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NOTICES OF INTENTION TO PROCEED WITH PATENTS.

(From the London Gazette, July 26, 1859.)

637. J. Court. Nibs for gas burners.

638. R. Allison. Boring and sinking.

657. W. Robertson and J. G. Orchar. Weaving.

660. I. Ash. Locks and latches.

668. J. Clark. India-rubber fabrics.

669. G. Hamilton and W. H. Nash. Locks and keys.

671. T. W. Miller. Blocking ships.

672. C. Defries. Lamps.

678. A. G. Hutchinson. Counteracting damp.

679. P. Larochette. Brewing.

690. R. Mushet. Metallic alloy.

691. R. Mushet. Cast steel.

692. A. L. Thirion. Mills.

696. W. B. Gingell. Window sashes, &c.

703. R. Mushet. Cast steel.

708. A. Baucq. Graters.

712. J. Roberts. Packings for pistons.

717. W. Rhodes. Fire-proof safes.
719. J. Davies. Musical instruments.
721. W. A. Gilbee.

Silk thread. A communication.
722. W. Weild. Coating slips, bars, laths, &c.
727. D. L. Banks. Suspension ways.

730. T. Manlove and W. Hodgkinson. Textile fabrics.
732. J. Tyssen. Indicating the speed of ships.

741. J. V. Hielakker. Pressing or moulding.

752. C. Sanderson. Steel.

778. T. Carr. Disintegrating substances.

790. W. Brown. Clog-soles.

800. A. V. Newton. Governor. A communication.

818. W. E. Newton. Cricket bats. A communication.
993. J. Wotton. Shaping metals.

1222. L. D. Owen. Truss. A communication.
1268. C. P. Moody. Matting.

1270. F. J. Bramwell. Raising ships. Partly a communication.

1410. F. Puls. Hydro-carbons.

1542. J. Nash. Disengaging block.

1544. A. McDougall. Disinfecting substances.

1552. G. Baker. Trellis work. A communication.

1590. R. A. Brooman. Hemmer for sewing machines. A communication.

1598. J. H. Nalder and T. Nalder. Dressing grain. 1599. J. Watkins and J. Pugh. Lubricating wheels. 1613. J. Knowelden and D. Edwards. Hydraulic engines.

1627. D. Mathews. Refrigerating and heating. 1637. B. Samuelson and J. Shaw. Reaping and mowing. 1639. C. Iliffe. Buttons.

The full titles of the patents in the above list can be ascertained by referring back to their numbers in the list of provisional protections previously published.

Opposition can be entered to the granting of a patent to any of the parties in the above list who have given notice of their intention to proceed, within twenty-one days from the date of the Gazette in which the notice appears, by leaving at the Commissioners' office particulars in writing of the objection to the application.

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NOTE.-Specifications will be forwarded by post from the Great Seal Patent Office (publishing department) on receipt of the amount of price and postage. Sums exceeding 5s. must be remitted by Post Office Order, made payable at the Post Office, High Holborn, to Mr. Bennet Woodcroft, Great Seal Patent Office.

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ST. E. Ladd, Walcot Place 7 East, Walworth

(J. Major, New Street Hill, Shoe Lane, E.C. C. Price, Mill Street, Wolverhampton

(Brown & Clark, Richard 1 Street, Birmingham.

Quick action drill-stock. Self-acting break.

Glass watergauge. Watch protec

tor. Economic gasburner.

Lock.

Cigar-holder.

LIST OF MISCELLANEOUS TENDERS INVITED, AND ENGAGEMENTS OPEN.

The tenders and vacancies which appear in this weekly list are not repeated in succeeding numbers.

WIDENING RIVER, Beckingham, Fenton, &c.-For building new bridges and sluices, and repairing existing bridges, forming flood-banks, &c. Plans, &c., office of Mr. C. J. Neale, Mansfield. Tenders to August 11. CHURCH, East Markham, near Tuxford, Notts.-Restoring and refitting. Drawings, &c., Rev. G. W. Bramelet, Vicarage, East Markham. Tenders to August 1st. CORN MILL, Leeds. For the engineers, millwrights, builders, joiners, and other workmen of a corn mill to be erected in Tenter-lane, Leeds. Apply to Messrs. Bevers and Wightman, Leeds. POOR-LAW OFFICES, Leeds.-For the excavators', masons' work, bricklayers' work, carpenters and joiners' work, slaters' work, plumbers and glaziers' work, plasterers' work, iron-founders' work, and painters' work, requisite for building the new Poor Law Offices in East and South Parade. Plans, &c., and form of tender, on application to the Architect, 71 Albion-street, Leeds. Tenders to 12 o'clock, August 3.

POLICE STATION, Crediton.-For the erection of a Police Station and Petty Sessions room at Crediton. Plans, &c., at the office of Mr. Henry Ford, Clerk of the Peace, Castle of Exeter. Tenders to August 3.

SEWERING, PAVING, &c., Manchester.-For the sewering paving, &c., of Carter-street, from Julia-street to Carnarvon-street, New-street, from Julia-street to Francesstreet, Melbourne-street (Julia-street). Plans and specifications, and blank forms of tender, on application to Mr. William Frances, the Surveyor, at the Town Hall. Tenders to August 26.

WORKHOUSE, Scotland.-For the erection of Galashiels Union Poor-House, at Galashiels. Plans, &c., Mr. Stalker, Writer, Galashiels; or of Mr. Walker, Architect, 53 Frederick-street, Edinburgh. Estimates for the

[JULY 29, 1859.

whole, or portion; but the amount of each trade mus' be stated separately. Tenders Mr. Walker's offices August 3.

