THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF ANTWERP.

John Sansom, the first to

Authority has been granted to the Compagnie G<5nerale d’Electricffd to light the east end of Antwerp, but the excessive price of ground in the district to be lighted obliged the company to select a place at some distance from it for its works or central station, which is intended to light the public roads, dwelling-houses, theatres, cafes, and private hotels, as well as to supply motive power to some industrial establishments. More than 10,000 incandescent lamps and several hundred arc lamps will be necessary to light that part of the town, in which there are already about 2000 incandescent lamps of 16-candles each and seventy-five Gulcher arc lamps. When the installation is completed electric light will be actually supplied to the inhabitants of the town at the price of gas, and in each house will be placed a Ferranti meter indicating the consumption of the current. We give engravings of the apparatus and plant, Figs. 1 and 2. There are two compound twin cylinder non-condensing engines A A,each controlled byaCockerill steam regulator, and made to special design at the Seraing Works. Each engine is of 400 indicated horse-power, has a speed of 85 revolutions per minute, and the maximum effective pressure in the boiler is six atmospheres, or 90 lb. on the square inch. The diameter of the large cylinder is 2ft. 10in., and of the small cylinder lft. 9in., the piston stroke 3ft. 8in., the

given as 0'0082 ohm. The insulating material of the conductors consists of a bituminous mixture, and the cables are placed in cast iron boxes containing pure bitumen, with pieces of wood called bridges, at short distances apart, to keep the cables well separated. The box is provided with an iron plate for cover, the same as the Callendar system used at Victoria-station in London, &c. Figs. 3 and 4 show the cables as laid. Opposite each house, on the line of the main cable, is placed a distributing box made of cast iron and having branches radiating from the centre, cast with the rest of the box, and in this are also fixed the house-leads, which terminate in the cellars ; on one of the conductors is a Hedge’s double fusible bridge, or duplex cut-out containing two of Hedge’s mica foils, and on the other is a main switch; thus a single dwelling can be simply switched out at any time, the cut-out preventing any dangerous current. In each building the arc and incandescent lamps are on separate circuits, and a meter will be fixed giving the quantity of current consumed on each circuit separately. Among the most important installations may be mentioned those at the Theatre de l’Eldorado, Palais Rubens, and Scala.

The Gulcher dynamo electric machines have been already fully described in our columns. They are compound wound, and constructed to produce the greatest possible quantity of electricity with low electro-motive force. From an economical point of view, the efficiency of

The current from all the dynamos passes through the main switch C G, which has several connections to admit of reading the current by means of ampere meter A, or changing the line to the district to be lighted. As shown at Fig. 5 the switches S are shut off, the terminals marked B r B r¹ are from the machine kept running in reserve; the switch S being in connection with the circuits from all the other machines enables the spare dynamo to be quickly substituted for either of the others which may have failed. The small contact breaker I is in connection with the volt meter V. One of the features of this installation is the use of small fusible cut-outs which are fixed on each of the branch circuits to the lamps and arranged to give away with about 15 per cent, excess current, which is found sufficient to protect the lamps, the expense of which if destroyed falling on the electric light company.

THE MINING EXHIBITION AT GLASGOW.

No. II.

practically pour “oil on the troubled waters ” for navigation, showed the model of a train fitted with his appliance for communicating with guard and driver on railways. A double battery circuit runs continually between the engine and guard’s van; and directly there is an interruption, which may be effected by a passenger or the breaking of a coupling, bells ring on

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fly-wheel 8ft. Sin. in diameter, and the rim 3ft. Sin. broad, to receive a double leather belt 3ft. 3£in. broad. Special attention has been given to the lubrication of the connecting-rod, which has a special form of wiper lubricator used by the Socicte Cockerill for their marine engines.

There are four De Naeyer boilers of 150-horse power each—B, Fig. 2—of which three are always working while the fourth is being cleaned, and with which the makers guarantee an evaporation of eight or nine times the weight of fuel burned. The dynamo machines, marked D, are driven from a countershaft Gin. in diameter, running at a speed of 150 revolutions per minute. On these are fitted wrought iron driving pulleys 8£ft. in diameter, fitted with friction gear, so as to run loose when desired. These the Gulcher system, and dynamos are wound with a view to keep the difference of potentials constant, not only at the terminals of the machine, but also at every point in the main and branch conductors. The constant electromotive force at the extremity of the principal conductor is 70 volts, and a loss of 4 volts is allowed in the branch ductors. The size of conductor is determined by Sir William Thomson’s rule that the cost of the energy wasted in heating the conductor should be equal to the interest plus depreciation on value of the copper employed. The principal conductor is about 510 yards long, or for going and returning 1020 yards, and is made up of five positive and five negative cables, of which each consists of nineteen wires of ₇^in. diameter, twisted together, so that the section of each cable is ‘553 square inches, and the total section of each group of cables is 2 square inches. The total strength of current is said to be 500 amperes, with a total loss of 12‘3 volts, equivalent to 28'73-horse power, and the total resistance at 15 deg. Cent, is

ELECTRIC LIGHT INSTALLATION, ANTWERP.

this type of dynamo is said to be very big of potential at terminals is constant, and the characteristic is approximately a horizontal straight line. The GUlcher arc lamps were chosen for their great simplicity. One carbon lasts eight hours, and an arrangement for two carbons gives the average time of lighting—seventeen hours—consecutively, which is ample for practical purposes. The incandescent lamps are of the 20-candle Lane-Fox lamp type, and are said to give 240 candles per electrical horse-power.

Each dwelling is to be provided with a Ferranti current-meter. The action of this apparatus depends on the rotation produced by circular currents. The electricity passes from the conductors into a metal plug fixed in a solid piece, which is screwed into a mass of iron. Inside this there is a central chamber filled with mercury, insulated by a guard ring so that the current only enters the mercury by the centre. A thin plate of copper completely immersed in this mercury carries a vertical axis or spindle, which communicates a movement of rotation to a system of wheels indicating the number of revolutions. The current leaves the mercury by a circular band of copper carefully insulated, and flows away along the conductor.

The current from each machine passes through a special form of switch-board which we illustrate at Fig. 5. The current is collected from the several dynamos B¹ B’¹ B3 B⁴ B r, by means of the switches S, each pair being united together as shown at S S¹ by means of the connecting bar T. The Hedges duplex cut-outs are shown marked D; the current from each machine passes through one of these, in which are fixed a pair of fusible mica foils which admit of a spare fuse being switched in and prevent the extinction of the lights while the working fuse is being repaired.

the engine and in the guard’s van, while a luminous-painted semaphore is projected from the side.

Pumps,pumping engines, hydraulic pumps,and hydraulic engines were in full force, as might be expected. Grant, Ritchie, and Co., of Kilmarnock, showed in action Joseph Moore’s hydraulic pump, recently illustrated in our pages, which affords simple and effective means for raising water from sinking pits and dip workings. The steam engine on the surface has two power rams, connected by pipes with two similar rams underground, one on either side of a double-plunger pump. The water—at 500 lb. to 1000 lb. pressure per square inch—in each of these pipes acts in the same manner as a rod, connecting the two power rams and driving the pump underground, which thus follows the motion of the surface engine. The advantages of this system are that it dispenses with accumulators and pump rods; the pump may be placed at any distance from the engine with any number of tends ; there are no moving parts in the shaft, and none but pump valves; while there is no steam in the mine, and the power is exactly that required by the head of water to be pumped.

John Morison exhibited in action his pumping engine, made by Morison and Armstrong, for draining mines from any distance. The rams are pulled in one direction by wire rope connections, while they are brought back by a compensating column from a small pipe led down the shaft, thus dispensing with pump rods and back balance weights,

Mn. pipe with its own head of water being sufficient. One of these pumps is working at the Marquis of Low-thian’s Newbattle Colliery, Dalkeith, at a depth of fifty fathoms, discharging about 200 gallons of water by Gin. pipes.

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The main conductors ran along the centre of the roof, with branches right and left, the lamps being suspended by their own leading wires, and fitted with opal shades deflecting the light downwards. The current was generated by a Simplex regulating dynamo, wound to give a constant potential . of 100 volts, and in which there is plenty of room—6in.— between the armature and the field magnets ! With this dynamo, which was driven by one of Redaway’s camel hair belts from the McCulloch engine, all but one lamp in a circuit may be turned off. The stand was lighted by thirteen incandescent lamps, varying from 28 to 100-candle power. The company also exhibited a new semi-The incandescent arc lamp called the Simplex, which gives a warm yellow light and requires to be maintained by an alternate-current dynamo. It consists of a dished-out circular clay block, which lasts about a week, having holes along its diameter in which two carbons—consuming y'^in. per hour, and calculated for 200 hours—are inserted, being fed up by spiral springs. The distance between the inside extremities of the two carbons is about £in., too great for the electric arc, which requires starting by a copper wire in the axis of one of the carbons, being brought into contact with the other carbon by a lever and cord. Henry Bennett and Co., of Glasgow, fitted up outside the buildings four 3000-candle arc lamps maintained by a Crompton-Burgin dynamo, run, after the first few days, by one of Marshall’s 10-horse portable engines, which also drove the dynamo supplied by Norman ami Son for lighting the lesser hall by incandescent lamps. Both dynamos were driven by means of the Lancashire patent belting supplied by M r. Thos. Potter.

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amongst other advantges it is claimed that the cost of manufacture is practically the same, the key cannot work loose or fall out, that it is automatic in its action and tightens itself, that the key, which is only about half the size of those now used, does not require to be compressed, and is economical not only in these respects, but one key will wear out several of those now used because there is no necessity for driving it with the hammer. It requires no attention, and the linesmen would be able to examine and keep in order much more line than they can now. This chair can also be employed as a joint chair, and may be used either witli or without fish plates. When used in this way bolts and nuts can be dispensed with.

TWIN SCREW DREDGER MELBOURNE, FOR THE MELBOURNE HARBOUR TRUST COMMISSIONERS.

With this impression we give further illustrations of what is believed to be the largest barge loading dredger in the world. It was constructed for the Melbourne Harbour Commissioners by W. Simons and Co., Renfrew, under direction of Sir John Coode, M.I.C.E. The principal dimensions of the hull areLength over all, 207ft.; breadth moulded, 35ft.; depth, lift. 6in.; lifting capacity, 1000 tons per hour in free soil, and dredges to a depth of 37ft. under water. The bucket girder works in the centre of the vessel, and is fitted with a row of buckets, each having a capacity of 22 cubic feet. Some idea may be had of the capabilities of this vessel when we mention that one bucket alone made entirely of steel weighs with its connecting links and pins 2£ tons, and the upper tumbler including 16iu. shaft, and spur wheel with teeth 6in. pitch and 15in. wide on face, weighs 20 tons. The engines are compound surface-condensing, they are arranged in two pairs, working independently of each other.

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.    Domestic Electric Lighting. Prof. R. Meldola, l.C.S ,

“The Scientific Development of the Coal Tar Industry.” Six of Cantor Lectures have been arranged—“ The Microscope, by John Mayall, jun.; “Friction,” by Prof. II. S. Hele Shaw

“ Petroleum

by Boverton Redwood, F.C.S.; “The Arts of

In David Johnston’s hydraulic pumping engine for draining mines, both the hydraulic cylinder and the pump barrel are plain tubes, enclosed between castings containing the passages, held together by four tie bolts. By this arrangement it is easy to replace a tube, and also to alter the size of the pump barrel to suit the head of water The piston itself forms the dlack; and the engine valves can be taken off for repairs without breaking a joint of the piping, while the heavy parts need never be removed from the mine. The piston and pump buckets are packed with segments of lignum vike with springs, and they have worked for eighteen months in water where a gutta-percha bucket would have been changed twice a week, engine only occupies a space of 6ft. long by I5in. wide by 3ft. high, room being saved by placing the delivery valve in the delivery pipe, and that over the suction valve and pipe. As high an efficiency as, it is said, 90 per cent, has been got from these pumping engines, while 80 per cent, is usually obtained, and 75 per cent, is guaranteed ; and where water can be caught at about 30 fathoms above the pit bottom, the mine may be drained free of cost.

The Special mine pattern’ was exhibited of the Worthington steam pump, in which there are two steam cylinders and two pump barrels, arranged respectively alongside each other, the valve of one engine being actuated by the piston of the other through a rocking lever, by which it is claimed that all shock is avoided am time allowed for the valves to close. The plunger works in a large chamber, thus affording a direct and ample way for the water. Both suction and delivery valves are small discs of india-rubber or other suitable material. It is stated that a 9in. steam cylinder, with 5jin. pump plunger and lOin. stroke, will pump 190 gallons of water with a travel of 100ft.

The time-honoured Carron Company contributed specimens of the old Carronades, which took their name from these works, sections of the mineral fields worked by them, fractures of their excellent pig iron, a model of the Cowper stove, which they were the first in Scotland to adopt, and a casting containing the declaration of American Independence, referred to in our report of the Iron and Steel Institute’s visit to Carron as having formed the subject of a Yankee challenge, successfully taken up.

John Spencer and Sons, of the Newburn Steel Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne, had on view specimens of their steel forgings, which thev make up to 10 tons, and of their steel castings, which they make up to 20 tons, with a resistance to tensile strain of 26 to 30 tons in the “soft,’’ of 30 to 40 tons in the “ medium,” and of 40 to 60 tons in the “medium hard” castings. They have now succeeded in making railway axles of steel with soft iron cores ; and they manufacture Penman’s longitudinally corrugated steel for springs, by which the strength is said to be increased one-half.

Mr. John Vivian, of Whitehaven, sent a collection of which he has obtained by boring with the diamond drill, including one, 18in. in diameter, from a Liverpool well, and salt cores from a depth of 203 fathoms, oi 1218ft.

An interesting case was contributed by the St. Mungo Chemical Company, Glasgow, containing a block of coal which will produce two sets of products, according as it is distilled at a high or a low temperature, as the raw material, and then the tar, from which is obtained aniline, naphthaline, creosotine, and benzoline. The dye crystals, which are soluble in water, are rendered insoluble, and then make, with the addition of various bases, all kinds of beautiful colours for artists, painters, decorators, and paper-stainers. Specimens of these colours are shown by the company, wbich, we believe, is the only one in the United Kingdom engaged in this industry.

Together with a large collection of miners’ tools, the Hardy Pick Company, of Sheffield, showed a new hand rock-boring machine, in which the friction of the feed-nut can be adjusted to any hardness of rock, the nut slipping more or leas on the screw. They also showed Bainbridge’s handy surveyor’s scale, which combines an Ordnance scale of Gin. and of 25‘344in. to the mile in chains and feet, scales of two and three chains to the inch, with corre-sjxrnding feet, and various tables; and the colliery managers’ calculating scale, for working out costs per ton on the principle of the slide rule.

The Protector Lamp and Lighting Company, of Manchester, had a varied collection of exhibits, including the Protector safety lamp, the peculiarity of which is, that when locked, it becomes extinguished on an attempt being made to open it, or in an explosive mixture of gas and air, while withstanding a higher velocity than can be produced in a colliery. The company also showed in action its improved air-gas machine for saturating atmospheric air with vapour from a light paraffin oil of about 0*65 specific gravity, with a boiling point of 126 deg. Fall., and containing 8.3£ per cent, of carbon, with 16| per cent, of hydrogen. The gas is 16-candle power, gives a pure white light, and is produced at from 3s. 6a. to 4s. 6d. per thousand cubic feet. The company also showed for the first time Grube’s lubricator and transmitter, which effects lubrication in about the cleanest and most economical manner that we have yet seen. We suspect the lubricant consists largely of vaseline ; at any rate, it has the appearand consistency of that substance, and it does not melt under 200 deg. Fah. The transmitter is a can with hollow conical top, by means of which the grease is forced through a circular disc, thus forming a cylindrical mass ready to be received by the lubricator. This, when charged, is screwed into its seating, which remains screwed down in the bearing. When lubrication is required, a spiral spring in the top of the lubricator is released, and forces the lubricant in a fine stream or filament on to the bearing, a wire connected with the spring acting as a gauge to show the quantity of the grease still remaining in the lubricator.

The electric lighting of the Exhibition was performed gratuitously by three companies. The Simplex Electric Light and Plant Company, of Manchester, lighted the larger hall with about 150 Muller incandescent lamps, in which the carbon filament is twisted to afford a larger incandescent surface, and which last about 3000 hours.

POYSER’S RAILWAY CHAIR.

Thr accompanying engravings represent a chair recently exhibited at the Inventions Exhibition by Mr. J. Poyser, of Mansfield. These chairs are now being tested by the Midland and Great Northern Railway Companies, which have had them in use some time, and they have so far answered all expectations. The chair is cast with three jaws, one being of the usual pattern to receive the rail, the other two jaws are cast parallel to one

FIC.I.

another, and grooved to receive a movable piece. A wooden key is then placed between the jaws, the grain end of the wood abutting against the rail, and an iron block having a wedge-shaped faoe, and provided with shoulder pieces, which fit in the grooves, is driven down at the back of the wooden key. This block is made to correspond with the inner form of the jaws, and there being little or no shrinkage in wood in the direction of the grain, the wedge face of the iron block is said to compensate for any little difference that may arise. The vibration set up by passing trains tends to tighten the key. The chair is of the same weight as the ordinary chair in use, and

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Each pair drives a separate propeller, and either or both pairs turn the buckets. The diameters of the cylinders are, high-pressure, 20in.; low-pressure, 40in.; length of stroke, 30in.; the collective indicated horse-power is 850. The high-pressure cylinders have separate barrels to form steam jackets. The piston-rods are of forged mild steel, and the crank shaft and connecting rods of selected scrap iron. Theboilers—seepage392—are twoin number, and are placed one on each side of the well; length, 18ft. by 8ft. 3in. diameter, having two furnaces 3ft. in diameter. All thicknesses being according to Board of Trade rules, they are constructed of steel supplied by the Steel Company of Scotland. All scantlings of materials, staying, fittings, and mountings are equal to a working pressure of 90 lb. per square inch, and they are tested to a pressure of 180 lb. The propellers, two in number, 6ft. 6in. in diameter, are cast of a mixture of hematite and cold blast iron, each being driven separately by its own engine. Tangye’s patent high-speed governors—one for each engine—are fitted, and are capable of regulating the engines either when dredging or propelling.

Great care has been exercised in designing the gearing for driving the upper tumblers. Surging gear is provided to prevent undue strain on machinery when working in rocky ground. The gearing is amply proportioned for its work under all circumstances. Patent grooved friction wheels are fitted for driving the buckets, and also for varying the speed of the chain. The bucket ladder is 95ft. 9in. between centres of tumblers, is 5ft. 3in. deep at centre, and 2ft. 9in. at ends, and curved on lower side ; the bucket ladder dredges to a depth of 37ft. below the water level, and the dredgings are discharged at either side at pleasure. The bucket rollers placed 6ft. apart, lOin. diameter 2£in. thick, keyed on steel spindle3iu. square. The lower tumbler? is Bix sided, having flanges 6ft. in diameter and 8in. thick, and revolves on a shaft 13£in. in diameter securely fastened. Upper tumbler is five sided, 4in. thick, lin body with strong fillets and ribbed, cast of best Scotch iron, having a mixture of one quarter hematite. The bucket chain consists of 43 buckets, centre to centreof pinsbeing2ft. 9in., width of bucket 4ft. The bucket back is of cast steel, and the bucket body of mild steel, flanged and rivetted to the body and back. The bucket mouthpieces are of mild steel, and well rivetted to the body. The connecting links are of scrap iron, 6£in. X 6£in., eyes lOin. x 8iu. The hoisting barrel is cast in one piece 3ft. 6in. diameter, is 2£in. thick, strongly ribbed, and has three flanges projecting 18in. all around. The purchase consists of eight upper and seven lower sheaves each 3ft. in diameter. The upper sheaves—see page 392—run on a shaft 12in. in diameter; lower sheaves run on shaft 12£in. in diameter. The crab winches, fore and aft, are of a similar pattern, the parts being interchangeable. They are triple-geared, having each three separate speeds. The chain barrels are of the most powerful description and specially designed for this vessel. They are worked by the main and also by auxiliary engines of 100 indicated horse-power when required. The side shoots—THE ENOiNRKH,Oct. 16th—are worked by small independent engines, which are encased and conveniently situated on deck.

In the present impression we give engravings of the boilers and details of buckets, chains, and hoisting gear. On the 16th October we gave a two-page engraving showing sectional elevation and plans of the vessel and machinery. On the 30th October we published transverse sections of the ship showing positions of eugiues, boilers, and machinery; and on the 13th inst. we published engravings of the main engines. All these self-explanatory, and for them wo and our readers are indebted to Messrs. Simons and Co.

Two cranes of five tons power are placed on deck for overhauling the tumblers and buckets. The vessel is fitted with electric light, consisting of four arc lamps supplied by a dynamo driven by a Brotherhood engine on the same bed plates. It is intended that this vessel shall be worked night and day. The cabins for the officers and men are of the most comfortable description, those for the former being placed in the alter end of the vessel, and consist of rooms for captain, mate, first and second engineer, mess-rooms, and pantry. The men’s quarters are placed on one side of the well forward. Altogether the vessel presents a most substantial and fine appearance, and does great credit to W. Simons and Co., who have done their utmost to make her outstrip the many similar vessels they have now constructed.

The Melbourne was built under the direction of Sir John Coode, C.K., assisted by Mr. Matthews, C.E., and Mr. Wingate. After a successful trial of the machinery on the Clyde, the upper works, including top tumbler and buckets, were taken down and temporary bottom of iron was fitted in the well. The vessel then proceeded to Melbourne by Suez Canal. This is now the fifth dredging vessel W. Simons and Co. have constructed to the order of the Melbourne Harbour Commissioners.

Society op Arts.—The following are amongst Ihe papers announced by tins SocietyProf. Silvanus P. Thompson, “Apparatus for the Automatic Extinction of Fires.” Prol. Francis Elgar, l.L D , F.R S E , M. Inst. C.E., “The Load Lineof Ships.” F. Etlwaid Huhne, F.L.S , F.S.A., “Technical Ait Teaching.” Dr. C. Meymott Tidy, “The Treatment of Sewage.” G. V. Boys, “ Calculating Machines.” George Clulow, “ The History and Manufacture of J’layiug Cards.” “ W. H. Preece, F.R.S.. “ Domestic Electric Lighting.” Prof. R. Meldola, F.C.S , courses “Science Teaching,” by Prof. F. Guthrie, F.R.S.;

and its Products,” by Reverter. Redv.eed, F.C.S.; “-----------

Tapestry Making and Embroidery,” by Alan S. Cole; “Animal Mechanics,” by B. W. Richardson, M.A., M.D., F.R.S. The subject of the Juvenile Lactures this year will be on “ Waves,” and the lecturer, Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson. D.Sc. Dates and particulars will be announced in the Society of Arts Journal.

King’s College Engineering Society.—At a general meeting held on Tuesday, November 10th, the President in the chair, Mr. R. Meacock read a paper on “ Stone Quarrying.” Briefly referring to the great antiquity of the art, he passed on to mention the implements employed for quarrying by mere manual labour and blasting respectively. The operations which constitute the entire process of blasting were then described, detailed accounts being given of boring the holes, loading, and firing. The leading errors committed by quarrymen or miners in general were dealt with, and contrasted with the scientific principles and practical experience of Sir John Burgoyne. The powder and the charge were then discussed, and preference given to the best cannon powder for blasting. It was stated that the practice varied in reference to the quantity of powder employed, and the granite quarries at Kingstown were quoted as an example where large blasts were often used. The practice adopted by the military miners under the Royal Engineers at Gibraltar in quarrying the rock at that place, which is a peculiarly hard limestone marble, was then described. The paper concluded with some remarks on damping, bearing on its object, and the different materials used in this operation. Conclusions drawn by Sir John Burgoyne from experiments and observations on this subject went to show that, on the whole, clay was the best material to be used for damping. Finally, the method pursued in getting the valuable granites in thequariiesof Aberdeen and Peterhead was described.

TELEGRAPHY BY SIGHT SIGNALLING, OR “ TELEGRAPHIE OPTIQUE.”

No. I.

A skriks of articles on “ La Telegraphie Optique,” by M. Max de Nansouty, which appeared in Le Genie Civil, has supplied much of the following information. Modern warfare, it is observed, whether between civilised nations or a civilised nation and savages, ought to bring into play all scientific inventions which accelerate its operations. The tendency to do this was exhibited in the American Civil War, which brought into play torpedoes, submarine boats, balloons, and special applications of the electric telegraph.

Germany showed herself alive to this deve-war than

Welter’s treatise on the subject. Leseurre employed at first solar rays reflected by means of an apparatus analogous to that of Gauss. In 1870 a more complete solution was arrived at, thanks to artificial sources of light. Fig. 1 shows the general appearance of beams of light from signal stations at night.

Three sources of light then may be adopted—(1) the sun, (2) the electric light, (3) a petroleum light with aflat wick. On active service the sun and a petroleum lamp are, at present, the only lights of practical value. If used boldly in the advanced lines of an army, as in Africa and ’in the

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adopt a plan something like that shown in Fig. 5, where a light is shown placed behind the concave mirror, which is pierced in the centre with another small concave mirror to throw the light through a system of converging lenses, which is fixed in a central hole in the large mirror. A diaphragm or shutter enables the light to be shut off by pressure of hand or foot on a pedal; a glass fixed at the side enables the signals of the station with which communication is being made to be read.

An optical apparatus is fitted to mirrors or telescopes for signalling on a large scale from permanent positions. Mirrors have hitherto been employed, but doubtless lenses will eventually supersede them. The instruments with

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lopment of France in 1870, and reaped the benefit of it. A simple telegraph line served in a great measure to render the reduction of Paris and other places possible. In France, since that time, the power of telegraphy to enable armies to be moved and concentrated, and to keep up communications under the guidance of one commander, has been fully appreciated. The inconveniences of a wire, especially in the case of forces detached to a flank or in advance, are obvious. Such a wire maybe cut, or, if it falls into the hands of an enemy, “ tapped ” by him —that is, read off—and information acquired, or false messages even may be sent. In the French

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-V.

if

If

rv

tm

A;

war attempts were made to use rivers as conductors, without

M an rat and Colonel Laus-sedat were more successful in employing light signals, forming the “telegraphie cptique,” as it is termed.

This system, in fact, was employed in one crude form or another by savage nations in early times. In Gaul, and latterly again in Algeria—and, indeed, in many countries — beacon

signals were used. These were chiefly available at East, it is necessary that lights should be easily carried to night. The “ Chappe ” system was a great advance on the summit of mountains and high positions, and henct these primitive things. Semaphore transmission was, how- the heavy carriage of an electric machine is out of the ever, comparatively slow work, being only available for question. On the other hand, electricity supplies a light of short distances, and was liable to be in Lem’ pled by the special intensity which is of great value for intercommuni-

success.

M.

:7 V:

A\

PIS

I’ll

IN

x-

Si

'J

mirrors are termed telescopes, from their corresponding to reflecting telescopes. The large reflector is, however, formed of two spherical cups—not concentric—which are more easily made than the parabolic form, and give practi-

n FIC 7

____llJ

_____|li

XMX-

It

---

cally the same results. The range of these instruments are as follows :—

Diameter, c m. in.

With sunlight by day, and petroleum at night, kilos.    miles.

It is very rarely necessary to signal more than 120 kilos. (74 miles). The machines with lenses are for field operations, in which they have played an active part in late wars. It is necessary that the various parts of field apparatus should be easily replaced when injured in action.

_    FIC.8

With petroleum by day. kilos.

12 to 15

miles.

8 to 9)

FIC.2.

FIC .3.

Xl-N------ :>-----

F'

—x- y

ip

------c_ X

To note briefly the properties of lenses: Let M M1 Fig. 6, be a lens made of two spherical lenses, and let x y be its optical axis, Rays of light parallel axis xy falling from the side x on M M’ unite at the focus F. Conversely, the rays from a luminous point at F which pass through the lens M M¹ proceed in lines past x parallel to the principal axis y x. Again, if another lens N Nj— vide Fig. 7—be employed, the rays coming from the side E parallel to the principal axis converge at a point at F1 after passing through the lens N instead of at the point F, by which means the focal distance is decreased which is very important in a field instrument.

to the

Ml

in'

FIC.9

&s /

slightest fog, as indeed is the system now in use. When cation between jiermanent positions and forts, and on coasts, the electric telegraph superseded the Chappe system, where the system has superseded that of the code of naval some pause in the development of sight signalling followed, signals in a measure.

It was only the recent wars of Tunis, Tonquin, and China Whatever source of light may be adopted, it ought to be which brought out the service that could be performed by projected as far as possible. This work demands the use new instruments which are called to play a most important part in future wars.

Owing to a strange combination of circumstances, military telegraphy has been developed by purely theo- || retical and peaceful research.    —

Astronomers and engineers,

Leverrier especially, felt the need of signalling for long distances. Colonel Perrier carried out much work practically. Codes of signals were employed for such messages

as “ Begin,” “ Cease,” “ Right, ’ “ Left,” “ Are you ready 1 ” and so on. Then came in the Morse alphabet of dots and dashes. The work of optical signalling now may be described as follows :—To project to a distance a beam of light, and by means of an obturator to cause the breaks required for the Morse signals of long and short duration corresponding to dashes and dots. With a candle, a reflector, and a pierced plate, signals may be made in a room. With two lamps and the reflectors of carriage lamps signalling might be carried on at night for a moderate distance. For military operations not only are very long distances introduced, but also signalling by day as well as night is required. Thus it is necessary, first, to have an intensely bright light, and, secondly, to project it in the desired direction with accuracy. We owe to Leseurre, inspector of telegraph lines in France, who died in 1864, the first apparatus fulfilling these conditions—vide R. Van

Fir.. 5

IK.

■W

r—

ns

'v

'I

V.

771 ’

C-

“*W~

of reflectors and lenses 011 one or another system. Maurat, Laussedat, and Mangin have brought work to a high standard of perfection.

To make the matter clear to all, it may be well to state a few general principles. A concave mirror M M¹—Fig. 2 —reflects all parallel rays of light falling on it to a focus F. Conversely if a light be placed at F, its radiating beams falling on the mirror M M¹ are reflected in parallel lines which travel without dispersion in the measure in which the true parallel direction has been achieved.

A convex mirror mm¹—Fig. 3—reflects the beams from a light at F¹ in directions which appear to come from a virtual focus / behind the mirror. These two mirrors may be combined, as shown in Fig. 4, in which it may be seen that if f be the principal focus of M M, a light placed at A will have the rays of falling on mm' thrown on to MM and reflected parallel. Practically it is found better to

A field instrument is composed of the following parts: (1) A single or compound lens or “ objective of emission the light being at its focus; (2) a telescope to observe the signals from the station with which signals are exchanged—vide Fig. 8. The source of light employed is, by day the sun, and by night a petroleum lamp with flat wick. The latter may be used on days when the sun is not visible, but it has not the range of the solar signals. With the latter a heliostat is at times used; that is, a mirror with equatorial movement provided by clockwork, so as to follow the sun. Fig. 9 shows night and day systems of signalling. Field instruments can signal to about the distances shown below:—

Diameter of lens, cm.

Sun by day, or petroleum by night.

Petroleum by day.

14

24

30

40

50

kilos.

30 to 40 (18 to 25) 45 to 50 (28 to 31) 55 to 65 (34 to 40)

miles.

miles.

10(1

120

(62 )

(74i)

( 5 to 6 ] ( 8 to 9 ] (11 to 12$; (12 to 18 ) (18 to 25 )

pound engine over large ranges of country. It is necessary, however, once more to point out that the only chance of effecting a saving lies in preventing the discharge of steam of a high pressure up the blast pipe. Fig. 1 and Fig. 11 show an enormous waste of power in this way, the steam being discharged at about 100 lb. above the atmosphere. It is on such diagrams as this that the advocates of compounding base their reasoning, but they do not represent what takes place in daily practice save for very brief periods, as when a train is being started. The compound engine would beyond all dispute appear to great advantage under the conditions that gave diagrams Figs. 1, 2, and 11. It can have no advantage whatever under the conditions proper to diagrams Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12. Conditions proper to diagram Fig. 4 would be favourable to the compound system; Figs. 6 and 7 would be against it. Such a group of diagrams as those we publish are more instructive than pages of argument or reasoning for those who understand what they are calculated to teach.

COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVES.

No. IV.

