sufficiently strong to resist almost any pressure, an air-pump, and a
whistle similar to the ordinary ones used on locomotives. By means of
the air-pump operating into this chamber, a pressure of air is
obtained in it of any required amount,--say one, two, or three hundred
pounds to the square inch. When the air is so compressed, it is made
to operate the whistle by simply opening a valve, and gives a distinct
clear sound.
A memorial has been presented to the Treasury Department, signed by
most of the commanders and pilots of the steamboats running through
Long Island and Fisher's Island Sounds, setting forth the advantages
to be derived to navigation from this whistle, and urging that it be
introduced into the light vessels, and at all stations where the
government intends to afford protection to navigation.--_Annual of
Scientific Discovery_, p. 70.
27. _Curious Electrical Phenomenon._--We learn from a letter from a
gentleman connected with the Bay State Mills, at Lawrence,
Massachusetts, some facts with reference to a new and curious
application of electricity which has been introduced in those mills.
The electricity is generated by the motion of the machinery, and is
employed for lighting up the gas burners. It exists in large
quantities in the card-rooms, where there are many belts running on
iron pulleys, and, in the cold dry atmosphere of winter, often
producing serious damage to the quality of the cording. The manner in
which it was discovered that this electricity could be applied to
"lighting up," is somewhat curious. When the gas was first let into
the pipes in the mills, one of the overseers discovered fire setting
out from one of the pipes near a belt, and on examination it was
ascertained that a small stream of gas was escaping. It was surmised
that it had been ignited by the electricity, and to prove it, an
experiment was tried. Near a large belt in the carding-room was a
gas-burner, and on a bench between them there was placed a small
quantity of wool, which is a non-conductor of electricity. If a person
stood upon this wool, reaching one hand within two or three inches of
the belt, and touching the gas-burner with one finger of the other,
the escaping gas was at once ignited with an explosion like that of a
percussion-cap,--the body of the operator thus being made the medium
for conducting the electricity.
The writer adds,--"We shall be able to make a great saving of expense
in the woollen manufacture, as soon as we can discover an effective
method of conducting the electricity away from the cards, as we shall
then be able to dispense entirely with the use of oil on the wool, we
shall save at least $30,000 per annum, when the mills are in full
operation."--_American Annual of Scientific Discovery_ p. 117.
_List of Patents granted for Scotland from 22d March to
22d June 1850._
1. To JAMES HIGGINS, of Salford, in the county of Lancaster, machine
maker, and THOMAS SHOWFIELD WHITWORTH, of Salford aforesaid,
"improvements in machinery for preparing, spinning, and doubling
cotton, wool, flax, silk, and similar fibrous materials."--22d March
1850.
2. To FRANCAIS VOUILLON, of Princes Street, Hanover Square, in the
county of Middlesex, manufacturer, "improvements in the manufacture of
hats, caps, bonnets, and other articles made of the same or similar
materials."--26th March 1850.
3. To WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66 Chancery
Lane, in the county of Middlesex, civil engineer, "improvements in the
manufacture of knobs of doors, articles of furniture, or other
purposes, and in connecting metallic attachments to articles made of
glass, or other analogous materials."--26th March 1850.
4. To JONATHAN CHARLES GOODALL, of Great College Street, Camden Town,
in the county of Middlesex, card-maker, "improvements in machinery for
cutting paper."--27th March 1850.
5. To CHARLES FELTON HAILSMAN, of Argyle Street, in the county of
Middlesex, gentleman, "improvements in machinery for spinning or
twisting cotton, wool, or other fibrous substances."--28th March 1850.
6. To ROBERT MILLIGAN, of Harden, near Bingley, in the county of York,
manufacturer, "an improvements mode of treating certain floated warp,
or welt, or both, for the purpose of producing ornamented
fabrics."--28th March 1850.
7. To ROBERT WHITE, and JAMES HENDERSON GRANT, both of Dalmarnock
Road, Glasgow, North Britain, engineers, "certain improvements in
machinery, or apparatus to be used in mines, which improvements, or
parts thereof, are also applicable to other purposes of a similar
nature."--11th April 1850.
8. To WILLIAM M'LARDY, of Manchester, gentleman, "certain improvements
in machinery or apparatus for preparing and spinning cotton and other
fibrous substances."--15th April 1850.
9. To JOHN SCOFFERN, of Essex Street, in the county of Middlesex, M.
B., "improvements in the manufacture and refining of sugar, and in the
treatment and use of matters obtained in such manufacture, and in the
construction of valves, and in such and other manufacture."--17th
April 1850.
10. To JAMES BUCK WILSON, of St Helens, in the county of Lancaster,
rope-maker, "certain improvements in wire ropes."--22d April 1850.
11. To THOMAS SYMES PRIDEAUX, of Southampton, gentleman, "improvements
in puddling, and other furnaces."--26th April 1850.
