expresses the velocity in miles per hour; so that when V is expressed in miles per hour, we must reduce it to feet, for this plain reason, that we cannot add feet and miles together, before we first reduce them to the same denomination. But, Mr. Editor, it would be insulting you, as well as your many scientific readers, to add one word more upon this foolish blunder of Mr. Herapath's.

- Mr. Herapath concludes his notable article by referring to his 9th Letter, vol. xxiii. p. 425, where we will see his reason for limiting the descending plane to 6 feet per mile, &c. This forms what I have called Mr. Herapath's patch-work; neither shall it escape when the proper time comes. I shall not for some time, at least, take any notice of what Mr. H. may state in answer to this. I shall proceed in the way I promised at the conclusion of my last article. Yours, &c.

Dec. 16, 1835.

IVER M'IVER.

THE WHALE-SHIPS BESET IN THE ICE.

Sir,-In the event of a vessel going to the Arctic regions, with a view of discovering and relieving the crews of whaling vessels supposed to be frozen in there, might not a balloon be advantageously employed to reconnoitre? The plan would be, for a line of sufficient length to be secured to the bottom of the car, by which the balloon might be hauled down when required. The apparatus for inflating it with pure hydrogen, need not be either intricate, bulky, or expensive, if made by an experienced person; and pure hydrogen being used, the quantity required would be much less, and consequently the balloon might be of proportionally smaller dimensions than if coal gas (carburetted hydrogen), were employed.

Whether the state of atmosphere in such high latitudes might be prohibitory, I do not know.

To many the proposition may appear chimerical, but not so to those who are acquainted with the fact of General Jourdan, owing his victory at Fleuris in 1794 to the reconnoitering and communicating by signals of the position of the enemy, made by a French engineer from a balloon at an elevation of about 400 yards. I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, W. VERE.

Dec. 2, 1835.

ON THE USE OF ZINC GUITERS, ETC., AS A PREVENTIVE AGAINST THE SPREAD OF FIRE.

Sir, I read with much surprise, in page 224 of your last Number, the sug gestion of "Henricus," to use zinc for gutters instead of lead, in consequence of the power attributed to the former metal of "resisting the flames."

Your correspondent can have but a very superficial acquaintance with the properties of the metal he recommends, or he would hardly have ventured to put forth a statement so much opposed to facts, as that to which I have referred. In the very same Number that contains Henricus' suggestion (644), the melting points of the two metals are stated to be, lead 612°, and zinc 700o.

The melting point of lead according to Crichton, is 6120 of Fahrenheit's scale; that of zine, according to Sir Humphrey Davy, is 680°. At all events, the melt ing points of these two metals approximate so nearly, that for any protection afforded to the exposed parts of a building against fire, there would be no prac tical difference between them.

In fact, had the gutters of the Penitenfiary at Millbank been lined with zinc instead of lead, previous to the late fire (as now recommended), they would have melted just as soon, and left the rafters exposed in the same way as the leaden ones did.

Zinc, doubtless, possesses many qualities which render its employment for particular purposes highly advantageous, but the power of "resisting flame" is cer tainly not among the number. So far as it is considered in reference to fire, zinc is a very objectionable metal, for it is

not only fusible at a comparatively low temperature, but also actually combustible. This metal, therefore, should never be employed in the construction of chinney-pots, cowls, and such like; for in the event of the chimney becoming foul and the soot taking fire, away goes the chimney-pot, "down below," in the form of a highly dangerous shower of ignited metal.

In consequence of the great improvements recently introduced in the manufacture of zinc, it is at this time in very extensive use, and is, as I before stated, in many instances most advantageously employed; but it has qualities which, in some degree, limit its usefulness, and those persons who recommend its indiscriminate use, can only do so upon the "nothing like leather" principle.

A plumber in this city some time since erected some additional workshops, which he covered in entirely with thin sheet. copper turned; this is a light and durable material, and is exceedingly pleasant to work; it can be jointed by soldering, either with or without lapping. It will resist a very considerable degree of heat, and may be safely employed where a heavier covering would be inadmissible. I remain, Sir,

Yours respectfully,
W. BADDELEY.

London, Dec. 16, 1835.

SHIP-SINKING SYSTEM.