FARM HOUSE AND BUILDINGS, Newent.-On the Okle Clifford estate. Plans, &c., Mr. Washbourn, Solicitor, 12 Palace Yard, Gloucester, to August 5; where sealed tenders addressed to the Clerk and Solicitor of the Trustees of St. Kynlburgh, otherwise St. Kimbrose Hospital, Gloucester. Further particulars, Mr. J. C. Jackman, Surveyor, Gloucester. Tenders to the Chief Clerk of the Vice-Chancellor of the Court of Chancery.

QUAY WORK, Scotland.-To form a new margin for the river Clyde to stop further encroachment by water, and to form a new embankment to prevent the Holm Lands from being flooded. All on the farm of Mid Holm of Grange, in the parish of Pellihain. Plans, &c., Mr. R. Denholm, Factor, Carmichael, by Lanark; and Mr. Stodart, Hill Head, Covington. Estimates with Mr. Denholm, August 2.

SEWER, Lambeth.-For laying down, constructing, &c., 2,850 feet or thereabouts of brick sewer, in Paradiseroad, Binfield-road, and Charlotte-street; and for the maintenance thereof in complete repair for 12 calendar Plans, &c., Mr. Hugh Macintosh, Surveyor of Sewers, Office of the Vestry, Kennington Green; to which place tenders before 4 o'clock on the afternoon of August 1.

months.

SEWERS WORK, St. Leonards, Shoreditch.-For the supply of materials, and the execution of the day, jobbing, and measured works, for the sewers, drains, gullies, &c., in the parish, under the control of the Vestry from the 2nd day of August next, for a period to be determined. Forms and specifications 5s. each, with information, Mr. W. Y. Freebody, Chief Surveyor to the Vestry, 37 Hoxton-square, where tenders before 5, August 2.

SOUTH WALES COAL, Navy.-For Trincomalee, 2,500 tons, Bermuda 2,000, Jamaica 5,000, Barbadoes 600, and Halifax 500 tons. Tenders at Somerset Place by two o'clock, August 2, containing the names of two sureties in £1,600 for Trincomalee, £700 for Bermuda, £1,500 for Jamaica, and the name of one surety each in £200 for Barbadoes and Halifax. The attendance of a principal or agent indispensable. Particulars and form at Somerset Place.

TWISTED IRON SPIKES, East India Railway.-For 400 tons as per specification at the offices of the Company. Tenders, August 2, D. I. Noad, Secretary East India Railway House, Alderman's Walk.

PLANS AND ESTIMATES FOR NATIONAL SCHOOLS, Sutton, near Ely.-The school to be in the form of the letter L, and to comprise two rooms of equal dimensions, 40 feet long by 20 feet broad. Also a master's house attached. The whole, with the internal fittings of the schoolrooms, to be in strict conformity with the paper of instructions to architects and builders furnished by the Committee of Council on Education. Application to see the site and paper of instructions, to Mr. Tubbs, Sutton; to whom plans and estimates, for the Committee, up to August 6. Any further information from the Secretary, Everard Calthorp, Esq., Sutton.

RAILWAY SERVANTS. -Station-masters, engine-drivers, stokers and guards, for the Cork and Youghal Railway. Applications in writing from experienced and qualified persons to be sent, accompanied by testimonials, by August 1, to 0. C. Edwards, Esq., Engineer to the Company, St. Patrick's Hill, Cork. No personal application attended to. Offices of the Company, 176 Gresham House, Old Broad-street, London.

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The first three denominations of coins, as is known to all, circulate at home, but the others are current in the Colonies, and more especially in Malta, the Ionian Islands, and Ceylon. Now it does seem clear that there would be room in a new home coinage for a considerable decrease in the weight of the penny, half-penny, and farthing tokens. There can be no good reason for compelling Her Majesty's lieges to carry about with them so many pounds weight of metal when coins of one-half the thickness might be made to represent precisely the same value. In gold and silver coinages we admit that there should be a relationship or identity of quantity and value in each piece, but in the case of copper or bronze there exists no such necessity. Already the pound weight of copper, which costs on the average one shilling, is coined into twenty-four pieces representing two shillings; and why not make the new penny one-third lighter, and regulate the other coins by it? Why not thus economise metal, and cover to a great extent the cost of the new coinage? These coins, as has been said, are mere tokens of value, and having the Mint engraving impressed upon them they would be quite as acceptable to the people as the massive discs of metal which now wear their pockets and their patience out. By such means, too, the miserable specimens of the circulating medium of which we complain could be got rid of entirely. They might be exchanged for the newly-Minted eins and then recoined at a profit! Having moved the powers that be to commence a desirable change, it is our wish to see that change effected in a complete and inexpensive manner; and hence our suggestion for reduction of weight.

With respect to the artistic character of the new issue of money, that should be especially regarded. Of course the head of Her Majesty mist form the obverse in each case, but we submit that it would not be wrong to take as a model a portrait of the Queen as Her Majesty now appears rather than to copy that which was taken at the commencement of her reign. It cannot be considered offensive to say that Victoria I. is older now than then, and a new coinage should at least tell the truth. More on this head we need not say. The reverse may

represent the well-known allegorical Britannia,
with such ornamental and appropriate acces-
sories as the Mint artists might devise, whilst
the present inscription could not perhaps be
much improved.

