1869.] Engineering — Civil and Mechanical. 539 



and dii'ect communication with the Continent by means of a sub- 

 aqueous tunnel. The substance of Captain Tyler's recommendations 

 may be summed up in the following extract from his report : — 

 " Either by the construction of new harbours at Dover and Andres- 

 selles, at a cost (estimated by Mr. Fowler) of 2,000,000Z. inclusive 

 of steamers, or by certain improvements at Dover and Boulogne, at 

 a cost of 600,000Z. exclusive of new and improved steamers, the 

 immediate object should be to provide an improved fixed service, 

 irrespective of wind and tide, between London and Paris in eight 

 hours." Thus this important matter rests for the present, but it 

 remains to be seen what further action will be taken by the two 

 Governments towards the solution of a project, the commercial and 

 international advantages of which may be estimated as being 

 scarcely second to those of the Suez Canal. The appointment of an 

 International Commission for the purpose of discussing the several 

 projects for efiecting improved communication with the Continent, 

 as recommended by Captain Tyler, will, however, probably prove 

 the best means of bringing this important question to a satisfactory 

 issue. 



Utilization of Small Coal. — Although we are no believers in 

 the probability of the speedy exhaustion of our coal-fields, we are 

 nevertheless, upon other grounds, strongly in favour of all measures 

 calculated to economize our present supplies, and to check the 

 extravagance which now characterizes our use of that fuel. In 

 addition to improved arrangements of furnaces whereby more 

 perfect combustion is ensured in the coal ordinarily used, namely, 

 that which is taken from the pits in blocks of some size, attention 

 has recently been given, in more directions than one, to bringing 

 into use the small coal, or slack, which had previously been counted 

 as so much waste. Some reference to this subject will be foimd in 

 another part of the present volume, in an article on " Coal Wash- 

 ing." Besides its conversion into coke, which is now very much 

 the practice at all collieries, small coal is, to a certain extent, em- 

 ployed in the manufacture of Patent Fuel ; and at the present time 

 experiments are being carried out in this country by Mr. F. C. 

 Dauvers, for the Indian Government, with a view to ascertaining 

 Avhether that manufacture could be successfully introduced into 

 India, so as to utilize further than is at present done the coal 

 products of that country. Methods of burning small coal, without 

 subjecting it to any previous preparation, if equally applicable, 

 must, however, prove the more economical process, and several 

 furnaces have from time to time been devised for this pm-pose. 

 It is almost needless here to state that the most perfect furnace 

 would be that in which proper means exist for the regulation of 

 the introduction of air in the best direction into the combustion 

 chamber, so as to effect the most perfect combustion of the fuel, 



