ceptive mind the pleasures of temperance, and the sin and misery attendant on intemperance. Government has done something in the grant of 20,000l.; but, I trust, this is only a prelude to further grants, as an encouragement to the opulent classes to exert themselves,-I would by no means, however, leave the matter of education to the Government. I am so convinced that the labouring classes, when strictly temperate, may be their own helpers, and, consequently, their children's, that I will conclude with the relation of a fact, which is only advanced as an instance to show what all who are similarly situated might do, if willing to adopt the means. A mechanic at Portlaw states, that before he became a temperate man, the habits of himself and family were ruinous,-that there is almost a certainty of a drunkard's children becoming dissolute, being at liberty to do as they please, whilst their parent, who ought to be their guardian, is drinking or getting drunk. He said that he might at one time have removed to Manchester with great advantage, but never had the means of paying the necessary expense whilst a drinker, but since he had become temperate, he had as many pounds in his box as would take him comfortably. A sober mechanic will prevent his children going to the ginshop, and the money which is so generally spent in drinking he saves, and may appropriate to the education of his offspring.

This replies to a part of the communication from "L.," by inserting which (if thou thinkest well), will oblige a constant reader.

Worcester, 8 Mo. 14, 1835.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

A. B.

The Royal Society Gold Medals for 1837 (two of 50 guineas each, presented by the King), are to be awarded as follows:-One to the author of the best paper to be entitled, "Contributions towards a System of Geological Chronology, founded on an Examination of Fossil Remains and their attendant Phenomena;" and the other to the author of the most important unpublished paper on physics, which may have been communicated to the Royal Society for insertion in their Transactions between the 1st of March, 1835, and June, 1837. The competition is open, by command of his Majesty, to the scientific men of all nations.

The Fourth Annual Meeting of the British Association, held in the Irish capital during the past week, appears to have given great and universal satisfaction. We quote the following from the Dublin Evening Post:-" Amore imposing, a more

399

triumphant display, was never made in any coun try, nor were our distinguished guests ever more satisfied with the manner in which they have been received. Almost every member of the body, in public as well as in private, expressed their sense of their cordial and hospitable reception in Ireland. We need not say how entirely delighted we are that such men as Brisbane, Sedgwick, Murchison, Daubeny, Wilkie, Babbage, the renowned travellers, Franklin and Ross, as well as the illustrious foreigners who assisted at the meetings, shall carry away with them so gratifying a recollection of the Green Island. They will see that, however torn the country is by domestic dissensions, there is still sufficient good fellowship amongst us to merge our disputes in temporary oblivion when we have to discharge the duties owing to hospitality and to science."-We shall give a sketch of the proceedings next week.

Fires about London.-Mr. Braidwood, the directing superintendent of all the London co-operating fire-stations, says that never since the first organization of the present plan in January, 1833, has there occurred within the same limited number of days any thing like a parallel to the number of dis tinct fires that have within the last few days been every where blazing forth. On a careful review made yesterday of the returns obtained from the 12 metropolitan stations and to the head office since the 31st of July, a period of only 20 days, they exhibit an astounding list, after omitting mere fires in chimneys, and such minor accidents, of no less than 108 distinct houses, or warehouses, in London, or its immediate environs, that have been on fire, in the full sense of the word, within this brief period. Of these, no less than 39 were destroyed, 26 greatly damaged, many of these requiring large outlay before they can be made again habitable, and 43 that have been slightly damaged. The value of the property sacrificed must be immense, perhaps a quarter of a million sterling would be a moderate estimate. Besides these, there have been in the same limited period three great agricultural fires near London; one at Mr. Bacon's farm, near To tenham, where four stacks of hay, and one of beans, were greatly damaged; another at Mr. John Emmett's, in the Kent-road, where two barns, a range of stabling, and four stacks of hay, were destroyed; and, lastly, at Beckley-farm, near Bromley, where 30 corn-stacks, 7 hay-stacks, a house, granary, ranges of cattle-sheds, and extensive stabling, were all consumed by fire, and unhappily under circumstances that lead to the presumption the act was wilful, and had its rise in the party feuds and deep enmity engendered in the breasts of many English labourers, whose harvest hopes have been blighted by the arrival of gangs of Irish labourers. It is the opinion of Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent, that the cause of the late great increase and rapid spread of fires is to be found in the extraordinary dryness of the season. With the exception of a heavy complaint preferred against the New River Company, the firemen make no charge of a deficiency of water. On the contrary, in the district supplied by every other metropolitan company, the supply has been declared abundant; yet as respects the three great fires, in Barbican, in Charterhouse-square, and the Haymarket, each of which districts is supplied by the New River mains, for some time there was no supply, and at no time a good one. In looking back to the great number of late tires, it is amid pity for the very many who must have been reduced to destitution, a great source of joy to find only one human life was destroyed. This is, perhaps, to be attributed to the high state of discipline the firemen have been brought to, to the intrepidity engendered by the assurance of the fire-offices that their appointments are for life, and can neither be cancelled nor lessened by any cause but their own wilful misbehaviour, and to the able co-operation they obtain from the new police.-Times, Aug. 21.