THE GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD COM

MITTEE.

A MEMBER of the House of Commons-a gentleman utterly unversed, we presume, in public affairs-lately expressed his anxiety to see the It is particularly fortunate in respect to the Report of the Committee on Dockyard Economy forthcoming coinage of bronze, that Mr. Glad-appointed a year ago by the late Admiralty. stone is in office. That gentleman has shown That there should here and there exist an indihimself particularly clear-headed as regards the vidual simple enough to attach importance to decimal system of weights, measures, and value, the conclusions of such a Committee is not surfor or against that system. Moreover, Mr. always to be found. But, for our part, we have and is, as we believe, completely free from bias prising, because people capable of any folly are Gladstone has been Master of the Mint in his always looked upon this Dockyard Economy day-sixteen years ago--and although the office Committee, constituted as it was, as a piece of was then a political one, and did not call for elaborate and costly absurdity. Now that the practical interference from him, he most likely Report issued by its members has fallen premagained some knowledge of the duties of the turely into our hands-no matter how our post. As Chancellor of the Exchequer he opinion of its authors is most completely estaexercises by right much control over the great blished.* money factory, and his taste and judgment brought to bear upon the new issue of mixed metal coins may influence their character very materially. It is proper that the important first step now to be taken should be carefully taken, and that no opportunity be afforded hereafter for reflections or unfavourable criticism upon the new coinage. It will in all probability be fully a half century before so fair an opportunity again offers itself for remodelling the inferior metallic currency. How vitally important is it therefore that what is to be done now should be done well!

For ourselves, we are not quite certain that the public would not be gainers by inviting open competition among engravers generally for designs for the new pieces of money, and offering a price for the best. The engraving talent of the kingdom would thus be exhibited, and art and taste receive a yet further impetus. If, too, there is any chance in the future and we think there is considerable of an introduction of the decimal system of monies, the new bronze coins might be struck of such size and weight as to be readily made applicable to that system. It would not require any juggling to effect this, and Lord Overstone, with all his strong feelings on the subject, need not be chagrined to find that those in authority yet consider the decimalisation of the coinage of England a possibility. The Chancellor of the Exchequer need not be told how to have the new coinage managed, as regards weight, &c., so as to make it available for the existing duodecimal or the possibly-coming decimal plan.

With regard to our suggestion of competition in designs for the new coins, let it not be supposed that any slur is thereby intended to be thrown on the Mint engraver, whose nameWyon--is known and respected the world over. Far is that from our intent. It is purely and only with a view to obtaining for our own native land a coinage superior in all respects to that of any other country, and which shall come as near to perfection as possible. On this ground we again urge the proposition upon the Government. The number of copper pieces supposed to be in circulation now in England and the Colonies amounts to five hundred millions, and as these must be supplanted by a larger number of better coins of bronze-how essential, we repeat, is it that there be no mistake in the first step to improvement?

It must be forgiven us if we appear pertinacious in our remarks upon coinage reform, but since the agitation for it began in our columns, and through our columns has been pursued to success, we think that we have earned the right to have a voice in the conduct of that reform to a beneficial issue. Few are there, it may be trusted, who will be disposed to deny us this privilege.

Let us look first at the nature of the subjects investigated by this Committee. They comprise (to state them roughly as they stand in the official "Recapitulation" given on another page) the cost of the work done in the Dockyards, the appointment of officers for supervising it, the entry of men for performing it, the superannuation system, the modes of paying for work of all kinds, the training of shipwright officers of all grades, the education of apprentices and naval architects, the behaviour and promotion of clerks, the purchase of materials, the issuing of contracts, the management of the factories, and many other kindred topics. Now, the appointment by the Lords of the Admiralty of a Committee to investigate large and weighty subjects of this kind is a very serious matter; and such a Committee should comprise numerous experienced mechanical officers and accountants, in order to guard effectually against the preponderance of everything like personal bias, or the whims of individuals. This must, we think, be apparent to every one. If the whole of the manufacturing establishments in connection with the Navy are to be examined, and sentenced either to dissolution or change, the judges ought undoubtedly to comprise a goodly number of men distinguished for their ability and independence.

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Bearing these considerations in mind we turn to the Committee before us; and what do we find? This: that it consists of five persons only, viz., an Admiral, a Master Shipwright, a Chief Engineer, a Storekeeper, and an individual who does not exactly know what he is, and, therefore, calls himself sometimes "Consulting Engineer," sometimes "Civil Engineer," and sometimes Shipbuilder" - being about as much one of these as the other, we presume. Admiral Smart is the admiral, Mr. Chatfield is the master shipwright, Mr. Murray the engineer, Mr. Laws the storekeeper, and Mr. Bowman the gentleman who is doubtful of his vocation. This is the general aspect of the Committee. If we approach it more closely, and keep the Report before us, we find that the nominal number of five has been reduced to four by the voluntary withdrawal of the only member who is favourably known to the public, and who by

As Mr. William Schaw Lindsay (once the Liberal member for Tynemouth, now the Tory member for Sun

derland) will be very likely to ask the Secretary of the Admiralty in the House of Commons to state how we became possessed of the Report in question, we may as well say that we have had opportunities of seeing the said Report afforded us in several quarters, and by gentlemen whose sole interest in it arises from curiosity, copies of the Roport having been sent, as Mr. Murray knows very well, to the Dockyards. We are not indebted to any one at the

Admiralty, nor are we to any one concerned in the Committee, for what we have obtained. We think it desirable to state this, because as Mr. Lindsay is generally so ready to put in the House of Commons any question which the Government of the day may think it convenient to answer, it is very likely he may now wish to put one on his own

account, particularly as his friend, Mr. Bowman, has made

so annoying a display of himself in the matter of the Dockyard Committee.