Near the end of our last article on this subject we expressed a belief that compounding may be made to prove serviceable in the case of goods engines. In dealing with this question it is impossible to do anything to advantage without a basis of fact ; that is to say, theorising on insufficient data is worse than useless. We have a great deal too much of this—a great deal too much assumption that because compounding is good in theory it must also be good under all sorts of conditions in practice. Before we can say much concerning the prospects of success attending compounding goods engines, it is essential that we should have accurate data concerning the work done by them. Mr. Stroudley has courteously supplied us with the diagrams and particulars given below, which will be found very fully to repay study. Tlie engine is of a powerful type—known as “Class C,” on the London Brighton, and South Coast Railway. The cylinders are 18jin. diameter and 26in. stroke, being almost identical

These figures supply another proof, if one were wanted, that the internal frictional resistances of a locomotive in good order are very small at low speeds. It must, of course, be clearly understood that the tractive resistance of the engine regarded as a vehicle is already included, so that nothing is left to be considered but the internal friction, such as that of the pistons in the cylinders, and for this at the low speed of 74 revolutions a very small horse-power will no doubt suffice. It would be very interesting to compare these figures with those which might no doubt be obtained from one of Mr. Webb’s compounds at the same speed.

Comparing the results of Fig. 7 with those of Fig. 1, we find some peculiarities worth notice. Multiplying the average cylinder pressure by 144 we have 18,000 lb. as the tractive effort of the engine, but this multiplied by 704, the welocity in feet per minute, and tlie product being divided by 33,000, we have 393-horse power, whereas the , diagram as calculated by Mr. Stroudley’s assistant gives i 240'75-horse power. That this is wrong is clear from diagram Fig. 2, which is the same in nearly all respects, and

Line of steam chest pressure.

It is worth while to append the following table, giving Indicator Diagrams taken from the Front End of the Left-hand Cylinder of Engine No. 421 (C. Class Goods), A ugust 8th, 1884.

FIC.I

A.P.125. 0

Scale; 80 lb. = t inch.

FIC.5

FIC.9

A.P 87.2 0

A.P.40.2

Spoed, 8 miles per hour; Cut-off, 79 per cont.; Stoam chost prossure, 1401b.; Boilor pressuro, 140 lb.; Gradient, 1 in 264 up; Load, 73; Approximate woight of ongino and train, 795 tons; Revolutions por min 38'40 ; Total I.H.P., 24075.

ute, mato 73-84 ;

Speed, 13 miles por hour; Cut-off, 26 por oont.; Steam chest pressure, Speed, 33 mil os per hour; Cut-off, 23 J por cent.; Steam chest pressuro, 1401b.: Boiler prossure, 140lb.; Gradient, 1 in264up; Load, 73; Approxi- 135 1b.; Boiler pressure, 1351b.; Gradient, 1 in 264 down; Load, 73; woight of engino and train, 795 tons; Revolutions por minute, Approximate weight of ongino and train, 795 tons; Revolutions per Total I.H.P., 436-69.    minute, 187-44 ; Total I.H.P., 511-34.

FIC.6

FIC,. 2 A.P 116.4

A P.76.4

FIC.IO

A.P.36.0

Sjieod, 8 milos por hour ; Cut-off, 75 j per cont.; Stoam chest prosstirc, Spood, 10 milos por hour; Cut-off, 23 por cent.; Steam chost prossure, Speed, 37 miles per hour; Cut-off, 28 j per cent.; Stoam chest pressure, 134 1b.; Boilor pressure, 185 lb.; Gradient, 1 in 264 up; Load, 73; Approxi- 1401b.; Boilor pressuro, 1401b.; Gradiont, 1 in 264 up; Load, 73; Approxi- 1301b.; Boiler pressuro, 1801b.; Gradient, 1 in 264 down; Load, 73; limto woight of engine and train, 795 tons; Revolutions por minute, mate weight of engino and train, 796 tons; Revolutions por minute, Approximate woight of engino and train, 795 tons; Revolutions por •1'' 1 * ; Total I.H.F., 35874.    60 80 ; Total I.ll.P., 294-28.    minuto, 210'16 j Total I.H.F., 518-60.

FIC 3

FIG. 7

FlC. I I

A, P 75. 4

A.P.I 21.8

A P. 82.0

Steam chest pressure, roxi-nutc,

mato woight of ougino and train, 22-72; Total l.H.r., 187'56.

Snood, 10 miles per hour; Cut-off. 36 per cont.;

1331b.; Boiler pressure, 1361b.; Gradient, 1 in 264 up; Load, 73; App mato weight of engine and train, 795 tons; Revolutions per mil 66'80 ; Total I.H.F., 318-16.

Hpocd, 13 miles por hour; Cut-off^23j por cont.; Steam chest prossure, ^

mato wotgh^o'f ongino and train, 795 tons; Revolutions’ per minute,

73-84 ; Total I.H.P., 377'60.

pood, 4 miles por hour; Cut-off, 75 i>er eent.; Steam chest pressure, lb.; Boiler pressure, 1851b.; Gradient, 1 in 264 up; Load, 60; Approxi 654 tons; Revolutions por minute,

FIC 4

FIC. 3

FIC,13

A.P 47,4

A. P . 30 9

a.p 31.a

Speed, 12 mUcs por hour; Cut-off, 36 per cent.; Steam chest prossure, Speed, 2? miles per hour; Cut-off, 17 per cent.; Steam chest pressure, Speed, 27 miles per hour; Cut-off, 231 per cent.; Steam chest pressure, 140ib.; Boiler pressure, 140 lb.; Gradient, 1 in 264 up; Load,73; Approxi- 1401b.; Boiler pressure, 1401b.; Gradient, 1 in 264 down; Load, 73; 116 1b.; Boiler pressure, 115 1b.; Gradient, 1 in 264 down; Load, 60; mate weight of engino and train, 795 tons; Revolutions por minute, Approximate weight of engine and train, 795 tons; Revolutions per Approximate weight of engine and train, 664 tons; Revolutions per 68-16 ; Total I.H.P., 456-84.    minute, 153-36; Total I.H.P., 493-14.    minute, 153 36 ; Total I.H.P., 328-88.

with those of the Gladstone. There are six coupled wheels gives 358-horse power. The speed was obviously erroneously the actual consumption of coals by the “ Class C ” locomotive 6ft. in diameter, the piston-rods are 2 jin. diameter, the stated in Fig. 1 as eight miles an hour. It is really five miles, in regular work:— boiler pressure 140 lb. In this, as in all other cases, Mr. Fig. 7 shows, as we have said, that 76 lb. average pres-Stroudley has provided that ample boiler power, to which sure did the required work on pistons 18^in. in diameter, so much of the success of his engines is due; “Class C” If the pistons had been I7in. in diameter, then the pressure j has no less than 1413 square feet of heating surface and must have been augmented, as shown by the simple rule-of-21 square feet of grate. The tractive effort is 1441b. three sum, 227 : 262 :: 76 : 83"3 lb., and a diagram like Fig. 3 per 1 lb. of cylinder pressure.    would be substituted for Fig. 7. That is to say, the steam

Diagrams 1 to 10 were taken with a train of seventy- would have to be cut off at 36 per cent, of the stroke with three wagons, the total load being about 75)5 tons. We 17in. cylinders, while a cut-off at 23 per cent, is possible see that so long as the speed was slow the diagrams are with the 18 jin. cylinders. It is, looking at these diagrams, very full, and there is but little expansion. It is when we think, open to some doubt whether any possible engines are working under these conditions that compound- advantage would be shown by a compound engine over ingwould, beyond all question, prove serviceable. As the “Class C.”

speed augments, however, more expansion can be used, and It must be remarked, however, that, as we have already if we refer to Diagrams6and 7,it will be seen that a very fair fully explained, compound engines cannot appear to degree of expansion has become possible. It must not be advantage on hilly or undulating roads, because they forgotten, however, that this is the case only because of cannot always be worked up to their full power. The the great cylinder capacity of the engine; an average Brighton Railway is all up and down. Ilence, pressure of 76 lb. above the atmosphere sufficing to raise diagrams as Figs. 8 and 12 become possible. If, however, the speed of the train from ten to thirteen miles an hour on the engine had to work a nearly level road, such as the an incline of 1 in 264 up. Diagram 8 shows that when the London and North-Western between Crewe and Euston, crown of the bank had been passed it became possible to or the Great Western, the load hauled could be very expand the steam to an extreme degree. Let us, however, much increased, and no diagram much less full than return to the work done in climbing the hill; this Fig. 4 or Fig. 5 would then be possible. Here, then, the amounted, at thirteen miles an hour, to 377-horse power, compound system would prove advantageous. On the in round numbers. The pull of the engine amounted to continent of Europe, again, where tremendous trains are 76 x 144 «= 10,9441b. The velocity of the train was in certain districts hauled at very moderate speeds, a 1144ft. per minute, and allowing 5 lb. per ton for friction, double cylinder compound ought to reduce fuel and 2⁻9 tons for the action of gravity on the incline, about consumption. In the United States all the condi-370-horse power must have been expended on the train, tions are apparently eminently favourable to the com-

Shiplcy Coal.

Journey No. 1.

Journey No. 2.

such

55)

Maximum load ...    ...

Minimum load ......

Average load ......

Length of journey (miles), including

shunting ............

Coal consumed (cwt.) ...........

Pounds of coal per mile .....

Consumption of water (gallons)

Average temperature of water, Pali. ... 157 Average boiler pressure (lb.) ......... 133

25

64

27-71

31

43-43

...    165)    ... 117

60

<;o

......    45-72 ...    57-43

...... 8750    ... 5350

.. 141 .. 122

Welsh Coal (Abcrdarc]

Journey No. 3. ......    50

Journey No. 4.

50

Maximum load ...

Minimum load ...

Average load

Length of journey (miles), including

shunting ... ............

Coal consumed (cwt.) ............

32

28-81) ...    40-42

. .;. 158    ... 121

56

19

H. M. H. M

H. M.

No. 1. Time shunting, 4 30; Time running, 11    0=15 30 in journey.

7 34 = 9 52 5 26 = 9 50

No. 4.    3 27;    6 18= 9 45    „

Five miles per hour allowed for shunting, which is included in the figures shown in the table.

It will be seen that the shunting work is very heavy,

No. 2. No. 3.

2 18; 4 24;

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

as a

lachrymal.

Edmonton, November 14th.

Sir,—In the report by Mr. W. S. McCleary, of Sunderland, in your issue of the 13th inst., upon the fall of above roof, there are somo points which seem to me open to counter criticism, and being entirely unprejudiced, I feel disposed to make them in the interests of fairness. Mr. McCleary acted on behalf of one of the parties concerned and condemned the whole structure, his object being, no doubt, to attach the blame of failure upon the design. One would naturally expect, but entirely fails to find, some proof that failure did actually arise from defective design.

First, the assumption of ideal load of 40 lb. per foot super, is beside the mark. The roof was only bearing its own weight, the carpenters were busy fixing sash bars, the boarding had not been completed. Even if half the boarding were on, there would be a maximum strain of only about 5 tons in the rafters, which would be safe by Mr. McCleary’s own showing. The 40 lb. wind assumption is a very rough approximation to include maxima stresses from wind on either side suggested by Tredgold; one looks in vain for information as to whether there was any wind at the time, and if so in what direction. Thousands of house roofs are being built which are only safe at 15 lb. per foot superficial. They often fail during erection, not because they are weaker than others, but because they have not as yet been tied together. When slated they last till the wood rots. From the fact that sixteen principals fell together one would naturally conclude that they toppled one upon the other like a row of ninepins, the reason being they were not yet longitudinally secured, and the temporary connections were inadequate.

Secondly, the style of roof is that of a very simple and common queen post truss, having counter braces to resist wind pressure in the centre. This Mr. McCleary terms a “ faulty design of collar beam roof.” He will have to put a large number of roofs into his black books if all queen post trusses are to be abandoned for those in which the rafters meet at the apex.

It might interest some of your readers to be favoured by Mr. McCleary with his opinions as to the cause of failure, and his reasons for such opinions. I have experienced some little difficulty in analysing his diagrams. The scale is stated to be 8ft. per inch, and measures 12. Pitch and rise are not specified on the drawings. Fig. 10 is unintelligible; the braces appear to be reversed—why? The letters in Fig. 14 are somewhat impartial in their application to the joints of the truss, being situate about equidistant from several joints. Were it not for this indefiniteness I should be disposed to say there is a mistake in supposing that a similar compression is in B C to that in B E. If he means that the two parts of the rafter on either side of the joint of the lowest strut bear the same strain it is a mistake, but I am not clear what is meant by B C and B E.    T. Graham Gribble.

Spring-gardens, S.W., November 18th.

over

that

THE EFFICIENCY OF TURBINES.

Sir,—“ A. Miller’s ” letter in your issue of 6th inst. hardly needs answer, but suggests a remark which may be useful to him. The straightening of the edges of his turbine blades would, in my opinion, lessen appreciably the amount of eddying in the turbine wheel, and thereby raise the efficiency of the wheel a little. But as regards his 78 per cent., I wish to point out that this fraction conveys little information unless it be stated distinctly what it means; thus, whether the remaining 22 per cent, inefficiency includes or excludes the inefficiency of the headrace taken as part of the whole machine. If it excludes the headrace inefficiency, then the 78 per cent, is not so high as it might be in my opinion, and the improvement in the shape of blades might make a practical difference. If, on the other hand, the 22 per cent, includes the headrace losses, then one cannot in the least judge whether the turbine is a good or bad one until full information is given regarding the various losses occurring in the headrace. In my articles I pointed out that, if one is to take a complete view of the machine the headrace resistances cannot be left out of consideration.

It is strange that Mr. Donaldson, after being told a second time that m in my equations means a numerical ratio, should still think that I possibly meant by it a sectional area. Very strange, indeed, considering that by an investigation of the dimensions of one of the equations he himself had discovered that rn must mean

G.

Thirdly, by working piece-work our worst passions are excited, namely, selfishness and greediness. Where the piece-work system is adopted the work is parcelled out into small lots, and gangs of, say, half-a-dozen work on each. Now there is a certain price for so much work, and if, say, six men are on a job, the introduction of a seventh is resisted, because a seventh portion is less than a sixth, each of the former men would earn less money, and if a foreman does take a stranger the leading hand or chargeman will get him removed as soon as possible, and if the new comer, not being quite used to the work, should be a little longer over his duties than the older hands, the chargeman will tell the foreman that the man cannot make it pay, whereas, were it daywork, no notice would be taken of him, save to assist him in every way were he a brother Unionist.

Fourthly, when piece-work is first commenced good prices are the order of the day; now with continual repetition work, the men can do the work with comparative ease, and just before a pastime make an unusual effort for a “ bumper,” with the result that the price is dropped. If, again, over greedy, the same result happens, or if through their ingenuity labour-saving devices are introduced so as to make more money, their reward is a further reduction in the price, until at last they have to work just as hard for daywork wages, as their employer has found out the utmost which they can do, and if they do not like to do it, plenty of fresh men can be produced, and the time told them in which they will have to do the work in, or go.

Fifthly, on a piece-work job always more apprentices are to be found than on a day-work job. Because when a lad gets about eighteen he can do, if he pleases, a man’s work for nominal wages, and to make the job pay at reduced prices a man is dispensed with and a lad engaged, thus throwing one more on the unemployed fund of the union, and adding another competitor in the labour market.

As to a “ London Master’s” remark about a man resting when he feels tired, perhaps that privilege is accorded in London to the weary piece-worker, but let him try it on in Manchester, and he will either get sacked or told that if he can afford to rest during working hours his price will stand reduction. When a man leaves his employment or gets discharged he very often has a balance due to him from the firm, as settlings are generally made up once a month; let him try to recover it by asking at the pay-window, and in four cases out of five he will be told that there is nothing for him. I know a firm in this city who make a point of not paying piece-money to any cmployi who has left or been paid up, and at the same time admit that another firm, Messrs. Mather and Flatt, will even cause inquiries to be made for a man to pay him the balance due.

If an employer when he reduced the man’s price lessened his charge for the finished article in the same ratio, then I believe that we would be benefitted, owing to the goods being placed more within the reach of purchasers, and the additional demand would more than recoup workmen generally for the loss in wages; but I affirm that the sole object is the reduction of the cost price, and the gratification of that greedy and insatiable thirst for gold which characterises the modern employer. As a proof, just look at the immense fortunes left by manufacturing engineers, as read in the wills and bequests’ column of the Illustrated London News.

Should you grant me space for another letter, I will corroborate my statements by facts if necessary, and subscribe myself

Manchester, November 16th.

“ On the 29th October last the Meridionale—

customs’ duties, the figures above quoted per locomotive kilogramme and 0‘782f. per tender kilogramme. However, the average figures are much below the tender of the Italian firm of Ansaldo, who quoted l’62f. per locomotive and 0'90f. per tender kilogramme. Among the foreign tenders that of the Societe Alsacienne, who offered to undertake the construction of the sixteen locomotives at the rate of l‘02^f. per locomotive and 0'64f. per tender kilogramme, was the most favourable.”

H. G. H. Spiller.

are

sm

P. Van den Kerchove.

former.

Stevenage, November 12th.

[For continuation of Letters sec page 403.]

and the stopping and starting frequently repeated. These facts interfere materially with the values, for purposes of comparison, of any data taken from ttie performance of these engines. Again, the loads vary much. This tells against the engines, which run under totally different conditions from those hauling heavy mineral trains over long stretches of nearly flat country at a moderate speed. As far as the figures admit of comparison, they are very favourable to the “ Class C ” engine.

We cannot conclude without expressing our thanks to Mr. Stroudley for the valuable information on the performance of his goods engines which he has enabled us to place before our readers.

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

DR. LODGE'S MECHANICS.

SlKj—“ <f>. n.” certainly wrongs Dr. Lodge when he says that the latter has accepted the phrase “capacity of matter for motion” scientific definition of inertia ; on the contrary, Dr. Lodge’s words are, “ matter possesses a property called inertia, or power of reacting. . . .” Capacity (!) of matter for motion! Capacity (!) of sponge for water ! The phrase is a clumsy metaphor or a bad pun, not a definition at all. Is matter porous, and is motion a fluid which soaks into it, and that can fill it as water fills a sponge ? Arguments from analogy are proverbially treacherous, but here there is not even analogy to argue from. The words are a pun on “ capacity ” and nothing more.

Motion is a state of matter in relation to other matter, and to space and time; without inertia there could be no motion, for all changes would be instantaneous, and instantaneous change is not motion. If I wished to define inertia, I would say it is that property by which matter modifies the form of motion while it conserves its time or amount.

Dr. Lodge’s definition of force is good, viz., “ Muscular exertion, and whatever else is capable of producing the same effects,” but surely he does not think it either new or important. In your columns on June 12th I myself wrote, “Force is that thing which we feel in ourselves, as a push, a pull, or a strain, when we exert ourselves, and experience forces us to believe in its existence when wo see bodies moving.” This is essentially Dr. Lodge’s definition, but I am not aware that it is new.

As to action and reaction, Dr. Lodge is still foggy. Motion— molar or molecular—of massive matter is itself a form of force. However modified, it always continues to be motion either molecular or molar—except when it is used up in doing work against attraction, it then ceases to be motion and becomes distance—and it always continues unchanged in amount through all modifications of form, t.c., action and reaction is an equal-sided phenomenon in kinematics. Strain caused by attraction is also an equal-sided phenomenon. It cannot be thought of otherwise, but it differs toto cido from kinematic action and reaction, for it does not depend on motion and it is not affected by inertia. Its nature and cause are unknown. Scientists arc too apt to ignore this great fact in physics. They eagerly stretch kinematics, trying to make them include cohesion, gravity, affinity and electricity—hinc illce

Wm. Muir.

HUDDERSFIELD STATION ROOF.

numerical ratio if the equation were to have any sense. I raised no objections to his criticisms certainly, but I must beg him not to conclude that my “ silence may be taken as an answer in the affirmative.” I did not really imagine that Mr. Donaldson could himself think there was anything in his criticisms after having read them over a second time in print. I regret that I am unable to assist him in understanding the subject more clearly.

Mason Science College, Birmingham, Robert H. Smith.

November 14th.    _

TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND ITS PROFESSORS.

Sir,—Technical education, as the writer understands it, admits of a twofold classification—first, the communication of a knowledge of form ; secondly, the development of manual skill. A true perception of form in relation to engineering chiefly consists in a firm and adequate grasp of first principles, the power of draughting our scientific conceptions upon paper; and finally the faculty of design, not according to a wooden rule, but from first principles clearly defined and understood. The second division—that is, manual skill or handiwork—comprises the proper use of tools, the attainment of dexterity in their use; in fine, the faculty of Employing tools as a means by which to realise a given mechanical form. The two classes above described rest upon the physical distinction between head and hand. The civil engineer, who belongs to the first-class, must have a just knowledge of machine form or bridge anatomy, with the additional gift of being able to delineate his ideas upon paper. His duty is to divide a structure or machine into its separate parts, and to explain why each element has been moulded into a given particular shape. On the other hand, the working mechanic must be content to seize his tools and to realise the ideal which the civil engineer exhibits to him under the form of working drawings.

It will be gathered from what I have said that the training of the civil engineer is distinct from that of the working mechanic ; whilst the education of both, in their separate spheres, equally conduces to the welfare of the community. Life is too short to acquire an adequate knowledge of both arts, nay, scarcely long enough to become perfect in either ; hence it would seem wise to follow the example of the continental schools in confining the attention of the civil engineer more and more to the question of structural form. With us it would appear to be, or rather to have been, the custom to combine the two classes. Hitherto the time of an engineering student has been occupied, partly in acquiring a very thin layer of theoretical knowledge, and partly in dabbling with workshop tools and appliances, with which, after long and painful efforts, he may produce a very bony and angular—not to say Gothic—machine specimen. His short and leisurely experience of tools is just sufficient to make him a poor sort of mechanic, but not enough to enable him to earn a good day’s wages in the workshop. At present the British market is overstocked with this type of half-bred engineer. Looking around us, it is astonishing how few engineers there are who possess even a modicum of sound theoretical knowledge wherewith accurately to guide the work of the mechanics under their charge. The fault is not their own but that of their forefathers, who misdirected their early efforts. But it may be asked, How then do you account for the numberless good works which British engineers have executed in the past? To which I answer—their strength and beauty, where such they have, are often the work of the skilled mechanic; the shameful breach of first principles, which they not unfrequently betray, may be at once ascribed to the so-called civil engineer, the father of their hideous form. We are told that Napoleon the First once said “If my army were composed of British soldiers, commanded by French officers, I could subject the whole world.” With equal truth it may be said that the British mechanic has served faithfully and well an unenlightened staff of generals, who, but for his stolid and staunch adherence, would long since have brought ruin upon British mechanical industries.

The moral of this letter is unmistakeably clear. Let parents whose sons lean towards the engineering profession take a timely lesson. Let them carefully study the true propensities of their children, so as to learn whether they are the better fitted to develope into students of form or workers in metal—into civil engineers or industrial mechanics. Between the two careers, rightly understood and viewed in the light of respectability, there is nothing to choose. Indeed, taking the civil engineer and working mechanic of the day, such as they are, the writer is not ashamed to own that he feels a greater respect for the latter, simply because his handiwork is the more perfect in its kind.

In choosing a technical school, where to educate their sons, let parents beware of placing them under the charge of a class of professors, which has, unfortunately, grown up with the recent development of technical education, and whose sole care and solicitude is not for the welfare and advancement of their students, but for their own selfish aggrandisement, in the manifold exploitation of patents, and in the pursuit of work altogether foreign to the object to which they are conscientiously bound to devote their whole time and strength, and for the dutiful execution of which they are fully and adequately paid. May we not indignantly ask whether it be possible for a man to spend his time and energy in the chase for patent law cases, and at the same time to be given up, heart and soul, to the important work of education. The two things are manifestly incompatible. So, also, is it practically impossible for a technical professor to cast himself unreservedly into the worry and turmoil of commercial undertakings—such as the working of patents—without at the same time culpably neglecting the real work of his pretended vocation. Beware, then, of the false prophets.

November 17th.

TRADES UNIONS AND PIECE-WORK.

Sir,—A letter appeared in your columns last week from “A London Master ” anent Trades Unions and Piece-work, and I will endeavour, being a Unionist and a member of the Steam Engine Makers’ Society, to answer him.

“ A London Master ” can remember the time when Trades Unions did not raise any objection to piece-work, the reason being that that style of working was not then so much in vogue as now; that piece-work is rarely instituted at first, but after a lapse of time, when the day-work method has shown what an article will cost to produce, the prices then being set so as to turn out the work more cheaply; and the evil years ago, being of small proportions, instead of being nipped in the bud, was allowed to grow on unnoticed until its present magnitude has thrust itself upon the attention of the societies.

Now, as to the state of the case noy. Piece-work is decidedly advantageous to our employers. This is proved by their eagerness to institute it whenever practicable, by the admission of “A London Master ” himself, and by the workmen themselves. Is it advantageous to the men? He says the answer is difficult. It is, on the contrary, easy to answer; and I assert that piece-work is most deleterious to the men generally. Why? It is universally admitted that there are more men than there is work for them. Every walk of life is overcrowded, with the exception of a few specialists. Now any scheme whereby the number of unemployed would be increased must be to their detriment. By working by the piece more work is done by a man and more money earned than working by the day. The individual is better off financially, but the unemployed workman has less chance of getting a job than ever—because there is only a certain amount of work for us all, and if less men do that work the number of unemployed must be increased.

, Secondly, if the man by the piece earns higher wages, with the improvident characteristics of the British workman he spends more. Thrifty habits, as far as my experience goes, are rare with the working classes; drunkenness common. Anyone who has worked in different shops where the different methods are adopted will have observed the comparative steadiness and better time-keeping a of those working by the day.

Young Fitter.

BOURNEMOUTH UNDERCLIFF COMPETITION.

Sir,—The Bournemouth Observer, of 7th inst., states that had the commissioners been aware that Mr. Andrews, their surveyor, was competing they would not have allowed him to meet Sir Joseph Bazalgette. This is the real point at issue, for it unfortunately placed the latter in an extremely false position. That his (Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s) selection of the first design would, to some extent, depend on the information supplied, and the opinions expressed to him by Mr. Andrews is certain, for the fact that Mr. Andrews had resided for some years at Bournemouth, and possessed the full confidence of the Commissioners, would naturally lead to any reasonable engineer attaching considerable weight to his opinions. That these opinions would affect the selection of Designs 2 and 3 is almost equally certain, and is to a great extent borne out by the fact that these two designs strongly r* semble Design 1 in their main features. That the Commissioners wish to act perfectly fairly is apparent, hence it seems to me that they should again submit the designs to a referee, who might be chosen by lot from, say, four engineers of eminence, specialists in sea-work, such engineers to be named by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The mottoes of all designs might be previously cut out, and the plans lettered for future identification, so as to secure perfect secrecy as to their authorship.

Some such course as this is surely due to those who, with myself, have freely spent time and money in competing. Fairplay.

November 12th.    _

SUPPLY OF LOCOMOTIVES TO ITALY.

Sir,—At the present period of general depression in export trade, the following extract from the Journal of Public Works and Railways, Rome, 11th November, 1885, may be of interest to some of your readers

South Italian—Railway Company opened tenders for the supply of sixteen locomotives. The following firms competed :—(1) Societe Alsacienne de Constructions; (2) Mecaniques Grafenstaden; (3) Henschel Sohn, Cassel; (4) T. A. Maffei, Munich ; (5) A. Borsig, Berlin; (6) Maschinenfabrik, Esslingen; (7) Siichsiscke Maschinen-fabrik, Chemnitz. The average of the above tenders amounted to lT21f. per locomotive kilogramme and 0⁻669 per tender kilogramme. After adding to these average prices the 5 per cent, due to the Government under Art. 21 of the law of 27th April, and the

increased to l*257f.

107, Fleet-street, London, E.C., November 13th.

THE ANTWERP EXHIBITION.

Sib,—May I ask you to correct an error which has inadvertently been made in your article on my exhibit at Antwerp ? In the last few lines of your article in The Engineer for the 6th inst. you say that I have built 36,000-horse power; whereas, if you turn to the all pamphlet I sent you, you will find that this figure only comprises engines of 201-horse power and upwards, or engines supplied to one firm of which the aggregate power is not less than 200-horse power.

Gand, November 16th.

THE SYRINX GAS ENGINE.

Sir,—Your otherwise excellent article on the “Syrinx” Gas Engine requires correction on two points, (a) Messrs. Clarke and Gillespie assigned their business and the patent to the Syrinx Gas Engine Company in July last. (5) The engine is made in two sizes, J and £-horse power, the latter having some improvements on the

Ernest T. Collins, Secretary.

The River With am.—The new sea channel and improvement works carried out on the Witham have proved a complete success, both for the drainage and navigation. The recent freshets passed off with great rapidity and scouring effect. Mr. Evelyn Williams the engineer, reports a depression of 3ft. 9in. in the low water level at Hobhole, and vessels of 2000 tons can now reach Boston.

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THE BARGE DREDGER

MELBOURNE.”

MESSRS. W. SIMONS AND CO., RENFREW, ENGINEERS. (For description see page 388.)

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into degrees from 90 deg. to 45 deg. The angles which have been marked on the bevel board are then indicated by their numbers on the bevel plate of the machine, in their relative positions, measuring from the end of the bar. The side elevation is also a sectional view of the machine, with part of the and axle-box, as well as the old form, exhibited at the Inven-gearing and guide rollers removed. On the main shaft is the tions Exhibition by Mr. W. L. Banting, Pond-place, Fulham- box, and so arranged that the larger end shall be on the outside, roller A, which is adjusted vertically by the hand wheel B, and road, N.W. As the inventor says in his description of the box, instead of the smaller end as now in use. This will at once horizontally by the nut C, to suit the thickness of the bar. D is numbers of good sound wheels are very much damaged, in fact ' prevent the box from being drawn, and, in order to insert this a conical roller driven at the same relative speed as A. The almost spoiled, by the system now employed of “ boxing on ” or box, the hole for its reception is bored out in the lathe during horizontal flange of angle is caught, kept level by, and fed    fixing in    the axle box. The method employed is    this—the    the process of manufacture of the wheel; the box is placed in

through the machine between the rollers A and D. E is the    centre of    the wheel is chiselled out in order to insert    the axle- ,    its position and secured by a screw collar on the smaller end.

bevelling roller attached to a beam F F, the ends of which move box ; the cavity thus made must of necessity be much larger It is thus made perfectly secure without any hammering or in quadrants G in the framing H. The roller F can be brought    than the    box itself ; the box is then inserted and secured as    wedges. By this means a large amount of labour is saved in the

over to any angle by the hand wheel K and screw L. The    near as possible in the centre by means of wedges    driven in    boxing on, and the wheel remains sound and true, and is likely

pointer M being attached to the screw L at once indicates on ! round it, as seen in Fig. 1. These wedges are made of very hard to last much longer, there being no wedges to drive.

IMPROVED AXLE AND AXLE BOX.

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THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

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THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.

The first ordinary meeting of the session 1885-86 was held on Tuesday, the 10th of November.

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the last ordinary meeting, the President, Sir Frederick J. Bramwell, F.R.S., ed that the ceremony of unveiling the Siemens M Window, in the nave on the north side of Westminster Abbey, was appointed to take place on Thursday, the 26th of November, at 2 p.m., being the second anniversary of the funeral service in the Abbey.

The President also stated that Mr. A. Manning, the engineer of the Tilbury Docks, had invited the members, associate members, and associates to visit the works on cither of tho following Wednesdays:—November the 18th, December the 2nd, or the 9th. Intending visitors must give a few days’ notice to Mr. Manning, at 9 and 11, Fenchurch-avenue, E.O., to enable the necessary arrangements to be made. Students are not included in this invitation.

Certificates in favour of the election of eleven members, sixty -five associate members, and five associates were read, and it was stated that these candidates would be balloted for on Tuesday, the 1st proximo. The President then presented the medals, premiums, and prizes awarded for some of the original communications submitted last session. The paper read was on—

EXPERIMENTS ON THE STEAM ENGINE INDICATOR, by Mr. Arthur William Brightmore, B.Sc., Stud. Inst. C.E.

The author oommenced by briefly indicating the object of the paper, viz., and examination into the number and effects of the errors of the steam engine indicator. In the first place, a short account was given of the indicator, engine, reducing mechanism, friction-brake and speed indicator employed in the experiments. Then the results and method of carrying out a series of experiments on the deflection of indicator springs, under given weights, at the ordinary temperature and at the temperature of boiling-water were set forth. Next, experiments were recorded which had been made to investigate the effect of the inertia of the moving parts on the diagram before tho speed was sufficiently high to cause oscillations to bo sensibly present. In the cases examined the effect was shown to be very small. Following, was a formula, based on the theory of the indicator, for the number of oscillations of a spring per minute. The number of oscillations as found from a series of diagrams was compared with the number as calculated from the above formula. Several methods by which these oscillations might be reduced, together with the inaccuracies which might be consequently introduced, wore commented upon. Lastly, the marked effect upon the diagram of tho stretching of the indicator cord, from the changing forces acting upon it, was noted. These forces wore due to the inertia and friction of the drum and to the tension of the drum spring. The eleotrical apparatus, by which the amount of the distortion and shortening of a diagram due to this cause were ascertained, was described.

