1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



.343 



impressing it with the most compheateil patterns, is carried on within a 

 comparatively small space, and with a precision and rajjidity which att'ords 

 another instance of the progress and triumph of science and meclianical 

 skill, in supi)lying the necessaries and comforts of civilised life. We under- 

 stand it is tlie intention of Messrs. Evans to exhibit some specimens of their 

 beautiful manufacture at the forthcoming meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion, and we feel confident that amongst the many objects of interest which 

 the mechanical skill ami industry of Birmingham aft'ord. tlie present will 

 excite not the least interest or gratification. M'c may, perhaps, here observe, 

 that the Messrs. Evans have also executed a vei-y ingenious design of an 

 envelope, which seems admirably adapted for meeting the views of govern- 

 ment in the contemplated change about to be made by the adojjtion of Mr. 

 Rowland Hill's iilan of a uniform penny postage. Specimens of this design 

 have been forwarded to the Chancellor of the E.xchequer for examination, 

 and from the security which it affords against any successful attcni])t at 

 forgery there appears great \irobability that it will be in part, if not wholly 

 adopted. — ilidlaiid Counties Herald. 



Ceroguaphv. — An account has appeared in the American papers of a new 

 method of engraving, the nature of which appears to be unknown, though 

 specimens have been puWishcd. The editor of the Boston Dicity .Jdivr/iser 

 says he has endeavoured, but without success, to form some conjecture as to 

 the manner in which the work is executed,—" Being i)rinted," he oljserves, 

 " on a large sheet in common with the letter-press of a large newsjjaper, the 

 plate nuist be of the character of a wood engi-aving, yet it possesses almost 

 the delicacy of a copper-plate engraving, and abounds in lines which are 

 evdently impracticable in wood engraving- The uniformity of the lettering, 

 although varied by the diversity of characters afforded by the use of different 

 fonts of type, shows that this part of the work is of the nature of stereotype 

 casting, but in what manner the shading, roads, and other arbitrary lines are 

 inserted, it is diflicidt, from an inspection of the imin-ession, to imagine, 

 mdess it be by some process of etching. From what is stated by the inventor 

 of the rapidity and cheapness of the execution, the size to which the plate 

 may be extended, its adaptation to the rapid and cheap mode of jninting, by 

 which the ordinary book and newspaper j)rinting is executed, we cannot but 

 regard it as a very important and useful invention, particularly appUcalile to 

 the printing of majis and drawings, in connexion with lettcr-ju'ess, for the 

 illustration of works of almost every description." The New York Otiseri'er 

 further states — "The advantages of Ccrograpby are, 1. The engraving of 

 many subjects can be executed with a rapidity approaching veay near to that 

 of drawing upon stone ; and the whole expense of a plate prepared for the 

 press will ordinarily be less than that of a plate in copper or woo<l. 2. The 

 plate is durable under the press. A milUon good copies may be struck from 

 it ; and as it can be stereotyped, the number of plates may be multiplied in- 

 definitely at a trifling expense, and each plate will give a million copies. 

 3. Lines of all engravings, except, perhaps, the very finest class, can be made 

 with nearly or quite the same pertection as in copper or steal, and with less 

 labour. 4. We know of no limit to the size of cerograjduc plates. We sup- 

 pose they may be made as large as the bed of the largest Najiier press. 

 5. The printing is executed with the common printing press, and of course as 

 rapidly as wood-cut or letter-press printing. With this statement, our 

 readers can judge, as well as ourselves, of the effects wliieh Cerograi)hy, in 

 the hands of accomplished artists will probably produce on the otlier arts of 

 engraving. We su])posc that, with an improvement of which it is evidently 

 susccptiljle, it will also have an important effect on the art of printing, espe- 

 cially on printing in the characters of tlie Chinese, Hindoo, and otlier Oriental 

 languages. Even in its present state, it will, no doubt, be used as a substi- 

 tute for type-setting in some cases ; but of this we will say more hereafter. 



Artificial Ivory. — Certain parties in Sheflield have just obtained a patent 

 for the making of a substance so nearly resembling ivory, and so applicalile 

 to all the purposes of that valuable material, that it is almost imiiossible to 

 detect the difference. We understand, also, that an imitation of tortoiseshell 

 is prepared and in use, which for some purposes is little inferior to some 

 varieties of the real article. 



Mowing Machine. — An ingenious carpenter at Ingatestone, named Groom, 

 is engaged in the construction of a machine for mowing meadows, &c. to v. hicli 

 he has lung directed his attention ; and our informant, who has seen ihe mndel, 

 states that hopes may be entertained of a successful applicatiun of Ihe princi- 

 ple. It is to be driven by hand, in the same way as Budding's macliine tor 

 mowing lawns, but will work as well through valleys as on level grounil ; and 

 he calculates that it will cut as wide a breadth in a day as seven or eight ordi- 

 nary labourers. The work is iicrformed by two or three sets of revolving 

 scythes or knives, put in motion, our correspondent adds, by a sonicrthat 

 cumplicafeil machinery. — Esse.i: Herald. 



