W tlo

con-

were

was

was

With a

•HI BUTT CONNECTIONS OF IRON AND STEEL SHIPS.

’ setting about the construction of iron ships, the car! • it builders of those vessels had before them the longs’ ;• ished practices of the wood shipbuilder, and the fie experience which up to that time had been t red by the makers of boilers, bridges, and other iron •it i • ures. The boilermaker and iron girder constructor h.»4 at the best but a rudimentary conception of the modes •nbination which were adopted in the building of • Ian ships; and similarly the wood shipbuilder who enterprising enough to attempt the building of an iron ship had only a partial acquaintance with the methods whereby iron plates and angles should be united so as to obtain a structure possessing a maximum strength with a minimum weight of materials. The first iron shipbuilders were, in most cases, men who had already been accustomed to work with iron either as marine engineers, boilermakers, or girder constructors. In other cases, builders who had hitherto used only wood in the construction of ships secured the services of experienced workers in iron to assist them in the production of a class of vessel such as was shown by the tendencies of the time to be rapidly coming into favour. The result of this combination of professional bias and experience was just what might have been predicted by any far-seeing observer of the circumstances under which the new industry was started.

Some of the earliest iron ships are still in existence, and even at work. An examination of these forerunners of the world’s present iron and steel mercantile navy at once suggests the dual character of the experience possessed by those who were concerned in their design. Throughout the structure are to be seen iron equivalents for the main components of a wooden ship, and wherever wood could be employed in the hull these early builders did not fail to resort to that material. Some of these old ships have wooden knight heads, hawse timbers, cutwaters, bulwark stanchions, bulwarks, waterways, and covering boards ; all had wooden masts, and in many cases the ceiling on the inside of the frames was fitted with a view to yielding structural strength analagous to that of the ceiling of a wooden ship. When the iron work is examined one finds a reproduction of the boiler; not only as regards the arrangement of butts and the method of strapping them, but also in the arrangement and character of the rivetting throughout the hull. As already remarked, all this was inevitable, considering the entire novelty of a floating structure of iron and the conditions under which a ship of any kind must necessarily, at that time, have been produced.

But when the practicability of iron ship construction and navigation had been established, and the advantages of iron as a material for ships had been demonstrated, these anomalies in their construction began to disappear. Matters began to right themselves on all sides. Those who had long been accustomed to work only in wood by-and-bye acquired an acquaintance with the physical qualities of iron, and the possibilities which that material afforded as regards modes of combination. They learned by experience what scantlings should be properly employed in the various parts of the structure so as to obtain a close approach to continuous and uniform strength ; and later on they found out more nearly than before what scantlings were required in order to yield the necessary strength. Similarly, the workers in iron, who at first knew but little of what was required in order to constitute a really efficient ship in her every part, gathered more and more knowledge of the naval architect’s and shipbuilder’s art, until at length it was impossible, upon entering a shipyard and conversing with the builder, to discover whether he was originally a shipwright, boilermaker, marine engineer, or bridge builder. Indeed, some of the most valuable contributions to the literature of shipbuilding between the years 1840 and 1865 proceeded from the pens of civil and marine engineers.

The butt strap is a very important detail in the struction of an iron or steel ship; but it is just one of those few elements which have no counterpart in a ship of . wood. We are therefore indebted to the boilermaker and girder builder for the butt straps in a ship. It is, of course, evident that an iron ship could not be put together or kept afloat without butt straps ; but at the same time it must be remembered that until ships built of iron the butts of their planks were not strapped in the ironworker’s acceptation of that term. The butts of the planking in a wood ship are arranged to come upon the timbers of the frame, and the end of each plank is bolted to that timber. The frames of a wooden ship serve therefore as butt straps to the planks; but to no greater a degree than the planks serve as butt straps to the several puttocks which compose each frame. In a wood ship the frame timbers and planks, by crossing each other at right angles, yield a mutual combination with the aid of the bolts and treenails. But in iron ships this analogy never followed out. Each frame was, from the first, made complete and. continuous in itself, independent of any strapping which would result from the plating being rivetted to it; and similarly each strake of plating made as continuously strong as it was at that time thought possible to do by the aid of butt straps. With the edge rivetting—which likewise has no equivalent in a wood ship —and the mutual strapping assistance which adjacent strakes of plating thereby render to each other, we are not at present concerned. It is to the butt strap of a ship’s plating that attention is desired, with a view to consider the developments in its efficiency which have hitherto been effected, and the direction in which improvement may vet be anticipated.

In considering the butt connections of an iron or steel ship’s plating, the first question to be attended to is the conditions which regulate the efficiency of an individual strap; and, secondly, those upon which depend the strength of the entire plating viewed as a combination of comparatively short plates. Both of these subjects have been ably discussed at different times by such authorities as Fairbairn, Beed, Barnaby, White, and others; but in view of the phenomena in connection therewith which are continually being observed when ships are examined in a dry dock, it cannot be safely assumed that the subjects of discussion are yet exhausted. Taking into consideration, then, an individual strap joining two plates together at their butts, it is clear that the best butt connection is that which approximates in strength most nearly to that of the plates which are joined. To obtain equivalent strength to the plates is impossible, seeing that the connection can be made only after punching holes in the plates. Hence the higher limit of the butt strap’s efficiency is fixed by the strength of the plates at a section through these holes. Now in the earliest iron ships the rivet holes in the butt straps, as in the plate laps and other parts of the hull, were spaced exceedingly close together, as might be expected when it is remembered that the first iron shipbuilders had been accustomed to make steam-tight joints. After a time a more open spacing was adopted, but in every case the rows of rivets in a butt strap were complete throughout; there being as many rivets in the lines of holes nearest to the butt as in those which are farthest from it. The spacing of the former is determined by the requirements for caulking to make the butt watertight, but no such limitation is necessarily fixed upon the other rows. Notwithstanding this obvious condition, the practice of punching complete rows of rivet holes throughout the butt joints of a ship’s plating was maintained until quite recently, and even now it is relaxed only when there are more than two rows of rivets on each side of the butt. Complete rows are necessary in double-rivetted joints, so long as rivets of the proportions now commonly in use are adopted, in order to obtain a rivet strength equal to that of the butt strap or plate in a line of punched holes ; and this fact alone is a sufficient condemnation of double-rivetted butts when the attainment of great tensile strength is of importance. The practice in boiler making, so far as regards the diameter of rivets employed for joining the several thicknesses of plates, is superior to that in iron shipbuilding, for the boiler - maker uses larger rivets in stout plating, and thereby obtains the necessary rivet strength, with fewer rivets, and therefore with a less reduction in strength of the parts which are joined together. A limit to the size of rivet is fixed by the requirements of caulking and watertightuess, but surely a diameter of rivet and spacing which makes a steam tight joint is fully equal to what a shipbuilder requires. Ideal arrangements of rivetting such as will suit girder work cannot be employed for either boilers or ships, just because of the difference between caulking and not caulking. Three or four rows of rivets on each side of a butt, with alternate rivets omitted in the rows farthest from the butt, yield a very high degree of efficiency so far as the rivet strength and that of the plates which are joined together are concerned. This is the case with single butt straps; but when there is a butt strap on each side of the joint the efficiency is much greater. But before discussing the case of double covering straps, it is necessary that more should be said regarding the conditions regulating the efficiency of the single butt strap. It is evident that when a butt is to be caulked it is impossible to omit alternative rivets in the rows nearest to it. Hence the omission of the rivets in the outer rows is of no use unless the straps be made thicker than the plates they unite. For the strength of the whole joint is only that of its weakest part, which, if the straps are of the same thickness as the plates it pins, would be in the strap itself at either of the rows of rivets nearest to the butt. Consequently of late years it has been the practice to make the butt straps of a ship’s plating thicker than the plates they unite whenever great butt efficiency is required. By so doing, it is possible to obtain a strength in the strap, along the line of rivet holes nearest to the butt, equal to that of the plates in the line of rivets furthest from the butt, and equal to the shearing resistance of the rivets in the butt. Any other mode of fracture must include both the tearing of plate or strap and the shearing of rivets besides, which would obviously represent a greater strain than is required to fracture the connection at its weakest place.

In the foregoing remarks only single butt covers have been considered, and it may be remarked that, until quite recently, the use of double butt covers has never been contemplated in a ship’s side and bottom plating. For stringers, longitudinals, cellular bottom girders, keelsons, &c., double butt straps have long been employed because of the high degree of efficiency which is attainable by that mode of connection. The use of double butt covers has also long been known in bridge and girder work, and even in the construction of boilers. The advantage of their use is found in the fact that all the rivets are put into double shear when under stress, so that fewer rivets are required in the joint, and consequently the plates joined together are weakened to a less extent by rivet holes than when single butt straps are used. The thickness of each strap is always rather more than half that of the plates which are joined together, and so the contingency of fracture at the strap is provided against. It will be clear, however, that the double butt cover arrangement can only be efficient to the maximum effect of its capability when the rivet holes in the row farthest from the butt are reduced to a minimum. Diamond-shaped double butt covers having only one rivet in that row are therefore the best for any structure in which continuous longitudinal strength is a desideratum unaffected by any such requirement as watertightness. A ship is, however, not such a structure, and hence the diamond-shaped cover has no place in its bottom and side plating. Indeed, any butt cover on the outside of that plating must be caulked at its edges, and to do this the rivets must be spaced sufficiently close. When so spaced the tensile efficiency of the double butt cover is impaired, and some other reason for fitting it must be sought in order to account for its presence on the plating of an iron or steel ship. The reason which has been assigned by those who recommend its adoption will be considered presently.

The necessity for good workmanship, both in fitting and rivetting, is as great on one system as another, and essential in all. While referring to this matter it may be not irrelevant to remark that the established superiority of the machine-closed rivet over all hand-rivetted work is so great as to render it most desirable that means should be devised for rivetting the whole of a ship’s plating with the hydraulic rivetter. This is one of the great wants of the day, and its production is what may be reasonably anticipated in the not distant future.

Turning now to the discussion of the conditions upon which depend the longitudinal strength of an assemblage of plates, as on a ship’s side, it is necessary to bear in mind two things: — (1) The longitudinal strength of a ship’s plating cannot be greater than that at the line of rivet holes whereby the plating is rivetted to each transverse frame. (2) The union between consecutive plates, which is effected by the butt straps, is further aided by the rivets in the laps of the adjacent strakes of plating.

In the early days of iron shipbuilding, the iron manufacture of the country had not attained anything like its present capabilities, and as a consequence the early iron shipbuilders had to content themselves with plates which were both narrow and short. Although the narrowness of the plates presented an economical disadvantage, it was not objectionable from a structural point of view, for every lap is a line of stiffness, and there can be little doubt that the great strength displayed by these old ships was largely due to the narrowness of their strakes, and, consequently, the stiffness of the bottom plating. In many respects the earlier iron ships were far inferior to their modern representatives, but in rigidity they have never since been excelled. The short length of their plating was, however, a distinct disadvantage, as it necessarily limited the shift or arrangement of their butts. In boilers the “brick shift,” as it was termed, of one passing strake between consecutive butts in the same transverse section was not uncommon, and so it followed that our early iron shipbuilders readily fell in with the same arrangement, notwithstanding that it presented so strong and unfavourable a contrast with the “ three between ” shift in the planking of wooden ships. The long lengths in which planks could be obtained rendered the three-between shift easily attainable in wood ships, but the brick shift was unavoidable with plates extending for a length of only four frame spaces ; for if the butts of alternate strakes were not placed opposite the middle of each plate in the intermediate strake, a “step” arrangement of butts would result, in which the butts of adjacent plates would be removed only one frame space distant from each other, five frame space length of plates the brick shift could be avoided, and plates of that length were, in course of time, attainable through the improvements made in the rolling machinery of the iron manufacturers. At the present day plates of 14ft. and 16ft. in length are commonly employed, and these are to be had in breadths of 4ft. and upwards. Now, in the brick shift arrangements the tensile strength of one-half the sectional area of a ship’s plating, taken through a line of butts, was reduced to that of the butt connections, which was not infrequently less than 50 per cent, of the unpunched plates. As the spacing of the rivets joining the plating to the frames was often as much as twelve or fourteen diameters, it followed that the section through a line of butts was much weaker than any other transverse section of the vessel. But a chief object in the arrangements of materials in any structure should be to obtain a uniformity of strength; for points of discontinuity are always points of weakness, and the diminished resistance to tensile stresses at such points are aggravated by that discontinuity. A notched bar will always break at the notch under a stress less than would rupture the bar if of the reduced thickness throughout its entire length. With the shifts of butt now commonly adopted in iron and steel ships there are four passing strakes between consecutive butts in the same transverse section, and this is easily attainable with a five frame space length of plate. With a six and seven frame space length of plate it is possible to increase the number of passing strakes to six and seven respectively; but that course is not usually adopted, as it results in a “step” arrangement of butts, which is in many respects objectionable.

As has already been remarked, ships’ plates are now produced of 4ft. and upwards in breadth ; and, at first sight, it would seem desirable to employ the widest possible plates, in order to reduce the number of rivetted joints as much as possible. For ships of the Boyal Navy, in which reduction in weight of the hull proper, as distinguished from that of the armour, armament, and other offensive and defensive fittings, is of importance, very wide plates are used, as by that means weight is saved in laps, butts, and rivets, which weight can then be appropriated to other purposes. But a heavy penalty is paid for this saving of weight in the flexibility and local weakness of the hull which thereby results. The use of very wide plates is discouraged in the mercantile marine by the additional strength which is required in such cases at the butt connections. This is provided in the form of thicker butt straps and an extra row of rivetting on each side of the butt. It has, indeed, come to this—that whereas in the early days of iron shipbuilding the short plates which were produced in those days resulted in an inefficient arrangement of butts, it now happens that, with the improvements made in the manufacture of shipbuilding iron and steel, precautions have been found necessary in order to guard against weakness in the butt connections themselves.

Those whose duty it is periodically to examine the bottoms of iron and steel vessels when in graving dock, have of late years frequently observed phenomena in association with the plate butts of modern ships, especially those of steel, which were not usual in ships of older date ; the butts in those cases being distinctly visible, and showing such symptoms of movement as at first suggested the probability of structural straining. Certainly, such manifestations were not so common, nor so pronounced, at a time when naval construction had not reached its present high stage of development and general efficiency This phenomenon has received the attention which its

In that year thirty-two blast furnaces were at work, whilst twenty-nine were standing idle; 2798 workmen were engaged a them, and their wages were 269f. per man. There were smelted 162,352 t. of Dative, 1,468,083 t. of foreign ores, and 256,635 t. of scrap and cinder. There were produced 509,137 t. of forge pig at 42⁻53f., 75,417 t. of foundry pig at 50'88f., 50411. of spiegeleisen at 66‘46f., Bessemer pig 119,115 t. at 56'22f., and basic pig 54,1601. at 54'96f. p.t., or in all 712,876 t. In the year 1884 the production was higher by 37,936 t., or in all 750,812. Since the year 1881 the prices for the several sorts of crude iron have successively from year to year come down nearly at the rate of 5f. The works which worked up the above production of raw iron gave employment to 14,901 workpeople, who each earned 2'96f. per day. The produce of finished iron was 469,249 t., with value of 128 ‘46f. Since 1881 the various finished

of 3 28f.

average.

are

■of

OO/V

Kllrk. IIU4-

LANDING BROWS, WOOLWICH FERRY.

The boiler is of steel, 4ft. 9in.

The

sea—

was produced by a single agent; that was, vertical straight prisms were dispensed with. Forms not differing very greatly from those introduced by Fresnel had been adopted, and were specially arranged for the purpose in hand. The

pr-f////,

IIVT"-

i RoaxhfUj

= 'j—-----

/ 2 ir 7 v³ in which R was the total resistance of the

V T )

/ 2 7T 7 Y³ _

\ T )

and

centimetres. The eighty sections of the machine were arranged four in series, twenty parallel. For a single section the value of 7 would be 32 x 10⁵ centimetres. The maximum induction in the core, which had an area of 5 square centimetres, was 24,600, or 4920 per square centimetre. The loss of power was greater when the machine was doing little or no external work than when that work was great. This was clearly seen from the following table

Current amperes ..    ..

Electrical work H. P.

Mechanical work applied

Loss..........

were

was

Half Power. Full Power.

Red candles................ 1,938 .. .. 4,708

Blue ,,    ................ 4,079 .. .. 11,382

Current (amphres) ............54'5    .. .. 106

Mechanical power applied (hoi se-power) .. 4’5    .. .. 6'9

Power expended in heating conducting

wires (horse-power)..........

The results illustrated the fact that, as the current increased, the total light increased in a higher rat'o, red light in a slightly higher ratio, and blue in a ratio considerably higher. The machinery for this lighthouse was sent out to New South Wales in November, 1881. The glare of the light upon the sky was said to have been seen at a distance of over sixty miles, far beyond the distance at which it would cease to be directly visible.

The distinctive character of the Tino light was a triple-flash

importance deserves, and numerous calculations and experiments have been made with a view to solve the problem which was presented. It is found that such appearances are not necessarily, nor indeed often, associated with structural weakness, but that they are accounted for by the laws of elasticity pertaining to the materials employed. For instance, it has been found, by experiment with rivetted joints, that a slip of about one-eighth of an inch may occur under a severe stress, which slip is wholly recovered after the removal of that stress, without in any way disturbing the rivets. This occurred with iron; and with mild steel the slip would inevitably have been even greater without the strength of the joint being impaired. Now it is a noteworthy fact that this “ creeping of the butts ” is more frequently observed in steel than in iron vessels, and is most usual in ships built upon the cellular system, wherein the principal frames are more widely spaced than in ships framed by the ordinary method. The structural strength of these ships is in the great majority of cases beyond question; but the stiffness of their plating is not so well assured. That is to say, the thin elastic steel plate is more liable to elastic movement than the stouter iron plate of even less tensile strength—and certainly of less tensile endurance. Such flexibility might operate elsewhere than at a butt without being observed and without detriment to the structure ; but at the butt its effects soon become observable, and no doubt they will in time be detrimental, if only by inducing rapid corrosion at the butt joints. It is with a view to cope with this phenomenon that attention has of late been directed to the butt connections of iron and steel ships. As already mentioned, this intervention has resulted in the thickening and widening of butt straps, and it has even gone so far as to suggest the fitting of double butt covers at certain parts of the structure. Now, at the stringers and other internal parts of the hull these double butt covers may be applied in their most efficient form; for as they need not be watertight, the omission of rivets in the outer rows, such as is essential to their highest efficiency, is in no way objectionable. But when placed on the butts of bottom or side plating they must be caulked, and consequently these rivets cannot be omitted. Hence it will be seen that, however valuable the double butt covers may be when applied to the outer plating of a ship, they cannot develope that high degree of efficiency which is their chief recommendation.

Another mode of stiffening the butt connections of ship’s plating has, however, been devised, which seems to fully meet all the requirements of the case. It consists in rivetting two pieces of angle bar across the strap in a fore-and-aft direction, each bar being placed at about one-third the length of the strap from each of its extremities. The rivets connecting the pieces of angle bar are a part of the ordinary rivetting of the butt, so that the scheme is inexpensive and involves but a little additional weight. These stiffening bars would only be fitted to the straps at those parts of the vessel, such as the bilges, which ordinarily display the objectionable features which they are intended to prevent. Such stiffened butt straps have already been applied to several vessels building on the Clyde, in which district the plan originated, and it may be remarked that experiments made with butt connections stiffened in this way are wholly confirmatory of the efficiency of the scheme.

STATISTICS OF THE BELGIAN IRON AND COAL INDUSTRY IN 1885.

an average

sorts of iron have undergone the following reductions in value:— Rails, 142f., 152f., 139f., 128f., 126f.; plates, 183f., 187f., 188f., 166f., 149f.; rolled bars, 143f., 147f., 139f., 128f., 116f.—at this moment lOOf. At present there are seven steel works in operation, with nine Bessemer converters and two Siemens-Martin furnaces at work, whilst nine converters are standing idle. The number of workmen engaged was 2238, at an average day wage The output of rails was 76,744 t., at 110’35f. as an The remainder of the production was:—Tires, 59731., at 158'88f. average price; steel plates, 3771 t., at 166’82f.; thin sheets, 456 t, at 199'56f.; steel wire rods, 8209 t., at 159 81f.; in all 125,461 t. In the year 1884 the production was 153,999 t. The average prices amounted to 81f. to 85f.; for steel rails, 150f. 135f., 129f., 117f-, llOf. Tires went down in the same period from 199f. to 159f. The quantity of coals raised in Belgium in 1885 was 17,437,603 t., valued at 154,618,000f. This was 613,896 t. and I7,422,000f. less than in 1844, and this agrees with the fall in price from 9‘53f. to 8'87f., or 66 centimes per ton. The above quantity was raised from 385 pits, or four less than in 1884. The average thickness of the seams which were worked was no more than 0‘59 m. to 0'63 m. The quantity of coal got by one man amounted to 224 t. in the year, and uhe number of hands employed in all was 103,695, or 2487 less than in the year before. Of these workpeople 77,691 worked under ground—63,337 men, 4256 women, 8489 boys, and 1612 girls under sixteen years of age. The average wages fell from 1884 to 1885 from 914f. to 812f. per man. During twenty years, with the exception of 1868, the wages were never so low. The average wages were 2 80f. per diem for 290 days, 2 22f. for surface and 2'99f. for underground work. There were 3733 coke ovens in work, which consumed 2,292,696 t. of coal, which produced 1,678,471 t. of coke at the average price of 13⁻40f. The price has fallen from 1882to 1885 from 17 * 7 3 f. to 13'70f. Eighty-seven coal mines worked with a profit of 10,496,000f., 569 with a loss of 3,550,000f., therefore the profit realised was 6,937,000f. in the whole.

WOOLWICH STEAM PADDLE FERRY BOAT PIONEER.

The engravings published on page 501 illustrate a steam ferry boat, the Pioneer, built by Messrs. Edwards and Symes, Cubitt Town, for the Woolwich—Old Barge House—Steam Ferry Company, from the design of Mr. William May, C.E., the engineer to the company.

The boat is 55ft. in length, 14ft. beam at the water line, and 24ft. on deck, the depth midships is 7ft., and at the ends 3ft. 9in. It is built of steel throughout, the bilge and end plates x^in. thick, and the remainder £in. The frames and beams are of angle steel, 2in. by 2in. by y^im, spaced 20in. apart, a beam being fixed to each frame, and supported in the centre under the line of heavy traffic by two supports of the same size angle steel.

The whole length of the boat, and a width of 9ft., the centre of the deck is provided for heavy traffic, such as vehicles, horses, and cattle, and on each side for foot passengers. The space available for passengers on deck is 1060 square feet. The central part of the deck is laid with 2£in. deals covered with wood paving 3§in. deep—May’s patent—and the side decks are raised 4^in. above the central roadway ; the whole deck is free from encumbrances of any sort, such as ladderways and skylights, thus allowing a clear roadway for traffic.

The whole of the accommodation for the crew, except captain, is below deck, as also is everything in connection with the working of the vessel. On deck, on the fore side of one paddle-wheel, is the captain’s cabin, and of the other paddle-wheel is a ladies’ cabin.

The engines for driving the vessel are two pairs of high-pressure diagonal, with cylinders 6iu. diameter and 7 Jin. stroke,

Elevation

High- Water L vney

.......r~...............mmmwmmm 11

ft.

5

Foreshore,

indicating 60-horse power.

diameter and 5ft. 3in. long, working at 100 lb. pressure, paddle-wheels are 8ft. 9in. diameter, each driven by a pair of engines geared in the proportion of 1 to 4. The uptake and funnel from the boiler is carried over the centre of one paddle-wheel, and the captain has an elevated look-out over the other ; from this position the captain steers the boat, and indicates to the engine-driver for the starting or reversing his engines. The captain has two handles side by side, each indicating to the engines on the side they are placed, and by moving the handles in either direction the wheels will be worked that way. The entrance brows, which are 21ft. long each, are suspended by two steel-wire ropes, one on each side, and are balanced by each end being fastened to each brow ; one of the ropes passes round a drum and is worked with gearing by one man, who can readily raise or lower either brow. On trial the mean speed of the wheels with an indicated horse-power of 55*7 was 8'701 miles per hour, and the mean speed of the vessel was 7'21 miles ; thus showing a slip of 1*491, which, considering the class of vessel and the work for which she is intended, is very low, being only 17 per cent.

The landing brows at Woolwich, illustrated above, were constructed by Messrs. Kirk and Randall, from the design and patent of Mr. May. The brow at South Woolwich is 65ft. in length, and at North Woolwich 55ft. long, and each has a clear roadway of 10ft. The incline of the brow when down is the same as that of the foreshore, and forms a continuous road. The approach to the foreshore from the road on either side of the river is too narrow to admit the boat entering, and would thus prevent the landing of passengers and cargo for about four hours during each tide ; but by the present arrangement a continuous traffic is kept up. The brow is hinged at the upper end at the road level, the lower end being allowed to rise and fall freely. A pontoon the width of the brow is placed under it, in a recess or pit in the ground, and at such a distance from the end as to allow the brow at the end to rise more rapidly than the tide, to prevent the water washing over the brow as it nearer approaches a level, and which, in the case of large steamers passing up and down the river, would be very great. At the lower end are framed guide piles on each side, on which balance weights are suspended by chains running over rollers. These weights not only assist the pontoon in raising and lowering the brow, but also keep it steady when a rough swell is on the foreshore, and would cause the brow to rise and fall rapidly. On each side, on the guide piles, are two friction bars, which are gripped by double jaws on a link fixed to the brow. The jaws slide over the bars as the brow rises and falls, so that when a heavy weight is brought on the brow the jaws are made to clip the bars by a screw to each, and thus prevent the lowering of the brow, the friction power of the bars being equal to 30 tons. To enable the brow to commence rising at the proper time, viz., when the water is about 3ft. from the end, a drain pipe is laid from the pontoon pit to the foreshore, thus allowing the pit to fill with water before the tide would otherwise reach it, and allow it to fall gradually with the ebb tide. The brow is perfectly automatic in its action, and no difficulty has been experienced since it was fixed in place more than three months since. The end of the bow of the boat enters the narrow roadway, and rests on the automatic brow as soon as the tide reaches its end.

Railway Accident.—On Tuesday morning the second of the night Scotch express trains from Euston came into collision at Carlisle with a Midland engine, throwing the latter off the rails. Both engines were much damaged; but no one was hurt, although tie steps of the carriages of the express were stripped off. The o’usj of the accident was the frost interfering with the action of the va.uum brake.

THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

THE ELECTRIC LIGHTHOUSES OF MACQUAIRE AI D OF TINO.

At the ordinary meeting on Tuesday, the 7th of December, Edward Woods, President, in the chair, the paper read was “ The Electric Lighthouses of Macquarie and of Tino,’’ by John Hopkinson, F.R.S., M. Inst. C.E.

The author stated that the subject of the use of the elec light in lighthouses had been fully discussed at the Institution in 1879, when papers by Sir James Douglass, M. Inst. C.E., and by Mr. James T. Chance, Assoc. Inst. C.E., were read. The subject had been further elaborately examined by Mr.' Allard, and more recently in practical experiments, made at the South Foreland, which had been exhaustively reported on by a committee of the Trinity House. The justification of the present communication was that, at the lighthouses of Macquarie and of Tino, the optical apparatus was cn a larger scale than has hitherto been used for the electric arc in lighthouses, and presented certain novel features in the details of construction. In the case of both lighthouses, Messrs. Chance Brothers and Company, of Birmingham, entered into a contract for the supply of all th apparatus required, including engines, machines, conductors, lamps, optical apparatus, and lanterns. In both cases Sir James Douglass, engineer-in-chief of the Trinity House, acted as inspecting engineer to the respective colonial and foreign Governments.

At Macquarie there was a revolving light, giving a single flash of eight seconds’ duration every minute. Owing to the altitude of the lighthouse—the focal plane being 346ft. above the it was necessary to secure that a substantial quantity of light should be directed to the nearer sea; but it was also essential that this dipping light should be but a small fraction of that sent to the horizon, otherwise its effect would be excessively dazzling. The optical apparatus was of the first order, 920 millimetre focal length, and the condensing effect

Line- o.

Jloculwc

upper

and the lower totally reflecting prisms were forms of revolutions about a horizontal axis; they directed the light incident upon them to the horizon and the distant sea, from 10 min. above the horizon to 30 min. below; they were adjusted to distribute the light in azimuth over the arc of 3 deg. necessary for a proper duration of flash. The refracting portion of the apparatus had the profile so calculated that the central lens, and the three rings next to the lens above and below, directed their light to the horizon without vertical divergence, except what was due to the size of the arc; the light for the nearer sea was obtained from the remaining ten lens-segments. From J mile to | mile the sea received light from one element of the apparatus, from |p to 1]: mile from two elements, from 1£ mile to 2 miles from three elements, from 2 to miles from four elements, beyond miles from six elements; the upper and lower totally reflecting prisms came in aid at about five miles. The main power of the apparatus was hardly attained till a distance of eight or ten miles. A dioptric mirror was placed on the landward side of the arc. This mirror was arranged to form the image of the arc at one side of the carbons, so avoiding the interception of light which would result if the mirror were used in the ordinary way. Further horizontal divergence was given by the form of the lens. In the ordinary revolving light the inner face of the lens was plane, here it was cylindrical, the axis of the cylinder being vertical. Thelamps were of the Serrin type, and were supplied by Baron de Meritens, who also provided two alternate current dynamo machines with permanent magnets. Each machine had five rings in its armature, and in each ring there were sixteen segments. In supplying one arc for a lighthouse the machine ran about 830 revolutions per minute, and gave a current of 55 amperes when half the coils were used, and of 110 amperes when the whole of the machine was in action, the internal resistance in the two cases being 0'062 and 0'031 ohm. Each machine was driven by an 8-horse power Grossley gas engine, through a belt without counter shafting. Whilst the dynamo machines were at the works of Messrs. Chance Brothers and Company, a series of experiments had been made in March, 1881, to determine their properties. When the external resistance was a metallic conductor of small self-induction, it was found that with varying resistance and speed the currents observed agreed fairly well with calculation from the formula

R³ +

circuit, 7 the self-induction, and T the periodic time. When the machine was running 830 revolutions per minute A =? 67 volts

0197 in ohms squared, hence 7 = 64 x 10⁵

The explanation had been pointed out in the lecture by the author on “ Some Points in Electric Lighting.” Photometric experiments made upon the arc, and simultaneous measurements of effective power applied, and of current passing. The red light measured through a bright copper ruby glass, and the blue through a solution of sulphate of copper and ammonia. The horse-power was measured by a transmission dynamometer; but the results must be accepted with reserve, on account of the difficulty of ascertaining the mean tension in a strap which was constantly varying. The oscillations of the dynamometer were damped by a dashpot containing tar.

0-24    ..    ..    0-95

Hi.

-A

Deck* Speace for Passengers 1033 Sepxare* fed*

.CttJfcd}:

so

Midship Section*

ffl

tn

22

Vr

TT

>1

iX

l!

STEAM FERRY BOAT, NORTH AND SOUTH WOOLWICH.

Captain*

il=

.....b

<1

iLJrT

MR. W. M4.Y, C.E., N.A., ENGINEER.