The discussion upon the above paper was taken in conjunction with that on—

THE THEORY OP THE INDICATOR. AND THE ERRORS IN INDICATOR DIAGRAMS,

by Professor Osborne Reynolds, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., M. Inst. C.E., which was read at the last meeting of the session 1884-85, and of whioh a full abstract is repeated, as under:—

Tho object of this paper was to define tho causes and extent of tho disturbances in indicator diagrams. Tho theory, as given, had been taught for several years in Owen’s College; but the publication had beon deferred to enable an extensive series of experiments to bo made. These experiments had now been nrried out by Mr. A. W. Brightmore, late Bereloy Fellow In Owen’s College, Manchester. In the first place, it was shown that there were five principal causes of disturbance, namely, the inertia of the piston of tho indicator and its attached weights; tho friction of the pencil on tho paper, and its attached mechanism; varying action of the spring; inertia of the drum; friction of the drum. The effect of tho inertia of the pencil and its attached mechanism presented a mathematical problem, by the solution of which it was shown that there wero two disturbances from this cause; one, a general enlargement of the mean indicated pressure, depending on the weight of the moving parts of the indicator, the stiffness of tho spring, and the square of the speed. The other disturbance was a vibration of the pencil. Every indicator piston vibrated when disturbed, so that tho period of vibration depended on the stiffness of tho spring. The error which these oscillations caused in the area of the diagram depended on their magnitude, and, to a greater extent, on the smallness of the number in a revolution. But the evil of these oscillations was not so much an effect on tho area, as in the disfigurement and the confusion they produced in the diagram. So long as there were thirty of these oscillations in a cycle, the necessary fluid friction of the indicator-piston would so far reduce them as to render a fair diagram possible, but when the number was as low as ten it was all the pencil could do to prevent them upsetting the diagram. The friction arising from the pressure of the pencil always acted to oppose the motion of tho pencil, and therefore rendered it too large during expansion and exhaust, and too small during compression and admission, and thus the general effect was to increase the size of the diagram. This friction consisted of that of the pencil on the paper; and that of the mechanism, caused by sustaining the pressure of the pencil. The effect of the friction of the pencil was greatly reduced by the motion of the paper. The magnitude of these effects taken together on the area of the diagram depended on the construction of the instrument and on pencil pressure. From numerous experiments it would appear possible to make a difference of as much as 5 per cent, in a locomotive in mid gear by pencil friction.

The conclusions, as regarded the motion of the pencil, that the general effect of inertia and friction were both to im the size of the diagram; that so long as the speeds were such that the number of vibrations of the pencil during a revolution of the engine was not greater than fifteen, the effect of inertia was less than 1 per cent., but that if the number was greater than thirty, oscillations would show themselves unless the pencil friction was increased. They might by this be kept down till the number of vibrations was equal to fifteen, but not farther, and then the necessary friction would affect the area of the diagram about 5 per cent. For the diagrams to be sensibly accurate, and free from oscillation, the speeds must not be greater than would make the number of vibrations equal to thirty. These speeds were given in the paper for Richards’ indicators.

The effect of the inertia of the drum with an elastic cord was shown to be a nearly uniform enlongation of the diagram. The result of the varying stiffness of the drum spring was a nearly uniform contraction. With Richards’ indicator these two latter disturbances neutralised eaeh other at a speed of 150 revolutions per minute. At other speeds the effects were apparent in the length of the diagram ; but except when the expansion was great and the connecting rod short, they did not affect the indicated pressure. The friction of the drum with an elastic cord caused the cord to be longer during the forward stroke than during the backward stroke, so that the diagram was distorted and shortened, the drum being uniformly behind its proper position during the forward stroke, and before its position during the backward stroke. This distortion diminished the area of the diagram according to the rate of expansion and the length and elasticity of the cord used. This was definitely expressed by a formula. This disturbance, the influence of which was very great in cases of high expansion, large engines, and ordinary cords, appeared to have been unnoticed. The circumstances on which it depended were the elasticity of the cord and the friction of the drum, and the question was how far these existed in tho ordinary indicators. It might be said that the diagrams which led to the discovery of this effect were taken with an indicator which had been in pollutant use for several years. It was in apparently perfect condition, and the diagrams did not differ essentially from those which had been previously taken. The cord was one which had been supplied by the maker. The manner of the discovery was described: For years the author had pursued in the class the method of testing the vibrations of the indicator pencil by projecting them on to the crank circle, and he had noticed that the first oscillation fell short, and shorter in the back diagram than in the front. The cause of this was not obvious, and it was partly with a view to determine this cause that Mr. Brightmore’s investigation was commenced. A slight error in the reducing rod, which had a fixed centre and a slot in which a stud in the slide block worked, was altered. This, however, did not get rid of the effect. A new cord was substituted for the old one, and the effect was found to be much enhanced, the new cord being more elastic than the old one. This reduced it to the stretching of the cord, but it was only after carefully working out the effect of the inertia of the drum, and it was seen this was to lengthen the first oscillation at the back end, that the friction was examined. The indicator was taken to pieces, cleaned, and oiled; then the effect was much reduced. Several new wires and cords were used, and eventually steel wire was adopted as the best. The test supplied by the oscillations could only be applied to diagrams taken at high speeds, and the test furnished by the influence upon area was vague. What was wanted was an independent means of determining the simultaneous positions of the drum and the engine piston. As the best method of meeting this, it was decided to arrange an electric circuit through the pencil to the drum with sufficient electromotive force to prick the paper, making the engine piston close this circuit at eleven definite equidistant points in the motion backwards and forwards. This was successfully carried out, and the stretching of the cord during the backward and forward strokes was definitely ascertained. Taking the smallest results obtained with a cord, it appeared from these experiments that the least difference of stretching was to make this difference in inches 5 per cent, of the length of the cord in feet. Examples of this effect in diminishing the mean indicated pressure were given. Thus, in a locomotive cutting off at one-quarter it was 8 per cent.; in a condensing engine having 3'5ft. stroke, cutting off at one-tenth, 20 per cent.; and the same compounded, 10 per cent. These would seem to be the smallest results that could have occurred in ordinary practice. The conclusion, however, that hitherto the normal indicated power from engines had been from 10 to 20 per cent, too small must wait for verification. Yet there were not wanting independent evidences of such an effect. In diagrams taken from engines at high speed the admission line would not but for this effect be vertical. It would show a certain amount of detail, and the first oscillation would not have a sharp top. Moreover, it was commonly found that the expansion line, allowing for clearance, was above the true expansion line for the steam. This apparent rise in the curve of expansion was exactly what would result if the apparent cut-off was too early, and this was the result of the effect that had been considered. The author had tried several diagrams, and found that after correction the expansion line came out very close to the true curve.

In making those comparisons the explanation of another featuro of diagrams became apparent. When the two diagrams were traced on the same card, there was sometimes a want of symmetry about them, and in this case the cut-off was shorter on the back than on the front diagram. This the author attributed to the friction of the drum when the cord for the back diagram was longer than that for the front. When this was the case, the relative lengths of the cord were about 1 to 1'8. These observations were illustrated in a diagram from Richards' indicator. To test this diagram a tracing was taken, and reversed so that the front diagram was superimposed on the back. It observed that the diagrams were of different lengths, and the difference was about the same as the difference in cut-off; that notwithstanding the apparent cut-off in the back diagram was to that in the front in the ratio of two to three, the expansion lino of the back diagram was the same shape as that in the front; and that if the diagrams were restored, supposing the lengths of the cords used to have been 5ft. and l)ft., the diagrams became exactly similar, and, allowing 2 per cent, clearance, the expansion line came to be the true expansion line for that cut-off. The mean pressure was 14 per cent, larger than from the original diagram. Such instances as these seemed to sufficiently establish a case against the blind faith which appeared to be at present placed in the accuracy of the indicator diagrams. But, in conclusion, the author stated that he should be very disappointed if anything in this investigation should have the effect of diminishing reliance on the indicator itself. He would have the instrument treated fairly, and, instead of being the object of unthinking worship, he would have it the object of careful study and experimental investigation, so that tho limits of its wonderful perfection might be known exactly, and that reliance placed on it which sprang from knowledge.

ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL AND SANITARY ENGINEERS AND SURVEYORS.

The members of the Midland district of this Association, on Saturday visited Stratford-on-Avon, where papers were read on the new water supply and sewage works, and both were visited and inspected. There was a large attendance, which included the president, Mr. Yawser, of Manchester; Mr. E. Pritchard, the district secretary and engineer of the works; and a number of past presidents of the Association. Mr. Jones, the general secretary, was prevented from being present by indisposition. Amongst the visitors were the Mayor of Stratford—Mr. A. Hodgson, C.M.G.— several ex-mayors and aldermen, and Sir Robert Rawlinson, O.B., who is an honorary member, and was the guest of the mayor at Clapton House.

Mr. Pritchard having been re-elected district secretary, the waterworks at Snitterfield and the sewage works on the Evesham-road, were visited and inspected. On returning to the Town Hall an excellent luncheon was provided by the liberality of the mayor. Sir Robert Rawlinson, replying to one of the toasts, remarked that Shakespeare died in 1616, at the early age of fifty-six, from fever, which at that time was prevalent in Stratford, and was probably of the typhoid type—a disease extremely fatal amongst literary men and most destructive to human life generally. It was essentially the disease of vigorous manhood, was most fatal between twenty and thirty, and apparently the strongest constitutions most readily succumbed to it. It was therefore their duty as sanitary engineers to make typhoid fever impossible. Turning to cholera, and its recent appearance in Europe, and his own official investigations respecting it on every occasion of its introduction into this country since the epidemic of 1848, Sir Robert said he was obliged to confess that he knew very little what produces the disease. He only knew that cholera is liable to prevail where dirt, a demoralised population, poverty, and excessive drinking exist; but, above all, where there are foul cesspools and foul dwellings. On the other hand, he knew of plenty of places where all these things are to be found, and yet cholera did not prevail there. But if they removed all these causes of cholera, induced the people to lead more moral lives, and supplied them with pure water and good food, then he unhesitatingly said that cholera may prevail on the Continent, and our ships may trade backward and forwards without the intervention of any quarantine, and yet cholera will not be introduced into this country. It was possible to put the people into such a sanitary condition that they might almost bid defiance to any prevalence of cholera in this country.

Mr. J. Edward Wilcox, Assoc. M. Inst. C.K., the resident engineer, then read a paper on the new water supply for the borough, hitherto obtained from private shallow wells, and both excessively hard and impure. The corporation obtaip the pew supply from

Snitterfield Brook, three miles from Stratford. It is conveyed by — underground conduit, three-quarters of a mile in length, to the reservoir. A longone side of the conduit a perforated adit pipe is laid, 12in. in diameter. The water thus obtained supplements the supply from the brook. The service will be constant, at high pres sure, by gravitation, and, after allowing fifteen gallons per head per day, it is calculated there will be a surplus of 31 million gallons. The storage capacity of the reservoir is 19,200,000 gallons, equal, after allowing for evaporation, to 110 days’ supply. There are two filter beds, each equal to 151,900 gallons per day, and the cost of the works has been about £21,000.

Mr. A. T. Davis, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., the borough surveyor, also read a paper describing tho sewage works, complaints were made of offensive smells from the open ventilators, and he attributed these smells to untrapped, faulty constructed, and badly flushed house drains, which discharged decomposed matter into the sewers. The sewage scheme was a combination of irrigation and filtration. Fifteen acres of land had been prepared for irrigation, and eight filter beds occupied another five acres. The dry weather flow of the sewage was about 1(52,000 gallons daily, increased by a rainfall of ’22in. in twenty-four hours to 238,000, but provision had been made for dealing with 800,000 gallons, equal, with the rainfall, to 40 gallons per head for the population of 10,000. After being strained, the sewage is pumped through a 9in. cast iron main to a height of 25ft., and is then distributed over the land by gravitation. Besides the fifteen acres laid out for irrigation, a meadow of fourteen acres, belonging to the corporation, will be available if required. The engines are three 6-horse power gas engines of the Otto type, and the pumping machinery consists of three double-acting pumps recently patented by Messrs. Ball and Horton, of Stratford-on-Avon. The cylinders lOin. in diameter, and the stroke of the piston is 18in. engine is capable of lifting 350 gallons of sewage per minute 25ft. high, and the engines and pumps can be used together or separately. The valves consist of rectangular metal flaps with india-rubber facings, which are set at an angle of about45 deg., and it is claimed by the patentees that all solid or foreign substances lodging within tho valve openings, or between the valves and their seats, are dislodged on the valves again lifting, or on the return movement of the piston. The total cost, including £4400 paid for the land as composition to tenants, is estimated at about £10,000.

During the discussion which ensued Sir Robert Rawlinson, C.B., said the complaint of bad smells from open sewer ventilators was common in all old towns where cesspools had been tolerated for generations. After a town had been properly sewered the corrupt matter from these old cesspools was discharged into the se wers, where one gallon of such stuff would be infinitely more offensive than 1000 gallons of ordinary sewage. The nuisance would decrease as cesspools are abolished and houses properly drained. After speaking about the difficulty of keeping a dry drain in order, Sir Robert said tho foundation of all sanitary science is scavengering. He urged that the scavengering should always be done by the sanitary authority and not by contract, and all offensive matter should be promptly removed, even from private manufactories, because this would conduce to the public health. Mr. Pritchard, Mr. Wilcox, an * Mr. Davis replied, and thanks were given to the readers of the papers and satisfaction was expressed generally with the works. We shall give tho papers and illustrations in another impression.

THE PHYSICAL SOCIETY.

At the meeting of this Society, held on the 14th inst., Professor Guthrie, President, in the chair, Mr. G. M. Whipple described and demonstrated experimentally the process of testing thermometers at and near the melting point of mercury as carried on at Kew. About 20 lb. of mercury are poured into a wooden bowl and frozen by carbonic acid, snow, and ether, tho mercury is stirred with a wooden stirrer, and tho snow is added till the experimenter feels by the resistance to stirring that the mercury is freezing. The stirring is continued for some time, which causes the mercury to become granular instead of a solid mass. The thermometers are then inserted, together with a standard, and compared. About 100 mercury, or forty spirit thermometers can be thus examined in half-an-hour, using about 200 gallons of carbonic acid gas, compressed sufficiently to form tho snow. The bowl, ether, and mercury are cooled first to —10 deg. C. by an ordinary freezing mixture- The average correction at tho melting point of mercury is now less than 1 deg. Fah. ; when the process was introduced in 1872 it amounted to 5 deg., but has steadily decreased.

“ On the Electro-motive Force of Certain Tin Cells,” by Mr. E. J. Herroun. Mr. Herroun has examined the electro-motive forces of cells in which tin in a solution of its salts was opposed to copper, cadmium, and zinc in solutions of their corresponding salts, the solutions being of equal molecular strengths. The salts used were sulphates, chlorides, and iodides, and the cells wero of the ordinary “Daniel” form, with a porous vessel. To prevent the formation of basic salts it was necessary to add a little free acid to the solution of the tin salt, and to counterbalance the influence of this acid upon the electro-motive force as far as possible an equal proportion of free acid was added to the other solution. Professor G. Minchin pointed out the importance of performing these and similar experiments upon tin in the dark, as by allowing light to fall upon the tin plate a considerable photo-electric effect would be obtained. Professor Fleming insisted upon the great importance of temperature corrections in all experiments upon two-fluid cells.

“On the Law of the Electro-magnet and the Law of the Dynamo,” by Professor S. P. Thompson. It cannot be said up to now that any particular law has been generally accepted giving the relation between the current in the coils of an electro magnet and the magnetism induced by it in the core. Many empirical formula; have been given, most of which are entirely wrong. One, however, recently enunciated by Friihlich, gives a relation which agrees a + bi

m is the magnetic moment of the core, i the current, and a and b constants depending upon the geometrical form of the magnet and the nature and previous history of the iron core. Friihlich obtains this relation by experimenting with a series dynamo. It is purely empirical, but since it agrees so well with the facts as to give values for the magnetism of the core agreeing almost within experimental error with those observed, there is great probability of some law being at its base. And this law Professor Thompson believes to be one that was stated years ago by Lamont: “ The magnetic permeability varies with the quantity of magnetism the iron is capable of taking up.” This may be expressed by the formula— d m

di=k{ M ~ "»>

Integrating which, and expanding e — kl in powers of r,

Expanding briilich s equation in powers of i, we get a l a ⁺ u² J

If k i is not great, these expressions will coincide in form very closely, and the results lead Professor Thompson to accept Lamont’s expression as being that of a real physical law.

Professor Perry suggested that Lamont’s law gave good results from its being an approximation to Weber’s theory of induced magnetism, but Professor Thompson maintained that it represented observed facts better than theory, which, as developed by Maxwell, shows a decided discontinuity in the process of magnetisation not actually observed. Professor Fleming remarked upon the similaritj of Frolich’s expression to that for the current through a volta meter, the part a + bi corresponding to the apparent resistance, which may be considered in this case as the resistance to magnetisation of the core-air circuit, and which, like that of the voltameter, varies with the current.

RAILWAY MATTERS.

MISCELLANEA.

NOTES AND MEMORANDA.

Anr-npmvc to a Pirot telegram, it has been decided at the Some of the Swan and Edison incandescent electric lamps in the Several good shipbuilding contracts have recently been place Se^viaS head-quarters to annex the Bulgarian area of the Inter-    saloon of the Great Eastern Railway Company’s steamer Norwich,    with Clyde shipbuilders, but    not a    few of the yards are stil

tinnal Railway route so that Servia may complete the line; and    running between Harwich and Antwerp, have already, it is said,    poorly employed.

I . annex the Widd’in district, to enable Servia to construct a    lasted about 7500 hours, though only guaranteed for 1000, and will    APPLICATION in Marylebone    Court    has been made    against the

railway to the Lower Jianuoe ny way oi unupna, ^aiucuai, ™

Widdin, to meet the projected Roumanian railway from Krajova hours.

to K&l&f&t    I r*lT,u    KAmafnvA/1 /Inmn/v 4-V»r*    ovwlinV NnVPmllAr

Representations are about to be made to various railways for a    .

reduction of rate charge. The present price is as near as possible to an annual rate of 19‘4 per 1000 of their aggregate population,

(is 6d. per ton from the several collieries to London. The quantity which is estimated at 8,006,44(5 persons in the middle of this year.    , _    .

sent over the Midland London and North-Western,Great Northern, | The six_ healthiest places were Nottingham, Leicester, Hull, J>ir- | Government work or as the site of a naval dockyard.

Great Western, Great Eastern, and other lines, during last month, totalled up 669,057 tons, as compared with 551,139 in August and

631,792 in September.    .    ------------- ---------------------------- -    ...    ------r--------------o---------i--~t---------------

Much satisfaction was expressed on ’Change in Birmingham small-pox was three times larger than in any other district, while Piers at Bournemouth, decided by Sir Joseph Wm. Bazalgette, C.B. yesterday at the success of the Tredegar Company in having secured of 157 cases of death sixty-four occurred in rag pickers’ houses or There were nineteen competitors.

the second lot of 5000 steel sleepers needed by the Midland Rail- in houses in close proximity to ragpickers or rag stores. In that Cromer, an interesting watering-place on the Norfolk coast, way Company. One or two firms in that district are known to be district M. Gilbert found a cellar, a secret store-room lor rags, which Having now obtained a public supply of pure water, has abandoned

prepared to enter the sleeper business if they can get orders for infected six persons, of which four died.    |    -    ...... “    '    ' ~......

sections capable of being treated without much costly alteration of “--------■Ll-- ’-----x —¹¹    “----

their present machinery.

ail wav to the Lower Danube by way of Chupria, Zaitchar, and    probably continue, with slightly diminished brightness, for 8000    Great Western Railway Company in    consequence of    the alleged

wT-MiV, +r, +,he nrniected Roumanian railway from Kra.jova | hours.    | nuisance of vibration, steam, and smoke from the electric lighting

The deaths registered during the week ending November 14th, in twenty-eight great towns of England and Wales, corresponded

installation at Paddington station.

It is again proposed that the Royal Victoria Docks, Passage West, Cork, should be converted into a Government dockyard, or to have an inquiry made as to the capacity of these docks either for

kenhead, Bradford, and Leeds.    I    Norman Roy, C.E., Edinburgh, gained the second prize, and

In 1874 there were 117 rag stores in Marseilles, of which forty- Mr. R. S. Moore, Stud. Inst. C.E., Westminster-chambers, the six were in one district. In that district the number of dead from third, in the competition for designs of the proposed Promenade

I    the use of shallow wells. The Local Board, being desirous of pei-

PROBABLY the deepest well in the world is one at Homewood,    fecting the sanitary condition of the town, has instructed Mr. .7. C.

Pennsylvania, owned by Mr. Geo. Westinghouse, jun.    The I    Melliss, C.E., to report and advise as to the drainage and sewage

AN official letter has’been received from the London, Brighton, I average depth of the Homewell wells is about 1850ft. In the well disposal, and South Coast Railway Company by the promoters of the new now drilling everything found of the nature of gas or water at a During the last few days the American barque Crusader, Captain line through the South Downs from Eastbourne to Seaford, in depth of 2000ft. was cased off as unimportant, and the drill at c H gcott> has been lying in the Regent’s Canal Dock for inspec-which it    is stated    that,    although    the    Board    of    Directors    of the    present is said to be a little over 6000ft. below the surface,    which    Hon. The Crusader lias just made the first successful transatlantic

London,    Brighton, and South Coast    Company were    not    in    a posi-    would make it the deepest well in the world.    trip with a cargo of refined petroleum in bulk. This is the initial

tion to incur any financial liability in regard to the new railway, jN a paper on the specific heat of concentrated soda solutions, by movement in what promises to revolutionise the present system of they would have great pleasure in considering any arrangements Bliimcke (Ann. Phys. Chem.), determinations are given for the ocean transportation of petroleum, turpentine and other liquids, for working it on equitable terms.    specific heat of soda solutions containing more than 50 per cent., Carter’s system of roller milling is rapidly superseding the old

The longest draw-span bridge in the world is being constructed    as possessing    a    practical    value    in connection with    Honigmann’s    millstone method of flour manufacture.    We understand that in

by the Passaic Rolling Mill and Bridge Works, of Patterson, N.J.,    soda process.    The specific heat    increases with the    concentration    addition to starting no less than five    new roller mills, of large

for the Minnesota and North-Western Railroad Company’s bridge    until it reaches a maximum at a 73 per cent, solution; thence it    capacity,    during the last four weeks, orders for seven new plants

across the Mississippi river, at St. Paul. The total length of the    decreases. This maximum    value is concomitant with the best    within the same period have been entrusted to the designer of the

bridge will be 1430ft.; the draw being 430ft. in the clear, and will defined point of crystallisation.    first English roller system, Mr. J. H. Carter, of Mark-lane,

weigh over 500 tons, the material being iron and steel. The    tn London last week 2534    births and 1531 deaths were registered    London-    In the northern counties of England there is hardly a

machinery for lifting, latching, and turning can be operated by    The annual death rate ~uer    1000 from all' causes which had been    mil1 left    working on the millstone system, and complete roller

band or steam power. The turntable revolves on fifty wheels    17>5    , ₁₈.₍₎    •    tb t £    T)recedinu weeks rose’to    PRO During    Plants are now working in every part    of England. In an early

18in. in diameter, while the drum has a circumference of 76ft.    .. '    . • '    . f    f , 1. .math    rn.to a.vpra(rod    issue we hope to illustrate and describe fully one of the largest

OIK Birmingham „o,(..pendent    report of tt.    ^ in Euiope j„.t .tarted on the Carter roller ep.tcm at New-

Birmingham Central Tramways Company is a strong testimony to    ₀f the    nine yesrs 1876-84.    In Greater London,    3253 births    and    castie-on-Iyno.

the increased economy of steam over horse propulsion. While the    1903 deaths were registered,    corresponding to annual rates of    32 6 Mr. Traill, whose book we recently reviewed, is of opinion that

company is steadily losing on its horse routes it is making a and 19‘6 per 1000 of the population.    the legislation on cables and anchors has had good results; he is,

satisfactory profit upon the steam routes. The last three months’ I    .    however, quite aware of the    fact that    such legislation    is not all

working of 8 miles 5 furlongs of steam route, after adding the    The    standard gold dollar    of the United States    contains gold of I gain, that shipowners are too    often led    by it to give up    troubling

sums accrued as interest on deposits with the local authorities, mne-tenths fineness, 2:>⁻8 grains, and the standard silver dollar abold; their cables further than to make sure that they have passed shows a profit at the rate of per cent, per annum. There are c°nt^lns. ⁸ ,e.r of nine-tenths fineness, 412"o grains. One million tbe    That being all that is necessary, their only care is to get

7 miles 14 furlongs of steam route yet to open, which will materi- ⁸™dard 8°ld dollars, consequently, weigh 2.),800,000 grains, or Hie cheapest ground tackle possible ; and hence, in spite of very ally swell the profits.”    53,7o0 oz. troy, or 447.^1b. troy of o760 graiiiseacli, or 368o 711b. stringent legislation, cables and anchors are often very inferior to

The directors of the Birmingham Central Tramways Company ^GOOlb^voirdupois each*'or 14545-1000 “ long ” tons 2200 lb °avoir- '?ba!\a lightly .la4ger expenditure of money would make them, have rmrohaspd from the Patent Gable Tramwavs Oornnration the , w .’ av°lranP018 <ra. ’ °f ¹ ,    ,    ton.    wL.    Another result is the use of poor iron which will just stand the

S”ta^tau”7Sr⁰thnrbirii‘.« s?r\‘vt;rrtl,eu“otir™Mc"uof‘temakoii

W5l'Ct ,lhe ®ir“ir,8llil!n    “KetioKeJ- Tb« price Lvoird’upoi., or L'4641000’“.hort” ton. ot 2000lb.'.™irdupoi. £’r^“f*bykr‘“<ltol“:    , .

which has been given is £4000, payable half in cash and half in each or 26-307-1000 “long” tons of 22401b. avoirdupois each. In    important question was brought under the notice of the

fully paid shares. To lay the cable and equip the lines, it is esti- round number8, the weight of 1,000,000 dols. in standard gold coin Dover Town Council on Tuesday afternoon by Mr. Crandall, the mated that about £8500 per mile may be required. The board ia tons; standard silver coin, 26^ tons; subsidiary silver coin, Board of Trade representative at the Dover Board, with reference therefore intend to allot at once £110,000 in issued capital, in £10 25 tons • minor coin 5c. nickel 100 tons.    to t^e len8*h of time which the new harbour works will take to

shares. The result of this will be to give the company at once a    ’    ’    ’    .    complete. A deputation has been appointed, consisting of Ijord

reserve fund of £33,000.    MK* William A. Eddy, of the American Signal Service Bureau, Granville and several members of the Board, to wait on the Presi-

Thr Hazard Manufacturing Gnmnanv 'of Wilkeahnrrc Pa i«    calla attention to the fact that the study of    the phenomena of    dent of the Board of Trade and the First Lord of the    Treasury,

makim: for the Chicatro Citv Pailwav^omi.anv for which'the    tomadoes    ha8 advanced 80 far that predictions    of the appearance    with a view to showing the importance    of accelerating    the work

comnanv has almadT^dle*!^several ordersmtwentv^twr^miles^of    these terrible> destructive a^ncies can be made with a consi- and completing it within five years instead of in a quarter of a

cable i/lemrths of from 22 000 to 25 000ft The ComnaT.v onJrates derable deKree of accuracy. Of thirty-eight predictions that century, as at present proposed. The Council appointed a deputa-

ground covered by their lines is daily increasing. The rope is all of JgLT™^eneSSv^verified •Board^

the finest quality of steel liin. in diameter. One section a little t arrivc violent wind and hail storms nartfallv fulfilled the uro Thk New South Wales export of silver for 1S84 exceeded that of over two miles in length, now finished and coiled on two huge Dhecv Mr EddvTldnks that a svstTm ‘S tornado sknl shSl 1883 in 9uantity by ]b,594 oz. 7 dwt., and in value by £3292; but spools, was waiting shipment last week. The rest is in hand, and !bo established a/everv teleeraD^station in the tornado States as none of the ore from the mmes in tbe Bamer Ranges or Emma-will be shipped as rapidly as possible. The Philadelphia Traction gGoJeramratdo^tffmuoh at le^t some of the terrible ville had been 8mclte‘l in thc colony> and none of tbe silver from Company has also sent in an order for a cable five miles in length.    ₀f life and property due to tornadoes can be averted The facts *be S“nny £orner fMine bad beea exported up to the end of 1884

In an article on Railway-carriage Lighting, the Times remarks presented by Mr. Eddy fully warrant the small appropriation by tbf a,bove flgures furn,‘8b no real data 011 wbl0.b to estimate the that it is only fair to admit “That there are no fewer than fifteen    Congress    which will be necessary to establish such a system of    a^al Pr°gre88 "ow be.‘,ng T *    ®    ^

British railway companies which have adopted what is generally    signals.    Wales-, The ore fr«m SUverton, in the    Barrier Ranges,    or, at any

known as the compressed oil-gas system. In this respect good work m f ..    .    . .    ,,    ,    . t    rate, a large proportion of it, has been sent to Europe for treat-

has been done by the Great Western, the London and North- T,\E f«llowiaS.    the mean yearly rainfall from twenty-five meat and is supposed to be included in the export of silver lead

Western, the Midland, the Great Eastern, the South-Eastern, the ye“-,ST?? \ i^Tii    v Gr®at₁Bn₁tai.n,> has been orf (thou«b both quantity and value are much under-estimated),

London and South-Western, the Metropolitan, the Metropolitan comnded by Mr. G A. Biddell M.I.C.t.i-England: Cardington set down at 9107 tonsill owt., valued at £241,940, being 9061 tons District, the Lancashire and Yorkshire, the Caledonian, the I ^dford8blre-    ⁷²*,n;}.    . N£rf°lk> v²⁴ 5m! Hlgh 14 cwt., valued at £240,315, more than was exported in 1883.

