46 On M): Arthur Woolf's improved apparatus, Mc, 



that of distillation on the large scale, and that by either 

 sending the steam directly into and among the contents of 

 the still or alembic, or by inclosing the still in another 

 vessel, and making the steam of a high temperature, to cir- 

 culate in and to occupy the space between the exterior sur- 

 face of the still and the interior surface of the containing 

 vessel. In eithei case, all danger of burning or singeing 

 the materials operated upon is done away, and a much more 

 pleasant and pure spirit will be obtained than by the methods 

 now in common use. I need not stop here to show the 

 reason why, even in the case of throwing the steam directly 

 into the still, the spirituous part will be the first to rise and 

 pass over into the receiver. 



*' I miglit mention many other useful applications that 

 may be made of my invention ; but I shall only state one 

 more, namely, to the drying of gimpowder, and lessening 

 the danger of explosions in the manufacture of that article. 

 By means of my invention, any desired temperature, ne- 

 cessary for that purpose, may be produced where the powder 

 is to be dried, without the necessity of having fire in, or so 

 near the place as to endanger its safety ; for by employing 

 steam only, conveyed through pipes, and properly applied 

 and directed, without allowing any of it to escape into the 

 room or apartment whei-e the powder is, any competent 

 workman can produce a heat equal to that found necessary 

 for drying gunpowder, or much higher if required. Nor 

 is the lessenujg of the daiiger of explosions the only ad- 

 vantatre which this way of drying gunpowder holds out — it 

 presents another and an essential one for the goodness of 

 the article — the heat can be completely regulated so as to 

 prevent, or at least lessen, the partial decomposition of the 

 powder by the sublimation of the sulphur, which is found 

 to take place by the methods at present in use." 



In every case Mr. Woolf uses two safety valves, at least, 

 in his apparatus, to prevent accidents : a precaution which 

 cannot be too strongly enforced ; as it may happen, when 

 but one is employed, it may by some accident get locked, 

 and the works and people about them be exposed to the 

 danger of an explosion. 



Besides the common safety valves, Mr. Woolf has also 

 introduced a valve, of a new construction, into the steam- 

 pipe itself, to regvdatc the quantity that shall pass from the 

 poller. In fact, it is a self-acting regulator; and being ex- 

 tremely ingenious, we think we shall be gratifying our 

 readers by laying a description of it before them, which we 

 shall in our next, with an accurate engraving. 



T)ie two boilers now constructing for Messrs, Meux will 



not 