'For description see page 500.,

85■ 6'

97■ 0

”    •• Main*Body..... 55 0

Breadth* on Beck*..............24 ■ 0

” a*b Water hne(h^7ib).. 14 • 0 Depth*

Brought of WaterRaden*).. 4 • 0 "    -    •• (light)... 2- 7

Displacement of Main* BodyQ*ouden)78 tons ”    "    •’    (light) 47...

n    per inch of load*......18 tons

Principal* Dimensions Length* over Swims ”    *» Brows..

Coefficient of Main* Body (deep Zoot*d*y882. "    Whole* Body (    •»    \654.

Boiler Steel* Otic Tabulour.

5‘ 3“

Dial [inside* 4 •_ 9 Dialof fine* 2 • 2 Pressure _ 100 libs.

Length*

ii

■:-4

Section* at* 8.

r^a

Section* aJb 12*

ii

Hr

[i_ -

ii-vlil

,, 4rt.==s„.Ff . m

f/t

ft

fir

■••f........-

vr

I o I

EZ3

.i..„

“"*1

. . °......i

V.

N-

It'

Seeds

I!

Passengers

Effl

«?

%/

%w

-~mL

he

si-i .h'j nr

■111

sr-fa_ .ifi "■" i n|p*^

i-U

rm i

papHI

HUH!

i‘

Capbain*

(Ladder

Is

55

Jb

Seats

JjaoUas

Cabin*

Declc* it cLe vr far Passengers, Vehicbes, Horses, Cattle 0^ Goods, oarod* i<? laid/ I ,-v    t with* wood* ■

US.

Cabin* |

Passengers

Seats

Passengers

Coals

^rEndirus'.

W.C and Urin*al*

<3

paving.

Boiler

Mens CcLbbn*\

\Ladder

ispale cm

1-------,-.r-------

¹

Sprrxgchog

ii

Engines

Two Pairs

BiaTof Cylinder- 6inches Bength* of Stroke - 74 >• B*e/vobuii*on*s (user age)-130.

Section* at* 4-

4k

HP

Mv

The Whole* of this

Passengers

Seats

J.SWAIH CNO.

"f

T-f

ii

nr

Sediam aJb B.

rr

a_3F

TJ

IT

End* VLesr

IV

Section* at A.

-Hr

.........

•eMtiHi

(1

-i

tf&fc⁴⁴

LL.

err*

every half-minute. The apparatus for producing this effect was of j There is a phenomenon in testing steel beyond its elastic limit the general form introduced by the author in 1874. The second- j which occasionally shows itself very distinctly if the strain indiorder apparatus of 700-millimetre focus was adopted in this cator is not removed, but which, as far as I know, has never been Tae liorizintal divergence was obtained in exactly the same ; mentioned before nor explained. It is the irregularity of the way as at Macquarie, excepting that no mirror was used. The stretching. Thus, on several occasions I have noticed that a small quantity of light thrown upon the nearer sea was very much less increase of stress would cause the pointer of the instrument to in the case of Tino than in that of Macquarie, and greater move perhaps slow at first, and then fast and slow several times in reliance was placed upon the accuracy with which the arc could succession, till it ultimately came to rest. During all this time be kept in focus. Experience had justified these changes as im- the load was not touched. The only explanations which suggest provements of a perfectly safe nature. As there was no water themselves are either that first one part and then another part of upon the island, two Brown hot-air engines were supplied, each the test piece stretches, or that the stretching is affected by the driving through a counter-shaft one of the machines. The temperature, and this varies as heat is generated by the work done counter-shafts could be connected with a Mather and Platt in stretching; perhaps, too, both influences are at work, friction coupling, so that the two machines could be driven    C. E. Stromeyer.

together, or either machine from either engine. In future light-hous ;s, when a steam engine could not be employed, it would be preferable on every ground to use gas engines, and to facture on the spot either Dowson gas or ordinary gas, according to the character of the fuel available. There were two dynamo machines, of exactly the same type as those supplied for Macquarie, the only novelty being in the method of using them.

One of the three lamps was of larger size, for the double power current of 200 amperes from the two machines when coupled together. This lamp was said to be suitable for a still greater current, but with about 200 amperes it soon became dangerously heated; a simple modification rendered the lamp equal to the actual work it had to do. The apparatus was delivered in November, 1884, and was put up by workmen from Messrs. Chance’s workshops, under the supervision of Signor L. Luiggi, of Rome.

A-complete test of the performance of the light, as seen from the sea in all grades of its power, was made in April, 1885, by a Commission appointed by the Italian Government. The light was well observed through rain when distant thirty-two nautical miles, and although below the horizon, the position was precisely localised, and the triple-flash distinction unmistakeable. At eighteen miles distant the illumination of the flash upon white paper was sufficient to make out letters marked in pencil ljin. high; and when fourteen miles distant it was easy to ascertain the time from a watch.

The light was frequently seen at a distance of fifty miles, near to Genoa.

Some

case.

We had then 203 ships of the line, which we increased to 244 by 1813—“James’ Naval History.”—This was our naval supremacy of the past!

Return showing the fleets of England, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria, giving in detail, built or building, armour-clads, cruisers, torpedo vessels and boats, dated Admiralty, 17ch May, 1883, by order of the House of Commons.

France .. Russia .. Geimany Italy Austria ..

Armoured.

..    63    ..

Un-

Total.

Torpedo

Vessels.

Boats-

37

27

armoured.

12 ..

21 ..

14    ..    ..    10    ..

60 ..    3    ..    127

4    ..    160

33 .. 12 .

24 ..    7 ..    38

83

manu-

general points were dealt with at the end of the paper ; and particulars were given of a plan for providing an electric lighthouse at about the same cost as a first-class oil l'ghthouse.

LETTEES TO TEE EDIT0E.

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

A NEW VIEW OF THE RESISTANCE OF MATERIALS.

Sir,—The interesting communication which Professor Unwin has made on Professor Bauschinger’s experiments will, I hope, be followed by fuller details, as these cannot but interest every engineer. In the hope also that others who have worked in the same line will publish the conclusions they have arrived at, I beg to submit the following tests from my paper on “ The Injurious Effect of a Blue Heat on Steel and Iron.” See Table I.

No.

Material.

Particulars.

Elastic

limits.

Preliminary.

Ultimate.

Strawberry Hill, Middlesex, December lEh.

Total

.    .. 162    ..    ..166    ..    328    ..    38    ..    536

.    ..    72    ..    ..    93    ..    165    ..    18    ..    139

S tress.

Elonga-

tion.

Stress.

Eiooga-

tion.

Con-

traction

12

Mi’d

steel.

17

Do.

18

Do.

19

Do.

i Annealed rcd-liot. \

-j Elongated twice. -j ( Interval, 10 days. J

( Annealed red-hot.

; ) Elongated three times. Intervals,

1 and 8 days.

( Elongated while )

' blue-hot.    lie- >

tested cold. J

1 Elongated while j ) blue-hot.    Re-f

tested twice while cold.

tons per Eq.in.

16-3

28-5

tons per sq. in

24-6

15-6    23-4

20-9    27-0

29-1

10-0

30'7

17-7

per tons cent, per in Sin. sq in

5-2    —

percent, in Sin.

per

cent.

29-8

17-0

4i'0

5-4

7-S

4-9

30-7

32-3

4-5

7-e

30'2

33-0

14-5

53-3

16-0

50-6

SUGAR IN MORTAR.

Sir,—I have postponed making any remarks on the article by Dr. Samuel Crompton in your issue of the 3rd inst. until no>v, in the hope that some further light might have been thrown on this “new use of sugar,” but as nothing is published in your this week’s issue, I assume that nobody has any knowledge of the subject, and as I apprehend very serious results if some of Dr. Crompton’s suggestions are carried out, I would ask your permission to say a few words.

So far as the use of sugar with lime is concerned, it is only necessary to say that it has .been used in India from time immemorial, and with it and shell lime is produced that wonderful plaster which I am told forms the inner walls of all Indian houses—at all events, those in the neighbourhood of Madras—and which is known as “ chunam,” resembling in its finish and hardness of surface a rarian or other compound sulphate of lime cement.

Now with respect to the use of sugar with Portland cement, Mr. Hankey in his letter to the Times merely suggests that the combination may be of value; but Dr. Crompton goes further, he and his friends carry out certain experiments, which, to say the least, are unique, and at once jumps to the conclusion that the life of a bishop was nearly sacrificed through no sugar having been mixed with the Portland cement mortar of an archway through which the said bishop passed only a few minutes before it fell. Now this statement is most serious, and the experiments carried out by Dr. Crompton and his friends, the results obtained, and the deductions drawn from them are also most serious, because they are misleading, and if any of our clerks of works, resident engineers, builders, or contractors act upon them, I can only say that some very serious catastrophes will happen. And as the knowledge and use of Portland cement is a subject to which, as you well know, I have devoted considerable attention, I should feel myself greatly to blame did I not take an early opportunity of absolutely contradicting the deductions arrived at by Dr. Crompton.

I may say that up to the present time no material has yet been found which, added to Portland cement, increases its strength. Many substances accelerate its setting powers; but even these, all of them to a greater or lesser extent, detract from its ultimate strength. Some materials act absolutely detrimentally on cement when added to it, and sugar is one of these. The addition of a very small percentage of sugar in the water with which a cement is gauged will do worse things than even reduce its strength; it will cause it to what is called “ blow,” i.e, expand, crack, disintegrate, and destroy any work in which it is used. I will not go into the chemistry of the matter. Dr. Crompton has stated one effect which sugar has upon lime, and no doubt he will easily assign a cause for its acting detrimentally on Portland cement, which is accepted as- a double silicate of lime and alumina.

While apologising for the length of this letter, I should like to add, in reference to the amounts charged for beer in the ancient mason’s accounts, that my experience is, that not only is mortar very difficult to set, but that even engines will not start, or, at all events, will not always work smoothly; and that many other desired events will not, and do not, happen without proper lubrication and a free expenditure by beer.    Henry Faija, M. Inst. C.E.

4, Great Queen-street, Westminster, December 20th.

RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER THE RIACHUELO.

20

Do.

Shortened eo’d under Eteon hammer. Tested cold.

34-3    -

- shorte ned

11-8 —

4-7

35'6    12-8

30-7 , 7-2

Sir,—In order to discuss the question referring to the strain in the end vertical A I—Figs. 1 and 4 in the last discussion of Mr. Dribble—it is necessary to make a strict assumption, whether the apices of the system are to be regarded as hinges or not. In the case of the apices being regarded as hinges, which is commonly done, the calculation of the stress in A I is very simple. As Mr. Gribble thinks that the case is of special interest, two methods may be

The first is to

43-0

550

21

Do.

/'Shortened blue- j ) hot under steam f shorte ‘j hammer. Tested (' 2r2 (. cold.    )

ned

3-6

33'5    8-0

4S'0

All these pieces were cut from one plate, and the elastic limits measured with the same amount of accuracy as those of Professor Bauschinggr. Judging from the close agreement of the first elastic limits in Nos. 12 and 15, which are 16'3 and 15 '6 tons respectively, the material may safely be considered uniform in quality. These experiments, though but few, throw light on a few important points, some of which do not appear to have been previously noticed.

(1)    The elastic limit for tension is raised by the application of a stress which exceeds the original limit; it increases with time, whether the stress i3 removed or not. Thus, in Nos. 12 and 15 the preliminary elongations are 5'2 and 5‘4 per cent. The second elastic limits, instead of being identical, differ by 2^ tons, the only difference in the two tests being that the intervals between the

• two tests were one and eight days respectively. If tested immediately after the first stretching, the differences between the new elastic limits for no interval and one day, and one day and eight days, would be about 11 tons and 2-| tons respectively.

(2)    At a blue heat the elastic limit of mild steel is lower than at an ordinary temperature. In No. 18 it has fallen to 10 tons, as against 16 tons in No. 12. At a subsequent cold re-testing the limit was found to have risen to 30 tons. As is well known, the ultimate strength is higher at a blue heat than in the cold state.

(3)    The shortening of a test piece while cold, reduces its elastic limit, while if the shortening is done at a blue heat this limit i3 raised. Thus in Nos. 20 and 21 these limits are 12 tons and 24 tons respectively. The first of these two statements agrees with what Professor Unwin says; but the other one does not appear to have been mentioned before. In conjunction with Professor Bauschinger’s exneriments, it may explain the unexpected phenomena noticed by Mr. B. Baker, that steel which had been bent while blue hot stood more cold bends in a Wohler machine than an uninjured sample.

Ever since I bad made these experiments, my belief in the textbook theories of jacketted guns has been shaken, and I am glad to that Prof( s jor Bauschinger’s deductions corroborate my views that a material, if formed into the shape of a gun, cannot be made to resist more than certain powder pressures, though it may have bien built up of ever so many jackets. Of course, it is well known that the heavier the forgings the more untrustworthy they are; but the reduction in the dimensions of the jacket is the only advantage which I can see in their use ; and it would not surprise me to hear that a solid steel gun which has been subjected for an extended period say one day—to a severe hydraulic pressure, and then finished, had been found to be as safe as one built up of a dozen jackets of the same material, for the distribution of circumferential stresses at that high pressure would at the end of the test, and during every discharge, be uniform throughout the thickness.

given,

_    make a section round

j    the point I, cutting out

III, I A, and I K, and ¹    replacing them by three

j    forces. Then’ the sum

~    of the vertical compo

nents of these forces and the load acting at I must be nil. The vertical components of I H and I K being nil, the stress in A I must equal the load at the point I. The second method is to make a section through the bars AH, A I, and I K, again replacing the bars cut off by forces. Then the sum of the moments round any point, therefore also round the point H must be nil. This sum is— A I x Fh: - load on I x IH = o. Hence, again, the stress in A I must equal the load at I, and it is obvious that the stress in A I is entirely independent of the load on all the other apices besides I.

On the other hand, regarding the apices not to be hinges, but the bars fixed immovably with each other, small secondary strains will occur, the calculations of which is somewhat complicated, but fully discussed in “ Winkler’s Lehroe von der Elasticitat und Festigkeit.” Such secondary strains, however, will occur in all bars, and the bar A I is under no special condition in this respect. Mr. Gribble’s position that with the arrangement—Fig. 4—“the stress reaching A from K would pass continuously through A I without affecting X H at all, and IT X would become a superfluous member, is On the contrary, the stress in H X would be greater than that in H A, as may be easily shown by resolving the abutment pressure into the components H I and H X. Then the stress in H X is the greater, the smaller its angle is to the horizon. Of course in this case A I ought to be sufficiently stiff to bear the bending moment at point X,

December 20th.

erroneous.

l\

England

Supposing our seamanship to be better than that of other nations, still the introduction of steam must have greatly diminished the relative value of that superiority as a whole. Steam has also much reduced our insular security. Four days’ coal i3 about the average full speed capacity of our ships—hence the necessity of frequently leaving their stations to coal—while in 1807 ships could remain at sea for a vuy long period. Then we must consider machinery accidents, docking, &c., which would affect us far more than the French, as we depend upon our fleet for the necessaries of life, which the French do not; and finally it will surely be admitted that the French would do by attacking our food supply, trade, defenceless roadsteads, &c., than we should affect by a similar mode of proceeding. Our reserve of ships and men is insufficient. It should be abundant and ready in all ways, like the French. Our Channel Squadron generally consists of only four obsolete ships, when for perfect instruction it needs nine—as by French Navy Estimates, 1886, p. 2002. The press reports the French to have just voted £2,333,000 towards strengthening their navy, and Times, November 23rd, £1,600,000 for six years in addition. The strength of our fleet is sapped by having thirty-five unarmoured ended ships.

We have not one efficient cruiser or frigate from want of speed and coal capacity. The French have several merchant steamers built after our transatlantic clippers. In 1807 our frigates were celebrated. We need gunboats, mortar vessels, &c., and our armament is chiefly muzzle-loading, while the French has been breech-loading since 1867. The adjuncts are also missing, dockyards starved, only one first-class dock at Devonport, and none in India, &c. Our coaling stations are not prepared for war, and it would be difficult to get coals there during war with so starved a Navy. The Suez Canal enfilades India, so to say; a very strong squadron is therefore necessary at Bombay. Our personnel is quite on a peace establishment in commission about equal to France, but France has some 130,000 inscrits thoroughly trained— to our 20,000 war reserve, insufficiently trained.¹ I conclude from these facts that our naval supremacy is a thing of the past; and that though the number of our ships in commission may exceed that of the three greatest European Powers, our entire force is far less than theirs.

I have now to show the fallacy of the third statement, namely, that onr naval reserves are absolutely unlimited. The First Lord of the Admiralty insists “That we have in the mercantile navy, &c. &c.—a naval reserve which is absolutely unlimited ;” another “ That it is our first power of waging war on the seas,” &c. &c. I propose'to show that the mercantile navy has nothing to spare and has but few steamers of the tonnage and engine power which are necessary for war cruisers or transports; that if it had, they could not be spared, and that the defence of the mercantile vessels, carrying food, raw material, commerce, &c. &c., would be the most onerous duty of the Royal Navy, and quite impossible without its own cruisers and transports, our present ones being inefficient from want of modern speed and coal capacity.

On a declaration of war with France, the sailing mercantile ships must be kept in port or be destroyed, as proved by the Alabama. In steam vessels, the mercantile. Navy List, December 31st, 1885 tains the names and particulars of only seven vessels large enough and sufficiently engined to become transports like Crocodile and four sisters, of 6211 gross tons and 700-horse power—considered the proper size sixteen years ago—besides twenty-four like the Himalaya of 4690 gross tons and 700-horse power, bought thirty odd years ago—our transports are so slow as to be surely subject to capture by modern French vessels. No better gauge could be applied to the gross tonnage and horse-power given by the Mercantile Navy List. As to cruisers, the Imperieuse and War-spite, 7390 tons and 10,180-horse power—useless as cruisers—are only equalled in size by four of that list, and in engine power by none. We have not one satisfactory war cruiser or transport as to speed or coal capacity. According to Lloyd, “ British Mercantile Navy, Sea-going Vessels, 1886,” we have sailing vessels 14,584, tonnage 4,654,214; steamers 4906, tons 4,199,144.

Steamers of 1000 tons and under 2000 .. 1332 .. Tonnage .. 1,779,272 2000 tons and upward .. 265 ..    ,,    .. 685,750

us more harm

, con-

11

.1

Fic l

fl

3597 Tonnage .. 2,465,022

x.

FI C-4-

sup-

E. Beyerhaus, C.E.

Bee

THE NAVY.

Silt,—The First Lord of the Admiralty is reported in the Times, November 10th, 1886, to have made the following statements at the Mansion House :—(1) “ Our naval supremacy is not a thing of the past.” (2) “ The number of H.M.S. at the present moment in commission exceeds the combined force of the' three greatest European Powers.” (3) “We have in these resources—namely, the steam tonnage of the mercantile marine, &c.—a naval reserve which is absolutely unlimited.” It is my object to show, from official sources, both French and English, the fallacy of these statements.

The treaty of Tdsit in 1807 gave Napoleon 180 sail of the line, viz.—French 60 + Spanish 40 +Russian 25 + Swedish 15 + Danish 15 + Portuguese 10 + Dutch 15—see Jomini “Vie deNapoleon ’ ii. p. 449—This I have had confirmed lately at the British Museum.

Steamers

Mr. W. T. Doxford—an eminent shipbuilder and owner, of Pallion, Sunderland—addressing the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, October 13th, 1886, is reported to state, “ That it would cost £9,500,000 to place the engines, &c., of the mercantile marine in proper order.” This applies most seriously also to the numerous antiquated engines of the Royal Navy, so very extravagant in coals. Very many of the mercantile steamers must also remain in?port from being so slow. It is time that the Government, Admiralty, and our countrymen knew the true state of things and applied an instant remedy by building cruisers of great length and enormous coal capacity. The mercantile navy—vie wing all the above—could not spare steamers for war cruisers and transports, while better steamers are wanted to carry food, &c. I will leave these bare,. incontrovertible facts to speak for themselves and be judged by public opinion.

France possesses one of our Transatlantic steamers, Normandie, and four built after our best models, now running to America, rivalling them in speed, besides many other very fast steamers. How could our cruisers with much less speed and only four days coals contend with them? Germany, Russia, Italy, &c., have also such scourges ready for our trade. The French are also wise—see Exercise, 1887, p. 1219—have twenty-six transports and sixteen avisos, transports. As to our merchant seamen, they are untrained, whilst the French reserve of seamen are thoroughly trained and kept at sea in their mercantile marine. Surely the above does not justify or even excuse the terms “ absolutely unlimited resources.”

But in comparing our naval supremacy of 1807 with the present-time we must consider how vastly the duties of the Navy are increased by the great addition there is to our colonies and possessions, home wants as to food, &c. In fact there should be no comparison between the navies of France and England; it is of such vital importance to us that our Navy should be incomparably the strongest, which it is certainly not. Should a war break out with France it must be remembered that if we fail in protecting our supply of food, even for a short time, the result would be destruction. I conclude by an extract from a statement by the present French Minister of Marine, Rear-Admiral Aube, of the French “The next naval war—especially against England—will be carried on by cruisers attacking her commerce. The empire of the sea will belong to that nation of the two which has the most numerous armoured fleet. Every power of attack and destruction will be employed against all of England’s littoral towns—fortified and unfortified—whether purely peace establishments or warlike— to burn them, to destroy them, or to pitilessly ransom them.”

more

Navy

¹ See Secretary of the Admiralty’s speech at Liverpool, Times report, December 10th, 1886.

Dec. 24, 188(5.

rfii£ Engineer.

•"CO

1 he Ficnch admiral lays it down—and who can ga.insay him ?— (hat the tmpire of the sea will bclorg to that ration of the two which has the most numerous aimourcd fleet. Could we, whilst jrotccting our colonies, &c. &c., so outnumber, at or.e and the same time, the French ironclad fleet in the Channel and in the Mediterranean? “ Every future naval war,” he says—“at least, against England—will be essentially unc guerre de course.” Have we the needful supply of swift cruisers for the protection of our merchant ships in such a war ?

Admiral Aube truly says that we have already had to retreat from cur just demands “ before the threat of war carried on by cruisers against our commerce.” He declares that in any future war the French “ will come down from the heights of that cloudy sentimentality which has created the monstrous association of words—rights of war—(Its droits de la guerre), and the attack on every source of our riches will become not only legitimate, but obligatory upon themand that if they gain any temporary command of the Channel, every power of attack and destruction will be employed against all our littoral towns—fortified or unfortified —whether purely peaceful establishments or warlike—to burn them, destroy them, or at least to pitilessly ransom them.”

Steam has facilitated such raids, and necessitates one fleet at sea whilst another is coaling, &c. &c,, and a comparatively superior Navy than in 1807.

The following is a list of the French and English armour-clads, officially given in the French navy estimates *

describably more to do. We should add 14 improved Monarch’s I without loss of time, and 21 cruisers of greatest speed and coal j capacity. I have marked these I consider obsolete o, those quasi- ! obsolete qo, the real fighriDg modern ships I have numbered, and those with unarmoured ends (a). If a French Umbria met Australia and Co. at sea, she would simply play with them until their inefficient coal supply was expended.

Thomas Symonds,

Admiral of the Fleet.

Torquay, December 20th.

LIFEBOATS.

Sir,—In your leading article of last week on the distressing accidents which occurred to the Southport and St. Anne’s lifeboats with such fatal results, you referred to the danger of the boats capsizing and remaining keel upwards when at anchor. The shape of the boats, though admirably designed to avoid overturning, and if capsized, of righting themselves under ordinary conditions, would be positively conducive to their floating keel upwards if the mooring-chain was attached to the stem, as when overturned the weight of the chain would alter the centre of gravity of the boat. This is easily seen by reference to the sketch.

your journal; I will only say that each and every beachman in England will tell you that naval officers have no knowledge of launching or beaching a boat. Up to this I have told you what I know, now I will tell you what I think only—I believe if a boat with an iron keel were constructed, and that boat had a small freej board, and her deck was very convex, and she had open bulwarks, she would surely light; being hollow she would need no aif chambers. Perhaps a fiat deck would do if there was an air chamber in the middle of her deck, in a line with the keel, but it would have to be of sufficient capacity to float the boat without? the deck bearing any of the weight till the keel was well over the? balance. A boat’s safety often depends upon her speed andl weatherly qualities, and she must be built like a boat; neither an ark or a boat that is as good one way up as the other will ever make a trustworthy craft. I have written this letter in the hope that it may lead some engineer to go into the matter, for old Johnny Haul Taut has blundered long enough. I do not wish notoriety, so shall not sign my name.    J. W.

Sizswell, December 20th.

HARDENING STEEL.

AS?

Building and Fitting.

French.

English.

Cuirasses d’Escadre.

1    Rodney (a)

2    Benbow (a)

3    Camperdown [a)

4    Anson (a)

5    Renown (a)

f 1 Neptune

2    Hoche

3    Magenta

4    Maigeau

5    Requin

| Reported suspended building. 1 6 Sansparitl (a)

- 6 Brennus    V 7 Nile (a)

7    Charles Martel    j 8 Trafalgar (a)

8    Amiral Baudin    9 Howe (a)

9    Formidable    Colossus (a)

10    Indomptable    Edinburgh (or)

11    Terrible    Collingwood (a)

(12 Caiman    Hero (a)

I think this risk would be considerably lessened, if not entirely avoided, by having a short length of chain secured to the keel of the boat, and by means of a shackle at the other end the attachment could be made to the mooring chain when it is almost run out. By this method the stability of the boat when at anchor would be immensely increased, and if unfortunately overturned, the drag of the chain would tend to right the boat.

Sir,—I shall be greatly obliged if any reader will tell me how the greatest hardness of temper can be produced in cast steel for the purpose of grooving chilled iron rollers. My firm has tried all sorts of the very best cast steel for this purpose; and it has been the practice to heat the tool to blood red and plunge it bodily into cold water. Under the circumstances the tool will sometimes cut as many as forty grooves—of twenty per inch—without requiring re sharpening. At other times the same steel will be found to be too soft to cut one groove, although cut from the same bar and hardened in precisely the same way, great care being taken not to burn the steel. The result being that the groover will, " , groove rolls at the rate of one in six hours, difficulty of the tools; and it may happen that

Cuirasses d Escadre.

Shirs Fitted. ( 13 Amiral Duperre

14    Devastation (a)

15    Foudroyant (a)

16    Redoubtable

17    Friedland

18    Colbert Marengo qo

J Ocdan qo 1 19 Richelieu

20    Suffren

21    Trident Savoie qo Revanche qo Surveillante qo Valeureuse qo Heroine qo

Shirs Fitted.

Italian.

f m (Ruggiero di Lauria (a) § Francesco Morosini (a) “ Duilio (a)

• o Dandolo (a) m a © j Andred Doria (a)

JiS SQ Italia (a)

“ g -g Lepanto (a)

2 Re Umberto (a) j | Sicilia (a)

To ⁵⁸ o (Sardegna (a)

E"¹ Pr. Amedeo Palestro Roma Ancona Maria Pia Castelfidardo San-Martino Affondatore

French.

1-1 o,

£ S

Cuirasses de Stations.

(22 Vauban

23    Bayard

24    Turenne

25    La Gallissonniere | 26 Triomphante

- 27 Victorieuse Alma go Atalante go Reine Blanche go 28 Thetis .29 Duguesclin

Italian.

C’ndemn d

to 4th class

Reserve.

Sultan Superb Inflexible (a) Alexandra Neptune Agamemnon (a) Ajax (a)

Conqueror (a) Dreadnought Devastation Hercules Temeraire Thunderer Monarch Bellerophon qo Penelope go Rupert go Hotspur go Northumberland go Minotaur go Agincourt go (a) Achilles go Warrior po (a) Hector go (a)

Black Prince go (a) (Lord Warden o | Valiant o (a)

-j Defence o (a)

| Resistance o (a) (Repulse o

28    Orion Triumph Swiftsure Invincible Iron Duke Audacious

29    Belleisle

English.

go

go

qo

go

go

perhaps for a month and then comes the for several days he will be grooving at the rate of only one roll in eighteen hours; and all arising from the uncertainty of the hardness of the steel tools. Is there any method for making cast steel harder than by plunging in water ? Will plunging in acid make the steel harder? And if so, what sort of acid, and how much diluted ?

Grooving rollers has become a very important business, and there are many engineers a3 anxious as I am to know' how to get steel hard enough to do such work properly. I ask you therefore to publish this for the good of many.    T. S.

Gloucester, December 18th.

WARNING TO INVENTORS AND INVESTORS.

In hauling in the moorings, the shackle could be released, and thus no interference with the tackle would ensue. The danger of overturning the boat when paying out or hauling in the chain would still remain, but this might be overcome by having a trunk hawse-pipe—through which the chain would pass—the top being sufficiently high to prevent the admission of water, as indicated. But this would entail grappling for the anchor when raised to the entrance to the J. H. Greenhit.l.

hawse pipe.

Belfast, December 20th.

War Vessels.

2nd Class.

Formidable

Terrible

Varese

French.

Garde Cotes.

(30 Tempete

31    Tonnant

32    Vengeur

33    Fulminant

34    Tonnere

35    Furieux | Belihr

Boule dogue o Cerbere Taureau Tigre . Protectrice o

Glatton

Gorgon

Hydra

Cyclops

Hecate

Prince Albert

Waterwitch

Wivern

Scorpion

Viper

Vixen

go

ther.

go y

qo | go |

go J

sold

in fine wea

port to port

Safe from

Canonniercs Cuirassecs.

36 Acheron csi j 37 Cocyte ^ ) 38 Phlegeton 12 V 39 Styx

Sg ( 40 Flamme « J,41 Fusee ^5 ) 42 Grenade ^ ( 43 Mitraille

Armoured Cruisers. Northampton (a)

Nelson (a)

Shannon (a)

Warspite (a)

Imperieuse (a)

BUILDING.

