELECTRIC LIGHTING.—An intelligent lad shut tieht As to “ creeping on,” it had no existence, so they did of seventeen, with a decided mechanical turn of mind, has been not want ‘a valve to prelent it. Creeping on, according to Mr. teaching his elders how to ‘‘ light up. This youth, a son of Mr Dean of the Great Western Railway, never occurred with the E. Storey, ironmonger, of Oundle, has for twelve months past lit vacuum brake but it did with the Westinghouse brake. The up his father’s shop and premises, economically and well, with the No 1540 patent of plaintiff’s was a useless patent. The defend- electric light, and gas, we understand, has not been in use there ants proceeded on entirely different lines, and if the plaintiff’s since. To the credit of young Storey it must be added that he patent were construed to include defendants’ then it would be also made the engine which drives the electric lighting machinery, hopelessly bad.    —Martincau cind Smith's Hardware Trade Journal•

KAILWAY MATTERS.

The largest locomotive ever built in America is now being made in Sacramento by the Central Pacific Eailroad. The engine and tender will weigh 105 tons, and will be 65ft. 5in. long.

The South Australian Government have agreed to pay Messrs. Walker and Swan £5000 in settlement of the claim made by that firm of £10,000 for widening the cuttings on the Nairne Railway.

The nine o’clock train from London to Manchester on Saturday came in collision at Stockport with a train of empty carriages which were being shunted out of the way of the express. Six new carriages and one new engine will be wanted.

The .South Australian Ministry are seeking to pass a Bill to authorise the construction of a railway from Adelaide to Willunga. The length of permanent way which will have to be constructed is 27* miles, and the estimated cost is set down at £378,800.

The Tasmania Legislative Council has passed the Bill authorising the construction of the railway from the main line to Oatlands— four miles. This will be of the Government seems Council.

NOTES AND MEMORANDA.

MISCELLANEA.

i very light line. The railway policy now to be generally accepted by the

Two passenger trains are now running daily between Semlin and Pesth, leaving Semlin at 8.25 a.m. and 2 in the afternoon. Trains arrive at Semlin at 1.40 and 7.14 p.m. The express train covers the distance in eleven hours. The Belgrade and Semlin ferryboats run in connection with all the trains.

Two engineers of the Paris, Lyons, and Mediterranean Railway have made the discovery that the rails on the line between Marseilles and Rognac have become strongly magnetised by the friction exerted by the passing trains. The magnetisation is not appreciable until the fish-plates are removed and leaves the rails soon after they are taken up.

^Uesda? ^le. Cirencester section of the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway was opened for passenger traffic amid great rejoicing. This new line connects directly with Southampton and. the south coast a very large district of country, from which previously there was either no railway communication or railway communication only by very circuitous routes.

A BLOCK occurred shortly before one o’clock on Saturday afternoon on the Metropolitan District Railway, through the side rod of an engine snapping in two just as a train was leaving Charing-cross station, for the Mansion House. It became so twisted that it was fifty minutes before it could, be taken off and. tlie train proceed thus causing an annoying delay at the busiest part of the day. ’

The New York correspondent of the Times says: “ The steamer Alaska, from New York, yesterday carried to England seventy British ironworkers recently discharged from the Paterson Locomotive Works owing to the want of orders. They intend to go to the Clyde shipyards, returning because the prospect of American employment is but slender. This case has aroused comment, but it is believed to be an exceptional one.”

In New South Wales the tender of Messrs. Proudfoot and Logan, for constructing the Coal Cliff to Wollongong Railway ®t,e₀¹¹™’ is the lowest, and lias been accepted, the amount being ibolb,o2o. There is one tunnel 1056 yards in length tract commences 34 miles from Sydney, and' ends at 60 miles 15 chains, being a length of 26 miles 15 chains. The amount of the contract is exclusive of the cost of permanent way materials, station buildings, water supply, and compensation for

any

some

The con-

The chairman of the Stockton and Darlington Steam Tramways Company, at the annual meeting held at Stockton on the 15th mst., reported that the average running cost of the Merry weather tramway locomotives working their Stockton lines amounted to the very small sum of 3£d. per mile. These results, we believe, surpass those obtained on any other tramway line, either in the United Kingdom or abroad. The Merryweather tramway engine on the Dewsbury, Batley, and Birstal lines are also, we are informed giving excellent results.

Loud complaints are being made in (Queensland at the delays in the conveyance of produce on the Southern and Western Railway I he rolling stock is quite inadequate for the traffic, nor are there sufhcient goods trams to keep the stations from being blocked up with goods. Below the range special goods trains have been put on, but even with this the receiving stores are crammed. It is evident that a single line of rails is not nearly sufficient for the traffic at that end of the colony, and, as a second cannot be laid down on the present track without widening the bridges and tunnels—an enormous and very costly undertaking—the absolute necessity of connecting the Killarney and Fassifern lines should force itself upon the authorities as a work which must soon be undertaken.

The

Patent Shaft and Axletrce Company, of Wednesbury, who lias obtained a large sale in Canada for its steel tired elastic wrought iron railway wheel, claims that its -wheels, which are taking the place of cast iron wheels in America for passenger traffic, although high in first cost, possess superior merits to the cast iron chilled railway wheels in general use in the States. These latter are cheaper, hut are inferior in wearing power. Mr. Herbert Wallis, mechanical superintendent of the Grand Trunk line, reports that the average mileage of 828 wheels for the first turning has been 73,566 miles, and these are still running The highest mileage obtained from the first turning lias been 228,643 miles, and the highest total for any wheels now in the 474,311 miles. Since numbers of railway engineers in the States are now preferring the steel-tired wheel to the chilled wheel for passenger service, there is good reason to expect that the patent wheels will be used on the States lines; but chilled wheels still hold their own in the States for freight car service.

service

On Monday the French Chamber took up the Public Works or special Budget. The vote of 3,300,000f. for the Senegal Railway was sharply criticised. It was argued that in four years 33 kilometres of line had cost 3o millions; that the rails were rusting in the sand; that 2000 lives had been sacrificed; that 100 kilometres licicl still to be constructed, in ci hostile region; and that there would never be the smallest traffic. M. Rouvier replied that a considerable portion of the outlay had been upon forts, of which four out of five were already erected; that 100 kilometres of railway out of 12o were completed; that the mortality had only been 350; that a staff of Europeans and Moors had been engaged for the coming season; and that France would be discredited by the abandonment of the. enterprise. The proposal was rejected by 234 votes to 197. This decision marks a reaction from the colonial extension mania, which a few years ago led to the Flatters Expedition for surveying a railway from Algeria to Senegal, via Timbuctoo—an expedition massacred almost to a man.

“ Yes, this is a pretty lively place, I admit,” said the station agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Elizabeth, N.J., to a reporter ot the National Car Builder, as the Pacific Express went tliunder-jag by- Take such a spot as this, where two roads like the .Jersey Gentral and the Pennsylvania cross each other, and things can t be very sleepy. How many trains pass here in twenty-four hours Well, on ordinary days we have about 380, but there have been times when the number has reached 400. These are express trains, way freights, through freights, excursion trains, and coal trams, rushing by at all hours of the day and night. That flagman out there has no soft thing.’ It would be a great convenience to him if he was cross-eyed; for he has to look in four directions at once in order to keep out of the way of the trains. He can’t do, as I ve known them do at some junctions—attend do<* fDhts round the corner for a drink He must be right there’ every moment while on duty, or lose las position. Not only are the lives of the passengers m his hands, but also the lives of hundreds of

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It is stated that the sea weed Zostera 'marina, or “ wrack,” can be made to yield by treatment with mineral acids, a substance resembling horn, capable of being manufactured into forms, and of receiving colour from pigments. This substance is called algin,” from alga, the generic name of one common species of sea weed. The crude material can be obtained in large quantities on all exposed shores, and, the Scientific American says, its preparation for ultimate manufacture is a cheap process.

The coal-fields of New South Wales are among the richest and most extensive in the whole world. In 1829 the quantity of coal raised was 780 tons; in 1882 it was 2,102,281 tons. The value of the coal obtained in 1829 was £394; in 1882 it was £944,415 12s. 8d. The total quantity of coal raised during the period, from 1829 to the end of 1882, was 25,978,132 tons; yet the real stores of coal have scarcely been touched, and there are many miles of valuable coal land awaiting the capital and labour.

At a recent meeting of the Royal Society of Dublin, Professor G. F. Fitzgerald, F.R.S., read a paper on the quantity of energy communicated to the ether by a variable current. The author shows that an alternating electric current, if it produces radiations of the nature of light—as it would do upon the most probable interpretations of Maxwell’s electro-magnetic theory of light— would radiate energy equal to mi x N⁴ x 10 - ²⁹ ergs per second, where m is the magnetic moment of the current, and N is the number of its alternations per second.

Notwithstanding the abundance and richness of the iron ores of New South Wales, the only works in operation are those at Lskbank, in the Hartley district, at the base of the western side of the Blue Mountains. The last published return shows that during 1882 the Eskbank Iron Company made 4320 tons of pig iron, valued at £15,120, against 2737 tons 12 cwt., valued at £10,950 8s., in 1881; finished iron, 2139 tons 9 cwt. 2 qr. 20 lb., valued at £23 330 19s. 6d., against 3351 tons, valued at £31,056 12s. 6d., in 1881; and castings, 1016 tons 16 cwt. 3 qr. 22 lb., valued at £1773 3s. 3d., against 220 tons, valued at £401111s. 8d., for 1881.

M. Jacquelain has endeavoured to procure a pure carbon for electric purposes that should be as hard and as conductive as gas carbon. He first takes gas carbon, which he submits to four processes (1) Treatment with dry chlorine at a red heat for thirty hours; (2) treatment with hot alkali for about three hours ; (3) immersion in hydrofluoric acid—one to two of water—at a temperature of 15 deg. to 25 deg.; (4) carbonised by heating strongly , January number of the English Illustrated Magazine con-in the vapour of a high boiling hydrocarbon, for commercial pur- . ns among a number of beautifully illustrated articles, one of poses gas tar will do well. All these operations may be performed interest on Rivers and River Gorges of the old world and the new, after the carbon has been cut into sticks. By these processes, A 1 rofessor Archibald    Geikie.    It is    of    much    interest    to geologists

which do not seem to bo new in any particular, the Scientific    well    as    engineers,    the formation of    the great gorges and canons

American says, the impurities have been reduced to a minimum, °f Colorado being here described with much clearness, and and a good, pure carbon is obtained.    showing    what enormous forces were at play in their production.

A report on the tensile strength of a Vertongen-Goens cast The seaport, of Aber, Cardigan Bay, has been offered for sale by steel wire rope, as shown by test made by Mr. D. Kirkaldy for auction. The population of the town is 2000, and the estate put Messrs. Cowdy and Co., New-street, E.C., gives the ultimate UP for sale comprises 400 houses, four chapels, two schoolrooms a strength of a rope 4'625in. in circumference, having six strands, townhall, and market place, together with harbour and dues. The and consisting of twelve outer wires and seven inner ones O’OOGSin. manorial rights of Llyswen, having a sea frontage of seven miles mameter, making in all 114 wires on a central hemp core, as ar*J the rights of shooting and fishing, were also put up in a lot’ £"f,8701b., or 62 tons. The rope weighed 19'75 lb. per fathom, or together with a large quantity of building land. Colonel Lewis 3‘2J lb. per foot, or a little less than the weight of square bar steel offered £24,000, but the estate was withdrawn, lm. square. The sectional area of the wires is 0'728, and of the 114 wires 0'8299, which does not seem to agree with the weight, and the discrepancy is, no doubt, due to very minute error in measuring the diameter of the wire, this measure being squared and multiplied by 114. Taking the area as 0‘83, the ultimate strength comes out at 7 4'7 tons per square inch.

A useful rheostat has been devised by M. Trouve, the well-known Parisian inventor. It consists of a German silver spring inclosed in a nickel-plated tube, the spirals not being allowed to touch each other, and insulated from the tube by a pasteboard sheathing. Inside the spring is a rubbing contact formed of a metal rod split into four parts, like the split plugs of a resistance box. This rod is graduated in divisions. The current enters at one end of the spring, traverses it, the rubbing contact, and the graduated rod. When the rod is deeply inserted into the spiral coil, the current only traverses a few turns, and the resistance in circuit is very small; but when the rod is pulled out, the number of turns inserted is considerable. The divisions on the scale tell the number of turns in circuit. The device is employed by Trouve in connection with his polyscopes to regulate the strength of current supplied by a small Plante accumulator.

Some idea of the size of the colony of New South Wales may be obtained by contrasting it with the areas of other countries which a^c more largely known. It contains an estimated area of over 310,700 miles, which is more than the whole of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. If the Netherlands were added to the list, the whole of these countries combined would be only about 4923 miles larger than New South Wales, which occupies but little more than one-tentli of the Australian o7an~0ntinent' Yet while the population of these countries is 86,904,625, that of New South Wales at the end of 1882 was only 817,468, or less than quarter the population of London. Belgium, r^in cMSrhmited area °f 11,373 mile3, contains a population of 5,519,844, or about six times as many inhabitants as are to be be found m New South Wales, with a territory fifteen times as large. Everything that is naturally grown or produced in these countries is also grown or produced, often in greater abundance, in Aew South Wales, which is practically a repetition of Southwestern Europe in the Southern Hemisphere.

The weight of a cylindrical iron wire one mile in length and Tvru,°Lne.oh/ia resistance at 60deg. Fah., is called an ohm-mile.

£    first iron telegraph wire was specified to give an ohm-mile

of 55001b., it is now obtained as low as 45201b., and the maximum resistance specified at 4800 lb. The ordinary best puddled iron is at present used only for fencing purposes, but a mild English Bessemer steel is largely used for railway telegraphs and for stays ; however, the resistance is very high, owing to the presence of manganese. The wire used by the Post-office is made from Swedish charcoal iron, with an ohm-mile resistance of about 4520 lb.

Swedish Bessemer, or a specially prepared low-carbon English Bessemer, is adopted by the Indian Government, with an ohm-mile resistance of about 50001b. Cast steel wire, with a breaking weight of about 80 tons to the square inch, has been adopted on £ omniLent ,.r, telephone currents, with an ohm-mile resistance or oUUU lb., while in England, where speed of working prime consideration, and length of span negligible, electricians are satisfied with a breaking strain of 22 tons on the square inch ; in the Colonies, where long spans are essential and speed of working not so important, the specification was 30 tons on the square inch.

The following are the heights of a few of the tallest steeples :— oio££ KarninF t?wer’ 179ft.; Baltimore, Washington Monument,

Ij-ii Montreal> Notre Dame Cathedral, 220ft.; Boston, Bunker Hill Monument, 221ft.; Montreal, English Cathedral, 224ft.; Paris,

Notre Dame, 224ft.; Bologna, leaning tower, 272ft.; Cairo, minaret ot ,?Sl1"® ®f ^iltan Hassan, highest Mohammedan minaret in the world, 282ft.; New York, Trinity Church, 284ft.; Florence, Cam-pamle, or Giotto’s Tower, 292ft.; Lincoln, Cathedral, 300ft.;

Washington Capitol, 307ft.; Venice, Campanile, 322ft.; New k n ,    ⁸ Cathedral—to be when completed—330ft.;

F-or£e£Cht\^thedLal~formerly 364ft.—338ft.; Florence, Cathedral,

3o2ft.; Milan, Cathedral, 355ft.; London, St. Paul’s, 365ft.;

Brussels, Hotel de Ville, 370ft.; Lubeck, Cathedral, 395ft.; Ant-werp, Cathedral, 402ft.; Amiens, Cathedral, 422ft.; Hamburg, St.

Mmhael s, 428ft ; Landshut, St. Martin’s, 435ft.; Cairo, Pyramid of Chefren, 446ft.; Vienna, St. Stephen’s, 449ft.; Cairo, Pyramid of Cheops—-original height, 480ft.—450ft.; Rome, St. Peter’s, 455ft.;

Rouen, Notre Dame, 465ft.; Strassburg, Cathedral, 468ft.; Hamburg, St. Nicholas, 473ft.; Cologne, Cathedral, 511ft.; Washington Monument—intended height as given by the Scientific American—

Some workmen have discovered a splendid grotto, containing marvellous stalactites, at Roisin, near Mons.

r he Eastern Telegraph Company has concluded an arrangement with the Government to establish communication with Suakin.

The whole of the network of the Belgian telegraphs will be appropriated for telephonic communication within a period of four months.

The new gunboats Dolphin and Wanderer, built by Messrs. Raylton Dixon and Co., of Middlesbrough, left the Tees for Sheerness on the 11th inst.

The gasworks at Clayton, near Bradford, were entirely demolished during the gale last week, over 200,000 cubic feet of gas being liberated and ignited.

Messrs. E. V hitby and Co., of West Hartlepool, have this year built twelve vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 21,199 tons. Tins is about 700 tons less than they turned out last year.

The depressed state of trade has made it necessary to close all the coal pits along the Monongahela River, near Pittsburg. This week work will be suspended in 75 pits, and 6000 men will be rendered idle.

M. G. Trouve lias fitted small incandescent lamps to the jewelled heads of canes and other objects, supplied by a bichromate of potash battery carried in the pocket. It is said that the light thrown by a large diamond is sufficient to read by.

A fire, which soon assumed great proportions, broke out in the night of the 17th inst. at the Royal Dockyard, Lisbon. The training brig Camoens, a new vessel just about to be launched, was totally destroyed, and several depots were burnt to the ground. There was no loss of life, and none of the dockyard staff sustained any injury. The damages are placed at £100,000.

The bore hole put down on the north side of the Tees by Messrs. Atkinsen and Co. in search of salt has now been definitely discontinued, after having penetrated to a depth of 1200ft. without success. It is believed, however, by certain experienced geologists that another 200ft. might lead to the discovery of coal, and an attempt is being made to form a syndicate to provide the means of testing the validity of this belief.

A new type-writer has been brought out by Mr. F. W. Ticehurst, of Colmore-row, Birmingham, which he claims possesses several points of improvement upon the American Remington machine. In Mr. Ticehurst’s invention the letters are india-rubber types arranged on the edge of a portion of a wheel, the position of which is changed by the key-levers, so as to present the required letter opposite a slot in a protecting shield in front of a roller on which the paper rests. The pressing down of a key both turns the wheel and then presses it on the paper, which receives the impress of the letter opposite to the slot.

1^ ¹³ reported that the extensive premises recently erected on the J yne by the North-Eastern Marine Engineering Company, Limited, and which were fully described in The Engineer, have been acquired by a syndicate for the purpose of forming a company for the manufacture of engines and boilers on an extremely large scale. It is also intended to provide graving docks capable of adm itting the largest class of steamers. The title of the new com-patyj will be the River Tyne Dry Docks, Engineering, and Boilermaking Company, Limited, and it will probably be the largest concern of the kind on the North-East coast.

Under the heading “Look out for Leaks in Ammonia Ice Machine Pipes,” the Scientific American says :—The cellars of a Cincinnati brewery are cooled by ammonia gas, carried through them in pipes. A leak recently occurred just outside the cellars, and the gas was set free under the stables, forming in the moist atmosphere hydrated ammonia, intensely corrosive to animal tissues. In a few seconds this began to act upon the lungs and eyes of the horses, and sixty-six of them were soon dead or dying. Even some street car horses passing were said to be so powerfully affected that they fell to their knees, and were with difficulty roused to drag a car and its passengers out of danger. One man, standing near the stable door, was seen to fall, but was rescued by those who had noticed it from a distance. This singular accident should impress upon those who have the management of ice machines the necessity for great care and watchfulness, that we may not some day have an accident in this line as serious as the blowing up of a steam boiler can sometimes be.

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The following, taken from our columns of twelve years ago, is now of interest to bicyclists and tricyclists“ The practical value of the velocipede as a means of locomotion has been thoroughly discussed in a well-considered paper by Mr. Lauder, C.E., read before the Liverpool Polytechnic Society. As advantages and disadvantages of bicycles, tricycles, &c., are very equally balanced as compared with each other, Mr. Lauder’s conclusions may be considered, the Mining Journal remarks, to apply equally to all kinds of velocipedes. Tlie velocipede possesses no advantage; that is to say, a man can with equal exertion walk or run quite as far in a day of eight hours as he can travel with a velocipede in the same time. Mr. Lauder, being a velocipedist himself, has given the velocipede all the advantage in the argument that was at all possible, yet he can only show that, although for a journey of a few minutes’ duration a good speed of twenty-four and a-half miles per hour may be obtained, not more than thirty miles in the day of eight hours can be traversed. Mr. Lauder is of opinion that, as of travelling, the velocipede has very little chance of coming into use, although as an instrument of healthful exercise it is worthy of consideration.”

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The iron trade of Belgium is in an exceptionally depressed state for want of orders; and ironmasters have been casting about for something just to keep their works open during the winter. They observe that iron sleepers arc largely used in Germany, where they are ordered in lots of 20,000 and 30,000 tons at a time, whereas in Belgium the trials made were not considered to give good results. They attribute this circumstance to the attempt to make iron permanent way for the same price as one with timber sleepers. The economy due to the use of the iron results from the greater duration and the reduction in labour for renewals, xvhile the old iron is always worth something for working up again. M. Sadoine, of the Cockerill Works, convened a meeting of ironmasters at tho Grand Hotel, Brussels, when it was agreed to petition the Minister of Public Works to institute on the State railway a fresh series of experiments with iron sleepers, and to entrust a trial order of 1500 to 2000 ton3 to each of the principal ironworks, one-third of the price to be spread over five years at the rate of interest to be agreed upon. M. Victor Giiliaux, president of the Association de Maitres .de Forges de Charleroi, undertook to hand the petition to. the Minister. The ironmasters rely upon the Minister’s well-known solicitude for the welfare of the working class to give this proposL tion a favourable consideration.

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together with flanged joints. The head of water is 40ft. The water superintendence ; and, with the exception of the tunnel, the railway has is collected from two valleys, and conducted to the mouth of the | been completed, supply pipe by wooden troughs of the following dimensions:—From

main valley, lft. 5in. by llin.: from branch valley, 1ft. 5in. by 9in.: .    „    _    _    ....    ...

incline of troughs, 1 in 250. The average supply of water in dry ^smuTiON OP Civil Engineers of IRELAND -Atthe annual meeting .,    .    v⁶. inn u- r i.    •    °    . “f .    .    ot the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland, held in Trinity College

weather is about 400 cubic feet per minute ; m the [wet season it is lagt week; the Malling. medal wsas preSented to Mr. J. Angelo Fahie, C.E ,

much more. With 400 cubic feet of water per minute the supply pipe for paper on “Magneto and Dynamo-electric Machines,” read during can be kept full by opening only three guides by means of the sluice, the past session.

The number of revolutions, up to a pressure of 20 lb. per square inch Meteorology.—The second of a course of lectures on “Meteorology,” in the receiver, varies from seventy to seventy-five ; as the pressure by Mr, W. Marriott, F.R.M.S., was delivered on December 13th, in the increases the speed is reduced until 601b., the maximum pressure, is reading room of the Society cf Engineers, Victoria-street, Westminster, attained, when forty revolutions per minute is the usual speed. This Mr. Charles Gandon, vice-president of the Society, in the chair. Mr. it will maintain, and supply sufficient air to work two rock drills and Marriott described the method of constructing isothermal charts, and

by the aid of such charts for January and July, he showed > the distribution of winter and summer temperature over the globe. The range of temperature is much greater over the land than over the sea. The highest monthly average temperature known is that of May for ....    . ,    , , .    ,    .    , ,    ,    ,    Massowah, 99deg.; and the lowest is-56deg. at Werchojansk in Janu-

901b. per square inch, but is not required to work at over 601b. thus giving an extreme difference of 155 deg. The lecturer gave pressure. A safety valve, pressure gauge, cocks, and unions for screwing gome interesting particulars of extremes of temperature, and of the on flexible hose pipes, are provided. The receiver is placed 1300ft. great fr0sts that have occurred in this country. The lowest tempera-from the entrance of the tunnel, and the air is conveyed to it from the ture of the air which has been registered in these islands was - 23 deg. at compressor in cast iron pipes, and from the receiver to the rock drills Blackadder, Berwickshire, on December 4th, 1879. After pointing out in the headings in flexible india-rubber pipes. The rock drills used in the importance to the engineer of a knowledge of the temperature of the the tunnel were made in the Akabane Works, Tokio, by native workmen, soffi especially in relation to the laying down of water mains, the lecturer and act efficaciously. It is not the author’s intention to claim any- oave an account of the distribution of the currents and surface tem-

! perature of the sea. The instruments used for measuring the effects of solar radiation having been explained, the sunshine recorder was described, ,    ,    .    ,    ,    .    .    and some of the results obtained from it were given. The lecturer con-

by, and is now in entire charge of, men who eleven years ago had not c;uded by referring to terrestrial radiation, and giving an account of the seen a railway or machinery used for making them. The line was practical use which is made of nocturnal radiation in India in the presurveyed by Japanese engineers, and all the works were under their j paration of ice.

ventilate the tunnel at the same time. The air receiver was made in the Kobe works. It is cylindrical, with flat ends, and is stayed longitudinally. The plates are x\in. Lowmoor iron. It is 9ft. 6in. by 3ft. 2in., butt jointed and double rivetted. It was tested to a pressure

thing original or novel in the design of the turbine or compressor, but to record the fact that the whole work has been made and erected

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AIR-COMPRESSOR AND TURBINE FOR WORKING got out in the drawing-office of the locomotive department, by native ROCK DRILLS AND VENTILATING YANAGASE , draughtsmen under the supervision of the author ; and the whole of TUNNEL, JAPAN.*    the work, patterns, castings, and forgings, were made and fitted in

By Benjamin F Wright M Inst C E    Kobe locomotive works by native workmen, under the supervision of a

The Yanagase Tunnel is situated on the’ Tsuruga-Nagahama section of Eur0Pean f°re.man and *he a«thor- No European artisan was engaged the Imperial Government Railways of Japan, which line with its pro- on any part ofthe work. The compressor consists ofthree cylinders,

iZid oXfteNinhon ^,“^1 ^h Westem eaS!f?    of the the funnel isl20 miles" from Kobe and communication ""beyond

S£b °lSPhn<^Je tunmfi, when comp]let,^d, wiH be 67 chains in Ri fif mJ1 is difficult and sl’ the only means of carriage

S hDh frnm C „    n f •“ i • £.Plerce8, a.^ being across Lake Biwa, fifty miles, then by a mountain road, steep,

^ One face only is being worked at    narr^w and h. Furtherf complicated and    intricate machinery was

K ₊l⁶T⁸fl° ya^ds haf been ““P" an h™d    undesirable, as the entire works are in charge    of native engineers and

of Tnrip 1880 The    ?n Vere cfl°3t^ence on, e .    workmen, no Europeans being permanently employed on this section,

^avel Id dLcSl b^,S« tb    decomposed granite, which is’onl visitid periodically by the author and the resident

SJe of    engineer stationed at Kobe. The middle portion of each cylinder is

remainder of the stuff to be excavated ccmristed oV haTd Trappean ?ast with a Aange on each side, and when all are bolted together these rock, with veins of water and clay. The ventilation became defective, Jorm the front of the cooling tank The air chambers answer admirably;

and the air vitiated to such an extent that the miners’ lamps would not tbe valve8are    ^ and    nDff- fit ? Wf that D°f

burn, and the only means of boring the hard rock for dynamite a>r passesthem. Stopcocks are provided for cutting off either one of charges was by hammer and chisel An ordinary fan worked by a ^e cylinders or all of them The cooling tank is supplied with water waterwheel,    the wind being conducted to the headings by tin pipes,    was    fT,tl?e h°^™> a?d a constant circulation is    kept up. The turbine

tried, but    found not to give sufficient ventilation The work in    the    ^el has thirty-six buckets ; it was cast in    one piece, and weighed

headings was, therefore, suspended in August, 1882, until a new air- 1 4011 ¹⁷ ‘!wt‘ when finished and bored. _ This casting proved a difficult compressor, driven by a turbine designed for the purpose, was completed. 0ae’ ? th,ere ZT U° u™ mnet^ cores’ and ^ required great This was erected in October, 1882. The original designs for both Care ^ tbemfl aU “ P^, P?8ltl«ns 5 the result was a perfect

turbine and compressor were made by Mr. E. G. Holtham, M. Inst. C.E,. ^Tvf⁸    iTbe, bend f¹^    a    and a

late Principal Engineer of the Southern section of the Imperial Govern- f°r,the shaft «f wheel ; the guides, eight in number are covered by ment Railways of Japan. The details and working drawings were a«lnice, which can be regulated by a rack-and-pmi^ working m a water-^    6    6    I tight box. The supply pipes were made m lengths of 6ft. for con

venience of transport; the inside diameter is 1ft. 8in.; they are put

* From the ‘ Procee lings,” l_o..tit;on of civil Engiueeis.

THE SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS.

IRON SHIPBUILDING.

It is also rumoured that it will be endeavoured to

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of Science and Art, in a paper on National Association of Millers, propounded the same views, viz., that the germ and bran of wheat should be removed from the flour. He reasons: “Firstly, that their retention does not add to the nutritive value of the flour, as, although they contain nitrogenous or flesh-forming compounds, yet their removal only lessens the percentage of these bodies from 11 '0 to 10‘5 per cent,, while, as they contain a large quantity of cellulose, the residual flour, after their removal, is richer in starch by over 4 per cent. Secondly, the bran and germ contain bodies which, in the presence of moisture and warmth, act rapidly on the starch, converting it into sugar and dextrine, and thereby lowering the quality of the flour and the loaf of bread.” But following the example of Dr. Graham, and using our own common observation, what do we find? That, as he says, labouring men who have to work demand white bread. The author is well acquainted with all parts of the kingdom, and can testify that the purest bread is to be found, either in the chief manufacturing districts, or where—as in Ireland—the labouring classes depend to a very great extent on bread as their daily food. Again, if the offal of wheat contain so abundantly the bone and sinew and power-producing properties claimed for it, why does it not secure an exceptionally high price, and become a chief article of food for our labouring horses ?

The formation of the berry.—The constitution and formation of the wheat berry has made the perfect separation of the flour from the offal most difficult of accomplishment. By kiln drying oats and then passing them through a millstone set rigidly at a correct distance apart, the husks come off quite easily, leaving the kernel to a great extent intact. The same applies to peas when dried ; the then brittle bran comes freely away with a slight touch of the stone. The skin of the oat, bean, pea, &c., separate from the kernel by being dried. The bran of wheat, though rendered brittle by the same means, does not become detached, unequal shape of the wheat berry also prevents the bran being removed by outside application. Decortication has long been attempted, but has failed. When most perfectly done so much of the ends of the wheat containing good flour has been rubbed away with the bran, that the loss from its being mixed would be ruin to the niiller. Ev

en were it not so, and all the bran rubbed at last off the grain at its smallest diameter, leaving merely a round ball—like pearl barley—remaining, the branny crease would be found still left untouched, nearly dividing the hall, and thus proving decortication imperfect. Having shown that the bran cannot be taken from the kernel, the author will now proceed to explain why the millstone is being superseded by the roller mill for taking the kernel from the bran.

Millstone milling and its defects.—Millstone milling, as nearly universally practised here, has been as follows:—The wheat, after passing through the usual wheat-cleaning machines, is ground between a pair of millstones, and the latter are set sufficiently close

immense

on the Continent.

“ new

was

gigantic mills, and they introduced what they called the process,” but this system has also been superseded. The French excelled for a long time as millstone millers, principally by means of dressing their flour very finely through silk, and now they also, though late, are turning their attention to the roller mill, finding that fine dressing cannot eliminate the bad coloured bran flour made by the stones.

