1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



339 



As to its use as a fuel to raise steam, prepared peat might be burnt 

 in the same fire-place as coal, but common peat will answer well on 

 the spot for that purpose, only a larger fire-place would be required, 

 with the bars rather closer and less draft. I have carefully weighed 

 peat, and found a steam engine, with an S inch cylinder, 16 inches 

 stroke, and making 70 strokes per minute, the steam at 3U lbs. pres- 

 sure, kept in full work for an hour and a half with one cwt. of peat, 

 the evaporation of water during that period was from 50 to (30 gallons, 

 and this with what was called bad peit and otherwise unsaleable. 



Mr. Linning made two or three experiments with the locomotive en- 

 gine on the Gainkirk railway, which carried very heavy loads of coal. 

 1 have seen certificates of the engineer and others, that the steam was 

 well kept up, but that, as might be suspected, more peat was burnt 

 than coal ; this most likely was partly owing to the steam draft being 

 too strong for the peat, it being the same as when coal was burnt. 



If the common road steam carriages which we hear are about start- 

 ing, would procure a supply of peat, I believe one of their greatest 

 difficulties would be surmounted, at least there would be no clinkers 

 to armoy them. 



Considering the immense stores of peat in Scotland and Ireland, as 

 well as in some parts of England, often far from coal, and the general 

 want of capital and skill in these districts, which are mostly inhabited 

 by poor people. I trust these rough observations, which are simply to 

 recommend methods of improving peat, which are within their reach, 

 will be considered worthy of insertion. 



I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



Tl.MOTHY BURSTALL. 

 Saint Phillips, Bristol, August 12, 1839. 



ARTICLES FROM THE FRENCH JOURN.\LS. 



TRANSLATED FOR THE JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, 

 BY J. GRISCOM. 



The Artesini) fl'ells at the Abattoirs of Grcnelle, Paris. 

 This well lias now a (ieptli of 418 metres, (= 1371 feet.) The sound, or 

 horer, weighs 20 thousand ; its height is treble that of tlie dome of the In- 

 valides, and it requires two machines of immense power to put it in motion. 

 The instrument is still in the chalk bed, the hanliiess of which is comparable 

 to flint. M. Mulot, the director, states that the sound advances a foot per 

 day.— A'fC. Soc. Polyt., July, 1838. 



Analysis of Several Bituminous Minerals. By M. P. Berthier. 



As bituminous substances have of late years claimed an increased share of 

 pnlilic attention, tliis celebrated analytical chemist has examined the consti- 

 tution of a ninnber of those which have gained the most notice on account of 

 their practical applications. 



Bitumen of Seyssel. — There are at Seyssel, (in the department of I/Ain) 

 three kinds of minerals. 1. The sandy mineral. 2. The very fusible cal- 

 careous mineral. 3. The calcareous mineral of difficult fusion. 



The first of these melts in Ijoiling water, and becomes detached from the 

 stony matters to which it was adherent. It rises to the smface, or sticks to 

 the sides of the vessel in brown lumps, or forms a transparent coating of a 

 brownish red colour. A rich specimen of it gave 



Bituminous oil ... -086 > 



Carbon -020/ 



Quartzy grains . . . -(i'JO 



Calcareous grains . . . -204 



bitumen '106 



1.000 



In the mass it is much less rich. When purified by hot water, this bitu- 

 men is called la graisse, grease. 



The second variety is called at Seyssel asphaltum. It may be pulverized 

 and sifted, but tlie jiowder spontaneously forms into balls. The specimen 

 analysed contained -11 of bitumen, 5-89 of carbonate of Ume, without clay, 

 and quite pure. 



The mastic of Seyssel is prepared by mixing nine parts of asjihaltum with 

 one of the pure grease extracted from the sand. 



The third variety is a compact hmestone, in extremely thin, parallel beds. 



It consists of 



Bituminous matter . . . . -100 



Argil -020 



Sulphate of Lime .... -012 



Carbonate of lime .... -868 



1-nni) 



The bit\uninous mineral of Bellcy is very similar to the preceding. It is 

 found in several communes in very considerable quantities, near the surface 

 of the ground. It is of variable quaUty. A variable specuncn yielded 



Carbonate of Ihue 

 Carbonate of magnesia 

 Sulphate of Ume 

 Argil 

 Bitumen . 