Australia (a)

Galatea (a)

Narcissus (a)

Orlando (a)

Undaunted (a)

Aurora (a)

Immortalite (a)

The above names being taken from officially recognised sources certainty. This table clearly proves that the French and Italian armour-clads are 80 in number, the English 73. Of which 46 French and Italian are 1st classe; 2nd classe, 14 ; garde cotes, 1-; gunboats, 8; total, 80. 38 English 1st class; 2nd class, 7; garde cotes, 10; English cruisers, 12 ; total, 67 and 5 condemned, ¹ s°lcl; Grand total French and Italian 80, to English 73.

bo that Italy and France together are superior to England in Humber, and vastly so in force, while the latter Power has in-

are a

Sir,—A few days ago the writer of a leading article in the Times said that the lifeboats of the National Institution are a “mockery, a delusion, and a snare.” He was more correct in saying so than I daresay his experience in lifeboats warranted. I was born in Liverpool. I have spent more dreary years in this wild spot, on the Suffolk coast, than I care to think of, and have made longer journeys in boats than any one near here. For some time, through the kindness of the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times, I have called the attention of East Anglia to the defects of the boats of the Institution, and to the peculiar way they are worked by order of the naval men of the Institution. At Lowestoft and Yarmouth they do not believe in the Institution’s boats, and at Lowestoft 700 lives have been saved without one of their boats getting capsized. The beachmen do not believe in self-righting boats. I do, if they could be made to right, which I think they could to a certainty, but I may be mistaken in that. The Lifeboat Institution are satisfied that their boats only capsize once for every hundred and twenty times they are launched. If the cod smacks’ boats, which are lowered in almost any weather, were to capsize as often as this, the mortality of their crews would be too awful to contemplate. As nearly as I can tell from a calculation I have made, placing the capsizes at the highest rate, the ratio of capsizes to launches of longshore fishing-boats would be less than one to six thousand. The lifeboats are copies of Noah’s ark, without the ark; they are certainly not arks of safety. Their want of floor, the great height of their air chambers, and the well deck, which gets full of water, fully account for their liability to capsize, while the air chambers along the gunwales amidships prevent the boat righting when it is keel upwards. The high air chambers prevent the boat going to windward, and render her liable to be knocked over by the sea. I saw the Ipswich knocked over last year in a very moderate sea, and they say she was nearly over a few weeks since. It is well known that if a boat capsizes when at anchor that the anchor holding prevents her righting, yet no provision has been made for releasing the cable. A common eye-bolt, to which the cable was made fast, dropped into a rowlock hole would hold her safely, and when the boat capsized the eyebolt would fall out of the hole and let go the cable. The plan adopted and ordered to be followed by the Institution, of veering boats to a wreck from an anchor, is extremely dangerous when the direction of the tide does not coincide with that of the wind. From what I know of the spot where the boats were capsized, I should say the direction of the tide was at right angles to the wind ; the boat would swing broadside to the sea. If the boats were fitted with rockets and lines, they could be fired from the boats over the wreck and the boat hauled alongside the wreck from the lee side, when practicable ; under such circumstances the boat might drop her anchor so as to enable her crew to hold her off the wreck, but she should never be allowed to swing to her anchor in a heavy sea and a lee tide. Of course in approaching a vessel from the lee side there is the danger of falling masts, &c., and on the weather side there is the chancb of being stove against her. From some crotchet the Institution haul their boats up the beach stern first. Of course they are obliged to sail bow first to the beach and then cast the boat broadside on, and let her knock round in the breakers till they can get the chain to the stern.

I saw the Ipswich—as I have said—“turn turtle” like this. A boat should come towards the beach straight before the sea, that is with her keel at right angles to the waves, and just before she grounds be put straight on to the beach, her keel at right angles to the shore; she will then most probably cast right, i.c , with her head to windward. If her head gets to leeward before she grounds she will run to leeward along the beach, and most likely capsize. If you cast her as some people advise, if it is done a second too soon the bilge piece will strike the beach and over she goes. I was within an ace of going over like this last winter. The crabs, not long introduced, for heaving up the boats, are not nearly so good as a common capstan, because the boat cannot be hauled up unless it is nearly abreast of the crab. If a coxswain finds he is not opposite the crab he will try to get along the beach till he is abreast, and this is of course dangerous. Besides, a boat ought not to be exactly opposite the capstan, for she is nearly sure to cast; and it will strain her less to haul her up skew-ways than to twist her suddenly round, as must be done if she is directly abreast the crab. But I must not go too much into seamanship in

Sir,—A short time ago I was consulted by a firm, not clients of mine, as to the advisability of their investing money in bringing out an invention patented by one of their workmen, the provisional specification having been filed by a professional practical engineer and patent agent. The invention did not relate to the business of the firm in question. In asking my opinion the firm intimated that the practical engineer and patent agent had expressed a very favourable opinion with respect to the patent. An examination of the drawings and the provisional specification revealed at once our old friend perpetual motion. This is the second case within three years in my own limited experience of a patent agent filing a specification for perpetual motion. One of the agents I refer to is a fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, the other is given to much advertising.

The moral of the above is plain. The inventor must use the same care in selecting his patent agent as in choosing his medical and legal adviser. If he expects advice based on an expensive, scientific, legal, and practical training for the wages of clerk or draughtsman, he must not be surprised if he sometimes meets with an absence of integrity.

December 21st.

an under-

Provincial Patent Agent. (Not a F.I.P.A )

FUEL GAS.

Sir,—From time to time you have drawn the attention of your readers to the above subject, and I venture to think the following particulars may not be without interest.

Many Otto engines, in this and other countries, are now being driven with gas made with anthracite, in the apparatus I have devised, and the average fuel consumption is under 1^ lb. per indicated horse-power per hour. The weight of fuel consumed i3 thus considerably under that required for steam engines of equal power (say 40-horse power and under); but in this country good anthracite can only be obtained in South Wales, and the transport charges to places far from this district are so great that, in coal-yielding districts, what is gained in weight is nearly lost in price of fuel.

For some time past I have been trying to use ordinary gas-coke instead of anthracite, but have found it difficult to remove the clinker sufficiently to admit of the apparatus being worked tinuously. I have now overcome this difficulty, and, in conjunction with Messrs. Crossley Bros., I have recently made a careful trial of an Otto engine worked with gas made from coke costing 5s. 6d. per ton. The following are the results :—

con-

Coke consumed for getting up fire in generator = per lb.

working hour......................

Net coke consumed in generator during one hour (by

weighing machine)....................

Add 10 per cent, for clinker and ash............

Coke consumed in superheating boiler during one hour ..    3 '5

0-7

37-0

45-0

Total per hour, say............

Average indicated horse-power during trial = 32.

*** Coke consumption in generator and boiler including waste when getting up fires — jf; = 1 '4 lb. per indicated horse-power per hour.

The gas generator was placed on a Pooley weighing-machine, which was free to move up or down, as a loose water-joint was provided in the vertical pipe which conveyed.gas to the engine. Headings of the weight on the machine and indicator diagrams on the engine were taken at frequent intervals, and in this way there was not only a record of the total fuel consumed during the trial, but also a determination of the weight of fuel actually converted into mechanical work at stated times. I am aware that coke has been used before for generator gas, but not with apparatus suitable for engine work, and seeing that coke can be readily obtained in all towns at prices ranging from 53. to 15s. a ton, I cannot help thinking that this new departure is of importance to users of

J. Emerson Dowson.

3, Great Queen-street, Westminster, December 13th.

motive power.

NEUTRAL AXIS IN FIXED GIRDERS.

Sir,—A girder fixed at both ends appears, when deflected by a load, to have the total length of every layer of fibres increased, as the top flange is restrained from shortening in its total length from the fixity of its ends. Under these conditions will any of your readers kindly demonstrate the position of the neutral axis which, I take it, lying between the stretched and compressed layers of

J. G. Pearson.

as

fibres, should be free from stress. Nunhead, December 14th.

THE ECONOMY OF SINGLE-ACTING ENGINES.

Sir,—I see in the report on the Willans’ engine, published in the Electrician, that the average receiver pressure was little more than one-half the average pressure in the low-pressure cylinder.

Now, inasmuch as the whole supply of steam for the low-pressure cylinder is drawn from the receiver, and that the steam is being compressed in this last while it is being expanded in the former, I am at a loss to understand how the pressure can possibly be greater in the cylinder than it is in the receiver. Perhaps Mr, Willans will favour me with an explanation,    COMPOUND,

Erith, December 14th.

10

SEE

.-gg

gf-pE

o.

jsw^i

o o[o

DOUBLE RACK RAILWAY UP MOUNT PILATUS.

sMetcr⁴

IIP

w

Aff

'K

r--l

<fi

\! EE

\\^

4-

''- 4.;_

Ml

f^>"'

-z

EP

«t|lr

5^c4K

£S

l@<ll

mmksSSw^

v\\\

Ne&wB

=Ei!2i!'i '!

i’i?

\Y>

rfp

w<

m-

Pr-

.ASARJ

fegj

W^Ft

imm

■ ©C

iiiiiiii

S...J

i.

.0,

1\A

03)0

ojo'll

^ ;rEJ

MS

-LiuT j . _

tTfTftff

nn

tt

o o|o

2040b> UfatbhoTTv

»«-**•.

KiJbchstajv -

StaJtiorv PiZaJjuos

*N%

20^'

Maas s s tvJj 110 000

-*\

MaJbb

♦

f ’    ;> tjfflfcJSbijnsmhom,

Oherhxujuph

iHtiftiBeRHTjue,

rsrrr.-;-;-:

R-u

1#

,!

J*

Mpnatfv-

SlcL'iOTb ierksijicrv

IT\

• /.Senvfig&v

4%

is

IV

% % N_.

koo

: iv.iiu ■%>' i .Kol'ja 'TbLc mtjmV 10 000

- mo

Station Alpnack

if

< g

si

» 5

§S

i\

.

Q>

%

§

03

1327-997

WD

*0

I*

CC

1717.ZZ0

cs

1

r-Io:

ifTnucuriG \37Qr JlicAlizngsverTtallnJ^ssc u~ \80U

RhAts

272

Mr,

h 73

14

3s

1

I jjin 4JW J

M5—rfagd-1—1

xH Li_rrL

“i—i*

F8

Mm

R80

i OuerschmxtJb -......?.30---*

f;;

-±H

ZalubGtyjyjgeibj Stoss ,

■■jfetfe:an:

—v-Ly- . _ __

XcJuustcLngerv-S upperb

-------------

mi

'"T

... 760 ------

’.- 60 ->j

—80——s

jr-80—2-60

a a a a w ffi.

ir.-.st

-^1

.....i

'st-i

____ ---1.1-^r-iVj    TJ^t:-^if:~-.-'::~tI'-~--Ei7~

Ox'O⁻ O 0

IMMrr-rz

•a c?

H::

-1^

if—-

k..........—255- -

-------- 3^0--------

27!

1zoo-------------

-L

mR//2////4f/A W//////////////////////S/ylfr////////M/2r f?-⁵*:₇^E:i³|t..._........^7,...................-740 -.-E

j<—.....-.....-U—.-----520......

____1....

'////////A

f: ' !1

k-354- 70 -+35 * ..'.740.-.—->

?'■'

Majxssslxxb 12.

experiments showed clearly that the component parts of the two forces acting on the rail, viz., the weight of the

The importance of rack    jt -380"V^    -j<—3@6>-jis-.................-7a;o..................-0310..................k~3so-~-i    engine and the force result-

rails caused the promoters of    *-105 »    ___ ! ni r‘-:-----------------!— - ----^-405— y—-⁴⁰⁵;-,jln ' ■ ■    ing from the incline, were

the latest mountain railway [    '''l .....¹-⁻—¹    —■■'■--—■—-— -----EE    ■-    ■ ~ -    ~    not enough to keep the spur

S^SST^r    .....................dz.................

Locker and Co., in Zurich, to    m rri    r?”    j EH    H    pP__    trials confirmed this observa-

have careful experiments :-1°,°, ,.,. °,°1 . .    •....-— ---^°    ~j jy]    ■    " jiEj... . .    ."■    1 in l-l'^=    tion so strongly that the idea

made, not only of the dura- '    |°°    ° °|    ; —    ~ r    I I I    of a railway up Mount Pilatus

bility of this system of rail,    -1„    H    * i''    ............................................■, y]    was abandoned.

but also and especially if it    Messrs. Locker and Co.

would be safe to employ En^,/^wiruLuE^uTjwL^J1-rLd^v-u-uT_rLr\v-^AyT-rLjyn-ru-u^y^    —    studied the matter further,

the same construction on a    •, ■ ■ ^»    * * ' '    ...............................p...... sto.....-................- |--->|| |    and brought out an entirely

gradient of 48 per cent, for __J--L_    _ rri_——- —1» °    ° °l—new system, which, by refer-

the maximum incline of the _. L¹!' ' '=Iiri    o'»    ...........■    .....ence to the accompanying

Pilatus Railway. The re-    GQ E    ®    ^    drawings, is easy to under-

c“!Sedf „STt SrSucomotive WorkB, and the descrip- I of a paper read by Mr. J. Weber, manager of the Swiss Loco- I stand The e*.mtM nove% »    “*>

tion of the new system adopted, were recently the subject) motive Works, before the Technical Society of Winterthur. The | in w ic w    P

THE MOUNT PILATUS RAILWAY.

Ober^BaTb

6000

wwmm

o_o

J. SWAIN EN0.

_°_

RAILWAY MATTERS.

Sir Horace Davey, Q.C., Mr. Macrory and Mr. H. G.

CARLISLE WATERWORKS.

16.469. Filter Tank for Bain Water, C. D. Cowland,

grees.

way,

1884

over 1874. per cent.

Increase of mileage......

Increase of capital......

Increase of passengers .. Increase of passenger receipts Increase of goods leceipts .. Increase of total receipts Increase of working expenses Increase of.net receipts

3X1

45}

20}

173

J ‘3

19

14J

25

was

to sweep away the secure to prosecute it on the safe lines already laid down by Sabine, Freycinet, Foster, Clarke, Diitke, and other eminent men.

a sm

course

RAILWAY MATTERS.

It is stated that the London and North-Western Railway Company has in course of construction at Crewe works no fewer than thirty of Mr. Webb’s compound engines, and that the Midland Railway Company at Derby is building ten single driving-wheel engines.

Mr. William McKenzie, general foreman of the New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio Railroad machine shop at Meadville, has invented a device for ejecting water from the cylinder of a locomotive. It is described as follows “ The steam ports on either side of the locomotive are connected with a small pipe, to which is attached an automatic valve directly at the back of the saddle. When the locomotive is under steam pressure this valve remains closed, and opens the moment the pressure is shut off, thus allowing every drop of water that has accumulated in the ports to escape.”

The Government of the colony of Natal possessed at the close of 1885 116 miles, on an average, of railway of 3ft. 6in. gauge open for traffic, since which date the main trunk line to Ladysmith has been completed, making the total length of line now working 217 miles. On the whole, the railways have earned an annual average return of £2 33. 2d. per cent, upon the capital. It is considered, however, that the balance of interest has been far more than repaid to the colony by the convenience, facility, and economy enjoyed by the public in respect of the conduct of both goods and passenger traffic, by reason of the construction of its railways.

“We fear,” says the Railroad Gazette, “that no academical occasion in this country could attract so many visitors as the Jubilee festival (500th anniversary) of the Heidelberg University in the first week of August last, in which week about 100,000 tickets were sold to that town of 25,000 inhabitants. On the day of the great historical procession, August 6tli, about 40,000 tickets were sold; on that day forty-eight regular and twenty-six special trains rau to Heidelberg with about 1400 cars. We had a chance to compare this with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Harvard College, but then no special trains were required.”

For several years the Great Eastern Railway has been expending large sums for interlocking signals at stations, and at the last meeting the proprietors voted a considerable sum for that purpose. The company has still £83,003 of that amount in hand, but it is going on with the interlocking, and next half-year it proposes to interlock about twenty-two stations, at an average cost of £1000 each. Since Mr. Parkes has been chairman the company has spent nearly £1,000,003 on interlocking and the block system. The company proposes to spend £100,000 next year on improvements to stations, and £50,000 is asked for for additional rolling stock.

A Cologne company is working vigorously at the construction of a wire rope railway, which is to mount from the Lahn valley to the top of the Mahlberg, 333m. high, for the pleasure and convenience of the bath guests visiting Ems—near Coblence—and which is to be opened for passenger traffic on the 1st June, 1887. There are to be double lines of toothed rails, exactly on the same plan as those of the Niederwald, Draehenfels, and other hill railways. There will be this difference, however, namely, that locomotives will not be used, but instead the descending carriages will draw up the ascending ones, on the same principle as some of the Swiss mountain lines. The carriages on the top of the ascent will, in case of need, there take in water ballast. The angle of the rise of the road will be 45 de

The proposal of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway to lay down two lines at Lewes may, says our Birmingham correspondent, provide some employment for midland engineering firms. Besides railway plant the company requires girders, columns, and other necessary ironwork. It is just possible, but not very probable, that the work required by the Great Western Railway in connection with its viaduct at Landore may find its way into the Birmingham district. Tenders for the manufacture of the steel superstructure for the central span are now being invited. Some constructive engineers may try to secure the work in connection with the lattice girder - footbridge which the Sheffield Corporation are about to throw over the river Don. The bridge will be 140ft. span, and will be constructed of cast and wrought iron.

The Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Central, and the Erie railway companies have, in response to a request from the Board of Trade of Newark, N.J., adopted a system of low-rate working men’s tickets between that city and New York. The rate fixed on is 10 cents, the special tickets being sold in packages of ten, and made good on any train leaving Newark up to 7 a.m., and New York between 5.30 and 7.30 p.m., or 4.30 and 7.30 on Saturdays. The regular fare between Newark and New York is 20 cents single or 30 cents for round-trip tickets. The special rates adopted are about 1^ cents per mile, and are a little higher than the rate charged for monthly tickets, the only advantage gained being that the purchaser is not required to pay out more than 1 dol. at a time. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has extended the special rate systepa to Elizabeth, five miles beyond Newark. The rate to that place is a little over 14 cents, seven of the special tickets being sold for 1 dol.

Americans continue to enact scenes of greater horror than the brain can picture in their railway accidents and subsequent roasting . alive of tne passengers imprisoned. The worst phase of this, the most shameful, as well as the most horrible, is due to the continued use of swing and other oil lamps inside the cars, which is even worse than our use of lamps which are inserted from without, so that they fall free of the carriage if not broken when the latter overturns. AVith the Pintsch’s system of gas lighting there is a removal of all danger and a cheaper and better light is secured. In Germany, England, and France thousands of carriages are now fitted in this but the system has only recently received the attention it deserves in America. The recent and indescribably agonising scenes at Rio ought to direct attention more strongly to the necessity in America for discarding the barbarous and antiquated system of lighting with oil lamps. There is plenty of oil at hand from which to make the necessary oil gas.

In an article in the Sheffield Telegraph, entitled “ A Check to our Railway Growth,” the writer, as a result of comparisons of the figures of 1864-74 and 1884, comes to the conclusion that the decline in dividend on the ordinary stock is mainly due to the increase of capital, concludes by stating that railway shareholders “ should now begin to perceive that if the capital expenditure of the past few years were continued for a few years longer, dividends on ordinary stocks might become a vanishing quantity.” Fortunately, railway directors are now fully alive to the necessity of care and economy in capital outlay, and the list of bills for the coming session is sufficient evidence that large further capital expenditure is not contemplated at present. The following table from the. article is interesting, but it must be remembered ■that the conditions of the two periods were very different. It shows the percentage of increase in each decade.

1874

over 1804. per cent.

2SJ ..

103J ..

47i ..

It is very satisfactory to see from this table that the rate of increase iu the working expenses has decreased enormously, roughly 100 to 14, or say 7 to 1, while the rate of increase of receipts has only decreased as between 67 and 19 or a little over 3 to 1.

NOTES AND MEMORANDA.

Some “ Results of Meteorological Observations made at Scutari, Constantinople, 1866-85,” were given recently at the Meteorological Society, by Mr. W. H. Lyne. The annual mean temperature is 58 4 deg., the highest temperature registered was 103 6 deg. on June 22nd, and the lowest 13 0 deg. on January 25th, both in 1869. The annual rainfall is 29 29in.; the greatest fall in one day was 4'06in., on September 25th, 1866.

A new method of determining specific inductive capacity recently described before the Cambridge Philosophical Society by Mr. L. R. Wilberforce. It consists in the comparison of the directive couples upon two spheroids, the one made of the dielectric to be investigated, and the other of some conducting material, when placed in a uniform electric field. He further indicated certain theoretical considerations with regard to the eccentricities of the spheroids and their manner of suspension, and stated a general theorem relating to the mechanical effect due to such a field upon a body of any material or form.

In the Genie Civil Mr. Paul Herzog, of Peterswalda, has given the following as a special composition discovered by him for use in welding steel to steel or to iron :—500 grammes borax, 70 grammes sal ammonia, 70 grammes prussiate of potash, 35 grammes unrusted iron filings. “ This compound is to be pulverised in a mortar, and then turned into a sheet-iron pot or crucible ; water is added until a thick paste results, and then the crucible is put over a wood fire and the contents constantly stirred. The resulting mass resembles pumice-stone with green and gray streaks ; this is cooled, pulverised, and is at once ready for use.”

At a recent meeting of the Paris Academy of Sciences, a reply to M. de Lapparent’s note of November 22nd, on the conditions determining the form and density of the earth’s crust, was read by M. Faye. The conclusions of modern physicists regarding the uniform flattening of both terrestial poles are vindicated against M. de Lapparent’s captious objections. The general charge that the work of geodesy i3 far from completed is admitted; but it is pointed out that, in order to continue this work, it is not necessary results already obtained ; it will be safe

“ As a result of the inquiry on the employment of fuel in breweries, held by the Brewing Institute in Berlin, Herr W. Goslich states that the quantity of coal employed in different breweries per ton of malt differs far more than is generally supposed. An abstract of the paper in the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry gives the following :—For the kiln-drying and boiling processes, 56'6 + .94⁻7 = 151'3kilo3. of coal per 100 kilos, of malt are, on the average, employed. The extremes are 32⁻5 + 50 = 82‘5 and 90'5 + 162 = 252'5 kilos, of coal per 100 kilos, of malt. To these numbers must be added the amount of coal required for other purposes—for instance, that employed in steam breweries for heating the ovens and engine boilers. For a copper heated by steam, about 50 kilos, of coal per 100 kilos, of malt are required. Of 100 parts of coal employed for brewing purposes—total amount without copper—62‘5 parts go to the brewing house and 37'5 to the kilns ; including fuel for coppers, the proportions are, 47‘0 parts to the brewing house, 28T to the kilns, and, 24'9 to the coppers.”

In an article on “ The Hydraulic Properties of Cements,” by E. Michel, in the Jour. Prakt. Chcm., the author describes a series of tests made with a view of determining the proportions of silica to lime and of silica to alumina required to produce the most effective hardening properties in hydraulic cements. He found that when gelatinous silica, previously dried at 110 deg., was mixed with very finely powdered calcium hydrate, moistened with the smallest quantity of water, the proportions being 1 mol. silica to 11,- mols. calcium hydrate, a cement was produced which in a fortnight could not be scratched with the finger-nail. A mixture of gelatinous silica, pure sand, and lime, also gave satisfactory results. The author confirms Fuch’s theory, viz., that the silicic acid is essential to the hardening process. The latter is also dependent upon the addition of lime, on the density and thorough mixing of the materials, and iipon the amount of water in the mixture. Alumina forms a cement with lime only when dried at 110 deg. before mixing, negative results being obtained with strongly-heated or gelatinous alumina. The method of Fruhling was found to give good results. This consists in well incorporating the respective substances in a mortar, enclosing them in a wrapper of filter-paper, and then allowing the whole to become moist under water.

In a recent number of the Annalen der Physik und Chemie, H. G. Hausemann describes a new arrangement for determining the periodic time of a suspended magnet,- This method consists of an application of photography for recording the differences of agreement in position between the magnet under observation and a seconds pendulum. The magnet is provided with a mirror in the ordinary way, by reflection from which the divisions of a scale mounted before it can be read off in a telescope. A small mirror fixed to the pendulum and parallel with its plane of oscillation, reflects when at rest the beam of an electric light on to a prism, provided with a broa'd slit crossed by a narrow vertical bar. From the prism the light is reflected on the mirror of the magnet, from which, when near its neutral position, the barred slit is focussed in all photographic camera specially constructed for the purpose. The Scientific American says the slide of the latter is furnished with a micrometer screw, so that the plate can be moved through a known distance between any two exposures. The elongations can be read on the telescope in the usual way, and by measurement of the distance between the images on the negative, the number of oscillations of the magnet corresponding to a given number of those of the pendulum can be accurately determined, if the times of exposure are chosen when the pendulum and magnet are both near their positions of rest. This method naturally admits of extreme accuracy in the determination of the quantities sought for, besides reducing the time required.

At a recent meeting of the Chemical Society, a paper was read on “ The Amount of Chlorine in Rain-water collected at Cirencester,” by Mr. Edward Kinch. Determinations of chlorine in the rain-water collected in a small 5in. rain gauge, at the Royal Agricultural College, 443ft. above the mean sea-level, have been made continuously since 1870. The amount of chlorides in the rain is nearly always greater in the winter months—October to March —than in the summer months. An abnormal amount of chlorides can generally be traced to storms from the south-west bringing salt spray from the Bristol Channel, about thirty-five miles distant. Crystals of common salt have been found after such storms on the windows of the college faoing west. On one occasion, in September, 1869, Professor Church found chlorine equivalent to 671 grains of common salt per gallon in storm-water. The rain collected during the winter six months, 1872-3, contained an abnormally large amount of chlorine; excluding this period the yearly averages for sixteen years,⁻1870-1885, for the twelve years 1874-1885-86, also the means of the last twelve summer periods and twelve winter periods, are :—Mean of 12 summer periods to 1885: rainfall, 17‘04in.; chlorine per million, 3T4; equivalent salt, 19⁻91 per acre. Mean of 12 winter periods to 1885-86: rainfall, 17‘65in. ; chlorine, 3'58; = salt 23'56 per acre. Average for 16 years, excluding winter 1872-73 : rainfall, 33⁻31in.; chlorine, 3*25; = salt 40'33 per acre. Average for 12 years to March, 1886 :. rainfall, 34 69in.; chlorine, 3'36; = salt 43'47 per acre,. Lawes, Gilbert and W’arrington have found in the rain collected at. Rothamsted, as a mean of six years monthly determinations, 1*99 of chlorine per million, with a mean rainfall of 33‘15in. equivalent to 24⁻59 lb. of common salt per acre. They found the amount of chlorides in the summer months to be less than one-half-that of the winter months.

MISCELLANEA.

Messrs. Witty and Wyatt, of Leadenhall-street, have, as usual, sent out a very handy week-on-a-page diary for the new year.

It is stated that the Sutton Bridge Dock which collapsed shortly before the day fixed for its opening, about five years ago, is about to be proceeded with.

The first of a course of six lectures on “ The Chemistry of Light and Photography,” adapted to a juvenile auditory, will be given on Tuesday, the 28th inst., at 3 p.m. by Prof. Dewar, M.A., F.R.S.

Land in the City of London seems to retain its almost incredible value. A freehold in Cheapside of only 296 square feet area was lately sold for £14,050, or about Os. 8d. a square inch, or more than £L,500,000 an acre.

At Jebel Zeit, Egypt, the boring for oil has gone down 215ft., and nothing valuable has yet been reached. At Jemsali there are three separate borings, from one of which, at 125ft., is spurting good heavy petroleum.

The electricians who for six weeks past have been engaged in repairing a broken cable of the American Union Company off Land’s End have succeeded in restoring communication. It was found that the cable had parted through chafing across a reef of rock some eight and a-half miles west of Land’s End. • The cable is now laid around the reef.

The Russian newspapers contain a telegram from Baku announcing the greatest outburst of oil ever known. It runs thus “ Baku, October 5th. At Tagieff’s wells a fountain has commenced playing at the rate of 30,000 poods—1,084,0001b.—of petroleum an hour. Its height is 224ft. In spite of its being three miles from the town, the petroleum sand is pouring upon the buildings and streets.” The champion petroleum fountain up to now has been the “ Droojba,” which in 1883 spouted to the height of 200ft. or 300ft., at the rate of nearly 3300 tons of oil a day.

The proprietors of “ The Shipping Diary” have sent us a copy of that for 1887. It is a folio blotting interleaved diary with three days on a page and a little space for Sunday on each alternate page. It contains all the usual information appearing in other diaries, with the addition of moneys, weights, of different parts of the world; the ports of the world, condensed in a form most easy of reference ; the directories, with telegraphic addresses and telephone numbers; names of shipowners, brokers, ship repairers; Lloyd’s agents, private night signals, &c.

On the 17th inst. the Commission representing the Suez Canal Company concluded the arrangements with the Egyptian Government for widening the Canal. By this scheme, to which the signatures of the parties were affixed on Monday, the width of the Canal from Port Said to the Bitter Lakes is to be 44 metres, and thence to Suez 65 metres. M. de Lssseps, Sir J. Stokes, and Mr. Aynsley completed the terms with the Egyptian Government, by which the company will pay £80,000 for a certain quantity of land at Suez, Ismalia, and Port Said, and along the Canal, for the purpose of the widening.

The second meeting for the session of [the Cleveland Institution of Engineers was held at Middlesbrough on the 20th inst., the president, Mr. R. Howson, being in the chair. After the transaction of formal business, Mr. Francis Fox, of Westminster, read an interesting paper upon the Mersey Tunnel, which was profusely illustrated by diagrams. The paper was founded upon that recently read by the same author before the Institution of Civil Engineers in London, but it had been compiled and altered in several respects. An interesting discussion followed, in the of which the question of ventilation of subways generally occupied a prominent place. Indeed, the sulphurous atmosphere of the Metropolitan and District railways in London seems to have profoundly impressed every one who has ever made use of those subterranean thoroughfares, especially in summer time, and where saving of time is not a great object, many persons are said to avoid them altogether, preferring to travel by older-fashioned but healthier means.

Interesting facts regarding the construction of canals were given on Thursday of last week by Mr. Robert Capper, secretary to the Swansea Harbour Trust, in an address which he delivered to a large audience at Birmingham. The cost of canal traffic, he pointed out, was little more than one-fourth that of railway transport of the same volume of trade, and less the larger the bulk. The mineral traffic, which now amounted to about sixteen millions sterling a year, might, by water conveyance, be reduced to little more than four millions. He therefore urged the importance, in the interests of Birmingham and South Staffordshire district and the Channel ports, that the water communication between them should be as efficient as possible. This would be best accomplished by the carrying out of the project for extending the accommodation of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, by deepening and widening the thirty miles of waterway which lies between Worcester and Bristol. This, indeed, seems to be the only practicable scheme for placing Birmingham in more direct communication with the sea. It has been before the traders for a long time, but there are no signs of its been taken up with any heartiness.

Sincere regret has been caused in Leeds by the resignation, through ill-health, of Mr. EdwardFilliter,engineer to theLeedsWaterworks. Mr. Filliter was appointed to that post in 1856, and he has held it up to the present time, except for a very brief period in 1866, when he was borough engineer. His name is associated with a remarkable development of water supply, and with many important works involved in such progress—latest of all with the extensive Black-moor Tunnel scheme, still undecided, to which we have mo e than once drawn attention. When he first became waterworks engineer thirty years ago, the daily consumption of Leeds was only 1J million gallons, but it is now 10g million gallons. Up to 1856, the capital expended on the water supply was only a little over a quarter of a million, but it now exceeds a million and a-half. The annual income for the service was £16,000; it is now £84,000. Among the numerous works he has carried out to meet the growing demand are the Headingley pumping works, which, with tho Bramley and Moortown reservoirs, were constructed for the supply of the high-level districts of the borough. A year ago Mr. Filliter presented to the Council an exhaustive report urging a large number of extensions other than the Blackmoor Tunnel.