Roller milling and its merits.—Roller milling was first successfully carried out in Hungary, and it gradually spread througn Austria and Germany. It was introduced into this country about 1874. In 1877 the author organised a party of British millers to visit Austro-Hungary; forty gentlemen went, were kindly received by the leading millers of Vienna and Buda-Pest, the best mills in these towns were thrown open to them, and knowledge gained then which has been of service—speaking personally—ever since. It was not until 1880 that the first complete roller plant was started in America, but so enterprising are the millers there that already most of their principal mills are working on the roller system. The author has distinguished the new milling from the old by calling one the roller, the other the stone system, and this conveys a correct impression of the difference, as the semolina and middlings made in both cases, when worked by gradual reduction, are purified through very similar purifiers, and the flour dressed through exactly the same description of dressing machines. The machines used in a modern gradual reduction roller plant are, roughly speaking, as follows Five or six successive fluted roller mills to detach the kernel of the wheat from the bran, leaving the latter with no flour—commercially speaking —remaining on it. The broken wheat from each roller mill is followed by a dressing or sifting cylinder, which .removes the flour, middlings, and semolina, and sends the overtails in its turn to the next roller. The flour from the first cylinder is almost invariably kept separate, it being, though small in quantity, of very bad quality. The abstraction of this flour is one of the advantages claimed for gradual reduction milling. The bran from the last fluted roller goes straight to the bran sack, and if examined by the side of the millstone brand, is found to be much less polished, showing that it has been subject to much less friction. If wheat be imperfectly cleaned, the “ beard ” is left on, but millstones in the operation of grinding rub it nearly all off, whilst in roller bran much of it can be found remaining. One great merit of the roller mill gradual reduction system is, that whilst the bran is under treatment in order to have the kernel removed, but very little flour is made, as compared with millstones, whilst at the time it is much better in quality, showing again the absence of excessive friction. The semolina, middlings, and flour from the various breaks are next treated—together in some cases, in others separately—to a course of dressing, sizing and purifying. The largest pieces of the kernel are in this country called semolina, and these are operated on generally with gravitation and wind purifiers of various kinds. The fan of these machines creates    a current of    air,    which    carries off the    light

branny    particles which    are    mixed    with the pure. The

smaller products of the kernel, called middlings, are usually by preference treated over what are called sieve purifiers—he., sifters covered with silk gauze, through which currents of air are made to pass. The difference in the specific gravity of the pure particles of fine middlings and those which are wholly or partly offal is so slight that the most delicate treatment is absolutely necessary. The lightest, and consequently lowest, quality of particles mixed with the good middlings are carried off by the air currents; the medium, though not carried off, are prevented by the air from falling through the silk meshes, and they finally pass the tail of the sifter. The middlings which pass through the sieve are pure. The semolina and middlings being now freed from all possible offal particles, the pressure necessary to reduce them into flour is applied by smooth rollers, with their small points of contact, instead of by the large surface of the rougher millstone. The larger semolina has the germ present with it, and its gravity being equal to that of the pure particles, the wind purifier is unable to separate it. This germy semolina is therefore crushed lightly through smooth rolls, and then dressed through a silk dressing machine. The germ being flattened, passes away at the end of the dresser, and thus is prevented from mixing with the flour and lessening its value to the purchaser. All the other middlings are dressed through silk after crushing, some portions of them requiring to be rolled and dressed more than once, before all the flour they contain is procured. Many little amplifications and modifications of treatment take place, which, though easily pointed out in a mill, are impossible of explanation in a paper like this. Briefly stated, the advantages of the roller system over the millstone (both working by gradual reduction) are, in the author’s opinion, as follows The sharp flutes of the “ break ” rollers detach the kernel from the bran with less friction than the flat and rougher surfaces of the stone, e.g., the speed at which the flutes of the fast roll travels is from 450ft. to 550ft. per minute. The flutes of the slow at 180ft. to 200ft. per minute in the same direction, thus giving a differential speed of only two to one. The point of contact or grinding surface is clearly very small on a roll of only 9in. diameter. The approved speed for millstones, we may assume, has been ascertained after its many centuries of use, and may be stated at 1500ft. per minute at its periphery, and the nether stone being motionless, much more friction results than in the case of the roller mill, with the differential speed of only two to one between the operating surfaces. The latter, in the case of stones, has been previously put at from 3ft. to 4ft., and when used for gradual reduction, as many breaks are required with rollers, thus proving the shape of the fluted roll more scientifically correct than the operating portion of the stone. The material iron is, in the author’s opinion, much less capable of producing bran flour than stones. The latter retains for a long time its comparative roughness, whereas in the case of the most successful decorticating machine that has been invented, the author was told by one of the users, that in order to produce the best results, the drive of the machine should be reversed every hour to bring re-sharpened edges into action, as the silica in the bran of the wheat polished the steel so quickly, and lessened their capacity as a bran scourer. Then, again, when the kernel in the shape of purified semolina and middlings has to be finally crushed, the smooth roller mill makes flour of a better colour than stones, owing to the fact of their applying less friction to any of the branny particles that it has been found impossible to separate. The gradual reduction by millstones, referred to in making the above comparison, has not been generally practised, except on the Continent. Over the old English system of flat grinding, the roller system has even greater advantages. Remember that whilst by the former the 75 per cent, of pure flour which, roughly speaking, good wheat contains, is ground into flour, whilst the 25 per cent, of offal—bran and germ—is present with it, and undergoing the pressure and friction, which, as was said earlier in the paper, produced such a polished appearance as compared with roller bran. In polishing anything, the rough surface removed to produce the polish can usually be seen in dust as it comes off. In milling, the quantity of bran flour which, it is now known, is rubbed off by the stones, is lost sight of amongst the pure flour, and much of it being as fine, is thus irretrievably mixed with it to the great injury of its quality. A point which proves conclusively that the rolls apply less friction than the stones, is the remarkable one that though considerably more machines are used, far less power is consumed. In the mill of Mr. Moss, of Salford, which the author fitted up, no change whateverwas made in boiler, engine, or wheat-cleaning machinery, and the result was that for every 550 sacks of flour made by the millstones, nearly 900 could be made by the roller, plant, the engine being worked up to its full power, and being also proved by indications taken by the Steam Users’ Association, to have been indicating about the same power.

Roller milling machinery described.— The author will now proceed, ia conclusion, to describe briefly the type of machines employed in roller milling. The fluted roller mill taken as an illustration is fitted with two pairs of rolls, the wheat passing to

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What we

THE SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS.

ROLLER MILLING MACHINERY.

At the meeting of the Society of Engineers, held on December 3rd, at the Westminster Town Hall, Mr. Jabez Church, president, in the chair, the following paper on “Roller Milling Machinery,” by Mr. J. Harrison Carter, was read

The object of this paper is to describe the manufacture of pure flour by the roller milling system—which is superseding the millstone system, and revolutionising the milling industry of this and other countries. It is generally thought that the manufacture of flour requires little care and skill, and that the most primitive machinery is sufficient for its successful accomplishment; and doubtless this is partly owing to the long continued pre-eminence of the millstone, which is mentioned in the earliest Biblical and other historical records. As a matter of fact, however, the production of pure flour is a task of great delicacy and intricacy, author proposes to treat the subject of his paper under the following heads:—(1) The extensive character of the British milling industry; (2) the importance of excelling in the quality of flour, in order to secure the benefits of its manufacture for our country; (3) the merits of pure flour; (4) the formation of the wheat-berry the miller’s difficulty; (5) millstone milling and its defects; .(6) the manufacture of pure flour by the roller milling system; (7) roller milling machinery described.

The British milling industry.— Mr. H. Kains Jackson, the eminent authority on grain statistics, estimates the consumption of flour in the United Kingdom and Ireland for the present cereal year, which commenced on the 1st September, as 36,000,000 sacks. Taking the average price per sack at 33s., this gives a total value of £59,400,000.

Importance of excelling in our flour.—Mr. Jackson, when sending the author the above information, added, that out of the above quantity of flour, not less than 5, or more than 6 million sacks will be imported in the manufactured form. Though this shows that the greater proportion of flour is still manufactured here, he states that great and rapid inroads are being made by foreigners, e.g., in 1870-71 the flour imports were 1,921,564 sacks—in 1881-82, 5,600,000. This rise in the decade is much larger, pro rdta, than in wheat; the proportions put roughly being flour 250 per cent, increase, wheat 75 per cent, increase. This is a strong argument for the more general use of better machinery in England. It is wellknown and acknowledged that until comparatively recent years French millers were far in advance of ours and those of other countries, and that, therefore, when they in turn were superseded by the Hungarians and Americans, they, not being so far behind as ourselves, suffered less. Mr. Jackson illustrates this very clearly. He says :—“ The United Kingdom imports about 15,000,000 quarters of wheat, France imports 5,000,000, therefore France should also import one-third as much flour as the United Kingdom, but she does not, taking less than one-tenth.” Mr. J. H. Chatterton, the secretary to the National Association of British and Irish Millers, who is entrusted by millers in all parts of the kingdom with the insurance of their mills, and who, therefore, has special means of arriving at the cost of the machinery at present in use, estimates it at 7^ millions, there being, he says, 10,000 mills in the United Kingdom. This amount does not include engines and boilers, or water-wheels. The supplying of this machinery should be kept, first in the interests of our common country, and next of our profession, as much as possible in our own hands.

The merits of pure flour.—With regard to the merits of pure flour, Dr. Charles Graham, Professor of Technology at the University College, London, in his series of Cantor Lectures, in the winter of 1879 and 1880, says : ‘ * Practice proves that a labourer who has work to do demands white bread, and any addition he makes is in the form of meat or fat.” Other authorities, such as Professors Church, Graham, Allen, Voit, Schenck, &c,, are of similar opinion; and only last month Mr. Jago, F.C.P., chief of the Brighton School

Bread-baking, read before the

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together to practically remove all the flour from the bran. The meal, as it is then called, goes into the silk reels, or wire cylinders, or cloth bolters, and is dressed. The stones are usually from 4ft. to 4ft. 6in. diameter, and travel at from 100 to 120 revolutions per minute, according to the diameter and the fancy of the miller. It has never been conclusively proved what surface of stone the wheat is caused to traverse before it escapes, but it is believed to be at least 3ft. or 4ft. Those who know what French burr stone is like —so finely porous and so rasping, and, when made into a millstone, so fiat on the surface—will understand that this ordeal of grinding, this extreme of frictional treatment over so large a surface—and a smaller surface with the flat face of a stone does not answer—is enough to rasp off the bran an excessive quantity of bran flour; and so it is, spoiling the flour and spoiling the loaf. It cannot be argued that we should in this country adopt the gradual reduction by millstone system so long practised Even fn experienced hands, it had to be abandoned in favour of rollers. “But,” said the Amerioans, “these Hungarians and ©ormans wore alwaj's earoless with their stone-dressing,” and so with their lately developed attention to stone-dressing they thought t® avert the rooonstruction of the machinery of their them in thin, even streams, through two feed rolls. All fluted rolls are of chilled iron, and should be made as hard as is compatible with the fact of their having to be fluted. The wheat being by preference graded into two sizes, preparatory to its passing to the first machine, in order that the larger and smaller grains can be similarly treated, necessitates one pair of rolls being more finely fluted than the other. The author usually cuts eight flutes per inch and ten respectively, the flutes being cut spirally. Fluted, or as they are called “ brake,” rolls are used in sets of five, six, or seven, according to the ideas of the maker or user, there being generally two or three additional flutes per inch ___ the rollers of each successive set. The bearings of roller mills must be accurately and well made, and adjustable in all directions, so as to ensure the rolls being capable of setting perfectly parallel. The smooth roller mill is constructed with three rollers, one above the other. The feed passes out through one feed roll, and is divided by a sharp straight edge into two equal streams, one being crushed between the top and middle roll, the other between the middle and bottom rolls. The gears in this mill are encased in an oil-tight compartment, to save loss of power by the friction of dry gears, and to prevent wear and tear. The bearings contain their own oil. These rolls have been in use for the last six years, and not one bearing, so far as the author has been able to ascertain, has yet worn sufficiently to require repair or refitting, and only one set of gears has worn out. The gear case in this set had evidently not been supplied with oil. Some of the earliest machines made, and which have been working day and night continuously, have been examined lately, and have shoulders, even on the teeth. The sieve purifier is used to purify middlings. The latter are made to pass in an even stream across the whole width of a vibrating sieve covered with silk. _ The fan causes an air current to pass through the silk meshes, which carry off into a dust collector the light branny particles. These machines require very delicate adjustments of vibration of sieve and strength of air current. Centrifugal dressing machines are now very largely used instead of the old hexagonal reels, which simply allovyed the flour to sift out through the silk meshes as it rolled, of its own weight, down the ascending silk cover. The centrifugal machine is formed of a slowly revolving cylinder covered with silk gauze. Within it revolves at a faster speed, in the same direction, a number of beaters, which, striking the material being dressed against the silk, produces an evenly dressed flour.

same

THE UNITED STATES CRUISERS.

The United States Press is much exercised by our criticisms on the proposed United States cruiser, Chicago. The Nautical Gazette says :—“The criticisms of the London Engineer on the beam engines for the Chicago are very severe. Not being an engineer we do not presume to discuss the correctness of the criticism ; but from the tone of the article we are satisfied with its unfairness. Because beam engines have not been used on board British ships is no reason that they may not be made to work well. They have answered admirably on board our side-wheel river boats; while the British adhered to their oscillators for the same class of boats, believing and declaring that the American beam engine was inferior.” The Mechanical Engineer saysElsewhere we print two criticisms upon the engines of the new cruiser, Chicago, recently illustrated in this paper. These criticisms refer solely to the design, and not to the system, which, as engineers in this country know very well, has been sufficiently tested to warrant its adoption in the Chicago. Marine beam engines are no novelty; but, judging from the utterances of the London Engineer, they are quite new. That paper, in a recent issue, condemns the beam engine for marine use from every aspect; but it seems to wholly ignore the fact that the American beam engine has been in use in every quarter of the globe for nearly a third of a century. It has crossed the ocean in steamships and steamboats, navigated the Danube and the China Seas, crossed the Pacific to Japan, rounded the Horn, and constantly goes up and down this coast in all sorts of weather at all seasons of the year; all this with perfect safety to itself and the vessel it is in. Many years ago, when the side-lever engine was the only form in general use, Commodore Vanderbilt fitted a steamship with a pair of beam engines, and went all over the world with.them. When lie reached England engineers there were unanimous in condemning them, and prophesied all sorts of things regarding them, none of which happened. The same hue and cry was raised abroad when the present vertical engine was introduced, for the English are nothing if not conservative. They clung to the side-lever engine and paddle-wheel as the only true faith, and did not abandon it until the logic of dollars and cents compelled them to. The London Engineer makes a specific point against beam engines for tw n screws, Lub even from this aspect it is at fault, for beam engines have been applied to screws in several instances successfully, and are now running. There is a twin-screw steamer with beam engines, designed by Frank Stevens, now in daily use in the Pennsylvania R. R. line. There is another pair in the Metropolitan, a coasting steamer running on Long Island Sound, and still another in the Louisiana of the Cromwell Line. This vessel is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, vessel out of this port, and her performance leaves little to be desired. So far as the type of engine goes, there is none, at all events. It is too late to decry the beam engine for marine use; its merits are too well known, but as regards those in the Chicago, we think our contemporary’s strictures merited, for everything seems to have been done to throw discredit upon the type.”    _    .

We have already taken care to explain that there is no analogy between the slow running “ walking beam ” engines of large paddle steamers, and the high speed engines which it is proposed to put in the Chicago, and this American engineers will find out m due time, just as we found out in this country, where beam engines were freely used at one time to drive screw propellers. In another place the Mechanical Engineer writes:—“In regard to firebrick furnaces for marine boilers, the London Engineer says : ‘.The type of boiler,’ we are told, ‘ is new to the naval service, but is in successful operation in merchant steamers.’ We should very much like to be told in what merchant steamers. Certainly not in any British ship. The Chicago will have no fewer than fourteen boilers, each 9ft. in diameter by 9ft. lOin. long, set over a single furnace, with one grate 7ft. 8in. wide and 7ft. 6in. long. The shells are to be fin. thick, and the pressure is to be 100 lb. . To go to sea with such boilers is simply to court, destruction. If tne fires are ever urged such boilers will prime furiously. If from any cause the plates over the furnaces become overheated they will crack, and the result may he anticipated. Nothing could be more injudicious than the use of furnaces made up with plates and firebricks m a sea-going man-of-war.’ Our contemporary argues in the face of facts. The firebrick furnaces were put in the Louisiana as a temporary device, and with the expectation that they would give out in a short time. They did so well that they were retained, and have now been some two years in service, with such satisfactory results that they will be applied to new boilers in the future.

We had no thought of the Louisiana when we wrote, said is based on experience acquired in this country. We are quite content to let facts speak for themselves. If the Chicago is not a failure she will form a glorious exception to the rest of the experimental craft built in the United States. We would ask our contemporaries one question; we put it to them as sensible men—Is it not more likely that the engineers of this country, with their unparalleled experience in the construction of ships-of-war, should know what is and what is not right, than the members of a naval advisory board, who have had no experience whatever with such machinery and boilers as they propose to put into the Chicago If they are right and we are wrong, then experience is worth nothing; and the merest tyro from the shops.who can design an engine is as good as the man whose life experiences have taught ’ him what it is and what it is not expedient to use at sea.

THE EXPORTS OF STEEL RAILS AND IRON RAILS.

The subjoined statement is designed to show the details respecting British exports of steel rails and iron rails under separate heads. It will be remembered that until the year 1876 no information was available in respect to the relative exports of steel or iron. The quantities and the values of either description were placed under one head without explanation. The inconvenience felt under the pressure of this system of complaint on all sides. The subsequent years, 1877 to 1882, have brought about considerable changes in the situation of steel v. iron. The first-named year stood as follows : 1877, export of iron rails, 190,054 tons ; export of steel rails, 173,750 tons ; total summing up together of iron and steel, 363,804 tons. The year 1882, as will be seen from the table given below, shows the following comparison : Steel rails exported, 733,915 tons; iron rails, 46,532 tons. It is tolerably clear that under these circumstances the iron trade is entitled to be supplied with reliable information as to the correct proportion of steel shipments, as well as to that obtaining in iron rails. The authorities published the warning which is here reproduced: “ In accordance with the wish of the iron and steel trade, attempt has been made in this return to distinguish the quantities of iron and steel rails exported from the United Kingdom; but as much difficulty has been experienced in obtaining accurate information from exporters and their agents, in consequence of the indiscriminate use of the terms ‘ iron ’ and ‘steel’ for the same article, the figures cannot be relied upon.” We give the preceding figures with some hesitation, as it is not considered sufficiently trustworthy to indicate the export trade in those articles under the two separate heads; the total quantity of rails, however, may be accepted as correct. The same anomaly has been carried monthly during six years through the printed statement offered to the trading community of Great Britain. The question forces itself on the mind of every rail shipper, namely, whether no means can be found to put the matter in a more convenient shape and render further publication unnecessary, purpose, British returns would bear fair comparison with the exports of neighbouring competitors.

Six Years' Results of Shipments of Railroad Iron to Foreign Countries and British Colonies.

Iron Rails to European Countries.

was a cause

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If for no other

and will no doubt be reduced by about one-half as the machinery settles down to its work. We illustrate the clock as seen with its case open in the room just under the clock dials. These are carried on a heavy stone corbel, which corbel goes right through the wall, and to it by leavis bolts is secured a large cast iron cock plate from which is suspended the pendulum 15ft. long, beating in two seconds, compensated zinc and iron, and with a cast iron bob weighing 3 cwt. This plate is seen in the middle of the engraving, page 486, the round rod below passing through oblong hole in the floor is the tubular pendulum rod suspended by a flat spring from the cock plate above. The clock presents several peculiarities, to make the nature of which intelligible a little preliminary explanation is necessary.

Public clocks are exposed to the disturbing influence of the wind on the hands and the variation in the oil, caused by freezing or arbor thinning, as the weather is cold or hot. When the force driving a pendulum varies the clock gains or loses. To get over this difficulty, what is known as the remontoire was invented more than half a century ago. Under this system the scape wheel, which propels the pendulum, is itself driven by a small weight or a spring, which weight or spring is wound up every half minute. As this spring or weight generally acts directly on the scape wheel, oil little affects its action. The main clock works only move every half-minute, and they have only to drive the hands and to wind up the remontoire. The escapement is thus practically independent of variations in force in the main clock train. The introduction of the remontoire

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1877.    1878.

1879. ) 1880.

1881.

1882.

tons. ; tons. tons. tons.    tons.    tons.

U.S. of America Brazil ..

Chili ..    .

••I

738

72

Tt* O CO o o CM CO C^l r-• 1—4 -3*    1—4

17,148 | 21,968 j 23,390 109,212 | 98,316    23,777

British Colonies.

Not enumerated

Total shipment of iron rails ..    ..

66,189    73,709 ! 13,729 |    9,101    10,972 |    9,120

Other Countries.

33,599 j 6,240 j 9,659

7,697    7,074    10,993

i \,y

W¹

ELEVATION OF REMONTOIRE.

190,054

176,229    55,071 144,903

120,221 ) 46,532

Proportion of distribution :—

Colonies ......

All other countries..

66,189

123,865

73,709

122,522

13,729 135,802 32,342 I 9,101

109,249) 37,412 10,972 ;    9,120

Six Years' Besults of Shipments of Railroad Steel to Foreign Countries and British Possessions.

1S77.

1878.

1879.    1880. | 1881.

1882.

K ussia ,.    ..    ..

Sweden and Norway.

Germany......

Spain........

Italy........

tons.

66,029

3,928

12,943

6,279

2,027

tons.

75,098

17,220

21,365

12,929

4,600

Total Europe ..

U.S. of America

Brazil.....

Chili......

tons. tons. tons.

35,300    7,677    10,116

12,610    5,797    )    4,416

1,758

11,710    7,689    11,486    11,786

31,310    19,137    j    24,222    71,114

91,206 131,212    92,688    40,711    I    50,240    92,530

American Continent.

404    23,681    113,214    194,001    173,876

12,119    25,680    11,943    32,184    43,270

933    3,931

tons.

2,026

6,952

at once permitted an accuracy to be obtained previously believed to be quite unattainable. Subsequently the system was carried a step further, and the scape wheel, without a remontoire, at each tick lifted a heavy pallet, which was held up until the pendulum in its swing touched a detent and released the pallet, which then, by its own weight, impelled the pendulum; thus the driving force on the pendulum became absolutely constant.

In theNew Law Courts’clock Messrs. Gillett have combined both systems. The escapement is that known as Dennison’s “ double three-legged gravity,” and an entirely novel continuous action remontoire is put in the train, so that the least chance of disturbance of the pendulum is obviated, and the taking of the time is facilitated by the jumping of the minute hand every half-minute. The dials, filled in with opal glass, are 8ft. Gin. in diameter, and the minute circles are divided into alternate bars and spaces, each half the width of a minute, or 2Mn.

896

2,088

520

610

■ill

•■2

IS!

FIC 2

4,541

2,984

13,043

British Colonies.

49,871 129,698 227,118

221,077

British N. America..    36,247.1    28,041    58,220)    80,184,103,477    89,647

British India    ..    !    10,130)    32,772    44,817    I    76 032    42,112    82 392

Australasia    ..    .,|    10,442    27,909    40,144    j    72,S44    83,387    j 72,267

I 56,819 : 88,722 142,681 j 239,960 j 22S,97G | 244,303 All other Countries.

• ■!    19,545    11,511    46,807

Not enumerated

59,208

89,575 171,096

■j

Total shipment of: steel rails .. .. j 173,750 234,480

Totals of steel andi iron rails ..    .. I 363,808 460,710

322,145

459,187

595,911

733,919

GOING BARREL.

387,216

604,090

716,132

780,451

THE CLOCK AT THE ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE.

The want of a really good public clock in mid-London has long been experienced, and has at last been satisfied. In no modern city of importance is it more difficult to ascertain true time than in London. Westminster has the great clock, which is one of the best timekeepers in the world, and the City ha3 the Royal Exchange clock, so placed that it can be seen with difficulty. There are no other public clocks in London which are really accurate timekeepers; and anyone who possesses and wishes to rate a good watch, has no resource, save to resort to the shop windows of a few first-class watchmakers, and there consult a chronometer, whose time fast or slow of Greenwich in seconds is affixed. . That there is a demand for a means of timing good watches is proved by the crowd to be found round the inconveniently situated regulator in the entrance to Messrs. Lund’s s op m Cornhill, for this regulator is connected by wire with .reenwmh, and is always right within less than a second.

„    ® new e“))C^ *n the Law Courts tower, constructed by Messrs.

Gullett and Co of Croydon, was formally handed over to the an lorities on Tuesday. The clock has been going for some time, ■ue external hands not being attached, however, and has been 'eepmg time with a maximum error of two seconds per week, which IS an admirable performance for a perfectly new clock,

The clock movement is arranged in a cast iron frame 7ft. 6iu. long and 2ft. 6in. wide. All the wheels are of gun-metal, and the pinions have been cut out of solid cast steel. It may be worth while to state that Mr. Gillett has found that brass will not last in a London atmosphere, though copper and gun-metal will to perfection. The going part of the clock is on the left-hand side of the engraving near the scale rod leaning against the The locking plate for the hours with its notches is the most prominent object. Right in the centre are seen two cams, and two levers combined in a heart-shape which act as a perpetual regulator of the gas, turning it up and down at sunset and rise automatically. At the right-hand side is seen the quarter bell striking gear, driven by wipers on the surface of a drum. A few of these are seen under the four quarter bell levers in the background. The fans on top of the case are to regulate the rate of striking. The remontoire and winding gear are shown fiy _ Eigs. 1 and 2. In these figures it will be seen that W is a toothed wheel driving P the escape pinion. The remainder of the train shown on the left hand of the figure is locked by an arm of a two-armed lever on the arbour of the last pinion of the train pressing against a rocking shaft. Every half minute one arm of the lever is allowed to escape

case.

arbor of the wheel W are two weighted levers, one of which is sufficient to drive the escapement. By means of a loose claw, each lever as it falls presses on one of several pins sticking out of the face of the wheel W. The weights pended from the ends of the levers by cords passing over segmental guides, so that the weight is always the same distance from the centre of motion. One point of advantage displayed is in securing that the pressure on the pins sticking out from the wheel W shall always be exactly equal to one lever and weight during the period when one lever is taking the place of the other. The levers have spring tails terminating in rollers where contact is made with the cams, and the cams are shaped to secure the uniformity of pressure indicated. Attached to the wheel W is a brass ring, in which a little roller at the end of a light arm fixed to the rocking shaft rests. Every half minute a break in the ring is brought underneath this little roller, and the arm is suffered to drop, thereby rocking the shaft and allowing the train to escape. The light arm is instantly brought up again by a segment attached to the two-armed lever, and is held there while the train is running, by which time the break in the ring has travelled past the little roller and it can again rest on the ring. This instantaneous action is produced by a spring which throws the lever forward before the cams, and this spring also serves to break the concussion in stopping. This arrangement entirely removes the objectionable and varying stop pressure and friction from the escapement portion, there being no friction on the rocking shaft except when it rocks, at which time it is

entirely detached from the ring and escapement portion. A projection on the cams at once brings the rocking shaft back by pushing another arm, as may be seen by examining the drawing. Another feature worth notice is the maintaining power and winding work, a sketch of which is given in Fig. 2. The barrel and great wheel both ride loose on the barrel arbor. On one end of the latter is the winding handle, and on the other a small pinion is fixed. This gears with a wheel on the end, of an arbor running right through the barrel near its circumference. A small pinion on this last-named arbor takes into an internal ring of teeth fixed to the great wheel, as shown in the centre, page There are no rat.chet wheels or clicks at all; the sole connection between the barrel and the great wheel is that made by the small pinion gearing into the internal teeth. At first sight it may appear that after winding the weight would run down again without a ratchet and click on the winding arbor, and under ordinary circumstances such a train would run down, and with great speed if the weight is increased; but by a very simple method and a' judicious arrangement of the different parts, the friction is equalised and so proportioned with regard to the weight that the tendency to run down is less with a heavy weight than with a light one. It must be remembered that the power gained in winding, by making the pinion on the winding arbour less than the wheel with which it gears, renders it proportionately difficult for the barrel to turn the winding arbour, and the barrel and weight being placed on this arbour, brings the principal friction to where it has the greatest effect, while the power in winding being applied direct easily it. Theoretically a portion of the weight would be taken off the clock during the operation of the winding; but this is counteracted by friction in other parts of the machinery. The Iloro-logical Journal, an authority of no mean weight, says:—“This maintaining and winding work, which is, we believe, the invention of Mr. Gillett, is in our judgment by far the cleverest thing of the kind yet introduced, and is an improvement on the old style of turret clock-making, second only to Sir E. Beckett’s double three-legged gravity escapement. With it no preliminary action is required on the part of the operator before proceeding to wind. Practically the force on the train during winding is neither more nor less than at other times. No matter how long the winding takes, it may continue uninterruptedly. However heavy the weight, there is always ample power for every winding, because with clocks of increased size larger barrels would be used, and the larger the barrel the greater number of times may the pinion on the winding arbour be contained in the wheel with which it gears. The winding wheels are not in operation during the going of the clock. This last is an important advantage, for, independent of the power absorbed in constantly turning one or two winding wheels, inaccuracies of construction in these wheels often exert an injurious influence on the clock by varying the power applied to the train.” The bells are canied on massive timbers iu the room above the clock. The B bell weighs about 12 cwt., the A 15 cwt., the G 1 ton 1 cwt., and the D 2 tons 7 cwt. The great hour bell—C in note—weighs 3 tons 8 cwt., and rings out its deep sounds in perfect tune. A mistake was made in building the tower, the lower holes in the fireproof floors, providing for hoisting up the bells, were larger than the upper holes, and a good deal of cutting had to be done to make The clock weights have a fall of about 100ft. No place was provided for them by the architect, and they have to work in boarded trunks in the corners of the staircase, holes being cut for them in the stone landings. The whole of the work was done by Messrs. Gillett and Co.’s own staff. The workmanship and design of the clock and the tone of the bells leave nothing to be desired, and reflect great credit on the firm.

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this shaft is rocked, through a notch in the shaft; the arbor makes half a rotation, and the other arm is caught on the rocking shaft. It will be observed that there are two cams on the arbour of the last pinion in the train. These cams lift the weights C B, which, in falling, supply the power to drive the escapement. On the

Water Supply and Irrigation Works, South Africa.— The first great irrigation work in South Africa is how in course of construction at Yan Wyk’s Vlei. The Parliament granted £20,000 for the work. The contractor is Mr. Gillet. The water dammed in will cover an area of 19 square miles, with an average depth of 10ft., and for two miles and a-half the depth will be 27ft. This great artificial lake will be as large as Loch Katrine, in the Highlands of Scotland, and will, when at the depths given, be a sheet of water equal to 350,000,000,000 gallons, and capable of irrigating for many months thousands of acres. One rainfall such as Mr. Gillet experienced in April last he asserts would have kept the dam going for the purpose for which it was constructed for a whole year. The Colonies and India says:—“ If Parliament were to vote half a million for the construction of similar dams in other parts of the country, we should hear very little of depression.”

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FOREIGN AGENTS FOR THE SALE OF THE ENGINEER.

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

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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 answers received by us may be forwarded to their destination. No notice will be taken of communications which do not comply with these instructions.

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All letters intended for insertion in The Engineer, or con-

nd address

taining questions, must be accompanied by the name a of the writer, not necessarily for publication, but as a proof of good faith. No notice whatever will be taken of anonymous communications.

X. Y. Z — Box's treatise “ On Mill Gearing ” will supply the information you want.

J. W. H.— We believe the original patent has expired, but we are not quite certain. So far as we can see, your method of manufacture would be an infringement.

G. E. C.-—If a clock of the kind has been in use for fifty years, there is nothing legal to prevent anyone from making and selling similar clocks. If e should like further particulars.

F. W. B. (Chard).— We cannot tell what is the best diameter for your cylinder; that depends on the power you want and the speed of the engine. Rigg’s treatise “ On the Steam Engine’’ is an admirable book.