Optical Curiosity.-The celebrity of Mr. Roberts of Manchester, of the firm of Sharp, Roberts, and Co., as a machinist is generally known. We understand that when Lord Brougham was in Manchester lately, amongst the curiosities exhibited to his lordship by Mr. Roberts was an optical machine, by which small print may be read when revolving 28,000 times in the minute. The time given for one view is about the eighty-thousandth part of a minute.-Macclesfield Courier.

New Steam-Boiler.-There has been lately an improvement in steam-boilers made by Mr. L. Disbrow, and tested in the steam-boat of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, by which there. is a saving made compared with wood of 45 to 50 per cent. in the expense of fuel. It consists of a number of conical furnaces, the base of which is. the grate, the apices being connected by a small flue. These all immersed in the water and half full of coal, make a steady and strong fire. They are fed near the top of the caves by horizontal openings.-American Paper.

Railways in America.-The stock of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which while that work. was unfinished had fallen to one-third of its nominal value, has now that the road is done, risen suddenly to par; and the stock of every finished railroad in the United States is also above par.Winchester Republican.

The Bell Rock Light-House has suffered greater damage during the severe gales of the last autumn and winter than at any time since its erection. The spring tides in January rose to 116 feet, and drifted over the building; while, on ordinary tides, 19 feet is the extent of their rise. The heaviest ground-swell preceded the heaviest wind by two days. Some large rocks, called "travellers," thrown up against the foundation of the light-house, weighing about 5 tons!

were

Francis Moore is, as our readers are aware, rather a favourite of ours, and for one reason, amongst others, that his prophecies, however objectionable on the score of pretence, are invariably on the side of liberty and justice, and therefore calculated to do good. Of this we have, in his Almanac for the present year, a most remarkable illustration: At the end of July, and beginning of August, there is to be seen, in a fine Roman hand, this evermemorable warning:-"Ah! Philippe, beware! see to it, that your throne rests on the affections of the people." If Philippe had only had as much reverence as we have for the sayings of Old Francis, how easily might he have avoided the imminent danger to which his life has been recently exposed! As Moore's Almanac, by-the-bye, is largely circuJated in France-being republished there immediately after its appearance in England, and nearly as great a favourite with the French as with the English commonalty-how do Philippe and his Ministers propose to reach it by their new laws against the Press? We see nothing in them to prevent our frien! Francis from warning and prophesying as usual; and to leave him ungagged is to do nothing. We recommend this new difficulty to their serious attention.

Liverpool and Manchester Railway-Seventh Half-Yearly Meeting.-The Directors reported a continued increase in the traffic, as compared with the corresponding six months of last year. The receipts of the half year ending 30th of June, amounted to 99,4747. 16s. 6d., and the expenses to 61,8147. 6s. 1d., leaving a net profit for six months of 37,6601. 9s. 10d. A dividend of 41. 10s. per share (for the half year) was resolved upon. The shares are now quoted at 2007.