It would seem to be almost unnecessary to say more concerning the appearance of “Whitaker’s Almanack” for the New Year than to announce the fact; but as it has been recast and so enlarged that it now extends to no less than 633 closely-printed pages, it is necessary to draw attention to it. Its usual contents have undergone-complete revision, and have been amplified, and fresh subjects of public interest incorporated. The colonial section has been completely revised and extended. Amongst the Special articles to which attention is called are the analysis of the Irish Government and Land Bills, the Merchant Marine, the Navy as compared^ with the Naval forces of Europe, Municipal Directory of England and Wales, Foreign orders of Chivalry, London Bankers of the Past, the Universities and Educational Establishments, the Railway Statistics and various railway information, and the Anpals of Her Majesty’s Reign. The enlargement has caused a small increase in price, but we may allow the publisher’s claim, that the half-crown almanack is still one of the cheapest a"s also one of the most useful and interesting of annuals. We may remark with respect to the information given concerning railway tunnels, that Stanbridge is printed instead of Stand Edge, and the length 5342 yards, instead of 5435. If we may take Williams’ account of English railways as correct, it would appear that Whitaker’s figures need correction with reference to the Bramhope, given 3475, instead of 3670 ; Sevenoaks, 3600 instead of 3451; Abbot’s Cliff, 2000 instead of 1933; Box, 3227j instead of 3203 ; Sapperton, 2800 instead of 2200; and Dove’s Hole, 2420 instead of 3000.

r)

Jrn

Li

ra

RAILWAY SIGNALS AT THE LIVERPOOL EXHIBITION.

THE RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, FAZAKERLEY, ENGINEERS.

(For description see page 512,)

II

-iJ

an

<■---

s' o"

Fig. 6

! W.|

■f—

,i!

ijl

II

Fig 6

■OS

S5

3 0—

,1

\’

l5l

ss

'fn

i.'Tvv

Y//////A

Fill

n^i

JivSl

ED

■jJflLQCKINC

BAR

...

mm

PH

Era

nan

FIG.10

PLATFORM

WIRE TO HOME iSfii^S'CNAL

lil

HOME SIGNAL

rgjfTral ctM

SICNAL CABIN

o~

FIC.'s

wi.

c:

I'D

gsli

----1

fitlM

El

mHI

pail

sis

'-V.

FIC.7

ENLARGED VIEW DF BRACKET

\m\

Hi

Mmm

FIG.B. ENLARGED SECTION THRO.P.P.

pv;

""Hi,. |

'"llllllh,.

.WIRE TO HOME SIGNAL

FIC.9

ENLARCED VIEW OF BRACKET

---

K^- e-3— ----^

TO LEVER

FOR STOP

WIRE TO BRANCH HOME SICNAL

IMDMH

K-T2- - I—j—H

LEVER

|2]H

-Wul

kirfMi

l<—zw—4

l*5r-------1

FID. »1

PLAN WITHOUT COVER PLATE

---1----2” -3 -—

FIG ,12

ifH

iifll

MAIN LINE RAIL

k^JI!

il-i

'N

1----1 4-g*------->1

BRANCH LINE RAIL

FIG.12. SECTION THROUGH.A.B.

lllllllluilluiiluiiUl

page

499

.. 500

500

(Illus-

501

.. 502

503

504

505

505

506

506

507 507 507

508

509

Literature............................

Legal Intelligence........................

Railway Signals. (Illustrated.)..................

Stewart’s “ Rapid ” Copper Ore Cupola. (Illustrated.)......

Carlisle Waterworks ......................

The Iron, Coal, and General Trades of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, AND OTHER DISTRICTS..................

Notes from Lancashire......................

Notes from Sheffield ......................

Notes from the North of England................

Notes from Scotland ..    ....................

Notes from Wales and Adjoining Counties............

Notes from Germany ......................

New Companies..........................

The Patent Journal...................... ..

Selected American Patents....................

Paragraphs—An Engineering Dispute with the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company, 516—The Electrician, 516.

511

513

515

516

516

516

517

anonymous

occu-

N. M.

spar,

Edward Reynolds.

R. G. C.

£0 14s. 6d. £1 9 s. 0 d.

ADVERTI8EMENT8.

*«* The charge for Advertisements of four lines and under is three shillings for every two lines afterwards one shilling and sixvence; odd lines are charged one shilling. The line averages seven words. IVhen an advertisement measures an inch or more the charge is ten shillings per inch. All single advertisements from the country must be accompanied by a Post-office order in payment. Alternate advertisements will be inserted with all practical regularity, but regularity cannot be guaranteed in any such case. All except weekly advertisements are taken subject to this condition.

Advertisements cannot be Inserted unless Delivered before 8lx o'clock on Thursday Evening In each Week Letters relating to Advertisements and the Publishing Department of the paper are to be addressed to the Publisher, Mr. George Leopold Riche; all other letters to be addressed to the Editor of The Engineer, 163, Strand.

This

US

our

some

are

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, Stf Beekman-street.

CONTENTS.

The Engineer, December 21th, 1886.

The Butt Connections of Iron and Steel Ships .....

Statistics of the Belgian Iron and Steel Industry in 1885 Woolwich Steam Paddle Ferry Boat Pioneer ..    ..

Steam Ferry Boat, North and South Woolwich.

trated.)........................

Letters to the Editor—A New View of the Resistance of Materials —Sugar in Mortar—Railway Bridge over the Riachuelo—The

Navy ..........................

Lifeboats—Hardening Steel—Warning to Inventors and Investors —Fuel Gas—Neutral Axis in Fixed Girders—The Economy of

Single-acting Engines ....................

Double Rack Railway up Mount Pilate. (Illustrated.)......

Horizontal Condensing Engine. (Illustrated.)..........

Heliography, or the Actinic Copying of Engineering Drawings. (Illustrated.)

A Submarine Voyage. (Illustrated.)................

Power Required for Flour Mills................

Railway Matters ........................

Notes and Memoranda.............. ........

Miscellanea........>....................

Railway Signals at the Liverpool Exhibition..........

Leading Articles—Liquid Fuel—The Lowest Tender........

Stuffing-box Packing—Pig Iron Production in 1886—The Manchester Exhibition—Burnley Waterworks—Durham College .. 510

511 512 515 515 515

510

517 518

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Registered Telegraphic Address—¹' ENGINEER NEW8PAPER, LONDON."

*»* All letters intended for insertion in The Engineer, or containing questions, must be accompanied by the name and address of the un-iter, not necessarily for publication, but as a proof of good faith. No notice whatever will be taken of 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 order that answers received by us may be forwarded to their destination. No notice will be taken of communications which do not comply with these instructions.

J. H. H.—No.

W. B. (Hydraulic Engines).—Mr. Johnston's address is 12, York-street, Glasgow.

C. B.— The pressure of air and other gases varies inversely in the space pied, doubling the space halves the pressure, and so on. If this does not enable you to make your calculations write again.

A Reader.—We are unable to say whether copper nails will out-wear steel nails in shoe soles. We are able to state that no “ amalgamation of copper with the leather " takes place, and we should take it for granted that steel being harder than copper would last longer, were it not for the circumstance that steel is much more readily abraded under some conditions than copper is. Thus, an emery wheel will cut a file in two in a few seconds, while it will leave a copper rod almost untouched.

Enquirer (Books on Brewing). -Faulkner’s book is one of the best as regards malting, you cannot do better than read Slopes’ “Malt and Matting;" it is a book which gives the fullest information, both practical and scientific, on the subject. For brewing, read Graham’s “Lectures on Brewing," and Southby's “ Practical Chemistry;" and if you. intend to do any chemical work in the brewery, you will find Briant’s “ Laboratory Text-book for Brewers" a most useful work. Hooper's “Manual of Brewing " is also a book you ought to read.

MACHINE FOR PULVERISING FRENCH CHALK.

(To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,—Can any of your readers tell me where I can get the best machinery for pulverising French chalk to an impalpable powder ? December 16th.

FISH PLATES.

(To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,—In answer to your correspondent, “Fisher,” I may inform him that the name fish joint was adopted by my old friend, William Bridges Adams, for the now universal system of coupling the ends of rails introduced under Adams and Richardson’s patent. He explained to me at the time that he took it from the sailors’ idea of fishing a broken and the word was derived from the French “ affiche ”

Sheffield, Dec. 18th.

FISH JOINTS.

(To the Editor of The Engineer.)

Sir,—In reply to your correspondent, “ Fisher,” relative to “what the term fish-plates is derived from.” No doubt it originates from the word fishing, being a piece of timber used in seamanship for supporting a mast or yard when sprung or damaged, having the shape of a fish’s belly, also used as fish-bellied rails and fish beam in joinery, meaning any application for strengthening, hence fish-plates, which are a support to the rails.

Chesterfield, Dec. 20th.

8UBSCRIPTION8.

The Enoinf.er can be had, by order, from any newsagent in town or country at the various railway stations; or it can, if preferred, be supplied direct

from the office on the following terms (paid in advance):_

Half-yearly (including double numbers)

Yearly (including two double numbers)

If credit occur, an extra charge of two shillings and sixpence per annum will be made. The Engineer is registered for transmission abroad.

Cloth cases for binding The Engineer Volume, price 2s. 6d. each.

A complete set of The Engineer can be had on application.

Foreign Subscriptions for Thin Paper Copies will, until further notice, be received at the rates given below:—Foreign Subscribers paying in advance at the published rates will receive The Engineer weekly and post-free. Subscriptions sent by Post-office order must be accompanied by letter of

increased ratef^¹^¹^' Thick Paver Copies be had> if preferred, at

Remittance by Post-office order. — Australia, Belgium, Brazil, British Columbia, British Guiana, Canada, Cape of Good Hope, Denmark, Hawaiian Islands, Egypt, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Italy, Malta Natal, Netherlands, Mauritius, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, New South Wales, New Zealand, Portugal, Roumania, Switzerland, Tasmania, Turkey, United States, West Coast of Africa, West Indies. Cyprus, £1 16s. China, Japan, India, £2 0s. 6d.

Remittance by Bill on London.—Austria, Buenos Ayres and Algeria, plihC v₁I°₁«iani8land8^Norway’ Panama. Peru, Russia, Spain, Sweden,

* Sandwich Isles '5s’ C6yl°n' J&Ud Singapore- £2 0s- 6d- Manilla,

THE ENGINEER

DECEMBER 24, 1886.

LIQUID FUEL.

Those who believe that petroleum is to be the fuel of the future have the courage of their opinions, and lose no opportunity of advancing its claims. On November 10th two papers “ On the Use and Transport of Liquid Fuel,” by Messrs. G. B. Nicholl and J. Graved, incorporated and taken as one, were read before that admirably-managed society, the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders. With the latter portion of the paper—that on the carriage of petroleum in suitable steamers—we do not propose to deal; we shall confine our attention to Mr. Nicholl’s statements. He spoke in somewhat general terms of the efficiency of petroleum as a steam generator compared with coal. He sets it down as being competent to evaporate in practice twice as much water per pound as coal can evaporate. But in doing this he multiplies the theoretical efficiency of coal by ‘7, while he uses ‘9 as a factor in dealing with petroleum. This he justifies on the ground that the combustion of the latter is perfect, while the combustion of the former is not; and also on the assumption that less air is required to burn petroleum without smoke than will suffice to secure the smokeless combustion of coal, we think postulates rather too much; yet we are content for the sake of argument to concede that a ton of petroleum will do as much work as two tons of coal. In this country the cost of petroleum is, of course, fatal to its adoption. It costs as much for freight alone in any north-country port as coal would cost per ton. We have not yet heard that the crude oil can be sold for the price of coal, and its value, whatever it may be, must be added to the freight. If we set the cost of petroleum against that paid for coal, say at Aden, then the comparison is more favourable to the petroleum. But there is a point to be considered which is quite as important as cost; and that is, that crude petroleum is not burned in either steamers or locomotives, and it does not appear that it can be so burned. The risk is too great. Crude petroleum is a very composite material. It is really a mixture of a great many hydrocarbons of different specific gravities and igniting points. At one end of the scale we have the benzines—excessively volatile, giving off a gas highly explosive when mixed with air ; and at the other end the dead tarry oils which have a comparatively high flashing point and evolve little vapour. We are told a great deal about the working of steamers on the Caspian and the Volga with petroleum, and of its use on South Russian railways. On examination, however, it appears, first, that coal is at prohibitive prices in these regions, and that it is not crude oil that is burned at all, but “ astaki ;” namely, the dead oil or refuse left in the stills after the crude oil has been refined. It is clear, then, that the supply of suitable oil fuel depends not so much on the oil wells as on the demand for the refined oils; for it would not pay to refine oil and throw away the better portion merely to get as fuel what is now a waste or bye-product, of no value whatever. Those shipowners, then, who contemplate fitting up their steamers for this kind of fuel will have to reckon with the possibility of being unable to get astaki when they want it, save at an extravagant price. Furthermore, a ship sailing from England must find astaki here in sufficient quantity to take her, say, to Alexandria, where she can get her further supply to take her to Bombay, let suppose. At Alexandria we may grant that it will be cheap enough, but what will it cost in England? Obviously the economical course to pursue would be to take coal in her bunkers sufficient to carry her to Alexandria, and fill up there with astaki. But it seems to be generally conceded either that a petroleum-fitted boiler will not do at all for coal; or that the superior advantages of petroleum cannot be realised with a coal-burning boiler. In the course of the discussion on Mr. Nicholl’s paper, Mr. J. A. Rowe pointed out that, as no soot was produced, it would be possible to make boilers with much smaller tubes than are now used, so that the total heating surface could be augmented by 50 per cent. This is probably a sound argument; but every sea-going engineer knows that a small tube marine boiler cannot be used with coal.

Mr. Nicholl touched very lightly on the objections to the use of liquid fuel at sea. We do not want it to be supposed that we are in any shape or way opposed to the innovation. On the contrary, we are desirous to see petroleum a success, because there can be no doubt whatever that it is in many respects a most admirable fuel. But, on the other hand, we should not do our duty by readers if we did not point out the difficulties which stand in the way of its adoption, and thus probably save shipowners and engineers from loss and annoyance. We have no hesitation therefore in calling attention to facts which seem to be readily overlooked or forgotten. They ought to be kept prominently in view in order that they may be overcome. We have already pointed out that crude petroleum cannot be used without peril. This is due to the penetrating powers of the oil. Joints in tanks which perfectly watertight will pass petroleum freely. The utmost care and special workmanship are needed to make petroleum-tight tanks. Again, all the space above the liquid, as the tanks are emptied, is full of vapour, which will explode like gunpowder if mixed with air and ignited.

In the few cases where petroleum has been used at sea the water has been admitted to the tanks. The oil keeps on the top, and the water follows it up, so that there is no space for gas. A very small mistake in dealing with such a fuel as this may entail a possible catastrophe. With astaki, as we have already explained, the case is different. Again, nothing is certainly known as to the true evaporative efficiency of astaki. Mr. Nicholl cites some old experiments of Favre and Silberman on petroleum refuse, which give its theoretical efficiency as 19,794 units, that of coal being 14,000. But “petroleum refuse” is a wide term, and we are not certain that Favre and Silberman ever tested the astaki of commerce. Astaki has the great advantage that a tank will hold it without leaking if it will hold water. No one has said one syllable as to the action which underwriters on the one hand, and the Board of Trade on the other, are likely to take in the matter. Will the former underwrite at ordinary rates ? and will the latter grant passenger certificates to steamships burning liquid fuel ? These are most important questions, which will have to be answered before any considerable advance can be made in the use of liquid fuel.

There is, furthermore, an objection which may seem small, but is, nevertheless, of considerable importance, namely, the noise produced by the combustion of petroleum. Each furnace makes a thundering roar which must be heard to be realised as regards its magnitude. It is possible that this may be got over. It has not been got over yet. All the systems of burning astaki or petroleum used with success up to the present time are based on Aydon’s method, patented many years ago. That is to say, the oil is blown into the furnace in the form of spray by a jet of steam. It has been found highly advantageous, if not essentia], that this steam should be first superheated, and the loss of the steam—or rather of the water which it represents—must be made good either on such systems as those patented by Mr. Kirkaldy, or by Mr. Jones of Liverpool, or else there must be a separate boiler to supply the steam for injection. Of course these things are not insuperable objections, but they complicate the question. To us it appears that it would be far better to use compressed air than steam. This might be readily obtained by working a compressing pump off the back levers of the main engine, just as the air and circulating pumps are worked now. While the engines were standing steam might be used. We are sorry to see that Mr. Arnison, who certainly knows better, during the discussion on Mr. Nicholl’s paper, referred, without contradicting it, to the statement that the boiler of the steamer Ryde evaporated 41 lb. of water per pound of petroleum. In which case it is clear that each pound of the oil must have had a practical thermal efficiency of about 41,000 units; or, say, twice the theoretical efficiency of any oil yet tested ; and he made matters worse by saying that this was “ apparently accounted for by the utilisation of the hydrogen liberated from the steam used for injecting the oil.” Now when hydrogen is burned with oxygen the result is water, and the energy developed in the form of heat is precisely the same, neither less nor more, than that expended in separating the steam—water—into its component gases. Put chemically, the heat of combustion is simply the equivalent of the heat of dissociation ; consequently there is absolutely nothing to be gained in the way Mr. Arnison seemed to suppose.

We have no doubt but that many more papers on the subject of liquid fuel will be read in the immediate future. We would direct the attention of intending readers to the points we have raised. Nothing is to be gained by passing over objections in silence. Everyone knows now that petroleum can be burned and steam raised with success. The points on which information is lacking do not refer to steam raising, but to its concomitants; such, for example, as the safety of astaki; the action of underwriters; the proper method of storing the oil; the effect of very intense temperatures on boiler plates; the probability of disaster as a result of the failure of any part of the apparatus; the means of taking the astaki on board—in fact, what we now want is information concerning those details on which the success or failure of the whole scheme depends. The soundness of the principle may be freely conceded. The shipowning world has yet to be shown how the principle is to be carried out in practice to the best advantage. On this point next to nothing is known, and for this reason it ought to be easy to write a most interesting paper on the subject ; that is to say, provided-—which we doubt—that there is really sufficient information for the purpose available anywhere.

THE LOWEST TENDER.

Although much has been both said and written by interested parties on either side as regards controversies between engineers, architects, or others letting contracts, the controversies seem as far as ever from settlement. The two leading grievances of contractors are respectively the methods adopted, or alleged to be adopted, by municipal corporations and railway or other companies in letting contracts; and the tyrannical exactions of engineers and architects during the carrying out of the work contracted for. We have more than once noticed the last of these two. We will now comment on the first. Contractors are at present agitating against the, to put it plainly, corrupt practices which they, or a certain number of them, believe to prevail in the letting of contracts by public bodies. The contractors assert that the idea that contracts are always given to the lowest tenderer has no foundation in fact; that the letting is usually in the hands of particular men; and that the personal interest of these men must be secured, in what manner we prefer to leave to the inference of our readers. Those who influence the letting of contracts, according to the contention of the contractors, do not at all regard those rules supposed to regulate the system of letting out work, which usually consist in advertising for tenders to be sent in by a certain day, a terminal note to the effect that the lowest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted being generally added. This last is pretty much a legal fiction, because every schoolboy knows that the universal object is to

secure

That

The Burnley Corporation have in course of construction under an extension of their water supply powers what is known as the Caut Clough reservoir. The construction of this reservoir was commenced on the last day of 1884, and it may thus be said to have been in hand two years. That time has been sufficient for the contractors and the engineers to arrive at very different conclusions on the same subject, and both have been helped to do this by reports of other engineers called in on either side. It appeal’s that the scheme involves the construction of a dam across a valley in the Moorlands, about four miles from Burnley. This dam is to be of earth, and its centre or core is, as usual, intended to be of puddled clay. The total estimated cost of the whole work was originally about £70,000, but difficulties have turned up in digging the trench for tho puddle core that were not expected, and this is costing an enor-above the estimated total. It was supposed that a

men

buy as cheaply as possible, and the departures from the practice of accepting the lowest tender are so few that they only form the exception that proves the rule. Of course, reckless tenders are now and then sent in, and these are, as a matter of course, passed over. No complaint can be, or, indeed, ever is, made against the acceptance of lowest tenders, save and except when they are obviously opposed to every reasonable possibility of their honest fulfilment at the price. What contractors complain of, rightly or wrongly, is that a firm whose tender is not by any means the lowest, by enlisting the favour, no matter how, of some person or persons behind the scenes, gets a hint as to the amount of the lowest tender, and is allowed to revise (!) its own; or else that a tender, not the lowest, is accepted, without any such justifying cause as that we have indicated above. They allege that this sort of thing prevails especially with railway contracts. If the allegations made by a portion of the general body of contractors—we say a portion—have a foundation on fact, the logical inference must necessarily be that inasmuch as it takes two to make either a quarrel or a contract, the contractors must themselves be to blame. If they resolutely refused to bribe, the trade in bribes must be ruined. We may say here at once that, judging from what has fallen under our own notice as to the methods of letting contracts, the cases of what is commonly called “black-mailing” are not very many. We have undoubtedly heard certain stories of the practice, but merely as hearsay ; just as wo have heard, on the other side, stories of malpractices by dishonest contractors. No honest man will hesitate for a moment to pronounce the act of informing one contractor about the price sent in by a rival, and thus enabling the former to send in a revised price and secure the work, as dishonest, and the sooner steps are taken to preclude the possibility of this being done the better. But Acts of Parliament cannot make rogues honest men ; law can only make them uncomfortable.

It is a great evil that such allegations as those now being made by contractors should be current. There is a germ of truth in the adage, “ There is no smoke without fire.” There are, we believe, more safeguards against corrupt practices as regards the letting of corporate or poor law contracts than against them in connection with the contracts of railway or private companies. Nevertheless, suspicion rests upon both. It is difficult to suggest any effectual remedy outside the joint action of the contractors themselves. Unfortunately, for them, however, living so much as they do in fierce personal competition, joint action relating to their business would seem impossible of attainment. So long as there are those who have no scruples as to the methods they use to interest in high places, so long will that interest be obtainable “ for a consideration.” Contractors must combine to drive out the black sheep from amongst themselves, and insist on the due fulfilment of all laws or bye-laws relating to and regulating the practice of letting contracts. There is one in particular which, we understand, is sometimes broken, namely, that which forbids Corporations and Town Councils letting or granting contracts to any of their own members. We make no comment whatever as to the propriety or otherwise of this bye-law. We do say that, being the law, it should be enforced ; and if it be a bad or unjust law, the sooner it is repealed the better. Contractors have difficulties to face in dealing with railway or other private companies in this way, that the letters of contracts may say, “ These pieces of work are ours; we have a right to do as we please with them, so long as we secure the best value for our ratepayers, our shareholders, or our clients.” Under such circumstances, actual dishonesty only becomes apparent when the servant of the company or corporation sells his interest without the knowledge and consent of his employers. The system is almost impossible to root out, because the briber is as bad as the bribee, and must keep silence. If a contractor is successful in corrupting Mr. A. to-day, but is out-bribed by his rival, Mr. B., to-morrow, he cannot very well go and make public complaint; or assert that he has excellent reason to know that such and such malpractices exist, because it would be awkward for him to give his reasons. He would not like to imitate the railway passenger who became terribly frightened at the speed of the train when going over a certain section of the road, and being asked by his companions why he was so, replied that he knew the road to be bad there, and being asked how he knew, replied that he ought to know as he had nude it himself ! We repeat, that if malpractices exist in the letting of contracts the remedy must be sought out and applied by contractors themselves. Let them resolutely refuse to pay any money to any official; bring pressure to bear to ensure that the unsealing and reading of all tenders shall be public, and with all the contracting or tendering parties present. If there is a doubt as to the sanctity of seals, each contractor should be allowed to send in his tender in a stout tin case with two locks, the key of one to be kept in his own possession, that of the other to be kept by the mayor or town clerk, or secretarjq &c. This would effectually guard each tendering party against the possibility of his price being made known to his rival, as he has his tender under his own lock, while he cannot make any change after the box is delivered. Drawings cannot very well be locked up, as they must be examined at leisure, but the tender price can. If, however, from an overweening anxiety to secure an order, interest is purchased, in such case there is presumptive evidence that the contractor has no real basis of complaint, if the interest does him no good.

STUFFING-BOX PACKINGS.

Among the troubles entailed on engineers by the use of steam of high pressure are those caused by the failure of piston-rod packings. In old times, hemp gaskets or cork fibre answered perfectly. In the present time, almost every conceivable material, from soapstone to white metal, from asbestos to india-rubber, has been pressed into the service. It cannot be said that a thoroughly satisfactory result has yet been attained. .The frictional conditions are

very peculiar. We may have at sea a piston-rod lOin. or 12in. in diameter flying backwards and forwards through the stuffing-box at the rate of 600ft. or 700ft. per minute. The grip of the packing on the rod must be tight, or steam will blow through—and it is not easy to keep back steam with a pressure of 120 lb. or 150 lb. The temperature is so high as to volatilise or carbonise lubricants. We have here very trying conditions to deal with. The heat generated by the friction alone is -very considerable. Piston-rods at a blue heat are not unfrequently met with. Not long since a locomotive under our observation, hauling an express train, made a successful run of over fifty miles. At a time when the speed was nearly seventy miles an hour steam was shut off as a stopping station was being approached. Almost immediately the packing was burned out of the stuffing-box at one side, the oil on the rod taking fire and flaming up. The engine had to be catching off and replaced by another. At sea the high-pressure piston-rods demand incessant attention, and must be swabbed with melted tallow from time to time to keep them cool. All this speaks badly for the skill and energy of the great army of packing makers, each prepared to supply the best packing in the world.

A keen sense of justice compels us to say that the packing makers are not so much to blame as the engineers. Not long since we went on board a new steamer with triple expansion engines, carrying 1501b. pressure. The three pistons were fitted with tail rods, and these rods were very easily seen, standing up as they did under the engine-room skylight. The engines were quite new—that is to say, the ship had only come round from Glasgow to London. The tail rods bore hammer marks and file marks. They were rough. It was doubtful if they were quite round. They might have come off the lathe in tolerable condition. They had suffered many things subsequently at the hands of the erectors; and we asked ourselves “how is it possible to produce any packing which will keep these rods tight or will last?” Of course, it is just as difficult and just as necessary to keep a tail rod as a piston-rod tight. We have no doubt that the piston-rods in the ship were not better than the tail rods. This much we could find out even by the light of an engine-room lamp. These rods were not exceptional, on the contrary, to meet with rods got up as they ought to be is a rare event which has seldom befallen us. Is it not time that a change was made in this respect—that we took a lesson from our Belgian neighbours and gave to our piston-rods, to begin with, that glassy smoothness of surface which we now hope that the packing will impart ? Among the vaiious engines made by Mr. Van der Ker-chove, of Ghent, is one which has been driving a cloth mill for eleven years, and during that time the piston-rod packing—metallic—has never been renewed. The reasoning which leads up to such a result is very simple. Let us suppose that a solid block piston slides a very tight fit in a cylinder. After a little time, such a piston and cylinder will wear each other until the piston becomes a slacker fit; because so long as it is tight it will continue to press against the sides of the cylinder, and cause attrition ; but as the wear goes on this pressure, which is the main cause of that wear, diminishes, until at last a point is reached when there is perfect gas-tight contact between the surfaces of the piston and cylinder, but no pressure. If this condition can be preserved there will be no wear. It is at this condition that Mr. Van der Iverchove aims ; his piston-rods are got up dead true and as smooth as human art can make them. The greatest care is taken of the rods when the engine is being erected ; and the consequence is that there is no trouble with the packing. In only too many cases we know that rods are sent out of the turnery in excellent condition, and that all the fine spring tool work and polish represent so much labour wasted. The rods are ruthlessly knocked about afterwards by fitters and erectors, who care for nothing but to get the engine put together. They are dropped on dirty floors, walked on with liob-nailed boots, slung with chains without protection. Foremen are responsible for a great deal of the mischief. Again, difficulties are caused by neglect in keeping the crosshead guides in proper condition. These are suffered to become too slack. The result is, of course, that the piston-rod no longer moves in a right line in the stuffing-box. There is a jump at each end as the crank turns the centre. If we watch the gland we shall find it walking about in the stuffing-box. It is hopeless to expect any packing that can be made to remain tight under such conditions.

AVe have no intention of recommending one packing as better than another, and if any of our readers expect us to tell them how to compensate for defective surface on a piston-rod they will find themselves mistaken. Our object has been to direct the attention of engine builders and others to the necessity which exists for putting more finish on their piston-rods and valve spindles. We have often been told when we have criticised the condition of a piston rod that, in a week or so, the stuffing-box “ would have it in perfect order.” It is barbarous to employ a stuffing-box packing to produce any result of the kind, certain packings will polish a rod is quite true ; for that very reason we regard them with a certain amount of suspicion. Emery powder put in a stuffing-box will have the same effect. The polish should be on the rod from the first. No stuffing-box can make a rod which is out of truth true. Neither can it remove hammer marks; nor take out flat places; nor get deep scratches and scars off. We may paraphrase an old saw and say, “Take care of the piston-rods and the stuffing-boxes will take care of themselves.”

PIG IRON PRODUCTION IN 1886.

Although it wifi be some months before the output of pig iron in the country is ascertainable, yet there are data on ^vhich an approximate estimate of that output may be built. Last year the total production in the United Kingdom was 7,250,657 tons ; and out of the fifteen contributory districts, only four of them showed an increase on the tonnage made in the previous year. This year it may be estimated that the total production

for the kingdom will not much exceed 6,800,000 tons, so that the total reduction in the make will be not so much less than half-a-million tons. The reduction in the production is one that has been continuous since the year 1882, when the total was 8,498,000 tons ; so that there has been in the years under review a decline to the extent of about 1,600,000 tons, as far as an estimate can be formed. But the reduction has been in very varying proportions in the several districts ; for whilst the largest of the districts may show a reduction in the period of some 240,000 tons, that decrease is far less in proportion than is that of some of the other districts. Indeed, in the first few months of the present year the Cleveland district increased its production, and it is only by the immense decrease in production in the last quarter of the year that the output has been brought down for 1886 as a whole. In Scotland there was a somewhat similar state of affairs ; and whilst Cleveland has reduced its production as the result of an arrangement between the associated employers, in Scotland, the reduction is brought about by the operation simply of low prices and of heavy stocks —the machinery of the ordinary law of supply and demand. But Cumberland and the Barrow district had a very remarkable falling off in the first half of the present year—the output being about five per cent, less than in the corresponding period of last year ; and Wales had a still larger reduction, whilst Staffordshire and Lincolnshire reduced their stocks even more. As far as the hematite region of the north-west was concerned there was an increase of the output some two months ago, in consequence of the enlargement of the demand for that class of iron, which will minimise the decrease in the year’s make ; but in the other districts we must look for a large decrease in the output as a whole, for the decrease of the first half of the year has not been counterbalanced. And in the first six months an official statement shows that the production of the kingdom was decreased by 270.000 tons, so that remembering the additional decrease in Cleveland, the above estimate must be looked on as a fair one, even when the enlargement of production in the north-wyest is borne in mind.

THE MANCHESTER EXHIBITION.

