138 Miscellaneoux Intelligence. 



sufficient time (30 or 40 minutes,) as at meal time, night, &c., 

 of introducing water into the boiler to as much as 18 inches 

 above its usual level, and it was continued to this higher level 

 as long as the engine was off work. When labour was re- 

 sumed, there was therefore an abundant supply of hot water in 

 the boiler, the steam was ready, and no increase of fire, to heat 

 freshly-introduced water, required. The saving which arose 

 from this mode of management was 25 per cent, of the fuel. 

 The apparatus for feeding the boiler in this manner with accu- 

 racy, and without trouble, is very ingenious, and is described 

 in the Trans. Soo. Arts, xl. 127. 



5. Improved Printiyig. — A great improvement in printing is 

 spoken of as the invention of Mr. Church, of America, who 

 is now in London, constructing a machine, which it is hoped 

 will be successful. Tlie improvement extends to casting as 

 well as composing, and by simplifying the casting process, and 

 saving the expense of distributing, he proposes to compose 

 always from new types, remelting after the edition is worked 

 off. The recasting for every new composition is connected with 

 the regular laying of the types, and when thus laid, it is in- 

 tended to compose by means of keys, like those of a piano- 

 forte, each key standing for a letter, or letters. By these means 

 errors would be avoided in the composition, and the progress 

 would be far more rapid than at present. 



The above is the only account we have been able to procure 

 of the improvement ; and we gather from it, that it should ra- 

 ther be considered as intended, than as realized. 



6. Casting of Stereotype-plates, by M. Didot. — This method 

 consists in striking moveable characters (cast of a composition 

 hereafter to be described,) into lead, without the assistance of 

 heat. Moveable characters formed of that composition, cast in 

 the usual manner, are composed line by line, according to the 

 common methods, till a page is formed. This page is placed 

 in a frame of suitable dimensions, and in this frame two quadrats 

 are placed, which, by means of screws, press all these move- 

 able letters so as to form a solid mass. A brass or iron frame 

 is made to the size of the page, and a plate of iron is fastened 

 to it by screws, to serve as a bottom ; this frame is then filled 

 with a plate of pure lead. The whole being thus prepared, the 

 page composed of moveable characters is put upon tl»e lead 