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education and authorship has a claim upon our however much he might desire to do so. We there is no reason why he should not do so confidence. We allude, of course, to Mr. Chat- shall be pardoned, we hope, if we venture to again. If we are rightly informed, he lately underfield, who not only refuses to sign the Report of glance a moment at the position of this Mr. took the revision, not to say the composition, of his colleagues, but puts forth very cogent rea- Bowman. In an article published towards the a treatise on naval architecture; his plea probably sons for dissenting from almost every important end of April last we happened to mention this being that he studied shipbuilding under Mr. conclusion they have come to. They think the gentleman as one of Mr. Lindsay's foremen." Fairbairn! He is not, therefore, a man to shrink "morning meetings" of the principal officers This hurt the pride of our Admiralty Committee- from large undertakings from any excessive have become mere forms; Mr. Chatfield says man, and he hastened to protest against the im- sense of modesty. There is, however, one conthey have not. They think the smitheries putation. In doing this he incidentally told us sideration which, one would have thought, might should be under the control of the Chief both what he is and what he has been. This have weighed with him, viz., that Sir Baldwin Engineer; he thinks quite the contrary. They is what he says of himself:-In 1824 he ob- Walker, whose management of the navy is say the Cossack was a cheap vessel; he says tained a patent for a chain cable stopper; he deeply involved in the Report before us, is both £9,368, were expended in four years upon her was then manager of Messrs. Simson and Co.'s a gentleman and Mr. Murray's superior officer. after her so-called completion. They recommend engine works at Aberdeen. In 1838 he started We do not for a moment say this should have day pay" with "proper supervision" instead a firm, Bowman, Vernon, and Co., "engineers made him in the slightest degree unfaithful to of the "task and job" and other systems; he "and iron shipbuilders." He next "left that his convictions (although it ought, perhaps, to considers that to talk of "proper supervision" "firm and went into Staffordshire"-the "firm" | have kept him out of the Committee altogether), is to beg the question. They think the system turning out a bad speculation, we presume. In but it should have had a moderating effect upon of shipbuilding pursued in private yards should July and August, 1847, he contributed some his prejudices, and kept his proposals within be imitated in the Royal Dockyards; he says, remarks on cast iron to the MECHANICS' MAGA- bounds. But we waste words on this point if "so far from imitating the system of private ZINE. He next "joined the firm" of G. B. it be true, as some think, that Mr. Murray is yards, we should take great care to avoid it." Thorneycroft and Co. as "superintending en- not only a warm partizan of the late Admiralty, They deem the resort to varieties of day pay gineer," and on June 8th, 1850, Mr. Thorney- but a special instrument in the hands of Mr. advisable; he deems it "very unadvised to croft mentioned him favourably in the Mining Corry, the late Secretary to the Admiralty. If attempt to reintroduce a system which has been Journal. Finally, in 1853, he "left that firm," this be so, we need not be surprised at even the tried and failed." They advise the substitution and commenced his practice of consulting extremes of folly which are embodied in this of deferred annuities for the workmen's pre- engineer. This wandering gentleman, who has Report. There is, however, another considerasent superannuation; he wholly disapproves made his way into so many "firms" and stopped tion which, although it has not occurred to Mr. of such a change. They urge the return to lead- in so few, and who, even when he was the head of Murray, has struck many persons, and that is, ing men and quartermen; he "strongly advises his own firm, did not give satisfaction apparently the absence of all grounds for public confidence not returning to a system inferior," in his opi--this gentleman modestly tells us that he should in his opinions. What has Mr. Murray ever nion, "to the present." They also urge the re- not wish that either our mind or that of the public done to gain the respect, or even the attention, moval of inspectors, and a consequent decrease "should have the impression that one of the of public men? Will any reader tell us? in the amount of supervision exercised over the "members of the late Dockyard Committee he has not scrupled to deliver himself of workmen; he states "it would not be advisable was only a foreman of Mr. Lindsay's." And opinions upon shipbuilding matters wholly adto reduce the amount of supervision," which yet in the very same letter he tells us that "he verse to the master shipwright associated with he considers "to be already at its minimum." "did superintend the construction of five steam- him, we have a right to ask what he knows of They suggest certain changes in the position of "ships for Mr. Lindsay," and adds that he no the shipwrights' trade, or of the naval draughtsmen; he calls their proposals sug- doubt owes his appointment on that committee architects' profession. Has he ever built a gestions, the object of which he "cannot "principally to that gentleman." So that this ship? Has he ever designed one? understand." They propose a reduction in high-mettled Committee-man, who would object he has, did she float upright? And if she did, the salaries of foremen; he "should not re- to being employed as a foreman by Mr. Lindsay, how much "brick" ballast was necessary to keep "commend it." They would adopt a modifica- thinks it no disgrace to be patronized and pushed her so? There are old acquaintances of Mr. tion of the timber inspectors' position; he into office by him! The character of this person Murray who would like to see these questions deems their plan "the reverse of any change must be borne in mind hereafter, for as we answered. But, to say no more of the ship"that might be considered expedient." Finally, shall show in future articles, his three colleagues builder's business, what has Mr. Murray done they desire to introduce a peculiar class of su- and he have the effrontery to tell us how gentle- to distinguish himself as an engineer even? He perior pupils; he says, "if the plan proposed men should be trained for high positions, and has gained a good position at Portsmouth, it is by the majority of the Committee were to warn us against giving too many opportu- true, but that is no proof of professional emiadopted .. my conviction is, that such a nities of rising in the world to the sons of nence. When he got that appointment, parti"step would prove a total failure." We cannot working men. zanship was more regarded than ability, and compliment Mr. Chatfield upon the course he has We have thus seen that Mr. Chatfield is too at that time many a man who was never sustaken in this matter, because as a sensible and sensible, that Admiral Smart is too unin- pected of being skilful in his profession climbed educated shipbuilding officer, free from malevo- formed, and that Mr. Bowman is too puerile, to high. His promotion of itself, therefore, affords lence and party feeling, he could not for a mo-be held responsible for this Report. The Com- no mark of ability. Where, then, are his proofs ment have thought of committing himself to mittee is, therefore, reduced to two members. of eminence? Many an echo will, we are conthe vagaries of his associates. We may, how- Of these Mr. Laws is a storekeeper, and before fident, answer “Where?" ever, and hereby do, tender him our thanks for he became storekeeper was a clerk. It can The utter unfitness of this Committee for its taking the trouble to convict them of much hardly be expected, therefore, that he would be work, and the foolishness which prompted its absurdity. His withdrawal leaves us a Com- very dogmatical in deciding the purely profes- appointment, are abundantly evinced in the remittee of four only. sional questions of the shipwright and the en-sult of its deliberations. Its sittings have been gineer; more particularly as certain crochets in prolonged for a year, and the expense occaconnection with the keeping of accounts form sioned by it will be reckoned by thousands of his peculiar hobby. If Mr. Murray would pounds sterling. And what is the fruit of all yield to him on these points, he would this? A Report which no Government would unquestionably yield to Mr. Murray on dare to act upon, except, perhaps, in some few others. minor matters. Mr. Chatfield's honourable and Thus, by simply opening our eyes, and look- necessary dissent has, of course, rendered it ing these Committee-men in the face, so to speak, utterly worthless, in so far as all the great we have discovered that Mr. Andrew Murray, questions of economy discussed in it are conChief Engineer of Her Majesty's Dockyard, cerned. The present Admiralty-and the late Portsmouth, is the man, and the only man, who Admiralty also-know as well as we do that it has really put forth (in so far as manufacturing is everywhere esteemed as little more than Mr. processes are concerned) the striking Report be- Murray's manifesto against the present manage He it is who has undertaken to settlement of the Dockyards, coupled with a daring (or rather unsettle) of himself the whole ship- and monstrous attempt of his to fling as many building and engineering establishments of the as possible of the shipbuilding departments of Government Dockyards. Now, that Mr. Murray the navy under the feet of the chief engineers. deems himself fully competent to execute the The Admiralty also know perfectly well that task which has thus devolved upon him, we do any attempt to give effect in the Dockyards to not for a moment doubt. He has before tried to the devices and desires of Mr. Murray's heart, make a little knowledge go a long way, and would arouse so strong a sense of injustice