12. To CHARLES COWPER, of Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
county of Middlesex, "certain improvements in the treatment of coal,
and in separating coal and other substances from foreign matters, and
in the artificial fuel and coke, and in the distillation and treatment
of tar and other products from coal, together with improvements in the
machinery and apparatus employed for the said purposes," being a
communication.--26th April 1850.
13. To VIDIE LUCIEN, late of Paris, in France, but now of South
Street, Finsbury, French Advocate, "improvements in conveyances on
land and water."--26th April 1850.
14. To ROBERT DALGLEISH, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, in
Scotland, merchant and calico printer, "certain improvements in
printing, and in the application of colours to silk, cotton, linen,
woollen, and other textile fabrics."--27th April 1850.
15. To ETHIAN CAMPBELL, of the city of New York, in the United States
of America, philosophical, practical, and experimental engineer,
"certain new and useful improvements for generating and applying
motive power, and for propelling vessels."--30th April 1850.
16. To ROBERT REID, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, manufacturer,
"certain improvements in weaving."--3d May 1850.
17. To MAXWELL MILLER, of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark,
coppersmith, "certain improvements in distilling and rectifying."--3d
May 1850.
18. To THOMAS KEELY, of the town and county of Nottingham,
manufacturer, and WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, of the same place, frame-work
knitter, "certain improvements in looped or elastic fabrics, and in
articles made therefrom; also certain machinery for producing the said
improvements, which is applicable in whole or in part to the
manufacture of looped fabrics generally."--8th May 1850.
19. To PETER ARMAND LE COMTE MOREAU FONTAINE, of 4 South Street,
Finsbury Square, in the county of Middlesex, patent agent, "certain
improvements for the production of heat and light, which improvements
are applicable to ventilation, and the prevention of explosions,"
being a communication.--9th May 1850.
20. To ETHIAN BALDWIN, of the city of Philadelphia and State of
Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, "a new and useful
method of generating and applying steam in propelling vessels
locomotive, and stationary machinery."--9th May 1850.
21. To JACOB CANNON, of Hyde Park, in the county of Middlesex,
gentleman, "improvements in melting, moulding, and casting sand,
earth, and other substances for paving, building, and various other
useful purposes."--20th May 1850.
22. To GEORGE JACKSON, of Belfast, Ireland, flax-dresser,
"improvements in heckling machinery."--24th May 1850.
23. To FREDERICK ROSENBERG, Esquire, of Albermarle Street, in the
county of Middlesex, and CONRAD MONTGOMERY, Esquire, of the Army and
Navy Club, Saint James's Square, in the same county, "improvements in
sewing, cutting, boring, and shaping wood."--24th May 1850.
24. To GEORGE FORD HAYWARD, of St Martins Le Grand, in the county
of Middlesex, "improvements in obtaining power," being a
communication.--27th May 1850.
25. To JOSEPH BARRANS, of St Pauls, Deptford, in the county of Kent,
engineer, "improvements in axles and axle-boxes of locomotive engines,
and other railway carriages."--27th May 1850.
26. To SAMUEL FISHER, of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick,
engineer, "improvements in railway carriage-wheels, axles, buffer, and
draw-springs, and hinges for railway carriage and other doors."--28th
May 1850.
27. To THOMAS CHANDLER, of Stockton, Wilts, "improvements in machinery
for applying liquid manure."--28th May 1850.
28. To THOMAS DICKSON ROTCH, Esquire, of Drumlamford House, in the
county of Ayr, North Britain, "improvements in separating various
matters usually found combined in certain saccharine, saline, and
ligneous substances."--28th May 1850.
29. To HENRY COLUMBUS HURRY, of Manchester, in the county of
Lancaster, civil engineer, "certain improvements in the method of
lubricating machinery,"--29th May 1850.
30. To SIMON PINCOFFS, of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster,
merchant, "certain improvements in the ageing process in printing and
dyeing calicoes, and other woven fabrics, which improvements are also
applicable to other processes in printing and dyeing calicoes and
other woven fabrics."--30th May 1850.
31. To WILLIAM MACALPINE, of Spring Vale, in the county of Middlesex,
general dresser, and THOMAS MACALPINE, of the same place, manager,
"improvements in machinery for washing cotton, linen, and other
fabrics."--31st May 1850.
32. To CHARLES ANDREW, of Compstall Bridge, in the county of Chester,
manufacturer, and RICHARD MARKLAND, of the same place, manager,
"certain improvements in the method of, and in the machinery or
apparatus for, preparing warps for weaving."--31st May 1850.
33. To JAMES PALMER BUDD, of the Ystalyfera iron works, Swansea,
merchant, "improvements in the manufacture of coke."--31st May 1850.
34. To JOHN DALTON, of Hollingsworth, in the county of Chester, calico
printer, "certain improvements in and applicable to machinery or
apparatus for bleaching, dyeing, printing, and finishing textile and
other fabrics, and in the engraving of copper rollers, and other
metallic bodies."--5th June 1850.
35. To FREDERICK ALBERT GATTY, of Accrington in the county of
Lancaster, Manchester, manufacturing chemist, "a certain process, of
certain processes for obtaining carbonate of soda and carbonate of
potash."--5th June 1850.