Nauticus.—The utilisation of wave power has often been proposed, ships' pumps have been worked by it It is altogether too irregular, and the mechanism, necessary to the required end too cumbrous and too much exposed to injury, to be of any commercial value.

Colonial Born.—Friction is, within ordinary limits of speed and load, independent of velocity, consequently the resistances of your shafts will so far be the same. But the leverage to overcome the resistance is obviously twice as great with the small as it is with the large shaft, and the small shaft will therefore be driven, other things being equal, with one-half the power required to turn the large shaft.

J. P. 8. (1).—You may take the strength of leather used in belts at about 3000 lb per square inch of section Spliced leather made up into belts will not have more than about half this, and your square leather not more than about 1800 lb. Taking as the working stress one-third of this, or f.00 lb. per square inch, then your bell 2in. square will transmit 2400 lb. at whatever speed within limits is required. Suppose the belt moves at 4000/<

,v = 290-horse power. (2) Water

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2 too X 4000

3300

at 0 deg. Cent, increases in volume when it becomes ice at 0 deg Cent, by 1 03125 times its volume (3) Ice contracts in volume with loss of temperature (4) At the moment of solidification air is released, and the water itself expands between 4 deg. Cent and 0 deg Cent.; from 1 to 1 000122. (5) In freezing, the water in a pipe will solidify at the outsides first and the liquid part will be forced along the pipe towards the part where there is any freedom, as, for instance, where the air has collected, as already explained The general body of the pipe will thus be freed from elastic or from liquid pressure as it is filled with a rigid core which does not further expand. The part under pressure of accumulated a,ir is, however, strained for some time, and a feu) repetitions thinnens the pipe and strength is lost.

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be seen they are not preventive in any full sense of the term. The history of ships is a history of disaster. Storms and wrecks have always gone together, and it is only necessary to look at any wreck chart to see how little the quality of the ship and how much the nature of the coast on which she happens to be caught have to do with wrecks. The Goodwin Sands supply a case in point. Every winter scores of ships are wrecked on these sands, the nature of which is not, perhaps, as well understood by landsmen as it ought to be. The so called sands are really⁷" a great area of shallow water traversed by more or less deep-water reaches, through which ships can thread their way under the guidance of good pilots. If a ship is caught in a heavy gale while on the Goodwins or to windward of them her chances of safety are extremely small; and it is impossible to see under the circumstances what legislation can do. The whole east coast of England is badly provided with harbours, and a ship caught in a north-easterly gale must have a bad time of it. Not un-frequently sailing ships have been blown from the north for a couple of hundred miles only to bring up on the Goodwins, and become a total loss at the last. The number of ships lost at sea is comparatively small. The number of those actually wrecked, that is to say, blown on shore and broken up, is very large—so large that we do not think Mr. Chamberlain lias realised what a wreck chart means. Legislation is no doubt intended by him to prevent losses at sea, but it cannot prevent all losses, nor, we fear, even a very large number of them. But there can be no doubt that an increase in the number of harbours of refuge would do good.

All that the President of the Board of Trade has written is of limited application. There are gales and seas through which no merchant steamer can live, and there are coasts to be caught off which in a gale means destruction. Against such contingencies the shipping absolutely powerless. They can do nothing. It may be quite true that a well-found ship will often be able to get through a gale which would cause the total loss of a weaker or worse craft. Thus, for example, if it comes to riding out a storm at anchor, the ship with good ground tackle may live, while the ship with bad is lost. But conceding all this, there stiLl remain cases in which the well found and the badly found ships are alike at the mercy of the sea and the wind, and good and bad are lost alike. “ The loss of life,” says Mr. Chamber-lain, “ was in 1881-2 greater than ever. No doubt a large part of this loss was immediately caused by the violent gales of that autumn, when, as has been said, the Bay of Biscay was strewed with the wrecks of foundered ships. But well found ships ought not to strew the ocean in every heavy gale.” This is quite true, but it is also true that every heavy gale doe3 not strew the ocean with wrecks. If Mr. Chamberlain could but see how some of the ships which he regards as bad, weather Atlantic gales he would probably change his mind concerning their qualities. Mr. Chamberlain, like many other men who see but one side of a case, draws a curious comparison between first-class passenger ships and cargo boats. “ Emigrant ships and passenger steamers have long been subject to a Government survey,and the system has worked withlittle difficulty. The principal reason probably is that these ships are among the best on the ocean; no expense and no skill is spared by the ; and amongst them are many which are not ” Such ships as these are not lost. Why should

losses by collision, it will be found that comparatively little left. As we have said before, we have no desire to hinder the good work which Mr. Chamberlain would undertake; but exaggeration due to misconception of facts can do no good, but rather harm. The President of the Board of Trade has not yet mastered his subject, but he must do this before he can legislate, or even write with advantage concerning it.

we shall have

THE BOARD OF TRADE ON BOILER EXPLOSIONS.

owners are

We briefly referred in our last impression to the report

boiler explosions presented by Mr. Thomas Gray to the President of the Board of Trade. Last year an Act of Parliament was passed, one of the clauses in which provided for inquiries by the Board of Trade into the circumstances under which boiler explosions take place in the United Kingdom. These inquiries are conducted by Board of Trade engiueers, and their reports are printed and published. They are fully and exhaustively illustrated, and, we are informed, are much sought after. We have before now commented on these reports. They prepared with sufficient care, hut they are in other respects open to criticism. Many manifest more or less a lack of appreciation of the necessities and difficulties of steam Thus, for example, we find in one of them a general deprecation of the use of small vertical boilers. No substitute is recommended, nor, indeed, is it possible to find one. Vertical boilers are used by thousands for working cranes, and few steamships are without one or more donkey boilers of this class. It would, indeed, be waste of time to point out that the type cannot he done without. Again, we are told that a particular boiler of the locomotive type was worked at about double the pressure which Board of Trade rules would allow ; the writer of the report in question failing to that if the Board of Trade rules applied generally, locomotives, traction, and many portable engines would cease to exist. Mr. Gray’s report manifests in several respects a similar lack of intelligence. To him all failures of boilers are “ explosions.” If he possessed a competent knowledge of the subject, he would see that the coming down of furnace crowns is a matter of daily occurrence, and that these events are not neccessarily accompanied by any explosion whatever, and the collapses referred to in his report, as will be seen further on, scarcely, we think, deserve to be classed as they are.

We are told in the report with which we are now dealing that the terms “inevitable accident” and “accident” are entirely inapplicable to boiler explosions. The reports show that so far from the explosions being accidental, the only accidental thing about many of them is that the explosions should have been so With this statement we cordially

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DEATH.

Oti the 16tb inst, at 9, Motcomb-street, J am es Rennie, F. R.S., youngest son of the lite John Rennie, C.E. and F.R.S., in his 78th year.

THE ENGINEER.

DECEMBER 21, 1883.

LOSSES AT SEA.

We have placed before our readers at considerable length some of Mr. Chamberlain’s thoughts on merchant shipping, and we propose here to consider certain questions, concerning which we have said little or nothing, and about which Mr. Chamberlain has been practically silent. The theory on which he is acting is that losses at sea are preventible. We do not mean to say that he holds that ships are never lost save through the fault of the shipowner or the shipbuilder ; but it is impossible to read his memoranda and not to arrive at the conclusion that the President of the Board of Trade is of opinion that there would be very few ships lost if only men did their duty all round. After giving a list of the losses of coal, timber, and grain-laden ships, Mr. Chamberlain goes on to say that something must be attempted to prevent the enormous sacrifice of life and property to which his figures refer. We have already shown what his views are, and we need not set them forth again. The question with which we have now to deal is this—Are the wrecks about which he speaks preventible by legal means or not ? The answer to this must be, we regret to say, that as far as can

owners insured.

any ship be lost ? Now, no true comparison between, let us say, the Cunard steamer and the cargo boat is admissible. If we take the life of one of the former sliip3, we shall find that she goes backward and forward steadily over the same route—we had almost said week after week; that she is fitted with full-powered engines, and that she rises so high out of the water that her being swamped is almost an impossibility. The cargo steamer has, on the contrary, to go everywhere. At one time she is in Bombay, another in Singapore. This voyage she makes to New York, the next to Cronstadt. A great deal of her work is done in crowded and dangerous waters. The risks she incurs are out of all proportion to those run by theCunarder, and' these risks are unavoidable. The value of great power cannot be over-estimated. It will enable a vessel, for example, to keep head to wind, and even to make some progress when the low-powered vessel is almost helpless. A cargo steamer carrying 3000 tons of dead weight will have engines indicating 600 to 750-horse power. Such a vessel will he nearly as large as a passenger steamer indicating 3500-horse power, speed of the first will be 9 knots, that of the latter 15 knots. It does not require much knowledge of the sea to understand which will be best off in a heavy gale. The cargo steamer cannot be high out of the water for the same reason that she cannot have full power—it would cost too much. In many instances engines are taken out of steamers and replaced by others of less power to make the ship pay. The tonnage laws interfere and prevent the adoption of the hurricane decks which would do so much to render ocean cargo steamers safe—will Mr. Chamber-lain have a change made in the system of levying tonnage dues? In one word, the cargo steamer must be less safe than the passenger steamer, because she must be cheaper; and this question of cost goes after all to the root of the whole problem.

If the President of the Board of Trade is to do good he must set forth in very plain terms what are and what are not preventible losses at sea. As regards wrecks caused by heavy gales, he will he able to prove very little on his side ; his strong point will be the number of vessels which go to sea and are never heard of afterwards. We concede with pleasure that a strong, well-found ship ought to be safe in the open sea, and that the majority of English ships are safe is proved by the fact that losses at sea are comparatively few and far between. The clipper sailing ship of the present day is, for example, the safest craft afloat. In order that Mr. Chamberlain may make the ground sure under his feet, he must be prepared to prove that the losses at sea, so much to be deprecated, are due to unseawoithiness. His statistics are sufficiently appaling; but when we have subtracted wrecks proper and

The

long deferred.”

agree. The total loss of life and injury reported amounts to 35 killed and 33 injured during the twelve months ending on the 12th of last July. In all, 45 cases have .been reported on. Of these, 14 were due to corrosion, 5 to bad design, 4 to overheating from shortness of water, 4 to defective safety valves, 3 to undue pressure, 3 to neglect or ignorance of the attendant, and 12 come under the vague head “ Miscellaneous.” “ As in three cases only,” says Mr. Gray, “ can the explosion he attributed to neglect or ignorance of management on the part of the boiler attendants, there is no reason for yet assuming that any material diminution in the number of explosions may be expected to result from the systematic examination of and granting certificates to the men employed in working the boilers.” With this also we agree ; but we .hold all the satpe that some advantage would be gained by employing men whose competence was ascertained in some way before they were put in charge of dangerous and expensive appliances like steam boilers. Beyond question, too much Las been expected from the granting of certificates. As a matter of fact, no one is really put in charge of a boiler who is not able to furnish some guarantee that he is competent to perform the duties he seeks to undertake ; and these are, after all, very simple and easy of performance. They demand incessant vigilance more than anything else; and it is not easy to see how this could be secured by any examination better than by certificates from past employers. It does appear, however, that some explosions do occur through the fault of attendants—many more, we are disposed to assert, than Mr. Gray seems to think. We cannot see, however, that any amount of education would have obviated these. A knowledge of the laws of heat and steam will not keep a man awake, or compel him to be careful that water does liot get too low. Vigilance is more a matter of personal idiosyncracy than anything else. While we are of one mind with Mr, Gray concerning examinations and granting certificates, our are different from his reasons.

Four explosions, causing the loss of ten lives, were due, we are told, to shortness of water; but this is the prwia facie evidence of neglect on the part of the attendant. There is a table attached to the report, giving particulars of the explosions; and.to say the least this does not bear out Mr. Gray’s conclusions. In the first place, many of the explosions were not boiler explosions at all, in the proper sense of the word. Thus, for example, in case 2 the lid of a steamer for steaming woollen goods was blown off. In case the' lid of a naphtha still was blown off, “ the pitch having solidified at the cock through which the tar was being drawn off, a red hot rod was inserted to clear the obstruction, and thus ignited the gas left in the still.” This was certainly not a boiler explosion. In case 10 a fusible plug was blown out ; no damage done. In case 17 the cylinders of a steam drying machine gave way, either through soldering becoming defective, or .by the application of too great steam pressure. The machine was not fitted with a safety valve. In the next case the cap was blown off a tube in a fuel economiser, because a nut was screwed up too hard. In case 22 a naphtha still burst owing to accumulation of pressure, the worm of the still becoming choked with naphthaline. In case 38 a naphtha still gave way. The explosion was caused by the accidental ignition of vapour left in the still after the

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By the death of Dr. Smith the scientific world of America has sustained a severe loss—one of the greatest which she possibly could, for there are few men living in the United States who have done so much for inorganic chemistry as Dr. Lawrence Smith.

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pitch had been drawn off. The vapour became ignited through an open cock. We have here six cases out of forty-five which ought not to be classed at all with the rest. As regards shortness of water, the evidence of the report is extremely vague. We find four cases mentioned, and in only three of these it is certainly known that the water was short.

We have already commented on the statement that “ inspection by insurers of boilers does not insure safety, for we find that one-fiftli of the explosions which happened during the year happened from boilers not only inspected by, but insured in boiler insurance companies.” The cases cited are Nos. 10, 13, 23, 25, 29, 35, 39, 41, and 43. We have pointed out that these are not explosions proper, or that they occurred from causes quite beyond the control of the insurers. We may now examine them a little more in detail. No. 10 took place at a dye works ; a fusible plug was blown out, no one hurt. In No. 13 an internal flue, vasted by corrosion, collapsed ; three persons were killed. Che boiler was under the inspection of the Boiler Insurance and Steam Power Company, but not insured. 1'his seems to indicate that the company had refused o take the boiler, and had probably warned the owner, it is difficult to see where the responsibility of the inspect-ing company comes in. Case 23 was a vertical donkey boiler insured by Newcastle-on-Tyne Boiler Insurance Company, one man was killed; case 25 was a locomotive thirteen years old, insured and inspected by the Scottish Boiler Insurance Company; case 27 is strictly anomalous. A Lancashire boiler was insured by the Mutual Boiler Insurance Company, of Manchester, and we are told that collapse and rupture of the crown of the right-hand furnace took place because of the “sudden contraction of the top of the furnace in consequence of furnace door being left open for a period of from five to ten minutes. Similar contractions on previous occasions had perhaps injured the boiler.” We never heard of such a case as this, and we venture to doubt the accuracy of the statement. No one was hurt. In case 35, also a Lancashire boiler, insured with the Boiler Insurance and Steam Power Company, Manchester, the right-hand flue collapsed because of “ overheating of the flue consequent on shortness of water, but the cause of the latter could not be ascertained with certainty.” The insurers cannot be held responsible here. In case 39, also a Lancashire boiler, insured with the Mutual Boiler Insurance Company, we have:—“Collapse and rupture of right hand furnace. Top of left-hand furnace also collapsed ; due to overheating of furnace crowns, caused by the collection of a deposit from a boiler composition used to soften scale. Working pressure also excessive at time of explosion.” This also seems to be a case where the insurers are blameless. The last case is that of the S.S. Esther. No one was hurt. Both furnace crowns came down, owing to a deposit of salt scale. The boiler was inspected by the surveyor for the Bed Cross Club of Newport, which club was obviously not responsible. No one, so far as we are aware—least of all the boiler insurance companies—asserts that insurance and inspection give absolutely immunity, and we have no fault to find with Mr. Gray for saying so much ; but we think it is greatly to be regretted that he should have said it in a way which conveys the idea that he depreciates the services rendered by these companies, which are undoubtedly very great. Possibly Mr. Gray does not mean this. It is a pity, if this be so, that he has not expressed himself more felicitously.

IRON SHIPBUILDING.

Commercial men must have their jokes although the air is full of rumours of serious complications. One of the latest is that iron shipbuilders will be found advertising ready-made ships early next spring, the sinister meaning being that the ships now in course of construction will not be claimed by the too sanguine individuals who have commenced the trade of managing owners too late in the day. However that may be, it is very certain that ships are at a discount, and that the hearts of those who have contracted for new ships which are now building are very heavy. A year or so ago a man would give .£500 for a turn before his neighbour. The sale of a “ berth ” was much more profitable than Esau’s transaction, and in ports on the north-east coast especially scarcely a clerk existed who did not imagine that the mantle of a shipowner belonged to him. The intrinsic value of a merchant steamer was not deemed to have a ny relation to the price charged for it. The inflation of prices meant high wages for operative shipbuilders—indeed, some “ ironmen ” have earned sums which would make some professional men very envious—and almost fabulous wealth for master shipbuilders. The only other industry which profitted by this abnormal state of things was the marine engineworks. No benefit accrued to the plate-maker or to the departments of the iron trade. Now, the time ha3 arrived when the ships already afloat that merchants are playing them off against each other in a way which may conduce to the profit of the merchant, but will certainly not make the shipowner rich. As a natural consequence the investor who has just discovered that instead of an inexhaustible gold mine the shipping trade is poor and profitless, does not desire to expend further capital in the purchase of sixty-fourths, and so the shipbuilder finds that no more orders are coming in. The pinch will not be severely felt till the spring of next year, because of the multitude of old contracts; but in the meantime shipbuilders in the North of England have given their workmen notice of a reduction which is equivalent to 20 per cent, on the wages of the higher paid men, and 10 per cent, on the wages of the ordinary workmen. The object, apparently, is to cheapen the production of vessels so as to tempt buyers. Winter weather deals unkindly with iron merchant steamers, and it is not unsafe to expect that 5 per cent, of the ships registered in every port will disappear between now and next April. But it is hardly likely that the fidence of investors will have returned so soon, more especially if Mr. Chamberlain’s notions of limited insurance are carried into

effect. There must be a period of stagnation in shipbuilding_

how long it will continue depends altogether upon circumstances. If legislation is not too exacting, the shipping trade is only fettered by such restrictions as all honest men are willing to submit to; it will not be of many months’ duration,

GAS TESTING

The journal which is generally recognised as representing the gas companies continues to bo exceedingly angry with us for supporting the action of the Metropolitan Board in seeking further guarantees for the statutory character of the London gas supply. In our second article on this subject we brought forward precise facts in support of our previous statements, and on these facts we rely, whatever amount of hostility we may have to endure at the hands of our contemporary. We have simply discharged a public duty, and have no animus in the matter. It cannot be disproved that a large quantity of gas consumed in London has for some time past escaped the ordeal of the existing testing stations, and it is also an assured fact that when a test has been applied to this portion of the gas supply, a serious deficiency in the lighting power has been discovered. That is to say, the illuminating power of the gas so tested has proved to be “frequently under 16 candles, and on several occasions even below 14 candles.” It would be far better for our contemporary to explain these results than to attack The Engineer. If explanation cannot be offered, it might be well to remember that sometimes “silence is golden.”

THE WHITE STAR LINE.

It is worthy of remark that, although commenced some twelve years ago, the White Star fleet is still the first on the Atlantic in point of speed and regularity. The commodore ship, the Britannic, has illustrated this in a singular manner, having just completed her seventh consecutive voyage from New York to Queenstown in less than eight days, the longest of these voyages being 7 days 21 hours 23 min., and the shortest 7 days 17 hours, making an average of 7 days 19 hours 53 min., the best which she has yet attained. This record becomes the more remarkable when it is remembered that the homeward route which the company has adopted for the sake of securing greater safety for its ships is more southerly, and therefore considerably longer than that generally adopted. Regularity, when it is, as in the present instance, combined with comfort, speed, and safety, should be a strong recommendation to public favour.

LITERATURE.

Life of Sir William E. Logan, Kt., IjL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., and First Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, chiefly compiled from his Letters, Journals, and Reports. By Bernard J. Harrington, B.A., Ph.D,, Professor of Mining in M'Gill University ; late Chemist and Mineralogist to the Geological Survey of Canada. London : Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington. 1883.

This book contains a record of a career in some respects probably unique. Here is the life of a man certainly not educated for scientific pursuits and spending his time up to the age of thirty-three in the counting house of a London merchant. From the firm with which he was connected having entered into speculations connected with copper mining, we read of him, as if touched by the fairy wand, transformed into an efficient metallurgist and miner, and a really eminent geologist. In one way, therefore, his career may prove a bad lesson, as supporting the common delusion that a man may, if he needs it, get up any branch of science at any time. If Logan succeeded by dint of a rare capacity, both of body and mind, for hard work, how many would under precisely similar circumstances have failed completely] Nor is it difficult to perceive that if he had enjoyed a good chemical education the undertaking would have been more remunerative. One part of the speculation consisted in a patent for the extraction of copper from slags, which were to be worked over again. This process came to nothing, so that the money sunk in the purchase of this invention, and of some millions of tons of old slags, was to a great exteut sacrificed. But that part of the undertaking which consisted in smelting copper according to the ordinary Welsh process, and in coal mining, proved successful. From seeking after coal he was led to inquire into the origin of this mineral, and to study the structure of the Glamorgan coal-fields. So indefatigably did he work on this subject, that by the time he had resided two years in Swansea he had completed a geological map of the neighbouring area, which was adopted by Sir H. de la Beche for the Government Survey with the highest praise. He was the first to demonstrate that the coal beds had beeu formed in situ, and were not accumulations of drift wood, &c. He came to this conclusion after observing the invariable presence under each seam of coal of a bed which the local miners call “ the under clay.” In 1837 he was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society, before which he read an account of his conclusions respecting the coal-beds. He took an active interest in the management of the Royal Institution of South Wales, in which he filled the office of geological orator. When he left Wales and returned to Canada, his native country, he had already been widely and favourably known to the leading geologists of the day as an earnest and accurate observer and worker. In 1842 the project of a geological survey of Canada, which had already on several occasions been brought forward, at last took a definite shape, and on the warm recommendation of such men as De la Beche, Sedgwick, Sir Roderick Murchison, and others, Logan was appointed the director.

The work contains many sketches of Canadian landscapes, especially of rivers, and of some fossils, and the style, fresh and rough, of the drawings of Sir W. Logan especially commend themselves to notice—such as: view on the Lower St. Lawrence (p. 187), and view at Cape Maquereau (p. 169). Some of the stories of mining are interesting, especially those about the Canadian coal miners. It is stated that a real 'practical miner had discovered coal near Bowmanville, in Upper Canada. Mr.

B-, the owner of the farm, was easily persuaded that

boring operations should be undertaken, and bore-rods and tools were soon provided. Sections of strata, supposed to be passed through, were daily heralded in several of the papers, and great was the excitement throughout the country, and great the indignation against unfortunate geologists who ventured to doubt the occurrence of coal in this district. Logan had declared from the first that there was no coal there, and refused to visit the spot. A certain sheriff, a great friend of Logan’s, went to Bowmanville, was convinced that it was all right, and proceeded to Montreal to Logan with some fragments of coal. “I saw it taken out with my own eyes,” said the sheriff. “Ah,” replied Logan, “you should have been there earlier, and looked more sharply, and then you might have seen it put in,” The possibility of such a proceeding had never occurred to the worthy sheriff. Some other visitor, while witnessing the extraction of the coal from the same bore-hole, observed that the coal was mixed with bread and cheese, which had accidentally got into the hole during the preliminary operation. So ended the Bowman-ville excitement. Eventually it turned out that the bore-rod had never reached the solid rock at all. In 1855, while acting as juror to the Canadian section of the Paris Exhibition, a respectable Frenchman said to him : “Le Canada est en Peru, n’est-ce pas]” He seems to have been singularly alive to the tricks of “ prospectors ” in mines. A number of other tales are told in illustration of this. During the time of the gold excitement in the province of Quebec he was not infrequently urged to give his opinion on gold-bearing quartz;. Sir William was asked whether the glittering metal visible at the bottom of little cavities in the quartz was really gold. “ No doubt of it,” said the unmoved critic, after eyeing it closely with a pocket lens—“ no doubt of it, and with this glass you can see the marks of the punch perfectly.” On another occasion, when pestered to give an opinion on a copper-bearing area., after reiterating without avail that he was a geologist, but not a mining engineer, he was pressed for an answer to the question whether there was not an enormous quantity of copper within the area described. He satisfied both the intending seller and contemplating purchaser by the reply: “ There is an enormous quantity of copper—an enormous quantity; and it is my opinion that it will cost just a little more than it is worth to get it out.”

He died in 1875, after a long, well-spent, and most honourable life.

DB. JAMES LAWRENCE SMITH.

He was born near Charleston, South Carolina, on the 16th December, 1818, and was therefore in his sixty-fifth year. He graduated in the University of Virginia, and in the Medical College of Charleston. After leaving the latter institute he spent three years in Europe, and mostly in Paris, pursuing studies in physics, chemistry, geology, and mineralogy. While in Paris he commenced his publications in chemistry by a paper on the means of detecting arsenic in the human body, which was reprinted in Silliman’s American Journal of Science in 1841. After his return to Charleston in 1844, he was made Assayer to the State, studied its marls, ores, and cotton-bearing soils ; and his able report on cotton-growing led to his appointment under the Turkish Government, with reference to instruction on the subject in that country. The emery mines of Turkey, near Smyrna and Ephesus, and adjoining districts and islands, gave him a new subject for research; and his report on them to the Academy of Sciences of the French Institute in 1850 is the first full description of the geological character and mineralogy of the emery region that had appeared. Besides a careful chemical study of the emery, in the course of which he devised the mode of attack of this refractory mineral by sodium bisulphate, he investigated its effective hardness by a new method, and extended his determinations to the emery of other localities. His memoir was published in the Memoires des Savants Grangers. He also studied the emery of Chester, Massachussetts, in which he confirmed and extended his previous observati of the mineral and its mode of occurrence, and mineral associates. He also published a report on the thermal waters of Asia Minor.

American mineralogy owes very much to Dr. Smith for his careful chemical investigations, the earlier of which were carried on conjointly with Professor Brush, and the science of chemistry in many ways, and especially for the method proposed by him, and since adopted generally, for the determination of alkalies in silicates. Many ingenious appliances were proposed by Dr. Smith in the department of chemistry and physics. One of the most important is that of the inverted microscope. Meteorites were with him a subject of great interest and thorough study. His papers giving descriptions and the results of chemical and physical investigations of different meteoric stones and irons very numerous, and have greatly advanced this department of science. It formed the topic of his last paper. In 1873 he collected in one volume the chief of his papers, and out of 400 pages which it contains, 100 are devoted to papers on meteorites. He noticed the invariable presence of cobalt in meteoric iron ; a new mineral occurring in meteorites, a chromic sesquichloride; and noticed a few years since the occurrence of three falls of meteorites within a month or thirty-two days in a very narrow area of the United States.

Dr. Smith held for some years the professorship of chemistry in the University of Virginia, and during the later years of his life that of chemistry in the University of Louisville. His large collection of meteorites and minerals he gave to the Polytechnic Society of Louisville two years ago. He was a member of various scientific academies, both foreign and American, and was recently elected to a foreign membership of the Academy of Science of Paris. A most kindly and appreciative eulogy has been spoken there about him by M. Daubree. One who wrell knew him in his adopted city says justly of him :—“ Eminent in his profession, he was more than eminent in his home. He was a gentleman, truly; but he was a man of affairs, a man of convictions, a man among men, who, though absorbed in scientific pursuits, took a sincere and profound interest iu public questions and events. He had not an enemy on earth, despite the positivity and transparency of his opinions, and he goes to his last rest leaving the people with whom he was so long identified to mourn the loss of a citizen of whom all were proud and whom everybody loved and honoured.”

Harbours of Refuge and Breakwaters round the British Coasts.—On Wednesday evening, at the monthly conversazione of the London Literary and Artistic Society, held at St. James’s Hall, a lecture was given by E. C. Greenway Thomas, Esq., late Judge of the Civil and Session Courts of Vizagapatam, on a novel and economical method of constructing harbours of refuge every fifty miles around the coast for saving life and property. Mr. Thomas proposes the use of a form of floating breakwater, which is of his invention, and is known as the Greenway breakwater, and of a modification of this formed partly of concrete. The essential feature of the invention is that, while the sea is not stopped by the floating and independent sections, it is checked, the waves meeting the floating buoys being split up and their motion of translation destroyed by their meeting between the buoys. In some situations masonry and concrete fixed breakwaters would be used, each part havinga cross section similar to that of the floating buoys, namely, hollowed sea faces. There is no doubt these might be advantageously used at many places.

an

B.

THE DOCKISING OF RIVERS.

No. III.

On receiving Mr. Kawlinson’s reports, the Council made up their mind to spend a sum of £1500 on further inquiry, and put the matter again in the hands of the committee. They proceeded in the first place to obtain Mr. Howard’s opinion on certain supplementary points, with the following results. First, with regard to land required for wharves, it appears that there is a large acreage lying on both sides of the river, which is at present merely grazing land or salt marsh, but which could at once be utilised for quays. The total length of frontage of this land is about six miles, aud the breadth is from 300ft. to 500ft. Assuming the area to be about 280 acres, it was estimated that it might be purchased under Parliamentary powers for £56,000. Secondly, as to the increased cost of the working staff, it is obvious that two dock masters, with a sufficient number of assistants, would have to be maintained at Kingroad. On the other hand, the staff at the present floating harbour could be reduced, as the work of locking, &c., would then be much lessened. On the whole, there might be expected an increased annual cost of about £1000. Thirdly, as to the increased cost of dredging, most of that which is now required is due to the muddy tidal water which flows for some days during each spring tide over the dam at Netham, and which also enters at every tide into the junction locks and half-tide basins between the floating harbour and the New Cut. This is evidenced by the fact that the present dredgers are occupied for much the greater part of their time either just within the entrance to the floating harbour or in the Avon above Netham dam. There might no doubt be a certain amount of deposit from flood waters in the great float; but Mr. Howard does not consider this a serious item, and even according to his estimate it is probably overrated. Very many rivers, the Avon amongst them, are practically dock-ised or converted into canals for large portions of their course, and the amount of dredging thereby rendered necessary is generally insignificant. Moreover, the velocity, even in the great float, would be usually sufficient to carry the greater part of the suspended water down to its lower end, and so into the Severn. Fourthly, as to the comparative cost of towing before and after dockising, it might be expected that this would be largely increased by the new works, inasmuch as vessels are now able to take advantage of the ebb and flow of the tide; but, as a matter of fact, only the very lightest vessels can venture to come up by the tide alone. All vessels worth considering must have a tug with them for the purpose of regulating their course, if not of actual haulage; and the cost for towage by tugs, is naturally far smaller in still water than in a dangerous tidal channel, such as that of the Avon. Mr. Howard proves this by comparing the charges actually made for towing in the river Avon and in the Berkeley Canal, by which vessels of considerable size are conveyed from Sharpness docks to Gloucester. He estimates that the saving in cost of towing by the new works might be taken as 50 per cent. Fifthly, with regard to the size of vessels thatcculd come up to Bristol, the depth of water in the present float limits the draught there to about 22fr. There is, however, width for vessels 300ft. long to swing within the present harbour, whilst in the great float there would be a swing of 350ft. to 400ft. at Kownham, and room for vessels of almost any length to swing in the lower parts near the dam. Here, of course, vessels of any draught could always be accommodated. Even with the channel in its present form there would be space for two vessels 300ft. to 320ft. long to pas3 each other deeply laden at the very worst point, where there is a curve of 600ft. radius. Sixthly, as to the cost of wharf walls, Mr. Howard estimates that many railway companies, &c., would be willing to take wharves on easy terms with the condition of building the walls. He suggests that the Corporation should begin with 4000ft. to 5000ft. length of quay wall, which would cost about £100,000.