■824 

 •020 

 •013 

 •023 

 ■120 



1000 



■070) 

 ■036) 



105 



Bitumen of Bastenne. — This bitinncn flows out from several openings or 

 springs, mixed with water. Analysis of the solid gave 



Oilv matter . '. . . ■200 1,., 

 Carbon .(,3;! bitumen 



Fine quartzy sand, mixed with argil -/GS 



1^000 



Bitumen of Cul/a. — This is transported to Europe under the name of Mex- 

 ican aspiialt, or cliapopote. It is a solid bitumen, which exists in abundance 

 near Havana. It may be used with great advantage in paving. It consists, 

 like the greater number of natural bitumens, of at least two different sub- 

 stances, the one soluble and the other insoluble in ether and spirits of tur- 

 pentine. It is the relative proportion of these two substances which imparts 

 to each bitumen its peculiar properties. 



Bitumen of Monastier. (Haute-Loire.)— This does not soften in the least 

 in boiling water, and hence cannot he extracted by simple means in the large 

 way. It conttiins 



Bituminous oil 



Carbon 



Water 015 



Gas and vapours . . . ^040 



Quart?, and nnca . . . ■GOO 



Fenuginous argil . . . ^210 



1000 



This bitumen of the Ilaute-Loire difters essentially from those of Seyssel 

 and Bastennes by its infusibility in boihng water, and its fusibility in alcohol. 

 — Annates des Mines, torn 13, liv. Hi, 



New Mode of Preparing Carburet led Hydrogen Gas for the purpose of Illu- 

 mination. By M. Selligue, Engineer. 



This new invention has gained for M. Selligue the premium of 2000 francs 

 proposed by the Soeiete d' Encouragejnent . It consists in obtaining pure 

 hydrogen by decomposing water by means of incandescent charcoal, and then 

 carburizing it by mixture during the simultaneous decomposition of another 

 liquid substance rich in carbon and hydrogen. Among all known substances, 

 that which appears to answer best is the oil of schist (I'huile de schiste). 



The furnace is composed, first, of three vertical retorts, communicating 

 with each other, so as to form, in a manner, only one. In a double furnace 

 there will be six retorts. These are all open at both ends, but closed below 

 by sliding stoppers {counercles rode's), so that simple contact and the least 

 pressure is sufticient to shut them firmly. The top of each retort is closed 

 by a head fixed by keyed gudgeons and iron cement. Each head bears itself 

 a stopper, or cover, like those below. 



The first retort, into which steam is introduced through a tube, communi- 

 cates below, by a tube twice bent, with the second, which connects at top 

 with the third by a similar tube, and this third retort has, below, a vertical 

 tube with branches, by which the gas is conducted to a refrigerator, and 

 thence to the gasometer. This tube dips into a trough of water, to serve as 

 a hydraulic closure. The third retort hears at top a funnel syphon, through 

 wbich the carburizing substances are introduced. 2nd. Two horizontal tubes, 

 placed in the sides of the vault, serve as boilers to vapourize the water ; each 

 communicates at one end with the first retort by an arched tube, and to the 

 other end is attached a funnel syphon, by which the boiler is supplied with 

 water. 3rd. Two furnaces. 4th. A chimney in four parts, milting at first 

 into two, and then into one, in order to regulate the fire with greater ease. 



Operation. — Having filled with charcoal the first two retorts in each of the 

 (double) furnaces, and suspended chains in the two last, in order to increase 

 the surface, the fire is lighted, and when the retorts have attained a cherry 

 red heat, a gentle flow of water and oil is made through the sjiihons. The 

 water falling into the boilers is instantly evaporated, passes into the first 

 retort, then into the second, where it is deprived of its oxygen, and reaching 

 the third, the hydrogen alone mingles with and carries along the carbonated 

 hydrogen simultaneously formed from the oil in the last retorts. The united 

 gases then issue from the lower cud of the third retort, and press off tlirongli 

 the branches, while the more volatile matters arc deposited in the reservoir 

 of water. — Annates des Mines, Oct. 1838. 



Foui'ielle's Filtering Apparatus. 



A trial has been had in the courts at Paris, relative to the vaUdity of tlio 

 claims of the " French Filtering Company," who are now the possessors of 

 Fouviellc's patent, to an exclusive riglit, fouiulcd on the merits of this inven- 

 tion. It was luged by the opposing party, that this right, being dependent 

 on the application of high pressm-e, is iuvaliilated by the fact of a prior use 

 of the same principle to the process of filtration, as was shown by brevets 