The London and Birmingham Railway shares, on which 501. has been paid, are now selling for GOL. 5s.

The Bristol and Gloucestershire Railway (from Bristol to the great Westerleigh coal-field) was opened on the 6th inst. It is 9 miles long; and the cuttings and embankments are supposed to be greater than on any railway of similar extent which has yet been formed. There is a tunnel (under Staple Hill) 1,540 feet long, 12 wide, and 16% feet high; it is in a straight line, 3 shafts by which the excavations were carried on being left open to admit light. One of the embankments is 56 feet in height. The capital expended on the undertaking is about 77,000/. The Act was obtained in June, 1828, and the works were commenced in June, 1829. Mr. Townsend is the engineer.

Of

Steam-Engines in France.-From an account of steam-engines in France, made up under the direction of the Administration des Mines to the end of 1833, it appears that there were 947 steam engines, possessing together a force of 14,746 horse-powera single horse-power being estimated at 75 kilogrammes, or 165lbs. avoirdupois, raised to the height of a metre, or nearly 4 feet in a second. these engines, 759 were made in France, and 144 abroad; the place of manufacture of the remaining 46 not being ascertained. The year 1833 was that in which the greatest number of engines had been erected. These amounted to 130, of which 5 only were of foreign manufacture. Of the 903 engines whose place of manufacture had been ascertained, 334 were of low-pressure, and 569 of high-pressure. On the 1st of January, 1834, there were in France 95 steam-vessels, besides those in the service of the Government. The engines they employ are 118 in number, of which 32 are low-pressure, and 36 highpressure. These vessels have been built when the low-pressure was most in favour. Of these 118 engines, which presents a force of 3,480 horse power, 34 are of French construction, 59 foreign, and 35 unknown.

The Railroad from Brussels to Malines cost 1,224,100 francs, and produces immense profit to the Belgian Government, which established it. The receipts from the 17th of May to the 31st of July last, were 106,802 francs, paid by 163,482 passengers. The distance is 4 leagues, and the journey is made in 35 minutes.-Paris Advertiser.

Negro Longevity.-A female negro slave, of the name of Joyce Heth, is now exhibiting in this city, who has attained the extraordinary age of 161 years. A visit which we paid her yesterday has removed whatever doubts we previously entertained as to the facts confirmatory of this extraordinary instance of longevity. Pittsburgh (U. S.) Advertiser.

India Rubber Manufacturing Companies seem now all the rage in the United States. In the state of Massachusetts alone there are already six, with capitals of from 10,000 to 100,000 dollars.

We have received Colonel Macerone's reply to Mr. Ogle, but it requires an engraving to illustrate it, which cannot be got ready before next week.

Communications received from G. B.-VindexA. R.-D. C.-Mr. Akers-R. B. A.-Mr. Wallace,

Patents taken out with economy and despatch; Specifications prepared or revised; Caveats entered; and generally every Branch of Patent Business promptly transacted. Drawings of Machinery also executed by skilful assistants, on the shortest notice.

LONDON: Published by J. CUNNINGHAM, at the Mechanics' Magazine Office, No. 6, Peterborough-court, between 135 and 136, Fleet-street. Agent for the American Edition, Mr. O. RICH, 12, Red Lion-square. Sold by G. G. BENNIS, 55, Rue Neuve, Saint Augustin, Paris. CUNNINGHAM and SALMON, Printers, Fleet-street.

M'CURDY'S DUPLEX GENERATOR.

Sir, I perceive that Captain Ogle ac cuses Colonel Macerone of having stolen from him his double-tubed boiler; and we shall have Colonel Macerone, I dare say, maintaining, ere long, that he did nothing of the kind, but was himself the original and true inventor. Now, sir, without meaning to accuse either of these gentlemen of petty-patent-larceny, I beg to be permitted to show that the merit of the invention belongs to neither, and that they have both equally fallen into the grave (though not unusual) mistake, of re-inventing and re-patenting what had been invented and patented several years before.