Having obtained this opinion, the committee went on to carry out their instructions, which were to consult eminent engineer on the whole question. They selected Sir John Coode, and asked him to advise whether there was a good primd facie case to warrant the expense of a further survey, borings, &c.; or whether, after looking into and considering the general nature of the scheme, he judged it to be one that he could not see his way to support. On these instructions, Sir John Coode went into the question, and furnished an important report, dated 8tb March in the present year. He begins by saying that he had made an inspection of the river and docks in company with Mr. Howard, and had obtained from him a number of documents bearing on the question. He then proceeds to deal with what he calls the cardinal question of the maintenance of the depth of water in Kingroad and at the new entrance, in the event of a dam being placed across the Avon channel. He quotes the view of Mr. Page : “That such an. interference with the tidal action of the Avon would, in fact, deprive the river of that power which maintains any depth of water at its mouth;” and also that of Sir John Hawkshaw, which was practically to the effect that he was unable to arrive at any conclusion at all. He observes that the matter appeared to him to be one which should be settled rather upon hydrological th geological considerations ; in other words, by studying the tides in the Severn rather than the strata underlying the Avon. His object was to ascertain whether the tides in the locality might be regarded as being in any degree the cause of deep water at Kingroad, and of the curved indent in that part of the Severn shore which lies about a mile and a-half on either side of Avonmouth. He confined. his examination to the tidal currents in the Severn, for since the volume of water flowing into the Avon is somewhat less than 1 per cent, of the tidal current flowing up the Bristol Channel, the exclusion of the tidal waters may, m his opinion, be safely dismissed as being an altogether unimportant factor in the case. It will be seen that Sir John Coode, who is a man pre-eminently cautious in adopting new ideas, here directly contradicts the opinion of Mr. Page, and lays, it may be hoped for ever, the ghost of tidal obstruction, which had prevented the dockising of the river when first mooted.

The results of his examination are very striking. It has been shown, chiefly by the observations of AdmiralBeechey, that at the time the stream from the Scilly Islands is setting to the northward, that from the Irish Channel will be found setting from the southward, and that both of these turn into the Bristol Channel; the offing tide from the Atlantic at the same time contributing its share to the central portion of the channel. It is the combined action of these three streams, coupled with the gradually converging form of the estuary, which causes the exceptional rise of tide in the Severn, and the local phenomenon known as the bore. On studying the directions of the tidal currents, it appears that the principal set between Clevedon and Portishead is to the southern or Somersetshire side, and that it hugs this side closer as it gets further up the river. The result is that the lift of tide on the southern side is actually greater than on the northern, the water being, as it were, banked up against that shore. Studying the question further, it appears that in the lower parts of the channel the opposite is the case. Between Watchet and Barry Island there is a greater range by 1ft. Gin. on the Welsh than on the English shore. Again, between Penarth, near Cardiff, and Brean Down, near Weston, the lift on the two shores is about the same, showing that the currents are here fair in the middle of the river. But on a line drawn from Gold Cliff, three miles east of the Usk, to Walton Bay, near Clevedon, the range is greater by 1ft. 9in. on the English shore. Lastly, at the mouth of the Avon the difference in range is as great as 2ft.

From these facts the conclusion is drawn that “ the preponderance of the sweep or momentum of the Severn tides is so distinctly along that portion of the Somersetshire side of the Channel, near Kingroad and Avonmouth, that the configuration of this section of the Severn shore is independent of the passage of the relatively small volume of tidal water passing in and out of the Avon, and the continuance of the deepwater along the shore and through Kingroad would be permanently assured by the momentum of the Severn tide streams if the whole of the tidal waters of the Avon were excluded by the erection of a dam.”

Not merely is the passage of tidal water into the Avon thus shown to be of no advantage to the depth outside, but it is even suggested that it may be a positive evil. The deposition of mud which is found on the Flatness Ledge, near Avonmouth, may probably be attributed to the stilling effects of the confluence of the two rivers, and it is not unlikely that the result of dockising would be to sweep it away.

Passing on now to the engineering conditions of the problem, Sir John Coode observes that the geological conditions at Avonmouth appear to be favourable to the construction of the necessary works; although, of course, careful examination would be necessary before they were carried out. The depth of the sills at the entrance would require special consideration. Having regard to the growing size of modern steamships, the sills of at least one entrance should be little if at all above the level of low water at the lowest equinoctial spring tides; for if dockising is to be carried out, it must be so devised as to insure the entrance and exit of the largest class of steamers on every tide throughout the year. On the other points requiring special consideration—namely, the carrying off of flood water and the disposal of the sewage—Sir John Coode is content to refer to the reports which we have already dealt with; and he concludes by observing that there is, is his opinion, a sufficient prima facie case to warrant the expense of the new survey, and a thorough investigation of all the physical conditions requisite for an exhaustive consideration of the question in all its bearings.

In presenting this report to the Council the Committee annexed to it a memorandum upon the financial aspect of the question. This, in its details, is, of course, chiefly of local interest; nevertheless it is of importance as showing the general questions which arise for consideration when the economic aspects of such a scheme have to be dealt with. In the first place they give statistics showing that the registered tonnage arriving with cargoes from abroad has been practically stationary during the last five years, and that whilst the value of the exports has increased enormously since the opening of the docks at the mouth of the river, yet this is of no advantage, because the charges imposed on this trade, owing to competition, are merely nominal. Hence they conclude that with the present trade no margin of profit can be looked for, such as to meet the interest on a large expenditure of capital. It remains, therefore, to consider whether the dockising of the river would lead to new traffic, such as the Atlantic passenger trade, and also to such an expansion in local industries and shipments of exports as would give a corresponding increase of revenue. Now with regard to the American trade, Bristol has two well marked and special advantages. In the first place it is the nearest English city to New York ; as a port it is nearer by 50 miles than Liverpool; and the route to London and the Continent via Bristol is shorter than that vid Liverpool by no less than 150 miles. But by the dockisation scheme vessels of any size would be able on any tide to enter the harbour and come up to a berth alongside the railway, so that in three or four hours after passing through Kingroad her passengers would be in London. The saving of several hours between New York and London is to business men a serious consideration, and offers an advantage whose importance can hardly be over-rated.

Secondly, Bristol lies close to the important coal-fields of South Wales, from which comes the steam coal used almost exclusively by the vessels now plying between England and America. At present this coal has to be taken by rail or steamer to Liverpool; in both cases with serious expense both of transit and handling, On the completion of the dockising scheme, the coal would be brought by truck through the Severn Tunnel, now nearly complete, direct to the wharves on the new floating harbour, and discharged at once into the vessels. The saving in cost, especially to the shipowner, would be something like 53. per ton; and when the importance of fuel to a swift passenger steamer is considered, it will be seen that we have here a very strong inducement to choose Bristol as the port of embarkation. The opening of the tunnel will also produce greatly increased trade of all kinds between South Wales and Bristol, and will stimulate both imports and exports there. The tendency now existing to shift industries, such as iron and steel, to the coast, is also pointed out as likely to enhance the manufacturing prosperity of Bristol. Making a moderate estimate on this basis, the committee see their way to an additional revenue of about £88,000. On the other hand, the works to be carried out would probably involve an additional yearly expenditure of £85,000; so that it appeal's that the scheme would just pay its way directly, while indirectly its advantages can hardly be underrated. On these grounds the committee recommend the Council to authorise a further expenditure —say £3000—for the new survey and investigation approved by Sir John Coode.

We have now placed our readers in possession of the leading facts of the case,and enabled them, we hope, to appreciate the importance of the question which lias to be decided by the citizens of Bristol. Whether it will be decided aright we do not venture to prophesy. It is hard to augur well from the history of the past. There can be little doubt that if Bristol had retained something more of the spirit which built and launched the Great Western—if she had resolved that, coute qui coute, she would retain the command of that ocean steam trade with America which she had herself created—she would be to-day the formidable rival, if not the acknowledged superior, of Liverpool. But she let her opportunities slip. Years went by, and she did nothing; and when she woke from her sleep to see her trade slipping from her, she wasted her energies on two or three different and competing schemes, not one of which was really abreast of the wants and necessities of the times. Much, very much, has been lost thereby. But is everything lost! Is it altogether too late? and is Bristol destined to sink into the quiet repose of an interesting cathedral town? We believe that it is not too late; but only provided that her citizens of this generation are both wiser and bolder than those of the last—are more worthy descendants of those old “merchant venturers” whose places they fill and whose traditions they profess to inherit. The motto of a merchant venturer was union in enterprise; but in modern Bristol the two have been fatally dissociated. Where there was enterprise there was no union; and where there was union there was no enterprise. But it may be hoped that better counsels are beginning to prevail, and that the present rulers of Bristol will venture what seems, but only seems, a bold stroke to revive the commercial greatness which is slipping away from them like melting snow. They have plenty of examples to spur them on. Preston, for instance, with a population below 100,000, is about to spend half a million in improving the river Kibble. Or let them look no further than their own great rival, Liverpool. One hundred years ago she was little more than a fishing village : she has spent eighteen millions of hard money in dock works, and she is—Liverpool. On the other hand, Chester, once the emporium of trade for the north-western coast, was content to keep her money in her pocket, and is now a reputable town, frequently visited for the sake of its cathedral and its antiquities. Which shall be the destiny of Bristol?

It may be said that the matter is one of local interest only; but it is not so. The observations made at the commencement of these articles show how important is the general question of dockising to all countries possessing navigable rivers by which traffic may, under proper conditions, be led from the coast to the interior. To Belgium, to France, to Spain, to America the problem may ere long appear in its true importance. But it is in Bristol, owing to local circumstances, that it has been longest and most deeply studied; nowhere else can it be carried out with brighter prospects or under more favourable conditions. Success achieved there—and it would be achieved—could not but react elsewhere; the same process would be applied to larger and more important rivers, and a great stride would be taken in that process of cheapening transport, which seems, after all, the most weighty factor in the material prosperity of nations.

CONTRACTS OPEN.

INDIAN STATE RAIL AY AYS.

Tenders are asked for the underframe and body ironwork, roofing, iron and brass fittings, lavatory fittings, trimmings, and window glass for intermediate-class carriages, with bodies 27ft. Gin. long, as set forth in the accompanying drawing, page 482, for the Indus Valley Railway—5ft. Gin. gauge. These carriages are intended for native use in accordance with caste prejudices.

The 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 iron underframes, underframe and body ironwork, roofing, iron, gun-metal, and brass fittings, lavatory fittings, trimmings, and window-glass, with all requisite bolts and nuts, rivets, washers, panel pins, coach and wood screws, both iron and brass, and brass work, for putting the work together in India, and fixing the bodies to the underframes, for twenty intermediate-class carriages.

All fastenings, screws, &c., are to be supplied in quantities sufficient for securing the ironwork and fittings to the bodies and underframes, and for putting the bodies and underframes together, together with an allowance of 20 per cent, extra for waste. The contract does not include wheels and axles, bearing and draw and buffer springs, india-rubber window cushions, Attock’s blocks, lamps, and axle-boxes. All these parts will form the subjects of separate contracts. No woodwork is required to be sent to India. The conditions of the contract are those usual with the Indian Government. Tenders must be sent in on or before January 1st, to the Secretary of State for India, India-office, Westminster.

South Kensington Museum.—Visitors during the week ending Dec. 15th, 1883 :—On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free, from 10 a.rn. to 10 p.m., Museum, 7515; mercantile marine, Indian section, and other collections, 2639. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, admission 6d., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Museum, 1534 ; mercantile marine, Indian section, and other collections, 588, Total, 12,276. Average of corresponding week in former years, 11,990. Total from the opening of the Museum, 22,629,728,

THE CONDITION IN WHICH CARBON EXISTS IN STEEL.

An inquiry into the condition in which carbon is present in steel as it is left by the cold-rolling—as well as in its hardened, annealed, and intermediate states—has been made by Sir F. Abel and Mr. Deering for the Committee on Steel of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Two series of experiments were made, the earlier ones showing difference in the behaviour of the hardened steel as compared with the cold-rolled and annealed steel, and in the amount of carbide of iron left by the oxidising solution; and the second series were devoted to ascertaining the limits of strength of the chromic solution, within which the percentage of carbide of iron would be obtained.

First series.—Discs of steel, weighing about 6'5 grammes, were employed, about 2 Sin. diameter and O'Olin. thick. Twelve used, all of which were cut from the same strip of metal, the odd-numbered discs—1, 3, 5, &c.—being cut from one side of the axis of the strip, and the others—2, 4, 6, &c.—from the other side. The discs 1, 4, 7, and 10 were as received for the coldrolling; Nos. 2, 5, 8, and 11 were annealed; and Nos. 3, 6, 9, and 12 were hardened. The discs to be hardened were placed between two cast iron blocks, one being recessed to receive the plates, the other being quite flat. These blocks were equally heated to a bright red; a disc was then placed between them and allowed to remain till thoroughly heated ; it then instantaneously removed, and as quickly as possible caught and pressed between two cast iron surface plates. The discs to be annealed were bolted between wrought iron plates, §in. thick, and so enclosed in a thin sheet iron box, 5in. square and 2in. deep. This was enclosed in a cast iron box about 15in. by 6in., and the intervening space filled up with flue dust— thoroughly burnt soot—and the whole was then raised in an annealing furnace to a bright red heat, sufficient to scale but no: peal the iron of the box. The fire was then slackened off, banked up with ashes, and the box left undisturbed in the furnace for twenty-four hours. From certain estimations made, the steel discs in contact with the wrought iron plates appear to lose carbon during the annealing. Of the annealed discs Nos. 2 and 11 were those which were in contact with the wrought iron plates. Disc No. 6 was used for estimation of silicon, which was found to amount to 0'2 per cent. Total carbon was estimated in one disc of each kind, but an inside disc of the annealed series was examined to compare with those which had been annealed in immediate contact with the wrought iron. Total carbon was, as usual, estimated by decomposing the metal with cupric chloride The filtration was conducted in the

same

were

referred to that used for Preparation 2, containing 99 grammes of salt per 1000 cub. cent, solution, sulphuric acid being added in the proportion of 0’9 gramme of acid to 1 gramme of the bichromate. The solution used in obtaining Preparation 1 wa3 a little weaker, being 0⁻8th strength of the solution of Prepara-Preparation 3 was produced with a much weaker chromic solution, its strength being 0'44. For Preparation 4 a hot solution of bichromate was mixed with the requisite quality of sulphuric acid, and the strength aimed at was double that of Preparation 2. The mode of treatment with the chromic solution was in all instances alike, and the experiments were made at ordinary laboratory temperatures.    ^

Preparation 1.— Four pieces of the steel—from i to 7 5 grammes each—were exposed in separate vessels to the chromic acid solution ; 1000 cub. cent, to each piece of steel. At the end of two days there only remained small quantities of a black grey powder, which was worked off into the liquid and exposed for several days to the action of the chromic solution, and were then collected together and treated with some fresh chromic acid. In a similar manner other portions of steel were treated with Preparations 2, 3 and 4, which led to the following results

tion 2.

Preparation 1

Prepai a-tion 2.

Prepara- Preparation 3. tion 4.

Caibide obtained per 100 of

stet1 ............

Composition per 100 of carbide

Carbon.........

Iron ............

Water ............

Atomic ratio    .. .. ......

Parts of carbon obtained , in form of carbide per 100 of

steel ..........

Parts of carbon unconverted into hydrocarbons by<treat-ment of carbide with H Cl: —

Per 100 of carbide......

Per 100 of carbon in caibide

13-25

14-16

153-4

4-66

7-31

!0-4!

2-37

7-21

Fe

Cr

0-959

90-64 2 27

^e2 694

1-021

6-84

91 50 1-63

hb *>. 8C7 Cj

where 4 00 is Fe, C. 11-77 £0-57

5-57

The leading German shipbuilders are well supplied with work for some months to come, especially the Flensburg Company and the Vulcan Company of Stettin. On the 1st inst., a powerful cruiser, built to the order of the Chinese Government, was launched from the yard of the latter firm. This vessel was named the Tchi Yuen by the Chinese Ambassador to the Court of Berlin. She is 236ft. Sin. long, 34ft. ftin. wide, draws 15ft. 9in. of water, and has a displacement of 2355 tons. The hull is constructed entirely of steel, and the vital parts, such as engines, boilers, magazines, &c., are protected by a turtle-back armoured deck, extending several feet below the water line. It is estimated that the twin-screw engines of 2800 indicated horsepower, manufactured by the Vulcan Company, will be capable of propelling the vessel at a mean speed of 15 knots per hour. The Tchi Yuen will be supplied with tubes for discharging White-head torpedoes, besides which she will carry an armament of two 81in. and one 5gin. Krupp guns, which will be mounted in two machine gun-proof steel turrets. This is the third Chinese ship-of-war now lying in the Oder, near Stettin. It is rumoured that the Vulcan Company is about to receive an order from the Portuguese Government for the construction of two large vessels-of-war. On December 1st the Germania Company, of Kiel, launched from their yard at Gaarden a steamer of 650 tons register, built for Messrs. Paulsen and Ivers, the dimensions of which are—164ft. by 24ft. 6in. by 13ft. The vessel was named the Commercial, and is intended for the Baltic trade. The Reiherstag Company, of Hamburg, has been entrusted by Messrs. Woermann and Co. with the construction of a spar-deck steamer of 1450 tons ^burden. The hull of this vessel will be built entirely of steel. Messrs. Koch and Co., of Luebeck,

steam'er of 1100 tons for the

I 049

0-266

containing sodium chloride, combustion tube itself, so that no loss could ensue from transferring the filtering bed and the carbonaceous matter. The discs were in all cases rubbed with fine emery and cleaned with ether before being used. The total carbon was found to be:—

gave 1108 per cent, carbon. 1-128    „    „

0921    „    „

0-860

(cold-rolled)

„    3    (hardened)    ,,

,,    5 (annealed, inside disc) ,,

„    11 (annealed, outside disc) ,,

An estimation of the Bo-called uncombined carbon in three of the discs was made by generally’ heating them with hydrochloric acid of specific gravity 1T0. The annealed and cold-rolled discs dissolved much more rapidly than the hardened disc, the cold-rolled disc furnishing the largest amount of dark-coloured residue. The residue, collected on asbestos in combustion tubes, washed successively with water, alcohol, ether, and water, dried, and the carbon estimated by combustion :—

Disc No. 1

were

(cold-rolled)

,,    8 (annealed, inside disc) ,,

(hardened)    „

Dire No. 7

gave 0-096 per cent, carbon. 0-052    „    „

0 035    „    „

Of the remaining four discs, three were submitted to the action of an oxidising solution—potassium bichromate with sulphuric acid—made by adding to cold concentrated solution of bichromate one-twentieth of its volume of concentrated sulphuric acid. The discs were placed on sieves of platinum gauze in the centre of 500 cubic cm. of the liquid with the following result:— No. 4 disc (cold-rolled) solution of metal began at once with rise of temperature, and a very slight evolution of gas. Black particles in small quantity remained at the end of five days on the sieve, they were attracted by the magnet and appeared spangly-under the microscope. No. 2 disc—annealed—solution did not till after the lapse of five hours ; afterwards solution proceeded slowly ; scaly residue left on the sieve ; resembled the above. No. 12 disc—hardened—metal at once attacked with considerable evolution of gas. At the end of five days a little buff-coloured matter remained on the sieve, as well as spangles ; the light-coloured matter was probably silica. The residues which remained on the sieve were placed in the liquid for a further thirteen days. Finally collected and washed, dried, and burnt in oxygen as usual; the iron estimated after the experiment. The following quantities, calculated on 100 parts of the discs, were found :—

f 1-410 \

\ i-23<;

J 20-87 )

(16 93 f

An examination of the foregoing results suggests the following conclusions :—

1.    The two chromic solutions used for Preparations 1 and 2 gave very similar results both in respect of the percentage of product obtained from the steel and of the percentage composition of the product. The third, a much weaker solution, furnishes results which, allowance being made for the smaller quantities of substance dealt with and inherent analytical difficulties, must be regarded as closely resembling those obtained with the other two solutions.

2.    The results obtained with Preparation 4, the strongest chromic solution, indicate that the limit of concentration of the oxidising solution which the separated carbide is capable of resisting has here been exceeded. Not only has there been in this case a very considerable loss of carbon as hydrocarbons or possibly as a soluble product of oxidation—but the iron in the separated carbide has also been to a considerable extent attacked, and only a relatively small proportion of the carbide remains, together with separated carbon, the latter partly in a hydrated form, and possibly also in some partially oxidised insoluble form.

3.    The small amounts of water obtained by the combustion of Preparations 1, 2, and 3 may indicate that, in these also, small quantities of carbohydrate are present with the iron carbide. This may result from the action of the chromic solutions on the carbide first separated, and may account for the not very definite, though on the whole uniform, atomic ratio of iron to carbon in the products of Preparations 1, 2, and 3.

4.    If the carbon unconverted into hy drocarbons by treatment of the products with hydrochloric acid be deducted from the percentage of total carbon in the products of Preparations 1, 2, and 3, the results exhibit a uniformity which, if accidental, is somewhat remarkable. Thus :—

1-269

17 60

Preparation 1.

commence

Percentage of total carbon........

Less carbon unconverted into hydrocarbons ................

There remains of carbon per cent. ..

7-3 L

1-38

5-93

0-S36

12-22

Preparation 2.

Preparation 3.

7 21

1-27

5 94

6-84

0-84

6-00

have just completed an iron carg<

Toenning Steamship Comp >ny. The speed of this vessel, on a draught of 15ft. 3in., is eight knots per hour, and her cost is £13,750.

A Newcastle firm of marine engine builders have ordered of Herr Krupp, of Essen, two heavy bollow-forged steel crank shafts, each of which is upwards of 50ft in length. It is supposed that they are intended for a poweiful Italian cruiser, the engines of which are being manufactured in England.

In the State Railway Estimates for the'financial year 1884 to 1885, the sum of 1,600,000 marks is asked for as a first instalment for the purpose of carrying out the suggestions of the Safety Conference, which met in Berlin in the spring of the present year. Of the above amount, 600,000 marks will be devoted to a more extensive application of automatic brakes, and 200,000 marks are required for acquiring electric contact apparatus. The object of this apparatus is to ascertain the exact whereabouts of a train, and the speed at which it is travelling, of electric wires, which connect various portions of the line with the nearest stations. The remainder of the grant will be devoted to improvements in signalling apparatus switches, &c.

The late trial of chilled iron armour at Buckau-Magdeburg has given rise to an animated newspaper controversy between the partisans of Herr Krupp, whose gun was used for the test, and those of Herr Gruson, who supplied the armoured turret. The arguments brought forward by both parties are generally illogical, but so much is certain, viz., that after the third round the turret was incapable of further resistance. The Gruson party⁷, however, deny the assertion that the Krupp steel shells penetrated the chilled iron plate to a considerable depth, but, on the contrary, maintain that the sheds lef: but a slight mark at the point of impact, and that they were broken up. Minor questions, such as the above, however, alter nothing of the fact that the fourth—and last—shot drove the greater portion of the test plate into the centre of the turret.

The prices lately quoted by certain firms for 9656 tons of steel rails for an Italian railway have again drawn general attention to the fact that German Government railways, and therefore the taxpayers, have to purchase their railway material at a far higher price than is paid in any other European country. The lowest quotations for the rails in question were:—Rheinische Stahl-werke, 125.50f.; Bochumer Yerein, 127.24f.; Socidte Cockerill, 133.17f.; and Bolckow, Yauglian, and Co., 133.50f. The German Government have found to their cost that in imposing so heavy an impost, or rather a preventive duty on railway material, they have placed themselves at the mercy of a few large manufacturers. It is reported that this question will be brought prominently’ before Parliament early in the present session.

by

means

Iron.

No. 4 (cold rolled)

No. 2 (annealed, outside disc) O' 30 0 178

Carbon.

1-039 per cent. .. 5-87 per cent ..    4-74    „

..0 70    „

No. 12 (hardened)

It will be seen that very nearly the whole of the carbon for the cold-rolled disc is left in the form of a carbon-iron compound ; and from"the annealed disc still more nearly the whole of the carbon. Thus :—

Total Carbon.

No. 1 disc (cold rolled) ..    ..    1-103 per cent.

Carbon in residue from chromic treatment.

per cent.

The atomic ratio of this residual percentage of carbon to iron is as 1 to 3.270 of iron.

5. The carbon separated in the solid form as carbide and carbohydrate more nearly approaches the total amount (1144 per cent.) of carbon contained in the steel in the case of No. 3, when the weakest chromic solution was employed—a result which was anticipated.

These results serve to confirm the view that the carbon of cold-rolled steel exists, not simply diffused mechanically through the mass of the steel, but in the form of an iron carbide, a definite product capable of resisting the oxidising effect of an agent which exerts a rapid solvent action upon the iron through which the carbide is distributed. It is to be hoped that opportunity may be found to continue these experiments with unfused cementation steel, and with other ingot steels in the same and in different conditions of temper, using the weakest chromic solution which gave the most favourable results.

The Society of Engineers.—The twenty-ninth annual general meeting of the members of the Society of Engineers was held on Monday evening, the 10th inst., in the reading room of the Society, Yictoria-street, "Westminster. The chair was occupied by Mr. Jabez Church, M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S., president. Tlie following gentlemen were balloted for and duly elected as the

-As president, Duckham, Mr.

.. 1 039    „

0-830

Ou the other hand only about one-sixtli of the total carbon of the hardened disc was left in the solid residue of the chromic treatment. In the latter case, too, the ratio of carbon to iron in the residue was greater than in the residue for the other two discs, thus :—

FOREIGN NOTES.

A steel bridge is to be built across the Soutli Saskatchewan, at Medicine Hat, this coming winter. It is to be 900ft. long and 36ft. above water-mark. It is to rest upon six piers and two abutments, and is to contain a swing between the first and third piers Iron.    from the east side. The piers, which will commence 5ft. below

No. 4 (cold rolled)................ i :    5-64    low.water mark, are to rest on piles. About 1000 car loads of

No 12 (hardened).......... .”    ”    ”    1    :    3 93 stone will be required for the piers. Cost 250,000 dols.

It is interesting to observe that in the case of the annealed and It appears from recent returns that each engine on the .Penn-cold-rolled discs the ratios correspond very closely; they also sylvaman Road cost last ysar 26s. for rep ,    .    >

correspond closely with the proportion of the elements of the non 3'44s. for stores for each 100 mi s. The consumption p r m carbide having the formula Fef C,, The last disc was used to was 82 lb. of coal, 5'3 quarts of oil, and 3'8 lb. of tallow It would whether the iron carbide would resist the action of a chromic be interesting to know acid solution containing a large excess of sulphuric acid. There repairs and running of locomotives m Canada during the winter was left 084 per cent, of carbon and 1104 per cent, of iron per months. It is somewhat surprisingthat means 100 of disc. With this large excess of acid the carbide broke «^ *^* *£ ££ pZTjlgZZ^l o,t

Second series -The strength of the solution of chromic acid atmosphere often 40 deg. to 50 deg below zero, with the boiler and the amount of sulphuric mixed with it was varied, and the injector, pumps, &c. A number of engines were frozen up last

different kinds are described as Preparations 1, 2, 3 and 4. year, and so rendered useless.    Canadian Pacific

From these points it was desired to ascertain whether its composi- There are at present along the line of the Canadian 1 acihc tiorTis independent, with rather wide limits, of the strength of RaUway or being erected

the chromic solution employed ; whether, within these limits, sufficient capacity to store 1,544,700 bushels of grain, nour ana a constant quantity of carbide is obtained per 100 of steel; and grist mills having a

how much of the carbon of this carbide, upon treatment with saw mills capable of cutting 972,000ft. per day. 1 he above does not

hit hydKcbloric acid, would remain unconverted into hydro- by any mean, include tbe gram warehouse., gmt,and saw null, carbons. The chromic acid solution used may be ‘conveniently scattered throughout the provinces.

Carbon.

council and officers for the ensuing year, viz. :

Mr. Arthur Rigg; as vice-presidents, Mr. F. E.

Charles Gandon, and Mr. Perry F. Nursey; as ordinary members of council, Mr. Robert Berridge, Mr. T. H. Hovenden, Mr. A. F. Phillips, Mr. Henry Robinson, Mr. W. Schonheyder, Mr. John Waddington, Mr. A. T. Walmisley, and Mr. M. Ogle Tarbotton, the last-named gentleman being a new member of the council; as honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr. Alfred Williams; and as auditor, Mr. Alfred Lass. The proceedings terminated by a general vote of thanks to the council and officers for 1883, which was duly acknowledged by the chairman.

Gunboat foe the Italian Navy.—On Saturday last Sir Wm. Armstrong, Mitchell, and Co., Low Walker, launched the Giovanni Bausan, a torpedo gunboat, constructed and armed for the Italian Government. The name of the Giovanni Bausan has been given to the ship in honour of the memory of the famous Italian buccaneer bearing that designation, who rendered signal service to the Parthenopeian Republic, and who became subsequently an admiral renowned for glorious deeds afloat. The present vessel offers a singularly fine and smart appearance, and has been built on a plan devised by Mr. George Rendel. The length of the Giovanni Bausan is 296ft. between each extremity, and between the two perpendiculars 276ft. Her breadth is 42ft., and her tonnage about 3020 tons. She will be, when in a complete state, propelled by two compound engines of about 2750-horse 5500 specified horse-power, which of rather more than 17 knots an

see

power each, making altogether will give to the vessel a speed hour. She will carry two guns of 25 tons each, of the new Elswick pattern and “ribbon coil” system, capable of throwing projectiles of 450 lb. weight, with charges of powder of 230 lb. She will also be further furnished with six guns of the Elswick pattern, throwing projectiles of 80 lb. weight, with charges of powder of 34 lb.; and to these will be added two more guns—pounders—with four mitrailleuses. The launch of the Giovanni Bausan was effected in the presence of a numerous and distinguished assembly. Lady Armstrong undertook the task of christening the vessel, and was supported by Sir William Armstrong and Rear Admiral Commendatory Raffaele Noce, together with Signora Noce and the Admiral’s son. The Italian navy numbers—ships in the course of construction being included— fifteen men-of-war of the 1st class, twelve men-of-war of the 2nd class, and fourteen of the 3rd class. The Giovanni Bausan will form one of the 2nd class. This computation does not, however, comprise a number of transport ships and vessels devoted to local and laguna service.

new

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

[We do not hold ounelves responsible tor the opinions of correspondents.]

our

The mine shafts are all of a good size; that of A mine, in particular, is 13ft. in diameter, with no obstructions, and 120ft. deep. This is discussed by M. Murgue as “ the orifice of passage.” Now, as to efficiency in water-gauge:—

EFFICIENCY OF FANS.

SIR,—I think you are mistaken as to your formula for calculating the efficiency of fans. What you say about the work done by a fan “consisting in putting a body of air previously at rest into motion ” is no doubt true, but it would be equally true to say of a pump that the work done consisted in putting a body of water previously at rest into motion without taking into account whether it was lifting the water 20 fathoms or 200. The chief difficulty with regard to comparing two fans, is that under ordinary circumstances the greater part of the work done is spent, not in putting the air into motion, but in overcoming the friction of passing through the fan itself and the passages leading to it. In order to get proper data for comparison there must be a standard resistance fixed.s This has been done by M. Murgue, who compares the resistance in the passages and the fan to the resistance of the air to passing through an orifice in a thin plate. Thus the area of the hole in a thin plate which would offer the same resistance to the passage of air as the fan, is the “equivalent orifice” of the fan, and the area which gives the same resistance as the passages is the “ equivalent orifice ” of the passages, so that in order to make a comparison the observations are reduced to unit equivalent orifice. The formula for finding this is derived from the usual formula for the quantity of air which will pass through an orifice in a thin plate, making allowance for the “vena

contracta,” and is a =

Inches.

Actual.

1-13 — 45 per cent.

104 = 28 1-47 = 62 5 „

2'£0 = 19-0 „

The above are a few of my own observations. This manometrical efficiency is somewhat affected by conditions of working; but the highest result I have got from an open fan for manometrical efficiency is 48 per cent., and when a mine is altered purposely to four or five different conditions, and the water-gauge combined in a diagram with the equivalent orifice of the mine, we get what M. Murgue has termed the “characteristic curve of the ventilator.” This “equivalent orifice” is that which would represent an area in a thin plate equivalent to a passage of the quantity of air such as passes through a given mine under a stated water gauge.