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We shall do no violence, we presume, to any one's sense of right if we next remove from this reduced Committee their gallant chairman, Admiral Smart. We need say but exceedingly little in defence of his removal; for he must be an exceedingly smart Admiral indeed who, from a little superficial acquaintance with establishments like our Dockyards, could derive the right to have a voice even in the subversion or transformation of those huge manufacturing

establishments.

Thus our Committee has dwindled down to three. May we let the trio remain? Tell us, Mr. Bowman, may we? Alas! poor man, we believe he cannot answer, Yes! We know Mr. Murray and we know Mr. Laws; and we greatly fear from Mr. Bowman's autobiography published in the MECHANICS' MAGAZINE for June 24, pp. 410-411) that he is not the man to set up an opinion of his own, if he should happen to have one, against two such opponents,

fore us.

and excite such wide-spread hostility, that failure would inevitably ensue.

We cannot now enter upon a discussion of the details of this Report. There are many, very many, features of it which we shall have to consider hereafter. All that we can at present add is that we shall, in a future article or articles, adduce from it stronger examples of ignorance and absurdity-not unaccompanied by what we can only call snobbishness-than have ever before astonished our eyes in any official report whatever.

THE DECIMAL SYSTEM OF MEASURE-
MENT.

The

cond place is 0, as in the case of 150 inch, for the sake of simplicity and accuracy in adding up dimensions; and drawings should be made as far as possible to a decimal scale, such as. one-tenth, or one-fifth of the full size. principle of the decimal system has been also adopted for weights and measures by the recent introduction of the "cental" of 100 lbs. for weighing corn, flour, &c., in place of the clumsy bushel, the weight of which is different in different localities.

SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH CABLES. ONE thing we have a perfect right to demand of the gentlemen who next undertake to lay down a long and costly telegraph cable, and that is, a careful testing of the cable itself before it leaves the manufactory. Had this precaution been taken with the whole of the Atlantic cable

number in each of the five different gauges now in use, being No. 62 in the Lancashire wire gauge, No. 13 in the metal or plate gauge, No. 18 in the music wire gauge, and No. 3 in the needle wire gauge. But in the new decimal wire gauge all these different numbers are replaced by one No. 36, the actual size being 036 inch, or 36 thousandths of an inch, thus denoting the exact size that it represents. In order to obtain the degree of accuracy required in an engineering workshop, where the one-thousandth of an inch is distinctly appreciable by the workman in making the fitting parts of machinery, a measuring machine has been constructed by Mr. Fernie, on a similar princiAr the general meeting of the Institution of ple to the delicate measuring machine invented Mechanical Engineers held in Birmingham on by Mr. Whitworth, in which a screw is adthe 27th ult., Mr. John Fernie, of Derby, a vanced very slowly by means of a large wheel gentleman of distinguished merit as an engi- having a graduated rim, and the required neer, read a very encouraging paper on the ap-length is measured by end or contact measureplication of the decimal system of measurement ment instead of line measurement. This the bells would not have been rung, the to mechanical engineering work-a paper de- machine affords the means of supplying exact Bible quoted, and gold medals distributed in serving all the prominence which we can afford standards of size for all portions of engines or vain. it. The subject has been brought forward at other machinery, whereby perfect accuracy of Our attention has been specially directed to previous meetings of the Institution by Mr. fit can be ensured, and the exact amount of this matter by the performance of some exWhitworth, who proposed the inch as the clearance or exact degree of tightness required periments which we lately witnessed at the standard of length for mechanical engineering is obtained, while the original standards can be works of Messrs. Reid and Co., the telework and metal manufacturing purposes gene- at any time repeated or verified. graph engineers of University-street, London. rally, the inch being subdivided decimally into We may mention in this connection a very These gentlemen are not content with simply 1,000 parts. The application of this system admirable instrument, the invention of Mr. submerging the cable, nor even with subjecthas been already commenced in the locomotive James Cocker, of Liverpool, which was lately ing it while submerged to considerable presshops of the Midland Railway, at Derby, in submitted to us for inspection. This consisted sure; but they think it necessary to first which Mr. Fernie labours professionally, and he of a disc with a spiral or eccentric circum- exhaust the air from the vessel containing the is satisfied from the experience already gained ference, the successive points of which were, of cable, and then force in water until a pressure of its working that its general adoption would course, at increasing distances from the centre. of about 200 lbs. per square inch is attained. be attended with much less real difficulty than At the centre an arm is loosely pinned, and For this purpose they employ a vessel strong might appear at first probable, without involv- this arm carries a pin, which, as the arm is enough to resist the pressure of the atmosphere ing any objectionable changes. By taking the moved round, gradually approaches to or re- when exhausted, and also the hydrostatic presinch as the standard of length, all difficulty at- cedes from the circumference of the disc. By sure to which the cable is intended to be subtending the adoption of a new standard is varying the form of that circumference any de- jected. This vessel is made with a cover, to avoided; for many dimensions common in me-gree of measuring sensitiveness may be obtained. allow of a coil of insulated wire being introduced chanical engineering work are already expressed The instrument which we saw (and which was and inclosed therein. One end of the covered in inches, and the inch is the unit of measure- from two to three inches in diameter) readily wire is conducted from the interior, through a ment in culculations of steam pressure, strength detected differences as small as one-thousandth stuffing box, to the outside of the vessel; the of sections, &c. ; while even in larger dimen- of an inch; it therefore showed very sensible other end of the wire is coated over and well sions, as in bridge girders, &c., no more figures differences in the size of hairs taken from the insulated. The vessel containing the wire is then are required in most cases for expressing the heads of different persons, or from the crown exhausted of air, and a vacuum formed by. dimensions in inches alone than in feet and and beard of the same person.* means of air pumps. The stop cock of the air inches. With respect to the metre, adopted as For the coarser measurements in the work-pumps is then shut, and the passage for water the standard of length in France, the extreme shop the common rules now in use are replaced is opened in order to fill the vessel; or a quandifficulty of its introduction in this country by decimal rules, twenty or thirty inches long, tity of water may be introduced into the vessel, would amount to an indefinite postponement of jointed for convenience at every ten inches, each so as to fill or nearly fill it, before exhausting the whole question, if it did not render it abso-inch being divided into tenths, and between the air. One end of the wire of a galvanometer lutely impracticable; and the inch has an ad- each tenth a small dot or short mark is made, is connected with the outer end of the wire vantage as a standard in the present case from representing half a tenth of an inch; the work- which has been brought through the vessel. its decimal subdivision affording a finer division man is then soon able to subdivide this again Pressure is next exerted by pumping water into for line measure than is obtained by the decimal by eye, so as to measure to two-hundredths or the vessel, and then, on connecting the two subdivision of the metre, and with one place of even one-hundredth of an inch, and one-tenth poles of the battery with the galvanometer and decimals less. With the metre the smallest di- of an inch upon the rule is divided into the water in the vessel respectively, if the inmension of line measure is the millimetre, 001 hundredths of an inch for reference. These de-sulation be perfect, no action takes place in remetre, or one-thousandth of a metre, requiring cimal twenty-inch rules have been already gard to the needle of the galvanometer, no comthree places of decimals, and equivalent to about adopted by Mr. Whitworth throughout his plete electric current being formed; but if there 14 inch; whereas with the inch the smallest works, and no difficulty is experienced in the is any defect in the coating of the wire, howdimension of line measure is 01 inch, or one- change. In figuring drawings, the only alter-ever small it may be, it is indicated by the dehundredth of an inch, requiring only two places ation to be made consists in writing all dimen- flection of the needle of the galvanometer, which of decimals, while it is only about one quarter sions in inches and decimals alone, which has shows that a circuit has been formed by the the length of the millimetre. The inch is more- the advantage of preventing mistakes in reading water in the vessel getting in contact with some over in effect the present legal standard in this off or adding up dimensions; writing the figures part of the wire which is being tested. It is country, the yard or parliamentary standard with two places of decimals, even where the se- recommended by Mr. W. Reid, the patentee of being fixed at 36 inches, of which the seconds' the process, that the exhaustion should be as pendulum is 39-14 nearly. perfect as possible, and that the pressure to which the coated wire is thus subjected should for submarine telegraphs exceed the pressure which the depth of water in which it is to be submerged can ever offer to such wire. For subterranean and similar electric telegraphs a few pounds on the square inch will suffice; but as excess of pressure over that to which it is likely to be subjected when laid down does not injure the wire, or cost much, while at the same time it more certainly insures detection of defects, or what are likely to become defects, it is