Sir, My remarks exposing the misre presentations of the writer of the article in your July Number, entitled "Shipsinking System," have, it seems, called forth the energies of Mr. Ballingall, who, in the present Part (November), undertakes to verify and prove to be fact what your correspondent (First of June), alleges," and to that end has published a correspondence between himself and the secretary to Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, with his own not very courteous remarks by way of explanation.

Having read the correspondence with the best attention of which I am capable, all that I can make of it (of course leaving Mr. B.'s comments out of the ques tion), is simply this:-Mr. Ballingall has devised some plan for constructing ships,

Supplied by Messrs. Warners, Jewin Crescent.

which he thinks superior to that in common use. He is anxious to introduce it to the public notice, and, therefore, writes to the Secretary to ascertain the opinion of the Committee, and, if possible, to obtain their recommendation of it to the public. The Committee seem to think (and, in my opinion, justly), that it is not authorised to pledge itself to assign a class to a ship before she is built, and to satisfy Mr. Ballingall, refer him to the principles upon which ships are classed, viz. their intrinsic qualities, taking into account the materials made use of and the mode of construction. Whatever opinion I might have previously formed of the conduct of the Committee, the answer given in this case has proved to my satisfaction, at least, that IT does not consist of men who are combining to prevent good and safe ships from being built. This was at one period Mr. Ballingall's own opinion, as is evident from the prominent part he took in a meeting held at Leith on the 6th of March last, when he moved the following resolution :—

"That this Meeting having fully considered the rules for classification adopted in June last by the Provisional Committee for the Regulation of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, is of opinion, that they have not been adopted on any theoretical or practical knowledge of the strength or durability of the different kinds of timber therein mentioned, but are founded on prejudice or on information obtained from interested parties, and are for the benefit of the few, to the evident injury of those ship-owners and ship-builders of the United Kingdom who are at a great distance from the great importing mercantile cities and the timber counties of England."

The burden of this resolution is, that the Committee will not sanction the use of (what is in its estimation) inferior material in ships claiming to be placed in the highest class.

After this resolution follow several others requiring such an alteration of the Rules of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping as would admit foreign oak timbers to be used to a much greater extent, or, in other words, to lower the standard of quality. These were fol lowed by one, approving the mode of construction recommended by the rules, coupled with a suggestion to increase or require a heavier scantling. The scantlings adopted are of the minimum size that

can be admitted as sufficient for ships hereafter to be built, and do not prevent, but rather encourage the adoption of a heavier scantling, by requiring that the size shall be independent of sap or wane, or, in other words, that the timber shall be of such size as at least to allow its being squared to the dimensions given in the table of scantlings, and then be free from sap.

Amongst other things it was declared at this Meeting at Leith, that the limitation of the use of foreign oak was merely conceded to conciliate the "worthies at Lloyd's, and not because of " any conviction of its inferiority to British oak.”

I had intended to make some remarks upon the fallacy of the pretensions put forth by Mr. Ballingall in behalf of what he calls his plan of construction; but I forbear, not being disposed to enter into a controversy with a man whose statements and writings in different publications are at variance with fact.

Since this letter was commenced, I have seen Mr. Ballingall's last letter in the Mechanics' Magazine, and observe, that he now calls himself a naval architect, and yet is found advocating the use of materials for ship-building, which are practically admitted even by the "worthies 19 at Leith to be inferior to English oak, or they would not give the high price they do for ships built entirely of British oak.

1 am yours, &c.

AN OLD CORRESPONDENT. P.S.-It seems from Mr. Ballingall's postscript to his letter, that he imagines caulking the ceiling is a new invention. It has been in use for time out of mind, and is still practised in most vessels employed in the corn and flour trade.

THE ALMANACS FOR 1836.

(Concluded from our last, p. 239.)

Partridge's "Merlinus Liberatus," for the "148th year of our Deliverance by King William III. from Popery and Arbitrary Government," is so good in its astronomical department, as to make us doubt whether we were right in saying in our last, that Moore is" unrivalled among the popular Ephemerides." Partridge is only not so communi. cative on this head as Moore, but in all that he does say he is equally correct and clear. We wish he had extended to the mundane portions of his work a little of the same care

which he has bestowed on the celestial. In some of his year lists he is sadly inaccurate. In the course of only one page (35), we have Francis II., of Austria, wearing a crown, who, nearly a twelvemonth ago, was gathered to his fathers; Lord Denman denuded of his peerage, and enacting Lord Chief Justice as plain Sir Thomas; Sir W. E. Taunton, who is in his grave, occupying a seat on the bench; and Lord Lyndhurst sitting in that chair in which he was long ago so worthily succeeded by Lord Abinger!