North British, the Glasgow and South-Western, the Dublin, oT^C<?mbe,«j h *’ ^ 40m., \ hittle-Dean, Northumberland, ijhk g g Matabele built for Messrs. John T. Rennie, Son, and Wicklow, and Wexford, the Hull and Barnsley, and the 48in';₀₀SPaldingA ₁L)ncoln8bire> ,2b blm-5    Ia89tv>ut‘on> Co., of London and Aberdeen, by Messrs. Hall, Russell, and Co.,

Mersey mil way companies. These lines have in the aggre- Bevon> |3bBn-’ Grleton> Worcestershire, 29 02 m.Chichester, lf ^he latter city, was successfully launched on the 10th. The gate more than 400 trains fitted up and lighted with com- v⁰⁸⁸^’- w^V ^>o?l7-8ey’ GbanPe^ ^sle8» •'J    Bedmires,    veg8(d js 252ft. long, 35ft. 3in. beam, by 23ft. depth of hold, and is

pressed oil-gas apparatus, and though in some instances ^hire, W R., .»;47in.; Bodmin, Cornwall, 45'77m.; Stony- builfc on thc spar8deck rule, with^ long bridge deck amidships, the light is cut down v^ry low-stinted in fact-as on the    Westmoreland, 50Man.; hftving a very lUdsome appearance in the water. She is fitted

South-Eastern and the London and North-Western suburban f,^P,dLC gQ’ y°r^⁸.bire, W. R., ol 81in., Keswick, Cumberland, wjth steam windlass and winches exhausting into stokehole, steam trains, yet on others, such as the Great Western and the Midland “Jg”'^ **thw„,teCur^rl^dl44^m Scotland: Dundee, gteering geal, &c. The engincs_by the same build era-are’on the suburban underground trains, the light is exceedingly good and I°[fa    yC [ e’, Edinburgh, 37 06, Cape N\ rath, triplex expansion system, with cylinders 19in., 30in., and 50in.,

very pleasant toread by. It is a generally admitted fact among 2°, £K’ Z    ' xiSfita?    wl'h a 8troke of    and steam is 8uPPlied bX tw<> entirely steel

railway managers and engineers that the miserable old oil lamp ton’ ,Klng 8 Cou“ty« 35 06in.; AVoodstock Kilkenny, 38 18in. As boilerg nft. 9in. diameter by 9ft. Gin. long, each fitted with three costs as much as id. per hour, and that an oil-gas light of three ”earfiy a8p “nf-be ^certamed xt seems that the rainfall in the Fox-s corrugated furnaces and working at 150 lb. pressure, engines times the power costs very considerably less. This is certainly Bastern. 9ounties 18> on a long avarage, much the same as at and boilerg being under the superintendence of Messrs. Flannery borne out by the action of the London and South-Western Railway creenwicn.    and pjaggallay during construction. The vessel is intended for the

Company, which, although it is not a company distinguished fer A paper was read before the British Association on “ An I owner’s direct Natal line.

being ahead of the times, has decided to fit all its best rolling stock Approximate Determination of the Absolute Amount of the I As a memorial to the late Sir Titus Salt, and in recognition of with the oil-gas light. A goodly instalment of some 500 or 600 Weight of Chemical Atoms,” by Professor G. Johnstone Stoney, his benefactions to Saltaire, the Governors of the Salt Schools carriages may already be seen running.” All these—South- D. Sc., F.R.S., who showed that the mass of a molecule of have decided to build a new Science and Art School, costing about Western, South-Eastern, Metropolitan, Great Eastern, and others hydrogen is a quantity of the same order as a decigramme divided £‘6000. The building will be completely finished by May 15th, on —are fitted on the Pintsch system, on which many thousands of by 10'-⁴, i.e., a twenty-fourth decigrammet, which is the same as which day will be opened an important Exhibition on the lines of carriages are fitted on the Continent.    the twenty-fifth grammet. (The grammets are the decimal sub- the late International Inventions Exhibition. For this purpose

On Monday evening last a paper was read before the Geographical divisions of the gramme, of which the first is the decigramme, the the present buildings and a field of six acres will be utilised. Society by Mr. Holt S. Hallet, C.E.,on his exploration survey fora sec°nd tbe centigramme, &c.). The mass of the chemical atom of Accommodation will be provided for over 10,000 people, and the railway connection between India, Siam and China. He described hydrogen may be taken to be half the twenty-fifth of the grammet. affair will be the largest of the kind ever seen in the provinces, the a great tract of the country as extremely fertile, the temperature . ,ue ,18 ba8ed on tbe conclusion arrived at by several probable outlay being over £15,000. With the object of attaining being quite agreeable. He said the greatest heat noted by him physicists—that the number of molecules in a cubic millimetre of the utmost excellence, space will be allotted only to eminent firms was 102 deg. Fah. at noon in the shade, the thermometer 734 deg. a gas at ordinary temperature and pressure is somewhat about a in each branch of industry. Amongst other exhibits will be the at daybreak, a difference of nearly 30 deg. In another instance a uIdt eig,en —from which it can be shown that the number South Kensington collection and the Prince of Wales’ Indian difference was noted of 43 deg., a much greater change than Sf lno‘ccules per litre must be about a unit twenty-four—10-⁴. collection. The grounds already alluded to will be planted, and occurred on the seaboard. The variation at Saigon was said never to ,°₁m this, together with a knowledge of the weight of a litre of illuminated with the electric light, having fountains similar to be more than 13 deg. After much study of the various routes it had hydrogen, theabove vabie for the mass of a molecule of hydrogen those at the Inventions Exhibition, illuminated with coloured been forced upon himself and his colleague, Mr. Colquhoun, that bas ,en ded,4C. •    -*;bf mass 04 a molecule of hydrogen electric lights. In view of the variable climate, an enormous tent

the required connection of India and China would have to be made being kn5>w.¹}»lt;, ¹⁸ Pos , le 7¹°w 40 determine approximately the ₀f the American description will be put up in the grounds, capable across the hills somewhere in the latitude of Moulmein. From masses 04 ad other simple substances and of compounds also.    ₀f holding several thousand people. The arrangement and super

this point there were many routes into the Siamese Shan States, In the experiments on the production of very low temperatures, vision of the lighting and other electrical work have been entrusted and the hills lying between the valleys of the Irrawaddy and the by K. Olszewski (Compt. Rend), the gas which is the subject of to Messrs. 5\ oodhouse and Rawson, of London.

Salween ending at Beeling were thus avoided. Having fully experiment is enclosed in the innermost of three concentric tubes, The Richmond Vestry Meetings continue to provide amusement considered the matter they came to the conclusion, that either a the two outer spaces being filled with liquid oxygen, and the whole for many, and a red rag for one easily irate vestryman. If this railway could be taken across the hills, via Maing Loonge, which surrounded by liquid ethylene. Very low temperatures can thus vestryman’s name had been of Hibernian origin instead of North might necessitate the crossing of only one range, or else, if that be obtained, and the author has solidified nitrogen, carbonic oxide, British, many people would have thought they had found the line were found too difficult, that a railway could be constructed methane, and nitric oxide. By the evaporation of solid nitrogen objecting juryman who declared the rest to be “eleven of the across the two ranges lying between Moulmein and the town of under a pressure of 4 mm., a temperature as low as - 225 deg. was most obstinate men he ever met.” For those vestrymen who have Raheng, situated in Northern Siam, on the Meh Ping river. The obtained. Liquid ethylene boiling under a pressure of 1 mm. has time to play with, their Scotch fellow must be great fun. He has passes by this latter route were known to be lower than any others a temperature of - 162 deg., and remains perfectly transparent, lately, finding that all the rest of the vestrymen are such obstinate ™er to tbe north or south, and indeed were merely 1600ft. and Liquid air boiling under a pressure of 10 mm. has the temperature men, blind to the welfare of Richmond, been writing a letter to the -281ft. above sea level. Myawaddi, the town at our frontier lying - 220 deg., and even under a pressure of 4 mm. shows no signs of Local Government Board, with the result that he has got heavily-between the two passes, was 630ft. above sea level, which greatly solidification. A liquefied mixture of air and nitrogen, in equal sat upon, and he is still an irritated local patriot. Some of the reeent. reduced the fall from the first pass and the rise to the second, volumes, has the temperature — 220 deg. under a pressure of fuss has been chiefly upon the deep well pump in the artesian well Irorn Kiang Hsen the railway would be produced through the plain 13 mm., and remains liquid and transparent under a pressure of —noticed in our impressions of June 19th and July 3rd ult.—and that borders the Meh Kong to Kiang Hung, where the river, which 4 mm. Hydrogen shows no meniscus, even at - 220 deg., under a adopted by the vestry. On the 28th July last tenders were was there 1620ft. broad, would be bridged. Kiang Hung was pressure of 180 atmos. A mixture of two volumes hydrogen and invited, and that of Mr. Timmins, Runcorn, accepted for £780— 50 miles from Ssumao, a large garrison town, and an important one volume oxygen was cooled to - 213 deg. under a high pressure. Mr. Pearce, the engineer’s, estimate being £800—the contractor entrepot of trade on the south-west frontier of China. At that The liquid obtained was perfectly colourless, and boiled rapidly commenced work on the 21st of September, and the progress has point the Chinese system of railways would have their junction, when the pressure was released, losing the greater part of its been, we understand, most satisfactory up to date, the deep well Mr. Hallett and Mr. Colquhoun calculate that, to connect Bhamo hydrogen, after which it remained liquid for some time under pump being fixed in the artesian well, the foundations for the in upper Burmah with Talifu at a distance of 250 miles, the rail- atmospheric pressure. The Journal qf tb,c Chemical Society says pumping engine in a forward state, and there is every reason to have to be 600 miles in length. Four passes more tbftH the author maintains the accuracy pf t^e Jiydrogen thermometer anticipate the work will be completed within the stipulated time Nuuott. above the se» level would b»vp tp be crossed.    ‘ 1 at yery low temperatures.    -    -    ""    1 ending 25th December next.

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I Even at the present moment one effect of the Act is ance with patent matters; well educated; large minded; scarcely understood,and it is worth while to make it clear, little bound by red tape; a good business man; one in Under the old law a patent cost in fees alone £25. This authority, who would make his authority respected both circumstance to a considerable extent kept uneducated in and out of the Patent-office. He might associate with men away from the Patent-office; and, educated or unedu- himself one or more gentlemen, hardly subordinates, yet not cated, inventors looked on £25 as too large a sum to be officially his equals, to aid him. With such a man at the wasted, and they called in professional advice to aid them head of affairs very few mistakes could be made. In any in preparing the necessary documents. Furthermore there case the employment of specialists could not do more harm was a certain routine to be followed, which the outsider than is done now; and it must be remembered that in a did not readily grasp. This fact operated to the same end. certain half-hearted and perfunctory way specialists are emit went far, in fact, to render professional assistance not ployed at this moment. We advocate little more than .an only desirable but essential. The consequence was that by extension of the system. The great want is, however, the far the larger number of specifications was prepared by existence of someone in authority who thoroughly knows men who could write English, and knew at least something his business—what he ought to do and what he ought to about patents. We may add that there were firms and leave undone. We have not a word to say against the individual patent agents of the most eminent abilities con- present heads, save that they do not seem to quite under-stantly employed; and through the hands of these gentle- stand what their duties are.

men nearly all the “great'’ specifications have passed. We have left many points quite untouched, preferring to The new Act changed all this. All possible care was insist on a single fact, namely, that the Patent-office taken to remove difficulties from the path of the inventor, authorities should not accept specifications which are The patent agent’s services were dispensed with, and glaringly contrary to law. To accept money from a poor the result has been that not only have worthless man for an absolutely worthless specification is simply inventions been patented by the thousand, but dishonest. If the ignorant man found that he was not the whole tone, style, and substance of specification understood, he could have recourse to someone who could literature has been lowered. It may be urged that write English to aid him. This would put him to some the Patent-office officials are not to blame for this. On expense, but he would at least get a so far valid patent in this point there can, of course, be no two opinions. But the latter case in return for his money, while he would get this is quite beside the mark. No blame can attach to the nothing whatever in the former case. We shall probably authorities for the wording of an ill-drawn, ungrammatical, return again to this subject. Something must be done, specification; but they are deserving of censure if they We have only touched on the bare fringe of the matter, accept a specification which cannot be understood. We Inventors with grievances will assuredly make themselves say nothing here about provisional specifications ; these heard in Parliament before many months are over unless have come to be a bye-word and reproach, instead of a change for the better is effected in the administration being what they were once, most ingeniously and even of the British patent law. craftily, drawn documents. Possibly the talent of the

patent lawyer has never been more fully manifested than it    A new analysis of water.

nas been in the wording of some of these preliminary papers. We confine our attention now to the complete specification. The law concerning this document is extremely clear and precise. It must be so worded that any competent person with it before him can make the thing patented without the exercise of inventive power on his part. The law does not declare that the specification must be so worded that ignorant and uneducated persons can use it; but it does declare that specialists shall be able to use it. For example, let it be supposed that a new watch escapement is patented. Then the specification must be so drawn that an escapement maker can, with no other assistance, turn out one of the patented escapements.

If a valve gear is described the description must be so clear that steam engine makers can produce a valve gear of the kind without any further aid or explanation. If the specification does not comply with this condition it is bad in law, and of no effect. Now the amateur taker-out of patents can hardly ever be got to understand this, and his object is not to tell too much — this is also the object of some persons who are certainly in no sense amateurs. Here there is one source of trouble brought about by the direct contact of a Government department with the general public. But there is worse to come. Among the great body of Englishmen it is almost impossible to find persons who can write a brief intelligible description of any machine or implement. To do this sort of writing requires a special training special “gift.” If such work is almost impossible to persons of good education, what must it be to men who can write and spell only with difficulty; whose vocabulary is very limited; and who entirely lack the power of orderly disciplined thought, which is essential to precision and clearness in writing. How can such men prepare their own specifications? To put it in the mildest possible way, the result is not such a document as the law not only contemplates but demands. 11 is pure nonsense. Under the old law there were virtually two examiners—the clerks to the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General—and as a rule these gentlemen were able to discriminate, and did discriminate, between nonsense and sense. No one says they were perfect; but, at all events, they took very good care that the specifications complied with the law up to a certain point. There is now at the Patent-office a very large staff of examiners, costing some £10,000 a year, and they permit the most unmitigated rubbish to pass without a word of remonstrance.

It will be said—indeed, we have heard it said—that it is not the duty of the Patent-office officials to amend specifications. With this we cordially agree. As a matter of fact, however, the officials do amend specifications, and even put in claims not contemplated by the inventor. They even supply him with modifications and devices which he or she never dreamed of. While it is quite unwarrantable to take action in this manner, it is hardly less improper to suffer unintelligible specifications to pass muster. Any Examiner must know whether the specification he reads can or cannot be understood. He can see whether it is fairly good English or not. If it is not, then it ought to be returned to the applicant endorsed “unintelligible.”

Again, the new law, and the staff employed under it, are supposed to give all the aid possible to inventors. This end is certainly not secured by passing specifications which are so incomplete that they cannot be worked from. It may be asked,—How is the Examiner to know whether they can or can not ? Nothing is more easy. It only requires that the Examiners shall be specialists. Thus, a chemist should have all the chemical patents handed over to him ; a metallurgist or a mining engineer should deal with patents relating to minerals, and so on. Can it be supposed for a moment that had a chemist examined the specification of a patent for obtaining gold from wheat straw, which recently appeared in our correspondence columns, he would not at once have rejected it as either the work of some practical joker, or that of a man utterly and densely ignorant of chemistry?

It may be urged that if this were done the line would be drawn too hard and fast by specialists, and injustice would be committed. Those who argue in this way seem to imagine that the verdict of a junior Examiner is final.

We contemplate nothing of the kind. Over the Examiners should be a head—a man possessing an intimate acquaint-

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FOREIGN AGENTS FOR THE SALE OF THE ENGINEER.

PARIS.—Madame Boyveau, Rue de la Banque.

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

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

LEIPSIC.—A. Twietmeyer, Bookseller.

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

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

*»* All letters intended for insertion in The Engineer, or containing questions, must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publication, but as a proof of good faith. No notice whatever will be taken of anonymous communications.

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

*** 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 oo'der 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.

F. Y.—A letter addressed, “ Sunderland" will find him.

W. E. C.—The crystals are probably potash; they are of no value.

J. G.— We do not publish descriptions of inventions which have not undergone some test.

R. G. W. (Glasgow).—In this matter, which involves several points, we must refer you to your solicitor.

DECOUNDON’S HYDROMETER.

(To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,—Will any of your numerous readers inform me from whore I can purchase a Decoundon’s hydrometer for indicating the depth of water in bore holes?    A. D.

King’s Lynn, November 16th.

TURBINES.

(To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,—I had a 1 Jin. pipe, with a fall of 20ft , laid some time ago to fill a cistern. Will any reader kindly inform me if the power could be utilised with a turbine to drive a small back-geared lathe, saw bench, and fan; if it can, will he please say approximate horse-power, size, and approximate cost of turbine?    Ipse Dixit.

Corris, Novomber 14th.    _

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MEETINGS NEXT WEEK.

The Institution of Civil Engineers, 25, Great George-street, Westminster, S.W.—Tuesday, Nov. 24th, at 8 p.m.: Ordinary meeting. Papers to be read with a view to discussion : “ High-speed Motors,” by Mr. John Imray, M.A., M. Inst. C.E. “Continuous-current Dynamo-electric Machines, and their Engines,” by Mr. Gisbert Kapp, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.

Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians, 25, Great-

George-street, 8.W.-Thursday, Nov. 26th, at 8 p.m., tne following

paper will be read:—“On the Necessity for a National Standardising Laboratory for Electrical Instruments,” by Mr. J. A. Fleming, M.A.,

THE ENGINEER

NOVEMBER 20, 1885.

PATENT-OFFICE ADMINISTRATION.

The letters on Patent-office administration which have recently appeared in our columns but faintly indicate the set of the tide of popular feeling. On all sides we hear complaints, and the echo of complaints, referring to almost every branch of patent work done in Southampton-buildings. We have no intention of formulating these strictures. Summed up, they amount to a general impeachment of everyone concerned, from the Board of Trade down. We have personally investigated some of the charges brought against the administrators of the patent law; and in no case have we found them exaggerated. Indeed, mistakes have been made which are ludicrous to the last degree ; while errors far more serious will in all probability produce before long results which cannot be contemplated without some concern. All this is due to two causes. The first is ignorance of their duties on the part of most of the officials, and, secondly, a devoted adherence to red tape.

When the new Act on Patents came into operation, no one quite understood what the effect of the Act would be, or how it was to be carried out. The new staff was selected by the Board of Trade, and it does not appear that any of its members possessed a special knowledge of patents or patent law, or knew precisely what he was expected to do. Now the Act entirely revolutionised Patent-office practice, and old precedents became useless.

Little attention has yet been directed to a remarkable investigation conducted by Dr. Dupr6, which may be said to embody a discovery replete with important results, bearing on the purity of our water supply. That which has long existed as a reproach in the analytical department of chemistry appears at last to be undergoing removal, and a new aspect is being given to the phenomena connected with the pollution of water. Chemistry is now gaining a triumph where the microscope has either partially or wholly failed. A new power of dealing with a great sanitary problem is thus obtained, and a field is being entered upon which may prove very much wider than can at present be realised. A few years ago a sample of water, to which a portion of typhoid virus had been added, was sent for analysis to Dr. Frankland, Dr. Duprd, and Professor Wanklyn. All three failed to detect the zymotic poison, and their analyses were such as wonld allow the water to pass as wholesome. Armed with his new weapon of research, Dr. Duprd would not thus be foiled again. But while there is thus the power of detecting serious mischief where none might otherwise be suspected, there is something to be said on the other side. The world may sometimes complain that science is more successful in detecting the agencies of death than in giving protection to human life. It would seem, according to some discoveries, that we ought all to have been dead long ago, and that our existence is almost an anomaly. It is encouraging, therefore, to find that this new analysis shows some existing fears to be groundless; while it clearly indicates where danger is to be apprehended. Concerning the discovery itself, it may be said that chemists have for some time been feeling after it, though they have failed to strike upon the actual path leading to it. Dr. Angus Smith tried to gain the secret as to the presence of undetected living organisms in water, by measuring the evolved hydrogen. Dr. Koch has made the organisms show themselves by g them with gelatine, so that they might grow and multiply. Dr. Dupre’s method is the reverse of that employed by Dr. Angus Smith, inasmuch as he measures the amount of absorbed oxygen. It differs also from that of Dr. Koch, in that it is not dependent on the process of cultivation, and it also affords a means of estimating whether the organisms are of a dangerous character or otherwise. Dr. Koch’s method is good, but we are posed to say that Dr. Duprd’s is better, and calculated to lead to a larger class of results. It throws considerable light on zymotic phenomena, and affords conclusions of a very precise and refined character.

In reference to this subject, a valuable thpugh brief report by Dr. Dupre is given in the Supplement to the Annual Report of the Local Government Board, published a few days ago. In the preface to this supplementary volume, the Medical Officer of the department, Dr. George Buchanan, bears very decided testimony to the importance of Dr. Dupre’s investigations, and speaks of his researches as apparently forming a new departure in our methods of detection respecting the sanitary quality of waters. The pages from the pen of Dr. Dupr6 abound with interesting facts, and will amply recompense a careful perusal. To ascertain the degree of organic impurity in a sample of water, and to estimate the amount of “ previous animal contamination,” may be said to represent the highest attainment of chemistry hitherto in respect to the water question, apart from the investigations of Dr. Dupr6, unless we make a partial exception in favour of Dr. Koch. The point now reached is far more advanced. We are told not merely what is the amount of organic impurity, but what portion of this is due to the actual presence of microphytes. Dr. Koch can discern the living organisms by the time he has fattened and multiplied them ; but the other and more complete method lays hold of the organisms at once, and measures their proportions. Not only so, but it gives us a fair clue to the amount of vitality possessed by these creatures, and the comparatively harmless or dangerous character which they possess. To distinguish between the dead and the living matter, and to off the latter, is an achievement which brings us into direct contact with the enemy against which the sanitarian has to contend. As a singular result we may note what takes place with regard to the water of the Trafalgar-square well. Here, according to the usual chemical testimony, is

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an immaculate source of supply. Under the permanganate test this water appears as possessing a first-class character, the amount of oxygen absorbed being exceedingly small. But Dr. Dupre takes a sample of this water ana agitates it so as to produce complete aeration. The oxygen contained in the absorbed air is reckoned at 100 for the sake of a standard. Due precautions, of course, are adopted so as to avoid disturbing influences. The water, after being kept in a properly closed vessel for about ten days, and maintained at a temperature of 20 deg. Cent., is tested in order to ascertain how much of the oxygen has been abstracted from the dissolved air. At the close of the experiment it was found that the Trafalgar-square water, instead of containing the full quantum of dissolved atmospheric oxygen, had lost nearly 30 per cent., or about 0T8 grains per gallon. So much oxygen had been consumed. The researches of Dr. Tyndall show that dead organic matter will not absorb oxygen from the atmosphere. Let only absolutely pure air have access to soup, and the latter may be kept undecomposed for an indefinite period. It was, we believe, while observing the state of the water in the vicinity of the main drainage outfalls at Barking and Crossness, that Dr. Dupre was led to certain conclusions as to the effect of living organisms on sewage pollution. He inferred that free oxygen did not directly destroy sewage. It served to stimulate the life of those minute creatures which feed on the sewage ; but where the oxygen is wanting there the microphytes will be absent, and dead organic matter will remain undestroyed. The disappearance of a certain portion of the oxygen in the Trafalgar-square water is traced to the presence of microphytes, whose existence demands a due supply of oxygen. It is not likely that the result is due to the presence of vegetable life, seeing that vegetation gives off oxygen instead of absorbing it. Thus, river plants exercise a beneficial influence on a polluted stream by affording a supply of free oxygen. If neither dead organic matter nor vegetation is at work to absorb the oxygen of the Trafalgar-square water, then the disappearance of dissolved oxygen must be due to the presence of animal life. The difference between the permanganate test and that afforded by a(Jration is very marked. The water from the Trafalgar-square well consumes nearly twenty times as much oxygen from the dissolved air as it does from the permanganate. The latter simply yields up oxygen once for all, whereas the dissolved air is furnishing a supply every moment for a period of days. What the microphytes take in ten minutes is thus multiplied more than a thousand times, and the continuous process yields the larger result.

But is the water of the Trafalgar-square well actually bad because it is thus discovered to contain living organisms? This carries us on to a further test. The water is boiled previous to aeration, and after that there is no disappearance of oxygen. Why? Because the animal organisms have been killed. The progressive consumption of oxygen has ceased, and the water remains fully aerated after the ten days have expired. If the water is heated to GO deg. Cent, for three hours, and then fully aerated, the subsequent loss of oxygen is 3 per cent., the oxygen consumed being 0'018 grains per gallon. This is small, and approaches the limit of experimental error, stated to be 2 per cent., though it may possibly show that some of the organisms are able to withstand a heat which comes short of the boiling point. At all events, the surrender of life is sufficient to show that the water is safe. The facts seem to prove that the absolute exclusion of animal life from the water supply goes beyond the provision of nature. Dr. Koch allows a water to be wholesome, providing his germ “ colonies ” do not exceed a certain number in a given quantity of water. Dr. Dupr6 took a sample of water from the mains of the Chelsea Company, and found that the oxygen absorbed by it from the permanganate was six times as much as that taken up by the Trafalgar-square water. But under the aeration test, the Chelsea water appeared even better than the other, until the plan was adopted of heating the water to 80 deg. Cent., when the consumption of oxygen became 0’0G7 grains per gallon, as against absolutely none. Even after the addition of gelatine, the water from Trafalgar-square scarcely absorbs any of the dissolved oxygen, providing the water is previously heated to GO or 80 <1 eg. Cent. An instructive contrast is afforded by experiments on weak London sewage—that is to say, 5 per cent, of sewage in distilled water. After being heated to GO deg. Cent, for three hours this mixture is found to assimilate very nearly as much oxygen from the dissolved air as before. When we come to the series of experiments with peaty water, we are shown how great is the difference between dead matter and living organisms. A sample of peaty water from the river Ure, at Ripon, absorbed nearly four times as much oxygen from the permanganate as we observed in the case of the Chelsea water. After being heated to GO deg. Cent., the water from the Ure remained nearly wholly aerated, the consumption of oxygen being little more than 3 per cent. Some striking facts are recorded respecting the water supply of Kidderminster, such as may throw light on the presence of fever in that town some little time ago. In September, 1884, a sample of water from the lower well at Kidderminster was found to lose nearly 30 per cent, of its aeration under Dr. Duprd’s test. In the following November the well had been improved and repaired, when the consumption of oxygen fell to 8 per cent.

Some of the experiments by Dr. Dupre demonstrate that there are instances in which the usual analytical methods entirely fail to discover any difference between pure water and that which has been absolutely infected. Yet in such instances the oxygen test gives unmistakeable results. The minute degree of pollution which can thus be detected is altogether surprising. But Dr. Dupro is careful not to be too positive in his conclusions. He says a water which does not diminish in its degree of aeration, or which, in other words, does not consume any oxygen from the dissolved air, may or may not contain organic matter, but presumably does not contain growing organisms. Such organic Wfltter, therefore, as it may on analysis be found to contain, need not be considered as “dangerous organic impurity.” In the next place, a water which by itself, or after the addition of gelatine or other appropriate cultivating matter, consumes oxygen from the dissolved air at lower temperatures, but does not consume any after heating for three hours to 00 deg. Cent., may be regarded as containing living organisms, but not any of a kind able to survive exposure to that temperature. If the water continues to consume oxygen from its contained air after the temperature has been raised to 60 deg. Cent., such water is to be regarded as containing spores or germs of organisms that can survive that temperature. It may be suggested that the lower forms of life, being less delicately organised than the higher, are less easily destroyed, and are in this instance more dangerous to the human race. Whatever may be the exact truth on this point, the world at large may be congratulated on the fact that scientific research is attaining to more correct knowledge as to the presence or absence of danger in the water supply. In addition, the philosophy associated with the researches of Dr. Dupre promises to give us further insight into the sewage problem as affecting both water and air. The questions at issue have a practical relation to the water supply of London and other places, and to the drainage of towns. As Dr. Buchanan has expressed it, we are now favoured with “a new departure” on a subject which eminently required it.

THE FRENCH “ TELEORAnilE OrTIQUE ” AND ENGLISH VISUAL SIGNALLING.

An admirable series of articles has recently appeared in le Genie Civil, contributed by M. Maxde Nansouty, on the French telegraphy by sight signals, a work which has been pushed to greater lengths as to scientific development in France than in England, although some of the conceptions are pretty and ingenious rather than useful. For example, we can hardly conceive that the spectacle will often be exhibited of a flag ship with a concave reflector presented upwards, flashing an electric light on a white balloon 50ft. in the air above, and so sending orders on the Morse system to the rest of the fleet. The conditions suitable for such an operation would, we think, be seldom found. Still, clear air, vessels at anchor, and time to make gas and send up the balloon will seldom, we fancy, accompany the need for very important signalling. The programme, at all events, is one which we think more suited for peace experiments than for use in war. A good deal of the highly-developed instrumental signalling is, however, not of this character. There is no reason why instruments with electric lights, and provided with accurate reflectors and telescopes, should not be employed in permanent positions. Detached works in a siege might often benefit by such means of communication when others would be impossible. We think these articles altogether of such importance and interest that we give a curtailed translation of them elsewhere, reproducing nearly all the illustrations. Speaking generally, it will be found that while the same ideas are common to the English and French services, the French have developed them into a strictly scientific shape, and the English, while leaving them rather in the rough, have chiefly aimed at perfection in the working of them. Thus, the English use signals by flags, heliograph, collapsing drum shutter, hand-light, limelight, and oxygen light, according to circumstances, but seldom employing lenses to direct the light. The French, on the other hand, have their lights placed in instruments constructed mathematically, to throw the light to the maximum distance, furnished with glasses for reading the signals in reply. Our engineers exhibit a light projector of Le Monnier, and a mirror of Cardew’s, in the Inventions Exhibition, but we have done little in this way in comparison with France. Nothing can be more concise and clear as to practical directions than the English army official book on signalling. Thus the conditions when mounted orderlies are the best means of communication are laid down. The superiority of a written message is insisted on. The principle that the business of a signal-station is not to collect but to repeat information, and that all the work of condensation should be done before the message is delivered to the station at all, is put powerfully and decidedly enough to make the reader feel that he has before him the pithy directions of one who has grasped the work and the dangers and difficulties that beset it. Whether by land or sea, we find the same character attaching to the English and French systems, even after making much allowance for the fact that the English book we have referred to is an official text-book, whose range is necessarily different from that of the papers in the Genie Civil. For example, leaving the army work and coming to what is done in the navy, we find that our ships have carried on communications when over the horizon by flashing electric Morse signals against a cloud which was visible to both sending and receiving ships, but the light was not scientifically brought into a parallel beam. The special instance to which we have referred was when two divisions of ships were separated by high land, and the distance was not a great number of miles. Clearly for great distances it would be advantageous to employ such instruments as are adopted in France, even when the light is projected on to a cloud for general observation, much more when directed on to one station, and when it may be desirable that it should not be read by others, as in the case of a position with an enemy in close proximity. Without doubt a danger exists, on the other hand, of being drawn into a system of elaborate signalling which in time of peace may be admirable because it is conducted by highly-trained men, but which might break down in war when the services of numbers of less well-trained operators would be sure to be brought into requisition, and when the work would be conducted under all sorts of difficulties. Clearness and freedom from error is no doubt of vital importance. We think we detect in the recognition of the evil of a message not being recorded when sent, and at the attempts to record them automatically, a sign that the French have suffered from mistakes made in heliograph signalling. In our own navy it is considered that in actual action flag signalling is much <o be preferred to other systems, and is to be then altogether employed. Obviously, signals that are exhibited in rapid succession are not applicable to the issue of general orders, which have probably to be read under the difficulty of interruptions arising from smoke of firing and the like. For this purpose it is far better to have a combination of flags flying together, which express for a reasonable time, however roughly, a complete order. Semaphore signalling is now much used in our navy for exchange of individual messages—for example, between a ship and shore. This system is three or four times as rapid as the Morse, because the latter requires repeated signals on the dot and dash principle for the single letters. The naval hand-flag signalling by men is carried out but very roughly. The use of both arms is thought to be better than the single flag system of the army by some, on the ground that the signals are less liable to be mistaken. All details are left to the flag lieutenant of any fleet to work out for himself.

The fact is that the suitability of any method of signalling depends on conditions which may escape notice. For example, Colonel Yonge, R.A, devised what appears to us on the whole an admirable system, based on the position of the figures of a clock. This is the most readily learned of any. The position of each figure on a clock is familiar to nearly everyone. Thus F, the sixth letter, was vertically downwards; L, the twelfth, was upright; and so on. A distinction was made between the first and second rounds, and two rounds provided the twenty-four letters employed. This system was used, we believe, by the Austrians in their army operations in Turkey. Clearly the recommendation of this system is that intelligent men can use it slowly almost without any training at all. On the other hand, men well trained to other systems would fail to feel the advantage of it. The signals require to be always made in a clear, all round space to be seen, but it undoubtedly has the advantage of speed. Our object, however, is not to get drawn into the discussion of particular systems, further than it may serve to illustrate any class of work broadly. On the whole, as we have said, while our English signalling has been carried out, so far as it goes, on clear, business-like lines, it has not been sufficiently developed. The powerful instruments which have been so far perfected by the French should, think, be tried, and brought into use in our larger signalling operations from positions of a permanent character, where well-trained men would be found, where long range would be a great object, and where the work would not be liable to be disturbed by the incidents which accompany field operations.

IMPORTANT DRAINAGE UNDERTAKING.

The Main Drainage Committee of the Richmond—Surrey— Select Vestry after many months’ deliberation have laid before the vestry six schemes for dealing with the sewage of the town and Union, which by Act of Parliament has now to be withdrawn from the Thames, where under previous parliamentary powers it has hitherto been discharged. The several schemes had been laid before the Committee by various engineers. Mr. Wentworth Shields proposed to take the sewage of the Union of Greenford, Middlesex, and there purify it, sending into the river Brent. The cost would be £207,783. Mr. H. M. Ramsey proposed Burton-lane, IJanworth, as a purification site. The estimated cost for Richmond, Petersham, and Ham would be £23,030, exclusive of engineering charges and other contingencies. Another plan by Mr. Ramsay would cost £31,980. Messrs. Russ and Snelgrove proposed a site of twenty-two and a-half acres at Hounslow, separated from Hounslow Heath by the South-Western Railway. The sewage would be collected by an intercepting machine along the river bank, and delivered by a tunnel from the parish yard, a distance of four or five miles, direct to the land, where it would be raised by pumping about 100ft. to the surface and purified by intermittent filtration. The effluent water would be carried back along ti e public roads to the Thames above Richmond, or by cast iron pipes into the main tunnel and discharged into the river at Richmond. No ventilating shafts would be necessary for the tunnel, as effective ventilation could be secured at the parish yard from an existing shaft. The machine proposed to be used would be Mr. Crampton’s tunnelling machine. The total cost for Richmond alone is estimated at £54,500, or for the Union £68,457. Messrs. Gotto and Beesley submitted a scheme with Barnes as the purification site; the estimated cost for the Richmond Union is £60,000. Mr. Melliss proposed a site of sixty acres at Southall, at a cost of £132,000. In all the above schemes the annual charge varied from a 5d. to a 7^d. rate in the pound. Mr. Melliss submitted a further scheme. He proposed to take the sewage to Mortlake, within the Richmond Union, and about a mile and a-half outside the town of Richmond. The land would be about ten acres in extent, and is offered by Captain Fitzgerald for £12,000. The sewage would there be dealt with by chemical filtration and precipitation, the effluent passing into the Thames. There would be a collecting sewer along the river bank at Richmond, and a main sewer thence to Mortlake. The total cost for dealing with the Richmond Union was estimated at £96,650—putting the land at £14,000--and the annual charge 6|d. in the pound. If Richmond alone was dealt with on the same site the estimated cost is £71,361, and the annual rate 7^d. During a consideration of the foregoing schemes the vestry were further advised to revert to a project proposed last year by Mr. Abernethy. Ultimately they have decided to adopt the last of the schemes enumerated—Mr. Melliss’s Mortlake scheme—for Richmond town, and steps are now being taken to obtain the Local Government Board’s sanction necessary to carry it into effect.