In 1826 (June 21), Mr. John M'Curdy took out a patent for "certain improvements in generating steam," which in the specification afterwards enrolled are thus described :

"I construct one or more vessels or tubes of any given number, length, or diameter, proportionate to the size of the engine, or quantity of steam wanted, made of wrought or cast-iron, or other material of sufficient strength; which tubes or vessels are closed at both ends; on one end of each of which a head is fixed, that can be taken off at pleasure. Inside of each of these vessels or tubes, I insert or suspend in the centre another vessel or tube of still smaller size of similar materials, leaving a small space on all sides, varying, according to their size, from one quarter of an inch to one inch and a half (according to the station they occupy in the furnace near the fire or more remote), which is thought sufficient for the generators attached to an engine of the largest size: between the outer and inner tubes or vessels. The inner tubes or vessels are rendered steam-tight, and closed at both ends, except such number as are placed within the reservoirs or STEAMOMETERS," as I term them, and which are intended to contain a body of steam for the supply of the engine: or the minor tubes or vessels may be omitted entirely in this combination in the steamometers, or vessels intended to contain the steam. I place these tubes or vessels thus arranged, which I term duplex steam generators, in a common heated furnace, in the same manner as gas retorts, or in the most advantageous manner for heating. The tubes or vessels at the top, or next communicating with the engine, are the most suitable to be reserved for the reservoirs or steamometers, and which I should generally make to contain about ten times the solid contents of the working cylinder of the engine. The outer or exterior vessels or tubes are connected by pipes leading from one to the other, which connecting

pipe ought to lead from the upper part of another, through which the steam and water rushes, from the time it is injected by the forcing pump, which I use to supply them with water till it passes into the steamometer, and from thence through the eduction pipe, which I insert into the lower part or bottom of the steamometer (whereas in boilers the steam is carried out at the top) into the engine. Into each of the interior tubes or vessels (closed at both ends) may be inserted small pipes, passing from the inner tubes or vessels through the outer ones into the open air, to permit any water or steam, that might be forced into the inner vessels or tubes by the pressure of the steam, to escape. To keep the interior tubes or vessels in their places, and at equal distance from the outer ones, I put around them spiral bands, extending the whole length of the inner tubes or vessels, or rings at intervals, of from one to two feet apart, or pins of the same thickness as the space intended to be preserved as a water line; these rings are grooved all round, or have holes drilled in them to permit the free passage of the steam and water; and if the heat should cause the outer tubes or vessels to warp or yield, the same distance will always be preserved between the outer and inner tubes and vessels, and also prevent them from coming in contact in any part."

The patentee then refers to certain drawings annexed to the specification, in which a boiler of his construction is represented. I send you copies of these drawings, to be engraved and published as an accompaniment to this communica. tion, if you should think the justice of the case requires it (in which case I am sure you will not grudge the expense). The following is the inventor's description:

"AAA, &c. represents twelve wroughtiron external tubes or vessels set in a furnace; these tubes or vessels are 12 feet long, 12 inches in diameter, and an inch thick, except the upper one, which is intended as the steamometer, which is 18 inches in diameter. BBB represents two of the interior tubes made of similar materials closed at each end, the middle one or steamometer, No. 12, being opened at the end at which the steam passesinto the engine, and closed at the end at which it enters from the generators. This large tube, or steamometer, No. 12, is intended to contain steam for the supply of the engine. C represents the water-pipe leading to the pump. D is the pump. E, the steampipe leading from the steamometer into the engine. The water is introduced by a stroke of the pump into the external tube or vessel, No. 1 (by the pipe C), through which it passes, or is forced and distributed around the space, between A and B, which is represented by a white line, and may be termed