The progress in the erection of the buildings for the Jubilee Exhibition at Manchester has been so good during the short period since the plans were adopted, that there is every reason to believe that the Exhibition will be fully ready for opening on the day fixed. For some time past nearly 700 men have been constantly employed, and to facilitate operations artificial light has been provided during the dark hours morning and evening of the working day. The main structure is being erected in the form of a cross—a very lofty nave of over 1000ft. in length, and two arms forming the main transept, together measuring 1500ft. Out of thirty-two acres devoted to the purposes of this Exhibition eleven are covered by the buildings, and it is estimated that seven acres of glass will be required for the roofs and sides. The principal approach is to be on a very large scale, the central roadway being no less than 32ft. in width. The greater portion of the roofing is already up and completed ready for glazing; and in a similar way the section intended for machinery in motion is considerably advanced. The boiler power for this section is to be supplied by Messrs. W. and J. Galloway and Sons, and will consist of ten boilers, 30ft. in length and 8ft. in diameter ; while the machinery is to be driven by four engines provided by Messrs. Hicks and Hargreaves, of Bolton, Messrs. D. Adamson and Co., of Hyde, Messrs. Wood Brothers, of Bolton, and Messrs. Musgrave, also of Bolton. A separate building is being erected for the dynamos for the electric light. The boiler and dynamo buildings will cover 16,S00 square feet ; the chemical and kindred industries section 50,000 square feet, the Irish industries section 37,000 square feet, and the fine art section 35,000 square feet. The applications for space have far exceeded the total space at the disposal of the executive. Following the example of Old London at Kensington, here are to be representations of Old Manchester and Old Salford, and also a representation of the ancient architecture of Chester. The great fountain in the centre of the grounds is to be larger than that at South Kensington, the basin being 120ft. in diameter, and pumps being set up capable of lifting 222,000 gals, per hour. J udging from the indications so far observable, this Exhibition is likely to prove a splendid undertaking. The architects of the buildings are Messrs. Maxwell and Luke ; the contractors, Messrs. Robert Neill and Sons,

BURNLEY WATERWORKS.

mous sum

solid bed would be reached at a maximum of 80ft. depth, but have gone down to 160ft., and in some parts to 190ft., and still the looked-for bed is not reached, and water comes in from the strata so far cut. The lateral pressure in the cutting is necessarily great, and is so great that the heavy timbering has continually to be renewed by the contractor, who has stopped work because having reached these great depths he is still unsatisfied with the foundation, and avers that the water-bearing strata are sufficient to destroy the puddle work if put in now, as desired by the engineer. The contractor will not, however, proceed, as he is to be responsible for the tightness and safety of the work when completed. The engineer is satisfied that the puddle wall may be commenced, There is thus a dead lock, and it is difficult to say what the contractors, Messrs. Fotherby and Son, or the engineers, Mr. Filliter and Mr, Williamson, or the Corporation will do.

DURHAM COLLEGE.

The Durham College authorities at Newcastle-on-Tyne are about to emulate the example which has been set them by those who are responsible for the conduct of the Yorkshire College at Leeds. They desire to have a Department of Mechanical Engineering. With this end in view Professor Garnett has officially invoked the aid of Mr. Doxford, President of the Northeast Coast Institute of Engineers and Shipbuilders. In response to an invitation circular, issued by the latter gentleman, a preliminary meeting was held at Newcastle on the 18th to ascertain, as far as possible, whether such a project would meet with the

a common cause

coarse

more

ons

The book is not only useful to students, for it will afford much assistance to many who are practically engaged ; but it must be remarked that it does not in any respect add to existing knowledge. It puts into the hands of learners an excellent digest of the best existing elementary knowledge of the theory of the steam engine as found in practical application.

This was an appeal by the defendants from a judgment of Mr. Justice Butt, of the 20th May last, holding that Edison’s patent No. 4576, of the 10th of November, 1879—the date of the provisional specification—for the construction of an electric incandescent light, had been infringed by the defendants, and also that the patent could not be impeached either on the ground of anticipation or on the other grounds of objection taken by the defendants. The action was brought by the plaintiff company, who are the

of Edison’s and

the

support of the professional and manufacturing engineers of the North generally ; and also to consider what expenditure it would be necessary to incur, and how ways and means should be provided. The question was well ventilated at the meeting, but nothing could be said to have been definitely settled as several leading engineers were absent; and further time and discussion are obviously needed to develope so important a project.

LITERATURE.

Lcs Filons d'Or dc la Guyanc Francaisc. By L. Fernand Viala.

Paris: Baudry. 8vo., pp. 144.    1886.

Although the Guyanas have for several years past contributed in some quantity to the gold supply of the world, the mines developed have hitherto been mainly confined to the western, or Venezuelan side, and in a lesser degree to the French, or eastern division of the country, the intermediate English and Hutch territories of Hemerara and Surinam having as yet taken but little part in this particular industry. The author, however, states in his introduction that some quantity of alluvial gold is now being produced in Hutch Guyana, and that it is probable that the English colony will prove to be equally rich; and therefore the work before us may be considered as possessing a wider interest than if it merely appealed to those connected with the French settlements.

The work, as we gather from the text, is founded on observations made during numerous examinations of gold-bearing ground in Uruguay, Venezuela, and French Guyana, which have been summarised by the author in order that they may serve as a guide to the prospector for deep mines in the latter country. The discovery of gold in the alluvial gravels of the basin of the Approuage River was made by a Brazilian Indian in 1853; and subsequently similar discoveries were made in the valleys of the other rivers of the country, the yield of the gold-washings having, according to official estimates—which the author considers to be 25 per cent, too low—steadily increased up to about 56,000 oz. in 1875, which quantity has only been once exceeded, in 1879; and now the annual production is slowly diminishing, so that it is evident that there must be a considerable development of quartz mining if the colony is to maintain its position as a gold producer after the exhaustion of the alluvial diggings. The evidence concerning these veins is discussed in the first four chapters, the different cases observed being classified into three groups, as follows, each being regarded as typical of a particular method of formation: (1) Barren quartz veins;

(2)    veins carrying coarse gold at surface, but poor in depth;

(3)    veins with gold uniformly distributed through the veinstuff. Of these different classes of veins only the last are considered as likely to be of practical importance. They are rarely of much value near the surface, but become workable at depths from 50ft. to 100ft. Their thickness varies from about 1ft. to 4ft., and the gold is so finely diffused through the veinstuff as to be rarely recognisable, even with the aid of a pocket lens, although it may be readily detected by crushing and washing a few ounces of the stone.

The fifth chapter, which discusses the various steps to be followed in both shallow and deep prospecting upon such veins, contains much valuable matter, both descriptive and suggestive. The difficulty of correctly interpreting the obscure and often contradictory evidence of the scanty exposures of the rocks in tropical swamps and forests is prominently noticed; and this is a point of some importance that is generally overlooked in prospectors’ guides and hand-books, which seem to be constructed for more favoured localities.

The sixth chapter deals with the possibilities of profitable working; and these do not seem to be specially favourable when compared with other countries, as the capital required for a prospecting trial carried on for a twelvemonth is estimated at from £6000 to <£8000, and a further expenditure of ,£18,000 to £22,000 is considered necessary for permanent works, capable of reducing 3000 to 4000 tons of ore yearly. The working cost is estimated at £4 4s. per ton, so that no profit can be realised upon any rock containing one ounce of gold, or anything less. It is therefore probable that no very great popular demand for Guyana mines is likely to arise, unless some discovery should be made comparable with that of the Callao Mine, in Venezuela. Up to the present time there is only a single reduction works for quartz mining, with fifteen heads of stamps, in course of erection ; but it is expected that returns will be made from this towards the end of the present year. The chief obstacles in the way of economical working are the high cost of labour and the difficulties of transport, the river being only navigable for craft of any size within tidal limits—a distance of twenty to twenty-five miles from the sea, as the upper channels are interrupted by numerous rapids, and are only fit for the passage of small boats or canoes. The first difficulty may, it is thought, be surmounted by the importation of coolie labour from the east, but the second cannot be so easily remedied, as the prospects at present are not sufficient to warrant the construction of even the cheapest form of railway; but the author thinks that, in a near future, a possible solution may be found in navigable balloons.

The theoretical views expressed in the book are of a very remarkable character. The gold deposits, whether alluvial or in quartz veins, are attributed alike to —namely, the eruption of quartz and gold in a state of vapour, the nuggets of the alluvial ground and the gold of the superficially rich veins being regarded as due to condensation from a high temperature, while the uniformly auriferous quartz veins, without visible gold, may have been produced at a lower temperature, having been “erupted in a more or less pasty condition, or at least in the state of very dense vapours which were Very rapidly condensed, and subjected in consequence to a kind of compound crystallisation.” These remarkable erupti are not supposed to be of ancient date, but to have taken place since the present land-surface has been formed) M hatever value may be attached to these speculations) whether physical or geological, there can be no doubt as to their extreme originality.

A Text-book on Steam and Steam Engines: Specially Arranged

for the Use of Science and Art, City and Guilds of London

Institute, and other ‘ Engineering Students. By Andrew

Jamieson, M.S.T.E., Assoc. Inst (J.E., &c. London: Charles

Griffin and Co. 1886.

When somebody expressed a wLh that his enemy would write a book, he probably did not contemplate the writing of a good one. Professor Jamieson has written a book, but it will give no pleasure to his enemy, if he has any, for it is the best book yet published for the use of students. This may be saying a good deal, but it is the conclusion to which any reader must arrive, especially if the value of the book is measured by the degree in which the student will find in it that which he really requires, and an absence of that which is useless as inapplicable theory.

Professor Jamieson has avoided, as useless in a textbook for students, all that which does not directly concern steam and the steam engine of the present day, and he has treated his subjects in a simple and thoroughly practical manner, his explanations and descriptions being everywhere clear and concise. His method is first to give a general notion of the rise and development of the steam engine to the time when thermo-dynamics got a fair start in the practical world. This leads on to an exposition of heat, its measurement and application, and to thermodynamics as involved in the design and construction of the modern steam engines and boilers. The mechanics and dynamics of the parts of the steam engine then lead to desciiptions of modern steam engines of various kinds, and of steam engines and boilers. The whole is given as a series of lectures with a set of examination questions after each, and in some cases an appendix ; and the examination questions are of the practical useful order, and are not the inane puzzles, apropos of nothing in particular, that characterised some of the schoolmen’s books of a generation ago. Where it would not be consistent with the purpose of the book to follow a subject at length, the author has given ample references to books and journals in which the recent full developments are to be found ; and the book is the more valuable for this and for the very numerous references that are fully given.

So far we have spoken of what the book contains, or of its good qualities. We may now point to a few omissions or slips. In dealing with thermal conductivity, the author does not give those figures which a student can grip and take into the workshop and use. Conductivity and diffusivity he deals with, but he does not enable the student to learn how much heat in a given time a plate of given materials and thickness will conduct under given condition. He explains conductivity, and gives figures representing thermal conductivities, but the figures are not so given as to be directly applicable.

The “ relative conducting powers of bad conductors ” are also given, commencing with silicate cotton as 100, and wood and air space as 280; and it is only accidentally from a foot note mentioning that the wood and air space is not practically the best because of the heat firing the wood, that the reader learns that the conductivities are not represented by the figures given, but the relative non-conductivities.

In repeating Zeuner’s valve diagram, and describing it in a simple and clear way, it is not mentioned that the angular advance of the excentric must be in the opposite direction to that in which the diagram gives it, or the direction arrow changed.

The names of the inventors of various forms of boiler flue strengthening rings or joints are given, except in the only recent one, namely, that of Mr. James Paxman. In another edition the author might usefully add a page or two to his boiler chapters, so as to give his students some more definite notions as to heating surface and grate surface.

Railway Management at Stations. By E. B. Watts. London:

McCorquodale and Co. pp. 595 Mr. Watts is a Goods Manager on the Midland Great Western Railway, and having a very strong opinion of the great importance of the station work in a railway system, has made an attempt to enlighten those who would become members of a station-master’s staff. A perusal of his book will, however, show that although a man or a youth may acquire information concerning his duties, and of the lines upon which a station staff should work or be controlled so as to produce the best results, individual capacity or native ability, combined with energy, are the qualities most requisite. Mr. Watts’ book is one which will find a large number of readers; but it will be chiefly read by men who have already a good footing, and who, having energy, are determined to get higher up the ladder. The great railway systems have, no doubt, called into existence a special class of qualifications. As Mr. Watts says:—“Railway men as a class have to work harder and do more work in a limited time than the generality of other business men; therefore, he who does the most in the least time, and does that most well, is the best man and the one most likely to get on. Quantity is indispensable, and quality is really secondary, provided it comes up to a fair mean. To perform a quantity of work an agent must cultivate quick perception and ready action on the moment to do the right thing, while qualities generally go hand in hand as gifts of nature.” Much, however, may be done by a judiciously guided training and by a well-learned discipline, and on these questions Mr. Watts’ book may be consulted with advantage. The leading subjects receiving his special attention are those which come under the general heads of training ; discipline; acceptance of goods, outwards; canvassing for traffic; delivery of goods, inwards; yard work and marshalling trains; correspondence; goods claims andi legal decisions; accounts; working expenses; inspection;, departure of passengers and passenger yard work; luggage;; passenger staff; and a glossary of railway terms. As a book of reference its value is enhanced by a very full index.

LEGAL INTELLIGENCE.-

SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE—IN THE COURT OF APPEAL.

20th December, 1886.

(Before Loiids Justices Cotton, Bowen, and Fry.)

EDISON AND SWAN UNITED ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY V. WOOD-HOUSE AND BAWSON.

registered owners, among other patents, of some Swan’s, and also of Gimingham’s patent, for the purpose of restraining an alleged infringement by the defendants, in the manufacture of incandescent lamps, of the three patents—(1) Edison’s, of the 10th of November, 1879, No. 4576; (2) Swan’s, of the 2nd of January, 1880, No. IS; and (3) Gimingham’s, of the 29th of September, 1881, No. 4193. As Mr. Justice Butt has held that there was no infringement of Swan’s and Gimingham’s patents, the present appeal relates to Edison’s patent alone. The claim of Mr. Edison may be described in general terms as being for the heating to whiteness of a filament of carbon inside a lamp or globe of glass in an almost perfect vacuum, the carbon filament being fixed into the ends of platinum wire, which is passed through the glass hermetically sealed up, and one of the great features of the invention is the mode in which the filament of carbon is produced by carbonising a filament of very small sectional area, instead of, as had been before attempted, paring down a carbon stick to the smallest possible size in order to form the filament. In other words, it is a patent for a combination of any carbon filament, such as is fairly within the description contained in the body of the specification reasonably interpreted; a receiver made entirely of glass into which the leading wires pass; and the complete exhaustion of air from the receiver so as to produce a vacuum. Passing to the claim as contained in the specification, Mr. Edison, after stating various disadvantages from previous attempts to increase the resistance of the carbon rods, proceeded:—“ I have reversed this practice; I have discovered that even a cotton thread properly carbonised and placed in a sealed glass bulb exhausted to one-millionth of an atmosphere offers from 100 to 500 ohms resistance to the passage of the current, and that it is absolutely stable at very high temperatures; but if the thread be coiled as a spiral anil carbonised, or if any fibrous vegetable substance which will leave a carbon residue after heating within a closed chamber be so coiled, that as much as 2000 ohms resistance may be obtained without presenting a radiating surface greater than three-sixteenths of an inch.” After describing carbon filaments made of tar and lampblack kneaded and drawn out into threads, wound into spirals and carbonised, and suggesting the introduction of volatile powders into this filament to increase its resistance, and then describing a method of uniting a filament to platinum wires by moulding plaster lampblack and tar round the joints and afterwards carbonising them, and that he had carbonised and used cotton and linen thread, wood splints, paper coiled in various ways, also lampblack, plumbago, and carbon in various forms, mixed with tar and kneaded so that the same may be rolled out into wires of various lengths and diameters, each wire, however, being uniform in size throughout, Mr. Edison proceed to-claim :—“(1) An electric lamp for giving light by incandescence, consisting of a filament of carbon of high resistance made as described, and secured' to metallic wires as set forth; (2) the combination of a carbon filament within a receiver made entirely of glass, through which the leading wires pass, and from which receiver the air is exhausted for the purposes set forth; (3) a coiled carbon filament or strip arranged in such a manner that only a portion of the surface of such carbon conductor shall radiate light as set forth; (4) the method herein described of securing the platina contact wires to the cotton filament and carbonising of the whole in a closed chamber substantially as set forth.” The decision of Mr. Justice Butt related to the second claim; in fact, the other three claims have been practically superseded. The defendants’ case rested mainly on anticipations; in the particulars of objection no less than seventy-five specifications and other documents and matters were enumerated as instances of prior publication. A very early anticipation was set up in a patent taken out as long ago as 1845 by one King for an incandescent or glow lamp by means of an illuminator heated to whiteness in a vacuum. The vacuum King attempted to make U3e of was the best known at the time—the Torricellian. That has been replaced in modem lamps by the more complete vacuum obtained by the Sprengel pump, invented in 1875, and which, it is admitted, is the great invention which has rendered electric lighting possible, combined, no doubt, with other new means of getting lid of the difficulties which developed as the study of electric lighting was pursued—such, for instance, as the process including occluded gases, part of the subject of Chesebrough’s patent, the validity of which is in dispute in an action between the same parties, which is to be heard on appeal immediately after this action. By that process the internal blacking of the glass and other defects have been avoided. Perhaps the anticipations most relied on were the exhibition of specimens of the Swan lamp—then thought a marvel— at Newcastle in 1878 and 1879. In that lamp the illuminator is a thin carbon rod going through the lamp from top to bottom, of sectional area small actually, but large compared to Edison’s filament. Other important matters relied on as anticipations were two of the “ Lane-Fox ” patents, in which the light was intended to be produced by rendering incandescent either platinum wire, fine compared with the leading wires, or asbestos carbonised in the sense of being coated with carbon in some such form as lampblack. A vital question in the action is, what is the meaning to be attached in the claim to the term “carbon filament,” whether it is to be general, or whether it is to be confined by the context to any and what extent ? Mr. Justice Butt held that the filaments claimed, in combination with an exhausted glass receiver with the leading wires sealed in, were confined to carbon filaments having the qualities of flexibility,” “resiliency,” and “a high degree of resistance ” from their small sectional area ; while, on behalf of Messrs. Woodhouse and Rawson, the appellants, it was contended that even upon that reading of the second claim the patent was bad for want of novelty.

Sir Horace Davey, Q.C., Mr. Macrory and Mr. H. G. Rawson appeared for the defendants, in support of the appeal; Attorney-General (Sir R. E. Webster, Q.C.), Mr. Aston, Q.C., Mr. J. Fletcher Moulton, Q C., and Mr. P. E. Dove appeared for the respondents, the plaintiff company.

Sir Horace Davey concluded his reply at about the middle of the day.

Their Lordships reserved judgment.

Lord Justice Cotton asked whether in the other appeal relating to the Chesebrough patent it was very important that the same judges should constitute the Court, and was informed that it was not.

raj

RAILWAY SIGNALS AT THE LIVERPOOL EXHIBITION.

Ol IK’

ii

mm

LEVEL

CROSSING

-----BE

MAIN UP LINE

ji

=ED=[jljU

S3

•<--

■JiSFSS

MAIN DOWN LINE

Fig. 3

1 CROSS SECTION I LOCKING APPARATUS

:'y'v

it

%oi

'to

LT>

jl

i!

i!

ik

l_T

PLAN

_____

rC)

-/i

IZ3<rS

10

PLAN OFLEVE CHAN

IBM!

RS AND

IA]

EV EL

FLOOR OF CABIN , ³/i

---

Fig. 2

■Mb

MS

ELEVATION

la

|-i i-i ~ i-l~

Bn

lali

’ttim

10

20

30

SCALE OF FEET

BRACKET SICNAL

F:g. 4

-e--l a"

g' n-

CJ

-9    5--

lM

----=a-

1 '1/

■W

|j|

I!

ill

pte?Mi 1

"ww®!! I

IK

fef

NlMpillfc#

_i.__

GROUND Ullllllil LEVEL

RAILWAY SIGNALS.

The Railway Signal Company, Fazakerley,

Liverpool, had at Liverpool a very interesting exhibit showing a full size interlocking apparatus for working points and signals, consisting of twenty levers. The locking of it is arranged for an ordinary double line junction, a siding leading on to the main line, and a cross-over road.

The locking is effected by what is known as tappet locking, which is very simple, durable, and inexpensive. See Figs. 1 and 2.

To several of the levers in this locking frame are connected full size signals and a pair of switches, together with a facing point lock and facing point lock detectors.

The company also showed a set of levelcrossing gates for public roads crossing railways, full size, as manufactured by them; but as it was impossible to show these working, by reason of the space being insufficient, a very interesting model of these gates was exhibited, showing two lines of railway, with a level crossing, and the necessary signals, the gates and signals being worked from the small model-locking frame, tie interlocking between the gates and the signals being illustrated by the model to show that when the signals are lowered for a train to travel in either direction over the crossing, the machinery working the gates is locked so that they cannot be opened. On the other hand, before the gates can be opened to admit the passage of a carriage across the railway the signals in both directions must be locked at danger, to stop any train that may approach the crossing while the gates are open for the use of the public road. This gear is shown by Fig. 3. Full-size signals of the ordinary pattern, manufactured by the Railway Signal Company, were also shown with balanced arms, that is, the semaphore arms are balanced by the casting which carries the spectacle glass, so that in the event of any portion of the fittings becoming dis-

f|----5/b-—

Mm

DETAILS OF

LOCKING

'/gFULL SiZE

Fig.

imi

SLIDE BAR

mb

ill

or

arm

danger or “ stop ” position until the defect is made good, as An iron lattice

shown

is also shown

of the description commonly used in India and South America, where it is necessary to use iron as far as possible, in consequence of the climate, as shown by Fig. 6.

A new and very interesting apparatus was shown in working order, which is known by the name of a train protection bar, the patentees of which are Messrs. Park and Pryce, of the North London Railway, and of which the Railway Signal Company is sole licensee and maker. The apparatus is designed principally, as will be seen from Figs. 7 to 10, to prevent the signal being lowered for a second train to enter into the station on any line which is already occupied by a standing train. Diagrams of various applications of this patent train protection bar were shown, and it is capable of being made a source of safety in many situations, and will be useful in preventing accidents similar to one which happened recently at Finsbury Park Station on the Great Northern Railway, at which station these protection bars have since been fixed. Working with the signals connected to the locking frame—shown full size—is this very simple form of facing point detector which is being very largely used, the object of which is to prevent a signal being lowered for a train to pass over the facing points unless they are in the true position for the train to take the proper road. Facing point detectors have become a recent requirement of the Board of Trade in consequence of several accidents having happened through the rod work which actuates the facing points having broken, and the facing points themselves not having responded to the movement of the levers in the signal cabin. The arrangement shown is very simple, and appears to answer every purpose for which it is intended. See Fig. 11. A very nicely-finished model is also exhibited showing a facing point lock to work by the same lever which works the facing points, thus saving the cost of a separate lever and connections for working the

STEWART’S “RAPID” COPPER ORE CUPOLA.

MESSRS. THWAITES BROS., BRADFORD, ENGINEERS.

ON STRUTS.¹

By Professors W. E. Ayrton, F.R.S., and JOHN Perry, F.R.S. (Continued from page 465.)

The conclusion at which we have arrived is, then, that any want of axiality in placing the load, or want of straightness in the unloaded strut, or want of homogeneity in the material, may be allowed for by a term c such that it may be taken as the initial deflection of a homogeneous carefully loaded strut, and then,

Vi =

ill

i _ ⁴ P W

eTV²

or, writing 0 (as in 6) f >r

it² E Ic-

4 l-

and w for

VS

(H),

II ¹ <

9.0

Ui =

• • (15),

§

it

HI

ESCAPE PIPE

-x-

1-"

fi

It is important to test the truth of this law, and Hodgkinson’s results, which have been published for a great length of time, are such as enable us to do so. We are not aware that Hodgkin -son himself, or any other person, has made use of the careful measurements made by him of the deflections of the struts he tested. If 8 is the measured deflection of the strut, that is, the increase in y from its initial value c, then V\ “ c

• tr

23.6-

I

I lil

llllfllfl

O'E

ii! in iim ii irniPii

WATER OUTLET

-TOTAL HE C HT

* c 10

0 — —---

P - W

Taking the results published by Hodgkinson iu 1840 for a

strut of Dantzic oak, we find that I and ^ when plotted as the

8 w

co-ordinates of points on squared paper, give points lying so nearly in a straight line that they not only illustrate the truth of our theory, but also show the great carefulness with which the measurements must have been made. The results are given in Table III. Drawing the straight line which lies most evenly among the points, we find 0 = 5000, c = 0’6667in., so that E = 1-82 x 10s.

or,

(16)

WATER-

1.]

so

cu

observed.

Table III.

w.

calculated.

³WATER stop cock

lit

WATER INLET §

,bz~r

ik

11!

III ill!

MAIN SHUT UFF VALVE

11 ill I 1 11

CJ L

oc -

|p)

-9.0

SHUT OFF VALVE- jj

lil

b :l

(J

Ul

CO to I—1    1 H-¹ H-¹ O O

fcOCOO-4CHi— OOC5

349

523

742

888

1034

1181

1337

1484

*05

•078

•116

•144

*173

•206

•243

•2S1

IFETTLING HOLE AND TAPPINC HOLE

MUDHOLE

TAPPING 5POUT

■i

WATER STOP COCK

6.3-

DRAIN COCK

c A

4 Iff!

•3*

OP.BOTTOM

~U3

-cvi

HANDLE

-— 2.6-—

FLOO R

UJ

Ld

r-

--

r~]

ms

(gig

fli

X~!

r:

>33

- A3

1

-A

It would, of course, be absurd to depend on the accuracy of calculations of E from such measurements, however well they may illustrate the theory. We would advise that in all such cases E be measured by loading the strut as a beam and calculating from its observed deflection, before proceeding to experiment on it as a strut. If, however, we take these values of E, and 0,, and c, and calculate 5 by (16) for the various values of w given in the table, we obtain the numbers given in the third column of the' table. We feel surprised at the accuracy of the rule for loads, nearly equal to the breaking load, having expected to find discrepancies for strains beyond the limit of permanent set.

Such good agreement with the theory is not to be expected when the deflections are small, and therefore difficult to measure' accurately. Thus, taking the results given by Mr. Hodgkin-sou. in his 1840 paper on a cylindric wrought iron strut 30Rn. long, l'Oloin. diameter, if we assume E = 29 X 10s, we find 0 A — 65,120, and taking c = 0T845, we find 5 as given in. the table.

ililj

Table IY.

5.

iv.

Calculated

SECTION

ELEVATION

facing point lock which is generally used. This facing point lock is invented and patented by Mr. George Edwards, who is the managing director of the Railway Signal Company, and who was formerly for many years signal superintendent to the London and North-Western Railway Company.

This company also showed various forms of siding signals, signal lamps, cranks, point rod, and all the multifarious materials which are used generally in carrying out signal work on railways.

STEWART’S PATENT “RAPID” COPPER ORE SMELTERS, WITH WATER JACKET.

provided with two brass stop cocks, and, by a special arrangement, is thoroughly circulated round the tuyeres, and preventing any scale from forming in the inner surface of the steel plates from the action of the mineralised water, and reducing the temperature to such an extent as to prevent over-heating, circulating through the water casing the water flows away through an outlet pipe E. An escape pipe F is also provided to ensure safe working. A draw cock G is provided for the purpose of emptying the jacket when not in use, and there are also four mud holes through which to take the sediment that may have been deposited from the water. The upper portion of

After

o    o    o    o    o

05    Ci    ox    t-O    ►-*

2,237

4,537

8,121

12,181

13,525

14,869

•006

•014

•026

•042

•048

•055

In The Engineer of the 29th of August, 1884, we gave illustrations and description of Stewart’s “ Rapid ” cupola for foundry use. We now give illustrations representing one of two 30-ton “ Rapid ” copper ore smelting furnaces, with water jacket, also made by Messrs. Thwaites Bros., Bradford. The outside plates of the furnace are made of boiler iron, and the inside part of the furnace is made of mild steel plates, flanged at the ends and rivetted together with cup-head rivets. Between each joint a ring of boiler iron is inserted, for the purpose of making a thoroughly water-tight joint. To the shell is attached an annular air belt, on one side of which is bolted a cast iron shut-off valve A, to which the pipes conveying the blast from the blower connected.

Within the water casing, and communicating with the air belt, is a row of six tuyeres, made of cast iron. Each tuyere is furnished with a shut-off valve B ; consequently the blast can be shut off from any one tuyere without interfering with the others. Opposite each tuyere there is a sliding door, fitted with a blue-tinted glass peep hole, and in front of each glass is a mica disc.

rr-\ j ____

IS

;r

are

Upon the air belt is a blast gauge C, to indicate the pressure of the blast inside the air belt. The cupola stands on a cast iron base plate supported on four cast iron columns. The base plate is fitted with a wrought iron hinged drop-bottom door in two parts opening from the centre; each half of the drop-bottom is connected to a shaft on which is fixed wrought iron hand levers. A strong wrought iron bar is shot across the door, securely fastening it in position. A fettling door, slag spout, and tapping spout are also provided as shown.

1 he water Hows into the water jacket by an inlet pipe D

iTj

AK

TO

Here there is apparently not quite such good agreement as before, but in reality there is exceedingly good agreement, sidering how small the values of 8 are. With a different value of E, we could have obtained much better agreement; but have taken the value usually given for good wrought iron bars;. what it really was in Hodgkinson’s bars we do not know. Whatever E may be, however, we find that I and — when plotted¹.

the co-ordinates of points on squared paper, give points which' lie very nearly in a straight line, so that our theory is supported¹-even iu this case, where the deflections are too small to be= measured with much accuracy.

As the test of the theory is rather important, we may be' allowed to give another example. Here is one of Mr. Clark’s, results for a wrought iron bar strut 120in. long, 3'01in. x 0⁻77in. rectangular section. Taking E = 29 x 10⁶, 0 A ■= 9103,, c = 0-056.

con-

we

as

Observed

8.

Table V.

w.

Calculated

8.

SECTIONAL PLANTHRO A.B.

the cupola is made of plate iron with butt joints covered with straps and rings rivetted together. The rivet heads inside are flattened to allow the brick lining to fit close to the shell. There are several rings of angle iron inside the shell in the length of the chimney to support the brick lining. A charging door, opening in halves from the centre, is fixed to the chimney and lined with firebrick.

We are informed that Messrs. Thwaites Bros, have supplied these “ Rapid ” cupolas to smelt silver, lead, copper, and monosulphide ores, and that in all cases with satisfactory reports of their economical working. There is no doubt a wide field in the colonies and abroad for these smelters.

•02

•052

•10

•15

•31

Broke.

2670

4238

5806

6590

7374

7800

•021

•049

■098

•147

•240

The agreement is here also very striking ; it is not expected!

¹ Notes prepared for the lectures delivered by one of the authors to-second year Mechanical Engineering Students at the Finsbury Technical College on April 16th and 20th, May 6th, and June 24th, 1886.

to extend to the cases where loads are nearly equal to the breaking load?.

We have now shown, by three examples, that the measurements made by Hodgkinson, which have hitherto never been made use of in any way satisfy the law (14), and we might greatly extend this part of our paper, giving our own experimental results. So that we feel justified in using our theory in considering the strength of struts. The bending moment at the middle section is Wy₁₍ and hence

OB+—........

I    A

is the greatest compressive stress in the section, as

I-^.OC.......

A I

(17)

(18)

is the least compressive stress in the section, which may when negative be called a tensile stress. O B is the greatest distance of any point from the neutral line through the centre of gravity of the .section on the compression side, and O C on the tension side.