I give two instances showing how much easier it is to ventilate some mines than others. Thus

-    = 2-46

y

„    = 3-69

„    =2 35

=    4 05

>>

•403t;

, where a = equivalent orifice; v =

\/ h

volume of air in thousands of feet per minute; h = inches of water gauge. Having got the equivalent orifice of the fan and passages

the velocity of the air through it is taken, the formula E =

2 g

will apply

With regard to your comparison of a fan with a turbine, or rather a centrifugal pump, with a centrifugal pump raising water, the pressure to be overcome is, as in a fan, the head to which the water has to be raised and the friction of the water in passing through the pump and pipes. As with properly proportioned pipes the friction is small, the pressure to be overcome is practically constant, and a much greater efficiency can be got by increasing the velocity of the pump, so as to have it very great in proportion to the head which it has to lift; and, within certain limits, the faster the pump is driven the better efficiency is got.

In a fan, however, as the larger proportion of the power is expended in overcoming friction, the water-gauge caused by the resistance of the passages increases in the same proportion as the water-gauge caused by the fan, and no increased efficiency is got by increasing the speed. This, however, is only true within certain limits, as the power shown in a diagram is expended, first, in turning the engine and fan on their bearings. This is a constant per revolution, no matter what is the velocity; secondly, in churning the air in the fan; and thirdly, in driving the air through the passages. As the two latter increase in proportion to the square of the number of revolutions, and the first is a constant, higher results will be got with higher speeds of the fan. This also explains the reason why such apparently contradictory results are got with different fans. When there is a small quantity of air passed, the Useful work done is small in proportion to the passive resistances, and so a smaller useful effect is got than would be the case were a larger quantity of air being driven.

I think with Mr. Steavenson, that the extraordinary results given by Mr. Capell’s fan must be the result of inaccuracies of observation. It is not well, however, to dogmatise on matters of this sort, and it will, perhaps, be the most satisfactory way, as you suggest, to have the matter settled by experiments made by a competent engineer. Possibly Mr. Capell has found out some way of utilising some of the water-gauge not taken out of the air by the evasee chimney of the Guibal fan.

In the preface to his translation of M. Murgue’s book, Mr. Steavenson says:—“If then, as is clearly demonstrated, the covered Guibal with evasee chimney most nearly meets theoretical requirements, how can its acknowledged defects in points of size, structural weakness, and heavy cost, be best met, so as to produce a machine perfect in every respect? The answer is to be found in a ventilator I have recently designed, and which will be at work at Pagebank Colliery by the time this issues from the press. It is 20ft. diameter, built with, and from, a central wrought iron diaphragm, like the Eammel and Schiele fans. It has the vanes in shape according to M. Murgue’s demonstrations made of iron, and rivetted to the diaphragm with angle irons, the sheet iron cover, evasee chimney, and sliding shutter of Guibal type with air admitted on both sides. The fan is driven by ropes, and will about 110 revolutions, and much more if needed.

I have not yet seen a description of the results of this fan, and it would be most interesting if Mr. Steavenson would give us a note of the results got from it.    R, T. M.

December 17 th.

E. O.

Ins. sq ft. 43,200 c. ft. p. m. w.g. 2'58 = 10'85 132,000 c. ft. p. m. w.g. 0 90 = 56'40

This is got by the formula for “vena contracta,” allowing for density of flowing medium, and enables us to compare how the work done by a fan on one mine compares with the work of a different fan on another.

Perhaps the greatest source of error in all fan investigations arises from the measurement of air. A passage of uniform area and of sufficient length to prevent eddies should be divided equally by strings, and the anemometer held on a rod an equal time, say half a minute in each space, and moved without stopping to read it, and the total reading divided by total time. The inner end of the water-gauge should be protected from the rush of air past it by a loose roll of felt.

The anemometer should be tested on a whirling machine, and the indicator by weights. Then, with the reading of the water-gauge accurately checked and averaged, and the speed of fan by a counter, true results may be got, such as are supplied in a recent report of a committee of the Northern Mining Institute. Under these circumstances, I say, it has been impossible to make a test of the Capell fan which would give the least idea of the effect such a fan would exert upon a mine. A small short pipe upon a small fan is quite useless. Let \rs have a reasonable sized machine upon a mine, keeping the fan at one speed, make alterations in the mine by opening doors and closing air-ways, and we shall then know what it can do. The equivalent orifice of the fan, or “ orifice of passage,” may also be deduced, showing the amount of obstruction it offers to the air passing through it. I fear I have already exceeded reasonable limits, but I have shown how to obtain a measure of the relationship between pressure and quantity.

Durham, December 8th.

No. l No. 2

A. L. Steavenson.

Sir,—In reply to Mr. Capell’s remarks respecting the water-gauge level in connection with the testing of his fan at Birmingham on the 1st inst., I think Mr. Capell must know I did not take any measurement. The readings were given me by a gentleman who thoroughly understood such matters, and were certainly correct. It is rather singular Mr. Capell did not raise the objection when all the particulars were read at the discussion. I am aware the water-gauge pressures and the air current do not agree; and it seems unquestionably to point to the fact that the data of the air supposed to have been passing through the fan was not correct; and this was referred to at the discussion. At first I was at a loss why Mr. Capell so completely ignored the tests of the 1st inst. Allowing it to be possible for all the particulars to have been correct, the results would give 90 per cent.; but perhaps nothing less than doubling the water-gauge and showing 180 per cent, would be satisfactory to Mr. Capell.

From your article in last week’s paper you still seem to infer the South Staffordshire engineers ought to have scattered Mr. Capell’s statistics to the winds, and undertaken to have set him right. However, the course we pursued we believe to be the right one. It is to be hoped Mr. Capell will accept an offer to fix one of his fans at a colliery. Its real value would then be proved. The number of trials spoken of by Mr. Capell and the conclusions remind one of “ Confusion worse confounded.”    C. H. Treglown.

Handsworth, Birmingham, December 12th.

run

Sir,—I am induced to extend my remarks on this subject, so that I may be able to explain why I still venture to differ from you on one or two points, and why I took such strong objection to the fan of the Rev. Mr. Capell, who has kindly sent me some further information and a photograph of his fan, at the same time expressing his opinion that I had been “ rather hard on him for a civil engineer.” I trust the hardness of my remarks did not amount to a want of civility. I am very sorry if they really exceeded fair criticism, but it is very difficult to be patient, and see one fan after another brought forward, as they always are, capable of beating the best work on record. This very morning I have had supplied to me results of experiments on a new fan°at Wigan giving 747 per cent, of useful effect.

The theoretical depression in a perfect—ideal—ventilator where the speed of the air at the top of the evasee or gradually expanding

chimney is supposed to be reduced to nothing, is H₀ = — , where u

equals speed of the tip of the fan blades. I have not splice here to show how this is arrived at, but those interested will find it in Murgue’s “Theories and Practice of Centrifugal Ventilating Machines,” published by E. and F. N. Spon, and I will presently allude to this in practice.

But, in the first place, I must point out that there are really two water gauges to be considered. Mr. John Cooke, of this city, the inventor of an ingenious, but too cumbersome displacement fan, was the first to call attention to the fact that in the immediate proximity of the centrifugal fan we get what he called a pseudo w.g., and that as we go back from it, it falls rapidly in proportion to the suitability of the fan and its dimensions to its work until at a point, say, 60ft. away, we get a virtually permanent depression which is the w.g. the fan actually puts upon the mine. You see the fan, however small, gives a vacuum depending upon the speed of its tips. Now, if the fan is too small for the volume of air which the mine naturally would afford under that depression, the effect of that vacuum is lost upon the mine, the fan, in fact, at once exhausts and obstructs the ventilation.

I have frequently proved this by lowering pipes in the upcast shaft and registering the water-gauge as each length was added, and at a given point the depression becomes permanent. Thus we

ve ?ne water-gauge on the doors at bank and quite another on the doors at the pit bottom. I will give you one or two actual cases :—

^ Sir,—In your article on the “ Efficiency of Fans ” in last week’s Engineer, you say that “there is no fixed and invariable relation between the pressure and the quantity.” This must come as a paradox to mining engineers, and those conversant with the testing and practical working of fans. I refer to such colliery centrifugal ventilating machines as the “Guibal,” “Waddle,” or “Schiele,” the two former having been constructed up to diameters of 50ft., and weighing upwards of 50 tons. The velocity at the tips of the vanes of such machines will sometimes exceed 100 miles per hour.

Now I say that the relations between pressure—i.e., water-gauge —and volumes of air per minute, are as fixed and as well determined as the relations existing between the strengths of different scantlings of timber or iron, and that in any fan working on any particular mine the volumes vary exactly as the square root of the water-gauge or pressure per square foot, provided always that the conditions under which the fan is working remain unaltered. As an illustration and proof of this I give the following figures, taken from a careful series of experiments with a large colliery ventilator :—

Number of experiment.

Revolutions of fan per minute.

Quantity of air in cubic feet per minute. Actual A.

Observed water-gauge on fan drift doors in inches.

Actual H.P. in air.

QX&X5-2 33,000 -H-p-

39-9

50-0

59-8

92,180

105,427

116,519

1-03

1-46

1-99

14-0

24-2

38-5

Engineer by Mr. Steavenson, will go to prove the accuracy of tbe above rule, and, taking again No. 1 as a basis of calculation—

Calculated Actual HP. H.P.

92,180s    :    105,427s    ::    14 9    :    22‘0

105,427s    :    116,519s    ::    14'9    :    29‘8

This again is sufficiently near to prove the accuracy of the rule, though no doubt in the latter case some error has been made in the observations.

The efficiency of the different fans at present in use has been severely tested lately by a committee appointed by the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. The results show Struve’s displacement machine to have the highest percentage of useful effect, but the quantity of air is small and the water gauge high, while the Guibal, Waddle, and Schiele all run about equal, none giving so much as 60 per cent, useful effect, whereas 40 to 50 per cent, is nearer the results usually obtained. It is, however, impossible to ascertain correctly the relative efficiencies of the different fans at present in use, unless they are each set to work separately under exactly similar conditions as to depths and areas of shafts, lengths, areas, temperatures, &c., of roadways. This is obviously a most laborious and costly method of obtaining the wished-for results, and will, perhaps, never be satisfactorily accomplished.    A. Crawhall Chapman.

Silksworth Hall, Sunderland, Dec. 12th.

24-2

38-5

Sir,—Since I first saw your article re the Rev. J. M. Capell’s fan, I have followed with much interest all correspondence or information in reference thereto, because I cannot see anything in its principle of construction to account for its great efficiency. This, of course, may be my fault.

But Mr. Capell, in his letter in your last issue, gives what he calls his theory as follows:—“ If the outer fan is disconnected from the inner fan and port holes, the blast from the inner fan drives the outer fan at great speed. Thus, as the air velocity increases the speed of the outer fan increases. If I suddenly, with a spring stop, connect the two fans, then, like your apt illustration of the train and wheat, the energy put into the outer is imparted to the whole machine. Thus the inner fan is 'the prime motor; the outer fan picks up the energy which would otherwise be lost in the air thrown off.” I fail to see anything in this but what might be obtained in an ordinary fan made in two parts, the vanes being separated so as to form an inner and outer fan. Before the stop is applied, the energy which propels the outer fan acts as an obstruction to the free passage of the air, and if the outer fan was removed better results would be obtained. When the stop is applied the energy is picked up by the outer fan, in the same way that the outer part of the vanes of an ordinary fan continues the energy imparted by the inner part of the vanes.

Early in the year some correspondence was going on in your paper, and extraordinary results were claimed for this fan, and as I had an opportunity of comparing Mr. Capell’s fan with one of Mr. Charles D. Phillips’ fans, of Emlyn Works, Newport, I give you the results. Mr. Capell’s fan was what is called a hand-power fan, 14in. diameter, geared so that for one turn of handle there was 35 revolutions of fan, or 123ft. travel of periphery; the diameter of suction pipe was 6gin. Mr. ?hillips’ fan was 15in. diameter, geared so that one turn of handle was equal to 27 revolutions of fan, or a travel of periphery equal to 100ft.; the diameter of suction was 7|in.

My first trials were with suctions closed, and water gauge only, possible in both cases the same

my object being to get as near as velocity of the periphery of the fans. The results were as follows:

Travel of periphery perlin. head.

..    2in..... 3078ft..

..    2£in.....5671ft.

..    bin..... 2600ft.

No. of turns of handle.

Velocity

Head

of

of

water.

periphery.

The second trial in the above of the Capell fan was taken, because the results did not compare favourably in the first, but it required extra effort of the man turning to produce the result, and more power than in Phillips’ fan. The second trials were with the suction closed, an opening being left, into which was inserted a 3in. diameter anemometer. The results measured by the anemometer were as follows

No. of turns of handle.

Velocity

of

periphery.

Velocity of air through

the

anemometer.

Water-gauge at bank. Inches.

Water

r-gauge at pit bottom.

I 288 1-800 1-210 1 ISO

0-70

1-16

0-830

o-ooo

Then, taking experiment No. 1 as a standard or basis of calculation with the relation expressed above, we have—

Vlu3 : V 1'46 :: 92,180 : 104,160 cubic feet per minute.

V 1‘03 : Vl-99 : : 92,180 : 128,647    „

Comparing columns A and B, the actual and calculated results respectively, I think all will admit that the discrepancies occurring only those due to unavoidable error of observation, and that there is “ a fixed and invariable relation between the pressure and the quantity.”

Next you say that “if we double the velocity we double the quantity or volume; but the power required will be, other things being equal, not double, but quadruple.” I must take exception to this, as it is a rule long ago established that “ the quantity of air varies as the cube root of the power and of the quantity of coals burnt to produce it,” so that eight times the coals only double the quantity of air circulating in a mine, whether the ventilation is produced by furnace action, ventilating machines, or otherwise, so long as the airways remain in the same unaltered state, and therefore if we double the velocity and therefore the quantity circulating in any given time, we¹ shall have a (2 X 2 x 2), or eight times the power, instead of “quadruple,” as in your article.

The following, taken from the figures already given, in the horse-power is obtained by the formula given in last week’s

B calculated.

)>

99

are

which

No. of feet travel of periphery per foot travel of air.

.. 1'lSft. .. l-18ft. .. 117ft. .. 119ft.

No. 1, Capell’s fan 51    ..    .. 6273ft.

No. 2, Capell’s fan No. 3, Phillips’ fan No. 4, Phillips’ fan

The next trials were with the suctions full open, the anemometer being held steadily just inside the suction, so as to measure the velocity of the inlet. This velocity multiplied by the area gives following results :—

49 .. .. 6027ft. . 60 .. .. 6000ft. . 58    ..

Cubic feet

Number of Velooity Velocity of Cubic feet °^₁a₀iJfPur turns of of periphery air at inlet of air passed    uu "

handle. of fan. of suction, per minute.

travel of periphery of the fan. 845 ..    12-1

1029 ..    21 0

3245ft.

3693ft.

Capell’s fan ..    56    ..    6888

Phillips' fan ..    48

I give the data for what it is worth. The trials were made with the desire to see something of what was claimed for the fan. The results show for themselves, and in each case the Capell fan took more power than Phillips’ fan. I am not prepared to say this was due to the principle of the fan, or was caused by the method of gearing.

As I have alread correspondence an

1800

ly said, I have watched with some interest all d information in connection with the Capell fan, and I follow Mr. Capell in his theory, but I fail to see its application.

Hydraulic and General Engineering Depot, 118, Commercial-street, Newport, Mon., December 18th.

Jno. Hodgson.

Sir,—I think the South Staffordshire mining engineers have after all very little to say for themselves in the matter of the Capell fan. I have read the defence set up for their action with some amusement. These gentlemen all assert that Mr. Capell is wrong, but none of them seem to know where he is wrong, and their only resource is to suggest more experiments. Why is it that they cannot say with the data they have where Mr. Capell is wrong? I do not know Mr. Capell, nor have I the smallest interest in him or his fan ; but I want to find out why his fan has excited so much interest if there is nothing in it.

Mr. Capell asserts that he has got certain results. The South Staffordshire engineers say he has not, but they give no reason for this. Mr. Steavenson goes away altogether from the fan as a fan, and treats your readers to a dissertation on the performance of fans and mines combined, which is quite another affair. I ask him to say definitely, does the Capell fan give the water gauge stated ? Does it pass the volume of air stated ? If it does not, why not ? If the water gauge is right, why should not the quantity passed be right ? Does water gauge, all other things being equal, save the shape of the fan blades—always represent the same velocity ? If not, why not ? Suppose, for example, I take a Lloyd’s fan and a Capell fan, both same diameter, driven at same speed, and with same outlet and inlet orifices, will the water gauges be the same for both ? If not, will the quantity of air passed bear the same relation to the water gauge in both fans ? I want to know where Mr. Capell is wrong. It seems strange that no one can say precisely.

London, December 18th.    Boreas.

THE NEW PATENT ACT.

SIR,—The Government regard Mr. Chamberlain’s Patents Bill as one of the most valuable measures passed last session, and the

X.

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

Certain of

public generally are under the impression that a boon has been secured. According to the memorandum attached to the Bill, its object was to consolidate in a single measure the twenty-three statutes in existence relating to patents, designs, and trade marks, and to “simplify procedure, lessen its cost, and increase the protection afforded.” The new Act comes into operation on the 1st of January, and reduces the total fees for a fourteen years’ patent from £175 to £154. The Act is drawn up on the lines of American patent laws, more particularly clause 33, which provides that “every patent shall be granted for one invention only.” The whole Act hinges on the words “ one invention only,” notwithstanding that clause 33 also states that “every patent may not contain more than one claim.” Every patentee knows that “claims” are not mentioned in the “Letters Patent,” but are inserted in the “ complete specification,” which does not require to be lodged until nine months after the patent is protected.

While the new Act reduces the cost of a patent for an invention capable of being constructed in only one way, such is not the case when the invention can be constructed in a variety of ways. For instance, some years ago I patented a mechanical contrivance, drawings were lodged, showing the particular construction I preferred, but as I clearly saw that my apparatus could be constructed in at least two or three ways, the words, “or the equivalent thereof,” were added to the description given in my “provisional specification,” and these words guarded my patent against infringement.

I was somewhat startled recently on being told by a leading authority on patent law, that whilst the various possible constructions of my apparatus were effectually covered by one patent—at a cost of £175—under the present law, which expires this month, equal protection under the new Act could only be secured by obtaining a separate patent for each possible construction, and that my patent would therefore cost under the new Act two or three times £154, instead of £175 as formerly. Thus the new Act reduces the cost of a patent £21, but the protection afforded against infringement is decreased instead of increased, as stated in the memorandum attached to the Bill.

Some lawyers may differ, even the Comptroller of Patents himself may differ, from the opinion I have received, but all must admit that it is at least an open question what meaning Courts will take out of the words “ one invention only ” in Clause 33. Such a phrase has not been used before in any of our Patent Laws. These words must be considered entirely apart from the meaning put upon them by the promoters of the bill in their speeches, and must be read as they will be construed and twisted a hundred years hence. Judges and juries must be guided by the law as written, however hard or unjust.

Will our Courts be guided by American decisions ? In the United States each patent covers one distinct invention only, and a number of patents are therefore frequently necessary to protect one invention against infringement. For example, one of our leading electricians is at present patenting an invention there—which required only one patent to protect it in England—and as it can be applied to forty-five different instruments, he is taking out forty-five patents in the United States. Although the American Government fees are only about seven guineas for a patent, it will thus be seen that effectual protection in some instances is not so cheap as some persons suppose.

As many of the most valuable improvements in machines have originated with mechanics and operatives who tend machinery, and as it was well known that working men took considerable interest in this new measure, one would have supposed that when altering laws—which have puzzled many a Court—our legislators would have endeavoured to express their meaning in language within the reach of an ordinary education. The “definition” of the term “invention” is, however, perplexing to an untutored mind. According to Clause 46, “ ‘ invention ’ means any manner of new manufacture, the subject of letters patent and grant of privilege within Section 6 of the Statute of Monopolies—that is, the Act of the twenty-first year of the reign of King James the First, Chapter 3, intitled ‘ An Act concerning Monopolies and Dispensations, with Penal Laws and the Forfeiture thereof ’—and includes an alleged invention.”

By Clause 106 a penalty of £20 is to be inflicted upon any person using “ the Royal Arms, or arms so nearly resembling the same as to be calculated to deceive,” without the authority of any member of the Royal Family or of any Government Department.

The Royal Arms have hitherto been regarded as the emblem of the United Kingdom, and although it was well known that the Royal Arms could not be registered as a trade mark, many manufacturers put the Royal Arms on their goods, and when shipped abroad that device indicated the country from which they came, and English manufacturers and merchants have as loyal a pride in exhibiting the British lion as Americans have in showing the eagle. Some newspapers print the Royal Arms on their title page, shopkeepers and tradesmen throughout the country display the Royal Arms, not with the view of leading the public to imagine that they are under Royal patronage, but rather to show their loyalty to the Throne. All these emblems of monarchy, according to Mr. Chamberlain’s fiat, must be on and after 1st January swept into oblivion unless the persons using the same can show their special authority. Holders of patents frequently use the Royal Arms. They are not permitted to continue doing so.

The Government did not attempt to prove that any person was ever induced to buy a newspaper, a hat, or indeed any article, because it had the Royal Arms impressed upon it. The object of legislation is to remove grievances; but such changes are wholly unnecessary, and do not deserve the name of legislation.

The Act is silent as to how Government Departments are to be guided in granting authority to use the Royal Arms, but unless they act reasonably this aimless change of law will involve many merchants and manufacturers in considerable loss, not only of expensive dies for stamps, stocks of printed wrapping papers, and stocks of goods having to be re-made up, but it may inflict a permanent injury on their shipping trade by upsetting the marks by which their goods have been known in foreign lands for perhaps half a century.

Talking politicians reap the glory, but manufacturers and merchants who carry on the real work of the country have to pay for it.    Archibald W. Finlayson.

Flax Mills, Johnstone, near Glasgow, December 3rd. -

Sir,—"We are now within three weeks of the commencement of the new Patent Law, and yet the rules and regulations for the guidance of applicants for patents are not yet published. Late as it is, it is to be hoped that they are not even definitely settled, if it be true, as rumoured, that they contain requirements which are apparently not contemplated by the Act, and which will materially increase the trouble and cost of obtaining patents. One such is the requirement which it is rumoured is in contemplation, that the applicant shall file with his application an abstract or brief of his invention, accompanied by a drawing illustrating the main features of the invention, and suitable for insertion in the illustrated journal which it is intended shall correspond in some measure with the United States “ Official Gazette.” "Vigorous protests will be made against this provision, and it is to be hoped that the authorities may not enforce it. The absurdity of such a provision is evident on the face of it; for, on the one hand, to prepare a proper abstract of a specification requires special skill and a complete mastery of the subject; while, on the other hand, to determine whether an abstract is sufficient requires an equal acquaintance with the invention. So that while an applicant would be put to considerable expense for agency fees in preparing the abstract, the examiner or other controlling official would have to devote much time to ascertaining that a correct abstract was filed. It is easy to see what would take place—there would be a repetition of the practice that prevailed some few years ago, when the Patent-office required abridgments to be filed; that is to say, some applicants would file a so-called abstract, being merely an extension of the title, while others would lodge a copy of the entire specification.

It is also rumoured that it will be endeavoured to make this illustrated journal take the place, to a great extent, of the printed copies of the specifications, on the ground that although about fifty copies of each specification are struck off, in some cases not a single copy is sold. We can hardly credit such a monstrous proceeding, more especially after the authoritative statements that have appeared from time to time, and the protests that were made not long ago when it was proposed to destroy a quantity of the printed specifications because of the room they occupied. Another objectionable requirement is that the applicant should be required to sign the provisional specifications and drawings himself. If this is so a great deal of unnecessary inconvenience, delay, and trouble will be caused to inventors and their agents. Whatever may be the intention of the authorities on these matters, it is evident that their action must be jealously watched to see that the benefits that were to be conferred by the Act are not rendered nugatory by the action of the Patent-office officials. New blood is about to be transfused into the Patent-office, and it is possible that so-called improvements will be the order of the day. It is, however, hoped that Mr. Chamberlain will not consent to see the measure which was hailed with a chorus of approval by the “ toilers and spinners ” rendered abortive by official blunderings.

December 13th.    -

AN IMPROVED GAS-BURNER.

Sir,—I send you a sketch of an improved gas-burner. A is the gas inlet and small tube continued nearly to the top of the larger tube B, which tube communicates with the ring burner C C. The outer glass chimney D rests upon the plate D¹; the inner glass chimney B rests upon a perforated base F F. G is a small cylinder of pipeclay surrounding the lower part of the tube B. The gas being lighted at the ring-burner C C, heats the tube B, causing the gas in the annular space between the tubes A and B to become heated, and also causes the air passing in at tbe top of the glass chimney D to pass down the annular space between D and E to become heated; also this heated air passes through the perforations at F F and comes in contact with the flame, which causes much more perfect combustion. The cylinder of pipe-clay -G both assists combustion and prevents injury to the heating tube B.

R. Allison.

Stoke, Ipswich, December lltli.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Upon ’Change in Wolverhampton yesterday, and in Birmingham this—Thursday—afternoon, manufacturing ironmasters were eagerly seeking specifications under contracts already secured, upon which to commence operations after the holidays. They were, however, unable to get all the specifications they would have liked, since consumers are not generally desirous to begin the new year with large deliveries.

Proprietors who have been able to secure pretty well of specifications, and who have not extensive repairs to make to machinery, will try to limit the holidays to the first three days of next week. The best thin sheet makers are in this category, for they are experiencing very good home and foreign demand. The bulk of the works will, however, appropriate all the Christmas week to stocktaking and repairs, and will not resume operations until the 31st inst.

Upon the finishing up of the old orders the works have this week been very active, and this activity will continue up to Saturday night.

Prices are in consumers’ favour. Small rounds and squares of ordinary make were this afternoon £6 10s. to £6 5s., and occasionally £6 2s. 6d. per ton. Superior bars were £0 15s. to £7, and marked ditto £7 10s. to £8 2s, 6d. Hoops are in steady demand at £6 10s. to £6 15s. and £7. Gas and rail strip sells freely at £G 7s. 6d. to £6 5s. per ton.

Black sheets for merchant and galvanising purposes were £7 15s. and on for singles, and £9 5s. for lattens. In the galvanised corrugated state, the general quotation for 22 g. to 24 g. was £13 delivered at outports. Morewood’s “Red Star” quality was quoted £12 10s. for 18 g. and 20 g., £13 10s. for 24 g., £15 10s. for 26 g., and £17 10s. for 28 g. The “ Lion ” brand was £13, £14, £16, and £18, according to gauge. Best close annealed sheets of the “ Anchor ” brand were quoted £18 10s. for 20 g., £20 10s. for 24 g., £22 for 26 g., and £24 for 28 g. Galvanised flat sheets of the “Woodford Crown” brand were £16, £18, £19 10s., and £21 10s. respectively, according to gauge.

Pig iron rules dull, whether native or imported sorts are referred to. Current orders are confined mostly to lots of from 100 to 200 tons. When 1884 comes in, some fair buying may take place in anticipation of the January quarterly meetings; but it will not be a great lot. The demand for all-mines is so inactive that an important firm was mentioned on ’Change this afternoon as having determined to shortly blow out their furnaces. They will then sell from stock.

Prices of all-mines are nominally 65s., but 62s. 6d. to 60s. is nearer the real figure. Hematites are competing severely at 60s. to 61s., delivered hereabouts. Native part-mines are 52s. 6d. to 45s.; and common pigs, 42s. 6d. to 39s. Derbyshires cannot command business at 46s., and Northampton vendors are little better off at 45s. Coal is abundant and cheap. Best deep house sorts are 11s. per ton at the pits; furnace sorts, 10s. to 9s. 6d.; forge sorts, 7s. 6d. to 6s. 3d., long weight.

The Cannock Chase miners have resolved to withdraw their notices for an advance in wages until after the Manchester conference on the 27th inst. They have also empowered their agent to vote at that conference in favour of any uniform action that may be taken by the whole of the Midland Counties to obtain an advance.

The German competition in the wire trade is of increasing seriousness to the Shropshire wire rod makers. It was a subject of less importance when the Germans were content to send us the rods, but now that the Germans are sending us the drawn wire in great quantities, and, materially aided by the preferential freights quoted by our railway companies for the carriage of the foreign commodity, are offering it at much under native prices, the position of our rod makers is most unenviable.

Mr. Thomas Morris, manager of the Pearson and Knowles Coal and Iron Company, Limited, Warrington, in a paper read before the Institute of Ironworks’ Managers at Dudley on Saturday, stated that the cheapness of the German rods was due mainly to the “starvation” wages paid to the ironworkers and to the advantage of Sunday labour. Yet the question might be satisfactorily solved. The cost to the English wire drawer on each ton of 19^ w.g. wire from the No. 4 wire rod was £8. In Westphalia the cost was £7. This £1 difference in cost would also apply to nails and similar classes of imported goods. More than this 20s. could be saved if some improved machinery were put down by our wire drawers, if manufacturers were content with a little less profit, and if each wire drawer minded two blocks with an assistant, and the difference in wages given to the employer. A few years ago Mr. Morris inspected the Westphalia works.

I looked in this week at the works of the Wolverhampton Electric Light, Storage, and Engineering Company, and I find that they are increasing their output, and getting together a promising connection. They are particularly successful with their patent accumulator, which they claim is one of the cheapest and most reliable upon the market. The company has now orders which will occupy it for the next seven months. Some of these are accumulators for use with the Swan and Edison lamps, l their batteries have had more than twelve months’ regular work, and continue to work perfectly. The company’s high-speed engine is meeting with considerable favour, and has proved itself adaptable to all high-speed purposes. Its chief features are its thorough working and economical properties, combined with its low price. These engines are being built up to 50-horse power, and do not occupy a space more than 3ft. square by 4ft. high. The company has, after much experiment, arrived at an earthenware composition which renders their battery impervious to moisture, and at the same time acts as a perfect insulator. They intend to make this discovery the matter of another patent.

The South Staffordshire Electric Lighting Company, Limited, intends, it is understood, to employ the Consolidated Electric Lighting Company, Limited, London, to carry out the works in connection with the introduction of the new light into any of the towns in the Midlands where it is adopted, and concerning which the South Staffordshire Company has obtained provisional orders. The Consolidated Company has lighted Colchester with electricity. The largest conductor which has been laid down in the streets of Colchester is only about fin. diameter, and the junctions are made by the simple means of a socket and nut.

Dudley i3 one of the Midland towns which propose to adopt electricity, and, upon the invitation of the corporation, Mr. George Off or, the general manager of the Consolidated Company has just delivered a lecture there. The Public Hall was lighted by four lamps upon the Brush system, but there was some flickering during the whole proceedings. Dudley, he said, could be lighted with electricity for no more than they were now paying for gas, and the attendant advantages would be many. At present £2000 a year is charged for lighting the town.

Another extensive galvanised sheet iron or roofing works is about to be established at Wolverhampton. The exact locality is at Wednesfield on land covering an area of some 2 acres. By reason of some of the proprietary being connected with Messrs, Robey and Co., of Lincoln, a report has got abroad that the company is the proprietor, and is going to establish a branch agricultural engineering works. I am authoritatively informed, however, that this is not correct.

Amongst the heavier ironfounding and engineering branches which are just now active, the cable and anchor firms stand up with conspicuousness. Steel is now more than ever being utilised as a material for anchors, and splendid specimens of this class have lately been sent out from the works of the Patent Shaft and Axle-tree Company. Some of these steel anchors weighed five tons each, and the company are able to produce castings of this class and size by reason of the advantages which they possess in having in operation the Thomas-Gilchrist process for making steel from common Staffordshire pigs.

