have, in Pennsylvania, been devoted to the prosecution of this manufacture. Three or four more are in contemplation, and will doubtless be speedily erected. Four are either finished or in progress at Stanhope, on the line of the Morris canal, in New Jersey. Those who have clearly understood the character of anthracite, as being the most dense form of mineral fuel, have long perceived the importance of applying it to the smelting of iron. Its comparative freedom from waste by transportation, and its little liability to change by atmospheric influences, have marked it as singularly favourable for use in furnaces at a distance from the place of its origin. But the more recent developments in the anthracite formations have proved that it is not, in general, necessary to resort to the expedient of carrying either the coal to the ore or the ore to the coal, in order to be able to make iron with anthracite. If either of these courses of transportation were really necessary, the former would for the most part be preferable, because the weight of ore necessary to produce a given weight of metallic iron, is in general greater than that of the anthracite required for its reduction. of the rich fossiliferous ore of Bloomsburg, from 2 to 24 tons are required to make one ton of iron, while of Wilkesbarre anthracite, from one ton and ten to one ton and twelve hundred weight is the quantity demanded, including what is necessary for heating the blast. When it becomes necessary to use anthracite to produce steam power for blast, the amounts of coal and ore are nearly equal, and the propriety of one or the other course of conveyance, would then be determined by other considerations.

Thus,

But, to return to the uses of anthracite ; it is not merely in the smelting of ores, and the production of pig metal, that our iron manufactures are now affording a profitable employment of this fuel. It has been satisfactorily demonstrated, that the processes of puddling, boiling, and, in subsequent stages of the process, that of heating blooms, slabs, and billets, can all be effected by this fuel alone. This, in fact, with its use, in the smith's fire, carries the metal through every stage, from the ore to the manufactured article, with no other fuel than anthracite.

The methods of boiling and puddling with anthracite have, it is believed, like the smelting of ores with the same fuel, been first invented in this country.* They will doubt

• Dr. Geisenheimer's patent for smelting iron with anthracite and hot blast, was taken out, we believe, before anything was effected, in that way, in Wales. This patent is understood to have been bought up by Mr. Crane, and is believed to be the only one, if any, which can avail against the public use of this process in the United States.

This patent of Frederick W. Geisenheimer bears

less be applied to the conversion into bar iron of other pig metal than that smelted with anthracite, and thus a large demand for the combustible cannot fail to be created.

Among the earliest attempts to use anthracite for smelting iron, may be mentioned that of certain members of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, who, in the year 1820, erected near Mauch Chunk a furnace, intended for that purpose. The first attempt on the Lehigh resulted in nearly the same manner as did a similar trial at Vizille, on the borders of France and Switzerland, under the charge of MM. Gueynard and Robin, where it was attempted to use anthracite either alone or in connexion with other fuel. This last, it is well known, was abandoned in despair of rendering, by this means, the manufacture of iron profitable, and the outlay of 100,000 or 200,000 francs was set down to the debtor side of profit and loss.†

**** From the above statements it will be seen, that, whatever can be expected from anthracite of the kind there used, when burned by means of cold blast, was probably realized in the experiments at Vizille. It is certainly possible that, in our Pennsylvania anthracite fields, passing, as they are known

date 19th December, 1833. We take from it the following

Extracts from the Schedule.

"Claims. First-the application of anthracite coal, exclusively or in part, in deoxidating and carbonating iron ore as above specified and described.

Secondly the application of anthracite coal, exclusively or in part, in combining iron, in a metallic state, with a greater quantity of carbon; if bar iron for steel, if pig or cast iron for a superior quality, as above specified and described.

Thirdly the smelting or reducing of iron ore, so deoxidated and carbonated by the application of anthracite coal as aforesaid, into pig or cast iron. Fourthly-the refining or converting of iron ore, so deoxidated and carbonated by the application of anthracite coal as aforesaid, into malleable or bar iron.

Fifthly-the application of anthracite coal as fuel, in smelting or reducing iron ore raw or roasted, but not prepared by a previous separate process of deoxidation and carbonation as above described, into pig or cast iron.

Sixthly-Though I cannot and do not claim an exclusive right of the use of heated air for any kind of fuel, nevertheless I believe to have a right to claim and do claim the use of heated air, applied upon and in connexion with the said principle and manner discovered by me, to smelt iron ore in blast furnaces, with anthracite coal, by applying a blast of air in such quantity, velocity and density, or under such pressure, as the compactness or density and the continuity of the anthracite coal requires, as above amply and fully described and illustrated." [Dated at the city of New York, on the twenty-first day of November, 1833.]

