that in this instance, at least, if not in every other, machinery brings with it its advantages and consolations? We fear not.

A view of this machine is given in the prefixed engraving. From the bar which forms the top, and which is held by the left hand to steady the machine, descends two strong bent steel springs, the ends of which are screwed into two curved plates of iron, about fifteen inches long, and two inches wide, which are thus kept in a horizontal position on their edges, and are pressed close together by the action of the springs. These plates are lined with leather, and are bevelled off at the tops, forming a groove, in which is placed a polishing powder which gradually works its way into the leathers. On inserting a knife between them, and moving it backwards and forwards three or four times, it comes out thoroughly cleaned, both sides and back at once.

REPORTS BY THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND THE ARTS OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, ON INVENTIONS REFERRED TO THEM FOR EXAMINATION.

[From the Journal of the Franklin Institute.] Laubach's Blacksmith's Tuyere Iron. That they have examined the model of Laubach's Patent Tuyere Iron, with a revolving or vibrating hearth.

The improvement consists of a vertical cast-iron cylinder, about 8 or 10 inches in length, and from 4 to 5 inches in diameter, with a concave flanch at the upper end, that corresponds with and forms the bottom of the hearth; this flanch also projects inward, and contracts the opening in the cylinder to about 2 inches diameter; this aperture is regulated by a sort of triangular valve of cast-iron fixed on a rod that passes out in front of the forge, (similar to a throttle. valve,) this valve regulates the quantity of blast, and closes the aperture when required, to prevent the small coal, or cinder, from falling into the cylinder, which is provided with a sliding bottom that may be withdrawn when necessary to discharge the coal, or cinder that may have accumulated in the cylinder. There is a horizontal tube projecting from the side of the cylinder to receive the pipe of the bellows.

We believe the arrangement is new. The claim set forth by the inventor, is for constructing the blacksmith's forge with a revolving or vibratory hearth; and, in combination therewith, the cylinder with a basined rim, forming part of the hearth, and having a tube to receive the nozzle of the bellows; said cylinder receiving the blast from the

bellows, and serving as a receiver for the small cinder, as before described.

The committee are of opinion that it is superior to any of the former tuyeres that have been brought forward; they are, moreover, strengthened in their opinion by many certificates, which have been given of its superiority by persons who have made a trial of it, and would, therefore, recommend it to the notice of the public.

By order of the Committee,

WILLIAM HAMILTON, Actuary.

Calderhead's Carpet Loom.

That the main features of this invention, are placing the pattern cylinder under the warp, and causing to act upon perpendicular needles, each of which has an eye through which a thread of the warp is passed, thus enabling each particular thread to be lifted by the pattern, at the proper moment, to produce a shed for the weft to pass through, and form a point in the figure of the fabric in hand.

The committee have not the slightest doubt, that Alexander Calderhead actually invented the improved loom before them, and think he deserves the highest credit for the ingenuity and perseverance with which, through many discouragements, he has laboured to bring his loom to its present state of simplicity and perfection; and the committee will here incidentally observe, that they have good reason to believe that looms upon this simple plan will be found highly useful for weaving carpets, and similar fabrics of a coarse texture.

Nevertheless, an examination of previous patents has brought the committee to the conclusion, that the same form of loom, in all its essentials, has been before devised, and made the subject of a patent, by C. M. H. Molinard, which passed the Great Seal of England on the 9th of April, 1833, (see Newton's London Journal of Arts, &c., vol. xv. conjoined series, page 287,) where the following description will be found:

"The present invention is to place the roller which carries the pierced cards under the warp threads, in the back part of the loom, and to cause the pierced cards as they successively come into operation, to act against the under parts of a series of perpendicular needles through the eyes of which the warp threads are severally passed."

This description precisely applies to the loom before us, which, therefore, cannot be regarded as a new invention.

By order of the Committee,
WILLIAM HAMILTON, Actuary.

STEAM

JOHNSTON'S PATENT IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS-DESCRIPTION OF A SEVEN-HORSE POWER BOILER, CONSTRUCTED ACCORDING TO MR. JOHNSTON'S PLAN, AT PRESENT WORKING ON BOARD THE "ALERT" STEAMER, AT THE WEST QUAY, GREENOCK. COMMUNICATED BY THE INVENTOR. *

The boiler, properly speaking, consists of two parts, viz., the furnace and the body of the boiler. The furnace is placed on the front and outside of the boiler; the sides and roof of it are made of a double casing of sheet iron, the iron of each casing being one eighth part of an inch thick; the water space between the casings is a quarter of an inch wide, and the casings are bolted to one another every two and half inches.