If / and / are the greatest compressive and tensile

Ct

stresses to which the material may be subjected, the strength of the strut is given by

/> or

(19)

and the calculated values of m are given; cl stands for length of in the results of calculation, and in the absence of an exact strut divided by least breadth, and as    knowledge of E and /, let us assume that e - 29 x lO⁶,

OB    f — 50,000, and that

C ~W

if s is the least breadth of section, 0 B being \ s and k2 being — we have

c = or 43 the same) ™

. • (26)

12

~ 80 - -

A being the length of strut with fixed ends, divided by the least breadth of its rectangular cross section.

Table YIII.

We have entered s from Mr. Berkley’s table in Table YI. to assist the reader, and c is given in the last column. It is obvi- j ous that these values of c are quite possible. Now although the values of E and / chosen by us are probably wrong, it might have been expected that c would possibly depend on the length of the strut or upon A. That is, we might have expected to find in the long struts greater discrepancies from perfect accuracy of manufacture and loading than in the short struts. Some tendency of this kind is visible.

We will now for a given strut consider what is the effect of different amounts of inaccuracy in the preparation and test of the strut. Take a bar of wrought iron lin. square.

E = 29 x 10⁶, / — 5 x 10⁴. Take such a length that / = P

that is

A.

P-

Values of w.

m = "00025 A.jm = ‘0025 A.!m = ’0125 \.

m = ‘025 A.

16

28

40

56

-1/

80

/ > or =

t

w!f 0 C - n

I    A

. . (20)

Here m —

4/

= 3792. lc

If a strut breaks by compression, using to for

as the load

per square inch of cross section, and since I = A Ic², we have instead of (19)

■f = w O B + to

If²

or, using (15)

Ir

1 - tv

(21)

or writing m for c

Jo²

we have

in

tv

(22)

i - m p

in being a term expressing the combination of initial curvature, inaccuracy in application of the load, and want of homogeneity of material.

The value of w is therefore the smaller of the two roots of the quadratic equation

tv² - (/8 in + / + P) w + P f — o .

• • (23)

or

2 to = (P m +f + P) - V(Pm + f + Pf -4Pf .    (24)

As m is taken smaller and smaller without limit, the value of to approaches more and more nearly the ordinate of the broken line G J C, Fig. 5.²

In very long struts it is quite evident from this that, if the strut is a perfect prism, there is no load less than the ultimate load (6), which will produce a permanent set. Calling the load of a structure, which produces a permanent set, the “ elastic-limit load,” then for long perfect struts the elastic-limit load is equal to the ultimate load. The elastic-limit load may be less than the ultimate load if the strut is not a perfect prism. For very short struts the elastic-limit load is about half the ultimate load. Hence the relation of elastic limit to ultimate load is not fixed in struts as in other structures, but depends on the length of the strut. Thus, it has often been observed that a long strut loaded nearly to the breaking point and then unloaded, is quite uninjured, and is without permanent set.

By means of formula (24), if / and E are known, we can determine from the result of an experiment—strictly speaking, only elastic-limit loads, and elastic-limit values of / and not breaking loads, ought to be considered—what was the value of c ' in the specimen. To illustrate the method of calculation, we may take the observations of Mr. Edwin Clark on rectangular struts, given in Table I., although it is obvious that these can merely illustrate our method, since we do not know the values of E and / in his specimens. We take E = 29 x 10⁶ and f = 5 x 10⁴, and we calculate m from (22) as

(S-OO-S)

= in

. . (25)

We have re-arranged the numbers of Table I. in Table VI., Table VI.

L.

A.

w.

m.

s.

C.

7’5

7-3

15

14-6

30

£9-3

£0

30-0

30

£9-0

60

58-6

90

59-0

60

60-0

60

60-0

30

60’0

60

7S-0

120

80-0

90

88-0

90

90-0

90

90-0

60

118-0

60

119-28

120

120-0

120

156-60

90

179-00

48,682

34,554

25,327

29,655

27,767

17,268

19,987

18,067

17,698

16,853

12,969

10,165

9,753

9,912

9.280 5,604 5,653

4.280 3,379 2,410

•027

•413

•752

•494

•446

•725

•413

•571

•614

•724

•467

1-247

0-860

0-640

0-931

1-443

1-233

3-784

1-813

3-762

1-023

1-023

1-023

0-996

0-763

1-024

1-630

0-995

0-996

0-503

0-767

1-510

1-024

0-996

0-995

0-507

0-507

0-995

0-766

0-502

•0046

•0704

•1282

•0820

•0567

•1237

•1054

•0046

•1019

•0606

•0597

•3140

•1467

•1062

•1543

•1219

•1042

•6275

•2315

•3147

120

238-56

816

30-95

0-503

2-5940

L means the total length of the strut.

- If a strut breaks by tensile stress, using f instead of ft in (20) and proceeding as above, we find, instead of (23) and (24), the equations

W² + (P m + / - P)w - Pf — o 2w = (Pm+f - P) - V (/3 m + / - Pf + 4 P f

47.641

45,795

40,826

33,700

26,375

18,225

10,800

5,421

3,215

5,903,000 1,490,750 372,687 121,694 59,630 30,423 14,907 6,6 6 3,727

49,915

49,900

49,772

49,415

47,030

29,794

14,783

6,595

49,498

4S,992

47,800

45,015

38.850

25,860

13,773

6,337

3,611

45,425

41,470 34,693 26,452 19,972 13,947 8,160 4,60S 2,832

3 715

or 6 c, so that by (24)

+ 2 - \/ m (m + 4) ^

3 c + 1 ~ V 3 c (3 c + 2)

These values being used in (24), w can be calculated for any value of A. The values so calculated are given in the fifth column of Table VIII., and they are plotted in the curve G H I, Fig. 5. It will be seen from the curve that in spite of our want of exact knowledge of E and /, and the roughness of the assumption (26), the theory is supported by a wonderful agreement with the experimental numbers—an agreement which is much closer than between any such empirical formula as (8) and the experimental numbers. We have not been concerned with finding the values of / and E, which would give the most close agreement, but we merely took the average values given in the text-books. It is to be remarked that, in making comparisons, great weight ought to be given to the fact that for moderately short struts, w does really approach the value /, the ultimate compressive stress per square inch of the material.

In Fig. (5) the curve A B C is that given by the empirical formula (8). D E F is given on our theory, assuming that in = 0-4143 + 0 001113 V.

It would be quite easy, knowing E and /, to find such a law for m that the curve would lie just below the lowest plotted from this table we see that the perfect prism would break points showing experimental results, and assuming no greater with a load of 50,0001b., and an inaccuracy of ifnnrin. reduces errors in practice, the strength of actual struts would be repre-the strength by 3/26 lb. Whereas, if there is already an inac- sented by points lying between such a curve and the broken curacy of O'OSin., so that the strength is 29,1001b., a further line G J C.

inaccuracy of x/ooin. merely reduces the strength by 1501b.    In conclusion, we give in Fig. 7 some curves which exhibit

We here have an explanation of the curious fact mentioned the effect of in, the error due to preparation or fixing of the by Hodgkinson, that a small eccentricity in his hollow cast iron specimen.

struts had. very little effect on their strength. Inaccuracies The broken curve G I C shows the strength when m = 0, already exist in the most perfect looking prisms, and these pro- ¹ perfect struts— duce great reductions in strength, further inaccuracies producing only small reductions in strength. It is obvious that in practice w = 50,000 lb. cannot be expected to hold in such a case as we have just given, and such errors as c =

0 06 to 0T0, either in construction, constitution, or fixing of the strut, are quite possible.

It is very curious that although the values of tv, obtained by careful experiment, show inconsistency according to the older theory, considering how carefully the experiments were conducted ; yet, on the whole, if we plot

tv — 25000

or

w and

~k

tv — 50000

Table YII.

c.

w.

•000

■001

■050

•051

•100

•101

as co-ordinates of

50000

46274

29100

28950

23467

23375

j 5 0,0 00

4-0/100v

50,0 00-

___in

20,000 °-'w

2 £

“ <

10.000

3°"

\H

points on squared paper—see Fig. 5—we see that although the points do not lie above and below such a broken line

as G J C, none of the points----—

lie much outside a certain 0 regular curve, very different, however, from G J C, which may be drawn.

It is this fact which has hitherto been regarded as destructive of the theory given in (2), (3), and (4). This is partly explained by the fact that in tabulating Clark’s results—see Mr. Berkley’s list, “ Proceedings,” I.C.E., vol. 30, and the treatment of the subject by Mr. Stoney—a number of results are usually excluded as being too inconsistent with each other and the rest. In reality, all the results seem to be inconsistent with each other on any theory which leaves c out of account; but, on the other hand, even the rejected ones are perfectly consistent with one another and with the rest, if c is taken into account.

Having found f and E for a material, experiments made on struts of various lengths and shapes of cross section can only determine for us the most probable values of c in struts in actual use, and this is the most important fact to be borne in mind in making experiments. We have excluded from consideration for the present the much more complicated case of struts, other than bars or plates, parts of whose cross section are very thin in comparison with their unsupported breadths, such as very thin tubes. The case of braced struts is not by any means so difficult as that of thin tubes. The value of / ought to be obtained by testing a long strut which is prevented from bending, but not from mere lateral swelling. E ought to be measured by loading the strut as a beam supported at the ends. All experimenting on the strut as a strut free to bend, ought to be directed to the determination of the most probable value of c when the strut is actually employed. No exact rule can .be given for the strength of a strut unless c is specified. Returning to Table VII., we have already pointed out that the values of c there given cannot be well depended upon, as E and f are only assumed values for the wrought iron employed. There is, however, an apparent dependence of c on the length of the strut which might possibly be expressed by c = a + b V²,

l being the quarter-length of the strut, and a and b constants. This would mean that the initial curvature of all the struts was the same, and that, in placing them in the testing machine, there was aconstant error for all, whatever their length. For the purpose of showing, however, that even considerable differences from the values of c given in Table VII. may make but little alteration

H G.7.

20    30    40    50    60    70 SO SO 100    110    120    130    140    150    160    170

RATIO 0F L.TNCTH TO LEAST BREADTH

G B C shows m — ‘001 l or ’00025 A, nearly perfect struts B.

G F C shows m = *01 l or '0025 A, errors in manufacture and

loading ten times as great as in B.

G H I shows m = ‘05 l or ’0125 A errors in manufacture and

loading, fifty times as great as in B.

GKL shows m =    ⁻1 l or ’025 A errors in manufacture and

loading one hundred times as great as in B.

The calculation of to is of course performed by means of formula (24). The numbers from which the curves were plotted are given in Table VIII. A is the ratio of the whole length of strut to its least thickness if the strut is of rectangular section,

or A is 1-1546 — for a strut of any section, l being the quarter l■

length of a strut with fixed ends (O B, Fig. 1 or 2) and Ic being the radius of gyration of the cross section. It is left as an exercise for students to draw curves for m constant.

We have now shown that when' experiments are made on struts the values of E and / for the material ought to be specially determined, and we have suggested how this may best be done. From the experiments by means of (22) the values of m, and therefore of c, which are most likely to exist in struts in practice, may be calculated. That is. experiment will tell what inaccuracy of manufacture or loading may be expected in such struts. For the strength of a strut in any practical case, knowing c or m, the inaccuracy likely to exist (24), enables the strength to be calculated.

Since the first part of this article on “ Struts ” recently appeared, Professor R. H. Smith, of Birmingham, has told me that nearly ten years ago he showed me, in Japan, the manuscript of a paper on “ Struts,” which he subsequently published in the “ Proceedings ” of the Edinburgh and Leith Society—and copy of which he has been good enough to promise to send me—and that his method of treating struts is based on taking the inexactness of centreing the load into account. Although

About

om

Earl

are

over.

common

on

in the present paper by Professor Ayrton and myself, three kinds of inaccuracy are introduced, yet it is obvious that Professor Smith’s method would naturally lead any person conversant with the subject to our method of treating the question, and to our conclusions. I therefore think it my duty, before the receipt of Professor Smith’s paper, which I am not conscious of ever having seen in print or in manuscript, to say that I have no doubt whatever of Professor Smith’s having shown me the paper. Indeed, I have so high an opinion of his accuracy, and of the goodness of his memory, while I have so poor an opinion of my own memory, that, although I have absolutely no recollection of his ever talking with me on the subject, I believe that he must be right.

To partially excuse my utter want of recollection of this matter, I may state that I certainly could not have understood what Professor Smith told me ten years ago, for I was then quite ignorant of Euler’s theory of struts, and I could no more have understood our present paper without a knowledge of Euler s theory than a child ignorant of the three It’s could understand the differential calculus. Now I haye examined a complete copy of notes of my lectures taken shortly after the time referred to by one of my Japanese students, and, although there is much on struts in those notes, there is not the slightest hint of Euler’s theory, much less of any extension of this theory such as Professor Smith refers to. Whether what I now call Euler’s theory is really Euler’s, I am not sure, two years ago I worked out a theory which I fondly imagined to be my own, but when I found that my expressions for the strengths of struts were said to be Eular’s in a certain textbook, I came to the conclusion that I had rediscovered Euler’s theory; and this theory that I worked out independently is given at the beginning of our present paper, and called by us Euler’s. But this way of putting the subject was not known to me until two years ago, and its extension, which forms the subject of our present paper, was new to me when developed for my lectures this year.    John Perry.

December 18th, 1886.

CARLISLE WATERWORKS.

Some new filter beds for the Corporation of Carlisle have been comoleted by Messrs, lb H. and H. Hodgson, of Workington, at a cost of about £8700, and form part of the works of supply fr the river Eden. The extensions have been made under Mr. J. Henworth, C.E., and include a subsiding reservoir, having an area of 5353 superficial yards, and a sand filter with an area of 2401 superficial yards—the total area being about twice that of the old filter. The whole of the walls are of cement concrete, and the foundations are laid upon the rock for a considerable length, the remaining length being laid upon the gravel. The walls of the subsiding reservoir, which occupies the north end of the site, are 4ft. in thickness at the bottom, and 2ft. fiin. at the top. The bottom of the bed is covered with Lazonby flags, having a fall from all sides towards the centre, where is fixed a 12in. diameter pipe, by which all the water and sediment that may have deposited on the Jl.arrs may be drawn off from the reservoir when it is required to be cleaned. The water is admitted from the river into the reservoir by a 24in. valve placed in a culvert at the north end of the reservoir. The outlets from the reservoir to the sand filter are four in number, 12in. diameter each, with valves attached, and are fixed at a height of about 2ft. above the level of the flags. The water In the new reservoir will have ample time to settle before passing through to the sand filter. The walls of the sand filter 4ft. fiin. thick at the bottom, and 2ft. fiin. at the top. The filtcrincr material consists of six layers through which the water has to percolate. The first or bottom layer, which is bedded round and over the tunnels for conducting the water into the service reservoir, consists of a layer, 15in. in depth, of washed stones, from din. to Sin. diameter; the second layer, 12in. in depth, of a bed of stones Sin. diameter; third, a bed of stones lin. diameter, laid Sin. deep; fourth, a bed of stone Rn. diameter,laid 3in. deep; fifth, a layer of pebbles not more than Rn. diameter, laid Sin. deep; and sixth, a layer of fine sand, 2ft. fiin. deep. The water, after passing through the filtering media, is conducted into the old service reservoir. A new duplicate pumping main, 14in. diameter, has recently been laid from the pumping station to Botchergate. The capacity of the new subsiding reservoir and of the filter is equal respectively to 298,000 and 131,000 gals, per foot in depth, or 1330 and 580 tons. The daily consumption of wuter last year was 930,700 gals., or equal to 4150 tons; and the total quantity of water supplied last year was 339,729,000 gals., or 1,516,600 tons. The supply of that quantity of water involves the filtration of a million gallons daily, and as these extensions will filter a million and a half gallons daily, the wants of Carlisle have been provided for for some years to come. The filter now completed is the third that has been constructed. Three filters in all have been constructed, and are now in existence at these works. The first, constructed in 1847, consists of perforated culverts and tiles laid under the bed of the river; and the water filtering through the superincumbent sand and gravel is conveyed from these culverts in pipes to the pumping station? The engineer for this work was Mr. J. Simpson. The second filter was that constructed by the Corporation in 1868, the engineer being Mr. John Melrose; and the third, constructed in 1886, and described above, the engineer being Mr. J. Hepworth.

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

(From our own Correspondent.)

.During the past year the position of ironmasters for the first eight or nine months was anything but satisfactory. About September,- however, resulting from the effect upon this market of the curtailment of output in the North of England, a revival commenced which gives hope of further improvement in the newyear. Marked bars have seen a reduction of 10s. per ton, the change occurring in April, when the Chairman of the Staffordshire Iron Trade announced a drop of 10s. per ton, bringing the standard down to £7 compared with the £7 10s. which had existed since the early part of 1883'. In reality, however, before the official reduction £7 had for a considerable time been the quotation which had regulated the sales of numbers of the best bar houses. Dudley’s bars became £7 12s. fid., at which they still stand.

Common bars have lost 5s. on the year, the £5 to £5 10s. quotations for this class of iron in January being now £4 15s. to £5—a figure which, indeed, has ruled since about March. Hoops have lost about 2s. fid. to 5s. per ton, the quotations at the opening of the year having been for common £5 5s. to £5 7s. 6d.

More interest has, on account of its importance, centred in the galvanising and merchant black sheet trade. From April to August numbers of sheet mills were put to stand on account of the low prices, and stoppages have since also been occasioned, until now it is calculated that some twenty-six mills are idle. The year opened with sheets, singles, for merchants’ purposes, £6 5s. upwards; doubles for galvanising,-£6 10s. to £6 12s. 6d.; and trebles, £7 10s. to £7 12s. 6d. The year closes with practically the same prices, the last few months having shown some recovery from rates which had fallen at least 10s. a ton in the previous seven months.

The marked improvement which now characterises the galvanised sheet industry set in about the middle of the year. Spelter rose

in price, and the galvanisers declared a 53. advance. This 5s. was increased to 15s. at the October quarterly meetings, and during the last two months a few of the best firms have put on another 10s. nominally.

The steel trade has made progress during the year alike in the matter of native manufacture and in the quantities of steel bought from other districts.

The course of pig iron until within the last four months has been unsatisfactory. Since the Cleveland restriction policy began prices here have improved. Yet the year closes with Northampton, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire pigs from Is. fid. to 2s. per ton under the prices of January, native part mine and cinder pigs down by 4s. to 5s., and all-mine pigs 2s. fid. to 5s. easier. In January last Northampton pigs were quoted an average of 38s. delivered, and Derbyshires an average of 49s., running up to 50s.; Lincolnshires were 41s. to 42s.; all-mine native pigs were 55s. to 60s. for hot-blast sorts, and common pigs were 32s. fid. to 35s. for forge sorts.

Ironworkers’ wages in the mills and forges and at the blast furnaces have suffered an all-round 5 per cent, reduction, the change being officially made in January last.

The week which has elapsed since last report has, in the finished iron trade, been a time more of getting out as much work as possible prior to the holidays, than of booking much new business of importance. Still orders from merchants, and to a smaller extent likewise from actual home consumers, have come to hand, and will assist to provide employment for the hands after the holidays

One of the best features at date is tne lessened disposition which buyers show to beat down prices, and more money will have to be given next year than now.

Consumers of sheets are therefore desirous of placing orders ahead wherever possible. In manifesting this disposition they are wise, since the probabilities are wholly in the direction of dearer quotations. Makers, however, continue chary of accepting anything like all the business offered them, and on the Wolverhampton and Birmingham Exchange this week they manifested a fairly independent spirit. Singles were a minimum of £5 15s. to £6; doubles, £6 10s.; and trebles, £7 10s.

Events of the last few days here all pointing to the probability of a continued limitation in black sheet production during the first quarter of the new year occasion satisfaction, since lessened competition must mean better profits. Mr. E. Bayley, of the.Crown Ironworks, Tipton, is the black sheet firm who has determined to take up galvanising also forthwith.

Manufactured ironmasters, other than those engaged on sheets, spoke on ’Change this week of the great difficulty which they experience in getting any rise in prices, notwithstanding the higher prices which they are compelled to pay for pigs. This is the least satisfactory feature of current business, and unless an alteration can be effected in this direction, it is not easy to see how manufactured ironmasters can continue to meet the present tendency of the pig market. Sellers of pigs on their part maintain that the prices asked are the lowest which they can at all afford to accept, and that as to Midland and imported pigs, the present advanced prices leave no profit at the furnaces.

In the bar, hoop, and strip trade orders will be worked up pretty close when the mills stop on Christmas Eve. There will not, therefore, be much desire to limit the holidays in these branches such as exists among the sheet-makers, who mostly wish to resume as quickly as possible, that customers may not be inconvenienced by any long stoppage of supplies. A week or a fortnight will be the length of the holiday at the average of the works, the length being dependent on the state of the order books at the several establishment.

Marked bar makers carry over more orders into the new year than some time back seemed at all likely, and the position of these firms is certainly improving. Export as well as home orders are coming in better, and the mills at the leading works are running more regularly. Quotations are without change, at £7 for best qualities, with the usual 12s. 6d. per ton extra for Lord Dudley’s make; £5 15s. to £6 for second qualities; medium bars, £5 10s.; and common, £4 15s. to £5.

Makers of gas strip have had a fairly good quarter, since the wrought iron tube makers have had a pretty good three months’ trade. Prices, however, have failed to get up more than 2s. fid. per ton. Notwithstanding much endeavour by makers in this direction, £4 15s. to £5 must still be named as the prevailing prices. Hoops keep in moderate call at £5 to £5 10s. for sorts.

Pig iron upholds the firm position which of late it has obtained, and sellers of Midland sorts in particular inform buyers that they have not much to hope from a possible increased production next year, since “the supply will in future be closely governed by the demand.” This, of course, is a matter of speculation in the somewhat uncertain condition of the market; yet it must be admitted that the probabilities are in favour of sellers proving correct. With the example before them of the benefit which has been wrought to the Scotch and North of England trade by the restriction carried out in those centres, it is unlikely that Midland pig makers will allow themselves to be tempted, even by further advances in prices, to much overstock the market.

Prices this week may be named as 36s. to 37s. for Northamptons delivered to consumers here, 37s. fid. to 38s. fid. for Derbyshires, and 40s. 6d. to 41s. for Lincolnshires. North Staffordshire pigs are quoted 40s. delivered, and the Shorncliff brand of South Yorkshire pigs 47s. fid., both however, without business, the price being too high. Native pigs are in large demand, and makers are at present careful not to increase the output more than the market demands. Best sorts keep at 52s. fid. to 55s.; common foundry, 30s. to 32s, fid.; and common forge, 28s. fid. to 30s. It has been a long time since so much activity was seen at the Staffordshire blast furnaces as now.

The sharp frost of the past week-has given rather more animation to the coal trade, but prices keep very low.

At certain of the iron roofing and girder works a considerable quantity of work is in hand, and makers are hopeful of a better trade next year.

The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, at their last recent meeting, dealt with two questions of considerable importance—the harassing duties levied on local manufactures sent to Boumania, and the question of assimilating decimal weights and measures with a decimal coinage. It was decided to forward a complaint of the first-named matter to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, drawing attention particularly to the case of ornamented iron bedsteads. The other matter was discussed on the receipt of a communication from the London Chamber of Commerce advocating the adoption of a decimal coinage independent of decimal weights and measures. The Birmingham Chamber, however, approved of the two subjects being dealt together, but thought it inexpedient to agitate solely for a decimal coinage.

_ A proposition to hold a jubilee Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition in Dudley next year is being warmly entertained, and liberal donations have been given to swell the guarantee fund, and the venture is being organised under influential patronage, the president being Earl Beauchamp, the Lord-lieutenant of the county, and the vice-presidents, include the Earl of Iddesleigh, the Bishop of Worcester, the Bishop of Ely, and Lord Lyttleton.

NOTES FROM LANCASHIRE.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Manchester.—The Manchester iron market on Tuesday was fairly well attended, but there was not much aotual business doing. In pig iron moderate transactions are here and there reported, but the inquiries are chiefly for delivery into next year, and makers who are indifferent about committing themselves to long-forward engagements, as a rule hold out for higher prices than buyers are disposed to give. Quotations were very firm at the full rates ruling last week, with, in some instances, a continued hardening tendency,

Lancashire makers, who have during the week booked a fairly large quantity, are now quoting 38a. 6d. for No. 4 forge, and 39s. fid. for No. 3 foundry, as their list rates for delivery equal to Manchester. In district brands there is a levelling-up of prices generally to the maximum quoted rates; and for Lincolnshire iron the average prices are now 37s. and 37s. fid. for forge, to 38s. fid. for foundry, less 2^ per cent, delivered equal to Manchester, with 40s. fid., less 2^ per cent., the minimum quoted price for Derbyshire foundry, and one or two makers asking 2s. to 3s. per ton above this figure. Outside brands offering in this market are firm at the rates ruling last week, and for delivery equal to Manchester, over the first six months of next year, about 43s. net rate has been got for good named brands of Middlesbrough foundry, but this is rather above the average figure at which orders could be placed.

Hematites remain without material change, and good brands of No. 3 foundry can be bought at about 53s. fid, to 54s. fid. per ton, less 2J, delivered into the Manchester district.

In the manufactured iron trade a fairly steady business is being done, but there are no orders of any weight stirring, and except for sheets prices show no special firmness. Bars remain on the basis of £5, and hoops can be got readily at £5 5s. per ton, delivered into the Manchester district, with £6 10s. per ton about the average figure for fine ordinary qualities of sheets.

In the engineering trade, although a hopeful feeling as to the future still finds expression in many quarters, there is no actual present improvement which is perceptible to any appreciable extent. Except that the leading tool makers are fairly employed, slackness still prevails generally, and the immediate prospects are that, at many works, the ensuing holiday stoppages will be extended over a longer period than usual, owing to the absence of orders.

With regard to the steel trade, although there is undoubtedly a very considerable amount of activity in some districts, works in this locality are only very indifferently employed, and this applies both to steel castings and forgings. One or two of the principal works are very short of orders, and unless trade improves with the turn of the year there will be a number of men who will not be taken on again after the holidays. In one branch of the steel trade, the manufacture of railway sleepers, very persistent efforts are being made to develope this into a much more important industry than it has hitherto been. I know of several new patents in this district for the manufacture of steel sleepers that are being pushed to the front, and from this direction it is not improbable a considerable impetus may be given to the steel trade.

Whilst touching on the manufacture of steel railway plant, I may mention a curious incident which has occurred in the Manchester district. Messrs. Krupp, of Germany, are executing a steel rail order for the colonies, and the points and crossings are being manufactured by a firm in this neighbourhood. Notwithstanding the excessively low prices at which steel rails can be bought in England, Messrs. Krupp have actually sent over from Germany upwards of 80 tons of steel rails, and delivered them at the works in the district, to be there manufactured into points and crossings, and then reshipped.

An interesting sale took place last week of an extensive collection of amateur turning-lathes, tools and accessories, the property of the late Mr. Win. Hartley, of Higher Broughton. The most important lot was a geometric lathe, an elaborate and complete machine for hand turning and geometric designs in wood or metal. This special lathe was invented by Mr. Hartley, and it was sold for £340; a slide and screw-cuttiDg lathe realised £42; a foot-lathe £12 10s.; and a combined medallion-cutting machine, £12 There were in all 380 lots of scientific appliances of various kinds.

The severe weather of the past week has naturally given some increased activity to the coal trade of this district, and pits have not only been kept on full time, but a considerable weight of coal has been filled up out of stock. The increased demand has, of course, been chiefly in house-fire coals, but other sorts have also been moving off rather better. Prices, however, except a slight hardening tendency in some instances, have shown no quotable advance upon late rates, and at the pit mouth remain at about 9s. for best coals, 7s. to 7s. fid. seconds, 5s. 9d. to 6s. common house-fire coals, 5s. fid. to 6s. steam and forge coals, 4s. 6d. to 5s. burgy, 3s. fid. to 4s. best slack, and 2s. 9d. to 3s. per ton for common sorts. For shipment slightly better prices are being got, and delivered at the high level, Liverpool, on the Garston Docks, steam coal does not average under 7s. to 7s. 3d. per ton.

Barrow.•—There is a steadier and a firmer tone in the hematite pig iron trade of this district. Makers are in receipt of more orders, and buyers are disposed to purchase more freely both of Bessemer and forge, and foundry iron. The demand for Bessemer especially is good, for not only are local makers of steel, but consumers throughout the country, as well as foreign users, requiring large deliveries, and the prospect is that they will require still larger and fuller deliveries during the early part of the new year. Prices are quoted at 45s. fid. per ton net for mixed parcels of Bessemer iron net at makers’ works, and some quotations give 46s. per ton, while forge and foundry No. 3 are quoted at 44s. 9d. to 45s. 3d. per ton. Stocks are still largely held, but much of the iron in stock is in the hands of merchants and dealers generally, who are sanguine of the soundness of a policy of holding parcels of iron in view of the better prices which are expected before spring. The steel trade is well employed, and the demand for railway material especially is brisk. Makers are fully supplied with orders, and they are likely to be busy until the spring on the contracts already booked, while the inquiry for forward deliveries is strong, and such as justifies the belief that very large orders will be booked shortly for forward delivery. This opinion is sustained not only on home but on foreign, continental, and colonial account. The best feature of the steel trade is that furnished by the fact that steel rails are not only in brisk request, but every other variety and description of steel produced in the district; and there is even a better tone in steel for shipbuilding purposes, a department which has been exceptionally quiet for many months past. The shipbuilding trade is very quiet, and during the past few weeks the only orders which have been received have been for new work in the engineering and boilermaking departments, and repairs in the shipbuilding branch. A very good tone is, however, observable in this branch of trade, and the indications are certainly highly favourable to a brisk time in the immediate future. The finished iron trade is not active, but there is a fair inquiry for most of the classes of iron produced in the district. Iron ore is quoted at the steady prices of 9s. to 11s. per ton at mines, according to quality, and the demand is good all round. Large stocks of metal are still held at the mines. Coal and coke firm, with indications in the direction of better prices. Shipping is fairly employed, considering the time of the year.

THE SHEFFIELD DISTRICT.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Dr. C. B. Webster, the United States Consul at Sheffield, has closed his official career here after fully fifteen years’ service. Dr. Webster’s retirement has caused general regret, for he was not only an able and intelligent public officer, but a gentleman who took a keen and generous interest in social and philanthropic movements. He is succeeded by Mr. Benjamin Folsom, cousin of President Cleveland’s wife. Mr. Folsom commenced his official duties Monday.

This has been a busy week in Sheffield, the manufacturers working extra time to get their books cleared of season orders before the Christmas holidays. There is a considerable accumulation of orders both on metropolitan and country account; and the foreign demand having also been heavier than usual, full employment is being afforded for the artisans. It is evident that there will be a considerable surplus of work for the new year to get a fair stait. The general body of outlery and silver-plate manufacturers

cover

men

41s.

were

were

even

a trifle over 3000 tons.

