286 Chronicles of Science. [April, 



more important papers read before tliem during the period em- 

 braced in this review. 



Institution of Civil Engineers. — A paper by Mr. John Frederick 

 Bourne, " On the Eoman Rock Lighthouse, Simon's Bay, Cape 

 of Good Hope," is instructive, as pointing out the causes which led 

 to the failure of the original structure. The building consists of a 

 circular tower of cast-iron plates, but it had to be surrounded by 

 a granite casing to a certain height, owing to many of the plates 

 having cracked after its completion. The subject of " Lighthouse 

 Apparatus and Lanterns " was dealt with in two papers by Mr. 

 D. ]\r. Henderson and Mr. J. T. Chance, M.A., in which all the 

 best practice of manufacture at the present day was fully detailed. 

 Of course the manufacture, grinding, and polishing of the glass 

 for the apparatus formed the most important feature in these 

 papers ; but the various kinds of lamps were also exj^lained, and, . 

 in conclusion, the means adopted for lighting the entrance to 

 Odessa harbour were described. The importance of some improved 

 means for coal-getting has led to the production of two papers by 

 Mr. S. P. Bidder, jun., and Mr. C. J. Chubb, the object of both 

 being a consideration of the means available for getting coal more 

 economically and with greater safety to the miners. A paper " On 

 the Mauritius Railway," by Mr. James R. Mosse, afforded some 

 very valuable information with respect to the working of steep 

 inclines, which subject has been more fully entered into at page 282 

 of these Chronicles. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers. — At a General Meeting 

 of this Institution at Birmingham on the 5th November last, three 

 papers were read on the following subjects ; namely : " On the 

 further Utilisation of the Waste Gas from Blast Furnaces," by 

 Mr. Charles Cochrane, of Dudley ; " On an improved Friction 

 Coupling and Break, and its application to Hoists, Windlasses, and 

 Shafting, &c.," by Mr. T. A. Weston, of Birmingham ; and " On 

 the Moulding of Toothed Wheels, and an improved Wheel ]\rould- 

 ing Machine," by Mr. G. L. Scott, of Manchester. The author of 

 the first-named paper stated that, with the increased capacity of 

 the present large blast furnaces in the Cleveland district, the waste 

 gas given off from the furnace is so far impoverished, both in 

 quantity and quality, that, in order to obtain a uniform supply of 

 gas for heating purposes at the steam-boilers and hot-blast stoves, 

 it is of importance to utilize the whole of the gas given off from 

 the furnace, by preventing the loss of gas hitherto occurring at 

 the times of lowering the closing cone t)r bell for charging the 

 materials at the top of the furnace ; and this, Mr. Cochrane would 

 accomplish by doubly closing the furnace top, the ordinary closing 

 bell and hopper being completely closed in by the addition of an 

 outer cover, containing flap doors, through which the charging 

 materials arc filled into the hopper. 