The sides of the furnace are perpendicular; the roof is sloped like the top of a house, each half of the roof being set at an angle of forty-five degrees to the sides of the furnace. The water space of the furnace has three openings or communicationa with the body of the boiler; of these communications there is one at the lower part of eaeh side of the furnace, and the third is at the ridge of the roof of the furnace. In consequence of this arrangement, a powerful current of water is constantly circulating up the sides, and over and along the roof of the furnace. It is this current of water which prevents the deposit of salt and other substances.

The body of the boiler is divided into seven chambers or flues, which communicate at one end with the furnace, and at the other end are each provided with a separate chim. ney communicating with the funnel. Each of these chambers measures, from top to bottom, 2 feet 9 inches; from furnace to chim. ney, 2 feet; width, 2 inches.

Between each chamber there is a water space of a quarter of an inch in width. In those narrow water spaces, the ascending current of water is created by the action of the heat supplied from the seven chambers. At each side, in the body of the boiler, there is a large water space, through which the currents of water descend, and on those descending water spaces the fire is not allowed to act; for were this permitted, the velocity of the current would be checked, and the boiler injured.

The entrances from the seven chambers into the chimneys are at the bottom or lower part of the chambers. By this arrangement a saving of fuel is effected, as the products of combustion are thus retained in the chambers until all the available heat has been absorbed by the water.

* Mr. Johnston's patent is dated 8th February last; the specification due 8th August, is not yet enrolled.

415

This boiler has been in active operation for eight days, working ten hours each day, with salt water; and so very far from there being the slightest deposit of salt, or any other injurious substance, on the flues or furnace, the currents of water have, on the contrary, worn or displaced the rust which originally covered the plates of which they are formed.

Boilers constructed according to this plan can be made to weigh less per horse power than any other description of boiler at present existing, and this without any diminution of the strength of the boiler. J. J.

Willow Park, Greenock, 10th June, 1844.

TOWNEND'S PATENT WATER REPELLENT

FABRICS.

[Patentee Charles Townend, of Manchester, Fustian Manufacturer. Patent dated, March 6, 1844; Specification enrolled, May 4, 1844.]

We extract the following description of these fabrics from the patentee's specification :

"My improved process or manufacture whereby cotton fabrics are aided and made repellent to water and mildew, and any unpleasant smell is prevented in such fabrics, consists in steeping the fabric which is intended to be aided and made repellent to water and to be preserved and protected from mildew and any unpleasant smell in the solutions hereinafter described, or in drawing or passing the same fabric through such solutions, which I have found to aid the cloth, and make it repellent to water, and prevent mildew and any unpleasant smell in such fabric or cloth, and since I believe and understand it to be the general practice of dyers and others, accustomed to use such like processes, to mix their solutions, with reference to the manufactured material to be steeped therein, or drawn, or passed through the same; and without regard to its length or width, I shall describe my process on this plan, which is generally taken as the most accurate. The mixture of ingredients which I shall now proceed to describe will be found the best quantity in which to steep, or through which to draw or pass fabrics of about the weight of 40 lbs. for 60 yards in length, and about 27 inches in width of such fabric, The manner in which my said improved process or manufacture is to be performed, is by a mixture or new combination of the following ingredients in the subjoined, or any other relative proportions.

"Take 8 gallons of cold water into a vessel or vat, and add thereto 20 lbs. of calcined British gum, and mix them well together until fine and pasty. Then take 7 gallons of boiling water in another vessel or vat,