The new works which are being put down at Spring Vale, Bilston, by Mr. Alfred Hickman and others, for the carrying on of the basic steel process, are steadily progressing, and are likely to confer a great benefit upon the district.

Hardware manufacturers who hold stocks are this week beginning to see that they are not likely to be so much affected by the Patent Act as they had at first feared. They have come to view the matter more in the light of your leading columns last week, and the anxiety is subsiding. They believe that it would be impossible for the prosecution to prove that no part of a given article had never been made the subject of a patent. Further it is discovered that equally severe clauses dealing with this matter were in the old Act. Yet a deputation is likely to seek an interview with the President of the Board of Trade, representing Birmingham, "Wolverhampton, and Walsall.

The Local Board of Willenhall are desirous of purchasing the gasworks there, now owned by a joint-stock company. The company has offered to sell their property at £37,000, but the Board at present decline to tender more than £30,000.

The telephone is making steady progress in Birmingham. Three years ago the National Telephone Company established an Exchange here. Now they have some 350 subscribers, whose interchange of conversation goes on through 415 miles of wire. The company has also subscribers at Wednesbury and Wolverhampton. Birmingham is of itself a “ centre ” of four miles radius. In the heart of the town the wires are laid underground, protected by 3in. iron pipes. A good deal of the danger which attends the use of overhead wires is removed, however,when they are made of phosphor bronze, and wires of that metal are now being substituted for those hitherto hung. Though the wires are but one-tenth as heavy as the existing ones, they are quite as strong.

NOTES FROM LANCASHIRE.

(From our own Correspondents.)

Manchester.—There is the general absence of animation in the market whish usually precedes the immediate close of the year. In many cases stock-takiDg operates against buying beyond what is absolutely required for present wants, and generally there is a disposition to hold over any large transactions until after the holidays, and there are some indications as to the prospects of the ensuing year’s trade. The downward movement in the Glasgow and Middlesbrough markets, although it has had no appreciable effect upon local and district brands of pig iron, is also a further inducement to buyers not to purchase largely at present, and with so many causes operating against business, it is only a natural result that trade, has been very flat during the week. There is, however, no actual pressure to sell, so far as local and district brands of pig iron are concerned, and several of the large Lincolnshire houses are so fully sold over the next three or four months that they are quite indifferent about booking further orders at present.

At the Manchester market on Tuesday there was very little doing. For forge pig iron there were moderate inquiries in the market, but as offers by buyers were generally at about _6d. under the quoted rates, they did not lead to much actual business being done. For foundry iron there is little or no inquiry. Quoted prices for local and district were without change, Lancashire makers holding to 45s. as their minimum, and Lincolnshire makers being firm at 44s. lOd. to 45s. lOd., less 2\ for forge and foundry qualities delivered equal to Manchester. Although any weight of business would seem only to be practicable at about 6d. under these figures, it is only in exceptional cases that buyers are able to place orders at less than the quoted rates. In Middlesbrough iron g.m.b.’s are now being offered at about 44s. lOd. net cash, delivered equal to Manchester, and Scotch continues to be pushed at under makers’ prices.

The price of hematite iron continues very low, and foundry brands could be bought at from 56s. to 57s. less 2^ delivered here. Even at these low figures I do not hear of any orders of importance being given out, but with hematites so close upon the price of Scotch iron, there would seem to be an inducement to bring buyers into the market.

In the manufactured iron trade orders are coming forward very slowly, and the market may be said to be weak. There are a few makers who are still asking £6 5s. for bars, but where there is any weight of business done the average basis of prices is about £6 to £6 2s. 6d. for bars, £6 7s. 6d. for hoops, and £7 15s. for sheets delivered into the Manchester district.

Ironfounders as a rule report trade to be quiet, and in builders’

work especially there is very little doing, with prices cut extremely

low.

of last year. This is an increase of 22,078 tons. During November the quantity sent was 115,816 tons, or an increase of 9267 tons as compared with November, 1882. The exports amounted to G2,109 tons, against 56,561 tons in November, 1882, or 575,348 tons in the eleven months, against 622,181 tons in 1882. Denaby Main again heads the list with 15,856 tons—last year 9304 tons. Twelve leading South Yorkshire firms supplied 35,336 tons, and twelve West Riding collieries sent 36,328 tons. Allerton Main supplied 9688 tons, and Featherstone 812S tons.

The Board of Trade returns for November bring out some interesting facts in regard to industries in which Sheffield is interested. The quantity of iron and steel exported in November was 342,051 tons, being over 8000 tons more than last year and about 33,000 tons more than in November, 1881. On the other hand, the value was only £2,313,674, or £245,000 less than a year ago, and only £17,000 in excess of 1881. Pig iron has increased by 9000 tons; rails and railway iron by 12,000 tons; tinned plates, 1000 tons; and cast and wrought iron, 4000 tons. Steel rails and tinned plates to the United States show an increase, but there is a serious falling off in other descriptions of iron and steel to that market. India, Australia, and Canada show a decided improvement. During November steel was exported to the value of 5211 tons, as compared with 777? tons and 16,004 tons in November of 1882 and 1881 respectively. France keeps its demand about the same, but the United States show a heavy decline. Last November the steel sent to the States was only 865 tons, while in November, 1882, it was 3973 tons, and in November, 1881, 13,311 tons. Though this decline is chiefly traceable to the collapse of Bessemer and other billets, there is a perceptible falling-off in the demand for crucible steel.

Hardware and cutlery statistics are also discouraging. Last November the valire was only £317,013, being £23,000 less than last year. Australia shows an increase of £7000, and Holland an increase of about £2000. To all other markets, however, exports were smaller, the United States taking only £29,830, against £38,552 in November, 1882.

A tabulated list of thirty-nine companies whose affairs have been placed in liquidation under the Winding-up Act, will be published in the Sheffield and Rotherham Red Book. Advance sheets have been supplied to me, from which I gather that the loss sustained by shareholders and creditors in these companies, taking the shares at the par value, is upwards of £2,600,000. This, however, does not represent the entire loss, for in the inflated period of 1871-2-3, the shares of many of these defunct companies were bought and sold at high premiums. Of fifty limited companies, the shares of fifteen show an increase in value of £1,759,625 above the capital paid up, and thirty-five show depreciation of nearly £3,500,000, of which amount nearly £3,000,000 arise upon twelve of the fifteen companies entered under the head of coal and iron.

up as o

Brassfounders report rather more orders stirring; these, however, would seem to be largely on account of jobs that are being finished off before the holidays, and there is no improvement in the prices obtained for engineers’ fittings.

With regard to the engineering trades, the reports as to the actual weight of work doing and the state of employment with the close of the year are by no means of an unsatisfactory character. It is practically only in the large shipbuilding centres that there is any really serious decreasing activity. In the important engineering districts of Lancashire, with the exception that machinists in many cases continue only indifferently employed, there are very few complaints of scarcity of work. Locomotive and railway carriage builders continue well supplied with work ; tool makers in most cases are being kept busy ; boiler makers and the large engineering firms are also as a rule well employed, and new orders appear to be coming forward very fairly as the old ones work off. This is the general tenour of what I hear in reports from the works themselves. The returns as to employment just issued by the various engineering trades’ union societies are also satisfactory. The returns issued by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers for the past month, it is true, show an increased number of men out of employment throughout the country, especially in the shipbuilding districts, where there is evidently a tendency todischarge men, but the increase of unemployed is not serious, only amounting to about 1 per cent., and practically does not apply to Lancashire. In the Manchester and Salford district there is really no appreciable increase at all, and the number of unemployed on the books of the society at present is considerably less than it was at the close of last year. The better class of men who can take charge of jobs are in good demand, and pattern-makers and smiths have no difficulty in finding full work. The report of the Steam Engine Makers’ Society issued this week shows a general improvement in the demand for men, and in this respect the returns are of a more favourable character than they have been for several months past. The returns for this month show only 1 per cent, of the members in receipt of out-of-work support as compared with about 2 per cent, in November, and generally throughout Lancashire the men are reported to be in full work. The Manchester and Salford districts return trade as good, and similar reports are also received from Bolton, Bury, Preston, and Blackburn. The secretary of the Ironfounders’ Society also reports a decrease, although only slight, in the number of members in receipt of out-of-work support, notwithstanding that about sixty men have been thrown on the funds in consequence of a dispute with reference to an extension of piecework. The number of members on donation this month is 480, as compared with 499 last month, out of a total membership of 11,721. As the condition of the ironfounding trade is a fair indication of the weight of work which is passing into the shops of the engineers, it may be of interest to quote the branch reports of the above society with regard to the state of trade in the more important centres of industry. These do not return trade as actually bad in very many of the large centres. In Liverpool, Heywood, Oldham, Cardiff, Chatham, and Retford trade is returned as good; generally, however, the reports do not go beyond “moderate,” and this is the case at London, Manchester, Wigan, St. Helens, Bury, Blackburn, Sheffield, Wakefield, Hull, Worcester, Chester, Stock-port, Northampton, Greenwich, Ipswich, Barnsley, Exeter, Stock, ton, Devonport, Woolwich, Leeds, Bolton, Rotherham, Grantham, Darlington, Portsmouth, Hyde, Widnes, and Swansea. At Sunderland it is returned as “ very bad,” and either as declining or bad at Preston, Warrington, Burnley, Staleybridge, Lancaster, Bradford, York, Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Southampton, Maidstone, Dewsbury, and Darwen.

In the coal trade there is now none of the pressure for supplies which prevailed in the market a few weeks back, but there is generally a steady business doing, which is taking away the present output of the pits. The better classes of round coal are going away freely for house fire purposes, and common round coals, suitable for iron-making and furnace purposes, are in good demand. Engine fuel is, however, only moving off moderately, which may be partly due to the strike and threatened short time in the cotton trade, whilst, in addition, consumers, in anticipation of a possible stoppage of the collieries, got in large supplies of stock, and in many cases will still be working on with stock. With the exception of the slight giving way on the advance in pit prices after the collapse of the threatened strike, prices are being fairly maintained, and at the pit mouth average about as under :—Best coal, 10s. 6d.; seconds, 8s. 6d,; common house coals, 7s. to 7s. 6d.; steam and forge coals, 6s, to _ 6s. Gd.; burgy, 4s. Gd. to 5s.; good slack, 4s. to 4s. 3d.; and inferior sorts, 3s. to 3s. Gd. per ton.

In the shipping trade there has been a moderate amount of activity, and there has been a fair weight of Lancashire steam coal shipped at about 8s. 6d. per ton, delivered at the high level, Liverpool, or the Garston Docks.

Barrow.—I notice that the position of the hematite pig iron trade shows no marked improvement during the last week. The business that is being done on both home and foreign account is exceedingly quiet, and the orders received from America are practically nil. It is very difficult to say when a revival will take place. The present aspect of the trade is anything but cheerful, and there are no signs of an early change. Most makers, however, seem to think that in the new year the market will alter for the better. Lately they have shown a more decided tendency to sell, and their offers have been accepted. Stocks now kept at makers’ are heavy, but they are being slightly reduced, as since the movement was commenced of blowing out several furnaces the output of metal more nearly represents the deliveries. Prices ruling this week are same as last, No. 1 Bessemer selling at 47s. Gd. per ton net at works, prompt delivery; No. 2, 47s.; and No. 3, 46s. Gd. per ton. Steel makers are rather quiet, but this can only be expected at this time of the year. They have, however, business enough in hand to keep all departments steadily employed. £4 15s. per ton net at works represents about the average value of rails. Steel shipbuilders are dull, and the dispute between masters and men existing in many yards is not yet settled. Iron ore is in limited request at unchanged prices. Large banks of ore are stocked at mines. Coal and coke steady. Shipping dull.

THE SHEFFIELD DISTRICT.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The miners have resolved, through their delegates, to renew the agitation for an advance of wages. At a meeting held at Barnsley on Saturday last it was decided to take this step, limiting the amount to 10 per cent., “although believing we are justly entitled to an advance of 15 per cent.” Each colliery and pitshead of men are to send deputations to their managers and owners, asking for the 10 per cent, advance, “ between now and the next Conference, to be held immediately after the Manchester Conference.”, As the Manchester Conference is fixed for the 27th inst., we shall soon hear how far this action on the part of Yorkshire will be responded to by Lancashire. The general impression is that the fiery spirits who are again rushing to the front will find it hard to extend the agitation over the whole district, so soon after the collapse of a few weeks ago.

Another meeting of the coalowners of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and North Derbyshire was held at Sheffield on Monday, when it was decided that in case any further steps to secure an advance of wages are taken by the colliers in any one of these districts, no action shall be taken without conferring with the other districts. This means that the coalowners are determined to grant no advance, and that they will continue their union for defensive purposes so long as Messrs. B. Pickard and Co. threaten trouble.

The export season may be said to have closed for the Baltic and neighbouring ports. During the eleven months from January to November 1,247,732 tons of coal were sent from the Yorkshire collieries to Hull, against 1,225,654 tons in the corresponding period

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The Cleveland pig iron trade is in a dull and inanimate condition, and there is no likelihood of improvement until the holidays are over. At the market held at Middlesbrough on Tuesday last there was but little inquiry for iron of any sort, and the little business actually done was at lower rates than were obtainable last week. No. 3. g.m.b. was sold by merchants at 36s. 6d. per ton for prompt delivery, but makers asked 36s. 9d. to 37s. These figures were, however, only obtainable where special brands were specified. No. 4 forge iron was 34s. 9d. to 35s. per ton.

The demand for warrants does not improve, the nominal value now being 36s. 9d. per ton.

Messrs. Connal and Co.’s stock of pig iron at Middlesbrough was reduced 540 tons during the week ending Monday last, the quantity then held being 62,856 tons. On the same date they had in their Glasgow store 583,447 tons.

The exports continue at a very insignificant rate compared with last month; but are better than in December, 1882. The quantities are as follows, viz.:—To the 17th December, 1883, 35,600 tons; over the same period of last month, 65,540 tons; to December 17th, 1882, 30,166 tons.

Consumers of manufactured iron are still holding back their inquiries, and prices are consequently easier than they were. Ship plates are now offered at £5 15s. per ton, common bars at £5 12s. 6d., and shipbuilding angles at £5 10s.; all free on trucks at makers’ works, cash 10th, less 24 per cent. Small lots for quick delivery are worth 5s. per ton more than the prices named. Most of the mills and forges will be closed during Christmas week.

Mr. R. Dixon, of the firm of R. Dixon and Co., Middlesbrough, speaking at a meeting on the 13th inst., stated that it had been decided to carry on business at the Cleveland shipyard for three years more at least. The firm have nothing on hand at present but a small vessel, but they are about to lay down a new keel and build on speculation in order to keep the men together.

A meeting of the Cleveland Mineowners’ Association was held at Middlesbrough on the 13th inst, when a deputation from the Cleveland Miners’ Association was present, and the question of revising the sliding scale was discussed. The deputation suggested considerable alterations, but the employers stated that only slight modifications could be sanctioned. A joint committee was appointed to further consider the question, and the result will be placed before the men shortly.

Another meeting of the Board of Arbitration and Conciliation was held at Darlington on Monday last to discuss the wages’ question. It was found that no compromise was possible, and it was, therefore, decided to send the matters in dispute for settlement by an arbitrator. Dr. Spence Watson, of Newcastle, was unanimously chosen for that office. In case of his refusal to act either Mr. J. Cowan, M.P., or Mr. J. Morley, M.P., will be asked. The case to be referred will be simply what shall the wages be for the next three months ; that is, whether lower than the present rates, and how much, up to the 5 per cent, claimed by the employers ; or whether any or a substantial advance shall be given as claimed by the operatives. The duration of the award is only to be three months, and the present wages rates are to continue until it is given. The sliding scale is to be entirely suspended for the present.

A meeting was held at Middlesbrough on the 18th inst., presided over by the Mayor, to consider a letter from the Elder Brethren of Trinity House, agreeing to place a lightship off Redcar provided shipowners would pay a toll of one-sixteenth of a penny per ton on coasting vessels, and one-eighth of a penny per ton on foreign bound vessels. After some discussion the following resolutions were passed, viz.:—“ (1) That a light is desirable in the position named, but that a lighthouse would be better than a lightship. (2) That the light in question ought to be provided without additional toll, considering how heavily burdened the local shipping already was.”

NOTES FROM SCOTLAND.

(From our oxen Correspondent.)

In the Glasgow iron market this week there has not been much animation, although the demand for warrants was very considerable. The past week’s shipments were very good, having been enlarged somewhat, however, by quantities that might have been despatched in the preceding week but for the very stormy weather which then prevailed. Rumours of the curtailment of production abroad were being circulated this week in our market, but they had scarcely any effect upon the course of business. There has been a good inquiry for No. 3 makers’ iron. Stocks this week in Messrs. Connal and Co.’s stores show a smaller reduction than usual.

Business was done in the warrant market on Friday at 44s. cash. On Monday transactions occurred at 43s. lid. to 43s. 104d. cash, and 44s. one month. Business was done on Tuesday down to 43s, 84d. cash. Business was done on Wednesday at 43s. 9d. to 43s. Gd. cash; and to-day—Thursday—transactions occurred between 43s. 7d. and 43s. 6d. cash.

The values of makers’ iron are without much change, as follows :—Gartsherrie, f.o.b., at Glasgow, per ton, No, 1, 5ls. 6d.; No. 3, 49s.; Coltness, 55s. 6d.and 51s.; Langloan, 54s. and 50s. 6d.; Summerlee, 53s. and 48s. Pd.; Calder, 55s. and 48s.; Carnbroe, 52s. 6d. and 47s. 6d.; Clyde, 48s. and 40s.; Monkland, 45s. 6d. and 43s. 6d.; Quarter, 41s. Gd. and 43s.; Govan, at Broomielaw, 45s. Gd. and 43s. 6d.; Shotts, at Leith, 55s. and 52s. Gd.; Carron, at Grangemouth, 49s. (specially selected, 56s. Gd.) and 47s. Gd.; Kinneil, at Bo’ness, 47s. and 46s.; GleDgarnock, at Ardrossan, 52s. Gd. and 45s. Gd.; Eglinton, 46s. 3d. and43s. Gd.; Dalmellington, 48s. and 46s. Gd.

There is little change in the hematite market. Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Bessemer are changing hands at 47s. a ton.

Five steamers arrived at Glasgow from Bilbao in the course of the past week, bringing cargoes of iron ore amounting in the aggregate to 6962 tons.

In the malleable department there is still constant employment, although a duller time is predicted for the beginning of the new year. In the past week there has been shipped from Glasgow machinery to the value of £35,400; sewing machines, £2500; steel manufactures, £2360; iron ditto, 46,700. There is a brisk trade in most of the engineering branches, if we except that of pipe-making, which is at present in a very unsatisfactory state. Some Glasgow engineers have of late been booking heavy contracts both for home and foreign work.

Additional numbers of workmen have been paid off in the Clyde shipbuilding trade, but notwithstanding this, if the men quietly submit to a reduction of wages after the holidays, the coming year may not be the least productive in this most important industry.

A strike has been threatened in the building trade of Glasgow, owing to an attempt on the part of some of the master joiners to reduce wages, but the probability is that a general collision of this description will be averted.

The coal trade has been active this week in most districts, in consequence partly of the anxiety of those concerned to have contracts fully implemented by the close of the year. Shipments were considerably delayed in consequence of last week’s storm; but this branch of the trade has again got into its normal state, and is doing very well for the season. During the past week the foreign shipments from Glasgow amounted to about 14,000 tons; Grangemouth, 3356 tons; Troon, 4408 tons; and Ayr, 5097 tons.

There is no dispute of any consequence pending in the mining trade. After the employers of Fife and Clackmannan had agreed to the principle of a sliding scale for the regulation of wages, and putting an end to the chronic state of dissatisfaction that mars the relations of employers and workmen in these counties, the men have interposed impossible conditions in the way of its adoption.

WALES AND ADJOINING COUNTIES.

(From our own Correspondent.)

I HAVE been favoured with an early information concerning a new railway scheme which is to open out the virgin coal treasures of the Sirhowy Valley, and other rich spots lying in that direction. The line will be called the Cardiff and Monmouthshire Valleys Railway. It is formed of five sections. Its first length of five miles unites the Rhymney Railway to the London and North-Western. Its second is a spur near Caerphilly. Its third a spur to join the Caerphilly branch of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, near Machen. Its fourth from nine mile point to Risca, and its fifth from North Risca to junction with the Great Western, near Cross Keys. The distance from Tredegar Works to docks at Cardiff is now over twenty-eight miles. This line, by way of example, will reduce it to twenty-three miles. The connection between the Hill Collieries and Newport will also be altered considerably, as shown in one instance. From the London and South Wales Collieries at present the route is via Newport, ssventeen miles twenty chains ; by proposed, eleven miles forty chains. The extent of coalfield governed by the proposed line is eighty square miles, and the confident opinion is that it will be a second Taff Vale.

Some of the discontents in the Taff Yale, principally young hands, I hear, continue their clamour for sixty hours and six days per week. The arrangements with regard to the new offices, &c., are, however, approaching completion, and will soon enable the directors to carry out their changes as regards time. The management has been exceedingly moderate and forbearing, though overwhelmed almost by the vast traffic. The new sidings are answering admirably as a relief, and others at Penarth Junction are approaching completion.

The advance in mechanical science has been well illustrated of late at Plymouth Works, where a clearance of old plant is taking place. Engines of the old style have been unceremoniously broken Id iron.

The iron trade is dull. Home and foreign trade is quiet. There are fortunately prospects ahead, and the new year is expected to bring a revival in bulk of orders even if not in price. The quantity of rejected rails now being sought shows that there is still a demand. As for best qualities, perfect, very few rivals can surpass the Welsh steel rail, either in quality or price.

The coal trade continues very brisk. Some little hitch has taken place between the tippers and the dock authorities, but it is expected that terms will be arranged. Anything that obstructs the present animated character of the coal trade is to be deprecated, especially where, as in the present case, the terms offered by the dock officials are so reasonable. Excellent coal has been struck at Resolven, Neath, which is welcomed heartily by Swansea port. But Swansea is looking forward to the nine months’ interregnum which must take place before it can be connected with the Rhondda Yalley. This will be as important to Swansea as the new line now completed from the Rhondda to Newport is to Newport. This latter is known as Sir George Elliott’s line, and is creditable to his energy and financial capacity. Another line under his fostering hand is talked of, and still greater schemes loom ahead which I shall note in due time.

The export this week from the three principal ports has not been so large as in past weeks, chiefly owing to the weather. Prices are unchanged, and the best steam commands Us. 6d. freely.

Small steam coal is quiet, but patent fuel is brisk, and both at Swansea and Cardiff a good deal of trade is being done. The tin-plate works are all tolerably busy, and have work for some time to come. Fresh orders promise slowly, and prices are slightly drooping.

Naval Engineer Appointments.—The following appointments have been made at the Admiralty :—S. J. Robins, engineer, to the Forward, vice Stanlake; W. Rumble, chief engineer, to the Indus, additional, for service in the Black Prince, vice Lodge.

Coal in New South Wales.—The coal measures of the colony cover about 23,950 square miles. The seams worked vary from 3ft. to 25ft. in thickness, are nearly horizontal, and are in some localities considerably above sea-level. There are at the present time forty-one collieries at work, employing in the aggregate above and below ground 4125 miners and others. In addition to the foregoing there are two mines at which very valuable seams of petroleum oil, cannel coal, or kerosene shale are being worked. The number of men employed at these mines above and below ground is 231. Since 1865, when the working of these seams commenced, the output has been 241,284 tons, valued at £581,046. There are three principal coal mining districts—the Hunter River and Newcastle Coal-field, situated to the north of Sydney; the Southern of Illawarra Coal-field; and the Western or Lithgow Coal-field, upon the Great Western Railway line, about 95 miles west from the metropolis. Coal is also being worked near Berrima, between Illawarra and Lithgow; and some seams are known to occur in the country lying between Lithgow and the Hunter River. Sydney, therefore, occupies an almost central position with regard to the coal mining districts.

If*.

iO

THE PATENT JOUKNAL.

Condensed from the Journal of the Commissioners of Patents.

*,* It has come to our notice that some applicants of the Patent-office Sales Department, for Patent Specifications, have caused much unnecessary trouble and annoyance, both to themselves and to the Patent-office officials, by giving the number of the page 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 at The Engineer Index, and giving the numbers there found, which only refer to the pages, in place of turning to those pages and finding the numbers of the Specification.

*#* When

Applications for Letters Patent.

patents have been ¹ ‘ communicated,” the d address of the communicating party aie

name an printed in italics.

lift December, 1883.

5097. Lighting Mechanism, G. P. Ganster, Beading.

5698.    Producing Heat, V. W. Blanchard, New York.

5699.    Steam Generators, H. J. Allison.—(/. E. Culver, Jersey, U.S.)

5700.    Feeding Apparatus, R. R. Holben, Barton, and S. Wilkerson, jun., Bassingbourn.

5701.    Engines, T. E. Craven— (G. IV. Price, Baltimore.)

5702.    Food Compound, E. J. T. Digby, London.

5703.    Hose or Flexible Pipes, Blodner and Vier-schrodt, Gotha, Germany.

5704.    Alarm Watches, C. Masmejan, Arogno.

5705.    Pulping Turnips, &c., C. P. Davison, Swinton.

5706.    Shears, D. Ward and P. Asliberry, Sheffield.

6707. Heeling, &c., Boots, J. Keats, Bagnal.

5708.    Insulating Electric Conductors, A. J. Boult. — (J. B. Hyde, Brooklyn, U.S.)

5709.    Hydrogen Gas, S. Pitt.— (17. J. Jerzrnanowski, New York, U.S.)

5710.    Shields, R. H. Brandon.—(IV. de Rohan, Paris.)

5711.    Sewing Machines, H. Birch, Bristol.

5712.    Soda, &c., E. Carey and F. Huiter, Widnes.

5713.    Roundabouts and Toys, J. C. Fell. - (Comte de Vaussay, Paris.)

5714.    Electric Lighting Apparatus, A. M. Clark.— (G. Trouve, Paris )

6715. Paper, F. Bardo, London.

12th December, 1883.

5716.    Pumps, F. P. Preston, J. T. Prestige, and E. J. Preston, Deptford.

5717.    Electric Low-water Alarms for Steam Boilers, A. M. Clark.—(T. M'Kenna and H. Carley, U.S.)

5718.    Working, die., Railway Signals, S. C. C. Currie and I. A. Timmis, London.

5719.    Forging Bolts, &c.,W. Horsfall, Leeds.

6720. Furnaces, J. Lones, C. Vernon, E. Holden, and

R.    Bennett, Smethwick.

5721.    Gas Motor Engines, E. C. Mills, Barnes-green.

5722.    Cartriige Cases, C. D. Abel.— (P. Boca, Paris.)

5723.    Treating Timber with Preservative Fluids,

S.    B. Boulton, London.

5168. Refining Iron and Steel, G. Ellinor, Sheffield. —10ft December, 1880.

5171. Railway Vehicles, W. R. Lake, London.—10/A December, 1880.

5173. Artificial Manures, &c , F. J. Bolton and J. A.

Wanklyn, London.—10th December, 1880.

5266. Ventilating Afparatus, W. and B. Verity, London.—15th December, 1880.

5282.    Vanilline, G. de Laire, Paris.—16/A December, 1880.

5265. Covering Metal Busks, W. R. Lake, London.— 15tA December, 1880.

5228. Scouring and Fleshing Leather,&c, E. Wilson, Exeter.—14/A December, 1880.

5234. Sectional Warping, Ac., Machines, J. C Sewell,

E.    Hulton, and J. Bethel, Manchester.—14 *A December, 1880.

5264. Bottles, F. Trotman, London.— 15/A December, 1880.

5279. Drying, Ac , Yarn or Thread, T. P. Miller, Lanark —16/A December, 1880.

5318. Heel Paring Machine for Boots, &c., F. Cutlan, Cardiff.—18th December, 1880.

5278. Dredging Apparatus, J. Standfield and J. L.

Clark, London.—16/A December, 1880.

5237. Braiding, &c., Machinery, W. T. Glover and G.

F.    James, Salford.—14ZA December, 1S80.

5283.    Pulley Blocks, W. R. Lake, London.—16ft December, 1880.

5288. Iron, P. S. Justice London.—17th December, 1880. 5381. Barrels, W. Morgan-Brown, London.— 22nd December, 18S0.

5397. Horizontal Saw Framfs, T. N. Robinson, Rochdale.—23rd December, 1880.

5447. Purifying Steam, Ac., J. F. Belleville, Paris.— 28ft December, 1880.

5484. Pumping Apparatus, E. H. Greeven, London — 30ft December, 1880.

5281. Working Traffic on Inclined Planes, Ac , J.

S. Hughes, Portmadoc.—16ft December, 1880 5300. Iron and Steel, S. Pitt, Sutton.—17 ft December, 1880.

5303. Ventilating Sewers and Drains, T. Rowan, Ryde.—17ft December, 1880.

5320. Cleaning Imitation Carving on Wood, A. Guattari, Paris.— 18ft December, 131 0.

Glazing, C. P. Elliott, Liverpool.—29ft December, 1880.

5516. Producing Designs or Figures on Wood, A. Guattari, Paris.—31s< December, 1810.

5472.

13 ft December, 1883.

5724.    Distilling Coal, &c., P. Couper, Edinburgh, and M. Rae, Linlithgow.

5725.    Lamps, A. Rincklake, Brunswick.

5726.    Automatic Ironing Machine, M. Heslop and J. Martin, London.

6727. Measuring Apparatus, W. H. Tooth, London. 4728. Seats and Sleeping Berths of Railway Carriages, J. L. and F. H W. Livesey, London.

5729.    Working Ingots of Steel, B. Walker, Leeds.

5730.    Producing Brown Colours or Dyes, J. C. Mew-burn, London.—(La Societe P. Monnet et Compagnie, France.)

5731.    Mechanical Excavators, A. J. Boult. — (G. Kervem, France.)

5732.    Water Filters, W. L. Barstow, Pontefract.

5733.    Obtaining Electric Force, F. Gossage, Widnes.

5734.    Door-handles, H. H. Lake.—(C. E. Lacey, Calais.)

5735.    Explosives, W. A. Barlow.—(A. Gacon, Paris.)] 6736. Dynamo-electric Machines, P. W. Williams,

Thames Ditton.

lith December, 1883.

5737. Electric Batteries, A. C. Henderson.— (B. G. Vauzelle, Paris.)

5733. Clocks, G. W. von Nawrocki.— (P. Vielmetter, Berlin.)

5739.    Carding Machines, W. Gawthorp, J. Reddi-hough, and S. Wade, Bradferd.

5740.    Carding Engines, W. Richardson, Oldham.

5741.    Secondary Batteries, J. S. Sellon, London.

5742.    Burning Oils, &c., for Heating Purposes, L. Lefferts, New York, U.S.

5743.    Treating Peat, &c., for Making Paper, &c., A. J. Boult.—(A. Ubbelohde, Hanover.)

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

4876. Mariners' Compass, Sir W. Thomson, Glasgow. —18ft December, 1876.

4805. Electric Lighting Apparatus, R. Werdeimann, London.—12ft December, 1876.

4835.    Combing Cotton, Ac., E. J. J. Lecoeur, Manchester.—14ft December, 1876.

4836.    Ecg-boiler, J. A. de Macedo, Leeds.—lift December, 1876.

235. Looms, S. Pitt, Sutton.—18ft January, 1877.

4884. Rail Joints for Railways, A. J. Acaster, Sheffield.—18ft December, 1876.

4985. Buckles and Keepers, J. S. Crowley, Manchester.—23rd December, 1876.

Patents

3973. Carrying, Lowering, &c., Ships’ Boats, J. H. Barry, London.—10th August, 1883.

3975. Fire-lighters, J. Templeman, Glasgow.—10th August, 1883.

3992. Gas or Lamp Shades, &c., H. E. A. Wallis, London.—17th August, 1883.

4007. Internally-fired High-pbessure Steam Generators, F. Livet, London.—18th August, 1883.

4011. Packing for Piston-rods, Ac., R. H. Harper, London, and J. H. Chapman, Forest-gate.—lb tit August, 1883.

4052. Marine Night Signals, H. J. Allison, London. —A communication from R. J. Baker and J. P. Roberts.—21sf Avgust, 1883.