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Report of the Birmingham meeting (at which we were not

Since the above was written we have observed, in the An important step has been already effected present) that this instrument was exhibited on the occain carrying out the decimal system, by the sion. It is thus described :-"A decimal measuring instrudecimal wire gauge introduced by Mr. Whit-measuring small sizes to one-thousandth of an inch, conment was shown by Mr. James Cocker, of Liverpool, for worth, in which no alteration is made in the sisting of a flat graduated disc, the edge of which is formed sizes ordinarily used, the names only being distance from the centre of the disc; to obtain any dimenin a spiral shape, with an abutment placed at a definite changed to one uniform series representing the sion the disc is turned round into the proper position, and exact value of each size in thousandths of an the space between the spiral and the abutment gives the dimension required." Another small measuring instruinch. Thus in the ordinary or Birmingham ment was also shown by Mr. Alfred Knight, of Birmingwire gange the No. 20 conveys no idea of the ham, in which small dimensions are indicated to onesize it is intended to denote, and the same size thousandth of an inch by an index upon a graduated dial, the indication being magnified by means of a rack and is represented by a different and unconnected pinion.

recommended that the pressure even for these should be at least 20 lbs. on the square inch.

The process above described needs but little to recommend it. Properly carried out it is certain to reveal any fault that may occur in the manufacture, and thus guard us against laying down a cable until it is found to be perfect. With the best modes of constructing cables we cannot avoid the risk of some defect or other, and it is surely incumbent upon us to detect such defects as may exist before the repair of them is put beyond our power.

MARINE BOILERS FOR THE
ADMIRALTY.

66

making good their repairs by the appointed | furnace was requested of the Committee in time, being constantly before him, caused him order to ensure a full trial (which the Comgreat anxiety. His reflections, coupled with mittee itself admits in page 37 of their Report),* those of Mr. Blaxland, gave rise to the patent the Committee, who could so clearly see the boiler, which, as the projectors believe, fully advantage, refused the request, alleging as a answered their expectation; and when the result reason, they would "not take the responsibility was made known to the Admiralty, an inspec-"of an alteration." "As if the responsibility tion of the model was directed, and subsequently "of the result of the addition was not the application of the invention to a boiler of "mine, instead of theirs!" says the Admiral. one of the gunboats, and a trial of the patented By that refusal a fair trial was of course altoboilers in comparison with a multi-tubular gether prevented, nor can the Committee justify boiler to be made in Sheerness-yard. To the their having reported that "the patent boiler trials, which were conducted by Mr. Langley was in heating power 25 per cent. under the of the Sheerness Steam Ordinary, the Steam "multi-tubular," after having refused to the Committee allude. But it is against the par- former that which they admit would have proWE have already said that Mr. Nasmyth and tiality with which these trials were made-Ad-portionably increased its heating power, thereby his colleagues of the Admiralty Committee on miral Tucker being himself at that time abroad preventing such a boiler as the patentees insteam machinery decided contrary to the -that he has frequently complained to the Ad- tended for competition from being tried at all. experience of abler men than themselves when they miralty. "As, for instance, that all the leakage The permission refused to the inventors of the "of the multi-tubular boiler, and all its priming new boiler was such as is daily accorded to pronounced an opinion adverse to the merits of the Sheerness steam boiler patented by Admiral were registered in favour of that boiler as for other inventors. Tucker and Mr. Blaxland. These gentlemensteam which it had generated; for, indeed, to the one the Superintendent and the other the produce a fictitious report of the desired evaChief Engineer of one of Her Majesty's Dockporation, its fires were so urged as to blow off yards observing the grave defects of the tubu"heated cinders, which without doubt would lar boilers of II. M. gunboats and other vessels, "have set fire to any ship had it been afloat, did precisely what good and efficient servants of "and was considered so dangerous to the dockthe Crown should have done, viz., suggested a "yard as to compel the Superintendent's interremedy for the evils before their eyes. They Again, notwithstanding that the issue of the ference, who ordered the fires to be drawn." invented a boiler without tubes, of cheap construction, and altogether free from the well- comparative merits of the two boilers was,known defects of the gunboat boilers. To the which could work the longest without the loss merits of their invention we have already borne of power?-the steaming of the multi-tubular strong testimony, but the apathy of some and could only be continued for a few hours at its the hostility of others are preventing its adop-full duty, from the constant choking of its tion. The sapient Committee above referred to, live cinders in the smoke box, causing its delower tubes, and from its making a deposit of of whose abilities we long since had astounding struction during the trial by its own fire.

evidence, dismissed its consideration with a rapid sentence or two "signifying nothing."

