318 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
converse of .the — Safety Lamp,) consisted in fixing a piece 
of wire-gauze at the extremity of a gas-pipe of about 6 inches 
diameter. Bulk for bulk, gas costs more than coal, but. the for- 
mer was more economical and convenient for occasional use and 
the smaller operations in cooking.—Mr. Evans gave account of 
a new rotatory steam-engine, invented by S. Rowley.—Dr. Lard- 
_her stated the reasons which had. prevented the making of the 
" experiments for the Report on Railway constants.—Mr. J. Price 
communicated an improved method of constructing Railways. 
The method consists in fixing rails on a continuous stone base, 
a groove having been made in the stone to receive a flange or 
projection of the lower side of the rail. The stones and rails 
are to break joint with each other, and the chair by which the 
rails are to be secured, is to be made fast to the rail by a bolt not 
riveted, but slipped in. The chair is to be sunk until the top 
is level with the top of the stone, and fastened ‘to it by two - 
small wooden pins. Any sinking of the road is to be obviated 
by driving wedges of wood underneath the stone, until it is 
raised to the required height. _The chairs are to be fixed at 
about 4 feet apart, and to weigh, if of malleable iron, 14 pounds, 
but if of cast»iron, 20 pone; the rail. to weigh 50 pounds per 
yard... 
- Mr. 7. Motley oemniads a paper on the eonsiruciion of a railway 
‘with cast-iron. sleepers as a substitute for stone blocks, and with 
continuous timber bearing. The cast-iron sleepers, which are 
wedge-shaped and hollow, having all their sides inclined inwards 
towards the under side, are to be laid transversely, and. the timber 
is to pass longitudinally through the center, and to be secured by 
wedges of iron and wood. The sleepers are to. be six inches 
apart, and the timber of such a thickness as to prevent any per- 
ceptible deflexion between the rails. ‘The road is to be ballasted 
up to the top of ‘the sleeper, and the timber to stand out suffi- 
Be and to have any approved rail laid upon it. 
Mr. Hall described a machine for raising water by an hydrau- 
lic belt. Mr. Samuda gave an account of Clif’’s dry gas-meter. 
Mr. 'T. Sopwith described his method of constructing geological 
models. Mr. S. also described an improved levelling siave, for 
subterraneous as well as surface levelling. ‘The mode of reading 
the figures of the stave itself instead of the sliding vane, as adopt- 
ed by most engineers ee Mr. 8.’s improved 
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