TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 131 
of the rivers, and to the smaller vessels navigating the same water. 
Now it had been fully proved in the course of Mr. Russell’s observation. 
that there was only one mode of materially diminishing all of these 
evils; that one mode consisted not in widening the rivers as was 
generally supposed, nor in giving gradual and gentle slopes to the sides 
of the channel, but in deepening the river and rendering its sides as 
nearly vertical as possible. By this means it had been found that the 
impediments arising from the formation of the channel were diminished 
to a very great amount. . 
The next species of wave generated by a steam vessel is the wave of 
unequal displacement. This wave was found to arise solely from the 
form of the vessel. It was this wave which was seen diverging on both 
_ sides of the vessel, from the prow towards the stern, and might be seen, 
arranged in two straight lines, extending to a great distance behind it. 
This wave might be greatly diminished and almost entirely removed, 
by giving to the lines of displacement a particular form which 
Mr. Russell described. 
a 
On Improvementsin Tidal Rivers. By Joun Scort Russet, F.R.S.EL. 
__ Mr. Russell renewed the subject of the generation and motion of 
waves, as connected with the improvements which were to be made in 
the navigation of tidal rivers. He directed his remarks especially to 
the tide wave, and to the practical methods which his remarks had led 
him to, of forming the channel so as to accelerate the tide in its course 
up the river, but to retard the water as much as possible on its return. 
The tidal wave up a river appears to follow laws very similar to the 
_ wave of great displacement, of which he had spoken on a previous 
occasion ; hence its progress was to be accelerated by deepening the 
_ channel and making its section rectangular. It appeared also, as the 
_ result of his investigations, that the wave might be made to move with 
rapidity in a curve by deepening the channel on the outside of the 
curve. This deepening the outside of the channel would have the 
effect of retarding the water flowing back, and thus the tidal water would 
_ be preserved for a much longer time than in a straight channel. 
Mr. Russell then proceeded to apply the theoretical principles to the 
explanation of the formation of bores in rivers. 
A New Safety Lamp. By W. LeiTuHeep. 
A New Telegraph. By Dr. Cuanny, Newcastle. 
— 
Telegraphic Communication on Railroads. 
By Barnarp L, Watson. 
K@2 