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"broke down five times, nor ever collectively
"steamed through the appointed time."
This trial having proved that the patent
boiler could steam certainly for 144 con-
secutive hours, while the multi-tubular fell
so far short, it was to be inferred that the

the attention of the Steam Department of
the Admiralty, and the more so, because the
patent boiler could be so much more economi-
cally constructed, and that the novelty could be
applied to the boilers already afloat at a much
less expense than repairing them with tubes.
"So far as I have heard," says Admiral Tucker,
"nothing of the kind has been yet attempted
by the Steam Department."

This mode of proceeding being, as Admiral Admiral Tucker, however, is an officer of Tucker says, neither satisfactory nor just, he some spirit and patriotism, and refuses to ac- obtained from the Admiralty an order for a cept their decision without comment. He has trial of 144 consecutive hours. "The patent accordingly drawn up a paper bravely entitled "boiler worked through the period without one "Observations on part of a Report by the Com-"single interruption, while the multi-tubular mittee for investigating the Steam Navy; contradicting its statements, and questioning its fairness to which paper we would draw atten. tion. "It appears at page 36 of the report," says the author, "that a boiler, of which I am 'the patentee, was submitted to the Commit'tee's attention; and had the report of the re-invention had at least some merit worthy 'sult of the trial of that boiler, as was but fair, and as had been promised, and given by the "preceding Board of Admiralty, been submitted "to me before printed, the errors in it, to which "I shall hereafter advert, might have been, if "not avoided, certainly pointed out. But as that, "nothing more than the fair course of proceed"ing, was not in good faith, nor even in courtesy accorded, I resort to this method of making known, first,-How it happened that "the boiler was tried in Sheerness-yard, of "which I had been the Superintendent; and, secondly, What the proceedings and facts of "the trials in reality were; and I shall venture to suggest, why the expenditure of so compa"ratively small a sum as £300 should not deter a Board of Admiralty from irrefutably testing "the merits of a boiler which eminent and "practical men have considered to be superior to the multi-tubular boiler by a saving of 20 per cent. in first cost, more than 23 per cent. in fuel, a greater production by 30 per cent. of steam, besides being by very far the more "durable, and the less liable to repair."

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Admiral Tucker next tells us that as Captain Superintendent of a naval yard during the late war, he became painfully aware of the constant breaking down and necessary repairs of our gunboats. Their defects, and the question of

MECHANICS' MAGAZINE for May 20, 1859, No. 21,
New Series.

However, on the 28th of June, 1858, he was ordered to put himself in communication with the Steam Committee, that the boiler might be tried: and he next proceeds to show that so far from fairly testing its merits, it was the members of the Steam Committee themselves who prevented a fair trial being made on that occasion. Early in the month of June, 1858, (and not the last day in August, the day of inspection, as would seem by the Committee's report) before the patent boiler was taken in hand, in preparation for the Steam Committee, he (Admiral Tucker) had applied to the Vice-Admiral W. F. Martin at the Admiralty to have a second furnace inserted in the patent boiler to increase its heating power. That request was made on his own responsibility to show the proper working of the patent in the size boiler then under trial. It was forwarded by Admiral Martin to the Committee before the boiler went into the workshop, notwithstanding which, and that the insertion of the

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66

Again, to a second application for another furnace being inserted, the Committee say in their letter to Admiral Tucker of the 12th of July, 1858: "The Committee, without "giving any decided opinion how far it is pos"sible to introduce another furnace, as you now propose, into such a small boiler, must decline to make any request grounded upon your "proposed alteration. But they will be most happy to witness any trial and give their un'biassed opinion, when they go to Sheerness, upon any boiler constructed under your direction, that they may find ready for inspection "and use." "A very proper promise of fair "conduct after having done me all the injury they could. The only question is,-Did the "Committee keep their promise ?" remarks the Admiral.

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66

The size of the boiler under trial, into which the patentees desired to insert two furnaces, was large enough to have admitted two of fifteen inches in diameter. In order, therefore, to show that they had not made an ill-considered application, the patentees caused a new boiler of four feet long and one foot in diameter to be prepared, and into that boiler two furnaces were introduced of only four inches in diameter. This boiler was shown the Committee with steam up to 30 lb. pressure, but to give an unbiassed opinion, or any opinion at all about it, the Committee altogether omitted. In perfect keeping with that omission, the Committee, although they allude in their report to certain trials which they did not see, are altogether silent on the trial of 144 hours, during which the patent boiler steamed uninterruptedly, while the multi-tubular so often broke down.

The Committee further report of the patent boiler, "it yet required forty-eight minutes

more time to raise steam than in the ordinary "boiler." The truth of the following table Admiral Tucker offers to prove by undeniable evidence. The trial took place September 1st,

1858.

H. M.

lbs. п.м. н.м.
Patent Boiler Lit fire at 5 25, Steam up to 74 at 6 40-1 15
Multi-tubular
Boiler...... ditto 9.50, ditto ditto 10 57=1 7

The foregoing figures speak for themselves, and
they prove the Report of the Committee widely
at variance from the truth. The time required
to get up steam by the patent boiler (prevented,
be it remembered, by the Committee from
making its best efforts) did not exceed that re-
quired by the multi-tubular by 48 minutes, but
only by 8, while it is certain that the trial then
made of only three hours, congenial enough to
a tube-choking boiler, was in reality utterly in-
significant as a test of the best boiler for the

That as both the grate and heating surfaces would by that means be increased, the power of the boiler to supply steam would be proportionably increased.

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