Cardanus Rider, whose correct and copious Fair Lists, and Farm and Garden Directions, have obtained for his work a wide circulation among professional fair-goers and amateur cultivators, shows in his Notes on Husbandry and Gardening, that he keeps a vigilant eye on the march of improvement in those departments to which his attention is particularly devoted. We quote, by way of sample, a notice of Sir Henry Stuart's successful method of transplanting full-grown trees, which, if we may judge from the small number of imitators he has had, is by no means so well known as it deserves to be.

December." This is the best time for trans planting large trees on the curious and important plan recently introduced by Sir H. Stuart. Any tree, even from 25 to 36 feet high, may be transplanted in this way:-A hole is dug for its reception a year before its removal. The tree is then dug under, and the roots are, with the utmost care, separated from the earth until very nearly all have bren loosened. A large engine is then carried to the tree; it is no more than a long pole on an axle and wheels. The pole is lashed upright to the tree; it is then pulled to a horizontal position over the axle, and of course the tree is dragged with it. A ball of earth is left close to the stem; the roots and the branches are tied up, and the tree is carried in a balanced position to its destination. The roots are then liberated; the tree is let down into the pit; and with the utmost caution and precision, the roots, tier by tier, are imbedded in the sand by experienced workmen, and so expeditiously are they incorporated with the soil, that there is no necessity for any artificial props to support the tree. The expense of this removal averages from 10s. to 13s,"

The Englishman is, as it has always been since it was first started, extremely accurate and complete, and (typographically considered) surpassingly neat; but presents this year no striking novelty, unless, perhaps, we may except a column in the calendar pages, in which the more remarkable geographical discoveries are very distinctly, yet briefly,

indicated.

The Mechanics' Almanac may be considered as altogether a new almanac, having not only superseded the Tradesman's and Mechanics' Almanac of past years, but being on a wholly different plan. The almanac which has given way to it was intended to please two classes, which, though certainly within the relations of affinity, are by no means one and the same, either as to talents, acquire

f

ments, views, or feelings; and the consequence was, that it pleased neither. A mechanic may be also a tradesman, but it is not every tradesman, nor, indeed, one tradesman in five, who is a mechanic; and hence it is by no means surprising, when we look at the two classes, in their respective aggregates, that we should find the one, which is all mechanical, by much the better informed and more intelligent of the two. The workshop has been at all times a much better school of learning than the show-shop, whether wholesale or retail. No one who is conversant with the workshops of England can have failed to observe how much more readily any matter above ordinary comprehension is there understood, especially if it be of a scientific description, than in any miscellaneous assemblage of shop-keepers, chapmen, hawkers, pedlars, et id genus

omne.

Yet, strange to say, "the time has been, nor far removed from date," when it was thought necessary, by certain diffusers of knowledge (very ignorant, of course, of the real wants of those they pretended to instruct) to write down to the level of mechanics! Write down, forsooth! Write up would have suited far better the relative circumstances of the parties. The compilers of the Mecha-" nics' Almanac have happily steered quite clear of this besetting sin of the popular instructors of the day. The mechanics of England are here addressed as men, to whom there is nothing either too high to understand, or too good to enjoy. Neither labour nor expense seems to have been spared to make their almanac (for of its cordial adop tion as such we make no doubt) not only one of the best of the day, but of a description much superior to the generality of these publications. It would be impossible in ten times the space we can afford to do full justice to the multifarious contents of this annual-the unceasing variety and closelycondensed quantity of whose contents surpass any thing of the kind that has hitherto come under our notice. In addition to the astronomical, commercial, parliamentary, and miscellaneous information, usually to be found in the best, publications of a similar kind-this contains very copious historical and biographical reminiscences of each month, devoted especially to such matters as have reference to the progress of discovery in the arts and sciences. As a specimen of this part of the work, we open it at random, and in one page find notices of M. Charles the aeronaut, Eli Witney the inventor of the cotton-gin, William Bowyer the eminent printer, Sir Richard Arkwright, Sir Isaac Newton, Bernouilli, Boerhaave, &c. Nor are these mere notices-things of names and dates only, but highly interesting and detailed memorials. The smallness of the type, and

the great care that has been taken in condensation and selection, render this department truly a "multum in parvo" repository of facts. As specimens we quote the fol lowing:

"March 3, 1733.-Birthday of Dr. Joseph Priestley, a divine, a metaphysician, a politician, and a philosopher; in each of which characters be displayed abilities of a most rare, and occasionally exalted description. He was the first discoverer of oxygen, and mae a great many other valuable contributions to chemical science. He made more of his time,' says Professor Brande, 'than any person of whom I ever read or heard; and possessed the happy and rare talent of passing from study to amusement, and from amusement to study, without occasionally any retrograde movement in the train and connexion of his thoughts.' In his political opinions he was so much ahead of the times in which he lived, as to become unfortunately an object of popular fury. During the Birmingham Riots of 1791, his house was sacked by a Church and King' mob, and the whole of his library, manuscripts, and philosophical apparatus, cast into the flames. He fled from the persecution to which he was exposed to America, and took up his residence in Pennsylvania, where he died on the 4th of February 1804.

"August 1, 1774-Oxygen-gas first discovered by Dr. Priestley. Although no being can breathe without its presence, and no plant can live, it had never before been identified as a distinct and separate element of nature. It was called at first, in conformity with a theory which then existed, but has been long exploded, dephlogisticated air, and subsequently received its present name from Lavoisier. In the same year (1774), Scheele, the celebrated Swedish chemist, without being acquainted with what Dr. Priestley had done, also di-covered oxygen-gas, and gave it the name of empyreal air.

April 13, 1749-Joseph Bramah born. Incapacitated, when about sixteen years of age, by an accidental lameness, from following the occupation of his father, which was that of farming, bebecame a carpenter and joiner, and ultimately an engineer, in which profession he attained to great and deserved eminence. He was, without excep tion, the most prolific inventor of his age; and, next to James Watt, the most useful. He took out patents for upwards of twenty inventions, and made the world a present of almost as many as he patented. Among the most valuable productions of his inventive mind was the combination-lock and hydraulic-press, with which his name has been long identified, and the beer-machine now in universal use. He published an original and valuable letter on the law of patents, addressed to Judge Eyre, in reference to a trial for in ringing Mr. Watt's patent for improvements in the steam-engine. He died on the 9th of December, 1814.

"Dec. 25, 1758.-First predicted return of Halley's conret, observed by George Palitsch, of Prolitz, near Dresden; 'a pea ant by station,' says Sir John Herschel, but an astronomer by nature. He posses ed an eight-feet telescope, with which he made the discovery, and the next day communicated the fact to Dr. Hoffman, who immediately went to his cottage and saw the comet on the evenings of the 27th and 28th of December.'

We have also a classified list of all the patents taken out during the present year, and the number of those granted in each year since 1675-an abstract of the New Patent Act and a list of rewards granted by Government, from 1703 to 1835, for inventions, discoveries, and improvements. On civic affairs we have a great mass of authen

tic information connected with the companies, corporations, and guilds. Next follows information on the state of the workingclasses generally, such as tables of wages, &c. the mere titles of which would require more than a page to specify.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Railway Table-Cloth.-A splendid table-cloth, presenting a portion of the Manchester Railway, with carriages, &c. is now on the loom at Tonge, near Middleton. The drawing is almost as accurate as if pencilled, the colours are exceedingly brilliant and distinct. and the portion of the work already executed, presents a panoramic view of the scene. The jacquard with which it is being woven, the design and the workmanship, are all executed by Lancashire arti-ans.

New India-Rubber Fabric.-A discovery has been recently made by Mr. C. Goodyear, by which Judia-rubber, after having been dissolved, can be restored by a cheap process to its ancient whiteness, and the pure grain formed into a fabric to be used instead of cloth, leather, or parchment, and can be moulded into almost any form; and can also be combined in a variety of ways with cloth, cordage, or leather. Being first made white, it admits of every shade of colour, worked in, and as durable as the rubber itself. A variety of fine specimens are now being exhibited at the Mechanics' Institute at Castle Garden, which will give an idea of the general utility of the invention.-New York Journal of Commerce.

French Patents-During the last quarter, 145 patents have been granted by the French government, principally for inventions relative to printing, to the manufactory of native sugar, and of stuffs by locomotive machinery; to machinery of several kinds; to dyeing, perfumery, clothing, the art of curing, and music; one in particular, to a musical instrument-maker at Lyons, for a three-keyed bagle, Paris Advertiser.

