MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 63 



metres ; of this tliere remained on 1st Januar}', 1868, 40,000.000 

 cubic metres yet to be clone. The time now named by Mons. 

 Laralley for the entire completion of the work is 1st October next, 

 and there seems to be no reason to doubt his ability to make good 

 this prediction. The success of the dredging-machines has been 

 even be3'ond the anticipations of their strongest advocates. One 

 machine is credited with 108,000 cubic metres of excavation, in a 

 single month; another with 88,889; another with 78,056 cubic 

 metres witliin a like period. They have double gangs of men, 

 and work night and day. Six dredges in November, in the Port 

 Said division of the canal, raised 313,628 cubic metres; three 

 other machines, at Ras-el-Ech, raised 214,042 cubic metres. The 

 last new dredge of the contractors was put at work in December; 

 and now their entire force, 60 machines, is being driven to its ut- 

 most capacity, in order that the canal in its full dimensions may 

 be opened to the commerce of the world with the least possible 

 delay. The piers or jetties at Port Said are entirely finished. 

 The western pier Avas completed on the 8th Septeml)er, and the 

 making of the concrete blocks was stopped the same day. On 

 15th December, there remained but 316 blocks to be sunk to fin- 

 ish the eastern pier; and these could easily be handled in 10 

 days. The harbor and basins at Port Said have been dredged to 

 a depth throughout of 23 feet; and now the French, Russian. Aus- 

 trian and Egyptian steamers touch there regularly. No difficulty 

 is experienced in running into this harbor at any time of day, or 

 in any weather; whereas at Alexandria no vessel drawing 15 

 feet ever attempts to enter except by day; and, in heavy 

 weather, steamers have been obliged to wait outside tlie bar for 

 two and three days, on account of the narrow, shallow entrance to 

 the harbor. During the first 6 months of last year 813 vessels 

 entered at Port Said, landing 3,282 passengers, and' 105,832 tons 

 of merchandise. Tiie Viceroy of Egypt has ordered the line of 

 railway between Cairo and Suez to be abandoned ; and a new 

 line of railroad has been constructed from Alexandi'ia and Cairo 

 to Suez, by way of.Lagazig and Ismailia. This new route was 

 opened in November last; and henceforth Ismailia will be the 

 stopping-place on the Isthmus for passengers between Euroj)e and 

 India, while waiting for their steamers either in tlie Red Sea or 

 the Mediterranean. 



SMELTING, CARBURIZING, AND PURIFYING IRON. 



Mr. Isham Baggs, of High Holborn, has patented some processes 

 by means of which the smelting, carburization, and purification 

 of iron are greatly facilitated. In charging the furnace, the coal 

 or coke usually thought necessary for smelting is in a great 

 measure dispensed with, and in its place Mr. Baggs burns in the 

 smtilting-furnace coal gas, hydrogen, carbonic oxide, or oth(;r 

 combustible gas or gases, and also the vapor of petroleum, naph- 

 tha, and other hydrocarbons under pressure, and in combination 

 witji a blast of hot or cold air. In tlie case of the inflammable 

 hydrocarbon vapors, the same may be forced into the furnace 