4073 Paper Boxes, T. Bishop, Birmingham.—22nd August, 1883.

4084. Sugar, G. Fry, London.—A communication from W. B. Espeut.—23rd August, 1883.

4087. Slide-valves for Steam Engines, T. Thom, Barrow-in-Furness.—23rd August, 1883.

4165. Utilising Gas Engines for Locomotion, T. F. M'NayandF. Harrison, London.—29th August, 1883.

4229. Steam Boilers, Ac., S. Fox, Leeds.—3rd September, 1883.

4252. Signalling by Semafhore, W. F. Larkins, London.—4th September, 1883.

42C0. Gas Engines, A. M. Clark, London.—Com. from the Economic Motor Company.— 4/A September, 1883.

4548. Making-up, Ac., Bodies and Linings of Trousers, J. Baxter and W. Gould, Bristol.—21th September, 1883.

4771. Artificial Fuel, E. Marriott, Highgate.—8th October, 1883.

4816. Gas Motor Engines, T. Williamson, J. Malam, and W. Ireland, Southport.— 10th October, 1883.

5012 Fixing Metallic Letters, Ac., J. H. Holling-hurst, London.—22nd October, 1883.

5022. Hinges, F. and W. Parker, London.—22nd October, 1883.

5292. Breech-ioading Fire-arms, D. Bentley, Aston, and W. Baker, Handsworth. — 8th November, 1883.

5349. Connecting Pipes, C. D. Abel, London —Com. from G. Westinghouse, jun.—13th November, 1883.

5363. Treating Calcareous Phosphorites or Ores, W. R Lake, London.—A communication from J. Cox.—13ZA November, 1883.

5412. Mounts or Holders for Glasses, Ac., J. Dawson, Kilburn, and T. Heap, London.—16th November, 1883.

5450. Dye Stuffs, J. H. Johnson, London.—A munication from A. Kern.—19th November, 1883.

5453. Housing, &c., Electrical Wires, H. J. Allison, London.—A communication from C. C. Gilman.— 20th November, 1883.

5709. Hydrogen Gas, S. Pitt, Sutton.—A communication from E. J. JermanowBki.—11/A December, 1883.

5717. Electric Low-water Alarms, A. M. Clark, London.—A communication from T. M'Kenna and H. Carley.—12th December, 1883.

com-

15ZA December, 1883.

5744.    Flour, T. N. Robinson, Rochdale.

5745.    Umbrella Fasteners, A. C. Henderson.—(/. Roy, Paris.)

6746. Placing Cop Tibes upon Spindles, J. B., G , and J. B. Swailes, Oldham.

5747.    Anchors, G. Tyzack, South Shields.

5748.    Music Sheets, C. Pieper.—(P. Ehrlich, Gohlis.)

5749.    Carbons, C. H. F. Miiller, Hamburg.

5750.    Velocipedes, J. White and J. Asbury, Coventry.

5751.    Crushing Apparatus, W. H. Thompson, London.

5752.    Stern Frame for Screw Steamers, C. J. D. Christie, Tynemouth.

5753.    Packing Articles, J. T. Staniland, London.

5754.    Cast Metal Pipes, &c , W. R. Lake.—(F. Shickle, St. Louis, U.S.)

5755.    Permanent Way, F. Schauman, Copenhagen.

5756.    Aluminium, G. B. de Overbeck.— (H. Niewerth, Hanover.)

17th December, 1883.

57a7. Lithographic Printing Machines, A. Paton, Leeds.

5758.    Raising Heavy Bodies, D. W. Sargent, Brixton.

5759.    Secondary Electric Batteries, A. C. Henderson.—(AT. Basset, Paris.)

5760.    Winding Apparatus, C. Pieper.—(A. Linden-berg, Dortmund.)

5761.    Carbonate of Ammonia, W. E. Gedge.— (F. C. Glaser, Berlin.)

5762.    Cyclometers, J. Butcher, Boston, U.S.

5763.    Packing Frilling, J. MacCallum, Manchester.

5764.    Packing Cases, &c., A. J. Boult.—("A. Kricker, Essen-on-the-Rhine.)

5765.    Engines, &c , T. H. Blamires, Huddersfield.

5768. Cabriolets, C. A. Floyd, Eastbourne.

5767.    Colouring Matters, C. D. Abel.—(The Farb-icerke normals Meister, Lilcius, <b Briining, Germany.)

5768.    Spinning Machinery, T. Coulthard, Preston.

5769.    Pianofortes, R. Howson, Middlesbrough.

5770.    Mincing Machines, A. M. Clark.— (Collin et Cie., Paris.)

5771.    Regulating the Flow of Gas, H. H. Lake.—(M. E. Braundbeck, Stockholm )

Inventions Protected for Six Months on Deposit of Complete Specifications.

5698.    Producing Heat, &c , V. W. Blanchard, New York, U.S.—11/A December, 1883.

5699.    Steam Generators, H. J. Allison, London.—A communication from J. E. Culver, Jersey, U.S.— lltA December, 1883.

5701. Engines, T. E. Craven, Leeds.—Com. fromG. W.

Price, Baltimore, U.S.—lift December, 1883.

5709. Hydrogen Gas, S. Pitt, Sutton.—Com. from E.

J. Jerzmanowski, New York.—11th December, 1883. 5717. Electric Low-water Alarms, A. M. Clark, London.—A communication from T. M'Kenna and H. Parley New Jersey, U.S.—12/A December, 1883.

,    - . x hich the Stamp Duty of £60

has been paid.

5168.

’ Motion for Looms, J. Williamson nd J. ; ‘Swindells, Lancaster.—10th December,

Notices of Intention to Proceed with Applications.

(Last day for filing opposition, ith January, 1884.)

3865. Speaking Tdbes, T. W. Redfem and R. Wilkinson, Derby.—9th August, 1883.

3883. Incandescent Lamps, T. T. Smith, London.—10/A August, 1883.

3899.    Looms for Weaving, J. and W. Yeiingjohns, Kidderminster.—lift August, 1883.

3900.    Scoring Lawn Tennis, Ac., E. R. Kesterton, London.—11/A August, 1883.

3901.    Electric Switch, J. Lea, London.—11/A August, 1883.

3903. Reproduction of Writings, Ac., J. H. Johnson, London.—Com. from I. Camarasa.—11 th August, 1883.

3910.    Incandescent Electric Lamps, A. Swan, Gateshead.—13/A August, 1883.

3927.    Disintegrating, Ac., Machinery^, T. G. Bowick, Bedford.—13/A August, 1883.

3932. Fibres, P. M. Justice, London.—A communication from J. G. Stephens.—14/A August, 1883.

3943. Sporting Knives, T. Crookes, Sheffield.—14/A August, 1883.

3961.    Treating Calcareous and Dolomite Marl, R. Bowman, C. R. Cowens, and W. J. Smith, Durham. —15/A August, 1883.

3987. Waterproof Garments, H. L. Rothband, G. and S. Mandleberg, Manchester.—17th August, 1883.

4002. Grinding Ores, Ac., J. Wood, West Stockwith. —17ft Avgust, 1883.

4042. Furnaces, J. West, Manchester.—21s/ Avgust, 1883.

4049. Safety Appliances for Elevators, A. W. L. Reddie, London.—A communication from R. A. Chesebrough.—21s/ August, 1883.

4162. Catting Ships’ Anchors, A. M. Clark, London.— Com. from J. N. Purdy.—28/A August, 1883.

4175. Connecting the Pipes used on Railway Trains for Communicating Fluid Pressure to Work Brakes or Signals, J. Imray, London.—A. communication from G. Westinghouse, jun.—29ft August, 1883.

4205. Pipe Couplings for Railway Brake Apparatus, J. Imray, London.—A communication from L. B. Regray.—31s/ August, 1883.

4236. Driving Gear, D. Carter, Stratford-on-Avon.— 3rd September, 1883.

4279. Construction of Tiles, J. L. Edward, London.— 6ft September, 1883.

4701. Making Bread, A. McDonald, Glasgow.—3rd October, 1883.

4910. Motive-power Apparatus, W. Fletcher, Faver-sham.—16/A October, 1883.

5023. Binding Sheaves, J. Howard, Bedford.—Partly a com. from J. W. Twentyman.—22nd October, 1883.

5088. Circuits, &c., J. S. Beeman, London.—26/A October, 1883.

5126. Clarification of Beer, H. H. Lake, London.— A communication from H. Kunheim and W. Raydt. —29/A October, 1883.

513U Steam Pumps, F. and S. Pearn and T. Addyman, Manchester.—30/A October, 1883.

5300. Paper Stock, G. B. Walker, London.—9/A November, 1883.

5340. Refining, &c., Oils, E. S. Wilson, Camberwell. —12/A November, 1883.

5358. Wool Oiling Machines, J. L. Mathews, West Troy, U.S.—13/A November, 1883.

5698.    Generating Steam, V. W. Blanchard, New York, U.S.—lift December, 188".

5699.    Steam Generators, H. J. Allison, London.— Com. J. E. Culver.—11/A December, 1883.

(Last day for filing opposition, 8/A January, 1883.)

3908. Explosive Cartridges, S. Trivick, Clapham,aDd J. Macnab, London.—13/A August, 1883.

3911.    Actions for Pianofortes, &c., E. A. Brydges, Berlin.—Com. from A. Lexow.—13/A August, 1883.

3918. Locks, J. H. Ross, Dublin.—13/A August, 1883.

3928.    Treating Hops, W. Linden, Streatham-common. —13/A August, 1883.

3934.    Dynamo-electric Machines, W. P. Thompson, Liverpool.—A communication from R. J. Sheehy.— 14ft August, 1883.

3935.    Paper, W. P. Thompson, London.—A communication from M. W. Brown.—14/A August, 1883.

3941. Artificial Stoneware, H. J. Haddan, London. —Com. from J. Hemmerling.—14/A August, 1883.

3918. Pliable Plates, &c., as a Substitute for Glass, J. J. Sachs, London.—A communication from Fick-eissen and Becker.—14/A August, 1883.

3962.    Bale-hoop Fastenings, J. W. Allen, Manchester. —15/A August, 1883.

3969. Transferring Designs to Fabrics, T. J. Warwick, London.—16/A August, 1883.

Fatents Sealed.

(List of Letters Patent which passed the Great Seal on the 14ft. December, 1883.)

2880. Gas or Tube Hooks, T. Ashford, Birmingham.— 9th June, 1883.

2984. Electric Wire Conductors, J. Greenwood, Bacup.—15ft June, 1883.

8002. Life-saving Dresses, A. W. Ward, Kilburn.— 16ft June, 1883.

8008. Galvanic Batteries, J. Oliphant, E. B. Burr, and J. Gowan, London.—16ft June, 1883.

8012. Protecting Corns, Ac., E. Holliday, London.— 18ft June, 1883.

3033. Annealing Chilled Castings, W. R, Lake, London.—19ft June, 1883.

3057. Spring Beds, Ac., F. Ellisdon, Liverpool.—20ft June, 1883.

3070. Gas Motor Engines, J. Fielding, Gloucester.— 20ft June, 1883.

3072. Casting Iron, T. and J. Robinson, Widnes.—21s/ June, 1883.

3221. Corkscrew, R. W. Bradnoek, Moseley.—29ft June, 1883.

3276. Clocks, A. M. Clark, London.—2nd July, 1883.

3320. Anti-fouling Paints, A. M. Clark, London.—4ft July, 1883.

3393. Gaseous Hydrochloric Acid, C. D. Abel, London.—9ft July, 1883.

3435. Bleaching Ozokerit, Ac , J. Imray, London.— 12ft July, 1883.

3477. Fastenings for Purses, A. M. Clark, London.— 14ft July, 1883.

3635. Indicating Weights, Ac. , T. H. Ward, Tipton.— 24ft July, 1883.

3842. Circuit Closers, H. W. Ferris, Merton.—7ft August, 1883.

3891. Combustible Gases, W. S. Sutherland, Birmingham.—lift August, 1883.

4468. Obtaining Benzol, Ac., G. E. Davis, Manchester. —18ft September, 1883.

4584. Separating Oil from Metal Turnings, A. G. Brookes, London.—26/A September, 1883.

4589. Ornamentation of Glass, V. Bltithgen, Prussia. —26ft September, 1883.

4635. Beds, J. S. Hill, Clifton.—28/A September. 1883.

4651. Regulating Valves, W. H. Bailey and W. Law-son, Salford.—29ZA September, 1883.

4671. Alarm Bells for Bicycles, H. Serrell, Plainfield, U.S.—2nd October, 1883.

5049. Setting Buttons upon Boots, Ac., R. H. Brandon, Paris.—24/A October, 1883.

(List of Letters Patent which passed the Great Seal on the 18th December, 1883.)

1957 Bottles and Stoppers, J. Edwards, Holloway.— lift June, 1883.

2500. Ambulance Carriages, R. A. Westhorp, London.—19ft May, 1883.

3024. Dividing Rails into Sections, H. Britten, Sheffield.—19/A June, 1883.

3030. Propelling Apparatus, J. Robinson, Coleraine. 19/A June, 1883.

3036. Boots and Shoes, H. J. Morgan, Fromc.—19/A June-, 1883.

3047. Lawn Tennis Balls, It. S. Moss, Manchester.— 20/A June, 1883.

3049. Breech-loading Small Fire-abms, T. Peikes, London.—20/A June, 1883.

3052. Hopper Dredgers, A. Brown and W. Simons, Renfrew.—20/A June, 1883.

3054. Roundabouts, E. G. Brewer, London. — 20/A June, 1883.

3064. Latches, Bolts, Ac., J. D. Sprague, Upper Norwood.—20/A June, 1883.

3069. Converting Reciprocatory into Rotary Motion, H. G. Williams, East Greenwich.—20/A June, 1883.

3078. Tanks for Melting Glass, E. Brooke, Huddersfield.—21s/ June, 1883.

3082. Washing Machine, A. I. Denny, Zittau.—21s/ June, 1883.

3087. Mechanical Retorts, J. Lyle, London.—21s/ June, 1883.

3116.    Arranging Circuits to be used in connection with Telephonic Communication, S. Pitt, Sutton.— 22nd June, 1883.

3117.    Blast Fans, G. M. Capell, Passenham.—22nd June, 1883.

3126. Applying Governors for Making and Breaking Contact, D. Salomans, Broomhill.—23rd June, 1883.

3181. Telegraphic, Ac., Commcnication, O. Schaffler, Vienna.—23rd June, 1883.

3138. Velocipedes, Ac., W. Wright, Droylsden.—25/A June, 1883.

3146. Flushing Apparatus, M. Syer, J. Gilmore, and W. R. Clark, London.—25/A June, 1883.

3159. Planing, Ac., Plates, J. Imray, London.—26ZA June, 1883.

3161. Shoeing Horses, J. B. E. T. Lacombe, Loiret, France.—26/A June, 1883.

3178. Facilitating the Action of Rifles, H. S. Maxim, London.—26/A June, 1883.

3203. Facilitating the Loading of Steamf.rs, G. Taylor, Penarth.—27th June, 1883.

3204. Ventilating Closets, J. Farrimond and J. Whittaker, Southpoit —23th June, 1883.

3253. Wringing, <fec , Fabrics, J. Kenyon, J. Barnes, and R. W. Kenyon, Accrington.—30th June, 1883.

3269. Folding Fabrics, H. J. Haddan, London.—2nd July. 1883.

3271.    Telephonic Apparatus, A. J. Boult, London.— 2nd July, 1883.

3272.    Gas Motor Engines, G. J. Kirchenpauer and L. H. Phillippi, Hamburg.—2nd July, 1883.

3273.    Corsets, <fec., J. II. Johnson, London.—2nd July, 1883.

8291. Arseniate of Soda, F. C. Blythe, Accrington.— 3rd July, 1883.

3312. Velocipedes, &c , J. White and J. Asbury, Coventry, and F. G. Francis, Folkestone.—lift July, 1883.

3317. Separating Impurities from China Clay, &c. , A. S. Chinnock, St Austell —4th July, 1883.

3327. Toy Pistol, A. C. Henderson, London.— 5th July. 1883.

3358. Pistons, J. Elliot, J. S. Jeffery, and T. Kerman, Cardiff.—6th July, 1833.

3536. Eliminating Nitrogenous Matters from Fermentable, &c., Substances, E. R. Moritz and H. C. Lee. London.—18th July, 1883.

3603. Fire-escapes, G. S. Prindle, Washington, US. — 31sf July, 1883.

3893. Dumping Boats, &c., H. E. Newton, London.— 11 th August, 1883.

4287. Cotton Gins, H. J. HaddaD, London.—6th September, 1883.

4403. Carpet Sweepers, H. J. Haddan, London.—11th September, 1883.

4421. Signalling, A. P. Price, London.—15th September, 1883.

4424. Gas-meters, H. Green, Preston.—15th September, 1883.

4575. Printing Presses, W. R. Lake, London.—25th September, 1883.

4650. Winding, Ac., Yarn, B. A. Dobson, J. Hill, and A. Waite, Bolton.—29th September, 1883.

4697. Water-clojets, W. R. Lake, London.—2nd October, 1883.

4801. Forming Plates for Secondary Batteries, II. J. Haddan, London.—9th October, 1883.

5047. Time-controlling System, W. F. Gardner, Baltimore.—23rd October, 1883.

List of Specifications published during the week ending December 15th, 1883.

2174*, 6d.; 1551, 4d.; 1615, 2d.; 1808, 6d.; 1956, 6d.;

2007, 2d.; 2076, 10d.; 2077, 2d.; 2087, 8d.; 2090, 2d.;

3039, 4d.; 3733, 6d.; 3734, 8d.; 4136. 6d ; 4137, 4d.;

4177, 4d.; 4192, 6d.; 4211, 6d.; 4254, 6d.; 4298, 6d.

Sums exceeding Is. must be remitted by ce order, made payable at the Post-office, 5, High Holbom, to Mr. H. Reader Lack, her Majesty’s Patent-office, Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lane, London.

postage.

Post-offi

ABSTRACTS OF SPECIFICATIONS.

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

1551. Railway Brakes and Springs, J. Armstrong, New Swindon.—27th March, 1883. —(Provisional protection not allowed.) id.

A steam piston and cylinder are opposed to a vacuum cylinder and piston on the engine or tender, the two pistons being on the same rod, and the former in direct communication with the steam of the boiler, and the vacuum piston in direct communication with the main pipe of the automatic brake. The steam piston applies the brake when the vacuum is destroyed in the main pipe, and the vacuum piston takes them off when the vacuum is re-established.

1615. Saws, W. R. Lake, London.—30/A March, 1883.— (A communication from D. Brigham, Melbourne.)— (Provisional protection not alloiced.) 2d.

Diamonds are used to form the cutting parts of the saw.

1808. Gas Regulators, S. Slack, Sheffield.—10/A Aprih 1883. 6d.

The object is to control the consumption of gas by means of a regulator which can be easily applied to ordinary fittings. A double-ended slotted lever or a slotted pulley is attached to the service tap on the gas main, the handle of the tap fitting into the slot and being secured therein. To each end of the lever or round the pulley is connected a wire or cord passing over guide pulleys and wound over a drum mounted on a spindle carrying a pointer, which moves over a dial to show to what extent the tap is opened.

1956. Telegraphic Apparatus, E. J. Houghton, London.—18/A April, 1883. 6d.

The object of this invention is to obviate the necessity of having batteries at each intermediate station. This is accomplished by using one large battery and others of lower electro-motive force placed at any convenient point, the ordinary needle instrument being so modified that the currents may either balance or overcome each other in either direction.

2007. Machines for Cutting Labels, &c , L. Alder-son, Bradford.—20/A April, 1833.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This relates to machines for cutting several thicknesses of paper at each stroke to produce labels, which can be printed or plain, and also in employing the apparatus for blocking instead of the arming-press hitherto used.

2070- Apparatus for Assisting Persons Learning to Sing, &c., G. N. Carozz, Regent-street.—24/A April, 1883. 10c?.

The object is to assist persons learning to sing by means of an apparatus which, by indicating the manner in which the pupil is using his breath, enables him to control the position of the mouth, tongue, and lips in the proper manner.

2077. Vehicles for Road Traction, &c., E. New-n, Burnham.—24/A April, 1883.—(Void.) 2d. vehicle is provided with a number of platforms or rests carrying wheels, and the body of the vehicle carries rails, so that as the platforms are brought on to the road the rails run over the wheels.

The v

2087. Membranes or Media for Eliminating Microorganisms from Liquids and Gases, &c., C. D. Abel, London— 24/A April, 1883.—(A communication from T. Breyer, Vienna.) 8d.

The medium consists essentially of exceedingly finely divided microiiths, for which a specially prepared metallic gauge serves as support. The medium is prepared preferably by reducing microiiths of talc, such as are known as stick asbestos, asbestos fibre, or Bostonile, under water by means of a roller mill, and the fibres produced separated in special apparatus, according to fineness.

2090. Injectors, S. Borland, Manchester.—25/A April, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This relates, First, to injectors without steam

pound is exposed to the atmosphere to oxidise the lead, and is then mixed with a solution of sugar and made into the desired shape, preferably a plate. The plate is placed between two thin sheets of perforated lead. For the positive electrode iron, or an alloy of zinc, lead, and antimony, is used. The cells are divided into two series, and are provided with a switch by which their like poles may be all connected together. A weighted bulb sinks in the liquid, when, through the deposition of the iron or zinc, its density is lowered and sounds an alarm.

2119. Manufacture of Salicylic Acid, Producing also Alcoholic Phenates, IF. L. Wise, London.— 26th April. 1883.—(A communication from Dr. IV. Hentschel, Dresden.) id.

The inventor claims, First, the method of preparing diphenylcarbonate by passing chloro-carbonic acid gas in to an aqueous solution of sodium phenolate; Secondly preparing salicyclic acid by acting upon diphenylcarbonate with alkalies, with or without the addition of sodium methylate or sodium ethylate ; as well as by fusing together diphenylcarbonate of sodium phenylate and sodium hydrate ; and Thirdly, obtaining methyl-phenyl ether or ethylphenyl ether by heating diphenyl-ethy late*'⁶’ b)®e*'ber w^b sodium methylate or sodium

2121. Lanterns, A. M. Clark, London.—25th April, 1883.-(A communication from G. F. Fisher, Canada.)

, Tb® object is to render lanterns more durable and facilitate the lighting. A cylindrical cap or casing is formed open at the bottom and arranged above the a-ind bldd by the funnel tube to crosspieces of side tubes of the lantern in such a manner that the upper end of the globe can pass within the cap. The cap has in one side a longitudinal slot through which the upper free end of a spring strip fastened to one of the side tubes projects. The spring strip has at its upper end two prongs, which project toward the interior of the cap. The globe has an annular head resting on a perforated plate. By withdrawing the upper end of the spring slit from the cap, the globe can

therknternUftCient f°r the passage of a match to light

2123.    Manufacture of Lubricating Oil, N. C. de Kroiber, Baku. Russia—26th April, 1883. 6d.

Ihis relates to the treatment of the residue from petroleum by agitation with acid, exposure to light and air, and to contact with lime or alkali.

2124.    Mowing and

Reaping Machines, W. Mcl. Cranston, London.—26th April, 1883.-(A communication from W. A. Wood Reaping and Mowing Machine Company, New York ) 6d.

The invention relates essentially, First, to means for ensuring the rotation of the gearing from the action of the main wheel while moving in the working direction, and a freedom of the gearing from any backward or reverse motion of the machine. Secondly, to establishing a connection and disconnection of the main wheel and the pinion by a throw-over action of a lever, the pinion frame moving about the main axle on which it is mounted. Thirdly, to carrying the single and cutter bar from the main axle, and steadying its rising and falling action by a curved plate working through a slotted plate fixed to the pole iron, said cutter bar being rigidly set by stay or tie rods affixed to the plate. Fourthly, to carrying the hack mitre-wheel, whose socket has a sleeve, upon a fixed pin or axle, the front of the socket having pauls which engage in teeth on the inner face of the pinion collar at any part of its rotation. The pinion collar may have a sprocket-wheel affixed or teeth formed thereon for actuating the reel chain if desired.

Tricycles and other Velocipedes, 0. Pihlfeldt, Redcar.—26th April, 1883. 6d.

This consists in the construction and arrangements of the gearing of the tricycles, whereby at the pleasure °f “.he rider the driving wheels of the tricycle may be made to rotate at the same speed as the pedal shaft or at a reduced speed.

2126 Apparatus for Filtering Water, Ac F H Atkins Limdon.—26th April, 1883.    6d.

This relates to means and apparatus for filtering water and other liquids, so arranged that the filtering materials or substances can be cleansed when required by attrition or the friction of the particles against each other, when set free and agitated or set in motion within the filter case or otherwise.

2127.    Apparatus in Connection with Steam Boiler Flues or Furnaces for Reheating Exhaust Steam, Superheating Live Steam, and Heating air for Heating, Drying, Ac., E. G. Colton, London. 26th April, 1883.—( A communica-tYorkf)⁰'llL' Hvssey and G- W- Donaldson, New

The invention consists in the combination with a steam boiler of an exhaust steam heating, live steam superheating, or air heating device located above the boiler within a flue, through which the products of combustion pass, the said heating device being con-

Ji?Bh th? vi ved ®xhaust pipe of the steam engine with a valved live steam pipe and with a valved air pipe, whereby it may be readily converted from an exhaust steam reheater to a live steam superheater or to an air heater, the heating device being also connected by valved conducting pipes to the radiators or other appliances for utilising the reheated exhaust steam, superheated live steam, or heated air.

2128.    Weighing Apparatus, J. Darlino Glasamn 27th April, 1883.-(Not proceeded with ) 2/

The object is to dispense with the use of a series of separate weights or springs, and substitute one weighted body at one end of a lever, which is mounted on pivots, and at the end nearest the point where it is pivotted the scale or platform is attached, the weighted body suspended from the other end being sunk in a vessel containing water.

2129.    Decorative Material for Walls, Ac., T. J loithT’u ham'~mh ApHl’ 1S83—(Dol proceeded

Any suitable paper-making materials are reduced to a pulpy mass, and conveyed to a paper-making ma-cbmo,ln a tblck layer. An endless blanket of great absorbent power is brought into contact with the top of the layer, and afterwards passes between pressing rollers, which remove the moisture absorbed. When the paper material reaches the couch rolls it proceeds on an endless blanket past the first pressing rollers. ?°d tb8n A ¹⁸ transferred to a wire cloth with a blanket

s? s^e₁,pras*we“ “s™™¹

2130.    Machines

the

2125.

JBLHAC/a^

M^ote^To^Uow^ iZU’

soda^^^^^^

Eodfu’m ? (5b muriatic acid. °f ^ = (4) Chl°ride of

FOR

2114. Instrument for Setting out or Drawing Geometrical Figures, Ac., F. II Wood Chis wick.-26th April, 1883. 6d.    ’

The instrument consists essentially of a sector a number of curved and radial lines thereon? Block Calendars

10d

2131. Capsules for Bottles and

’av^ir »C,v/' P’ AleXilndeZMLondom—27th Paris) 6d~^A communicatlon from C. Cheswright,

The main object is to so form the capsules that the labels used therewfth are mutilated or destroyed when

bol,,“ »■»””>■ ‘to*

olXhiS 3on8i8t8’ Fir7' >n heating the water In the ma-chine by means of pipes entering the side of the machine and having their outer ends connected to a tuyere placed over a fire ; Secondly, in forming the roller for agitating the clothes angular or partly bevelled,, so that the clothes are pot, continuously

London.—

with.)

can be tilted on pivots. The driving wheel is supported on a spring-supported slide block. A belt guard prevents the belt slipping off the wheel.

2149.    Distilling Shale and other Minerals to

&c > Cr0MleV, Glasgow,-28th April, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

■ ?be flist,'llation is effected in a chamber heated internally by means of highly superheated steam, which is fuperhea ed alternately in two vessels connected with each distilling vessel. The steam acts on minerals, and the vapours given off are led to suitable condensing and separating apparatus.

2150.    Brussels and Tapestry Carpets, Ac., J. W Walker, Kidderminster.—28th April, 1883 id

The object is to give a slope to the pile as it is formed without having to press it afterwards to produce this result, and it consists in forming the flat wire upon wb'iCb bb® P¹^ ,ls laid in the process of manufacture with a twist at its end near the bowl, so as to throw it into a sloping position.

2151.    Looms for

Weaving,/. Lang‘on, Leyland, and J. Gregson, Preston.—28th April, 1883. 6d.

According to the invention either or both the crank and tappet wheels are so mounted upon their respective shafts as to be capable of being moved round thereupon, the wheel bosses being provided with friction cones, plates, or fine toothed clutches, which meet or engage with corresponding conical recesses plates, or clutches fastened upon the shaft.

2137. Gas Lighting and Regulating

2152. Incandescence Electric Lamps. L G B ArrigU. London.—28th April, 1883.—(Not proceed d. with.) 2d.

Relates to the construction of the globe. The filament is formed as a helix

downwards through the centredthe helixto^fcTcom ductor.

2153. Electric “ Cut-outs ”

or Apparatus for Automatically Preventing too High an Electric Current Passing in a Circuit, F. V. Andersen, London.—28th April, 1883. fid The apparatus consists of a combined switch and cut-out.” The switch has a constant tendency to break the circuit so long as the current is normal. This tendency is resisted by an armature, which is pressed against the moving part of the switch by a spring. When the current becomes excessive an electro-magnet moves the armature in opposition to the spring and releases the switch, which immediately breaks the circuit.

[2142 1

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e §m.

■'F

A'-,

VJ

The object is to produce new effects in the omamen- 2159. Automatic Electric, Magnetic, Galvanic

far.rs&ssss r:,z,s

fioQ⁴ . C' ¹¹ Dill coat, Liverpool.— 28th April, 1883.—{Not proceeded with.) 2d.

A number of points on the shaft make contact with plates, by which currents are sent to a recording instrument. A vertical tube and float by making con-water h 8Ultable Platos serves to indicate height of

>7

TIZ

2163. Tackle or Apparatus for Hauling, H. John-son, jun., West Bromwich.—28th April, 1883. 6d. This relates to the hauling of coal tubs, wagons, and other vehicles and canal boats by wire ropes, and it consists in securing to the rope stops for temporarily connecting the rope with t-he wagon or rewel, and in,

plate

pltplill

with a space for overflow between them in addition to between the second combining f?d the discharging cone ; Secondly, to the combina-

inr>oHo^«Prf0Ve1 lt3jector cor,sisting of a casting with central orifip« ff°Ur FPe8 and a diaphragm with a l£,    e t,0 rec«™ the end of the combining cone ;

and Fourthly, to injector nozzles or cones combined cistern for water supply and overflow, and con-®{s:*“g „ alean} cone arranged in one side of the cone betweenthre^g °PP°Site’ Md a comblniDg

^WkI^v™⁸"1 AND UnriBATiOK OF Certain aste Materials which have been tsed in

1883    4/° °0AL GAS| J‘ Walker' Leeds.—25th April,

„,Sd hy^te of lime which has been used in

sgst-it: axs „s:

tolrtt ?or“akln/ a size or soft starch paste by adding with ot&^v r6a-en fl^r; Secondly, in connection ci te scans TW?? ”⁰" eemmon, fancy, orinsecti-The resfd^nm    f°,r unhalrlng skins or hides,

tion of nd W-i -th6 tanks can be U8ed in the preparation of a fertilising manure, or for other purposes.