STEAMSHIP INSURANCE.

Tn some of the north-eastern ports, where most of the steamships are insured on the mutual club system, attention is being very directly drawn to the excessive cost of that insurance. A steamship, for instance, which carries a cargo of rather over 1000 tons, paid for insurance between the 12th March and the 24th September the very large amount of £767. This included £70 for indemnity, demurrage, freight, and protection associations; but it will be noticed that the amount paid for insurance of the vessel was still close upon £700, a heavy amount for a comparatively small vessel for about six months ; and when the comparative pressure of this payment on certain trades is remembered, it will not be a matter for wonder that there is a growing feeling of discontent. We believe that this is chiefly due to the fact that there is no discrimination as to the “ calls,” that is, that they fall equally on vessels engaged in trades in which there is very unequal risk. A steamer, for instance, in

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the American and European trade may be said to be a risky business, whilst the risk in the Indian trade—India to Europe—is much less, and in the Canal it is minimised. Still, under the system in vogue the ships engaged in these trades pay practically alike, the difference being so slight as to be almost inappreciable. The marine insurance of steamships is comparatively a new application of the principle of loss and of premium, but there has now been time to allow the insurance clubs to discriminate between the steamers engaged in trades in which there is a marked degree of difference in the risk of casualty and loss. If this were done there would be a very great change in the incidence of the calls of the mutual insurance clubs, the risk would be better appreciated and apportioned to the respective trades, and it would soon lead to some attempt to make trades which are now very risky more safe by the adoption of means fitted to that end. One of the needs of the marine insurance world, and one of those which the owners of steamships should press for, is for a more fair division of the loss, the levying of the cost of that loss in something more like a proportion on the trades which contribute to it.

THE LEAD-MINING INDUSTRY.

Sir Theodore Martin, who is chairman of the Minera lead mines in Wales, has recently stated that up to the end of 1882 there were 132 lead mines in Great Britain shut up, and since that time thirty-seven more mines had been closed. Wages ceased, and employment ceased, and 30,000 able-bodied miners thrown idle. The cause, he said, was the same now as it ever was. In 1882 the imports of lead into this country 99,000 tons ; in 1883 the imports increased to 124,000 tons, and in 1884 to 186,000 tons. This ore came chiefly from Spain, and it was admitted into this country perfectly free from duty, to compete with Welsh ore. Sir Theodore pointed out how possible it was for Welshmen to raise the ore at the same price as it was raised in Spain. Not only were the Welsh mines deeper, but the best miners in Spain were only paid Is. 2d. per day. Sir Theodore might have found even stronger instances in the depression in lead industry if he had referred to Derbyshire. < )f all the many prosperous companies which once existed in that county, only one continues to be profitable. That is the Millclose, in South Derbyshire, from which Mr. Wass drew income of £20,000 a year. That of late has been reduced to a large extent. But Derbyshire had at one time the Eyam, where £40,000 were sunk ; the Magpie, which exhausted £25,000 ; the Peak Forest, Hill Top, Mill Dam, and many others. The Eyam mine reads like a romance. There were 1400 shares, upon which £3 each was paid. One day the men came on a cavern filled with lumps of ore as big as their hands. The lead was covered over with earth, but on being broken through it shone like a mirror. Through this lucky find the shareholders had £1 per share per month dividend, equal to 400 per cent., and all £3 shares jumped up to £65. In Mill Dam the capital was £16,000, held by seventy shareholders, and at one time the mine paid three dividends in the year, amounting in all to 20 per cent. \\ ar and peace, as well as hostile tariffs, affect the lead-mining industry. When the Russian campaign was raging lead fetched £25 per ton, and at the time of Don Carlos’ last efforts in Spain it was also at a profitable price, but now it is under £12 per ton at the mine, and even that low figure is reduced by 3s. per ton carriage to the station, and 2^ per cent, discount at Manchester. There is no doubt that the glory of the Derbyshire lead mining, which goes back to the days of the Romans, is gone for ever.

STEEL SLEEPERS AGAIN.

1 hr tables have been quickly turned upon the Belgian steel-sleeper manufacturers. The Tredegar Company has been cessful in getting the contract for the second lot of 250 tons, which the Midland Company early inquired for after the Belgians had taken the first tenders ; and the contract price has been considerably below that of the Belgians. The explanation of this sudden change in price in favour of the native product cannot, we think, be found in the Tredegar or any other concern having laid down a special plant since the placing of the first contract—the interval has been too short. For some time Tredegar has been executing orders for sleepers for the Indian railways. The Darlington Steel and Iron Company is rapidly preparing to enter the business, and upon the West Coast steel sleepers are being turned out briskly. It would, therefore, appear that the success on the present occasion is to be attributed rather to a determination not at any cost to a second time allow the order to go abroad. One hundred thousand tons would be required annually, were the metal sleepers to be adopted on the English lines, to replace the wooden ones. Here, then, is a fine field for operations, and the change of front is a matter for great satisfaction. A weight of something like 750 tons of sleepers has just been distributed by the Dutch State lines to Belgian and German steelmasters, and early orders expected by them from the Government of the Netherlands' But English mills will, we feel sure, execute English orders.

AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVES FOR NEW SOUTH WALES.

The following advertisement appears in the New York papers :—

TO LOCOMOTIVE BUILDERS.

Sealed Tenders are invited for the building of twelve (12) Express 1 lissenger Locomotive Engines for the Government of New South Wales. Specifications, Blue Prints, and other particulars to be had on application to the subscribers. Tendors must all be in on or before 20th November

R. W. CAMERON & CO." oo o n. -nrjin i Agents for the Government of New South Wales. 23, South William-street,

New York, 30th October, 1885.

A similar advertisement has appeared in our own pages. Where will the contract be placed ? And why ?

Death of Mr. Frederick Swanwick.—The Leeds Mercury announces the death, at the advanced age of 76 years, of Mr. Frederick Swanwick, of Whittington House, near Chesterfield, who was for many years assistant and private secretary to George Stephenson. Mr. Swanwick was a native of Leeds, and first de the acquaintance of Stephenson during the construction of the Manchester and Liverpool Railway. At the opening, in September, 1830, of the line, the pioneer of the English railway system, one of the eight locomotives, the Arrow, was driven by Mr. Swanwick The deceased gentleman made many of the surveys for the North Midland lines from Derby to Leeds; and as railways and everybody connected with them were regarded with no little amount of suspicion in those days, his task proved at times most harassing and difficult. On one occasion Mr. Swanwick climbed a wall, and found himself in the private park of Mr. Charles "Water-ton, the well-known naturalist. He at once decided to carry the line through another portion of the estate; and, in company with Mr. Hunt, the solicitor for the promoters, subsequently waited upon Mr. Waterton to secure his assent to the construction of the ine In the course of conversation, Mr. Waterton, unaware of the identity of Mr. Hunt’s Companion, remarked: “I understand that a fellow of the name of Swanwick, one of your engineers, once came into my park intending to bring the line tbis way. As sure A⁸ I am alive I would have shot him.”

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PNEUMATIC SYSTEM AS APPLIED TO TELEGRAPH PURPOSES.

By J. W. WlLLMOT *

It is probably not generally known by what means telegraphic messages are collected from the branch offices in large towns and conveyed to the central office for transmission by wire. This service is performed by means of pneumatic tubes through which “carriers” containing the actual written messages are propelled— in one direction by compressed air and in the opposite direction by rarefaction of the air in the tube. A specimen of the carriers used may be seen on the table. The system was first introduced by Mr. L. Clark, in 1854, who employed vacuum, drawing the carriers in one direction only. The first tube which came into operation was laid for the Electric Telegraph Company between their office in Lothbury and their branch office at the Stock Exchange. This tube was in continuous use for over twenty years, and from a piece whicli I have here it will be seen that, beyond the inner surface that in which they were drawn by vacuum, and very ingenious valves were at that time designed by him for effecting the necessary changes in the direction of the flow of air through the tubes. With each of the foregoing systems it was necessary, after the transmission of a carrier, to restore the pressure in the tube to the normal atmospheric pressure before another carrier could be despatched. This caused considerable delay and loss of engine power.

In 1870 the author designed the double sluice valve which is now in general use, and by means of which carriers can be despatched continuously without stopping the flow of air in the tube. The sectional and other diagrams fully explain how this is accomplished, the principle being that the upper sluice shall be closed before the lower one is opened, and vice versd. The employment of pneumatic tubes in London has been continually increasing, until the system, which in 1854 was represented by one 6-horse power engine working a single tube a few yards in length, at the present time comprises four 50-horse power engines, each indicating 130 horse power, and forty-nine tubes, the aggregate length of which exceeds twenty-seven miles. These figures are exclusive of over a mile in short lengths of house tubes also worked by the engines, as well as of over a dozen hand-worked tubes in various metropolitan offices. The use of pneumatic tubes, however, has not been restricted to London alone. Each town, as it has become telegraphically important, has been provided with a pneumatic system. A list is appended giving particulars of engines and tubes at present in use at the various important cities and towns of the United Kingdom. From this it will be seen that there are in London and the provinces one hundred and twelve tubes having a total length of over thirty-nine miles, and requiring fourteen engines, having a total of 364 nominal horse-power, to work them.

To these should be added, in order to fairly represent the pneumatic system, ninety-five shorter hand-worked tubes fitted at various less important places. With the air-pressure employed— 10 lb. pressure and 8 lb. vacuum—an approximate speed of one mile in seventy seconds is attained in tubes not exceeding a mile in length. The speed varies inversely as the square of the length of the tube. The pipes generally employed are of lead, having an

CARRIER

(C.P.CYLtrjDER FELT COVERED)

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internal diameter of 2fin. These pipes are carefully drawn, and are joined together by means of a plumber’s joint made upon a heated steel mandril, which is drawn out by means of a chain after the joint has been made. The lead tubes are protected by being laid in ordinary cast iron socket and spicket pipes. In view of the anticipated increase in the number of messages which will result from the introduction of the sixpenny telegram tariff, considerable extension of the existing pneumatic system has been made at several places, more especially at Liverpool. At that place six new tubes have been laid, and three 30-horse power beam engines— each indicating up to 90-horse power—have been erected. Of these engines two are kept working, and one as spare. They were designed and constructed under the personal supervision of the author, and were made by Messrs. Easton and Anderson, of Whitehall-place, London, and Erith, Kent. The following is a detailed description of their general arrangement:—

The machinery as shown consists of three engines, each working two pneumatic pumps, any two engines being capable of doing the full amount of work required. The third engine is kept in reserve. Steam is supplied from two multitubular Cornish boilers, one boiler being sufficient to work at one time. The engines are high-pressure condensing beam engines, and are completely self-contained on one continuous cast iron bed-plate. The beam, which is cast iron, is supported by two A frames of box section bolted on to the bed-plate. These also carry the entablature round the beam. The bed-plate itself is bolted down to brick piers. Placed under each extreme end of the beam, and connected to the air and vacuum mains, is a double-acting air pump of 2ft. diameter and 3ft. llin. stroke. At top and bottom of each pump on one side is a nest of valves, which valves open outwards, and on the other side are valves similarly arranged which open inwards. On the passages between the valves and the pneumatic mains is a three-way sluice communicating either with pressure mains or with the atmosphere. Thus it will be seen that, if the sluice on that side of a pump on which are the valves which open inwards be open to the atmosphere while the sluice the opposite side is open to the pressure main, the pump will take by suction from the air and deliver air after compression into the pressure main. Similarly if the sluice the inlet side of the pump be open to the vacuum main while the sluice on the opposite side is open to the air, the pump will exhaust from the vacuum main and deliver to the air. Consequently the pumps are interchangeable and may be worked at will for either pressure or vacuum. This arrangement is very simple, there being only two sluice valves on each pump instead of four, as in some other instances. Each pump is provided with a 2in. relief valve,

* British Association.

so that the change from pressure to vacuum may be made while the engine is running without unduly raising the pressure in the pumps. The pressure and vacuum pump valves are of leather, each valve having an area of 10 square inches. The steam cylinder is 18in. in diameter, with 2ft. 7in. stroke, steam jacketted, and lagged with felt and teak in the usual way. It is placed bet the rear pump and the main A frames.

The main slide valve is worked from an ordinary excentric on the crank-shaft, but the expansion slide has an independent motion from the beam. A wrought iron lever is pivotted on a casting on the entablature frame. One end of the lever is connected by a. link to the beam, while the other is connected to the expansion valve spindle which passes through a “bow bracket” on the top of the slide chest cover. A bevel pinion on the slide rod gears into another small pinion in connection with a hand wheel carried by means of the above-mentioned bow bracket, by which the expansion may readily be varied while the engine is running. The steam starting valve and injection cock are in close proximity, so that the engine man has all the means of regulating his engine close at hand. The air pump and condenser are fixed underneath the bed plate. The former is bolted to the bed-plate, and is worked direct from the beam by the same system of parallel motion as the engine, piston, and pump rods. The condenser is of the ordinary jet description. In event, however, of shortness of water for condensation, provision has been made for working the engines noncondensing, exhausting the steam into the chimney shaft. As, however, arrangements are being made to cool and circulate the condensing water, it is only in very exceptional circumstances that it will be necessary to work non-condensing. The connecting-rod is of cast iron, with the same stroke of crank as that of the piston. The entablatures which surround each beam are connected together, and are reached by a wrought iron stair from the engine-room floor.

The two steam boilers are of the multitubular Cornish type, 6ft. 6in. diameter and 20ft. l^in. long, with double flues, the flues terminating in seventy-four tubes, 3in. diameter and 6ft. long. The boilers are set on cast iron chairs, with a return flue first underneath the boilers, dividing in front and returning along either side to the back, where the draught enters the main flue to the chimney shaft. The boilers are of mild steel throughout, and have been tested with hydraulic pressure up to 1501b. on the square inch to work at 70 lb. steam pressure. It was found in working that one boiler was quite capable of providing steam for the two engines with the damper partially closed ; on opening the damper the steam very soon began to blow off at the safety valves. The boilers are fitted with double dead-weight safety valves and all other fittings required by steam users. For the supply of feed water each boiler is fitted with an injector, and, in addition, there is a donkey pump connected to both boilers. The engines here described are situated in an engine-house 320 yards distant from the Liverpool head post-office, with which they are connected by two air mains 12in. in internal diameter. These air mains consist of cast iron pipes, with carefully-fitted male and female flanged joints. The joints are packed with thick vulcanised rubber rings between the flanges to allow for contraction and expansion of the pipes, and are perfectly air-tight, with an air pressure of 30 lb. to the square inch.

List showing the Metropolitan and Provincial Pneumatic Tube Systems.

Number

and

description

.. II. of Commons (W. Strand intermediate) ..    ..

West Strand ......

Lower Tbames-street (2) Stock Exchange .. (2) Submarine Company (2) Qresham House .. (2) l.eadenhall-street .. (2)

Anglo-American Comp’ny Founder’s-co’rt, Lothbury

G.N. Telegraph Company j Lloyd’s (Cornhill intermediate) ......

| Baltic Coffee House

; Kastcheap......

Paris and New York Co.! j Western Union Company ' Direct Spanish Company Eastern Telegraph Co. .. Hatton-garden ll.O. .. Uracechurch-street B.O.. Queen Victoria-street B.O. j I Throgmorton-avenueB.O.

| G.P.O. house tubes .. (29)j Submarine Co. .. (spare) General Post-office „ Angel-street .. (spare 4) Submarine Co.. i Threadneedle-street .. i Royal Exchange Threadneedle-str’t (spare) Fetter-lane .. Fleet-street .. (spare 2, Poultry ..    ..| Lombard-street (spare 2)!

Thomas-street......

New Exchange......

Stock Exchange ..

Mosley-street......

Head Post-office ..    ..

N umber of tubes..    5

Birmingham.

Exchange-b’d’gs! New-st. Railway j Cannon-street .

H.P.O.....¹ Cannon-street .

Number of tubes.. 3

Glasgow.

Argyle-street .. Waterloo-street.. (spare) Number of tubes.. 6

Nciccastle-on-Tyne.

H.P.O.....Quayside

Number of tubes.. 1

.    .. j College Green

t Four-courts j Custom House ! Delivery

j Counter ........

Number of tubes.. 5

Total nujnbercf tubes 112

Length of tubes in yards.

Total

length.

3873

254S

3082

2170

1108

1226

1010

1083

1107

927

1280

044

1210

1824 |

1282

157

400

072

00

130

171

40

miles

S'

28

VJM

1170

60

60

107

354

140

! 240

537

917

270

34

270

1    120S

460

SS3

1    954

39    46‘i

To

From

engines.

G.P.O.

London.

•    ■ Four, each H92

spare. 1034

H.P.O.

Three, 3164 each I 1742 30-H.P.,    1320

condensing;, 800 two

working i 740 and

one

spare.

Manchester.

York-street

Two, each | 725 10-H.P.; j 451 one working 413 and one 300 spare. I 225

One

6-H.P.

Station.

510

One    1046

20-H.P.    838

One 8-H.P.    460

G.P.O.

Dublin.

.    .. I    and one

spare.

SPECIAL

MILLING

MACHINE

MESSRS. HETHERINGTON AND CO., MANCHESTER, ENGINEERS.

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The importance of the object to be attained is generally recognised, especially in fleet evolutions, where ships have to keep their stations sometimes in thick weather ; for these a difference of a few revolutions becomes a serious matter. Again, in cases of collision, which, unhappily, too often occur, it is often of vital importance in the inquiry which is usually held, to know the speed of the engines, and whether they are going ahead or astern. In such cases the evidence of an unbiassed witness, such as the automatic speed log above referred to, would be conclusive and unanswerable. The mechanical principle on which the working of the instrument is based is that the variable angular velocity w of a body A can be compared with the constant angular velocity w¹ of another body B, if a point on B at a distance r¹ from its axis of votation has the same linear velocity

as a point on the circumference of A. We then get w = ™ r¹, in which — is constant, and thus w varies as r¹. The condition

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is evidently satisfied by a disc pressing on the surface of a cone revolving at a uniform speed ; for the linear velocity of the point in the perimeter of the disc which is in contact with the cone, being indentical with that of the corresponding point of the , will be proportional to the radius of the corresponding circular section of the cone, and consequently to the distance of the point of contact to the apex of the cone. If, further, the disc forms the nut of a screw rotating in the opposite direction to the cone, and the axis of the screw is placed parallel to the side of the cone, it is obvious that the nut and screw must have the same angular velocity for the nut to be at rest on the screw ; and the disc will therefore take up a different position on the screw as the velocity of the latter changes.

In the instrument at the Exhibition shown in our illustration, the screw B is driven by the shaft whose speed is to be indicated, while the cone A has a constant speed communicated to it by the clockwork. The nut C travels over a scale showing its speed in the various positions, and by a series of electric contact pieces attached to a cable the indications can be repeated as many times as is necessary on dials placed at any distances from the machine. When the engines reverse, a clutch keeps the revolving always in the same direction, and at the same time pulls over a switch placed in the electric circuit, so that the dials show not only the speed but also the direction ahead or astern.

The clock D driving the cone A is wound periodically by the revolving shaft whose speed is being indicated, being thrown automatically in and out of gear by an ingenious device whidi prevents the clock from being either overwound or runmlTg down too far. When the shaft is at rest the clock stops, and starts again the instant the shaft revolves. The Bpeed log is traced by a pencil carried by the nut C on the drum O, which revolves once in twenty-four hours by independent clockwork, the paper being renewed every day. In the newest form, of instrument the clock D is replaced by an electric motor revolving at a constant speed, being controlled by a very perfect governor, the invention of Mr. Adam Hilger, the maker of the machine running at the Exhibition. This, however, can only be applied to ships fitted with the electric light; but it is a very great improvement on the old form of instrument, being both simple and more efficient. For the same clasH of ships, too, it is proposed to adopt a more simple form of dial for indicating the speed away from the instrument, the inventors having the advantage for this purpose of the co-operation of Captain 1*. Cardew, RE , the proposed dial being a modification of the well-known Cardew volt meter.

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The machine illustrated above has been specially designed by Messrs. Hetherington and Co., of Manchester, for facing the various bosses and seatings on mule headstocks at one operation and at one setting, and is intended to supersede the old and costly method of planing. On the table of the machine is a strong chuck bracket—which is not shown in our illustration—so arranged that the mule headstock can be readily chucked into position, and supported whilst being operated upon. The machine itself, as will be seen from our engraving, consists of a strong bed, with table sliding upon it ; attached to the bed on either side are massive double-faced uprights, carrying on the top a strong cross beam. Mounted on the face of the uprights and cross beam are powerfully-geared cutter heads, each having an independent compound movement for the adjustment of the cutters, provision having been made that when the cutters have been finally adjusted the heads can be firmly bolted to uprights, thus ensuring the utmost rigidity. The machine will admit 3ft. 6in. between the uprights, and the table is 6ft. long, with a traverse of 4ft. 6in. There are in all seven cutters, six on the front side of the machine and one at the back, and these seven cutters operate upon the different facings of the mule headstock, finishing them all to standard sizes with once travelling through the machine. The table is arranged with a variable feed and quick-return motion, controlled by a hand wheel at the side of the front upright; this wheel being turned in one direc

tion engages the slow-cutting feed, and turned in the opposite direction causes the table to run back quickly on the return, whilst the middle position disengages both motions, and thus brings the table to a standstill. On the front edge of the table are two stops which act upon the end of a lever coupled with a clutch on the feed-cone pulley, and so arranged that when the stops come in contact with the lever the feed motion or quick return is at once disengaged. A cross handle is also provided for moving the table by hand if necessary. All the motions are driven separately from a counter-shaft carried by two brackets bolted to the back of the uprights and provided with an adjustable strap-shifting apparatus. The headstocks on the uprights are driven by open belts, and those on the cross beam by half cross belts. This arrangement allows the headstocks to be moved in position, when necessary, by altering the length of belt. As already stated, the special feature of this machine is the great saving of labour effected over the old system of planing, and as an illustration of this we may mention that whereas formerly three days were occupied in the planing of a mule headstock, the same result is, with the special milling machine we have described, obtained in two hours ; in addition, the further advantage is secured, that all the headstocks are in exact duplicate, whilst the machine requires no attention after it has been started, the stopping motion coming automatically into action when the table has made the required traverse.

CUTHBERT’S COMBINED TRAP AND GULLEY.

The combined closet, disconnecting trap, and house gulley has been designed and is being used by Mr. Ed. Cuthbert, M.I.C.E., of the Christchurch Drainage Board, Christchurch, New Zealand. It is intended, as will be seen (1), to take the discharge of the soil pipe—he is adopting Sin. diameter soil pipes —(2) to act as a fresh air inlet for the soil pipe, and (3) to take the contents of

SOIL PIPE

THE BLYTHSWOOD INDICATOR.

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the main waste pipe, which in every case is made to discharge openly. Its advantages are that it is evidently self-cleansing, is easily got at in case of an obstruction, and combines in one piece all that is necessary. If it is not convenient to fix the main ventilator where shown, the eye can be plugged up, and the ventilator branch fixed lower down the house connection.

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Society of Arts.—The 1885-6 session of this Society commenced on Wednesday evening, when a very interesting and valuable address was delivered chiefly on explosives, explosive energy, and velocity, by the chairman of the council, Sir Frederick Abel.

South Kensington Museum.—Visitors during the week ending Nov. 14th,

10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Museum, 9432; mercantile marine

The Blythswood speed indicator, of which we give an illustra- T. Goolden, of the firm of Goolden and Trotter, electrical engi-laon above, has beei awarded a gold medal at the Inter- neers, of Westminster. Its object is to indicate the speed of the n itional Inventions Exhibition, and is the joint invention of screw propellor of ships, and at the same time keep a permanent Rkr Archibald C. Campbell, Bari., of Blythswood, and of Mr. W. record or speed log on paper for future reference or comparison.

1885On Monday, Tuesday, ami Saturday, free, from xu ...ii. i/u 10 p.m., Museum, 9432; mercantile marine, Indian section, and other collections, 1986. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, admission 6d., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Museum, 1287 ; mercantile marine, Indian section, and other collections, 76. Total, 12,781. Average of corresponding week in former years, 13,438. Total from the opening of the Museum, 24,436,104.

VERTICAL FLOUR-MILL ENGINES.

MESSRS. J. C. STEVENSON AND CO., TRESTON, ENGINEERS.

EQUILIBRIUM STEAM TRAP.

A simple form of what is usually but erroneously called a “steam trap,” devised by Mr. Jas. Gillies, was shown by Mr. Thos. Potter at the recent Glasgow Mining Exhibition. It has the advantage of being able to work at greatly varying pressures, and of having no pivot or stuffing-box; in fact no working parts but a couple of lifting valves. The casting A A in the annexed section, with inlet I and outlet O, is closed in tight by the cover L L, carrying the seat N of the air valve C. The water of condensation from the steam pipes fills the space between the casing A A and the hollow float D, buoying it up until it overflows the edge and fills it to the level of W. The weight of the float then causes it to fall and draw along with it the seating of the fixed double-beat or equilibrium valve E. The water in the float, under steam pressure, then passes—in

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the direction of the arrows—through the valve, down the central tube H, and out at 0. The empty float is again buoyed up and closes the valve, until the water once more accumulates inside and rises to the level W. The valve C, for the admission of air when the trap is not in use, to prevent a vacuum being formed by condensation of the steam, opens through the weight of the float B, but becomes closed on the latter being buoyed up by the entering water, and is subsequently kept up by the steam pressure on the underside.

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WADDINGTON’S ACCESSORY TO THE SCREW PROPELLER

On Thursday, Sept. 17th, a successful trial was made at Barrow of Mr. John Waddington’s device for steering large or small vessels without a rudder. The patent consists of a drum or cylinder, open at the ends, in which the propeller works. The cylinder is attached to an upright shaft like a rudder, and is worked with the greatest ease on deck by an ordinary tiller. The patent was attached to the screw of Mr. Joseph Loney’s steam launch Annie, whose speed was tried from Ramsdem Dock entrance to the jetty at l’iel, which distance, with a strong opposition tide, was accomplished in exactly twenty-six minutes,

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about eight minutes less time than the boat had ever gone the same distance, and Mr. Loney accounts for this extra speed entirely on account of the steering apparatus. On returning to Barrow speed was not so much tested. Experiments were made in canting the vessel round in the roughest water to be found in the channel, and each circle she made was done almost exactly in her own space, and in less than one minute, though she was going at full speed. The accompanying engraving explains the invention.

Egg

WOOTTEN LOCOMOTIVE FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA AND READING RAILROAD.

21in. 22in. 68in.

Tractive power per pound average pressure in cylinders .. 142⁻71b? Tubes, number.. ..

,, diameter ..

Driving-wheel base ..

Weight on four drivers

iiii

VERTICAL FLOUR-MILL ENGINES.

These engines were made for driving a flour-mill at Wolverhampton, and the particular design shown in our engraving was adopted to suit the peculiar circumstances of the case, no room being available for engines of the horizontal description. As will be seen, the engines are of the vertical inverted cylinder marine type. The cylinders are 18in. diameter, with a stroke of 3ft., and are bolted together in the middle with the steam chests outside. The valves are of the ordinary slide description, with cut-off plates working on the backs of them, and made adjustable while in motion to suit the required grade of expansion. The crank shaft is of the double sweep marine type, with solid coupling end forged on to connect to the mill shafting, the bearings being 7in. diameter by 11 in. long and three in number. The engine bed and the frames on which the cylinders rest are very strong and rigid, and the cylinders are further supported at the front by two wrought iron polished pillars. An air pump is fitted to each and worked from the main crossheads by means of wrought iron levers, and coupling links with brass blocked ends of the marine type. The pumps are each 10|iu. diameter, and work a stroke of 18in. The condenser, which is common to both pumps and placed between them on the engine bed, is of the ordinary jet description. The speed of the engines is regulated by a quick-speed governor connected to an ordinary throttle valve. These engines run at seventy revolutions per minute, and are perfectly steady and free from vibration. The whole arrangement is very neat and compact, the different parts lying well together.

Naval Engineer Appointments.—The following appointments have been made at the Admiralty:—Thomas F. Brown, chief engineer, to the Falcon ; Nicholas Meaden, chief engineer, to the Linnet; Richard J. Leach, chief engineer, to the Gannet; Eobeit Balcomb, chief engineer, to the Rifleman.

We illustrate this week what is believed to be the most powerful passenger locomotive ever constructed. It has been built at the Erie Railway Locomotive Shops, Susquehanna, U.S.A.

The following are the principal dimensions :—

Cylinders, diameter ..............

„ stroke................

Drivers, diameter...... ..........

l|in.

7ft.

31 tons.

American authorities say this engine is probably the most powerful engine ever constructed for main line passenger service, though some engines of greater cylinder power have been constructed for hauling passenger trains over mountain inclines. The great power and size of this engine render any comparison of its performance difficult, as any superiority over ordinary engines might be caused either by the greater size and power of the engine or by the Wootten fire-box, and could not be definitely assigned to either of these factors. The trials on the Erie have only just begun, and though they have not yet given any very definite results, appear to show that the immense grate of the Wootten engine burns anthracite to better advantage than the ordinary anthracite grate of less than half the area of the Wootten grate.

It will be seen that the grate is no less than 9ft. 6in. long by 8ft. wide, giving 78 square feet of grate.

CYLINDER CONDENSATION IN STEAM ENGINES. AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION*

By Uhas. L. Gately, M.E., and Alvin I’. Kletzsch, M.E.

(Continued from page 363.)

9. The meter.—The water meter used to indicate the amount of feed-water that was pumped into the boiler was carefully standardised by allowing exactly 20 cubic feet of water to flow through. It was necessary to use a small barrel, owing to tho position in which the meter was placed. It will be seen from the data taken at the time that in 20 cubic feet the difference in the actual and calculated number of pounds flowed through is only 3 lh., this difference being no doubt due to error in observing the readings, rather than to any fault of the meter itself. The following figures are the weights of the water and barrel, and of the barrel itself:— First barrel full ..

First barrel empty Second barrel full Second barrel empty ,

Third barrel full ..    .

Third barrel empty .

Fourth barrel full Fourth barrel empty .

Fifth barrel full ..    .

Fifth barrel empty .

Sixth barrel full ..

Sixth barrel empty .

Seventh barrel full Hoventh barrel empty Eighth barrel full Eighth barrel empty .

Ninth barrel full..

Ninth barrel empty .

Total * ..    .

Difference

232-

170-

174-

177-5

155-5

188-5

18S-5

103-

128-5

37-

37-5

37-5

37-5

37-5

37-5

38-

33-

88-

1583-5    338-5

1245" pounds.

The thermometers used were new and made by J. W. Queen and (Jo., Philadelphia, and as by comparison with each other they were found alike, further standardising was not deemed necessary.

10. The weir.—The tumbling bay was very carefully tested, in order to ascertain the coefficient of contraction, or the ratio which the cross section of the most contracted part of the steam flowing from the notch bears to the area of the notch at a given head. The test was made as follows:—Water was allowed to flow through the condenser into the weir; after tho surface becamo calm the height of water over the notch was read, the time noted, and water allowed to flow over for two minutes, all of which was caught and weighed. This was repeated four times, and tho data taken, together with the method used in calculating the avorago coefficient of contraction, is given below :—

Test No. 1.

Weight of barrel No. 1, full .

1,    empty

2,    full .

2,    empty

3,    full . 3, empty

207-5

ii

ii

ii

>i

ii

ii

ii

Total ...............

Difference .............

Hroudth of notch - 6 - 01a. - 0"5ft.

Height over notch board = h — "l.Oft. l ime of How -    2 minutes.

Flow in cubic foot per second,

643-5

* 02-4 X 120 ~ ‘⁰'2:,8 “

243-5

40-5

DO-

30-5

30-5

057-    113-5

543 "5 pounds.