the water-line, in all the tubes or vessels; the force of the steam generated in this vessel or tube, drives the steam, and such part of the water as remains, through the connectingpipe into the second vessel or tube, No. 2, and from thence through Nos. 3, 4, 5, and so on to No. 12, striking against the closed end of the interior tube or vessel in No. 12 (as shown by the direction of the arrow), the opposite end of this tube or vessel is left open, as show n by k, out of which the steam passes into the engine through the pipe E. The water injected by the pump at C has thus, in its passage from the pump to the engine, to produce steam, passed (spread in a thin sheet) over a heated surface, a space equal to about 65,000 superficial inches; in fact, from the peculiar construction of the duplex generators, the steam and water has passed between two heated surfaces, each of which contains about that extent, making nearly 130 000 inches, the steam is consequently gene rated with astonishing rapidity, and collects in the steamometer, No. 12, opened at one end and marked k. M represents the safety-valve; the end-view represents a set of five generators and steamometer.

"In consequence of the small space between the outer and inner tubes or vessels being always preserved, there can be no accumulation of water, the rush or current being constant along the water-line; nor would the diameter of the generators cause any difference in this respect, the water-line being so minute and uniform. The generation of the steam is rapid and instantaneous, and no greater quantity of water (or very little more) will be contained in a set of the duplex generators, however numerous, at any one time, than is injected at a single stroke of the pump; the quantity of water injected into the duplex generators may be regulated by a stop-cock, placed on the pipe leading to the cistern, or place from whence the supply of water is obtained: this water is kept in a boiling state by the discharge of the steam from the engine into the cistern or tank. The pipe leading from the steamometer to the engine should be inserted on a level with the bottom of it, so that if a small quantity of water should ever reach the steamometer without being turned into steam, it would pass or be forced through the engine with the steam. A cock may also be inserted into the lower part of the steamometer, to test the fact, whether the pump threw too much water into the generators.

46 The twelve duplex generators in the drawing expose to the action of the heat a superficial surface of about 65,000 square inches, which is nearly equal to the surface of a boiler 8 feet in diameter, and 20 feet in length, provided the whole boiler was buried in the fire; but as the fire is only applied to about one-third of it, the generators in the

drawing (which occupy a space of 12 feet in length, 5 feet in height, and 6 feet in breadth) expose a surface to the action of the heat three times as great as a boiler of the above dimensions, every part of which surface is constantly exerted in generating steam. The weight of such a boiler and water would be 43 tons, the generators about 4 tons."

By comparing the preceding descriptions and the drawings (should you insert the latter) with the boilers of Colonel Macerone and Captain Ogle, the reader will at once perceive that they are both on identically the same principle as Mr. M'Curdy's. Yours, &c."

N. D. C.

MR. GALT'S SUBSTITUTE FOR STEAM
POWER.

The following is an extract of a letter addressed by Mr. Galt, the celebrated novelist, to the Greenock Advertiser:

"The fatal explosion of the Earl Grey steamer has induced me to try if the principle of my pressure-syphon could be applied to propel vessels; and the result has been so perfectly satisfactory, that I find myself actuated by humanity to make it public, that others may test the experiment, the simplicity of which is not the least of its merits.

"Take a cylinder, and subjoin to the bottom of it, in communication, a pipe-fill the pipe and the cylinder with water-in the cylinder place a piston, as in that of the steamengine-and then with a Bramah's press, and a simple, obvious contrivance, which the process will suggest, force the water up the pipe, the pressure of which will raise the piston. This is the demonstration of the first motion.

"Second-when the piston is raised, open a cock to discharge the water and the piston will descend. This is the demonstration of the second motion, and is as complete as the motion of the piston in the cylinder of the steam-engine; and a power as effectual as steam is obtained without risk of explosion, without the cost of fuel, capable of being applied to any purpose in which steam is used, and to an immeasurable extent.

"The preservation of the water may in some cases be useful, and this may be done by a simple contrivance, viz. by making the cock discharge into a conductor, by which the water may be conveyed back at every stroke of the piston to the pipe, at the end of which the Bramah's press acts.

"My condition does not allow me to do more than to solicit that the experiment may be tested. Although no mechanic, I yet believe myself mechanician enough to see the application of the principle."