In tin-plate prices are advancing, and Siemens find buyers at 14s. I cannot, however, regard the trade as good, on account of the wages difficulty. Several works are on strike, and a section of the men who are at work are consorting together to pay the 72 per cent. A meeting was decision was arrived at to strikers. During the week 52,000 boxes of tin-plates, in round numbers, were received, and 32,000 boxes shipped at Swansea. Lowest quotations for ordinary brands I.C., 13s.; better, 13s. 3d. to 13s. 6d. The closing of works has benefitted the but trade is not so vigorous.

Tin-plate workers, from all I can learn, have not much reason for complaint in the matter of wages. They forget that every article of provision is much cheaper, and that 13s. 4^d. now is equal to what 15s. 8d. was from 1883 to 1884. This should count. Artisans, too, and such skilled labourers in carpentry, &c., in Wales, are paid too high, and the hours are too short compared with colliers and ironworkers.    _    ...    „

The New Year may bring great changes in this direction. Cardiff up to the present has been the scene of unpredecented building speculation as far as Wales is concerned. The falling coal trade threatens disastrous issues in this direction.

The Cefn Pennar incline accident has led to five deaths. The verdict of the jury on Monday was an open one, with the recommendation that a man be kept at the points, and a footpath made for workmen.

The Bills now placed for the session include a Barry Bill for additional powers, and the Cardiff and Monmouthshire, with a few small ones.

I hear that the Treforest, Caerphilly, and Newport line will carry passenger traffic early in the year.

The result of the sliding-scale election, in concection with the house coal colliers, has been the return of Isaac Evans, Skewen; John Morgan, Rhondda; John Jenkins, Llanfabon; and Henry Foulkes, Garndiffaith. About 12,000 voted, and out of this were 800 illegible votes, showing that School-board influences have scarcely yet touched the colliery world.

are

was

ure

believe that the new year will bring increased activity and confirm the revival of trade which has been so long looked forward to. Very vigorous efforts have been successfully made during the latter part of the year to meet German competition in the lower grades of plated goods, and these have been fairly successful here, though not to the extent that has been accomplished in Birmingham, where the Germans have been met and beaten in various specialities.

The question of all-steel versus compound armour-plates has been freely discussed during the week, Sheffield being closely interested in the great industry, of which it has a monopoly in this country. The two local firms—Messrs. John Brown and Co., Atlas Steel and Ironworks, and Messrs. Charles Cammell and Co., Cyclops Steel and Ironworks—have been charged with lagging behind the times in not preparing for the production of all-steel plates. Mr. J. D. Ellis, the chairman of John Brown and Co., has very satisfactorily dealt with that question, and both local papers have quoted, almost at full length, the article which appeared in The Engineer last week. That has been accepted as a clear and exhaustive statement of the controversy, and the Sheffield public are pretty confident that the town will be able to hold its own in further developments of plates v. projectiles.

I hear that the resolution of the Town Council to memorialise the Government for a Royal Commission to inquire into the false marking and false labelling of British goods generally is not satisfactory to a considerable section of those who have taken a leading part in the agitation. They desire the Royal Commission to limit its attention exclusively to Sheffield goods. An effort is to be made to bring the whole question once more under review in the Town Council.

The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce have called a council meeting to consider a resolution of which notice has been given by Aider-man F. Brittain, viz., “ That in the opinion of this chamber it is highly desirable that her Majesty’s mails should in all cases where practicable be carried by British vessels.” It is further proposed to send a copy of this resolution to the Postmaster-General.

The Sheffield Corporation have decided to promote a Bill in the ensuing session of Parliament to acquire the undertaking of the Sheffield Waterworks, and the water company has resolved to apply for further powers. After the bursting of the Dale Dyke reservoir, they obtained permission from Parliament to charge 25 per cent, additional water rates for twenty-five years. That term expires in 1889, and the company seeks to have it continued. It also asks for power to filter the water, if it should be required to do so by the Corporation, and to charge a higher rate sufficient to the expenses of filtration. It is estimated by some valuers that a sum of £1,800,000 would be required to buy up the undertaking of the water company. At this moment Sheffield has its water, gas, and markets in private hands.

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The Cleveland iron market became much steadier towards the end of last week, and the tone is now quiet but firm. The amount of business passing is not great, and it is scarcely likely that it will increase to an appreciable extent until after the Christmas holidays. As buyers are holding off, prices have ceased to rise. No 3 g,m.b. is quoted by merchants at 33s. 4^d. to 33s. 6d. per ton for prompt delivery, and some sales have been made at the former figure. During the earlier part of last week 33s. 6d. was the lowest accepted, and business was done at even 3d. to 6d. more. Consumers are prepared to give 34s. for No. 3, for delivery over the first quarter of 1887; sellers, however, being influenced by the belief that an active trade will be done in the spring, are unwilling to commit themselves beyond the end of January. Forge iron remains at 31s. 9d. per ton.

Little or nothing is being done in warrants at Middlesbrough. At Glasgow transactions have taken place at 34s. per ton net cash, and 34s. 3d. for payment in one month.

The stock of pig iron in Messrs. Connal and Co.’s Middlesbrough store is again increasing at a somewhat rapid rate. On the 18th inst. the quantity held was 301,475 tons, being an increase of 2237 tons since the 13th.

Pig iron shipments are proceeding satisfactorily for the time of the year. The quantity exported from Middlesbrough between the 1st and the 18th insts. has amounted to 35,471 tons; during the corresponding portion of last month 46,776 tons were shipped; and in December, 1885, 32,147 tons.

There is no change to report as regards the finished iron trade ; new orders continue scarce, but prices are somewhat firmer because of the rise in the value of pig iron. Ship plates are offered at £4 103. to £4 12s. 6d. per ton, according to specification ; angles at £4 7s. 6d., and common bars at £4 12s. 6d., all free on trucks at makers’ works: payment—cash on the 10th of the month following delivery, less 2^ per cent discount.

The difference which has arisen between the Northumberland coalowners and their men is gradually assuming more and more importance. The owners, who for some years have carried on a profitless trade, are determined to work no longer on such conditions. The sliding scale will terminate with the present year, and then they demand a 15 per cent, reduction of wages. They are a very firmly united body, all financially strong; and as coal getting does not at present pay them, they are indifferent as to whether there is a contest or not. The men, on the other hand, acting under the able leadership of Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., have offered a concession of 5 per cent,, but it is understood that this will not be entertained. At a meeting held at Cowper Quay, on the 15th inst., Mr. Burt said, the demands of the employers were exorbitant, and he advised the pit to keep their tempers and stick together. In the difficulties that would arise they should do the best they could, and if they had to beat a retreat, or make an advance, they should do it army-like, and face their difficulties as in the past, be it sunshine or rain.

NOTES FROM SCOTLAND.

(From our own Correspondent.)

The iron market has been comparatively firm this week, but with less excitement than that which characterised the course of business in ths preceding week. Shipments of pigs continue only very moderate in amount, and they do not as yet seem to be affected by the reported extra demand from America. Merchants state that inquiries from the United States are satisfactory. The quantities being taken are not large, but they appear to indicate that they may be followed up by better orders in the near future. The quantities of pigs being sent into store are small. Some of the makers’ special brands are reported to be scarce. Three furnaces have been relighted at Coltness and one at Summer lee,_ bringing the number in blast up to seventy-one, as compared with sixty-seven in the preceding week, and ninety-two in the corresponding week of 1885.

Business was done in the warrant market on Monday forenoon at 43s. 6£d. to 433. lOd. cash, the afternoon quotations being 43s. lOd. to 43s. ll^d. cash. On Tuesday business took place at 43s. lOgd. to 44s. cash. This Wednesday forenoon business was done at 44s. to 43s. lid. In the afternoon the market was very firm, with business up to 44s. 3d., closing with buyers at a |d. less.

The value of makers’ pigs are well maintained, as follows:— Gartsherrie, f.o.b. at Glasgow, No. 1, is quoted at 49s. 6d. per ton; No. 3, 44s. 6d.; Coltness, 53s. and 45s.; Langloan, 49s. 6d. and 44s. 6d.; Summerlee, 52s. 6d. and 44s. 6d.; Calder, 49s. 6d. and 44s. 6d.; Carnbroe, 45s. and 42s.; Clyde, 46s. 6d. and 42s.; Monkland, 45s, and 41s.; Govan, at Broomielaw, 45s.

and 41s.; Shotts, at Leith, 47s. 6d. and45s. 6d.; Carron, at Grangemouth, 46s. 6d. and 43s. 6d.; Glengarnock, at Ardrossan, 46s. and 42s. 6d.; Eglinton, 44s. 6d. and 40s.; Dalmellington, 46s. and

In the course of the past week there was shipped from Glasgow locomotives to the value of £9000 for Calcutta; machinery, £11,000; sewing machines, £2835; steel goods, £12,670; and general iron manufactures, £31,380.

There is an increasing amount of activity in the steel trade. Fresh orders received by the Clyde shipbuilders are helping to increase the demand for Siemens steel, both for shipbuilding and engineering purposes. The rapidly increasing demand for this article has led to arrangements which are now in progress for the establishment of a new steel work. It is expected that it will be located in the neighbourhood of Motherwell, and the promoters of it belong to a family that has long been connected with the iron industry of the West of Scotland.

The coal trade has been much interrupted in the shipbuilding department by the action of the colliers in the Glasgow and Hamilton districts. A large proportion of the colliers have been idle fully a week, in the hope that the restriction of output caused by the stoppage of work would compel the coalmasters to grant them a second advance of 6d. a day. The shipping season in now practically at an end, but the exceedingly cold weather has materially increased the requirements of the domestic consumers. In Fifeshire the shipments are about a fourth less than they were three or four weeks ago, in consequence of the stoppage of the Baltic trade. Prices at the Fife ports have been somewhat reduced, and it is stated that coals are beginning to accumulate at the pit heads. The past week’s shipments embraced at Glasgow, 19,470 tons; Greenock, 944; Irvine, 1684; Troon, 5704; Burntisland, 14,881; Leith, 2198; Grangemouth, 6376; and Bo’ness, 4024 tons.

The new shipping launched on the Clyde for the year about to close is reported at 172,440 tons, as compared with 193,453 in the preceding year, 296,854 in 1884, and 419,664 in 1883. The last-mentioned output was the greatest ever launched in one year. Of the total tonnage put in the water this year, 56,273 were sailing vessels, and 116,165 steamers. As was the case last year, Messrs. Russell and Co., of Port Glasgow, head the list with the largest output, that firm having launched 29,843 tons; Fairfield Company —late John Elder and Co.—23,434; Scott and Co., Greenock, 13,198; William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, 12,924; Barclay, Curie, and Co., Glasgow, 12,520; James and Geo. Thomson, Clydebank, 8810; A. M’Millanand Son, Dumbarton, 7892; London and Glasgow Company, 7195; R. Napier and Sons, 6545; Caird and Co., Greenock, 6235; and other thirty-two firms have amounts ranging from 4913 to 44 tons. The output of steel tonnage— included in the total already given—was 116,932 tons, compared with 92,677 in the preceding year, and 133,670 in 1884. The last figure is the largest steel tonnage ever built on the Clyde, the figures having been only 18,000 tons in 1879. The prospects of the trade are better than was anticipated a short time ago, and there is still room for improvement.

WALES AND ADJOINING COUNTIES.

(From our own Correspondent.)

A few weeks ago there was a strong likelihood that the year would close favourably. The Americans and our own colonists putting in, the first for blooms and the other for rails, home railways were inquiring about steel sleepers, and the coal exports to foreign parts were nearing the old averages.

My budget this week is of a sorrier kind, and is suggestive that the closing year will see most of the industries at their worst.

In the iron and steel trade there is not much to chronicle, and little new business to discuss. The quietness, comparatively, in the tin-plate trade has also told on the steel works, and the only encouraging feature is the fact that Messrs. Lowthian Bell, Sir W. T. Lewis, and others, who form the proprietary of Treforest Works, think the times sufficiently hopeful to embark in the costly undertaking of fitting up the works with the latest appliances for steel-making.

Rubio ore can be bought for about 10s. per ton, and coke is moderately cheap. If this should continue, the lessened cost of rate for materials and for the carnage of finished iron must tell in the favour of this company, and make them a formidable competitor with nearly every other works in Wales and Monmouthshire.

In the matter of failing industries, I must note small coal, which is becoming a drug, and can be seen stacked again. Patent fuel also is considerably slacker, and rumours of rivalry between French coalowners and ours have increased the disquietude.

Last week the coalowners of Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport, anything but comforted by the totals for the week. At Cardiff one of the principal shippers regarded the “ situation as gloomy.” Only 90,000 tons were exported to foreign destinations, a falling off of 60,000 tons. I am afraid, too, that the weather cannot be charged with the cause, except of an inconsiderable quantity. The general course of things immediately preceding Christmas is extreme activity at pits and port. What the meaning of this lull can he is unexplainable. It cannot be due to an effort to force prices upwards as quotations remain, best coals only touching 8s. 3d. to 8s. 6d., and Monmouthshire coals are less. One suggestion made in Cardiff is that the Severn Tunnel is doing away with a lot of coasting trade, and there is a little feasibility about this, as Newport coasting trade, coal, was only a little over 16,000 tons last week, or but a shade over half the old totals. From Swansea the coal shipments reached only 20,000 tons, and patent fuel, which has touched 10,000 tons, only amounted to

held at Pontardulas this week, when the make this allowance to the Monmouth

going ones,

Sir W. T. Lewis, in continuation of his generous efforts to the colliery communities, has now added a valuable freehold site for a Free Library, and Mr. W. Thomas, Brynawel, added £100.

NOTES FROM GERMANY.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Although the croaking voice of a hyper-pessimist is now and then heard, the general opinion is that the improvement lately reported in nearly all branches of the iron trade of this country is about to become permanent, and the general situation of the iron markets lends force to the opinion of confidence, for not only are purchasers everywhere filling up their stocks at the increased quotations, but would be willing if they met with any encouragement from sellers, to contract at the present or even at slightly enhanced prices for long forward delivery. In some cases bargains have been closed to deliver to the end of February next year. It is also apparent that the general rise has been brought about by natural causes, the first impetus having come from America, and that finished goods have risen equally with the raw material; so it is not unreasonable to found hopes of permanency on the situation. The various combinations which have been lately formed for almost every special branch of the iron trade will, no doubt, have helped to secure the rise, because they have brushed away the excessive competition. The only fear now is that fresh works may be started, and production so unreasonably increased that the same old ruinous prices will again have their sway. In Silesia there are only twenty-five furnaces in blast, and their produce in puddle and foundry pig is quickly disposed of at the increased quotations for home consumption and export to Austria and Russia. The wrought iron combination has raised the ground price of merchant iron to M. 92⁻50p.t. at works, and at this price a very lively business is being done, especially to the lower Danubian states. The Bessemer works are momentarily busy. The weather having become cold in this easterly corner, coals are now of brisk sale for all qualities. In Rheinland-West-phalia the pig makers have come to an arrangement concerning prices as well as conditions of sale; and the bar makers as well as the iron merchants have raised their respective prices all round; but sales have not been checked thereby. Ores are again a little stronger. Raw steel-stone is noted in the Siegerland at M. 8 ’20 to 8'50, and for the same calcined M. ll'SOp.t. has been paid. Forge pig keeps in undiminished demand, and the price in consequence is perpetually increasing, if but little at a time. Best sorts fetch M. 42; and common quality, 40J p.t. Spiegel still keeps up its price, and is in good request for export. Foundry pig is at length firmer; Bessemer and basic pig maintain the quoted prices, which are for Bessemer now M. 45 to 47 p.t.; 2,780,379 t. of pig iron were produced in the ten months of this, as compared to 3,128,900 t. in the same period of last year, or a reduction of 348,6111. The bar iron business is very promising, as the works still full of orders at enhanced prices. Hoops and small sizes have been raised by some firms M. 3 p.t., but when the new wrought iron convention, now crystallising, is completed, still better things are in prospect. The powerful S. and S.W. combination of works has fixed the base price of all the rolled bars they make at M. 97 p.t. The Westphalian price for the same is M. 95 to 98. As regards thick plates of all qualities, they are less favourably situated, as the finished prices obtainable are not in proportion to the enhanced prices of the raw materials from which they are made; but here, again, a convention is near completion, and then this obstacle will be surmounted. As was to be expected, with rising pigs and an increasing surplus of orders, thin sheets have a tendency to get continually dearer. Buyers consider the time has arrived to close bargains, but sellers hang back under the exceptionally favourable circumstances. Undoubtedly the large orders for steel wire rods arriving from America have given a more healthy tone to this branch of manufacture; but as both pigs and billets had risen some marks, it inevitable that wire rods must also get dearer. Good merchant bars are quoted, base price M. 95 to 98, here and there higher; hoops, 100 to 105; in steel, 107 to 115; thin black sheets, 127 to 128; steel plates, 145 to 150; iron wire rods, 101 to 105, in steel 102 and higher; drawn steel wire, 120; and in iron, 115 and higher; rivet iron, 115 to 120; wire nails, about 130; rivets, 150 to 160; steel rails, 110 to 115; steel sleepers, 110 to 120 M. p.t.; wheels and axles complete, M. 300; and tires, 200 to 210 the set. The constructive works still complain, yet, taking the country all round, a good deal of machinery is being exported to Russia, America, and the East. Also galvanised roofing is being made, some for the Dutch foreign settlements, but as this work could be done infinitely cheaper in England, and the galvanising is so superior, such work, if looked after, ought in the nature of things to be made there instead of on the Rhine. Of the coal trade of the Ruhr there is nothing particular to report. Trade is fairly brisk. There never has been before such a frequency of tug-boats and barges on the Rhine and its tributaries. This would indicate how low stocks had been allowed to go down before the little “ boom ” now being experienced. The announcement that the wrought iron convention would be continued in force has had no material influence on prices in Belgium. The ironmasters in Paris having plenty of stock, continue to undersell, at 130f. p.t., the French Iron Convention; but the latter has orders in abundance to go on with, at better prices in the main. There is exultation in France about the success of M. Thevenent, who was sent out by a Syndicate of Industrials to collect orders in China. He has returned with his note-book filled with orders to the amount of 7,000,000f., also with great expectations from Tonquin! It is rumoured that Messrs. Sir W. Armstrong and Co. have associated themselves with a works on the Loire to manufacture steel projectiles; also it is reported that Firminy has sold its secret for making steel projectiles to another English firm.

An Engineering Dispute with the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company.—Mr. Pope, Q.C., sat for three days last week at the Surveyors’ Institute, as arbitrator in a dispute between Mr. W. Shelford, C.E., and the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company. Between the years 1880 and 1885, Mr. Shelford planned^ and constructed various sections of the railway, for which services there remains, according to his claim, £16,269 due to him. This sum the company refused to pay, not on the ground of non-liability on their part, or of fault on the claimant’s part, but on the plea that his charges were excessive. Failing a settlement, the question was referred to arbitration. The first two sittings were occupied with the speech of the counsel for Mr. Shelford, and his examination. On the third day, Mr. Cripps, on behalf of the company, argued against the claim on various points, and at the close Mr. Pope intimated that he would give his award as early as possible.

The Electrician.—We have received from the publishers of The Electrician the volume recently completed, namely, vol. xvii., which now contains no less than 544 pages. The great strides which have been made by electrical engineers and by electricians since the first appearance of the Jablbchkoff or Werderman candle and the Gramme dynamo, in forcing electricity into the service of man, have called forth a now important and growing industry, have enormously extended the field of electrical research and the evolution of theory for the future. guidance of everyone. As a leader in all that interests of the many concerned in these various outcomes of electrical activity, the Electrician takes a very high position among the best technical journals now published, and judging from the thoroughness with which every new depart is placed before its readers, and with which the probable directions of new applications of theory are indicated by contributors acknowledged to be the foremost electricians of the day, it will retain the high position it las attained.

Shares.

o an

are

annum

Shares.

are

Shares.

100

:-4

10

10

30

North-Eastern of TJrguay Railway Company, Limited.

Shares.

Shares.

by Mr. Joseph Shaw, of Lockwood, near Huddersfield. It was registered on the 0th inst., with a capital of £2000, in £5 shares, with the following

Shares.

20

10

19

10

10

Shares.

per annum, each

is a

amount

ma

on.

Costa

on.

"ii.

NEW COMPANIES.

Thk following companies have just been registered

Dudley, Nctherton, Old Hill and Cradley Tramways Company, Limited.

On the 10th inst. this company was registered with a capital of £50,000, in £10 shares, to construct and lay down tramways in the counties of Worcester and Stafford, and counties adjacent thereto. The subscribers are :—

Shares.

John Fell, Hollyhurst, Leamington, contractor.. 1 J. Smith, Oakeswell Hall, Wednesbury ..    ..    1

E. Pritchard, C.E., 37, Waterloo-street, Birmingham ....................

G. Rose, Mellish-road, Walsall, solicitor......

W. J. Carruthers Wain, Thornton Heath Enoch Holmes, 10, Perry-street, Wednesbury,

accountant..................

J. Paino, 49, Corporation-street, Walsall, clerk ..    1

The number of directors is not to be less than three nor more than ten; qualification, £250 of shares or stock, the subscribers to appoint the first; the company in general meeting will determine remuneration.

Equitable Telephone Association, Limited. This association was registered on the 15th inst., with a capital of £6000, in £5 shares, to enter into an agreement with Alan Archibald Campbell Swinton for the purchase of certain inventions and letters patent, particulars of which are not given in the memorandum of Association. Power is taken to acquire inventions relating to telephonic communication, or for machinery and apparatus capable of being used therewith. The subscribers are

A. A. C. Swinton, 43, Grove-street, Newcastle-on-

Tyne, engineer...............

J. M. Faulkner, 16, Jesmond-road, Newcastle-on-

Tyne, secretary................

O. Bruce Cuvilje, F.C.A., 7, Leadenhall-street ..

W. Stamm, 14, Queen-street, E.C., glass merchant R. C. Godfrey, Wiveliscombe, Somerset, bank

manager ..................

W. H. Warden, 14, Queen-street, E.C., clerk H. J. Peachey, Friern House, East Dulwich, surveyor ....................

The number of directors is not to be less than three nor more than seven, every shareholder being qualified; the company in general meeting will determine remuneration. Most of the articles of Table A are adopted.

Ridsdalc's Railway Lamp and Lighting Company, Limited.

This is the conversion to a company of the business of railway and domestic lamp making, carried on at 55 and 56, Minories. It was registered on the 10th inst., with a capital of £100,000, in £1 shares. The company will enter intc agreement with John Nathaniel Platau, for the purchase of the said business, with the stock-in-trade, fixtures, and other effects of the same. The subscribers are :—

Shares.

R. M. Todd, 16, Salisbury-street, Strand, solicitor 1

G. T. Born, Port Hall, Brighton ........ 1

G. H. Humphreys, Thanet Lodge, Norbiton .. 1 J. M. Mitchell, 110, Cannon-street, solicitor.. .. 1

D. Sandeman, 32, Norfolk-square........

J. Tilmann, Sumatra-road, West Hampstead,

stationer ..................

J. H. Trinder, Oglander-road, East Dulwich, agent ....................

The number of directors is not to be less than three, nor more than seven; the subscribers to appoint the first and act ad interim; qualification, 200 shares; remuneration, £200 per each.

Flexible Metallic Tubing Company, Limited.

This company was registered on the 10th inst., with a capital of £100,000, in £10 shares, to purchase and work letters patent, No. 9478, 1885, for “ improvements in the manufacture of metallic tubing,” and for such purpose will enter into an agreement with Neville Vibart. The subscribers are

W. Carter, 19, Oak-village, Gospel Oak, N.W. ..

W. O. Grace, 33, Marquis-road, btroud Green,

accountant..................

R. G rdon, jun., The Bungalow, New Malden ..

C. J. Vollhardt, 18, Haldon-road, Putney, secretary to a company ........ ...... i

F. Walter Hull, 115, Disraeli-road, Putney,

accountant..................

W. W. Ryley, Burgess, 41, Finsbury-pavement ..    1

The number of directors is not to be less than three nor more than nine ; qualification, shares, stock, or debentures, of the nominal value of £200; the subscribers are to appoint the first; remuneration, £100 per annum to each director, with an additional £100 for the chairman.

Harrison’s Synchronous Clock Company, Limited.

This company proposes to purchase from Mr. Wm. Samuel Harrison, of 23, Falkland-road, Nentish Town, clockmaker and electrician, the letters patent No. 3578, dated 20th July, 1883, for improved synchronising and time signalling mechanism for clocks. It was registered on the 11th instant, with a capital of £2000, in £1 shares. The purchase consideration is £1000 fully-paid shares. The subscribers

B.    Green, Pinner............

H. Ryan, 34, Seething-lane, cognac agent

E. C. Dawson. 306, Kentish Town, jeweller..    !

E. Almond, 285, Kentish Town-road, draper

C.    J. Simmons, 56, Leverton-street, N.W., elec

trician...............

8. Radford, 2, Bushey-p ace,’N.W., agent !!    [

S. H. Robinson, 17, Abohurch-lane, agent ..

Registered without special articles.

On the 10th inst., this company was registered with a capital of £800,000, in £10 shares, of which 40,000 are 7 per cent, preference shares, to adquire the concession for a railway in Uruguay known as the North-Eastern of Uruguay Railway, and also to acquire the railway from Monte ^ »deo to Pando, hitherto carried on by a

Uruguayan Company, known as the East Uruguay Railway. The subscribers are :—

J. Williams, 47, Mark-lane, shipbroker

E. Griggs, Bromley, Kent......

W. T. Ladds Banks, 38, Ballater-road, Brixton, clerk ....................

B.    Wilkinson, 7, Sterndale-road, West Kensington ......................

R. Griggs, 17, Crescent-road, Bromley, Kent, clerk ..................

C.    S. M. Bompas, 121, Westboume-terrace ..    ..    1

E. M. Blogg, Westfield, Upper Lennard-road,

Penge, shorthand writer .......... 1

The number of directors is not to be less than three, nor more than seven ; the subscribers are to appoint the first, and act ad interim; qualification, £1000 in shares or stock; remuneration,

£1250 per annum., -

Leeds Brass Finishing Company, Limited.

On the 10th inst. this company was registered with a capital of £2500, in £1 shares, to take over the business carried on at Wade-lane, Leeds, under the style of “ The Leeds Brass Finishing Company.” The subscribers are

J. W. Curtis, Wade-street, Leeds, shop fitter ..    1

H. Holmes, 8, South Parade, Leeds, insurance

manager ..................

H. Smith, New Briggate, Leeds, wholesale ironmonger ..    ..    ................

Registered without special articles.

Economic Gas, Water, and Sanitary Appliances Company, Limited.

This company proposes to acquire several letters patent relating to gas, water, and sanitary engineering, and any improvements thereof made

as first subscribers :—

W. D. Shaw, Longwood, near Huddersfield,

cotton spinner................

J. W. Shaw, Longwood, near Huddersfield, cotton

spinner....................

J. Shaw Gaunt, Quarmby, near Huddersfield,

cotton yam merchant ............

*J. Hirst, Lockwood, near Huddersfield, cotton

spinner................ .....

*W. N. Roberts, Hillhouse, near Huddersfield,

leather currier................

E. Haigh, Edgerton, near Huddersfield, wholesale clothier ................

J. Shaw, Lockwood, near Huddersfield, brass finisher....................

The number of directors is not to be less than two, nor more than five; qualification, five shares.

Rock Brick, Tile, and Lime Works, Limited.

This company was registered on the 13th inst., with a capital of £30,000, in £5 shares—of which 2100 are £10 per cent, cumulative preference shares—to purchase from Messrs. Alfred Henry Bryant and Walter Charles Bryant certain freehold property in the Belozanne Valley, Jersey, and the goodwill of the business of brick, tile, and lime manufacturer, carried on there by the vendors, together with the sole right of sale and use in the Channel Islands of the patent brickmaking machinery of Messrs. C. Whittaker and Co., of Accrington, and the brick presses patented by Messrs. A. Matthews and Thomas Whittaker. The subscribers are :—

C. J. Whittaker, Accrington, Chemist J. Whittaker, Accrington, engineer T. Whittaker, Accrington, engineer Hy. Petit, 2, Welbeck-street, architect H. Lockwood, 93, Chancery-lane ..

H. W. Evans, 70, Sunnyside-road, N., architect..

H. Cresay, Windmill-street, Gravesend, manufacturer ....................

The subscribers are to appoint the first directors, who are to number not less than three, nor more than five; qualification, twenty-five shares; remuneration, chairman £75 director £50 per annum.

At a meeting on-the 17th inst. of the Geographical Society, M. de Lesseps again declared that the Panama Canal would be open for traffic in 1889. He added, “ There will not be sufficient time for the construction of locks. We shall make them later on. The essential point is that by the date mentioned shipping shall be able to pass through the canal.”

Ikon and Steel.—The Board of Trade returns for November, the general features of which were referred to in the City Article of the Times of last Wednesday, show an increase in the exports of iron and steel. The value of these articles last month was £1,767,420, as compared with £1,662,338 for November, 1885. This ' decrease, however, upon the value exported in November, 1884, which reached £1,937,789. Pig iron was exported last month to the of £158,431, against £143,314 for November, 1885. Bussia advanced from £9581 to £19,276; the United States from £32,326 to £49,720; Belgium, from £3975 to £6726; and Italy, from £10,223 to £12,231; Germany, on the other hand, fell from £19,632 to £16,417; Holland, from £24,788 to £18,107; France, from £9479 to £4358; British North America, from £7007 to £6027; and other countries, from £26,303 to £25,569. Steel rails were exported to the value of £215,833, against £159,445 for November, 1885. The increasing markets are Sweden and Norway, Spain and Canaries, Italy, the United States, from £191 to £81,520; Mexico, Brazil, from £4979 to £12,527; British North America, from £1688 to £7616; British Possessions in South Africa, and Australasia, from £21,421 to £48,205. The decreasing rkets are Bussia, Germany, Holland, Egypt, and Peru; with these countries the business nil, the Argentine Bepublic, and British East Indies. The trade with the latter colony fell from £73,650 to £44,028. In railway material of all sorts the value last month was £314,571, against £239,068 for October, 1885. In hoops, sheets, and plates the value was £281,409, against £278,934; and in bar, angle, and bolt, £119,849, against £120,090. Unwrought steel was exported to the value of £155,811, against £96,487; hardware and cutlery, £239,260, against £238,441; and c.al, coke, &c., fcI;3J,398, a^aiusi £891 WjJ

THE PATENT JOURNAL.

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 printed in italics.

lZth December, 1886.

16.348.    Lamp Burner, 8. W. Spooner, P. Titus, and W. H. Tackett, London.

16.349.    Permutation Lock, J. M. Grau, C. Beymer, and

F. Hedlund, London.

16.350.    Propulsion by Atmospheric Re-action, J. F. Meade, London.

11th December, 1886.