36. To JULES LE BASTIER, of Paris, in the Republic of France, but now
of South Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, gentleman,
"certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for printing."--6th
June 1850.
37. To WILLIAM ROBERTTON, of Gateshead Mill, Neilston, in the county
of Renfrew, in that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called Scotland, machine maker, "improvements in certain
machinery used for spinning and doubling cotton and other fibrous
substances."--7th June 1850.
38. To FRANCIS TONGUE RUFFORD, of Prescott House, in the county of
Worcester, fire-brick manufacturer, ISAAC MARSON, of Cradley, in the
same county, potter, and JOHN FINCH, of Pickard Street, City Road, in
the county of Middlesex, manufacturer, "improvements in the
manufacture of baths and wash tubs, or wash vessels."--10th June 1850.
39. To BARON LOUIS LE PRESTI, of Paris, in the Republic of France
"improvements in hydraulic presses, which are, in whole or in part,
applicable to pumps and other like machines."--10th June 1850.
40. To ARTHUR ELLIOT, machine maker, of Manchester, in the county of
Lancaster, and HENRY HEYS, of the same place, book-keeper, "certain
machinery for manufacturing woven fabrics."--14th June 1850.
41. To CHARLES COWPER, of Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
county of Middlesex, patent agent, "improvements in instruments for
measuring, indicating, and regulating the pressure of air, steam, and
other fluids, and in instruments for measuring, indicating, and
regulating the temperature of the same, and in instruments for
obtaining motive power from the same."--14th June 1850.
Transcriber's Notes:
Punctuation was standardized. Words in italics are surrounded by
underscores, _like this_. Accent marks in French and spaces after
apostrophes in Italian were standardized. Greek was transliterated.
Footnotes were numbered sequentially, indented and moved to follow the
paragraph or table in which the anchor occurs.
The book originally contained two Tables of Contents, the second of
which pertained to the ensuing volume. The second Table of Contents
was removed from this edition.
Several tables in the Climate of Whitehaven article were too wide to
display on a standard computer screen. The tables were divided, with
the left-most column replicated, for ease of reading.
Hyphenation of the following words was standardized:
juxta-position to juxtaposition
starfishes to star-fishes
steam-boats to steamboats
sub-divided to subdivided
Archaic and obsolete spelling was retained. The following were adjusted:
'he' to 'be' - ... all animals must be referred to ...
'nimals' to 'animals' ... habits of those animals,...
'alogether' to 'altogether' ... are altogether tropical,...
'phemonena' to 'phenomena' ... the most striking phenomena ...
'acquatic' to 'aquatic' ... in the aquatic animals ...
'thes pecimens' to 'the specimens' ...comparison of the specimens ...
'Cystoseirites' for 'Cystosceri'es' ... the two Cystoseirites ...
'archaiologcal' to 'archaeological' ... archaeological researches ...
'metmorphic' to 'metamorphic' ... igneous and metamorphic rocks,...
'circumcribed' to 'circumscribed' ... remains circumscribed as it ...
'Artic' to 'Arctic' ... around the Arctic Sea ...
'Saskatchawan' to 'Saskatchewan' ... the Mackenzie or Saskatchewan ...
'heholding' to 'beholding' ... ever finding or beholding it,...
'hippotami' to 'hippopotami' ... killing the hippopotami ...
'languge' to 'language' ... words I collected of their language ...
'Boabob' to 'Baobab' ... Two of the Baobab variety ...
'trachite' to 'trachyte' ... columnar basalt, trachyte, and many ...
'reremains' to 'remains' ...destitute of organic remains,...
'may' to 'many' ... uncertainty in many cases,...
'analagous' to 'analogous' ... they are analogous to fishes;...
'Ichthysaur' to 'Ichthyosaur' ... the Ichthyosaur, with their ...
'carniverous' to 'carnivorous' ... large carnivorous fishes ...
'tailess' to 'tailless' ... below the tailless Batrachians....
'circomvolute' to 'circumvolute' .... the circumvolute nautilus....
'fortell' to 'foretell' ... may foretell a higher progress ...
'emperical' to 'empirical' ... my empirical law,...
'hypothethis' to 'hypothesis' ...conditions of Kirkwood's hypothesis....
'appears' to 'appear' ... these appear to be:...
'arsenuous' to 'arsenious' ... arsenious and arsenic acid,...
'Novia' to 'Nova' ... New Brunswick and Nova Scotia;...
'Pittsburg' to 'Pittsburgh' ... great bed of Pittsburgh, extending ...
'N.U.' to 'N.H.' ... and at Hanover, N.H., about 560 feet....
'thoraci' to 'thoracic' ... at the thoracic region,...
'Packydermata' to 'Pachydermata' ... type of the Pachydermata....
'sufficently' to 'sufficiently' ... iron sufficiently strong to ...
'Conard' to 'Conrad' ... and Conrad Montgomery, Esquire,...