An account by M. Gueymard, of the cominencement, progress and result of these experiments, was published in the Annales des Mines, vol. iii., 3d series, p. 71; and in the 4th volume of the same work, same series, is contained another account of the same trials, by M. Robin, by whom a part of the experiments were superintended. The latter describes the furnace.

to do by slow degrees, from the extreme dryness of the most compact anthracite, at one end of the coal trough, to a decidedly bituminous coal, with from 12 to 18 per cent. of volatile matter at the other, we may find some intermediate varieties to which the cold blast may be found applicable for the smelting of iron, though the coal be not susceptible of coking, and therefore belongs to the class of anthracites. Yet the general character of this class is so well represented by the kind used at Vizille, that it appears unreasonable to expect any other result than that to which the French experiments conducted. In those parts of the same coalfields where the bituminous nature of the mineral is fully established, there seems to be no reason to doubt that the cold-blast and raw-coal system of Dowlas and other Welsh iron-works, may be found entirely applicable. But the French experiments, as well as those previously and subsequently made in Wales, together with those which were undertaken at Mauch Chunk and at Pottsville, before the application of Dr. Geisenheimer's improvement, are salutary cautions to persons who may be inclined to attempt the smelting of iron by true anthracite and cold-blast.

A COAL WEIGHING MACHINE-TRAVELLERS' PROTECTORS.

Sir, One of your correspondents who signs his letter "A Wharfinger," wants a weighing machine for heavy commodities, without weights. I beg to refer him to one of my contrivances for such purposes, described in the Mechanics' Magazine, in August 1835. A friend of mine (a captain of a large West India vessel) had one constructed for weighing small lots of logwood, varying from 1 to 5 cwt. He told me it succeeded perfectly well. By the by, I think there was a mistake in the references to the drawings which then appeared with my description of the lever and spring balances. Fig. 2 should have been designated fig. 3, and vice versa. The attentive reader will ascertain the error, and correct it for himself.

And now for "Door Fasteners," "Travellers' Protectors." Having had very many private applications for information where they can be obtained, and whether I manufactured such contraptions for sale, it may be a satisfaction to those of your readers who may require such a travelling luxury, to learn that it may be obtained of Messrs.

Evans and Son, Engineers, 104, Wardourstreet, London, and I believe of Mr. Barron. Yours very truly,

CHAS. THORNTON COATHupe. Wraxall, near Bristol, Oct. 13, 1842.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Largest Chimney in England.-On Monday, the 26th ult., the last stone of a fine specimen of chimney architecture was laid by the spirited proprietor, Mr. Blinkhorn, at his chemical works, Little Bolton. The greatest credit and praise were given by every one who saw this fine chimney, to Mr. Ashton, of Bleakley, who had the construction and management of it. The dimensions are 122 yards high, 127 feet 6 inches base; 108 feet inside, 24 feet on the top; and it has consumed 800,000 bricks, and 120 tons of stone.-Blackburn Standard.

The Copyright of Designs Act and Sealed Registry. The introduction of the qualifying term "fraudulent" (no person shall apply any fraudulent îmi tation, &c) will, it is to be feared, render it a difficult matter to procure a conviction under this Act. Were all designs registered under this Act to be made public, or were the registry thrown open to the public, like the registries of the specifications of patents, there might then be some ground for the ordinary legal presumption of previous knowledge; but it is expressly provided by a subsequent clause of this Act, that "with regard to designs whereof the copy right shall not have expired, no such design shall be open to inspection, except by a proprietor of such design, or by any person authorised by him in writing, or by any person specially authorised by the Registrar;" and, in point of fact, it is now the practice of the Registrar not only to keep the registry sealed from the public at large, but even to withhold the titles of the designs registered, of which, before the passing of this Act, regular monthly lists were published. Now, as intent is the essence of all fraud-as there can be no "fraudulent imitation" without knowledge of the thing imitated-it is evident that, under the existing state of things, it will be next to impossible to give evidence of such intent and knowledge. The greater the actual fraud, the greater will be the care to suppress all traces of previous acquaintance with the pirated design. Mere similitude-positive identity evenwill not suffice to furnish a just ground for convietion; for what has been done once may be done again, and it is a matter of every-day occurrence to find two persons hitting on the same thing quite independently of each other. Either the word fraudulent should give place to some other more consonant with the spirit of the statute, or the registry should be thrown freely open to the public, so that no person should be at liberty to plead ignorance of its contents.-Messrs. Robertson and Co.'s Edition of the Act, with Notes, Directions, Tables, &c.