Substituting these values in Rankine’s Formula, page 93, of “ Tho Stoam Engine,” which is

Q = 3 c b h sj2 g h,

where Q, b, and h arc, as stated before, 2 g being 04 "4, and V 2 g h tho velocity due to tho height It, and c tho coefficient of contraction to be found ; hence •07258 b h. - A x -125 - -0025 sj2gh = -v/04-4 x *125 = 2 887 b h \/ 2 g h = -0025 x 2-837 = T773

c = ij Q

c = -014.

teh sj'lyh

= :J x -07258 x

•1773

Test No. 2.

Weight of barrel No. 1, full .

1,    empty

2,    empty

3,    full ..

3,    ompty

4,    full . 4, empty

252*5

ii

ii

ii

ii

ii

ii

Total ......

Net flow......

Hero 6 — Oln.

It - l-61n.

Time of flow — 2 minutes.

188*

10-5

113-5

36-5

137¹

20-5

20-5

130-

091*

501" pounds.

and substituting in formula as in previous test c — *633.

Test No. 3.

Weight of barrel No. 1, full .

1,    ompty

2,    fidl . 2, empty

446-

ii

I!

151-

Total ........

Net flow........

Here b — 6in.

h - l-416in.

And time o flow ^ 2 minutes, lienee c = *6133.

590-

498 "pounds.

at the same time closing the exhaust at that, and opening it at the other end, so that any water getting by the piston would run out through that port, but upon repeated trials it was found to be water-tight. Next steam was admitted at one end with all the other valves closed, and the indicator cock at the other end was opened, but no steam issued from it. The clearance was not determined by us, but obtained from Mr. Wm. A. Harris, the builder; he gave the following figures for all his engines of this size, 297-4 cubic inches, for each end.

11.    Method of operation of engine, boilers, and apparatus.—In running the trials, in order to preserve constant conditions of pressure, speed, and ratio of expansion, the greatest care and watchfulness was required. The fires in the furnaces were thoroughly cleaned at night. Fires were re-started at six o’clock in the morning, so that by 7.30 they were burning freely. Before beginning a trial the pressure was allowed to run up a few pounds higher than that which was to be run; the regulator was then blocked up to a point which would give the required cut-off, as determined by previous observations, and the different points indicated by marks upon the upright rod of the regulator. The throttle was then opened, and the pressure of the brake applied, until the speed was as required. The fireman and his assistant were thfen cautioned to keep the pressure constant. We were fortunate in securing the services of the fireman who had had the care of the boilers and engine since they were put down. The only condition remaining was the speed, which was entirely controlled by the brake. When the proper speed was reached, and all was ready for the start, the height of water in the boiler gauges noticed, meter reading taken, the speed counter read and the time recorded fr which instant the trial began, the longest run being three hours, and the shortest one and a-half hours. Indicator cards were taken simultaneously from each end of the cylinder as soon after the trial began as it was possible, and continued throughout the run at intervals of every fifteen minutes in the longer trials, and every ten minutes in the shorter. Besides these, the following observations were taken at the same time, as shown by the revised logs of trials which are given: Temperature of feed-water; temperature of injection water; temperature of weir; pressure on brake scales; pressure of boiler; vacuum in condenser; head of water over notch in weir. These readings were also taken throughout the trials at regular intervals, as shown by the logs.

12.    Special points.—Calorimeter tests were made during each trial, to determine the percentage of priming, and the records will be found annexed to the logs of trial. The water used to keep the brake pulley cool entered on one side of the drum or pulley, and was discharged on the other side, by means of a scoop, into the hot well from which it was pumped into the boilers, often entering the hot well at a temperature over 100 deg. Fah., a rise in some cases of 40 deg. In the every-day work of the engine, the condensing water is used for feed, but in our trials the pipe leading from the discharge pipe to the hot well was closed, so that all the water would pass through the weir as previously detailed. In closing the trials, particular care was taken that the height of the water in the boiler gauges should exactly correspond with the height at the beginning, so that the meter readings would show the amount of water evaporated. The final meter reading was then taken, and the trial concluded. The readings of the micrometer screw and hook gauge wore repeated twice at each observation, to avoid errors entering from this cause, and not oven in one instance did the height of the water over the notch vary by 0"001 of an inch. Although we make no uso of the brake readings in our calculations, they were taken in order to complete the data, for any future use to which it may bo put. In tests Nos. 3 and 4, Case 1, which wore made on .Sunday, May 25th, it was found necessary to uso tlireo boilers. When making our preliminary examinations, it was understood that wo could not have the uso of this third boiler, it being used during tho week to supply steam to the mill, therefore the water meter was placed in the feed-pipe between this and tho two boilers that were regularly used, so that the water pumped into the third boiler would not show on the dial, honco in the logs of this trial tho meter readings do not appear. Deductions have to be made from tho water as shown by the motor, to the extent of that which was allowed to flow through the drip-pipe as previously

perature of the feed-water, together with that which was condensed and allowed to flow in the calorimeter trials, those amounts are entered in the last right-hand column of each log.

13.    Account of the experimental investigation in detail.—From the limited investigations of others, and from thermo-dynamics, it is clearly shown that variations of ratio of expansion, variation of piston speed or time of exposure, and variation of chango of pressure or temperature, all exert some influence on the amount of cylinder condensation which takes place in the steam engine. The exact part which eich of these causes play in an engine running under ordinary conditions of daily work has never been determined experimentally. With three variables ontering the problem at the same time, it would be almost, if not absolutely, impossible to do it. Hence it is we divided our experiments into three parts, making four separate sots of tests, with tho view of determining tho effect of each of the above factors, and the variation caused by change in any of them. Starting with tho effect on cylinder condensation, caused by the variation of the ratio of expansion or tho point of cut-off, and running the condenser, wo chose a boiler pressure reasonably within the capacity for the two boilers to maintain during the heaviest one of the trials of the set, also selecting the speed at which, by trial, the engine was found to run best.

om

mentioned. In order to ascertain the tem-

Table No. ].    ( _

Tost No. 1.    I Constant pressure.

Dato of test, May 24,10.10a.m. tol2.10p.m. Condition*. < Constant speed. Duration, 2 hours.    ( Variable cut-off.

Case I.—Condensing.—Valuable Cut-off.

the first trial, stopping at 12.16 p.m., after a run of two hours. The indicator diagrams taken, ten in number from each end, showed a constant cut-off, and, in fact, it could not be otherwise. The greatest range in the boiler pressure was \\ lb., with an average of 61Tlb. per gauge, and with an average of 68"95 revolutions. The average revolutions and pressure carried, and the point at which the engine cut-off during the remaining three of this set of tests, are as follows:—

No. of tost.

Revolutions.

67-32 ..    67-45

.. 68-26

giving 4"45 lb. as the greatest average variation in pressure, owing to insufficient boiler power in the fourth test, though a third one was used, when following beyond one-half stroke, and 1"63 revolutions as the greatest average variation in the speed of the engine per minute. This variation is so slight that its probable effect on the total condensation need hardly be calculated. (15) Below will be found the logs containing the data taken during each trial, together with the calorimeter trials made in connection with them:

Cut off.

•330

•443

•589

Pressure. . 60-1 . 61-28 .    56-83

Tabic No. 1.

Test No. 2.

Date of test, May 24,2.30 p.m. to 4.31 p.m. Duration, lgg hours.

j Constant pressure. Conditions. - Constant speed.

| Variable cut-off.

Case I.—Condensing.—Variable Cut-off.

Time

Speed counter.

Water meter.

Height over notch board.

Temperature

feed-water.

Sts

ft

a!

f§

Eh -t?

.2

Start

Finish

2.86 15593,5104- 3-252 144    71

2.46 10274s 3.01 17272 3.10 182S1 3.40 19890

3.40 20304

£ I Temperature weir. *? I Boiler pressure.

\ acuum gauge.

20-0

3-140

3-178

3-581

70

71

72

j 72 3-132 130    72

2-913

3.58 20780 5214- |3 132 4.04 21528'

72

3-127 72 4.10 22344, 3-819 72 4.31 20334s5276" 3■170i j 72

Remarks,

137 58- 21-6

133 00- 21-5

124 59- 22-

141 02- 20-

13802" 20-6; Deduct 25 lbs.

13.3 71) • 21-

Tablo No. 1.

Constant pressure.

Case I.—Condensing.— Variable Cut-off.

Time

Speed counter.

Water meter.

Height over notch board. Temperature feed-water.

Temperature

injection-water.

Temperature weir. Boiler pressure.

Vacuum gauge.

Komar ks.

Sturt 11.82128166 ijj . 4'208 11.47 20129

12.02 80283

12.17

31284

12.32

32237

12.47

33202

Finish 1.02

34300

|| 4-444

ii

^ 4-578

Temperature not

taken.

ca    o    o    ca    c:

<©    O    CO    ro

r.

140 60- 20-147 02- 21-

124 00- 22' 126 55-

21"

130 50- 22-

129 58- 22-

12S

22-

(Constant pressure. Conditions. - Constant speod.

J Variable eut-off.

Table No. 1.

Tost No. 4.

Dato of test, May 25, 1884, 2.04 p.m. to Duration of test, 2 hours. (4.04 p.m.

Case I.—Condensing.— Variable Cut-off.

Time

Speed counter.

Water meter.

Height over notch board. Temperature feed-water.

Temperature

Test No. 4.

Woight o barrel No. 1, full

ii

ii

1,    empty ..

2,    full......

2, empty ..    ..

512-5

201-5

01-5

38-

Total ........

Net flow........

Hero 5 = 6in. h - l-416in.

And time of flow = 2 minutes.

Hence c = ’6233. Average coefficient of contraction of tests No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 would give o='6233, this value for c being used to calculate the flow from the condenser in the trials. A Fairbank’s standard platform scale was used in weighing the power developed by the brake, and, by careful comparison with others, was found to be correct. The weight registered by the scales, owing to a part of the weight of the brake falling on it, was found by weighing the upright standards by themselves, and then the beams and tie-rods, which formed the levers of the brake, the design of which was such that all the weight of the standards and one-half the weight of the beams, &c., would directly tend to increase the reading; hence this had to be ascertained in order to get the true scale reading. It amounted to 202-5lb., which is to he subtracted from all the scale readings in the logs of the trials.

Weight of upwrights, &c.......

One-half weight of beams, tie-rods, &c.

Total .............

014

99-5 614-5 pounds.

131-5 lb. 71- lb.

202-5

A Hawkins speed counter w-as used to record the total number of revolutions made by the engine during each trial, receiving its motion from the excentric rod. As before stated, leakage of piston was looked for, and its non-existence determined first by disconnecting the valve gear, stopping the piston about midway of the stroke, and introducing water through one of the steam ports,

* Presented to the A tnerican Association for Advancement of Science ; Ann Arbor Meeting, 1885, with an Introduction by Professor R. H. Churston.

Speed counter.

Water meter.

Height over notch board.

Temperature feed-water. Temperature injection-water. Temperature weir.

Boiler pressure.

Vacuum gauge.

Remarks.

Start

10.31

10.45

11.00

if

£

7909,

8255

8875

cc

2-322

66    118 02-6 22-5;

67    117 65 - 22-5

Start 2.04|34815

. 3.49 41910 Finish ; 4.04 42910

4-072114

4-010

4-108

4-009

,3-996

3-990

3-952

3-964

4-032

5101-

0905

08

08

67

68

68

68

68

68

67

£ I Temperature weir. ^ j    Boiler pressure.

*?    Vacuum gauge.

134 01- 22- ' 120 62- 22-6 132 02* 22- j 128 00- 22-128 02- -22-

129 00 - 22- |

130 62- ,22- .

132|

•184112    68 116 64- 22‘5

67 117 62- 22-5

67 118 58- 22-5

67 115 00- 22-5

67 118 01- 22-

23! 8 lbs. out.

184 lbs. ded ct.

6$ lbs. ded ct.

07 118 59-6 22-61

68 11058- 23-5!

14. Speed and pressure were maintained as constant as possible throughout this whole set of four tests, as will be seen by referring to the logs of the trials given below, the ratio of expansion alone being allowed to vary, and that only during separate tests of each set. . As before described, it was possible to secure this latter condition completely by blocking the regulator so that its action was prevented. On May 24th, 1884, at 10.16 a.m., with the boiler pressure at 02 A lb., the engine making 08 revolutions per minute, and cutting off at *131 of the stroke,

we commenced

In

connection

with

engine trial.

Remarks.

Deduct 24J J lbs.

Calorimeter Tests.

Case /.—Condensing.—Variable Cut-off.

Initial

weight.

Initial weight plus

condensing

water.

Final

weight.

Initial

temperature.

Final

temperature.

Flow in air.

Flow in steam. !

Boiler

pressure.

deg. i deg. j min. i min.

70    132-5    1

l To be continued.)

2J 60-5

57-

62-

I am ashamed of myself to write thus for readers of The Engineer, for it seems like teaching the multiplication table to mathematicians.

Then the kite string necessity is steadily urged upon me. The instant a string is used the whole nature of the action at once changes. Then the motion of the body is referred to the agency which sets the air in motion, or to the boy who runs with it. Gravity is in such case merely a balancing factor, and is in no sense the motive power actuating the kite.

I really hope this matter of soaring will be soon comprehended. As the case now stands a turkey-buzzard hunting a dinner is covering the whole mechanical world with ridicule.

Chicago, November 7th.

AMERICAN NOTES.

(From our own Correspondent.)

nearly all industrial branches, factories in operation are crowded with orders. The mills supplying railway material are well supplied with orders for three months. Railway managers, it is stated, will determine upon the placing of some important orders for locomotives and cars during next month. The only reason for deferring the expansion of motive power and rolling stock is that the earnings are not yet up to the desired limit, but an improvement is in progress in that direction, and it is only a question of time when extensive orders for material, engines, cars, and bridge-work will be placed. The railway system of the States generally has been subjected to a very rigid economy, and the needs for various replacements are imperative.

Crude iron is selling in tide-water markets at 18 dols. for No. 1 foundry; 16 dols. 50c. for No. 2 ; 15 dols. for forge. Merchant iron is 1 dol. 50c. to 1 dol. 75c. at mill; plate iron, 2c.; bridge iron, 2c. to 3c.; steel rails, 31 dols. to 33 dols.; nails, nominally 2 dols. 50c. per keg; Bessemer iron, 20 dols. to 20 dols. 50c. ; Scotch iron is in light request. Lead is firm and active, and copper is moving slowly at 11c. for lake. A few inquiries have been made this week on foreign account, and consumers generally will follow the cautious policy and wait until their necessities crowd them into the market.

The New England coal markets are absorbing an unusually large quantity of anthracite and bituminous coals, and distribution will continue at a very active rate until the close of navigation both east and west. Heavy receipts of lumber are reported in most Atlantic ports from the west, but moderate receipts only from the south. Throughout the States there are abundant indications that the winter will be one of fair activity in all the leading industries. The smaller manufacturing intferests are already preparing for the spring trade. Travelling agents throughout the west and south report a rapid distribution of Fall products. The general employment of the masses points to a continued liberal distribution at slightly better prices than prevailed during the past season. Products of cotton and wool are in urgent demand among retailers, and wholesalers are preparing for a larger production this winter than last. Prices are generally stronger than during the spring and summer, but not higher.

In the downward flow

I. Lancaster.

New York, November 7th.

All recent indications point to a continuance of firm prices in The steel rail mills and nail

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

The

(From our own Correspondent.)

The near approach of the elections, and the attendant excitement, had a tendency to check business alike in Birmingham this afternoon (Thursday), and yesterday in Wolverhampton, necessity for stock-taking at Christmas, and the uncertainty upon the wages question, further contributed to make finished iron buyers satisfied for the present with small purchases.

In the sheet trade specifications are rather slow in coming to hand, yet these works are better occupied than any others. Brices are again becoming a matter of negotiation. Merchant sheets of 20 gauge are £6 5s. upwards at works, or £6 10s. upwards delivered to Birmingham consumers. Galvanising sheets of 24 gauge are £6 12s. 6d. upwards at works, or £6 15s. upwards delivered to Birmingham consumers, and 27 gauge £7 15s. per ton.

An augmented business is being transacted in tees and angles of good quality for bridge and roofing work, at £5 10s. to £512s. fid. for common sorts. Limited sales are taking place in rivet iron, and in the hoop mills work is not pressing.

Tube strips are in slightly better demand at £5 2s. fid. to £5 5s. Business in chain iron is not, as a rule, very expansive.

Marked bars are quiet at £7 10s. to £8 2s. fid., while other first-class houses quote £7, and for second qualities £6 10s. The New British Iron Company quotes Lion bars, £7 10s.; Corngreave bars, £fi 10s.; best Corngreave plating bars, £7 ; Lion plating, £8 ; and best ditto, £9 10s. Best Lion rivet and chain iron is £9 ; double best, £10; and best Lion turning bars, £11. Double best scrap bars are also £10; treble best, £11; and best charcoal, £11 10s. Best Corngreave’s horseshoe bars are £6 10s.; Lion ditto, £7.10s.; and fullered horseshoe, £8 10s.

Best Corngreave’s angle and tee bars are £7 ; Lion ditto, £8 5s. to £8 10s.; and Best Lion, £9 15s. to £10. Window sash bars are £8 10s. to £9 10s.; oval, convex, and half-round bars, £6 10s.; round, cornered, and round edge, £7 10s.; and bevelled and headed tire bars, £9.

£11 to £12 per ton remain nominally the quotations for galvanised sheet of 24 w.g., bundled, f.o.b. Liverpool, and £11 5s. to £12 5s. per ton f.o.b. London. But in actual business lower prices were to-day freely accepted, since orders are hardly so plentiful as of late. The improved harvest prospects throughout the colony of Victoria are heard of with much satisfaction by the sheet makers.

Big iron deliveries are steadily proceeding on account of contracts. All-mine pig iron is quoted at £3 per ton; part-mine, £2 5s.; cinder iron, £117s. 6d. per ton; but selling prices are 2s. fid. to 5s. per ton below these quotations. Hematites are quoted 52s. Cd. to 54s. delivered, according to brand. Lincolnshire pigs are quoted 41s., but some buyers are securing supplies at better terms. South Yorkshire pigs are 38s. fid.; Derbyshires, an average of 39s. to 40s.; and Northamptons, 37s. fid. to 38s. A few sellers are, buyers stated this afternoon, prepared to accept contracts for deliveries throughout 1886 at present prices.

In addition to the rebate of Is. per ton allowed from the 1st inst. upon cokes coming into Staffordshire from the Midland districts, a rebate of 9d. per ton is now announced on cokes coming from the North Staffordshire district. A reduction in the ironstone rate from North Staffordshire is intimated as possible, but the amount has not yet been decided upon.

The arbitrators to the South Staffordshire Mines Drainage Commissioners held a court on Friday in Wolverhampton to make a draft award forming a mines drainage rate for ensuing twelve months in the Old Hill district. The rate was fixed at 3d. per ton on all fireclay raised in the district, and 6d.per ton on coal, ironstone, and other minerals. The same graduations which were allowed last year to colliery owners whose mines had about them exceptional circumstances were again allowed.

The increased tensile strength of steel over iron is leading to its enlarged adoption in some of the hardware products. The ships’ . tackle makers are just now employing steel instead of iron in the manufacture of some of their specialities, such as patent screws to supersede the hemp rope and wooden block hitherto largely used for holding ships' masts in position. Such a screw made of steel will bear a tensile strain of 32 to 34 tons per square inch, as against 24 tons strain when made in wrought iron, thus showing an increase in favour of steel of from 9 to 10 tons.

A striking example of the great diversity in the matter of steel

are for the most

any

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

[Continued from page 391.]

THE PROBLEM OP FLIGHT.

Sir,—It is objected to my explanation of the mechanical activity of “ soaring,” that in whatever way it is viewed the pushing the body up the incline requires as much force as to lift its weight the same perpendicular height, and that this necessity is not changed by a process in which the elevation and fall occur simultaneously, producing level motion. But a soaring body has no similarity to a solid, like a ball, urged up a rigid, inclined plane supported by the earth. No fallacy could be greater than that of comparing the two with the expectation of finding likeness between them. This can be shown by stating the case in such a way as to keep the factors concerned in the action separate.

Suppose the wind to be moving vertically upwards from the surface of the earth at the rate of 30ft. per second, and that a flat, oblong body 12in. wide, of the same weight as the air it displaces, is put into it in a position coinciding with a horizontal plane. It would be at rest with the air, but moving with respect to an observer on the earth, and so would the air. Suppose we now add 12 lb. of weight to it. Motion would be set up with respect to the air with acceleration vertically downwards, until, reaching a velocity of 30ft. per second, we will suppose its motion becomes uniform.

It is now moving with respect to the air at the rate of 30ft. per second, but is at rest with respect to an observer, and the disturbances of the air caused by the body are equal to 12 lb., the weight of its mass.

If the surface be now tilted the 12-in. way for 2in., it is evident that 2 lb. of the reacting air would be driving it horizontally and 10 lb. vertically upwards. Then as the plane, weighing 12 lb., is only pushed up 10 lb. and sideways 2 lb., it must slant off downwards. There being nothing to hold it against the sideways push, excepting skin friction, it obeys the impulse, and moves away from the pushing air. If we now apply 2 lb. against the push, the sideways motion will be arrested, and the body be at rest to an observer.

We have now a condition of equilibrium which is found in every case of soaring. We have a flat body falling on the air with uniform velocity, where the work done is precisely equal to the total weight of the body doing it. The 2 lb. abutment is present also, but is derived from the rear expansion instead of externally, as now. The body now precisely resembles the condition it was in before the 12 lb. was added. What weight it has is reduced to zero in both cases by equal air pressure acting in opposition to the gravitating force. Suppose the air to be calm; then that it is moving vertically downwards at the rate of 30ft. per second; then horizontally at any speed, or in any other direction with any velocity whatever, and try the flame in it as we have done with the upward current, and precisely the same results will be obtained in every case. Motion to an observer will vary, but we will always get equilibrium with a 21b. rest. If we now apply any force whatever in any direction to the surface while thus balanced it will move in obedience to that force. Say that we apply one ounce from above, the surface will fall a little faster on the air.

If from below, it will rise. If obliquely to its own plane in any way it will move in that direction. Applying the force in any of these ways destroys the equilibrium to that extent. After acceleration is completed, balance would ensue again; but the first action of the force would be to disturb it. There is, however, one way in which wo can apply the force without changing the equilibrium in the least, and that is in the plane of the surface in any direction. This is what makes soaring possible. This motion of the balanced surface in its own plane is soaring. If the force is in the direction of the length of the surface, it will move horizontally; if across, towards the high edge, it will slant upwards; if towards the low edge, it will slant downwards, and tho one ounce will move the surface in any of these ways with the same velocity. There is no resistance to this motion but skin friction, and that is at all velocities the same area of surface with tho samo 12 lb. pressure. It would doubtless vary with tho velocity; but I have abandoned the attempt to find the value of pure skin friction between air and smooth surfaces, as it is so small that I cannot measure it. To determine such values hardly belongs to the province of the mechanical engineer. I do not doubt that 1 lb. would drive the plane under the above condition 1000ft. per second. The rear abutment does not vary at any velocity; it is 2 lb. at all velocities. As long as other conditions are the same, added motion in the plane of the surface does nothing more than throw the condensations more decidedly to the rear. As the speed increases the condensations become greater in area, but less in thickness, keeping the total always at 121b. Variation in speed changes the character, but not the value, of the reactions. Suppose that 1 lb. would drive the surface 180ft. per second in any direction in its own plane; then 3 lb. total external force would drive it with that velocity. Suppose its motion was across, in the direction of its high edge; it would then slant upwards 30ft. in going 180ft. during one second, and its motion to an observer would be level in calm air, or in any sort of horizontal wind. In the upward How it would be rising 30ft. per second, cither the inclination or lateral speed would have to be increased to get level motion. If 3 lb. of the 12 lb. flowing to the rear could be utilised in the rear expansion, we should have a very good soaring device.

It follows, then, that to consider the horizontal motion of the plane, either in calm air or in wind, produced by any external force which prevents it from falling, is a pure delusion. To say that the rear push is just great enough to sustain the weight is to talk nonsense ; the weight is not sustained; it is falling—falling just as certainly, and with the same velocity, at 100ft. or 1000ft. per second lateral motion as with none. It is not pushed on the air horizontally, but in its own plane. The rear impulse is not disturbing the air in front of the surface. The plane is not going that way; it is going on its own incline.

The reason the body has horizontal motion to an observer is because it falls, and because to the same observer its fall is equal to its rise resulting from motion in its own plane.

In “ Soaring Birds a Mechanical Problem,” I have said that soaring was the result of a device which enabled gravity to become a continuous motive power without losing its energy of position. There is no use in being caught here in the fallacies of a vicious terminology. If “fall” means getting nearer to the earth, then the law of falling bodies is badly stated. There is motion in the direction of the gravitating force and “ fall ” on the air, but no approach to the earth. The entire action of body and air in this case can be translated by moving the body alone. The body is moved in cquilibt'io, and as such has no weight. It can thus be translated in its own plane with far greater velocity than it is falling on the air—60, or 100, or 200 times as fast. In this rapid inclined movement it climbs the air at a great rate. It is able to get away from the earth faster than it is descending on the air. Its motion in the direction of the gravitating force enables its weight to do work enough to supply the abutment, and send it slipping towards the nebulie in Andromeda?.

I am accused of advocating a notion which denies the conservation of energy by thus writing. I beg pardon of those so alleging; they are the parties engaged in a contest with mechanical truisms. Taking the case of calm air, they claim that the upshot of the whole matter is that the body is lifted in the lateral motion as fast as it falls. They do not seem to see that there is nothing to lift— that the total weight of the surface is used up in condensing air They will have it that the plane, after having expended every grain of force which existed in it doing work on the air, still has a quantity left over that has to be lifted. The weight of the body is represented in the streak of disturbance, such as condensation, eddies, and confused currents left in the wake of the fleeting body. 11 cannot be there and also in the body at the same time without .causing the instant collapse of the laws of mechanical action.

qualities which at present exists, is afforded in the experience of a local ships’ tackle maker. He cut up a steel bar which was of the temper best suited to his purposes into twenty or more samples, and submitted them to as many different steel firms in all parts of the kingdom, soliciting their quotations for steel of similar quality and temper. The quotations which he received in reply varied from £6 per ton up to £63 per ton, and the make of steel which he has chosen to adopt was that for which the price was some £8 or £0 per ton, and which is the product of a Staffordshire firm. The steel welds well, and answers the special purpose designed admirably.

To India a good deal of ironwork is being forwarded from this district at date for railway and other purposes. Considerable inquiries are on the market this week from constructive engineers in this district, Lancashire, and other centres for rolled iron girders. A limited number of North of England and Welsh firms are determinedly contesting for the orders against the Belgian makers. At present, however, our firms have not gone in for rolling the largest sizes, and these therefore still go to the continental firms.

Messrs. Cyrus Price and Co., Wolverhampton, are just fitting up a ponderous safe for despatch to South America. It stands 8ft. high by 3ft. 6in. by 3ft. Gin., and weighs nearly 3^ tons. The outside body is made of ^in. iron plates, and the door, which is of hardened steel, is lin. thick. The safe is banded all round by iron 5in. wide by lin. thick, and it is fire and burglar proof. The door is hung on three massive hinges instead of upon ^centres, thus rendering the safe more secure.

The Northern Europe and Canadian markets are being closed with the advance of the winter season, and the colonial markets are overstocked in nearly all the leading descriptions of hardwares. South African and South American trade has improved a little, but the markets have not yet attained a healthy condition. Makers of cultivating, road making, and mining tools are receiving large orders on account of South America and also on Indian account.

The strike of small chainmakers in the Cradley Heath and Old Hill district has happily come to a close. The men decided to resume work at old rates.

The Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce has decided to postpone giving evidence before the Royal Commission on Trade until the arrival in the district of the roving commission, which, it is understood, the Commission as a whole will appoint.

NOTES FROM LANCASHIRE.

(From, our own Correspondent.)

Manchester.—If anything there has been some little “ movement amongst the dry bones ” of the iron market during the past week ; not that there has been any real improvement in the actual condition of trade, but the recent upward movement in Scotch warrants, the probable lessening of production in the North of England, ami the more encouraging prospects of American trade have combined to suggest the possibility of another rush of buying. With prices at their present excessively low point the market is naturally very susceptible to any indication of an upward movement, and in many instances buyers who have been holding back are now showing a disposition to close at the present minimum rates. This has resulted in a moderate amount of buying, but it has been confined chiefly to outside brands of pig iron. So far as the actual requirements of consumers are concerned there is no improvement in the market, and neither local nor district brands have met with any improved demand, whilst hematites in this market have not responded to the upward movement in prices which has taken place in other districts, and finished iron still meets with a very slow sale, with low figures being accepted to secure actual specifications.

The Manchester iron market on Tuesday was moderately well attended, and there were rather more inquiries stirring in some departments than was the case last week, but there was not generally any great weight of actual business doing. For Lancashire pig iron makers still quoted 38s. 6d. for forge and 39s. for foundry, less 2J, delivered equal to Manchester; but they are doing very little business, and the local furnaces part working on old orders which are not being replaced. For good district brands 39s. to 39s. 6d., less 2h, delivered here, remain about the average prices, but even where Lincolnshire iron is in some instances offered at 38s. to 38s. 6d. buyers are not tempted to give out orders beyond mere hand-to-mouth requirements. In Middlesbrough iron buyers have shown more disposition to give out orders, and offers have been made pretty freely on the basis of 40s. 10d., net cash, delivered equal to Manchester, for good named foundry brands for forward delivery.

In the hematite trade there has been more business doing, but it has only been practicable at low rates, and sellers have not been able to command the advanced prices which makers have been getting on fairly large transactions in other districts. The full price which has been obtainable in this market for good foundry brands delivered into the Manchester district has not exceeded about 51s. 6d. to 52s. per ton, less 2£ per cent.

Business in the manufactured iron trade continues very slow, and even where makers have still a considerable height of orders on their books they are unable to get their customers to take deliveries. The result is that there is a general want of present specifications to keep works going, and to secure orders for prompt delivery makers in most cases are prepared with substantial concessions upon their list rates. Nominally £5 5s. is still the quoted price for Lancashire and North Staffordshire bars delivered into the Manchester district, but it is only being got in very exceptional cases, and for actual specifications makers in most instances are willing to accept £5 2s. 6d, hoops average £5 12s. 6d.; local made sheets, £6 15s. ; and Staffordshire qualities, £7 to £7 2s. 6d. per ton delivered into the Manchester district.

With regard to the state of trade amongst mechanical engineers, founders, and iron shipbuilders, information which has been furnished to me from authoritative sources shows the general condition of these branches of industry to be most disheartening. Tested by the condition of the labour market, it shows a state of things which has probably never before been seen in Great Britain, and an examination of over six hundred returns during the month of October, covering in ordinary times an employment in the several industries of over 90,000 men, shows that in no district is trade declared good, in a few only is it declared moderate, and in the remaining districts, where the employment in the normal condition of trade covers upwards of 80,000 men, trade is declared as “ bad ” or “ very bad,” with the number of unemployed men constantly on the increase. For the winter months there is therefore by no means a cheering prospect, so far as the men are concerned, and the provident funds of the trades unions and workmen’s clubs throughout the country are at the present time under unusual pressure for the support of unemployed members. On the other hand, from the employers’ point of view, matters look no better. Only in a few quite exceptional cases is trade marked by activity, competition grows much closer, and the several branches of mechanical engineering where trade has retained a little show of life are now' simply finishing work which, when completed, there is no present indication of its being replaced by any considerable weight of new orders.

In the course of a paper read before the Manchester Association of Employers and Foremen, at their meeting on Saturday, Mr. George Richards, of the Atlantic Works, Broadheath, threw out some valuable hints on improvements in tool-room appliances. There was, he said, something anomalous in the present state of machine manufacture, with its competitive nature, in the general want of a distinct place for making the small tools used in the various machines. The present undeveloped condition of toolrooms he attributed to the fact that at most works in this country they prepared their own tools indiscriminately as they were wanted and did not purchase them. Of course, it was necessary that all advanced ideas of shop practice should be based on the idea ot

economy, and it was only upon that score that they were to be further investigation into this difficulty, with a view to the dis- cash. Tuesday’s market was somewhat irregular, the forenoon advocated. When the time of the men was occupied—and in covery of a suitable remedy. The disposal of slag was the next quotations being 42s. lid. to 42s. 8d. and 42s. Did. cash, and the many cases machines, which should be otherwise engaged, were topic considered, and the systems developed by Messrs. Edwin F. afternoon 42s. 10^d. to 42s. 7id. cash. On Wednesday the market employed indiscriminately in making and repairing tools—it was Jones and J. Birkbeck were commended. Subsequently several was exceedingly strong, with business up to 43s. 9^d. cash, the difficult to arrive at the cost; but any method by which the work other matters of engineering interest were ably reviewed. Mr. T. close being 3d. less. To-day—Thursday—business took place at could be done systematically and methodically must mean a saving. Westgarth then read a valuable paper on steam engine slide valves. 43s. 6d. to 43s. 3d., closing with buyers at 43s. 5d. cash.