Consumption of Kngine Smoke. — We have been requested, by a correspon- 

 dent at Bradford, to notice a plan, which he has successfully adoiited, lor the 

 consumption of engine smoke, and which we have great pleasure in submitting 

 to our readers, convinced that few subjects of greater impoilance can attract 

 public attention in this manufacturhig district. Messrs. Wood and Walker, 

 of Bradford, have applied this apparatus to four large boders, sup|)lying 

 steam to two 80 horse engines, and to two small boilers, supplying a 30 horse 

 engine ; and, this » eek, Mr. Thompson has completed a like apparatus f . tH o 

 boilers, supplying a 30 horse engine. As this is a patent matter, we have not 

 the power lo enter into particulars. It is the property of a Mr. Cheetham. 

 'Hie saving in fuel is sucli as to fully remunerate the adoption of this plan ; 

 and how much the pubic health and comfort must be benefitted, we med not 

 say. We are authorised by Mr. Thompson to state, that be will I c bap|iy lo 

 allow an inspection of ins works to any gentleman desirous of adopting tins 

 plan,— -itfds InleUigaiecr, 



REVICWS. 



Description of Ihe Warmiug and Ventilating Apparatus at tlie Resi- 

 dence of Charles Babbage, Esq., Dorset Street, Manchester Square. 

 By Charles James Richurdson, F.R.I.B.A. 



This pamphlet is a succinct description of one of Mr. Perkins' ap- 

 paratus fitted for wanning Mr. Babbage's residence, and forms an 

 addendum to a work by Mr. Richardson on Warming and Ventilating, 

 noticed by us some time back. 



In this pamphlet, the author has given drawings, of Mr. Babhage'.s 

 house, shewing what way the pipes are distributed throughout the 

 rooms and staircase. He has also given some additional drawings 

 upon an enlarged scale, explaining tlie apparatus. 



Upon examining the drawings, it a|ipears to us, that it would be far 

 better, if instead of the pipes branching oft' from a multiple cock at 

 right angles, thev were made to start with a curve, and the mouth 

 formed with a large orifice, gradually diminishing off' like a trumpet, 

 to the size of the pilie. From the want of some such arrange- 

 ment, probably it is, that the dining room and bed room circulations of 

 Mr. Babbage's residence are not effective ; we imagine, that according 

 to the construction of the multiple cock, the hot water rushes up to 

 the end or top of the cock, and tlistributes itself rapidly through the 

 two upper branches, and passes by the two lower ones, where the 

 water circulating through the pipes creates an eddy, and prevents a 

 free egress into the low er pipes ; thereby obstructing the free circula- 

 tion to the bed rooms and dining room : we should very much like to 

 see this suggestion tried, which might very easily be done, without 

 much disturbance of tlie pipes. We feel convinced that warming 

 apparatuses are often condemned for the want of a little attention in 

 ascertaining the causes of their failure or defect, as it is often found 

 that in some situations, an ajiparatus is effective, while in others, a 

 similar apparatus proves a total failure. 



The quantity of fuel stated to be sufficient for warming Mr. Babbage's 

 residence is very small, and if it does its duty effectively, must prove 

 the apparatus to be very economic. 



The Theory of Ihe Steam-Engine. 

 J. Weale. 1839. 



By Comte de Pambour. London : 



The author has in this work entered upon a hitherto almost unex- 

 plored field of reseirch; for the authors who had previously written 

 on the steam-engine had scarcely touched upon the general theory. 

 He has endeavoured to analyze the phenomena which take place in 

 steam-engines, to point out the laws which govern their effects, and to 

 reduce them to a perfect system. This was an arduous enterprise, 

 and has not been altogether without success : the author has esta- 

 blished two fundamental laws, which he considers as forming the basis 

 of the whole theory, but he has neglected others which cannot with 

 propriety be omitted. However, when we consider the magnitude 

 and novelty of the undertaking, we cannot be surprised at finding some 

 defects and omissions, which it would require a long and laborious in- 

 vestigation to remove ; we ought, therefore, to give M. de Pambour 

 credit for the service which he hns rendered to science, hoping that 

 his work, which every one who takes an interest in the subject ought 

 to possess, will, by opening a new channel for discussion, stimulate 

 others to join their enileavours in a work of so much general utility 

 and interest. We wish it then to be distinctly understood that, in the 

 observations we are about to make, we are far from having any inten- 

 tion of depreciating the labours of the talented author, whose chief 

 fault seems to have been a deficiency of practical experience : our sole 

 aim is to elicit truth, and aid, as far as lies in our power, in the ad- 

 vancement of mechanical science. 



The work is divided into twelve chapters. Chap. I. is intended to 

 prove the inaccuracy of the ordinary methods of calculation, and the 

 accuracy of the proposed theory. 



Chap. JI. treats of the laws which regulate the mechanical action of 

 steam. 



In Chap. in. the general theory of the steam-engine is developed, 

 and in each of the following chapters it is applied to a particular sys- 

 tem of engine. 



In tlie first section of Chap. I., where the ordinary mode of calcida- 

 tion is explained, there is a little confusion respecting the term theo- 

 retic effect. The author tells us, page 5, that by this mode 



The force applied to the piston was computed, in supposing the pressure 

 of the steam in the cylinder equal to that of the steam in the boiler : that is 

 to say, the area of the piston was multiplied by the pressure of the steam in 

 the iioiler, which gave the force exerted b\' tlie engine ; this result was then 

 ninltipUed by the velocity of the piston, and thus was obtained the theoretic 

 effect of the engine. Put the result of this calculation hawg been competed 



2 jD a 



