1868. | Engineering—Civil and Mechanical. 393 
closer than one-tenth of a milligramme, it was possible to measure 
volumes of gas within one-hundredth part of a cubic centimetre. 
Mr. W. H. Perkin then read a paper “On the Combining Powers of 
Carbon.” ‘This was very long and theoretical, and related to the 
inquiry whether all four affinities or combining units of carbon are 
of equal value. 
The proceedings were brought to a conclusion by a short paper 
by Mr. Parnell “On the Reducing Action of Peroxide of Hydrogen 
and Carbolic Acid.” 
6. ENGINEERING—CIVIL AND MECHANICAL. 
THE gradual, though, it is to be hoped, certain return of confidence 
in various existing undertakings, recently shown by the state of the 
money market and the quotations of shares, cannot fail to have 
exercised a beneficial influence on the progress of engineering 
schemes; but it must be acknowledged that there is still room for 
much improvement. 
Ship-bwilding.—The state of trade in the northern parts has of 
late exhibited a decided improvement, but the same cannot altogether 
be said of ship-building on the Thames. Messrs. Napier and Sons 
of Glasgow have recently completed an armour-clad twin-screw 
turret-ram for the Dutch, and Messrs. Laird of Birkenhead, have 
launched two sister monitors for the same Government. The last- 
named firm are also building a turret-ship of 4,200 tons, and a 
broadside-ship of the ‘Invincible’ class for Her Majesty’s Govern- 
ment, as well as a composite gunboat for service in the China seas. 
A gunboat on a new model has recently been built for the Admi- 
ralty, on the Tyne, from the designs of Mr. G. Rendel, of the firm 
of Sir W. Armstrong and Co. ; this vessel is only 70 feet long by 
25 feet beam, having twin screws driven by two pairs of con- 
densing engines. She carries as heavy a rifled gun as any in the 
Navy, mounted in the fore part of the vessel in a line with the keel, 
and firig through a bulwark, or screen, over the bow, which is cut 
down and plated something like that of a monitor. On the Thames 
the ‘ Repulse, to carry eight guns, and of 800 horse-power, was 
launched at Woolwich Dockyard on the 25th April; and at Chat- 
ham, in addition to the ‘ Sultan,’ a powerful new iron-clad ship, of 
the ‘ Herculus’ class, has recently been laid down. There is now, 
it appears, no doubt about the closing of the minor Government 
ship-building yards, an order having been received for Deptford to 
shut up in the course of the year, and it is thought that Woolwich 
will, in all probability, follow Deptford. eg 
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