Further than this, it was generally difficult to find a workman able Much was said in favour of the ordinary flat slide valve as used in loco-    The values of makers'iron are advanced in sympathy with the

any one

men constantly employed in making or repairing tools, upon employing a skilled tool maker, and giving him the necessary machinery to work with, he not only made all the tools, but devised special ones for lessening time in many classes of work. The plant requisite for the equipment of a tool room could be provided at a moderate cost, and at what was really a very small investment compared with the saving effected by such a department, ready at all times to supply tools that might be wanted, and with a good man always at hand to repair them when this was required. Then* again, the tools, instead of being scattered round the works as was often the case, could be collected together under the charge of one man, and the workmen could be more readily made responsible for any damage to the tools. Mr. Richard strongly urged the importance of tool rooms equipped with the requisite appliances as one of the essential requisites of English works.

There is no very material change to report in the condition of the coal trade. For house fire coals the demand continues good, but requirements for ironmaking, steam, and general purposes are still very poor, with no sign of improvement, and common round coals and engine fuel are plentiful in the market. Prices at the pit mouth remain at about 9s. to 9s. 6d. for best coals ; 7s. Gd. to 8s. for good second qualities ; 5s. Gd. to (is. common sorts ; 4s. Gd. to 4s. 9d. burgy; 3s. 6d. to 4s. best slack; and 2s. Gd. to 3s. per ton common sorts.

In the shipping trade there has been a fairly large weight of business doing, and in some instances prices for steam coal delivered at the high level, Liverpool, or the Garston docks, have been put up to 7s. Gd. per ton, but thero are still sellers open to tako 7s. to 7s. 3d. per ton.

The notices for tho 10 per cent, advance in miners’ wages have this week been served upon the coalowncrs in tho various districts ; so far as I can gather thero is still a general determination to ' resist the advance.

Harrow.—So far as the hematite pig iron trade of this district is concerned, there is still no change for the better. Orders from all miartcrs are very scarce; while homo buyers aro limiting their demands very strictly to pressing and immediate requirements. Prices aro still unchanged, and makers are firm. The long turmoil of a general election is haring a somewhat serious effect on the market, and it is hardly likely that wo shall have any indications of a better trado till after tho new year. Stocks of pig iron are very heivy, and are not being reduced. Tho traffic on 1 railways has decreased considerably, and it is not unlikely that one result of this will bo tho stoppage of several goods trains. Steel makers have been very badly employed, but within tho past few •lays tho Barrow Company has secured an order from America for 10,000 tons of steel rails, to be delivered in January. This will keep the works fairly employed through much of tho winter. Iron shipbuilders aro not so busy, and although a few inquiries are being made, no orders for new ships are being received. Tho men in the whole of tho departments of the Barrow Shipbuilding Company arc on short time. Iron ore selling slowly at late rates. Other industries quiet, but steady.

to carry out instructions about preparing tools, because he had not motives, and made of hard cast iron, working on a separate face of warrant market. Free on board at Glasgow, Gartsherrie, No. 1, enough of the work continuously, but a good apprentice who had similar metal. The double-ported valve, the Trick valve, and other sell at 46s. per ton; No. 3, 43s. Gd.; Coltness, 50s. and 45s. Gd.; worked for a short time on the accurate work of a tool-room might elaborations were considered, and then various types of relieved Langloan, 48s. and 44s. Gd.; Summerlee, 4Ds. and 44s. 6d.; Calder, be able to produce a large amount of more satisfactory work than or balanced valves. Rotary valves were on the whole condemned, 51s. Gd. and 43s. Gd.; Carnbroe, 45s. and 42s. Gd.; Clyde, 46s. and ordinary fitter. Then, again, there was an important advantage as involving complications disproportionate to benefits obtained. 42s.; Monkland, 43s. and 42s. Gd.; Quarter, 42s. Gd. and 40s.; that in having a man specially skilled in this class of work Well-designed piston valves were strongly advocated by Mr. Govan, at Broomielaw, 43s. and 40s. Gd.; Shotts, at Leith, 47s. to make these tools and appliances, they were much better Westgarth as the best kind in use, and as likely to supersede all and 46s. Gd.; Carron, at Grangemouth, 51s. and 47s.; Kinneil, at made; he acquired a special skill in designing and making tools for others in view of the increased pressures now in vogue. The Bo’ness, 43s. Gd. and 43s.; Glengarnock, at Ardrossan, 45s. Gd. and expediting work, and his reputation was identified with the work author’s views were generally endorsed in the discussion which 42s.; Eglinton, 42s. Gd. and 40s.; Dalmellington, 43s. and 40s. he produced, but when the tools were made indiscriminately by ensued. The special points brought out were—(1) The superiority The hematite trade, which has long been much depressed as in the shop, no one had any special interest in the matter, to all competing methods of cast iron packing rings in pairs, both regards prices, has shown considerably more strength this week, and the tools, the making of which was a secondary consideration, for pistons and piston valves, without much clearance in the Sales were only effected at current prices for immediate delivery, lacked character, so to speak. Many shops that before the advent grooves behind them; (2) the needlessness of expansion valves in and orders for the first three and six months of next year could not of the tool maker could count up time equal to that of two or three addition to the ordinary slide valves attached to each of the cylin- be placed except at an advance of Gd. to Is. a ton.

found that ders of triple expansion marine engines; and (3) the necessity It is feared that the combination among the Scotch steel makers of providing escape valves of ample diameter wherever piston valves to keep up quotations may possibly lose them some orders, were used.    The shipments of iron and steel goods from Glasgow in the past

A meeting of the Council of the British Iron Trade Association week were large, embracing locomotives and duplicates to the value has just been held, in order to authorise the president, Sir I. Low- of £19,421, for Bombay; £3498 machinery, £2110sewing machines, thian Bell, to give evidence before the “ Depression of Trade Com- £11,000 worth of steel goods, including £5082 bridge work, for mission.” It is understood that it will be suggested to the Com- Calcutta, and £2814 sleepers for Bombay, and miscellaneous iron mission that they should invite various other organisations goods to the value of £24,100.

connected with special departments of the trade, and operating The coal trade in the West of Scotland has been greatly hampered in various localities also to send witnesses to give evidence. The this week by a strike of miners, and the shipments from Glasgow first report of the Commission, which has just been published, have therefore been much below the average. They consisted of contains, among other evidence, that sent up by the North of 19,699 tons, while 894 tons were despatched from Greenock, England Iron Manufacturers’ Association'.    3295 from Irvine, 9393 from Troon, 8256 from Ayr, 1687 from

THE SHEFFIELD DISTRICT.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Thk miners, through their delegates, keep firm on the advance of wages, declaring for 15 per cent, in Yorkshire, while their brethren in Derbyshire are content with 10 per cent. A new way of asking it has been adopted. A general notice is not to bo given to the employers, commonly called a pit head notice, but each miner is to send in his

Leith, 4852 from Bo’ness, and 12,860 from Grangemouth. For shipping coals there has been no advance in price, except in a few very pressing cases. The steam coal trade in the West is very quiet, and only the very best household coals are slightly firmer in quotations. In Fifeshire and at most of the east coast ports the export trade is reported brisk, but there is no improvement in prices.

men. This is on the principle of independent action. If this principle could be fairly and fully carried out, there would be no strike. If the colliers’ wives had the decision to make, no colliery would be set down this winter. The evil effects of stopping pits live long after the dispute has been arranged. It is not confined to list business for the time being and to lack of employment, with starvation in the homo. By the stoppage tho workings get into a deplorable state, the ways aro blocked by falls of roof, and for months the output is diminished. Denaby is a notable case in point at present. The output has been lessened by two-thirds, and it is questionable if the colliery will over send so heavy a tonnage to bank again. According to the present estimate, should the miners carry out their intention, there will bo another great strike in the colliery districts immediately after the last of the county elections has been settled, and we shall have a repetition of the miserable begging expeditions parading the streets with brass bands, rattling collection boxes and gathering in loaves and garments.

The new steel foundry at Messrs. Wm. Jessop and Sons, Bright-side Steel Works, tho opening of which I have already noticed, is an important event in the history of that renowned company. The main building of tho new foundry is 252ft. long by 140ft. wide; tho height of tho roof from the ground is 38ft., and of the crane girders 27ft. The original building was 120ft. long by 60ft. span, and the maximum weight of the casting 15 tons. In the new foundry ingots of 45 tons can be cast, and it is hoped to increase that weight to G5 tons. The steel is supplied by a system known as tho Siemens-.Jessop process, a modification of the Siemens gas furnace, by means of which it is claimed that a steel is obtained in all respects equal, for the purposes of heavy castings, to the ordinary method of “ pots.” Two Siemens-Jessop furnaces, with a total capacity of 30 tons, are provided, and a third, to yield 20 tons per heat, is being constructed. Enterprising efforts have also been made for improvements in the casting pits, and a noticeable speciality is a pit 30ft. deep for casting “ on end ” crank shafts and propellers for ocean-going steamers. Messrs. Jessop and Sons, out of all the great marine castings they havo produced, have never had a failure, and the energy which they are showing in developing the steel industry in new directions is certain to be profitable.

Dronfield has had a fresh misfortune. The new Dronfield Silk-stone Coliiery, which was expected to compensate for the loss of employment caused by the removal of the steel works, has been flooded and abandoned. All the ponies and material, &c., have been removed from the workings. On the closing of the Unst Coal and Coke Company’s colliery at Unstone, and the consequent setting down of the pumping apparatus, it was said that it would jrovo disastrous to other collieries in the valley. Up to Sunday ast the powerful pumping machines were equal to getting the water out; then one of the principal pumps failed, followed shortly after by the failure of a second pump at the drawing shaft. From that time the flooding of the mine commenced, and the water rose so rapidly that the colliery had to be abandoned.

We are now in the throes of the election, but as yet business is not greatly disturbed. At a mass meeting here on Tuesday, one of the speakers referred strongly to the action of the chairman of a large local company in sending trained and skilled artisans from Sheffield to teach the Russians how to make armour-plates at Kolpino, near St. Petersburg. Tho speaker referred to Mr. George Wilson, of the Cyclops establishment. Probably Mr. Wilson could explain that by so doing he kept one-half of the Russian trado in armour-plates for Sheffield, and prevented France taking all.

The point as to whether the Hull and Barnsley Railway is to be extended to Huddersfield and Halifax will soon be settled. Saturday next is the day upon which notice should be given of the company’s intention—if it is the intention—to proceed with the extension. A meeting has been held at Huddersfield in regard to the question, and it was unanimously agreed to ask the directors of the Hull and Barnsley Railway not to allow the scheme to drop. It is expected that Halifax would take similar action.

Early last week the coalmasters in the Glasgow district determined to advance the wages of the miners by Gd. a day at the close of the present month. Many of the men were idle at the time, and instead of returning to the pits they resolved that they would not work unless they received Gd. on Monday of this week, and the promise of a second Gd. on the 1st of December. As the employers had agreed to the Gd., with no certainty of a general rise in the price of coals, which were indeed falling in some other parts of the country, they were naturally displeased at the conduct of the men, and they resolved to withdraw their offer of the first 6d. The miners were idle on Monday, but returned to work on Tuesday on the understanding that they should observe two idle days a week until their wages are raised.

The death occurred in Glasgow on Tuesday, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, of Mr. Robert Donaldson, the senior partner of Messrs. James Watson and Co., tho well-known firm of iron merchants. Mr. Donaldson had been connected with the iron trade of Scotland for upwards of forty years, and for the last twenty-five years his firm has occupied the leading position. His influence in tho warrant market was supreme, and his business connections in Scotland, in tho North of England, and elsewhere, were most extensive.

WALES AND ADJOINING COUNTIES.

(From our own Correspondent.)

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

{From our own Correspondent.)

At (lie Cleveland iron market held at Middlesbrough on Tuesday last a fair amount of business was done, and the general tone was somewhat more hopeful than it has recently been. The reports from Glasgow announcing an increase of business there, and at advanced rates, have no doubt had a good deal to do with this. For prompt delivery of No. 3 g.b m., buyers were on Tuesday willing to give 32s. per ton, which is equivalent to an advance of 3d. per ton upon tho price of last week. Some good sales have been made for forward delivery, 32s. 3d. per ton having been paid for delivery over December and January, and 32s. 9d. for delivery over the first half of next year. Forge iron stands at 30s. 9d. per ton, the demand being very poor owing to the closing for the time being of several of the finished ironworks. Some smelters are willing to accept the same prices as merchants, but the leading firms still keep entirely out of the market.

Holders of warrants show no anxiety to sell. Buyers are to be found at 32s. Gd. per ton, but sellers demand 3d. more.

Messrs. Connal and Co. held on Monday last 116,523 tons of Cleveland pig iron in their Middlesbrough store, representing an increase of 1937 tons during the week.

Up to Monday last the November shipments of pig iron from Tcesside wharves amounted to 37,122 tons, against 41,109 tons during the corresponding portion of October.

The prospects of the finished iron trade do not improve. Orders are as scarce as ever, and prices remain as quoted last week. Messrs. Jones Brothers, of Middlesbrough, have absolutely closed their plate mills, and do not intend to start again this year ; and not then unless trade revives meanwhile. Messrs. Dorman, Long, and Co. havo reopened the West Marsh Works for the present week, the men having made certain concessions in the rates payable for piecework. It is reported that the Britannia Ironworks, belonging to the same firm, will commence operations before long.

Messrs. Edward Withy and Co., of Hartlepool, have just been placed upon the Admiralty list of firms allowed to tender for iron or steel unarmoured vessels.

Messrs. Boolds, Sharer, and Co., of I’allion, Sunderland, have received an order for a steamer of over 3000 tons burden.

Mr. David Dale, of Darlington, in the course of a speech at Crook a few days since, said that the Barrow Steel Company, of which he is a director, has received an order for 20,000 tons of pig iron, and has refused another order for 10,000 tons in the hope of getting better prices.

The first meeting for the session of the Cleveland Institution of Engineers was held at Middlesbrough on Monday evening last. The report and balance-sheet were read and adopted. They showed that notwithstanding the depression so long prevalent in the iron trade, the financial position of the Institution continues to improve, and there is a substantial balance to credit at the bank. There has, however, been a slight diminution in the number of members. Mr. A. C. Hill, who has been re-elected president, then read his address. He alluded to the circumstance that the greater the heat at which a blast furnace is worked, the greater is the quantity of silicon contained in the pig iron proceeding from it. Since the general adoption of fire-brick stoves, pig iron has become generally more silicious from this cause. For foundry purposes no very bad result ensues; and, indeed, for many castings silicon in the metal is advantageous. The iron is more fluid, and less liable to blowholes. For forge purposes, however, the case is quite different. In the puddling furnace silicious pig results in bad yield, more fettling, and a poorer quality of finished iron. Mr, Hill advised

one

at the water shaft

NOTES FROM SCOTLAND.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Thk Scotch iron market has been excited in the past week with a large speculative business passing. The miners of the West of Scotland were on strike half of last week for an advance of wages, and this fact, together with the placing of some contracts in the shipbuilding trade, and the purchase of considerable quantities of hematites for the United States, had a strengthening effect on the market. Prices of both makers’ iron and warrants made a decided advance; and although there have since been fluctuations, the market continues very susceptible. So far the available statistics do not reflect the apparent activity in the speculative market. The past week’s shipments of pigs amounted to 7131 tons, as compared with 7617 in the preceding week, and 6678 tons in the corresponding week of 1884. Fully 3000 tons were added in the course of the week to the stock in Messrs. Connal and Co.’s Glasgow stores, which now contain about 640,000 tons, a larger amount than at any former time in the history of the trade. There are 91 furnaces in blast, against 95 at the same date last year.

Business was done in the warrant market on Friday last at 42s. 5d. to 42s. 10id. per ton for cash. On Monday forenoon transactions occurred from 42s. 7d. to 43s. Id. and back to 42s. lOd. cash, the afternoon quotations being 42s, lOd. to 43s, and 43s, lid.

Mkn are looking grave at the future of the coal trade. It is bad enough now, and that too at a time of the year when business is usually good. All that can be Baid is that prices keep about the same, and that house collieries are tolerably active, and that is all. Cardiff shows a falling off in foreign coal exports of 25,000 tons, as compared with the preceding week, and taking the exports foreign and coastwise of Newport, only a variation of 1000 tons is shown. Swansea shipments have shown more animation, and 24,000 tons of coal were despatched, and about 2500 tons of patent fuel. This latter article is looking up a little both at Cardiff and Swansea, but there is a good deal of room for improvement.

It is felt that, as with tin-plate, so with coal—thore is too much capital embarked in the industry, and as the new large takings come to the front, with great outputs and latest appliances, the smaller investors must go to the wall. One of the latest collieries, that of Ynysybwl, is of extraordinary character. The last seam discovered—the “ nine-feet ”—is really near 10ft. thick.

I hear better news of tho “ Deep Navigation.” The great fault here evidently was that they opened out the colliery too quickly after striking coal. Now, with freer scope, the abilities of the management get fair play, and a better output is the result.

The connection is being established between Nixon’s pit and tho joint Rhymney and Great Western line. This will be a loss to tho Taff Vale.

The Dowlais Company is making arrangements for sinking at tho Derry, or, as it is given in Welsh, Deri.

I rather think that the better news from Glasgow and from America is telling here slightly. More life seems to be observable in the works, although shipments show but a sorry record, “ none ” being the return from Newport and only 140 from Cardiff. Yet in the previous week there were good loadings going on for Indian rails, and more vessels are expected in to take remainder.

In Blaenavon I am happy to record improvement, and this week most of the workmen are busy again. At Rhymney there is a good scope for improvement, and at Tredegar and Dowlais. Cyfarthfa maintains about the same status, and shows by its despatches along the various lines that it is not altogether working for stock.

I saw its accumulations of steel rails a day or two ago, and was impressed both as regards quantity and quality. If the Americans contemplate a “ boom,” as rumour has it, Cyfarthfa would be a tempting place to visit. A better steel rail than that now turned out, and, I must add, at the various large works in Wales, it would be difficult to find.

Its new

The quantity of coal taken from the principal collieries in the Aberdare Valley during October was as follows:—From the Aber-dare Iron Company, 6000 tons; Nixon’s Navigation, 3600 tons; Bwllfa, 3100 tons; Fforchaman, 2900tons; Aberaman, 2500 tons; Cwmpark, 2100 tons. The Plymouth Company, which is also raising a large quantity of coal, sent 1700 tons, colliery, the Abercanaid, is being vigorously worked, and the electric light is being used on top, and also down in the stables.

Cyfarthfa collieries have been busier this week, and the average quantity has been shown from other “ works collieries,” principally Ebbw Vale and Blaina.

The peculiar tone which characterises the tin-plate trade continues. Prices have not regained their firmness, and ordinary coke remains at 14s. 3d. to 14s. Gd.

The highest quantity of stock held has been 450,000 boxes. When the “stop week” began 400,000 boxes were held, and the result of the “ stop ” in the first two months had this salutary effect, that the stock dropped to 300,000 boxes. But in the next month they increased to 340,000 in September, and another addition of 26,000 in October. It will thus be seen that, as I stated before, make is in excess of demand, and tin-plate makers have to confront this fact, that at the present time they have 375,000 boxes in stock, as contrasted with 400,000 when they began to stop one week in the month. I shall be surprised if an additional stop is not recommended, especially now prices are drooping with “ second men.” With it all I must add that large consignments are being made principally to America, and the makers of best brands are stiff in resisting lower quotations

was registered on the

annum to

This company proposes to acquire and work the Letters Patent No. 5592, dated 21st December, 1881, granted for “ improvements in endless or band

saws

res

W.

Moss Bay, Workington, engi-

THE PATENT JOURNAL.

printed in italics.

on.

ey, London. Tricycles, J.

"ii.

many.)

13.702.    Firing Submarine Minks by Observation, J. T. Bucknill, London.

13.703.    Paste for Dressing Leather Saddles, T. J. Roch, London.

13.704.    Electric Meters, G. Pitt.—(J. Cauderay, France.)

13.705.    Securing Studs in Shirts, Ac., M. Wilson, London.

13.706.    Controllable Locomotive Torpedoes, T. Nordenfelt, London.

mpson and P. John, London.

. Driving Gear for Electric Tram-cars, R. M. Drake and J. M. Gorham, London.

13.830.    Sewino Machines, J. Forbes, London.

13.831.    Connecting Jacquard Cards, G. Broadhead and J. R. Hancock, London.

13.832.    Propulsion of Tramcars, Ac., H. Dickson, J. C. Dickson, G. Smith, and W. M. Richards, London.

13.833.    Transferable Lettering, tic., B. Borowsky. London.

13.834.    Veterinary Poultice, G. Riley and J. G. S. Coleman, Loudon.

13 835. Three-wheel Cabs, J. Hoare, London.

13.836.    Self-acting Speed Regulator for Railway Trains, A. M. Clark.—( Wirth and Co., Germany.)

13.837.    Sash Fastening, C. F. Day, London.

trra

■ in.

NEW COMPANIES.

The following companies have just been registered

City of Madrid Railway Company Limited.

This company was registered on the 11th inst. with a capital of £225,000, in £10 shares (of which 10,000 are £7 per cent, cumulative preference shares), to acquire and carry out a concession for the construction and working of a railway encircling Madrid, with branches, embodied in a contract dated the 7th day of August, 1884, between the Marquis of Bogaraya Alcade, President of the Municipal Council of Madrid, and Don Carlos Locatelli Abogadriz y Cattaneo, of Madrid. The subscribers are:—

Shares.

G. P. Orwin, 188, Dashwood House, E.C.....

W. R. Strune, 9, New Broad-street, bookkeeper.. G. T. Verney, 9, New Broad-street, clerk ..    ..

T. W. Miller, 33, Webster-road, Bermondsey W. F. Crauford, 137, Edgware-road, civil engineer......................

J. E. Ross, 11, Union-court-chambers, E.C., civil

enginoer.....................

E. D. Matthews, 11, Union-court-chambers, civil engineer....................

The number of directors is not to be less than three nor more than seven; qualification, £200 in shares or stock; the subscribers are to appoint th first and act ad interim. Remuneration, £150 per annum to each director, with an additional £150 for the chairman.

London Automatic Disinfector and Sanitary Engineering Company, Limited.

This company proposes to carry on business as sanitary engineers in all branches, and for such purpose will adopt an unregistered agreement of the 5th inst. between Messrs. J. Couch Kent, George Nash, Wm. Shurley, Thomas Dyson, and Edward Hore of the first part; J. Couch Kent of the second part; G. Nash of the third part; and A. T. Frampton (for the company) of the fourth part. The company 10th inst. with a capital of £15,000, in £1 shares, with the following as first subscribers:—

Shares.

J. C. Kent, 28, Castlewood-road, Stamford-liill,

engineer....................

G. Nash, 32, C.’.stlewood-road, Stum ford-hill,

engineer...................

"E. Hore, Hampton-court............

*T. Dyson, 10, Thamos-strcot, Windsor, music

seller, Ac...................

Wm. Shurley, Holmleigh, Windsor, corn merchant ....................

"A. T. Frampton, Fairholm, East Molesey, secretary to a company ..............

F. J. Mould, 10, spencer-roud, Herne-hlll, commercial traveller

The number of directors is not to be less than three nor more than five; qualification, £100 in shares or stock; the first are the subscribers denoted by an asterisk. Remuneration, £100 per annum to the chairman, and £75 per each other director, to be doubled in every year in which 10 per cent is paid. Mr. J. C. Kent is appointed first manager.

Patent Metal Fret-Cutting Company, Limited.

;” and the letters Patent No. 3373, dated 16th July, 1882, for “ improvements in sawing metals and in the machinery and apparatus employed therein. The company was registered on the 9th inst. with a capital of £100,000, divided into 50,000 10 per cent, preference sha and 50,000 ordinary shares of £1 each. Power is taken to carry on business as metal workers, stained glass window manufacturers, manufacturers of incrustation and other metal ornamental work for inlaying into wood and other material, and of artistic, architectural, and ornamental workers in all branches. The subscribers are

Shares.

G. H. 'Furmridge, 2, outhside terrace, Stoke

Newington..................

Hy. Win. Adams, 87, Queen’s-crescent, Haver-

stock-hill, clerk................

A. Partridge, 6, Muschamp-road, Peckham, clerk 1 W. J. Coogan, 43, Manaton-road, Peckham, clerk 1

J. D. Hill, Upper Osbaldstone-road, N.......

John Callander, 78, Forest-road, Dalston, clerk ..    1

F. Newbery, 20, Cressingham-road, Lewisham, agent

The directorate is to consist of not less than three nor more than seven members; the subscribers are to appoint the first and determine their remuneration; qualification for subsequent directors, 200 shares. The appointment of the first managing director and the secretary, together with their salaries, is vested in the subscribers.

Whythcmoor Colliery and Chemical Company, Limited.

This company proposes to purchase the interest of Mr. Archibald Fullerton Richmond, trading as the Whythemoor Colliery Company, in the lease of the Whythemoor royalty, situate at Winscales, parish of Workington, Cumberland, with the colliery, mines, brickworks, kilns, quarries, and other property connected therewith ; and to carry on the business of colliery owners, brick and tile makers, and of chemical and manure manufacturers and merchants. It was registered on the 9th inst. with a capital of £(>0,0 0, in £10 shares, with the following as first subscribers:—

Shares.

Duncan McCallum, Glenburn, Greenock, engineer............ ........

E. Saltmarsh, Torquay, engineer........

J. T. Stock, Kirkcaldy, manufacturer......

T. H. Achureh, Whitehaven, coal merchant, Ac. Alexander Noble, F.C.S., Whitehaven, manufacturing chemist McKinney,

necr.....................

Thomas Ramsey, Whitehaven, engineer

The number of directors is not to be less than three nor more than five; qualification, 30 shares; the subscribers are to appoint the first; the company in general meeting will determine remuneration.

Condensed from the Journal of the Commissioners of Patents.

Applications for Letters Patent.

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

lOtft November, 1885.

13.621.    Medicated Candles, Ac., A. Wright, London.

13.622.    Fasteners for Window Sashes, Ac.,F. French, Handsworth, near Birmingham.

13,B23. Motive-power Engines actuated by Gas, Ac.,

E. R. Itoyston, Lee.

13.624.    Carding Goods for Sale, F. lies, Birmingham.

13.625.    Bobbins, Ac., for Cotton Spinning, J. W. Wilson, London.

13.626.    _Weft Stop Motions in Looms for Weaving, I. Wilkinson and J. Lockwood, Bradford.

13.627.    Pile Cutting, H. Bottomley, Bradford.

13.628.    Iron and Steel Tubes, J. A. Crane, Birmingham.

13.629.    Self-fastening Bookmark, A. C. Miller, Edinburgh.

13.630.    Moulds and Cores of Sand, R. Savage, London.

13.631.    Making and Burning Gaseous Fuel, H. J. Allison.—(R. P. Ambler and H. Dietz, U.S.)

13.632.    Kegs and Barrels, G. 11. Gillette, London.

13.633.    Cutting Bifurcated Garments, J. C. Tracey, Lond

13.634.    Compound Surfaces for making Steel. J. R. and W. Crossley, Glasgow.

18.635.    Grooved Pulleys, W. Picken, Birmingham.

13.636.    Transmitting Power, T. D. Whiteley, Nottingham.

13.637.    Joint for Metallic, Ac., Pipes, E. S. Nor-combe and D. J. Fleetwood, Birmingham.

13.638.    Fasteners for Windows and Doors, T. Newey, Birmingham.

13.639.    Carbon Filaments for Incandescent Lamps, W. Maxwell, Fulham.

13.640.    Mattress Frames and Beds, I. Chorlton and G. L. Scott, London.

13.641.    Discharging Disinfecting Fluid into Flushing Tanks, Ac., J. C. Kent, London.

13.642.    Steelyards for Weighing Machines, H. Pooley, Liverpool.

13.643.    Brewers’ Aerators, Ac., P. Robinson, London.

13.644.    Applying Brake Power in Velocipedes, E. P. Howe, London.

13.645.    Traps to Drains, A. G. Brookes.—(J. A. Paine, U.S.)

13.646.    Pianofortes, F. V. Groves and F. Deare, London.

13.647.    Stopping Supply of Water, Ac., from Pipes when Taps and Fixtures are Removed, W. Cluse, London.

13.648.    Gas Regulators, T. S. Borradaile.—[M. Fliir-scheim, Germany.)

13.649.    Heating, Ac., Matter, J. G. Lorrain, London.

13.650.    Self-acting Brake for Perambulators, Sic., A. Lehmann, Cricklewood.

13.651.    Centrifugal Oilers for Oiling Loose Pulleys, G. B. Ross, Manchester.

13.652.    Advertising, H. Price, London.

13.653.    Fastening Tapes for Spinning Fibrous Material, T. H. Brigg, Bradford.

13.654.    Independent Pedal, A. A. and F. E. Kune-mann, London.

13.655.    Furrules for Working Sticks, Ac., J. Ashdown, Preston, near Brighton.

13.656.    Safety Governor and Alarm Sioht-feed Lubricator, B. Law and C. W. Pinkn

13.657.    Lever Ratchet Action for Harrison, London.

13.658.    Compensating for Wear of Chains in Machinery, B. F. Meyer, London.

13.659.    Printing Machines, C. J. Derriey, London.

13.660.    Filters, W. C. Dickenson, London.

13.661.    Syringe Attachments, A. J. Boult.— (If. R. Allen, United States.)

13.662.    Asphaltic Mastic, A. L. Barber, London.

13.663.    Filing and Classifying Letters, tic., W. P. Thompson.—(IF. A. Cooke, jun., United States.)

13.664.    Frames for Wringing Machines, J. and R. W. Kenyon and J. Barnes, Liverpool.

13 665. Match Boxes for Smokers, R. Willoughby, Liverpool.

13.666.    Knob Attachments, W. I. Alvord, London.

13.667.    Delineating Drawings in Perspective, A. Brix, Liverpool.

18.668.    Telegraphic Instruments, G. W. Stewart, London.

13.669.    Lubricators, H. A. Andrews, London.

13.670.    Knob Attachments, W. I Alvord, London.

13.671.    Knob Attachments, W. I. Alvord, London.

13.672.    Knob Attachments, W. I. Alvord, London.

18.673.    Steam Boilers, W. Kent, London.

13.674.    Car Couplers, A. J. Boult.—(James A. Avery, United States )

13.675.    Appliances for Ventilating Rooms, F. H. Smith, London.

13.676.    Bending Horseshoe Blanks, G. W. Bowen, London.

13.677.    Safety Appliances for Water Taps, J. MacDougall, Glasgow.

13.678.    Safety Spring Saddle Bars, J. Carter, Glasgow.

13.679.    Mounting Container in Centrifugal Sepe-rators, M. Pedersen and J. Nielson, I ondon.

13.680.    Actuating Mechanical Toy Models, G. Cole, Loudon.

18.681.    Changeable Speed Wheel Gearing, H. M. Holden, Bradford.

13 682. Vertical Steam Boilers, R. Brown, London.

13.683.    Reeling Y’arns, Ac., W. T. Stubbs and J. Corrigan, Manchester.

13.684.    Power Looms, H. E. Newton.—(A. L. Skinner, United States.)

13.685.    Glass Furnaces, W. R. Lake.—(T. JF. Synnott, United States.)

13.686.    Staves, I. L. G. Rice, London.

13.687.    Boots, Ac.. W. R. Lake.—(M. Walker, U.S.)

13.688.    Composition for Stereotype Plates, E. L. Jannin, London.

13,6-9. Rubber-covered Bits, H. S. Squier, Newark.

13.690.    Explosive Compound, II. H. Lake.—(C. Lamm, Sweden )

13.691.    Gas Stove Hot-plates, R. O. Paterson, Lond

13.692.    Combined Wood Sawing and SlicingMachines, C. F. Parsons, London.

13.693.    Apparatus for the Reception of Coin and the Automatic Delivery of Goods in Exchange, C. H. Russell, London.

13.694.    Voltaic Batteries, J. P. Rees and T. D. C. Parker, London.

13.695.    Formation of Windage Grooves of Shot, Ac., G. Bailey, London.

13,- 96. Telephonic Systems, J. Stephen, London.