16.351.    Necktie Supporter Loops, H. J. Allison.-— (B. B. Scully, United States.)

16.352.    Telephones, W. J. Morton, London.

16.353.    Tin Hand Swing Paraffin Lamp, C. Richardson and E. Hotton, Brighton.

16.354.    Needle Plates Protecting Needles from Breaking in Sewing Machines, G. Gwilliam, Kingswood.

16.355.    Heating Apparatus for Greenhouses, <fec., A. Huxley, Liverpool.

16.356.    Transparent Medley Photo-paper, G. J. Sershall, Hockley.

16.357.    Parquetry Work, R. Warwick, Plaistow.

16.358.    Boot and Shoe Lace Fastener, C. H. M. Wharton, Manchester.

16.359.    Twisting Hanks or Skeins of Yarn, E. Shutt and J. Bentley, Bradford.

16.360.    Self-closing Sash Fastener, C. A. Ewing, Chester.

16.361.    Utilising the Backs of Post-cards, H. T. Tallack, London.

16.362.    Metallic Cartridge Cases or Shells, G. Kynoch and J. Clark, Birmingham.

16.363.    Storing Rain Water for Domestic, &c., Purposes, R. C. Sayer, Newport.

16.364.    Climax Brush-holder, C. Leng, Birmingham.

16.365.    Kilns for Annealing Glass, A. D. Brogan, Glasgow.

16.366.    Rippled Glass, A. D. Brogan and A. M. Mal-loch, Glasgow.

16.367.    Connecting Pickers to the Picking-sticks of Looms, G. and J. E. Jackson, Manchester.

16.368.    Swivels for Swing Looking-glasses, J. Crowther, Manchester.

16.369.    Bracket or Holder for Tubes or Poles, W. Allman and G. S. Marshall, Birmingham.

16.370.    Saddle Screws, W. Smith, Birmingham.

16.371.    Drawing-boards, J. R. Bielenberg, Lond

16.372.    Furnaces for Locomotive Engine Boilers, W. P. Thompson.—(J. B. Barnes, United States.)

16.373.    Moving Targets, O. E. Part, Liverpool.

16.374.    Weeding Implement, W. P. Thompson.—{A. G. Compton, United States.)

16.375.    Fluid Meters, G. S. Follansbee, London.

16.376.    Clipping Horses by Electricity, T. Blanchett, London.

16.377.    Ladies’ Dress Suspenders, A. Mackie, London.

16.378.    Braces for use with Boring Bits, <fec., T. and J. Newey, Birmingham.

16.379.    Horseshoes, W. R. Conolly, London.

16.380.    Drying Washed Coal, <ttc, T. W. Bayes, London.

16.381.    Horseshoes, D. Neill, Glasgow.

16.382.    Artificial Appendages for improving the Female Figure, A. Gems, Sidcup.

16.383.    Copying Letters and other Documents, A. C. Herts. London.

16.384.    Velocipedes, E. C. F. Otto, London.

16.385.    Protection Spur, F. Lee, London.

16.386.    Treating and Desilverising Copper Matte,

H. E. Newton.—(J. J. and M. Crooke, United States.)

16.387.    Pumping Engines, H. E. Newton. -(C. C. Worthington, United States.)

16.388.    Obtaining Illusions, <fec., J. Buatier, London.

16.389.    Effecting Transformations, J. Buatier, London.

16.390.    Wood-block Flooring, L. Oppenheimer, Manchester.

16.391.    Corsets, E. W. Almond, London.

16.392.    Lamps, G. F. Redfern.—(I>. Donnay and B. Gerard, Belgium )

16.393.    Paddle Propellers, B. Doscher, London.

16.394.    Regulator for Engines, J. D. F. Andrews, London.

16.395.    Stoppers, A. Johns, Manchester.

16.396.    Treadles, N. G. K. Husberg, Birmingham.

16.397.    Printing and Perforating Pattern Sheets, <fcc., H. B. Carbonnelle, London.

16.398.    Cranes, <fcc., A. U. Aleock, London.

16.399.    Tires, H. Kearsley, London.

16.400.    Crushing Ore and Rock, J. H. Lancaster, London.

16.401.    Prevention of Sulphurous Fumes from Coke, G. P. Bradford, Hanley.

16.402.    Working Switches on Railways by One Lever, A. A. Langley and P. Prince, Loudon.

16.403.    Chopping, <fcc., Machines, T. and W. P. Green, London.

16.404.    Velocipedes, W. T. Shaw, and W. and A. Sydenham, London.

16.405.    Hinges, R. Smith, S. Paget, and G. Mojre, London.

16.406.    Electric Motors, N. H. Edgerton, London.

16.407.    Dress and Knee Protectors, A, J. Boult.—(T. Songhurst, Australia.)

16.408.    Electric Accumulators, A. J. Boult.—(P. J. M. Dujardin, France.)

16.409.    Chains for Transmitting Motive Power, J. R. and A. H. Trigwell, London.

16.410.    Boots and Shoes, A. Haldenstein, London.

16.411.    Drying Machines, J. H. Lorimer, London.

16.412.    Dyeing Apparatus, L. Weldon, London.

16.413.    Reception of Coin, <fec., J. S. Wallace, London.

16.414.    Thermometric Regulators for Heating Apparatus, W. W. Popple well. - (/. Trueb, United States)

16.415.    Working Grabs, (fee., E. G. Colton.—(/. de Burgue. France.)

16.416.    Treatment of Silk, <&c., H. H. Lake.—(H. R. Randall, United States.)

16.417.    Sewing Machines, H. H. Lake.—{Ihe Pentucket Variable Stitch Sewing Machine Company, United States.)

16.418.    Packing Tin, &c., in Steel Boxes, E. R. Daniel, London.

16.419.    Manufacture of Fine Steel from Coarse Grain Steel, W. A. Barlow.—(/. Bulliat, France.)

15th December, 1886. -

16.420.    Flax Scutching Machinery, A. MacLaine, Belfast.

16.421.    Working Positive Lubricators, &c., D. B. Morison and J. Paterson, Hartlepool.

16.422.    Relieving the Friction of Slide Valves of Steam Engines, J. C. Jackson, Manchester.

16.423.    School Seats, F. W. Searle, Bristol.

16.424.    Cutting Circular, &c., Holes and Rings, A. McCall and C. Carter, Manchester.

16.425.    Cork Drawing Machine, R. J. W. Down, Bath Bridge.

16.426.    India-rubber Soles for Boots, &c., I. Frankenburg, Manchester.

16.427.    Boilers, W. H. Wood, Birmingham.

16.428.    New Clip for Papers, (fee., A. H. Woodwaid, Birmingham.

16.429.    Varnish, F. W. Hayward, Norwich.

16.430.    Reflectors, T. Fletcher and A. Clare, Manchester.

16.431.    Fixing Ends on Rods, W. Allman, Birmingham.

16.432.    Sewing Machines, T. Sliakespear, Birmingham.

16.433.    Port Mouths, D. Bylands and R. Potter, 4><tinslcy.

16.434.    Preventing Smoke, <fec., W. Wilkie, Glasgow.

16.435.    Cleaning Fire-ears, W. Wilkie, Glasgow.

16.436.    Producing Circular Motion, J. Sutcliffe, West Gorton.

16.437.    Fuel Supplying Apparatus, T. F. Manning, Dublin.

16.438.    Self-acting Mules, J. Ashton and J. J. Harper, Shaw.

16.439.    Musical Instruments, G. F. Beutner and A.

A. Lateulere, London.

16.440.    Electric Arc Lamps, W. J. Mc’KeLzie, Glasgow.

16.441.    Tap, G. Chisholm, jun., Glasgow.

16.442.    India-rubber, I. Frankenburg, Manchester.

16.443.    Drying Dyed Slivers of Fibre, E. and G. E. Sutcliffe, Halifax.

16.444.    Stamped Spindles for Fenders, <fec., J. A. Crane and J. Goode, Birmingham.

16.445.    Hoods for Pkrambolators, <fcc., W. J. Eae, Grimsbury.

16.446.    Sliding Lid for Fairy Bells, C. Simmonds, London.

16.447.    Actuating Brakes for Railway Vehicles, F W. Webb, London.

16.448.    Opening Sealed Tins and Cans, J. P. West, Horsham.

16.449.    Improved Lamp Extinguisher, H. Bateman, London.

16.450.    Trouser Protectors, F. W. Rabensteiu and C. G. Lehmann, London.

16.451.    Mechanism, &c., for Belis, C. E. Challis, London.

16.452.    Open Stoves for Warming, F. H. Crittall, London.

16.453.    Valise Equipment, S. F. Chichester, Ayr.

16.454.    Collar Stods, A. Thompson, London.

16.455.    Stop Cocks, &c., J. Miller, London.

16.456.    Electro Phonetic Telegraph Sounders, H.

A. and H. A. House, jun., London.

16.457.    Shirts, S. A. Addinsell, Birmingham.

16.458.    Cleaning, &c., Coffee, N. Grew.—(The Fundi-cion de San Jose and Caspar Qrluno-y-Ors,

Mica.)

16.459.    Fastening the Uppers of Boots and Shoes to the Inner Sole, F. Holland, London.

16.460.    Construction of Organs, <fcc., A. Cervenka, London.

16.461.    Treating Sewage, F. D. Brown.—(A. Ilowalson, Belgium.)

16.462.    Fitting the Hind Foot Board to Dog Carts, <fec., F. G. Style, London.

16.463.    Manufacture of Bread, <fec., J. Montgomerie, Glasgow.

16.464.    Spectacles having Double Glasses, &c., J. Day and W. Cartwright, London.

16.465.    Hay, &c., Cutters, H. F. Coombs.—(C. A. Clark, Canada.)

16.466.    Direct-acting Pumps worked by Steam, T. Meacock, London.

16.467.    Inverted Burners, D. W. Sugg, London.

16.468.    Traction, <fcc., Self - moving Engines, T. Cooper, London.

16.469.    Filter Tank for Bain Water, C. D. Cowland, London.

16.470.    Combined Pipe for Smoking Tobacco, &c., G. F. Bedfern.—(F. Claustrat,

16.471.    Hearths, G. F. Bedfern. — (E. Degombcrt, France.)

16.472.    Level, W. Scharrath, London.

16.473.    Lamps, C. Crastin, London.

16.474.    Fitting Gauge Glasses, W. Evans, London.

16.475.    Producing Lithograph, &c., Formes from Photographs, M. and G. E. Walker, and J. B. Germeuil-Bonnaud, London.

16.476.    Producing from Photographs, <fcc., Engraved Plates, M. and G. E. Walker, and J. B. Germeuil-Bonnaud, London.

16.477.    Lockstitch Sewing Machines, J. B. Bobert-son, London.

16.478.    Shuttles for Sewing Machines, J. B. Bobert-son, London.

16.479.    Stoppering Bottles, <fcc., E. T. Beard, London.

16.480.    Portland Cement, iic., W. Joy, London.

16.481.    Lace, &c., W. Birks and J. Cropper, London.

16.482.    Tricycles, <fec., E. H. Hodgkinson, London.

16.483.    Auger, L. Herz, London.

16.484.    Sheep Backs, C. and S. Sprigg, Birmingham. 16,185. Facilitating the Bapid Publication of News,

E. F. Law, London.

16.486.    Composition for Softening Printer's Ink, G. M. Stanchfield, United States.

15 th December, 1886.

16.487.    Internal Screw Stoppers for Bottles, W. H. R. Kelly, Apperley Bridge.

16.488.    Waterproof Garments, H. T. Johnson, Urmston.

16.489.    Water-wheel Air Propeller for Ventilating, H T. Johnson, Urmston.

16.490.    Machinery for Drilling, <fcc., H. McColl, PoJlokshields.

16.491.    Sulphurous Acid, J. M. Walton, Manchester.

16.492.    Tobacco Pipes, J. H. Davies, Lond

16.493.    Winding Frames, W. Harper and J. Appleton, Manchester.

16.494.    Railway Ticket Holders, H. Levetus Birmingham.

16.495.    Lifeboats, F. C. Noar, Manchester.

16.496.    Drain Chains or Drain Bods, J. Myatt, Stone.

16.497.    Uncoupling Railway Vehicles, &c., E, J. Hill, London.

16.498.    Jack and Spoke Shaves, E. Court, Halifax.

16.499.    Phosphoric Acid, W. B. Giles and A. Shearer, Stratford.

16.500.    Potters’ Seggars, J. P. Guy, Longport.

16 501. Treadles of Pianofortes, <fcc., H. George, Birmingham.

16.502.    Spikes, H. C. Beeby, Leicester.

16.503.    Fire-lighter, J. Mitchell, Glasgow.

16.504.    Marine Governor, MacN. C. Bowie and M. Bowie, Benfrewshire.

16.505.    Weaving of Belting, F. Reddaway, Manchester.

16.506.    Springs, H. Davenport and T. G. Clayton, Derby.

16.507.    Targbis, J. Paterson, Glasgow.

16.508.    Hoods, E. H. Molyneux-Setl, London.

16.509.    Lamps and Burners, J. M. Lamb and J. Lamb, Loud

16.510.    Controlling Electric Currents, M. Immisch, London.

16.511.    Perforators, &c., G. Adie, London.

16.512.    Coupling Pipes, A. Spencer, London.

16.513.    Cover, J. Adams, London.

16.514.    Knives, C. S. Wedenby and J. B. Dodd, London.

16.515.    Fastening for Gaiters, A. Dolan, London.

16.516.    Apparatus for Oxidising Oils, W. Boggett, London.

16.517.    Buttons, W. Burt, London.

16.518.    Preventing Ships from Sinking, F. Bosshardt. —(/. Ponzeletti and A. Oudin, France )

16.519.    Ball Float Valves, A. G. Sutherland and C. Darrah, London.

16.520.    Door Springs, T. M. Lowcoek, Sheffield.

16.521.    Fenders, A. W. Green, London.

16.522.    Apparatus for Drawing on Walls, C. O. G. Grellman, London.

16.523.    Apparatus for Producing Steel Castings, <fcc , J. E. Bott, S. J. Hackney, and W. Craven, London. ’

16 524. Automatic Anti-undulatory Sleeping Berth, T. Howie, London.

16.525.    Heating Liquid by Steam, F. W. Bond, London.

16.526.    Door Locks, C. Brasier, London.

16.527.    Window-sash Fastener, J. Havard, London.

16.528.    Scrap Albums, J. E. Dowley, London.

16,629. Labels, J. W. Carley, London.

16.530.    Hair-cutting, H. Manners, London.

16.531.    Measuring the Height of Hum„n Beings, E. Parr, London.

16.532.    Gas Heating Apparatus, H. P. Miller, Loudon.

16.533.    Steel Tape Condensers, W. Richardson and J. Fidler, Manchester.

16.534.    Softening Water, F. R. Lipscombe, London.

16.535.    Fastener, <fec., R. Groom, Essex.

16.536.    Submarine Boats, A. Brin, L. Q. Brin, and L. Chapman, London.

16.537.    Stretcher, L. J. Lyons, London.

16.538.    Castors, R. H. Elgood and T. S. Shouler, London.

16.539.    Hydrodynamic Motor,J. A. Warren, Glasgow.

16.540.    Holding Sheets of Sails, A. F. Windel, London.

16.541.    Flat Wire Ropes, H. R. I. Webster, London.

16.542.    Projectiles, R. Cail, London.

16.543.    Slide-valves, J. Brown and B. Thompson, London.

16.544.    Printing Machines, A. Godfrey, London.

16.545.    Waterproof Glove, W. J. Robertson, London.

16.546.    Tinning Plates, H. W. Buddicom, London.

17th December, 1886.

16.547.    Refrigerating Apparatus, J. Atkinson, London.

16.548.    Cigar Rest, J. Oaten and W. Baker, Bilston.

16.549.    Fish-hook Bending, &c., Machine, W. Houghton, Redditch.

16.550.    Decorative Devices, W. Gornall, London.

16.551.    Preparing Smithy Coke, H. Arch, Hunslet.

16.552.    Raising and Lowering Elevators, <&c., A. Giles and G. F. L. Giles, Southampton.

16.553.    Heel Plate, W. Peake, Cheshire.

16.554.    Locking Arrangement, J. Brookes, H. J. Brookes, and R. Green, Birmingham.

16.555.    Pavement Lights, &c., H. Sulley, Nottingham.

16.556.    Horse-shoe, H. G. Powell, London.

16.557.    Valve-gear, D. Croll, Glasgow.

16.558.    Drying Paper, H. Harford and C. F. Sutcliffe, South Shields.

16.559.    Padlocks, J. Minors, D. Minors, and A. Minors, Bloxwich.

16.560.    Lounge, J. Lind and J. Lind, Lancashire.

16.561.    Carding-engines, J. Haley and S. Lebe, Halifax.

16.562.    Treatment of Soda, G. L. Wigg, M. Steele,, W. J. Wigg, and W. Towns, Liverpool.

16.563.    Producing Sulphate of Iron, G. L. Wigg, M. Steele, and W. J. Wigg, Liverpool.

16.564.    Spinning Machinery, W. Brierley, Halifax and W. Sihutte, Croatio.

16.565.    Regulating the Supply of Gas, J. Shaw, Halifax.

16.566.    Protecting the Unconsumed Parts of Cigars, F. L. Bennett, London.

16.567.    Telescoping Dress Stands, &c., A. Gems, Sidcup.

16.568.    Glass Ball Cocks, W. L. Wallis, Southampton.

16.569.    Brush-making, J. Green, Lees.

16.570.    Push and Pull Bar Handle, E. Abercrombie and C. F. Hall, London.

16.571.    Winding Silk, <fcc., C. Sipman, Nottingham.

16.572.    Stoppers for Bottles, J. Denison, Armley.

16.573.    Packing Glands, L. Cooper and A. Holt, Ardwick.

16.574.    Welding, &c., G. H. Lloyd, Sutton Coldfield, A. L. Lloyd, Leamington, and H. Bewlay, Moseley.

16.575.    Bicycles, <fcc., J. Chorley, Birmingham.

16.576.    Wire Cards, J. Arrowsmith and W. Houlds-worth, Manchester.

16.577.    Machinery for Dressing Flour, Sir B. Samuel-son and E. Samuelson, Banbury.

16.578.    Switches, &c., C. M. Dorman and R. A. Smith, Manchester.

16.579.    Single Central Driving Tricycles, J. F. Walters, London.

16.580.    Connecting a Pipe Stem Cleaner to a Match Box, E. B. and P. T. Openshaw, Salford.

16.581.    Mantles for Incandescent Gas Lighting, A. Paget, Radmoor.

16.582.    Illumination Lamps, F. C. Pattison, London.

16.583.    Clipping Hair, <fcc., W. Bown and H. Mitchell, London.

16.584.    Wheel for Velocipedes, <fcc., J. F. Haskins. —(S. Elliott, United States.)

16.585.    Carriages, R. Croall, London.

16.586.    Catcher in Sewing Machines, T. Goodman. —(F. Hansel, Berlin.)

16.587.    Cartridge for Revolvers, &c., E. Mote, London.

16.588.    Lamps for Heating Purposes, J. J. Harries, London.

15.589.    Steam Blast Apparatus, E. L. Marsden and P. H. S. Nicklin, London.

16.590.    Teapots, &c., W. H. and S. Deane, London.

16.591.    Connections for Hose Pipe, J. J. Royle, London.

16.592.    Furnace Grates, T. Milbum, C. W. Haydon, and E. Mundy, Manchester.

16.593.    Purifying Water for Boilers, S. Bennett, London.

16.594.    Suspended Weighing Machines, G. H. Denison, London.

16.595.    Gunpowder, W. H. Noble, London.

16.596.    Dyeing Hanks of Textile Materials, C. Corron, London.

16.597.    Steam Engines, H. E. Leetham and J. and C. H. Jones, London.

16.598.    Game, J. B. Berry, London.

16.599.    Hydrate of Baryta, &c., The Tyne Alkaline Company and T. Gibb, London.

16.600.    Evaporating Saline Solutions, T. Scott, Glasgow.

16.601.    Slicing Orange Skins, R. Douglas, Liverpool.

16.602.    Attaching Traces to Vehicles, J. Blakey, London.

16.603.    Cutting Sugar Canes, &c., A. J. Boult.—(JosA de Rubio y Daza, Spain.)

16.604.    Terr-aquatic Vehicle, W. Burchell and C. E. Austin, London.

16.605.    Photographic Apparatus, H. Coppin, London.

16.606.    Domestic Fire-grate Apparatus, A. Knevett, London.

16.607.    Knife-cleaning Machines, G. Prince, London.

16.608.    Production of Coherent Masses of Peroxide Lead, D. G. FitzGerald, London.

16.609.    Marking Ink Pencil, J. Fleming and J. Hickisson, London.

16.610.    Roller Mills, R. Herrmann, London.

16.611.    Bicycles, E. Edwards. -{E. von Alten, Germany.)

16.612.    Gas Chandeliers and Brackets, C, Harris, London.

16.613.    Glass Cullet, J. Nortliwood, London.

16.614.    Metallic Boxes, &c., W. B. and G. H. Williamson, London.

16.615.    Preparing Boiled Sugar Goods, J. Kelly, London.

16.616.    Vibratory Electricity, C. Lanydon-Davies, London.

16.617.    Automatic Weighing Machines, A. Warner, London.

16.618.    Preparation for the use of Paper Makers, W. H. Wiles, London.

SELECTED AMEEI0AN PATENTS.

(From the United States’ Patent Office official Gazette.)

349,381. Suction Excavator, W. H. Beard, Brooklyn, N.Y.—Filed January 19th, 1886.

Claim.—(1) The combination, with the mouth of the suction pipe of a suction excavator, of an adjustable sliding mouth extension operated by vertical connecting rods B B, controlled by levers actuated from the upper part of the device, substantially as shown and described. (2) The combination, with the suction pipe of a suction excavator, of a funnel-shaped end

1349.3811

|V

K J)

gradually increasing in area, and a sliding mouth-extension, substantially as and for the purpose stated. (3) The combination, with the suction excavator, of the automatic rotary stirrer or digger M, arranged transversely of the machine, and provided with knives or cutters of reversed L-section, substantially as and for the purpose described. (4) The combination, with a suction excavator tube A, constructed with an enlargement of gradually increasing area, and a sliding mouth extension, of an automatic rotary stirrer or digger, substantially as and for the purpose stated.

349,427. Mandrel for Springs, Philo N. French, Pittsburgh, Pa.—Filed June 19th, 1886.

Claim.—A. wooden mandrel for coiling springs,

[349,427.1

substantially as specified. (3) The combination of the tubular valve F, a stem i, forming part thereof, and a valve H, detachably secured to the end of said stem, all substantially as specified. (4) The combination of the casing B and glass tube D of a water gauge, a tubular valve F, a valve H, connected thereto by a

having an enlarged central portion and tapering ends substantially as set forth.

349,433. Vehicle Hub, James L. Johnston, Topeka, Kans.—Filed July 3rd, 1886.

Claim.—{1) A hub ring for vehicles, provided with radial spoke sockets and having the webs or ribs d notched or recessed at their ends, substantially as described. (2) A hub-ring for vehicles, provided with radial spoke sockets having each an opening or vent, and formed with the webs d, having notched or

15494331

cb

CD

off

recessed ends, substantially as described. (3) A hub for vehicles, consisting of two rings, each of which is provided with radial spoke sockets and recessed on their inner sides, the said recesses being formed in the webs d, as and in the manner described. (4) The combination, with the axle box having the wedge-shaped lug 6, of the rings B B, having the webs d and intermediate spaces for the reception of the lug, substantially as described. (5) The combination, with the axle box having the flange a and lug b, of the rings B B, having the webs d, recessed at their ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

349,434. Combined Spoke Socket and Tire Fastener, James L Johnston, Topeka, Kans.—Filed July 3rd, 1886.

Claim.—The combination, with the felly, the spoke, and the tire, of a ferrule having a perforated tenon

1349,434]

1349,509}

cu

oo

J3

twisted stem i, and a tube G, having an outer seat for the valve F and an inner seat for the valve H, substantially as specified.

349,520. Chain Guide for Hoists, E. Samuel, Philadelphia, Pa.—Filed June 28th, 1886.

Claim.—(1) The combination of the chain guide of a hoist with a spring to counteract the vibration of the chain and guide, substantially as described. (2) The

protruding centrally therefrom, and formed with a recess in its bottom, a nut fitting in such recess, and a screw fastening binding the whole together, substantially as described.

349,485. Jointed Links for Engines, Edson Doe, South Newbury, Vt.—Filed February 4 th, 1886.

Claim.—(1) An Improved link for engines, consisting of an upper part provided with an annular grooved plate and a lower part provided with an annular ribbed plate fitting in the said grooved plate, substantially as

[349,485.1

(o) A

el

1349,520]

JL

(m\

(O,

iff

m

rv-/1

r......

7L

,L •

if

herein shown and described. (2) A link for engines, consisting of the upper part L, provided with aper-tured plate N, having annular groove O, and the lower part M, provided with the plate Q, having annular rib P and pin W, substantially as herein shown and described.

349,509. Safety Water Gauge, James McCaffrey, Philadelphia, Pa.—Filed February \bth, 1886. Claim.—(1) The combination of the glass tube D and casing B of a water gauge with the tube G, having end valve seats, the tubular valve F, bearing upon the end of the glass tube and adapted to the outer seat of 16,626. Slam Locks for Broughams, F. Davies and S. the tube G, and the valve H, connected to said valve

F, and adapted to the inner seat of the tube G, all specified. (2) The combination of th

18i& December, 1886.

16.619.    Blocking, &c., Engines and Trains, J. Wilkinson, Blackpool.

16.620.    Horse, &c., Shoes, T. Heard, Sheffield.

16.621.    Tram Carriages for Mills, &c., W. T., J. S., and E. Raynor, Manchester.

16.622.    Fuses for Blasting, F. J. Shand, Glasgow.

16.623.    Back Beams of Looms, D. Durkin and A. W. Beardsell, Manchester.

16.624.    Effecting Injections, G. R. Hughes, London.

16.625.    Domestic Receptacle, J. Lowe and W. H. Blackwell, Hooley Hill.

Wilkes, Bloxwich.

16 627. Aluminium, J. H. Noad, P. Higgs, and J. Hobart, London.

Hobart, London.    glass tube    „    _

16.628.    Mowing and Reaping Machines, S. B. Bam- valve F, bearing upon the end of the tube G, thevalve ford, Uttoxeter.

16.629.    Exhibiting Advertisements, &c.

Hembry, London.

reservoirs B, having oil openings G, and the pulley shaft extending through the oil reservoirs and block and pulley, and provided with a longitudinal oil

combination of the pivotted chain guides F Fi of a hoist with a spring G, connecting the chain guides, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. ,,br

349,556. Bung Bush Wrench, Anton G. Anderson, Chicago, III.—Filed December Vlth, 1885.

Claim.—In a bung-bush wrench, the combination of a shell or case, a central shaft therein, provided with cams or excentrics at its lower end, and dogs or clasps which may both be expanded and raised by turning the shaft, substantially as described. (2) In a bung-bush wrench, the combination of a shell or case, central shaft therein provided with cams or excentrics with spiral inclines at its lower end, and dogs or clasps which may both be expanded and raised by

1349,556]

turning the excentrics, substantially as described. (3) In a bung-bush wrench, a central shaft provided with cams or excentrics, a dog or clasp provided with shoulders or projections J and K, to bear against the upper and lower edges of the excentrics, respectively, and the shoulder or projection L, to clasp and hold the bung-bush in place, substantially as described.

349,612. Induction Coil, William Stanley, jun., Great Barrington, Mass.—Filed November 23rd,

1885.

Claim.-—(1) An induction coil consisting of the bination of a series of thin sheet-iron rings placed side by side, and having inwardly and outwardly projecting teeth, and primary and secondary coils wound

1349 612]

10

com-

thereupon at right angles to the direction of the laminae of the plates. (2) An induction coil consisting of a series of thin iron plates, having teeth upon its inner and outer peripheries and two conductors wound between the teeth. (3) The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an induction coil consisting of the combination of a series of plates of soft iron, each plate having a series of narrowing inwardly projecting teeth, a corresponding series of widening outwardly projecting teeth, and two insulated electric substantially as specified. (2) The combination oi tne conductors wound in the spaces between the teeth, D and casing B of the water gauge, the substantially as described.

1349:6911

jgl

HI 5E

as

groove extending into the reservoirs, substantially set forth.

349,700. Expansion Drill for Boring Wells, Joseph F. Dye, Santa Paula, Cal.—Filed February 1 st, 1886.

Claim.—(1) In an expansion drill, the combination, set forth, of two outwardly spring-pressed pivotally mounted drill bits terminating in cutting edges, as shown, the case A B, pivot bolt I, and spring J. (2) In a well-boring tool, the combination of the case A B, the drill bit, and the jar F, mounted upon the end of the rod D, and seated in the chamber H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. (3) In a well-boring tool, substantially such as set forth, and in combination with the pivotally mounted drill bits L Q and L' Q', the bifurcated jar F G. (4) In a well-boring tool, the combination, substantially as

as

[349.700.1

Hi!

v,

Wm

Ill

If

i\

Kg

HI

if

!-

iiQ

set forth, of the case A B, drill bits Q L Q' L', pivot bolt I, spring J, jar F, rod D, and temper screw nut E. (5) In a well-boring tool, substantially such as described, the pivotted drill bits L Q and L' Q' and the spring J, in combination, as set forth—that is to say, the cutting edge of the tool is at the end of the bits, and the spring is so mounted as to force the bits apart, whereby the length of the cutting edge of the tool when the bits are free is greater than that which the tool may be made to present when the bits are pressed toward each other.

349,830. Pump Piston, William H. Wheeler, York, Pa.

—Filed March 30th, 1886.

Claim.—(1) A hollow piston having a rigidly attached stem, and provided with an inwardly projecting lip, combined with a piston valve movable independently of the piston, and comprising a disc, a series of guides having projections to engage said lip to connect the disc with the piston, and a bolt connecting the guides and disc, substantially as described. (2) A piston valve comprising a disc, a series of guides having meeting faces, forming an internally tapered hub, and a correspondingly tapered bolt engaging said guides

[349.830.1

W⁷⁷

by and through their hub, and also engaging the disc to unite disc and guides, substantially as described. (3) The combination of a hollow piston having an internal lip and a valve seat with a valve comprising a disc fitted to said seat, and a series of separable guides connected to said disc and haying projections on their inner ends to engage said lip to both guide and limit the movement of said disc with respect to its seat, and a bolt for connecting the disc and guides and retaining the valve in the piston, substantially as described. (4) The disc provided with a recess on its under side, a series of guides having projections to enter said recess, and also tongues to enter a groove in a bolt, combined with said bolt, substantially as described.

H, connected to tKd vTlve F, and the tube G, 349,691. Hoisting Pulley, Horace Butlers, Ludimgton F, W. adjustable in the casing B, and having an outer seat Midi.—Filed June 23rd, 1886.    Edds’s

for the valve F, aud an inner seat for the valve H, all Claim, —The combination, with a pulley block, of oil pp

Epps’s Cocoa.—Grateful and Comforting.—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected Cocoa, Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors’ bills. It is by the judicious use of such articles of diet that a constitution may be gradually built up until strong enough to resist every tendency to disease. Hundreds of subtle maladies are floating around us ready to attack wherever there is a weak point. We may escape many a fatal shaft by keeping ourselves well fortified with pure blood and a properly nourished frame.” — Civil Service Gazette. Made simply with boiling water or milk. Sold oijly in packets, by grocers, labelled.—“James Epps & Co., Homoeopathic Chemists, London.”—Also makers of Afternoon Chocolate Essence.—[Advt.]