²⁰⁹2; Wire Fencing with Spurs, Barbs, or Points, and Machinery to be employed in connection therewith, E. A.Brydpes, Berlin —25th April, 18S3

c d'b® object is to produce wire fencing with barbs or spurs, whereby one stout strong fencing wire is so employed that the barbs are firmly bound or attached ®hief or fencing wire, and it consists in

Securin|ThemCoUn Ihf ^tawire?⁰* 8Uitable wire and 2103. Bottles and Stoppers and Apparatus to be

USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAID BOTTLES,

muf®’’ , T■ W'ld> London.—25th April, 1883. 6d. of thatr± eS,par^y to improved bottles and stoppers fffhat class in which the stopper is designed to be screwed into the bottle neck ; and this part of the wbe^hwh³⁸ t°r ltsoldeofc provide improved means

Sites XTi-.„7S„^ S

2105. Construction of Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Paper, J. r. Fletcher and J.

™%n&thT*cdugh'~mh April’ lm-(Aot ?ro-This relates principally to the construction of apparatus employed for straining the pulp as it comes from making machine.^ before * ^pphed to the paper-

²¹°Iw™AwT*S F?,R Mo.vino and Giving Motion to FLUIDS, W. Smedley, Liverpool.— 26th April, 1883 —

(A communication from C. Smedley, Philadelphia.)

This relates to an apparatus in which an annular jet or otbS’fl¹^⁰* °«her *£? is caused to induce water Firstth,?n nnrV°u°W thr£Ugh a P*Pe- It consists, -ilfV .ln. constructing such apparatus with a casing fatted internally with a sliding tube jet regulator or controller, actuated by an excentric on a spindle passing through the casing, and fitted with a handle? the chamber and tube being arranged so that an annular steam receptacle and a straight way for the f?d"ced flmd are formed; Secondly, in constructing

rw?d, epl thr₀]C aeg o°r TUh a 8crew thread- 80 as to produce the end motion by screwing the tube backward and forward; Thirdly, in providing air induction

oJ^floh?⁸ ** fu°nt is,we11 as behind the annular steam * Jet,: Fourthly, combining two or more of such

pofntstUS t0 aCt °n the fluid current at different

Uoji from, G. Josephys Erben, Bielitz ) id.

dividing Saps t0 ^ dMdillg roUer8 by means of the

²¹⁰^EL^RI;; M⁰™rAppABATUS) Kotyra," Car-diff. —2Qth April, 1883.—{Not vrcceeded with.) 2d to tbe arrangement of the electro-magnets and their armatures in a reciprocating motor.

2i°9. Combing Cotton, Silk, Ac., /. Thompson and ^Lonchester.—26th April, 1883.    6d.

The object is to comb fibres by a machine which

end^lnd*then°th thVi?P    rolIs’ and combs fl’rst

^v.aDdi^n the otber> by means of one cylinder ?°“dVmd tbree or other number of pairs of nip jaws to each combing head, and then lays the combed fibre between rollers, which form it into a fleece or sliver The whole length of fibre is thus equally combed. The tubes carrying one line of nip jaws are coupled' and swing beams, racks, spur wheels, and segments are employed to actuate the top and loWer nip jA^s

Cartridges and Wads therefor, R. Morris Blackheath.—26th April, 1883. 6d.    morris,

This relates to the manufacture of the eases of miniature cartridges with large flanges and to the preparation of wads for use in such cartridges

isftini^tidhRtCldS+may beaddcd> and carbonic acid gas io !,C ted hya steam jet or other means. The water

these oPra«onS1sr described^16 aPParatUS f°r e/Tecting 2113.

—.    Manufacturing Straw

'I* ?™™ or Coverings for Bottles, Ac , 0.

⁰$' Dresden. 27th April, 1883 —(A communica-turn from Brothers Giese and Co., Germany.)

In this machine the straw is

2117. Switch Apparatus for Connecting and Dii-

m^mb^rofmd^tfn^u8 foV Puttinff anyone line of a other line! radlatlng Ilnesin communication with any

²¹¹BATZZZRpAmntCCrUihLX7cIil OR Sec°ndary

batteries, r. Higgs, heath.—26th April, 1883 —(A

communication from C. Forbes, Boston, Mass.,'u.S )

mTJ16 n®gati.V0 electrodes are made of finely-divided lead and pulverised graphitoidal carbon. The com-carried round ; Thirdly, in causing the barrel to turn by means of coiled springs.

2133.    Machine for Peeling Potatoes, Ac , / C Mewburn, London.—27th April, 1883.—(A communication Irom J. M. Burnichon, Paris ) id.

This consists of a machine by which a number of potatoes or other articles can be mechanically peeled at the same time, nothing but the skin being removed.

2134.    Centrifugal Dressing Machines for Dressing Flour, Grain, &c , R. Lund and T. F. Hind. Preston.— 21th April, 1883. id.

This consists in providing a space between the outer edges of the longitudinal bars and the inner side of the gauze or covering of centrifugal dressing cylinders.

2135.    Apparatus for Cutting and Embossing Patterns on Textile Fabrics, Ac., H. Pat ah/, Berlin. 27th April, 1883.—(A communication from M. Heimann, Berlin ) 6d

The apparatus consists chiefly of a system of rollers which system comprises two feed rollers, adapted to guide the fabric towards the stamping and cutting rollers placed vertically behind the feed rollers.

2136 Mechanical Musical Instruments, H J Haddan, Kensington.—27th April, 1883.- (A commu-Zuh)0nM°m lV‘Spaethe’ Germand )~(Kot proceeded

This consists in replacing the pin barrels or perforated sheets by a sheet of metal with raised lines and in making the distance of the barrel shaft from the keys adjustable, so as to enable barrels of different diameter to be used.

Thorp, White field, Lancs.—27lh April, 1883.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The objects are to produce a steady shadowless light to increase the illuminating power of the gas, to regulate the supply of gas, and prevent down draught in the chimney.

2138.    Cutting, Shaping, or Forming the Teeth of

Wheels, Ac , H. H. Grierson and T. 0’Maher, Manchester.— 27th April, 1883.    6d.

Two or more revolving cutters are each mounted upon a separate slide capable of moving parallel or at an angle to each other, and are caused to act upon the wheel blank mounted upon a mandril provided with any dividing arrangement to set out the teeth.

2139.    Manufacture of Explosive Compounds E

Turpin, Paris—27th April, 1883. id.    ’

According to one arrangement the compound consists of pulverised chlorate of potash or chlorate of soda about 10 parts; pulverised nitrate of lead about ⁵ ?art® ’ Pulverise<i nitrate of potash or nitrate of soda about 5 parts ; pulverised dry pitch from coal

Sparts S Part8’ and HqUid Pit0h fr°mCOal tar about 2154 Fire-escape, Messerli, Zurich.-28th April,

²¹^u™y-27thABprU° i£i/' ‘ldVenS and J~ & 8mith> ThiS cons^s ! chiefly in a flexible ladder wound upon

toThhei8dr€^ S    to allow the axle    TpZkl

be driven at varying speed from a uniform motion with a crank handle to wind the ladder on or off th«

pulleys are employed to vary the speed.    ⁸    .    _

²¹⁴A/fT₈T₈I?G_iMUfC’ J CoaUs‘ London.—27ih I APhCi^“³' J‘ WaUm’ S^>^.-2Sth whehro⁸in°“8iSt8    chromatic stave for music riaT'first^rMelterlr^m^minary pre^ur?^ by^oM ot

»d^cjk rSKMrasr -    * rvssri£\is-*

Apparatus for Cutting or Mincing and Jncrease the output of such machines, and it consists Mixing Animal, Vegetable, and other Sub- ln Pr<?vl,dln£ the press with two sets of boxes, each stances, H. Davidson, Tottenham.—27th April, 1883. mounted upon a separate column, around which it ,    . . ,    .    revolves. One set consists of boxes each capable of

In the drawing, which shows one form, A is an in- receiving the loose material to form a bale, and the verted and truncated conical vessel; B is an archi- otber of boxe8 each capable of receiving the same median screw cutter secured by soldering, brazing, or whe.n Pfrtly compressed. After the loose material has otherwise on the spindle C, which rests and turns on received its first compression it passes to a box in the the conical bearing point D secured in the bottom of ?£ber act, which at that moment is beneath it, and is

then shifted into position for being acted upon by the other set of rams, while at the same time a fresh of *the large°bo ma*eidad *s be^nff compressed in another

2156. Construction and Manufacture of Electrical and other Measuring Instruments, W. E Ayrton and J Perry, London.—28th April, 1883. 8d.

1 he F irst part of this invention relates to attachments by which the position of the magnetic axis of the coil in the various instruments designed by these inventors may be adjusted without removing the dial. To make the proportional law” true an adjustable piece of iron is introduced into the coils. The third part of the invention consists in making the soft iron pole meces of the permanent magnets used adjustable. Fourthly, the inventors make spiral springs rectangular in cross section and utilise the rotation produced by axial forces of one end to actuate a pointer. it Payention further relates to a method of using the multiplex ’ principle of these inventors.

2157. Longitudinal Joint or Seam for Sheet or Plate Metal P^es.&c., b. Qmdling, Forest-hill.-28 th April, 1883. 6d.

the vessel A. The upper end of the spindle C is sup- I ,,Tlii8 relates to the process and apparatus for forming ported in a bearing E in the cover F; G and Hare tbR joints or seams, aevel wheels by which rotary motion is communicated 2158. Steam Cooking Apparatus, E A Brvdaes to the spindle C and cutters B, through the interven-    Berlin.- 2Sth April, 1883.—(A communication from

tion °f the shaft I turning in the bearings J secured    L>. Grove, Berlin.) 6d    d

to the cover and by a handle K.    This consists chiefly in so constructing the steam

2144. Finishing or Shearing Textile Fabrics he > C0* Jlg apparatus that any cooking vessel can be cut W. P. Thompson, Liverpool.—27th April, 1883 -(A    * U⁸³    , no lonSrer heated, and further, so that

communication from D. C. Sumner, Massachusetts.) the vessels™ b° COoked by direct steam introduced into

[ST44|

2160. Apparatus for Surgical Injections, 0. Imrav. London. 28th April, 1883.—(A communication from A. R. Larger, Paris ) id.

This consists of an elastic ball with a flexible tubs extending down from it, provided at its lower end with a filtering valve opening upwards, and with a flexible tube extending up from it, provided with a stop cock and suitable nozzle. The upper elastic ball is preferably covered with a network.

2161. Small Bore Rifle Tubes, E. Morris, Black-heath.—28th April, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

■    relates to the manufacture of tubes to be

inserted in fire-arms for the purpose of enabling a \ lK    -qw|    I ™al_l charge to be used in rifle drill and practice^as

M    described in patent No. 1773, a d.    1881, and it consists

m boring a rod for a short    distance to a    greater    dia-

cyhndcr A, in which cutting studs are secured and “eteF *bar! tb® intended bore, aDd then bore the which act upon the fabric as it travels in the direction wiamder *2 +tbv desired calibre. In the enlarged indicated by the arrows. The studs are fitted into I Tg ij    tllbe, is secured and properly rifled, the

holes m    the cylinder,    and    are    arranged    in    groups or rennir?d°di tho,tub9,tben    being    turned    true to    the

lines, so    as    to produce    the    required    design    ^    P    required diameter outside.

2146 Balances and Weighing Machinfs r rr    Machinery for Lifting or Hoieting, T.

kind in which a constant weight is’ tdid alomr a drlvinff mechanism, or the reverse, and also of the graduated beam. Two independent graduated arms ??rls^;rHctlP° and combination of the parts for operating are need, each haviDg a sliding weight^ind one servino- !be beb; shifter, and also of automatic stopping gear to indicate pounds and the other ounces    S    f°r arr®?t5n8 tbe motion of the machinery at the

2l4jJrs <■    »» prctxr,,m‘--

Brooklyn, il~S.) C™mumcat™n    «■ Pitney,

nJ/ion0,iIJn°v?R ar° to^obtain elasticity and evenness of to ofi and fix thTiorkhT in‘A SutthTST""

securing to the latter clips to receive the stops, both the stops and clips being of special construction.

2164 Checking Cash Receipts in Public Vehicles, &c , II. Lyon, Bloomsbury.—28th April, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

Indicators are provided capable of being moved consecutively from 0 to 1000 by turning a finger-piece a half turn. A number of spindles carry tablets bearing the fares to be paid, and which the passenger on paying his fare turns to the right figure.

2165. Application of Gas to Cooking and Heating and Construction of Ovens and Stoves, TV. Flint, Sheffield.—28th April, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This consists in the combination with the oven of an ordinary cooking raDge of a pipe with a set of burners, and the construction of the oven to enable it to be heated by gas. The oven door is fitted with a pane or sheet of glass to enable the contents to be viewed without opening the door. Pipes are arranged within the oven to contain and heat water.

2166- Lubricators, particularly applicable to Motor Engines, C. II. Andrew, Stockport.—28th April, 1883.—(Void.) 2d.

The object when applied to the cylinder of an engine is to force lubricants on to the head of the piston. The oil vessel is attached to a smaller chamber with a valve at the lower part, near where it screws into the cylinder. A small branch tube is connected from the lower portion of the lubricator to the space between the piston and cylinder cover. Oil drops from the upper to the lower vessel, and is guided through a hole on to a disc, such hole being partly filled by the valve stem of the disc, which is perforated with one or more holes. The disc has a projection beneath, and its end is conical and rests on a seating in the passage leading to the cylinder. The disc and valves at the top and bottom are free to rise and fall in a small chamber when acted on by steam or other pressure. 2107- Manufacture of Sugar, TV. R. Lake, London.— 28th April, 1883.—(A communication from J. II. Boss, Buffalo, U.S.) id.

This consists, First, in the manufacture of crystal-a solution thereof at a the same until the

lised grape sugar by preparing low temperature and increasing sugar is melted, and then permitting the heated solution to cool and crystallise ; Secondly, in the manufacture of crystallised grape sugar by forming a concentrated solution thereof, then cooling such solution almost to solidification, then melting the solution by heating, and then permitting the heated solution to cool and crystallise; Thirdly, in the manufacture of crystallised grape sugar by reheating a concentrated solution of grape sugar until the sugar is melted, and then permitting the heated solution to cool and crystallise.

2168. Rollers of Machines for Spinning Textile Materials, TV. R. Lake, London.—28th April, 1883.—(A communication from E. Mehl, Augsburg.) 6 d.

This consists in arranging the rollers out of line with each other, as shown at ABCD. By means of this arrangement the fibres are caused to twist faster, but yet sufficiently by contact with the grooved and

| 2 168 |,

BJ3

!oi J (gog _ A (§)

bination with the end fittings on inclined tubes of a pocket cast thereon for the support of nut and screw; Fourthly, the construction of boiler casing consisting of plates having ribs projecting symmetrically toward inside and outside of boiler, and two packing pieces either cast on to the plates or loose or fastened to the column, for the purpose of building a continuous closed front with plates of the same pattern ; and Fifthly, in connection with plates as described in claim 4, of flat star or bar-shaped pieces of metal attached to the plate on distance pieces, so that the covering will surround these parts, and thereby support the covering.

2170. Stoppering Bottles for containing Aerated or Gaseous Liquids, R. J. Sankey, near Ashford.— 30th April, 1883. 6<f.

This relates to an improved method of fixing the india-rubber ring which forms the seating for internal stoppers in the neck of the bottle, and also to an improved stopper. The ring is secured in position by a ring or rings of vulcanite made small enough to pass into the bottle, and then heated so as to fit tightly in the neck of the bottle.

2177.    Boot and Shoe Sole Protecting Plates, J. Borrett, London.—30I/i April, 1883. 6d.

This relates to a frame cut or reduced at suitable parts and having projections thereon, into which a layer of leather or the like is forced by pressure so as to form a sole plate of metal and leather or the like.

2178.    Manufacture of Buttons, TV. Willeringhaus, London.—80th April, 1883.—(A communication from C. Umbcck, Barmen.) 6d.

This relates to the manufacture of linen buttons.

2179.    Valve Discs, /. 67. G. B. Bischoff, Hamburg.— 30th April. 1883.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The valve discs are made by uniting two or more layers of a web, tress work, or felt, made of cotton, linen, wool, jute, or similar material by stitching in such a manner as to produce concentrical pads thereon.

2180.    Apparatus for Fastening or Supporting Neckties, &c., V. Vvse, London.—30th April, 1883. —(A communication from F. Smiley, San Francisco.) —(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The object is to secure cravats and such like to collar buttons or studs.

2181.    Method of and Apparatus forTreatingTextile Materiais with Liquids or Gases, H. J. Haddan, London.—30th April, 1883.—(A communication from 0. Obemiaier, Bavaria.) 6d.

This consists chiefly in forcing a continuous current of liquid through a perforated upright pipe placed inside a perforated receptacle in which the material to be treated is placed and pressed at will, and which receptacle is placed in a tank. The upright pipe passes through the bottom of the tank, and is connected with a pump which causes liquid from the tank to pass through the pipe, and from there through the textile material before returning to the tank. As the pump draws liquid from the bottom of the tank, a continuous circulation of the liquid is maintained.

2182.    Drills for Grain and other Seeds, 6. TV. von Nawrocki, Berlin.—30th April, 1883.— (A communication from C. Gindler, Germany.)—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The object is to construct the parts, so that each of the receiving hoppers can be put out of action in a simple, sure, and direct manner, and so that the spindle provided with the feed cups can be removed and exchanged for another as required without the removal of the receiving hoppers, and without the use of slides or plates for shutting off the feed supply to the funnels as heretofore used.

2183.    Treadles for Bicycles, Lathes, Sewing Ma

chines, &c., II. H. Lake, London.—30th April, 1883. -(A communication from F. S. Wilson, Vienna.) — (Not proceeded with.)    2d.

The object is to effect the rotation of a shaft by of a treadle lever without the employment of a

articles

2198. Incandescent Electric Lamps, F. Wright and M. IV. TV. Mackie, London.—1st May, 1883.-(Not

ThefSaments are made of a double helical shape, and at their junction with the ends of the conducting wires are coated with bichloride of platinum and heated. The filaments are made of vegetable carbon and immersed in a bath of hydrocarbon, where they raised to a white heat by a current.

2199 Materials for Making Cements, capable '    other Purposes, T.

are

ALSO OF BEING USED FOR Smith, Sunbury.—1st May, 1883. id. _

This relates to a compound substance consisting ot the combination of the scrapings or sweepings or debris of macadamised roads, and chalk and coke or other analogous substances, with sulphur or brimstone.

2201. Knitting Machines, J. Higham, Manchester. —Is! May, 1883. lOd.    ....    ,

This relates to several improvements in the general construction of the machine.

2203. Candles, G. II. Kirk, Philadelphia—1st May, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

This consists in the combination with a candle of an inflammable material which will kindle by friction and ignite the wick of the candles.

2207.    Apparatus for Preventing Horses

Getting Shy, G. TV. von Nawrocki, Berlin.—-1st May, 1883.—(A communication from G. Wills, Hil-desheim.) fid.    .    , . , „

This relates to a flap for each eye, which flaps are caused to cover the eyes by springs and cords controlled by the driver.

2208.    Self-acting Flushing Apparatus, E. II. Palmer, Beckenham.—1st Mo.y, 1883.—(Not proceeded

This delates to the employment of a syphon flushing apparatus.

2209.    Flues or Flue Tubes for Steam Boilers, J.

A. HopJcinson, Huddersfield.—1st Mayt 1883.    6a.

One part consists in so constructing the said tubes that strengthening hoops or flanges may be dispensed with and conical or other water-circulating tubes or pipes can be readily inserted and efficiently secured in the said flue tubes. Another part, which is applicable generally to flues having circulating pipes, is designed to provide means whereby the flame and heated products of combustion will be more effectually caused'to impinge upon the sides of the flue tubes, and of the said circulating pipes than is the case with flue tubes as heretofore made.

FROM

flue

Electro-dynamic Ma-

2210. Dynamo-electric and

Sir TV. Siemens, London.—1st May, 1883.

CHINES,

8 d.

A coiled armature of any construction, and having a non-magnetio core, is surrounded by a stationary coil of wire, arranged as a meridian to the armature. The commutator and brushes, of ordinary construction, may collect or distribute the currents from either or both sets of coils. When used as a generator, induction may be started by an extraneous current, or by a permanent magnet. A small machine, provided with vanes revolving in a fluid, and geared to a counter, may be employed as an electric power meter.

SELECTED AMERICAN PATENTS.

(From the United States’ Patent Office Official Gaztte.)

Drawing on Shoes, Emil

288,474. Horn for

Noppely Philadelphia, Pa.—Filed August 31s£, 1883.

Claim.—(1) A shoe horn, in combination with a pivotted lever provided with a jaw and handle and. a pivotted arm, the horn being formed with an. abutment for said arm, substantially as and for the

objects designated. (2) The rolling conductor, whose wheel is composed of two parallel metallic discs with an interposed washer of vulcanite or other non-conducting material, the respective discs having contact with the respective tracks of the outgoing and returning generator currents on the one hand, and with the carriers of the ingoing and returning motor currents on the other hand, as set forth. (3) In electric locomotive for use with two parallel wires Kp Kn, for the outgoing and returning currents respectively, the rolling conductor consisting of members as follows—to wit, springs Dp Dn, having electrical communication with the field-magnet, segments Ep En, stud I, cheeks Fp En, axle G, and insulated chamfered discs Hp Hn. (4) In combination With the rolling conductor D, the rigid yoke J, having inclined faces adapted to impart to the a tendency to parallelism with the track, as set forth. 288,642. Water-service Plug, Patrick Keilt, Brooklyn, N.Y.—Filed September 29th, 1882.

Claim.—The combination of an upright pipe D, of a street washer with an adjustable claw L, constructed

[s 8 8.6421

_ V-

D "6

1!

runner

Urn

-\m / j

hi

substantially as described, and the removable cover & supported by said claw, substantially as and for the purposes described.

288 682. Safety Cut-out for Electric Lamps, Charles J. Van Depoele, Chicago, III.—Filed May 24th, 1882.    ., ,    ...

Claim.—A safety cut-out for lamps, provided with two contact points or surfaces arranged in immediate proximity and directly facing each other, one being connected to the positive and the other to the negative pole of the lamp, said points being carried by devices

12.88.682 |

STT*

constructed to be held at all times a regulated distance apart, whereby said points are held apart without an intervening substance, and are adapted to molt and unite together by the passage of the current between said points caused by an abnormal resistance of the arc, substantially as described.

IE

VI

intermediate rollers B and C, and the pressure rollers in the first row of drawing rollers are caused to incline as far towards the spindle as is necessary to enablo the twisting of the sliver to take place, without obstruction, up to the point at which it issues from out of the drawing rollers.

2169.    Jet Nozzles of Garden Engines, Hop Washers, &c., E. Haines, Horsmonden.—28th April, 1883. fid.

This relates to a detachable and reversible spreader for the jet nozzles of garden engines and similar apparatus, consisting of a metal plate, either curved transversely or not, in combination with grooves or clips on the nozzle for holding the spreader.

2170.    Fastenings for Carriage Doors and Handles for Operating the same, J. Edwards, London.—

30th April, 1883. 2ci.

This relates to what arc termed two-bolt locks or fastenings, and it consists in forming grooves in the tail part of the top bolt and inserting spiral springs tborein to operate the bolt, hollows being formed in the case and top plate of the lock opposite each other so as to form guides for the spring. A lever has projections which engage the tail part of the bottom bolt to hold it in position. The hole in the follower, and also that in the handle are bushed, and the shank of the handle is of iron or steel, and to it the handle of difforent metal is rivetted. The door can be fastened in any required position by means of a curved plate, to which springs are attached, and which works through a slot in a bracket fastened to the doorpost.

2171.    Stopper for Bottles and Jars, J. Jackson,

jun., Brixton.—30!7i. April, 1883.    6d.

A case or cap contains a conical elastic stopper, and between it and the top of the case is a spiral spring tendiDg to force the stopper outwards, but being prevented by a flat steel spring near the open end, such flat spring being oblong or of O-shape and projecting out from the case, where it is provided with a pressure piece. When the cap is forced over the mouth of the bottle the stopper closes the same and the flat O-spring engages beneath the shoulder or collar round the neck and secures the cap. Pressure on the flat O-spring releases it from such collar, and a spiral spring forces the cap upwards.

2173.    Pulling Machines, P. Legrand, Paris.—30th April, 1883. fid.

This relates to constructing fulling machines with rollers having projecting discs, and rollers having grooves, and with friction plates and reservoirs, through which the fabric or cloth to be fulled passes.

2174.    Rolling Cylinders of Iron and Steel, &c., B. Walker, Leeds.—30th April, 1883.—(Void.) 2d.

Weldless cylinders of iron or steel of comparatively large diameter are manufactured, with the metal worked or extended lengthwise of the cylinder by a rolling operation, as well as being worked or extended circumferentially by another rolling operation.

2175.    Steam Boilers, 8. Pitt, Sutton,—30th April, 1883.—(A communication from L. Schutte, Philadelphia.) fid.

The inventor claims, First, a steam boiler in which the generator sections are formed of inclined tubes and end fittings, and smaller vertical connections attached between two fittings with right and left-handed threads, a cover or plug opposite the end of the smaller vertical connections, and a valve seated cover or covers opposite one or more of the inclined tubes ; Secondly, in combination with a steam boiler and furnace, of a superheater and connections allowing the boiler to be 'i 11 ■ i:;.    . .11 tl    ■ !

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2185. Manufacture of Incandescent Lamp3, &c., TV. Crookes, London.—30!/i April, 1883. fid.

The filament is mounted in that part of the lamp to which it is to be permanently attached prior to adjusting its resistance. The lamp is provided at its neck with a wooden cup having metallic sides. The conducting wires are brought out through holes in the wooden part of th9 plug, and terminate in globular-ended studs. The invention also relates to lamp sockets and to methods of suspending the lamps.

2180. Protecting or Preventing Fraudulent Interference with the Contents of Bottles, &cE. P. Alexander, London.—30th April,1883.— (A communication from C. Cheswright, Paris.) fid.

This relates to the combination of a cage encircling a bottle or similar receptacle, a perforated or plain capsule which covers the neck of the said receptacle, and a cup or second capsule or disc which receives or covers the bottom of the bottle, the said cage and capsules or discs being securely united together.

2187- Automatic Checking or Stopping Device or Apparatus for Use on Railways, E. C. M. Van-den Berghe, Upper Norwood.—30th April, 1883.— (Not proceeded with.) 2d.

The object is to enable the signalman to shut off the steam and apply the brakes if desired by means of an electric current.

2188.    Removing the Hair or Wool from the Skins or Hides of Animals, &c. , J. Palmer, London.—1st May, 1833. 4d.

This consists essentially in subjecting the hides or skins alternately to the action of water and to that of the atmosphere.

2189.    Electric Telephones, H. J. Allison, London.— Is! May, 1883.—(A communication from J. H. Robertson, Brooklyn, U.S.) 6d.

This invention relates to that

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purpose set forth. (2) A shoe horn provided with an ear a, having a shoulder or abutments 6, a pivotted handle lever B, which is provided with a jaw D, and a folding arm E, combined and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

288,500. Stowage of Grain, Thomas F. Seery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.—Filed April 3rd, 1883.

Claim.—An apparatus for stowing and trimming grain, placed at any point intermediate between the elevator discharge spout and the point at which, tlie grain is to be delivered, composed of a hopper into which the grain is fed, discharge pipes through which

class of transmitters in which the current passes through electrodes that are loosely in contact, and consists, First, in employing magnetism to produce contact pressure of the electrodes ; Secondly, in so supporting the diaphragm as to allow it the utmost freedom of vibration; and Thirdly, an elastic connection between the diaphragm and electrodes, which will permit a variation of pressure at the point of contact.

2191.    Adjustable Saddles for Velocipedes, E. Burstow, Horsham.—1st May, 1883.—(Not proceeded with.) 2d.

consists in an arrangement for giving horizontal and a vertical adjustment to the sad

2192.    Gas Engines and Regulating the Explosive Charges thereof, P. M. Justice, London.— 1st May, 1883.—(A communication from W. E. Hale, Chicago, U.S.) Is. 2d.

This consists generally, First, in the method and means of securing the greatest explosive effect resulting from the ignition of a highly combustible mixture of air and gas; Secondly, of certain improvements in gas engines, in which the mixture of air and gas is compressed in the working cylinder, and therein exploded; Thirdly, in certain improvements in gas engines, in which the charge is compressed in a cylinder separate from the working cylinder ; Fourthly, in certain adjuncts, appliances, and connections and devices used, or which may he used, in connection with the engines.

2196. Manufacture of Embossing Rollers, 0. Irnray, London.—1st May, 1883.—(A communication from N. L. Cochen, Brooklyn, 67. B. Walton, New York, and T. Y. Brown, New York.) 2d.

This relates to the manufacture of a roller having on its periphery a pattern or design copied electrolytically from some surface, such, for instance, as that of leather or skin, so that it can be employed to produce on plastic material a copy of that surface.

2197- Tennis Balls and other Covered Balls, A. W. Phillips, Atherstonc.—1st May, 1883. 2ti.

The object is to provide tennis balls and other covered I slhi with a watul*se WtW that 9 eethfilitod to the ball,

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it gravitates, and nozzles through which a blast is forced at an angle to the course of the grain, said discharge pipes and nozzles being so constructed as to throw the grain at any angle to the floor and longitudinal axis of the compartment, all as herein set forth.

288,513. Electric Railway and Locomotive, William M. Thomas, Cincinnati, Ohio.—Filed November 6th, 1882.

Claim.—(1) An electrical conductor composed . of parallel wires respectively in communication

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5.8.

CONTENTS.

The Engineer, December 21st, 1883. page Graphics, or the Art of Making Calculations

by Drawing Lines. No. IV.........

Calculation of Continuous Girders. No. III.

(Illustrated.)..................

Legal Intelligence—

Westinghouse v. Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company................

Railway Matters................

Notes and Memoranda ............

Miscellanea .............. ••    ••

Air Compressor and Turbine, Yanagase Tunnel

Works, Japan ..............

Roller Mill Machinery..........

The U.S. Cruisers..............

The Exports of Iron and Steel Rails The Great Clock in the Royal Courts of J ustice.

(Illustrated.)..................

Leading Articles—

Losses at Sea ................

The Board of Trade on Boiler Explosions.. 487

Gas Testing.............

White Star Line .........

Shipbuilding Trade.........

Literature—

Life of Sir W. Logan.........

James Lawrence Smith .......

The Dockising of Rivers. No. III.

Contracts Open—

Indian State Railways. (Illustrated.) .

The Condition in which Carbon Exists in Steel. 490 Letters to the Editor—

Efficiency of Fans ..    .

The New Patent Act

An Improved Gas-burner ..........

The Iron, Coal, and General Trades of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and District..

Notes from Lancashire ..........

Notes from Sheffield............

Notes from the North of England

Notes from Scotland........ • •

Notes from Wales and Adjoining Counties .. 493

The Patent Journal............ •• 494

Abstracts of Patent Specifications. (Ulus.) .. 494 Abstracts of Patent American Specifications. 496

The Development of Electric Lighting

Meteorology.............. ,

Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland .. Irrigation in South Africa..    ..    .... ..    ..

Harbours of Refuge Round the British Coast ..

The Society of Engineers............

Gunboat for the Italian Navy..........

Naval Engineer Appointments ........

Coal in New South Wales............

. 477

478

4s0

481

431

481

483

484

484

.. 485

4S6

487

l-.S

488

488

488

488

.    .. 489

489

491

491

492

.. 492

492

493

493

493

.. 4S0

4S3

.. 483

I-.:.

488

490

490

493

493

Epps’s Cocoa.—Grateful and Comforting, —“ By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected Cocoa, Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors’ bills. It is by the judicious use of such articles of diet that a constitution may be gradually built up until strong enough to resist every tendency to disease. Hundreds of subtle maladies floating around us ready to attack wherever there is a weak point. We may escape many a fatal shaft by keeping ourselves well fortified with pure blood and a properly nourished frame.”—Civil Service Gazette.—Made simply with boiling water or milk. QoLi or.lv in    labelled—“ JAMES Epps and

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