Quick Remedy.-M. Negrier, in a paper lately communicated to the Paris Academy of Sciences, states, that any nasal hemorrhage may be almost instantaneously checked, by raising the arm on the same side as that of the nostril from which the blood flows.

INTENDING PATENTEES may be supplied gratis with Instructions, by application (postpaid) to Messrs. J. C. Robertson and Co., 166, Fleet-street, by whom is kept the only COMPLETE REGISTRY OF PATENTS EXTANT form 1617 to the present time).

place to the extent of reducing the speed of the paddle-wheels from 20 revolutions to 10, then the power is no more 200 horses power, for the same rule that made it such, reduces it to 100 horses power. Here we have a striking proof of the difference between steam, and animals, as prime movers. When a horse sets his nose to a hill, he slackens his pace, exerts a greater quantity of power, and surmounts the difficulty. But these are the works of God,-steam mechanically applied, that of man.

Rough weather tries the machinery of a steam-vessel in a different way from that which proceeds from steady pressure. Then comes the dash of the sea's tempestuous waves against the paddlewheels, until the whole ship reels again. Effects like these, or any other having a direct tendency to arrest or accelerate the motion of the paddle-wheels by violent shocks, furnish a good reason for the internal machinery being so strong; and until these evils are made harmless, it would be a dangerous experiment to reduce the strength of the machinery from the proportions given to it by some of our first-rate makers,

To make these evils harmless brings me to that part of my subject, which is explained by the accompanying figures. Fig. 1 is a plan, and fig. 2 an elevation.

a represents the end of the paddleshaft, upon which the friction-drum b b is made fast; c c is an iron hoop, which is turned and fitted to the drum bb, and d is an eye formed on the hoop to receive the crank-pin of the engine, which turns it. There are two, one to each paddlewheel, as would be the case with cranks employed. If the hoops c c are not tight upon their respective drums, it is clear the engine would drive them round without moving the paddle-wheels; and, on the contrary, were the engines at rest, and the vessel in motion, the paddlewheels would revolve without disturbing the engines. The paddle-wheels are thrown into geer by applying a lever to the box e, and turning it round. It has two female screws, the one right and the other left, at each end of it, and the bolts gg have threads to fit them. When the box e is turned round, it screws up the two bolts gg, through which the steel bars ff pass, and tightens the hoop c c elastically upon the friction-drum, the steel bars yielding sufficiently to produce

that effect. To overcome this quantity of elastic friction is the greatest strain the engines can at any time be exposed to; so that, were the wheels struck by a heavy sea, to accelerate their motion beyond the regular speed of the engines, the friction would be overcome, and the drum bb would slip round faster than the driving hoop. Again, if the sea strikes the wheels to retard their motion, and with sufficient violence to overcome the friction, then the hoop would slip before the drum; and in either case the blow is confined to the extent of the friction upon the drum b b, however great may be the violence which produces it.

The wheels, too, will be much relieved by the liberty of moving on trying occasions like these, independently of the engines; and the elasticity of the steel bars ff, upon which the friction depends that drives them, will prevent any liability of slackness, otherwise unavoidable, from the frequent rubbing of the two surfaces b b and c c.

In conclusion, to the mere principle of driving paddle-wheels by friction I lay no claim, but the method here shown and described is my own; and I hope the importance of the subject may attract your attention, and, for the benefit of the Company's interests, you may be induced to give the plan a fair trial.

I have the honour to be,

Gentlemen,

Your very humble servant, JAMES WHITE.

October 4, 1842.

Lambeth, near Haddington, N. B.

MR. JOSIAH PARKES, AND MR. LUCY's ISO-DYNAMETER.

Sir,-Your correspondent, "A Looker-on," may find a very explicit description of the apparatus adopted by Mr. Lucy as a substitute for his fly-wheel, with a figure, in Mr. Scott Russell's Encyclopædia Britannica Treatise on the Steam-engine, Svo edition, page 184, et seq. Perhaps a few remarks upon this machine may not be uninteresting to your readers generally.

There are two advantages ascribed to this apparatus, of a distinct and separate nature: the first, that, by its substitution for the fly-wheel, the motion of the engine has been rendered more equable; the second, asserted only by Mr. Parkes,