13.697.    Secondary Batteries, J. Y. Johnson.—(S. Farbaky and S. Sehenck, Hungary.)

13.698.    Actuating Tramcar Brakes, G. E. Dehany, London.

13.699.    Cement or Mortar, W. Keller, London.

13.700.    Ploughp, E Edwards.—(C. A. Collin, France.)

13.701.    Rotary Pumps, E. Edwards.—{If. Enke, Ger-llift November, 1885.

13.707.    Vertical Rollers for Washing Machines, F. Kilburn, Leeds.

13.708.    Stretching Textile Fabrics, Ac., J. Knowles and W. E. Wood, Accrington.

13.709.    Communicating with the Drivers of Cabs, E. A. Beaumont, Halifax.

13.710.    Reversing Gear for Engines, T. A. Arrol and J. Pringle, Liverpool.

13.711.    Parts of Fore and Under Carriages, J. G. Harrison, London.

13.712.    Tandem Bicycle, H. M. Goodman, West Birmingham.

13 713. Plaiting Machinery. N. Fraser, Glasgow.

13.714.    Automatic Water Discharging Nozzles, G. Mills, Manchester.

13.715.    Cleaning, Ac., Fibrous Materials, S. Crighton, Manchester.

13.716.    Automatic Fire Extinguishers, W. Wood-house, Manchester.

13.717.    Pocket Umbrellas and Parasols, 8. Hodgson, Leeds.

13.718.    Rakes, Hoes, Trowels, Ac., G. Parkes, Birmingham.

13.719.    Circulation in Steam Boilers, R. Armstrong, Newport.

13.720.    India-rubber Stair Treads, Ac., G. 8. Richardson, London.

13.721.    Automatic Signalling Electrical Press Button, B. F. Howard and T. L. Haig, London.

13.722.    Locks and Latches, F. Fidler, Sheffield.

13.723.    Divided Boxes or Show Cases, G. E. Handley, Birmingham.

13.724.    Step Irons or Step Curbings, J. Penn and J. Billingham, jun., Birmingham.

13.725.    Hot-water Boiler and Appendages, F. Silvester, Newcastle.

13.726.    Sound-producing Appliances to be used with Piano Actions, A. Appunu, London.

13.727.    Embossed Fabrics for Decorative Purposes, M. Conrath, London.

13.728.    Fire-lighter, A. Gutensohn, London.

13.729.    Watches and Timepieces, R. M. Lowne, London.

13.730.    Jointing Pipes, C. A. Knight, Glasgow.

13.731.    Horseshoe Pad, G. B. Thornton, Glasgow.

13.732.    Facilitating the Production to Scale of Engraved Patterns upon Plates, Ac., J. Mowat, Glasgow.

13.733.    Raising and Lowering the Chimneys of Portable Steam Engines, R. K. Evans and W. D. Wansbrougli, London.

13.734.    Manufacture of Cement from Blast Furnace Slag, O. L. Mauroit, Liverpool.

13.735.    Aimino and Fixino Fire-arms, A. T. Wedelin, London.

13,786. Motive Power Engines, E. Cory, Barnes.

13.737.    Pianoforte-tuning Machine, J. H. Schucht and J. A. Scbonewald, London.

13.738.    Preventing the Formation of Deposit in Pasteurised Beer, H. J. Haddan.—(C. Ho**, Germany.)

13,789. Ventilated WaterproofGarments.M. Rothen-btlcher, London.

13.740.    Ball Castors for Furniture, A. E. Tompkins, London.

13.741.    Ventilation Apparatus, D. Baker, Folkestone.

18.742.    Pneumatic and Mechanical Toy, H. Davidson, London.

13.743.    Couplings for Screw Propeller Shafts, J. Gardner, Glasgow.

13.744.    Regulating the Current from Dynamo-electric Machines, E. J. Houghton, London.

13.745.    Flexible Valves, F. W. Gritten, London.

13.746.    Temporary Disposal of Umbrellas, F. S. Morris and J. C. Cottam, London.

13.747.    Automatic Vent Pf.o, J. C. Cottam, London.

13.748.    Window Fasteners, E. T. Hi rsley, London.

13.749.    Treatment of Sewaoe, Ac., W. C. Sillar and the Native Guano Company, London.

13.750.    Treatment of Sewaoe, Ac., J. W. Slater and the Native Guano Company, London.

13.751.    Vehicle for Self-propulsion, E. de Pass.—(/. DUizy, France.)

13.752.    Sewing Machines, W. R. Lake.—(G. If. IF. Cur ties, U.S.)

13.753.    Combined Lasts and Jacks, H. Stockman, London.

13.754.    Nut Locks, W. R. Lake.—(/. P. Ball, N. M. Bennett, and M. E. Bate*, U.S.)

13.755.    Soles for Boots and Shoes, W. R. Lake.—(N. A. Baldwin, U S)

18.756.    Producing a Vacuum, M. Neuhaus, London.

13.757.    Hot-water Apparatus, C. H. Hollingdrake and W. H. Stanfield, Loudon.

13.758.    Door and Window Fastener, E T. Horsley, Loudon.

13.759.    Blinds and Curtains, J. R. Gibson and Marshall and bnelgrove, London.

13.760.    Window Fasteners, E. T. Horsley, London.

13.761.    Treatment of Chemical Agents, G. W. Bremner, London.

13.762.    Locks, E. P. Hinkel, London.

13.763.    Corrugated Plates of Metal, W. H. Lindsay, London.

13.764.    Railway Chairs, W. H. Lindsay, London.

13.765.    Locking Screw Nuts, W. H. Lindsay, London.

18.766.    Fireproof Floors, W. H. Lindsay, London.

13.767.    Dressing Leathern Harness, T. J. Rv.ch, London.

13.768.    Cartridges, C. S. Bailey, London.

13.769.    Water Meters, H. Mtinecke, jun., London.

13.770.    Burglar Alarm, G. H. Hamsun, Loudon.

lith November, 1885.

18.771.    Tricycles, T. Leaker. Bristol.

13.772.    Producing High Vacua, J. Wimsliurst, London.

13.773.    Pencil Sharpeners, A. E. Ragg and J. H. Cousins, Chester.

13.774.    Gas, Ac., Stoves, H. Johnson and W. T. Quinsey, Birmingham.

13.775.    smoke Disperser for Curing Smoky Chimneys, J. Cochran, jun., Kirkgate.

13.776.    Lubricating Tricycles, Ac., A. Downing and L. Bubb, Birmingham.

13.777.    Boilers for Circulating Hot Water, T. Blezard, Padiham.

13.778.    Handles for Table Cutlery, E. Hall, jun., Sheffield.

13.779.    Grinding or Reducing Solid Materials, F. B. Welch, Manchester.

13.780.    Micrometer, Ac., Gauges, W. and A. W. Cross, Loughborough.

13.781.    Bracket for Velocipede Lamps, W. A. Beard-sell, Birmingham.

13.782.    Preparing Unbleached Cotton Warp, Ac., T. Pickles, Manchester.

13.783.    Trousers Stretchers, C. Steer, Bristol.

13.784.    Gear for Steam Engines, Holden, Burnley, and Co., and J. Tidswell, Bradford.

13.785.    Treatment of Pickers used in Looms, J. Green, Manchester.

13.786.    En8ilage Stacks, H. C. Tucker, Banbury.

13.787.    Swells used in Shuttle-boxes, J. Gregson, Preston.

13.788.    Enabling Sashes to be Opened as Casements, G. Wyatt and W. W. Ballard, London.

18.789.    Polisseuse for Rubbing, Ac., Iron, Ac., S. Bellotti, London.

13.790.    Production of Azo Colours on Cotton, T Holliday, London.

13.791.    Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Carriages, Ac., H. St. G. Wilkinson, London.

13.792.    Combined Eliminator and Filter, A. C. Ewing.—(T. Shields, British Guiana.)

13.793.    Sheep and other Fencing, J. Sainty, East Dereham.

13.794.    Pencil Lead Cases and Holders, L. Horr, London.

13.795.    Grease Boxes, G. Barker, Sheffield.

13.796.    Brakes for Perambulators, Ac., R. Cunliffe and J. Cruom London.

13.797.    Openers and Scutchers, T. Battersby and J. H. Morris, London.

13.798.    Cuff Holder, S. Abiahamsohn, London.

13.799.    Distilling Liquids, L. H. Pearce, London.

13.800.    Steam Boilers, E. S. T. Kennedy, London.

13.801.    Dredging Machinery, G. F. Badger and W. F. Kidder, London.

13.802.    Buffer for Ships’ Steering Gear, A. H. Alehin, London.

13.803.    Ventilating Horsehair Inner Sole, L. A. Groth.—(C'. Nusser, Switzerland.)

13.804.    Purifying Naphthaline, L. A. Groth.—(O. Link, Germany.)

13.805.    Sharpening the Card Clothing in Carding Engines, L. A. Groth.—(C. Caro, Germany.)

13.806.    Chain Links, iic., L. A. Groth.—(F. Liiuchli, Germany )

13,807 Carriers for Wet and Dry Plates for Photography, A. Strivens, London.

13.808.    Closing of Canisters, Ac., C. S. B. Gardner, London.

13.809.    Hand-made Portraiture, H. Spitzer, H. Sobersky and B. Berlinger, London.

13.810.    Blectric Lamps, V. Kldn and F. Spumy, London.

13.811.    Automatic Candle Extinguishers, P. C. Smith and R. W. Thomas, London.

13.812.    Hand Mowing Machines, E. H. Marcuse, London.

13.813.    Stoppering Bottles, Ac., M. L. Macauley, Glasgow.

13.814.    Moulds for Boots and Shoes, R. Dick,

Glasgow.    ,

13.815.    Fastenings for Packing Cases, H. Greene, London.

13.816.    Rotary Engines, C. P. JUrgenson, London.

13.817.    Motor Engines, E. A. Ashcroft.—(IF. A. Comber, Hew Zealand.)

18.818.    Velocipedes, J. Asbury, London.

13.819.    Steeping, Ac., Barley, Ac., H. Hackmann, London.

13.820.    Pumps, W. Donaldson, London.

13.821.    Locks or Latches, W. White, London.

13.822.    Screw Bolts, T. B. Sharp, London.

13.823.    Ribs and Stretchers for Umbrellas, &c., W. Holland, London.

13.824.    Torpedoes, C. E. Ilearson, London.

13.825.    Ventilating Mines, J. Onions, London.

13.826.    Making Eyes in Wire, Ac., E. Edwards.—(/. Derenne, France.)

13.827.    Optical Squares, G. F. Redfem.—(A. A. Coutureau, Frame.)

13.828.    Magneto-telephonic Instruments, S. P. Tho

13.829.

kith November, 1884.

13.838.    Bottle Stopper, G. Cooper, Loughborough.

13.839.    Valve, J. S. and J. A. Morris, and J. AM troyd, Manchester.

13.840.    Making Cement Concrete Blocks, T. Hunter and J. G. Brown, Cardiff.

13.841.    Cookino Stoves, H. M. Ashley, Ferrybridge.

13.842.    Steel Spring Band for Neckties, F. Pett, Openshaw.

13.843.    Manufacture of Prussic Acid, J. Grossman, Deansgate.

13.844.    Valve or Tap for Casks, W. Williamson and J. Westley, Manchester.

13.845.    Machine for Folding, A«., Fabrics, W. H. Hacking, Manchester.

13.846.    Turning, tic., Apparatus for Lathes, W. Hartcliffe, Manchester.

13.847.    Portable Illuminated Desks, F. J. Davis, Plymouth, and E. fl. Middleton, Devonport.

13.848.    Feathering Apparatus for Screw Propellers, R. T. Bells, Liverpool.

13.849.    Saws for Preventing Buckling, J. Taylor, London.

13.850.    Pickling Apparatus, A. Whiteley, Halifax.

13.851.    Estimating Degree oi Daylight in Build-inos, C. A. Burghardt, Manchester.

13.852.    Separating Middlings, A. Steiger, London.

13.853.    Counters fur Registering Movements in Machines, W. Chad burn, Liverpool.

13,6o4. Alleviating Insomnia, W. Jacques, London.

13.856.    Bearings of Bicycles, C. Church, London.

13,656. Making of Mineral Gum, G. W. Bremner,

Loudon.

13.857.    Lamp Brackets of Bicycles, C. Church, London.

13,868. Flues, Ac., of Steam Boilers, O. Meredith, London.

13.859.    Regenerative Furnace, Ac., J. Robinson, Halifax.

15.860.    Last Steel Forcings, J. Pickering, Glasgow.

13.861.    Adjusiable Chairs for Phoioorapheks, W. Brierley, Haliiax.

13.862.    Corn Ring, W. H. Tetley, Rradford.

13.863.    Spanner or Wrench, F. More, Birmingham.

13.864.    Railway Signalling Apparatus, W. King, Glasgow.

13.865.    Microscopes, F. Chasemore, Horsham.

18.866.    Vessels lor Conveying Sewage, Ac., J. Casey and H. F. Swan, London.

13.867.    Stopping Runaway Horses, R. W. Day, London.

13.868.    Carriage, Ac., Harness, R. W. Day, London.

13.869.    Railway Couplings, A. K. Bingemau, London.

13.870.    Rat Traps, Ac., V. T. Singleton, London.

13.871.    Weaving of Towels, Ac., W. Cunningham, Glasgow.

13.872.    Self-feeding Stokers, T. W. and W. K. Appleyard, andC. L. Atkinson, London.

13.873.    Regulating Electric Currents, A. Grundy, London.

13.874.    Obtaining Motive Power, E. A. Wadsworth, London.

13.875.    Hose Coupling, H. J. Haddan.—(C. Cattoi n, France.)

13.876.    Writing Slates, J. and W. Williams, London.

13.877.    Paint for Submerged Parts, G. W. Bremner, London.

13.878.    Whisks, Ac., W. Waddell, Glasgow.

13.879.    Fishing Reels, J. Macleish, Glasgow.

13.880.    Tool Handles and Eyes, H. H. Trenor, London.

13.881.    Rendering the Neighbourhood of Rifle Ranges Safe from Bullets, C. Brown, Nuuhead.

13.882.    Automatic Heat Indicator, J. R. Thame and T. Blake, London.

13.883.    Pulverising Tin Ore, Ac., J. Hicks, London.

13.884.    Packing for Stuffing Boxes, W. Terrell, E. Turner, and G. S. Howatson, London.

13.885.    Fixing and Retaining Wooden Keys in Railway Chairs, Ac., W. L. Wise.—(S. Danischewsky, France.)

13.886.    Working, Ac., Railway Points and Signals, J. Wilson, London.

13.887.    Umbrella, Ac., Frames, J. Willis, London.

13.888.    Lace, A. Lees, Lond

13.889.    Clip for Holding Photographic Plates, E. D. Adcock, London.

13.890.    Sensitive Films for Photography, G. C. 'Whitfield, W. J. Wilson, and G. S. and E. A. Whitfield* London.

13.891.    White Pigment, J. B. Freeman, London.

13.892.    Treating Ores, C. Cherry, London.

on.

Watciieh and Clocks, II. F. Ilambrucli,

on.

Powders,

Satre,

(From the United Slates' Patent Office Official Gazette.)

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drical plug containing a flat valve seat, a slide-valve, a rock shaft mounted in bearings in said plug, crank on said rock shaft, and a link for coupling said crank to to the valvo substantially as described. (5) Tho combination, with the skeletonised plug having rock shaft mounted therein, and containing a valvo seat and a slide valve coupled by a link and crank to said shaft,

As a now article of manufacture, tho

The roversoly curved cutter-

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a nut

13,893. Appliances for Windows, Ac., to fkevknt Vibration, M. J. Rowley and C. A. Wheeler, London.

14th November, 1885.

13.894.    Thermo-static Regulators, R. R. Kelly and W. H. Akester, London.

13.895.    Wheel Moulding Machine, E. Dickinson, Wigan.

13 896. Attaching Door Knobs to their Spindles, W. Vaughan and H. E. Gooch, Birmingham.

13.897.    Match-box, Ac., Holders, C. Sandoll, London.

13.898.    Locks and Latches, W. Vaughan and H. E. Gooch, Birmingham.

13.899.    Screw, T. J. Goldsmith, London.

13.900.    Draining Board for Wrinoino Machines, E. Powell, Chester.

13.901.    Safety Lamp, W. H. Johnsou and A. Howat, Manchester.

13.902.    Electrical Switch, G. Marris, Birmingham.

13.903.    Automatic Dredger Bucket for Cranes, Ac., W. Coopor and J. Holdsworth, Hull.

13.904.    Automatic Dredger Bucket for Cranes, Ac., W. Cooper and J. Holdsworth, Hull.

13.905.    Waving and Crimping Hair, W. L. B. Ilinde, Birmingham.

13.906.    Drawing Rollers for Flax, <Sic., W. Scott, Belfast.

13.907.    Railway Carriage Doors, Ac., W. Elliss, Sheffield.

13.908.    Tobacco Pipes, A. Needham, Manchester.

13.909.    Velocipedes, A. Bur-dess, Lend

13.910.    Blown Glass Bottles and Stoppers, E. M. Knight, Halifax.

13.911.

Lond

13.912.    Arresting Cages, J. W. Morgan and J. R. James, London.

13.913.    Breaking Hemp, Ac., J. C. Mewburn.—(E. Gavelle, France.)

13.914.    Vessels for Removing Excreta, Sic., J. H. Smith, London.

13.915.    Folding Portable Table, F. Attock, London. 13.910. Fast and Loose Reed Looms, J. Marshall,

London.

13.917.    Heating Water in Bakehouses, F. Bosshardt. —(J. O. Plancon- Waline, France.)

13.918.    Heating and Ventilating Apartments, J. Keith, Glasgow.

13.919.    Button Fastener, J. Hocker and F. W. Read, London.

18.920.    Weaving, S. O’Neill, Manchester.

18.921.    Soldering Iron, W. Ryan, London.

13.922.    Washing Liquids and Cleansing O. W. Bremnor, London.

13.923.    Pipe Couplino, H. J. Haddan,—(C. Cattohx, France.)

13.924.    Ranging Machine, A. W. Wilson and B. Silver, London.

18.925.    Booth or Clogs, E. Brennan, Liverpool.

18.926.    Furnaces, C. Hill, London.

13.927.    Card Covers, D. Hildesheim, Glasgow.

13.928.    Ice-breaking Machines, A. W. Marshall, London.

13.929.    Surgical Instrument for Extracting Bullets, J. K. Arnold, London.

13.930.    Brakes, P. A. Gnmbnro, London.

13.931.    Casks, W. II. Beck.—(A’. Retterer, France.) 13,982. Furnaces or Fire-boxes, J. Y. Johnson.—(//.

Graspel, Austria.)

13,938. Transmitting Rotary Motion, G. Bontloy and J. B. Jackson, London.

18,984. Lead Pipe, W. It. Lake.—(Demange and France.)

13.935.    Steam Boilers, E. Lagosso and J. Boueho, London.

13.936.    Lockino Screw Nut, W. Barwoll and B. S. Roberts, London.

13.937.    Expansion Links, II. W. Garratt, London.

13.938.    Wax Matches and Vesta Fuses, It. Bell, London.

13.939.    Puddling and Heating Furnaces, D. Davy and A. B. Baylls, London.

13.940.    Horse Collars, G. F. Rodforn.— (L. Roger-Foyer, France.)

13 941. Protector for Cards, Ac., G. F. Itodforn.— (J. Markinski and A. Hearn, Canada.)

13.942.    Advertising, Ac., Cards, W. It. Ityland, London.

16tA November, 1885.

18.943.    Self-measuring Tap, T. C. Thompson, Don-castor.

18.944.    Beam Arms, T. Attenborough, Long Eaton.

13.945.    Opening and Closing Fanlights, J. Hill, Willeaden Junction.

18.946.    Candlestick and Match-box Combined, A. G. Howell, London.

18.947.    Mouths of Glass Bottles, Ac., T. Sutcliffe, London.

13.948.    Music 8tools, Ac., G, Whitehoad and W. R. Wayne, Aston.

13.949.    Applying Tar, Ac., to tho Fleeces of Live Sheep, I. Archer, Penrith.

13.950.    Manufacture of Sulphites, P. Hart, Manchester.

13.951.    Dynamo-electric Machines, G. Tolman and

H. Denton, Wolverhampton.

13.952.    Suspending Pants, I). N. Arnold, Sheffield. 13,958. Driving Knittino Machines, W. Sandors and

L. Slowln, Leeds.

13.954.    COMPRK88INO of Timber, T. Pickles, Manchester.

13.955.    Steam Boilers, W. Hyde, Belfast.

13.956.    Photographic Cameras, J. BUlolifT, Manchester.

13.957.    Controlling Gas Supply, T. Fletchor, Manchester.

13.958.    Kitchen or Room Fire Grate, T. E. Cleathero, J. Green, W. It. Green, and R. Green, Ecclcsfiold, near Sheffield.

13.959.    Steps for Broughams, Ac., G. T. Choetliam, Bradford.

13.960.    Securing Wheels on tho Axles of Carriages,

G. T. Cheetbam, Bradford.

13.961.    Valve Gearino for Steam Engines, J. Thom, Barrow-in-Furness.

13.962.    Bicycles, Ac., R. J. Russell, London.

18,903. Extracting Corks ftom Bottles, C. Weekcs,

Dublin.

13.964.    Valve Gears for Steam Engines, W. B. Crichton and R. O. Ritchie, London.

13.965.    Soundino Boards of Pianofortes, W. Dodson, London.

13.966.    Lock Air-tioht Stoppered Bottles, F. Mason, London.

13.967.    Rendering a Liquid Hydrocarbon Gaseous,

J. Roots, London.

13.908.    Grates and Stoves, H. Thompson, London.

13.909.    Treatment of Paper, Ac., A. B. O’Connor, London.

13.970.    Automatically Acting Couplings, E. H. A. HetnkJ, Upper Teddlngton.

13.971.    Automatic Brakes for Perambulators, Ac.,

J. It. Tozeland, London.

13.972.    Glove Fasteners, W. M. Williams, London.

13.973.    Headed Tubes, E. S. T. Kennedy, London.

13.974.    Electric Signalling, C. E. Zimdars, London.

13.975.    Drenching Bits, H. Malet, London.

13.976.    Type-writing Machines, M. Hearn, London.

13.977.    Spanners, E. G. Matthowson, London.

13.978.    IIeoulatino the Height of Trousers, C. H. A. Harris, London.

13.979.    Albums, A. Kohl, London.

13.980.    Lighting by Gas, D. W. Sugg, London.

13.981.    Utilising Heat, Ac., J. Ashworth, London.

13.982.    Metallic Zinc, W. F. Richards, London.

13.983.    Feeding Fuel to Steam Boiler Furnaces, J. Shaw and N. Arthur, Glasgow.

13.984.    Dredgers, W. Y. Fleming and P. Ferguson, Glasgow.

13.985.    Convertible Tandem Tricycles, I. T. Town«end, London.

13.986.    Producing Box Pleating, Ac., E. Hammett London.

13.987.    Device for Cleansing Steam, C. V. Boys and H. H. Cunynghamo, London.

13.988.    Magic Clock, A. Giannazzi, London.

13.989.    Safety or Locking Devices, D. L. Brain, London.

13.990.    Compound Fuel, J. G. Ponn, London.

13.991.    Composition for Dressing Leather Saddles, W. Taylor, London.

13.992.    Hosiery Fabrics, H. J. M. Mellor, London.

13.993.    Compositions for Dressing Leather Harness, W. Taylor, London.

13.994.    Combined Penholder and Blotter, W. R. Lake.—(y. 11. F. Guillot, France.)

13.995.    Extracting Ammonia and Chlorine from Lyes, H. H. Lake.—{ Wirth and Co., Germany.)

13,990. Saving Life and Property from Burning Buildings, W. R. Lake.—((?. W. Putnam, United States.)

13,997. Making Traversed Net, H. Hill, London.

SELECTED AMERICAN PATENTS

326,796. Dynamo Electric Machine, Willem B. Smit and Adriaan Pot, Slikkerveer, Nederlands.—Filed January 9th, 1885.

Claim.—(I) In a dynamo electric machine, in combination with the armature-core, one or more boxes forming a channel for said core and tho spokes for supporting the core, the outer ends of which are connected by said boxes, substantially as described. (2) In a dynamo electric machine, a ring armature having arms or spokes c, in combination with the boxes e, the armature-core wound within said boxes upon said spokes, and armature-coils d, wound upon said boxes between said spokes, substantially as described. (3) In a dynamo electric machine, having a ring armature, radial arms or spokes c, arranged in pairs, the upper portions in each pair being bent away from oach other, substantially as shown, whereby the upper portions of opposite spokes in adjacent pairs substantially parallel, and each spoke being formed with a recess l, in its outer ond, in combination with

[326.7961

ij i>

A*

an armaturo-coro a, of iron wiro wound upon said spokes within said rocoss b, and armaturo-coils d, wound upon tho core a, between tho parallel portions of adjacent spokes, substantially as set forth. (4) In a dynamo oloctric machine, a ring armaturo having arms or spokes c, with rocossos t\ in their sidos and rccossos b, in their outer onds, in combination with tho box os e, the nrmaturo-coro wound upon said spokes within the boxes e, and armature-coils d, wound upon said boxes, covering said core between said spokes, the wholo being clumped together, substantially as described.

326,819. Valve Gear for Steam Engines, Jerome Wheelock, Worcester, Mass.—Filed November 8th, 1884.

Claim.—(1) At oach end of a steam ongino cylinder, tho combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of an excentric-rod, a semi-rotating steam valve, and a sliding exhaust valve co-operating therewith for controlling ono cylindor port. (2) At each ond of a steam ongine cylindor. tho combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a semi-rotating steam valve and a gridiron valve loosely coupled to an excontrlc-rod whoreby during a po tudinal movemont of said rod said remain at rest. (3) At oach ond of a steam engine

326.8191

of a slide exhaust valve, and a slide steam-valve cooperating with one cylinder-port, a rock shaft for each valve, coupled thereto by a crank and a link, and an excentrie-rod, and external connections by which both valves are operated. (3) The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a steam engine cylinder and a tapered cylindrical skeletonised plug containing a valve-seat and a valve, and having heads which afford bearings for a rock shaft by which the valve is operated. (4) The combination with a steam engine cylinder and and a skeletonised tapered cylin-

1326.8201

fri

of a spring at the back of said valve, substantially as described, whereby regardless of the rotative adjustment of said plug in its housing, said valvo will bo properly held to its seat.

326,941. Flexible Shaft and Coupling, Arthur W. Browne, Westfield, N. Y.—Filed December 20th, 1884. Clainh.—A floxiulo shaft or coupling consisting of a

[325941,1

series of substantially parallel spring plates rigidly connected wgother, substantially us described.

326,983. Cutter-head, Franklin Holland, Grand Rapids, Mich.—December 2\th, 1884.

Claim.—fl)

cuttor hoad having tho double curvo in one cross soction so that tho cutters at ono end of tho soction movo in a circle on ono sido of tho contral point of revolution and tho tooth at tho other ond of tho curved cross section movo in a parallel circloon tho othor side of the centre of revolution, substantially as doscribod. (2) Tho cuttor head curvod on tho lino of cross soction, said curvo being 8 shaped, and straight on tho cross section

'326,9831

12

; fa

Wi

at right angles to tho curvod cross section, substantially as doscribod. (3)

head E, provided with tho tooth 11, having their sido filed perpondicularly to tho axis of tho cutter-head to cut perpendicular sidos to a dado or widened groove substantially as described. (4) Tho reversely curved cutter-hoad I, provided with tooth 12, for raising panels, said tooth being filed upon ono side only, so as to mako oiio side of the panel, substantially as shown and described.

326,994. Traction Engine Gear, Minard laferer, Battle Creek, Mich.—Filed March 8rd, 1885.

Claim.—(1) In a gear for traction engines, the combination with a driving shaft and a band or fly-wheel secured theroon of a sleeve loosely mounted on the shaft between the fly-wheel and pillow block and a non-sliding pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve for transmitting power to the drive wheels, substantially as sot forth. (2) In gear for traction engines, tho combination with tho driving shaft projecting beyond

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the pillow block and having a band or fly-wheel socured on its outer end, of a sleeve loosely mounted on the shaft between the fly-wheel hub and pillow block and caused to rotate with the fly-wheel, a nonsliding pinion loosely mounted on the sleeve for actuating tho drive wheels, and means for locking the pinion to the fly-wheel and releasing it therefrom at pleasure, Substantially as set forth. (3) In gear for traction engines, the combination with the drive wheel actuating pinion and the fly-wheel secured to the drive shaft in close proximity to the pinion, of a sliding key located in the hub of tho fly-wheel and adapted to engage a notch or recess in the pinion and a spring-actuated dog for holding the key in sliding adjustment, substantially as set forth. (4) In gear for traction engines, the combination with the drive wheel actuating pinion loosely mounted on a sleeve, the latter being loosely mounted on the drive shaft and locked to the hub of the fly-wheel, of recessed projections formed on the pinion, a sliding key located in the hub of the fly-wheel and adapted to engage the recess in the pinion, and a spring-actuated dog for holding the key in the desired adjustment, substantially as set forth.

327,128. Steam Engine Governor, Pardon Arming ton, Providence, R.I.—Filed January 30th, 1885.

Claim.—(1) In a centrifugal governor, the combination of tho pivotted excentric B, the pivotted weight D, having the arm d, the arm F, the toggle link G G¹, connected at one end to the excentric, and united at its joint to arm F, and the spring E, connected at one end to the weight D, substantially as described. (2) The combination, with the shaft A, carrying the disc C, of the excentric B, pivotted to said disc by its arm

1327J28J

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b, the weight D, having the arm d, and pivotted to said disc, the spring E, secured to tho weight and standard S, and the links F G Gi, as specified. (8) The combination, with tho shaft A, tho disc 0, having tho stop e, the excentric B, having arm b, and pivotted at p to the disc, of the weight D, having tho arm d, and pivotted at pl to said disc, the spring E, connected to tho weight and standard 8, tho links G Qi, pivotted at p- pa, and the link F, pivotted to tho arm d and to the joint g, as shown and described.

327,161. Device for Holding Metal Cutters, Luther It. Faught, Philadelphia, Pa. — Filed June 23rd, 1885.

Claim.—(1) The combination, substantially as set forth, of a chuck or socket having a conical or tapered central bore and one or more raaial end slots extending from its bore to its periphery, a nut fitting a recess in the chuck concentric with tho bore thereof, and a longitudinally divided sleeve having an external screw thread engaging the throad of t.ho nut, and a conical or tapered bearing corresponding with the bore of the chuck on oach side of said nut. (2) Tho combination, substantially as sot forth, of a conically bored chuck, a nut fitting a recoss therein, a longitudinally divided sloovo fitting tho boro of tho chuck, and having

327.1511

f.

H dPnll

I.

mm

an external screw thread engaging the throad of tho nut, a boring bar or stock fitting within said sleeve, and a sories of cutters secured removably in said boring bars. (8) Tho combination, substantially as set forth, of a conically bored chuck having radial slots in its ond extending from its boro to its periphery, fitting a recess in the chuck concentric with its bore, a longitudinally divided sleeve fitting tho bore of tho chuck and having an external screw thread engaging the thread of the nut, a cutter sockot fitting within said sleeve, and a pair of facing cutters fixed in longitudinal slots in the cutter socket and fitting in the radial slots of tho chuck.

327,149. Device for Holdino Metal Cutters, Luther li. Faught, Philadelphia, Pa.—Filed November 21.11, 1884.

Claim.—The combination substantially as sot forth, of a chuck or socket having a conical or tapered central bore, a nut fitting a recess in the chuck concentric with the bore thereof, and a longitudinally divided sleeve, having an external screw thread engaging the thread of the nut and also a conical or tapered bearing corresponding with the bore of the chuck on each sido of said nut. (2) The combination substantially as set forth, of a chuck or socket having a conical or tapered bore, a nut fitting a recess in the chuck concentric with its bore, a longitudinally divided sleeve fitting the bore of the chuck and having an external screw thread engaging the thread of the nut, a longitudinally divided bushing fitting within said sleeve, and a continuous cutter having a series of wings or ribs integral

[327,14-91

.....J

...

with a central core or body and engaging bearing projections on the inner surface of the bushing. (3) The combination, substantially as set forth, of a conically bored chuck, an internal nut, a longitudinally divide, 1 threaded sleeve fitting the bore of the chuck, and engaging the thread of the nut, and a key fitting in a keyway in the chuck, and engaging a slot in the sleeve. (4) The combination, substantially as set forth, of a chuck or socket having a conical or tapered bore, a nut fitting a recess in the chuck concentric with its bore, a longitudinally divided sleeve fitting the bore of tho chuck and having an external screw thread engaging the thread of the nut and a longitudinally divided bushing fitting within said sleeve. (5) The combination, substant ially as set forth, of a continuous cutter having a series of wings or ribs integral with a central body, and a longitudinally divided bushing having an externally tapered surface adapted to fit within tho clamping sleeve of a chuck, a bore of diameter to fit around the wings of the cutter, and a series of internal projections acting as abutments for said wings.