M. Arago, perpetual secretary of the French Institute, has just been elected a foreign member of the Academy of Science at Gottingen.-Paris Advertiser.

On the late very recent appointment of Professor Airy, the salary was raised to 8007 a-year; but Viewing the long established character of the present holder for scientific acquirements, and the ability be displayed in the high situation he held at Cambridge, there is little danger of his appointment being considered as a Parliamentary job," though presented by the Treasury to a Cambridge man. Lord Melbourne, indeed, to do him justice, has now given up the patronage, of which the Treasury has hitherto been particularly tenacious, to the Board of Admiralty, together with the whole control and responsibility of the Royal Observatory. To no department of the Government, we will venture to say, could this patronage, control, and responsibility, be more properly intrusted, the original design of the Royal Observatory being, as its founder, Charles II., expressed himseif, for the use of my seamen." Quarterly Review.

Opening of the First German Railway.-Nurembury, Dec. 7.-In the morning at nine o'clock the iron railroad was opened in the manner named in the programme. M. Binder, the chief burgo master, opened the ceremony with an address, whi e the band of the Regiment of Landwehr played the national hymn. The monumental stone was uncovered, which has on one side the cipher of the King, with the inscription, "Germany's first iron railroad, with steam-power, 1835" (" Deutschlands erste cisen-bahn, mit dampfkraft, 1835"): on the other side are the united arms of the two towns with the inscription, "Nuremburg and Furth,'

After a short pause, the steam-carriage, with nine carriages for passengers attached to it, all decorated with the national colours, set out for Furth, while countless multitudes of spectators were assembled along the road. The carriages traversed the road three times, and were always filled with passengers. -German paper.

LIST OF NEW PATENTS, GRANTED BETWEEN THE 24TH OF NOVEMBER, AND 24TH OF DECEMBER, 1835.

Charles Pearse Chapman, of Cornhill, zincmanufacturer, for his improvements in printing silks, calicoes, and other fabrics. Nov. 24; six months to specify.

James Hellewell, of Springfield-lane, Salford, Lancaster, dyer, for an improved process or manufacture whereby the texture of cotton, and certain other fabrics and materials, may be rendered impervious to water. Nov. 28; six months.

Humphrey Jefferies, of Birmingham, goldsmith and jeweller, for certain improvements in buttons. Nov. 28; six months.

Thomas Robert Sewell, of Carrington, Nottingham, lace-manufacturer, for certain improvements in machinery for making lace, commonly called bobbin-net. Dec. 2; six months.

James Cropper, of Nottingham, lace-manufac turer, and Thomas Brown Milnes, of Lentonworks, Nottingham, bleacher, for certain improvements in machinery for manufacturing lace or net commonly called bobbin-net lace. December 3; six months.

William Wainwright Potts, of Burslem, Stafford, for an improved method or process of producing patterns in one or more colours to be transferred to earthenware, porcelain, china, glass, and other similar substances. December 3; six months.

Bennett Woodcroft, of Ardwick, Manchester, gentleman, for improvements in printing calicces and other fabrics, whether manufactured of cotton, silk, wool, or linen, or of all, or any two or three, of those materials. December 3; six months.

Thomas Parkin, of Dudley, Worcester, gentleman, for certain improvements in sleepers or bearers applicable to railroads. December 3; six months.

Alexander Gordon, of Fludyer-street, Westminster, and James Deville, of the Strand, amp-manufacturer, for certain improvements in the production, maintenance, direction, or distribution of lights, parts of which improvements are applicable to other purposes. December 3; six months.

Richard Witty, of Stoke-upon-Trent, Stafford, civil engineer, for an improved method or methods of arranging and combining certain materials used in constructing houses, bridges, and other buildings, whereby superior strength and durability will be obtained. December 3; six months.

James Radley, of Oldham, Lancaster, gentleman, for certain improvements in the construction of gauges for indicating or measuring the expansive pressure of steam, or other elastic vapours or gases used expansively as a medium of power. Decem ber 4; six months.

Miles Berry, of No. 66, Chancery-lane, for a certain improvement or certain improvements in power-looms for weaving; being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. December 5; six months.

Nathaniel Partridge, of Elm Cottage, near Stroud, Gloucester, gentleman, for the application of a certain composition paste or materials as an anti attrition applicable to the bearings of wheels and machinery gen rally. December 7; six months.