-318 Cast Iron. — Native Iron. — New pelrifying Spring. 



Messrs. Salisbury and Co. of the Old Buffery's Iron Works 

 near Dudley, have discovered a mode of preparing cast iron, 

 which gives it toughness, flexibility and elasticity, promising most 

 valuable results to the arts, and to architecture both civil and 

 naval, particularly in the construction of bridges. Mr. Brande, 

 of the Royal Institution, is engaged on a scries of experiments 

 to ascertain the comparative strength of common cast iron, 

 wrought iron, and the prepared cast iron of Messrs. Salisbury 

 and Co., the results of which we expect to be able to lay before 

 our readers in our next number. In the mean time the trials 

 which have been made by others of the prepared cast iron, have 

 answered every expectation. 



NATIVE IRON. 



Mr. Konig, on the authority of a letter from Baron Moll, of 

 Munich, has announced (in Dr. Thomson's Annals of Philosophy 

 for Ai'.gust last) that in October 1814 a mass of native iron 

 weighing about 200 pounds was discovered by a shepherd at 

 Lenarto, in the comitate of Sarosh, on the declivity of a small 

 range subordinate to the Carpathian mountains. Its colour in- 

 ternally is light steel gray approaching to silver. It is covered 

 bv a thin coat of rust : its surface is uneven, rough, and marked 

 with impressions. It presents three celkilar cavities, but they 

 are v.'ithcut the olivine-like substance found in those of the Si- 

 l)erian native iron. The mass is irregular and flat, as if com- 

 pressed: its fracture is hackly, it takes a high polish, is perfectly 

 mallealde cold, and its solution in nitric acid is of a light emerald- 

 green colour. 



NEW PETRIFYING STRJNG. 



The following paragraph appeared in the Cambridge Chro- 

 nicle of llth.Iul3-: — " During the last week two persons be- 

 longing to ti"ie University printing-off.ce called upon the Profes'■^or 

 of INIineralogY (Dr. Clarke) v»'ith specimens of what is vulgarly 

 termed ' petrified moss,' said to have been found 'in a petrifying 

 well near Coton.' The Professor has been to the spot; and 

 having no other means of comniunicatirsg to the University, at 

 this season, what he conceives to be tlic greatest natural curio- 

 sity in the county, he has desired the Editor of this paper to in- 

 form his readers, t'lat the said well is in all respects similar to 

 the celebrated pclrifviiig spring of Fvlatlock in Derbyshire ; in- 

 crusting moss, rushes, &.'c. with a deposit of carbonate of lime, 

 so as to exhibit a beautiful reticular stalactite. Persons going 

 from Cambridge are recommended, for a guide, to the cottage 

 of William Paidett, t'le first on the right upon entermg the vil- 

 lage of Coton. The well is situated in a field belonging to Mr. 

 Augier, who has glyeu permission to this man to conduct strangers 

 to the spot," 



STKAM* 