and add thereto 10 lbs. of palm or white soap cut into small pieces, and when thoroughly dissolved add this solution to the above gum mixture; then put in one pint of logwood liquor, and boil them up together; then add thereto 3 lbs. of common or rock alum in its crystallized state, and for the purpose of rapid dissolution, I prefer that the alum should be previously ground or pulverized, and well boiled or dissolved in one gallon of water; boil the whole up together for a few minutes, and the mixture will then be ready for use. The cloth or fabric intended to be saturated (having been previously prepared and dyed) is to be introduced into a suitable vessel containing the above mixture, and to be steeped in, or drawn, or passed through the same in the usual manner of stiffening and dry cotton fabrics. It will be found that the cloth which has been submitted to the above process will be entirely divested of any unpleasant smell, and have a nonabsorbent property; in fact, be repellent to water, and will also have a preventive finish against mildew; and the colour and feel of the cloth will be much improved. I also wish it to be understood that I have found that the following combinations of solution and of mixture will produce a similar result; viz., for the solution boil 6 lbs. of sulphate of zink (white vitriol) in 9 gallons of water, allow it to go cold and settle, then draw off the clear solution leaving the sediment, then take 8 gallons of cold water, and add to it 20 lbs. of calcined British gum, and mix them well together until fine and pasty; then take 8 gallons of boiling water, and add to it 10 lbs. of palm or white soap cut into small pieces, and when slowly dissolved add to it the last-mentioned gum mixture; add also 4 oz. of pearlash, and bring them up to a boiling heat; the mixture is then ready for use. The cloth or fabric intended to be saturated (having been previously prepared and dried in the usual way) is to be first steeped in or drawn or passed through the zink solution and then immediately afterwards steeped in or drawn or passed through the last-mentioned mixture in the usual manner of stiffening and drying cotton fabrics.-Although this invention is principally intended to be used for such goods or fabrics as are manufactured from or with cotton, I wish it to be understood that I chiefly intend to apply the said processes and new combinations to friction cloths commonly called Beaverteens, and I distinctly state that I do not mean to confine my claim to the use of the precise quantities here specified, as they are mentioned merely for illustration, and are such as I have found

in practice to be most convenient and bene. ficial."

NOTES AND NOTICES.

The most Magnificent Organ in the World.-The organ of Fribourg is celebrated throughout Europe; the whole of Switzerland speaks of it with pride. One government has offered the maker 100,000 francs to build one similar to it; but the organist of Fribourg is too old and too great a philosopher to undertake it. His fame and his profits are sufficient to his ambition and his wants. He is always at the disposal of amateurs, and ready to play on his organ for twelve francs. The price is the same whether he plays for a single individual or a number. After dinner, at the Hotel de Saringham, which is the first in the town, travellers are in the habit of going down to the church, where, by means of a small collection, made among themselves, they hear the most magnificent concert which can be imagined. Nothing can convey an idea of the effect of this beautiful and solemn music heard in the evening, under the dark and melancholy roof of a cathedral. At first are heard the soft sounds of a pastoral scene; anon the thunder growls, the shepherds and their flocks fly, terrified, to seek the shelter of their homes, and the villagers assemble for evening prayer. This last part is the most beautiful and the most astonishing of the whole concert. The organ of Fribourg produces, most astonishingly, the sound and the accent of the human voice. One hears, distinctly, the men, the women, and the children singing, sometimes together, sometimes solo, and every word uttered by the individual is clearly pronounced by this almost miraculous instrument. This is certainly a very great wouder; and the secret of the organist of Fribourg may produce a wonderful change in the whole art of music.-Jersey News.

American Scraps.-The Treasury department is now building six iron revenue steamers of 350 tons each, under the direction of Captain Howard; two of them are on Ericsson's plan, and four on Lieutenant Hunter's plan.--Last year, the West had 450 steam-boats of 90,000 tons. It has now not less than 600, with the average tonnage of 125,000 tons, and their value at 72 dols. per ton, is about nine millions of dols.--During the last year. 12,035 tons were built at Cincinnati and 7,400 tons at Louisville.--Mr. J. B. Allen, of Springfield, Conn., has completed a telescope 8 feet, with lenses of a magnifying power of about 1300.--Captain Page is building a steamer of large dimensions, at Bath, Me., for navigating the Black Sea. She is on Ericsson's principle.--Extensive cotton factories are being erected at Cincinnati.--The organ now building in New York, for Trinity Church, is to be 53 feet high, 27 wide, and 32 deep. The whole number of pipes will be 2,169, divided among 43 draw stops, 11 of which are to be diapasons. The largest metal diapason pipe, which will be visible in the centre of the organ's front, is to be 5 feet in circumference, and 28 feet long. The organ is to have 4 key-boards or ranks of keys. Its entire weight is estimated to be more than forty tons. It is to cost 10,000 dollars.--The John Mason, steamer, made the passage from Troy to Albany, 7 miles, in 21 minutes! This is 4 minutes less than any steamer ever made it before.--A locomotive with 31 burden cars, burst on the Roanoke-road, and did considerable damage.--Horse-hair bonnets have appeared in Broadway, New York.The bucks in lowa, when dressed in their Sunday go-to-meeting togs, have a pair of pantaloons composed of hemp and hop vines, a vest made of a hornet's nest and paste, a shirt manufactured of mill weed and cotton, and to crown all, they wear wolf-skin caps and go barefoot. What will Mrs. Trollope say now?